purelie as euer men did since the time of the Apostles the verie Bishoppes their enemies being taken to witnesse What though they will not followe them in popishe trifles Is this a iuste cause why Christe by them should not be preached Was there euer the like example in Christes Church that none should preache Christe vnlesse hee woulde weare such a cappe a tippet such a Cope and a Surplesse Of Antichristes munckerie or other corrupte tymes we talke not neyther in a Christian reformation maye they be once looked backe vnto Let them repent therefore that hinder the preaching of Christ for any such cause For Christ wil not suffer it vnaduenged Bernarde Yet because al Bishoppes in Englande and many good Preachers whiche once had refused this apparell yet nowe by occasion haue receyued it agayne and but a fewe there bee that yet still refuse it Therefore it seemeth to be more expedient and lesse daunger of offence in the Church to bringe a fewe of small estimation to a conformitie with the Bishoppes and theyr great number so esteemed than to suffer inferiours to differ from the Bishoppes and chiefe Prelates Mil. When Peter and Paule were at Antioche they both did eat meate with the Gentiles But at the comming of certayne from Iames Peter fearing them of the circumcision withdrew himselfe so that other Iewes there and Barnabas also were brought into the same dissimulation Then Paule withstoode Peter openly as worthy of reproche for giuing of an example to the Gentiles to keepe Iewish obseruations Wherefore if right proceeding in the truth of the Gospel haue made both these parties once to agree in leauing of Popishe apparaile as it did Paule Peter in leauing of Iewish rites and then feare and respect of some persons mooue now the one parte as Peter was mooued to shrink back to rites reiected in such a case the most expediente way to auoyde all daunger is without regarde of person multitude feare or fauour to keepe and maintayn the truth of the gospell with sinceritie and libertie vnseparable from the same as did Paule at that time Bern. But christian obedience requireth the obseruation of all things indifferent cōmaunded by authoritie And these thinges they say are indifferent Mil. Washing of handes amongest the Iewes was a thing much more indifferent of it selfe than this apparaile not so much abused of the Pharisees as this of the papistes Yet this being commaunded and vrged by them that had authoritie our Mayster Christ defēdeth the not obseruing of it and chargeth the maintainers of it with the breaking of Gods commaūdements for their owne traditions and with hipocrisie and the blinde leading the blinde And so concludeth as may appeare euidently that the authoritie and obedience of christians standeth neither in commaunding nor obseruing but rather in rooting vp all superstitious abuses Bern. But the case standeth thus that authoritie will not Nowe if the Prince might be thereto perswaded the Bishops seeme that they would bee glad to abolishe these Garmentes and all such as thou speakest of But if the Prince will force al Ministers to receaue them or else put them from their liuings and ministerie then it seemeth better to keepe the ministerie and liuings and the libertie of sincere doctrine with this apparaill than without it to lose all and to leaue the church destitute and so sore offende the Prince that hath restored the preachers and the preaching of Christs Gospell Mil. Thus haue the London Ministers the hartes consciences of the Bishops of their side by thy graunt Now if y e Bishops and preachers respecting God the cause onlie haue wished and perswaded not to vse this apparel as Ioab did not to number the people and yet respecting y e Princes commaundement cōtrarie to their former mind should yelde indeede as Ioab did then were it to be feared such sequele of plagues ouer y e people with great griefe to the Prince as was then in Iuda These thinges thus considered moue many good preachers to be cōstante and syncere as in minde doctrine so in conuersation and manners reprouing and refusing all popish trashe especially the furniture of that Idolatrous blasphemous and trayterous priesthoode moste pestilent enimie to al christian authoritie Princely dignitie And therefore many good Preachers be rather resolued for preseruation of the Prince and people from the wrath of God by losing of liuings liues to cōfirme their doctrine truelie taught than keeping liuings with flatterie endaungering the Prince people to build bring againe y t which by faithfull preaching they haue destroyed So can not such preachers be put to silēce their dedes stil declaring cōfirming their doctrine nor y e church by thē destitute who are so readie to confirme true doctrine w t syncere rites maners whiche ought to giue no offence to a godly Prince or people whose safetie next vnto gods glorie is chieflie herein sought Bern. I heard M. Doctor say that y e London ministers made many argumentes but they could not proue their Minors I praye thee what meant he by that worde for I vnderstand him not And what were their arguments tell me if thou knowest For I do not so much mislike your side as I did thou doest answere me so fullie to al y t I demaūd Mil. I wil plainly tell thee some of their arguments thou shalt finde in thē so good reason that thou shalt not bee able to denie them whatsoeuer M. Doctor or M. Proctor do say They reason thus as thou mayst see in this Table where thou mayest perceyue the first sentence of the argument to be called the Maior the second the Minor And the Minors for the moste parte are open to the senses and experience of all menne that will not be blinde of wilfulnesse so that they neede no further demonstration but onely Geometricall such as maister Beza vseth with that Asse Heshutius As for the first Minor that this Popishe ordure doeth not edifie we haue the experiēce in all mens sight by Paules Church in London and the glorious shewes there like as in all the Cathedrall Churches in England where these things are most vsed the people are least edified in Christ because they continewe ignoraunt of Christ being satisfied with their olde superstitious shewes and therefore are most vnreadie and vnmeete to receaue anie profite by Christes wordes and Sacramentes Where contrariwise in all suche Churches where these thinges are caste away the people growe more in knowledge and come by greater numbers with greater reuerence to receaue the holy Sacramentes Bern. I heare manie saye so I can not denie Mil. But learne once to see with thyne owne eyes Whether doest thou think that the Copes and the Surplesses the Piping and the singing within Paules Churche or the preaching onely without this geare in the Churchyarde doth more edifie Bern. Truelie no man dare denie but that the worde doth more edifie But these things
cause corruption to burste and to lose the liquoure that is receyued or else separation to make the renting of the old from the newe more euident Bern. Maister Examinator sayth that you haue none learned of your side but such as haue bin brought vp in prophane occupations Mil. He is to impudent that is not ashamed so to reporte seeing it is so wel known that there be of our side which are notablie well learned some hauing fewe fellowes or none in Englande which may stoppe the mouthes of such slaunderers Yea there is a great number that will not feare to defende this cause against him if he will set aparte his popishe arguments sworde and power Besides that we haue the example of al the reformed churches and of all the great learned there And there is none of our side God be praysed but that he hath some cōpetent knowledge of the scriptures and in life verie honest in comparison of your number who for the most parte can not reade a true sentence and are eyther popish priests or Monkes or Friars or Alehouse haunters or boyes and laddes and drunkardes and dolces that will weare a fooles hood for liuings sake As for ours they doo knowe Christe and labour to do so more and more Ours do hate the Romane Antichrist and labour to pluck out all those wicked weeds which yours in corners do chearishe al that they can seeking nothing but like greedie dogges howe to fil their idle paunches And where the wicked number take parte wholy together in anie controuersie the matter is much to be suspected Let vs haue seuen godlie as his name be praysed we haue seuen hundred that ioyne with vs. And therfore are not afrayde to enter into the Arcke at Gods appointement and to forsake the wicked multitude that do but halte in Gods businesse Bern. O Miles thou maist not talke thus against my Lorde of Canturburies good grace nor vs his ministers Though manie be vnlearned boyes and such as thou haste sayde yet come they into their benefices orderlie eyther by the Bishopp of the Diocesse or by my Lorde of Canturburies good grace his dispensation and licence Mil. I will not nowe treate what is the true order of the making of Christes Ministers of their vocation probation and election by the rule of Gods worde and the order of the primitiue Church but with that olde Bishoppe of Lincolne called Robertus Lincolniēsis Robert of Lincolne that wrote more than three hundred and twentie yeres ago before any Lord Bishop or Bishoppes grace was named and reasoned against the Pope and proued him an hereticke for doing the like I will reason thus with thee Bernarde against thy glorious Bishoppes grace And I demaunde firste what callest thou heresie Bern. Heresie is an opinion inuented by mans fantasie being contrarie to the holie scripture openly taught and stoutelie mainteyned Mil. Thou sayest well Nowe consider what followeth To committe the cure of soules to a Boye or to a wicked or vnlearned dolte is the opinion and the pronoūced sentence of thy Bishoppe of Canturburies grace It is inuented by mans fantasie for moneye and it is agaynst the Scriptures and it is openly taught and published For it is with a solemne seale caried abroade in writing and confirmed and it is stoutelie maynteyned For no man may withstande it but hee shall be suspended and excōmunicate Therfore to whō this definition of Heresie pertayneth he is an Heretique whether hee be Pope or Archbishop This good Bishop Robert of Lincolne saith furthermore That those Priestes or Pastours which come as it were in y e place of christ and doe not preache the worde of God although they had no further wickednes yet are they Antichrists and Sathan transfigured into the Angell of lighte theeues and robbers the killers and the destroyers of the Sheepe making the house of God a den of theeues Bern. Indeede I cannot wel denie this that thou sayest that many of vs are worse learned and that is blame worthie in vs. But I haue reade that obedience is better then Sacrifice and wee are more obedient and this is your great faulte that you will not be obedient to the higher powers in these policies and such like Mil. That Texte of Samuell is wrong wrested and maketh sore agaynst your side for it is the precise obedience to Gods worde that is there commaunded and to adde nothing therevnto by our foolishe intents as king Saule did are we there charged Nowe for obedience to policie I doe aunswere that the popish priesthoode and the Euangelicall Ministerie and the making and appointing of them and the forme of the Sacramentes are not belonging to policie but ad cultum Diuinum only wholy In y t which he that passeth Gods worde deserueth Gods wrath as Saule did not only by the leauing of the remnauntes of the Amalechites but also because hee was to bolde in Gods businesse touching the Sacrifice Bern. Yet seeing some men whiche bee now counted amongest these Ministers did in King Edwardes dayes vse this apparel hauing then a feruente zeale and good conscience and nowe refuse it it seemeth not that they are mooued with zeale and conscience but with contention desire of nouelties and singularitie Mil. Paule serued GOD with feruent zeale and a pure conscience from his progenitors yet comming to more knowledge did finde and confesse those thinges to bee hurtfull and vile which he had esteemed and vsed as profitable And albeit that hee had circumcised Timothie yet woulde hee not suffer Titus to be circumcised Euē so some such as proceede in knowledge and experience doe finde this apparaile hurtfull and vile which afore they thought profitable or at the least not hurtful at all And albeit charitie did moue thē to beare with the weake as it did Paule to circumcise Timothie yet faithfulnesse to keepe the truth of the Gospell where it hath bin longer preached causeth the same Preachers not to yelde to any force or importunitie after the example of Paule that would not circumcise Titus not of anie singularitie and desire of nouelties but of faythefulnesse zeale and good conscience Bern. Yet the Bishops being tried men of great zeale knowledge thinke it meete that your Ministers should followe them or else be put to silence Mil. The Apostles of Christe seeing a man casting forth Diuelles in the name of Christe would haue forbidden him because hee followed not them But our Sauiour Christe saieth Forbid him not Nowe these our Ministers followe Christe and his Apostles Who then dare forbidde them The Apostle Paul saith That some preach Christe thorowe enuie and strife to increase my bandes and some of good will What thē saith he Yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether it bee vnder a pretence or sincerelie and I therein reioyce yea and will reioyce Thou mayst see therefore O Bernarde that they are lead with a contrarie spirite that put them to silence who preache Christe as
paines in trauailes in perils and diligence M. Examinator whosoeuer hee was should not thus against reason haue railed on such whome their very enemies the papistes doe reuerence for their payns their care and diligence Aske at the Churches of Antline Peter Bartholmewe and at other Churches also what painefull trauailes from time to time they haue sustayned what perils in the plague they aduentured Haue not the poore sick persons and prisoners by them bin comforted and the people most diligently instructed If this be true as it is most true for the reuerence of him whose seruants they are they should haue bin more gently handled and more brotherly aunswered then thus to haue bin called fooles at y e first word though in some pointes they had fayled as men and not satisfied the great wisedome of M. Examinator Nether doth the Rhethoricall Arte of your M. teache him thus rudely to begin with them whome he shoulde perswade neither Christian charitie if either of you were euer entred into that Schoole doeth permitte you to call your Brother Foole as you may reade in our Sauiour Christ his firste Sermon Math. 5. which hee beginneth with blessing and not with brauling Bern. Maister Examinator is a wyse Gentleman and he sawe some cause why he called them fooles I warraunt you Mil. I graunt that it is counted a faulte amongest the wise of the worlde to bee so earnestlie and diligentlie occupied in preaching And for this cause the wise kinsmen of Christ called him madde would needs binde him and therfore your high Priests who are the accusers Iaylors and Iudges to these persecuted persons preache so seldome But the Spirite of God giueth an other commaūdement saying I charge thee therefore before God and his sonne Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke the dead at his appearing and in his kingdome Preache the worde bee instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhorte with all long suffering and doctrine This and such like commaundements of God hath caused these good men and many others of their sorte to take theyr liues in their hands as Iob speaketh some to lose their liues and all to yeoparde theyr liues in that late plague of London when you Foure horned Gentlemen fled from your cures and hyred Iornemen in your places At what time these men shewed thē selues the good sheepheardes ieopardinge their liues for the sheepe and you were foūd hyreliuges taking stil the gayne but flying from the perilles Is this say you the cause Or is it rather for that they rebuked Poperie Idolatrie all kinde of sinne so sharpely were so feruent and zealous With the which earnestnes against sinne superstition and hypocrisie the halting gospellers and luke warme worldlinges must needes be offended and count them fooles and mad men as Festus did Paule and the olde worlde the Prophetes For the wisedome of God in his seruaunts hath euer in this poynte by y e world bin counted follie And alwayes the politike wise gentlemen count it their safetie to be like in religion with the multitude And therefore are bolde to mixe together many religions of Christ and Antichrist of God and the Deuill yea and some of them dare saye that both were good and both in their tymes to bee obeyed O miserable blindnes that nowe when light is come into the worlde men will not caste awaye the workes and fruites of darknesse and repent of them Either is this the cause that when the people haue bin taught these thirtie yeares in Englande that the Pope is the Romane Antichrist whose name ought not to remain in our bookes nor to bee spoken with our mouthes vnlesse it were in detestation now after so long trauaile against this enemie of Christe by their fathers their Brethren and themselues they seeing few or none going forwarde to roote out the remnaunts of Antichrist but many stande at a stay many casting away their weapons so that the Enemie gathereth courage many souldiors to shrinke backe not onely wearing Antichristes liueries but following that Romish Balaams couetousnesse and that old popish pompe with other his cursed conditions these faithfull Ministers will not be partakers of their sinnes least they receaue part of their plagues Loe this is the crime this is the fault lo this is the foolishnesse wherwith your wise and prudent Examinator is able to charge these true and faithfull Ministers of God If I knew what your proctor were whether he be a priest of y e popish order or of the English order or a man of the lay and lewd sort as the papists are wont to tearm them I could shew in him greater lewdnesse and more follie than you or he can proue in thē But because I doe not know his person I will answere the cause of Christs seruants and let him and you alone to your Lord and Maister giuing you both warning that you shall giue an answere before y e great Iudge for that which you doe or say agaynste these his little ones whome you call fooles But to the matter aunswere me playn Is it not meete that they which should bring others to the obedience of Christ should firste practise in themselues the same obedience and that they shoulde doe nothing without the warrant and commaundement of Christ that so not only by doctrin but also by their example of obedience they may teach their auditors only to depend vpon Christ Bern. No man will denie this thing to be meete and reasonable Mil. This is the summe of the request and supplication of the Godly Ministers of London as farre as I can heare that after so long preaching of Christ in London almost these thirtie yeares they may put in practise the doctrine of Christ and minister his holy sacraments in that simplicitie that Christ and his Apostles hath left thē without the ceremonies and garmentes abused by the papistes the enemies of Christs his Gospell which cannot in any wise make for edification in Christ that seeing their Fathers and Brethren and they with their own mouthes haue so long cried out against all popish Ceremonies as kneeling before the sacrament whereby much idolatrie hath bin and is committed as the ministration in the wafer cake whereby the people hath bin brought into vayne imaginations and haue not felt the comforte that our Sauiour Christ would haue sensibly to be presented in the vsual bread of many graines and many crummes making one body and being the vsuall foode as also against other monumentes of superstition and idolatrie as the garments of the popish priesthoode and of the popish Masse Nowe I say at the length after so many yeares teaching and so much blood of Gods Saintes sheade for the abolishing of Antichrist they themselues should not be compelled to giue any signification in their owne persons and bodies that they haue any concorde or agreement with that Romane Antichrist but that they go before their flocke to practise in worke
many of vs cannot prophecie nor instructe the people nay many will not take muche paines that way and some dare stop the mouthes of the true Prophets and Preachers because they labour to roote forth the remnaunts and reliques of the false prophets Peter crieth to his fellow Elders to be examples of the flock not following filthie lucre nor shewing themselues as Lordes ouer Gods heritage What filthie gaine seeke you and how many wayes How are you Lords in names in commaundementes in spoyling and robbing true preachers and casting of them into prison Our Maister Christ saith you shall not be such Runne not headlong with the popishe Prelates and sworne enemies from Christ and your Brethren Are those papisticall Garmentes so poisonfull that of persecuted Paules they can make persecuting Saules if they be once cast ouer your shoulders Abhorre such poyson all you that be of God Diuers of the Bishops that now bee did once loue and cherish their Brethren and bare the crosse of Christ with them whome now they molest persecute ioyning hands with the wicked worldlinges What is the cause of this chaunge In whome is this mutabilitie The one sorte remaineth the same men in Apparaile not altered nor in harts chaunged but in worde and deede as they are wont to doe detesting sinne and wickednesse preaching the Gospell with al faythfull diligence Let them take heede which forsake the fellowship of such to ioyn themselues with the contemners of the gospell the fornicators and the couetous with Papistes or with others that walke not with straight steppes but by their halting are turned out of the way and whiche shewing themselues neither hote nor colde must be vomited out These Godly Ministers call vppon the high Prelates for eccleasistical Discipline and to haue the Churche reformed as our Maister Christ appoynteth Your proctors and maintainers will haue none other Discipline than the Pope had which was gainfull to the purse and so groweth the corruption of maners worse and worse These crie for the election of Ministers by their learning and maners according to Pauls rule and that the drunkards and filthy couetous the periured the blasphemers and such like be not suffred in the Ministerie your side will not be so rigorous for then they coulde not haue such chopping Chapleins neither could they themselues keepe in their hands so many Benefices To make an ende of a matter that is infinite and endlesse these Ministers of Christ as they themselues are faythfull Laborers so teache they that hee that laboureth not should not eate of the fatte of the flock your proctors approue and maintain you that be loiterers to deuoure the churche goods the sweat of poore mens labors and doe allowe proprietaries improprietaries drones to sucke the Hony combe yea they maynteyne hogs dogs Wolues Foxes Symoniaks Vsurers men women boyes to spoile the poore lambes of Christ of al foode both spirituall and corporal and vnder the cloake of a few popish ceremonies they couer all carnall filthines as though god could or would be satisfied with ceremonies trifles This is the wisedome wherein your side agaynst Christes Ministers haue to glorie and if this be wisedome that you follow than are the other in greate follie But I doe feare that M. Examinator his side must heare Apage Satan ea quae sunt hominū nō Dei sapit Your humane wisedome that you boaste of is not of god therefore it is diuelish Bern. Did not I tell thee before y t thou couldest be welcome to no good companie neither that thou canst get any substanciall liuing vnlesse thou leaue this rayling Mil. I knowe the olde Prouerbe that flatterie getteth friendes and truth getteth hatred and that the greatest part call good euill and euill good But I care not for such good companie with whom whosoeuer are partakers to cōmunicate with thē in their sinnes they shall haue their portion also of their plagues Thou I haue bin wretched sinners in our youth God hath spared vs long and many times and now hath set his marks vpon vs to call vs euery houre to repentaunce and shall we prouoke him with new and straunge sinnes that where strēgth of body fayleth that wee can no longer follow the lustes of the fleshe we shoulde ioyne our selues with the Papistes the spirituall Sodomites to tempt God worse ten times then before Bern. I pray thee Miles hold thy peace thou makest mee tremble with thy terrible words and by calling old things to remembraunce And I tell thee that though the Papists were Theeues and Robbers and Sodomites and soule quellers and what thou wilt yet are we none such for we do all for policie Mil. Nay all your doinges are not policie Haue you no religion your church seruice is not policie and in the Archebishops aduertisements you haue lawes temporal meere ecclesiasticall your fasting dayes are not mere policie for your Archbishop graūteth dispensations for fortie shillinges that men may eate flesh in the dayes forbidden Sana conscientia as though he had authoritie ouer mens consciences vnlesse they haue his license And vnlesse hypocrisie may be counted policie there bee many thinges in your reformation that will be founde fonde policie for what is this that both the phisition of body and soule must bee consulted withall before you may eate flesh was not this once playne poperie And what is the common babling of the Priestes that cannot read to edification and therefore make all the English seruice like the old Mattins and Masse Is it not that whiche Esaiah speaketh Because this people come neare me with their mouthes and honour mee with their lips but haue remooued their hartes from me and their feare towardes me was taught by the preceptes of men therefore will I worke a wonder amongst this people for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the vnderstanding of their prudent shalbe hid And let vs consider to whome God speaketh by his Prophe tthese wordes Is it not to a people that had no open Idolatrie at that present neither yet mumbled their prayers in a tongue not vnderstoode as did the papistes But to y e Iewes that read song the psalmes scriptures in their own mother tongue howbeit they babled onely with the tongue like hypocrits the words were as it were of a booke fast sealed Such trifling is nowe amongest you Englishe Chaplains For when you haue reade ouer one place of the Scripture fortie times yet you and your hearers are neuer the wiser You say you haue done your seruice as sayd the papistes Now if you keepe this hypocriticall shew onely for policie and make it to serue you politikely to win your liuings or for to keepe the people in some feare as Machiuel that Italian dogge doth teache you may perceaue by this Texte of Isaiah that Gods wrath will be the reward of your policie Likewise you keepe Bona ecclesiae by policie and do
necessarie And all Princes are bounde to make suche Lawes as serue herevnto Then followeth the loue of our neighbour as the rule of the seconde whiche loue yet must bee in GOD in Christ and in veritie For cursed is that concorde that is in falshoode in hypocrisie in Idolatrie or briberie Yea cursed is that concorde and cursed is that Policie that hath not Gods worde to warrante it For it is darkenesse and vanitie What fellowship hath lighte with darkenesse Righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What concorde hath God with Beliall Christ and Antichriste the sincere Gospeller and the polluted Papist Wherefore separate your selues from them touche none of their filthie geare so haue you a promise that God will receaue you and be a father vnto you There is no suche warraunte of youre Proctors policies And howe canne this be a good policie to compell the Ministers of God agaynste Gods warrante to bee like the Idolatrous Priestes and to weare their garishe geare Howe canne they bee like that blasphemous Priesthoode whiche fighte with all force agaynste that Priesthoode and labour by all meanes to abolishe it Or how can this bee a good policie to bring Gods plagues vpon Englande to set Godly men at variaunce to stay and hinder the course of Gods worde to cause the enemies Harding his fellowes to triumphe and to waite for an ouerthrowe of both partes But the mayntenaunce of these supersticious and idolatrous monumentes causeth all this therefore there is in them no good policie but a manifest hastening of Gods great plagues that haue so long hanged ouer Englande Bern. I can see no cause why Gods plagues should come vpon Englande for this seing the most part of poperie is put down and we liue quietly Mil. Is not this a great plague of God thinkest thou that the cheefest Gospellers are together by the eares one spoileth another of liberty and liuing and the papistes true quietly indeed laugh in their sleeues Is not this a plague that where there bee so few Preachers of Gods Gospel in so great a realme the most paynefull labourers are put to silence by them that should seeke for labourers And as the Israelites destroying many of the Amorrhites and Canaanites according to Gods commaundemente yet liuing quietly for a while with the rest and leauing some relikes and remnaunts of thē by their own negligēce fond affection and foolish policie were continually corrupted polluted and plagued with these wicked remnauntes by Gods iust iudgement So is it to be feared here in Englande that the abolishing of muche Poperie according to Gods will and the reseruing of some superstitious and idolatrous reliques of the same by negligence affection or policie to haue quietnesse should cause this realme still to be poluted corrupted and plagued with papistes and poperie Bern. If you could prooue these thinges supersticious and idolatrous you said somewhat to the purpose But that I cannot see Mil. Was there any thing more idolatrous or superstitious about the Idols than the disguised garmentes the Coape and the Surplesse wherein they were censed and serued Were not they so mishapen and altered in forme from all other garmentes that they were in fashion monstrous to any other vse but about those Idols combersom and superfluous Wilt thou be blind within and without Haste thou not seene them occupied about the idols an hundred times Agayn to prooue them superstitious or idolatrous small disputation serueth to thē that will graunt poperie to be superstition and idolatrie For wherein played the Papistes all their popish pageauntes but in this garishe geare And Dauid counteth himselfe poluted with the naming of the Idolles Therefore woulde hee neuer commaunde any of his subiects to weare any of their garments The serpent was accursed because it was an instrumente of Sathan to tempte man to sinne and so is this garishe geare that hath tempted man to superstition and Idolatrie Not but that the serpent and the Diuel also the idoll and the Idolothite the Coape or Surplesse and the matters wherof they are made are good by creation but in that all these are altered from their creation to bee the instrumentes of sinne they haue gotten straunge names formes for the Idols and so the Diuell to be scrued therein so are they superstitious Idolatrous and abhominable And for their Cappes and Tippets were they not for that idolatrous and blasphemous Priesthoode them that take profite by the same as they are now appointed for you English Chaplaynes Bern. Nay man thou wotest not what thou sayest for many yong Schollers did weare thē in the Vniuersities that were no Priestes at all Mil. Though yong schollers in the Vniuersities were compelled to weare them as Nouices in the Popes Schoole and religion and were for the most part sworne to the Pope by the order of their houses yet when they were once maryed and so paste Popishe priesting were they Bachelers Maysters or Doctors they ceased by order to weare them Thus at all tymes the idolatrous Papistes appoynted this your politicall apparell for their owne sworne children For this cause it is sayd that Bonner was muche agreeued at those men whiche were not of his religion yet would weare these garments and apparaile For said he they are Ornamentes belonging onely to our Religion And therefore after his scoffing maner hee counted them the honester men that woulde not weare them nor challenge that to themselues which was none of theirs If any did forsake the Pope were he Bishop or Archbishop they plucked these rags from him with all violence as they did from Cranmer Ridley and Hooper So that it is no good policie for this Realme of Englande that are enemies to the Pope and the Pope vnto it to leaue so many Souldiers in their enemies liueries Neither is it good policie of the Gospellers that weare this geare to continue in that liuerie forth of the which of necessitie they must be turned by their owne bande if any Queene Mary which GOD forbid raigne ouer vs. But consider betimes you that maintain this filthie ware that there bee many that wayte for it which will reioyce to see you stripped out of these cloutes as they haue done at your brethren and that is y e cause that they holde what they can of their pope and sow sedition amongest the Gospellers Therefore I can see small policie and lesse safetie to ioyne with such false fellowes in so fonde apparaile And I would be loth to be matched with suche companyons in my charge at Barwick I cannot hate the enemie and loue his Ensignes and what plainer Ensignes haue we of the popish priesthoode than these garments that you would thrust vpon the backes necks and heads of christian souldiers I abhorre them to the Diuell as his vndoubted instrumentes to holde the people in superstition to cloake a filthie life and to sow discorde amongst brethren Bern. But I trow that I haue reade in Saint Paule
priesthoode in the court and the countrey haue we not iust cause to abhorre thē as filthinesse To defie them as pollutions To detest them as Idolatrous For doth not Augustin writing of like matters say thus I doe charge you before God and his Angels that you go neither to those diuelish feastes which are in the church and at the Fountaines or in the groues if any thing be sent vnto you frō thence abhor it detest it as though you did see therin the Diuell himselfe and refuse it so wholly that you suffer nothing of that accursed feast to be broughte into your house For the Apostle sayeth that yo cannot drinke the cuppe of the Lorde and the cuppe of the Diuels Nowe these Popish garmentes are patches left of an idolatrous feast worse in this poynte than the fleshe of the olde feastes or the Fountayns or the Trees because the formes and names of these thinges were not chaunged Wherefore if we may not bring them into our houses our Ministers maye not weare them in the administration of Christes sacramentes Bern. Why Miles you are too straight Christe and his Apostles did come into the churches both of the Iewes and of the Idolaters Therefore S. Augustine will permit more than you say Mil. I woulde wish them to come to the churches as Christ did to whip out y e wicked or as Paul did to preach against their idolatries Bern. But it seemeth by your former cōmunication of the full abolishing of thinges abused to the Idols that you woulde also haue the churches destroyed Mil. In the dayes of King Henry the the eight the hammer of the papistes they beganne this thing well in my iudgement For they defaced and destroyed at that time all the Churches that were principally appointed for Idolles as Walsingham and such Chappelles and Abbey churches as were not buylded for the administration of Christes Sacramentes but for superstition and Idolatrie Yet suffered they to stande still such as were ioyning vppon the same walles as in other places also such parishe Churches as were appointed for the assembling of the people for prayer and the Sacramentes In the which though all was corrupted yet because of the necessitie that such places must be had Nowe when true prayer is or should be restored and the Sacraments reformed the true Christiās may enter into these Churches that were founded for Christian people as into their owne goodes holden from them by theeues and robbers euen as after the same sorte wee do plucke with violence vnto our vsage the bookes of the scriptures which the papistes did hide from vs. And thus do we enter into our own possession and put out the theeues marke that had stollen these things frō vs. And that is the cause that we may leaue no marke nor monument of superstitiō or idolatrie in vestures or gestures amongest vs whereby those vsurpers might renewe their clayme in anie wile Thus did Moses Ezechiah Iosiah and others that are commēded in the scriptures For the verie names and therefore all the garishe shewes of the Idolles haue alwayes bin abhominable to the seruauntes of God as Dauid in the person of the faithfull confesseth And the Prophete Zephanaiah pronounceth y t God will cut away from his people the verie names of Chemarims and the Idolatrous priests and the remnaūtes of Baal So that we haue playne wordes for the destroying of all the remnaunts especiallie the Idolatrous garmentes For of them speaketh y e same Prophete by name also afterward like as Isaiah named the Ephod which was the priests garment and Moses commaundeth to ouerthrowe the Altars Isaiah biddeth beate thē in peeces like chalke stones And God himselfe by many of his seruauntes teacheth to roote out Idolatrous monumentes Bern. Nay but these are nowe no Idolatrous garments For the Idols are alreadie taken away destroyed these garmentes are nowe commaunded to be the liueries of the English Priestes and to be their ornamentes to decore the church seruice and the sacramentes Mil. And I pray you what was Baals Altare What were Baals Garmentes What were Baals Priestes after that Idol Baal was destroyed Ceased they then to bee idolatrous Garmentes They were at the leaste the remnauntes of Baal whereof Zephanaiah speaketh What is the Popish Altare the Pixe and Superaltar and such other monumentes of the Masse I pray you nowe when the Masse is put downe but idolatrous monumentes or idolatrous remnantes at the least What are the Massing gestures massing vestures but open shewes of Idolatrie And shal these be y e ornaments of those christian ministers y t haue abolished the Masse all Idols Eliiah the Prophet caused y e people in the kinges presence to kil all y e priests of Baal And thinke you that that King either woulde or coulde cause Eliiah straight wayes to vse either the Gestures or Vestures of those Idolatrous Priestes That good Priest Iehoiada caused the people also to destroye the Altare of Baal and slewe Mattan the cheefe priest of that Idoll vppon his owne Altare and who durst cōmaunde Iehoida to weare that priestes geare for an ornament Now by what right then may any of our faithful Ministers be commaunded to weare any liueries or tokens of that Antichriste whom they labour to abolishe or of those Idolles which worthelie are destroyed vnlesse it be for the same cause for the which Iehu giueth so great a charge to bring forth y e garmēts and so to trie who will weare these poluted garmentes and then to destroye them that will thus dissemble in theyr popish attire ornamentes Bern. Nay God forbid thou art to cruell thy hande hath bin to ofte in bloud And doest thou not see that these garmentes doo make the Ministers to bee reuerenced and honoured Mil. O Bernard thou lackest moe eyes than one that talkest on this fonde fashion I would be no more merciful nor cruell thā God him selfe is who if he will haue anie sinne terriblie punished by death it is Idolatrie For there is none that hee more hateth or for the which he hath giuen greater charge to roote out all remnauntes And this is most playne to them that haue eyes to see it that there can come no more reuerence nor honour to anie of Christes Ministers and Sacramentes by these popish vestimentes than to Eliiah or Iehoiada by the garmentes of Baals priestes All the Papall ornamentes are none other thinges else but the Ensignes of his proude tyrannie And double wicked are they in this pointe Firste that without Gods warraunte they will weare these garmentes Secondlie that herein they seeke their owne honoures wherein they woulde shewe their holines and shewe themselues most pompous where thei should appeare most humble and abiect Thus without Gods worde if our Englishe gospellers will needes followe the popishe pompous Priestes whiche were but Apes to Aaron and to other garishe Priestes of the Idolatrers for to winne thē honour they shalbe Simiarum Simiae