into an Angell of light that so mislead me and the fruit which I cropt was but the forbid-fruit the ruine of such as couer knowledge beyond knowledge wich Salomon vpon his Repentance calleth a Being-ouerwise Medioc The Apostle therefore commandeth that no man presume to vnderstād aboue that which is méete to vnderstād but that he vnderstand according to sobriety all one with his Mottie that writ vppon the errour on the right hand Malcon I pray you sir by the way know you the Author of that Booke intituled Errour on the right-hand Medioc I doe Malcon And what thinke you of his booke Medioc The man is so neere and deare vnto mee as I cannot speake what I thinke but I should be held partiall Yet this I dare say as he had experience in himselfe of the Flyers error so in the persons of others he by experience of disputation did wel obserue that if the first positions of Malcontent did hold currant then not onely would followe the Brow nists separation but also would followe the main positions of the Anabaptist and if of the Anabaptist then also of othres Malcon Was hee not then at some times caryed away or entangled with Anabaptisme Arianisme c Some conclude that by his booke hee should Medioc Uery wittily and conscionably I warrant you as if certaine of the Fathers as Epiphanius Augustine should haue been tainted sometimes with all Schismes and Heresies of their times because they writ against all Schismes and Heresies of their times A conclusion good enough for Tom-Scull sometimes of Immanuel Colledge in Cābridge But to leaue this By and to returne vnto y◠main namely the Subscription afore discoursed of It seemeth somwhat hard that subscription by our church shold bee pressed to all her conclusions agreed vpon in common as agreeing to the word of God Malcon It is so indeede Neither doth the former booke intituled Errour on the right hand decide that point as to to me it seemeth Medioc When you shall reade it with a lesse partiall spirit you shall obserue what yet it seemeth you haue not specially by the positions added to y◠hee le of that Booke But to leaue y◠and to come vnto the Scriptures for helping vs out of the Atheisticall consequents that follow their reasō of not subscribing You remember that of Iob it is thus recorded Hee was an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill And the word Tám turned vpright is in propriety perfect was he such a one before God absolutely if so he should haue beene examined by the perfection of the Law Malcon Onely Christ could bee such a one Medioc Well in the first of S. Luke it is testified touching Zecharias and Elizabeth the parents of Iohn Baptist that both were iust before God and walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord. Did S. Luke herein testifie truth Malcon It were blasphemy to say the contrary seeing therein he was but the pen man of the holy Ghost Medioc Were both of them so iust and had both of them so kept all the commandements as in nothing they had offended Malcon Doubtles no for all haue gone out of the way and all need grace and free pardon for sin else Christ vnto such died in vaine Medioc How then were they iust and how then did they kéep all the commandements Malcon Iustice and perfect obedience was imputed vnto them because their hearts were vpright in the maine of their conuersation howsoeuer they failed in the By through imbecillity and weaknesse Medioc And if God lay not the By to his childrens charge where the maine of their cariage is iust what are we that we shold once dare to lay the By vnto his churches charge being a whole corporation of his children and besides to make it an argument of brawling with our mother Salomon saith The eie that mocketh the Father and despiseth the instruction of the Mother let the Rauens of the valley picke it out and the yong Eagles eate it Malcon You in your wisedome haue inforced me to cut off the head of mine owne doubt Medioc Why alas doth not our Church hold that she erred in this life and could she be thought to hold a subscription against her owne Tenet Shée doth not presse inch subscription in an high absolute sense as if in none of her words or writings shee failed from the perfection of the word one of her 39 articles cleares that so well as all her Apologie doth against the pride of the Church of Rome in that point but she presseth conformity Secundùm quid according to that is due vnto her in this world as she hath receiued of God to be a faithful Dispensator of his will Nor otherwise could wee put a sufficient difference betwéene the Canonicall scriptures our writings For priuat conceits as you may haue yours I may haue mine a third may haue a third and so on without end must these be causes why euery of vs must exclaime one vpon another and all of vs agree in one to disturbe the Church So there shall neuer be communion neuer any order so consequently not any peace If she be a mother let her keepe her place remembring still that here she is but as Israel in the wildernes and if we be not bastards but true borne children let vs know our place and not with Corah Dathan Abiram rise vp against the congregation our mother for if we do the earth will desire to swallow vp our glory and we shal be but as they that went downe to the pit Oh Malcontent Malcontent if Quéene Maries scortching Beames were vpon vs againe wee would a thousand times be thankfull for the least cooling shade that our Lawrell gouernement affordeth But it is in such fulfilled whereof Moses long since sung He that should haue been vpright becomming once fat hath spurned with his heele Had not Manna béen so plenteous they would not so soone haue lothed and had not their mother béene so familiar shee had not beene so soone despised Nam nimia ingurgitatio facit ineptum nimia familiaritas parit contemptum They still haue in their mouthes wee must grow in grace grow in knowledge grow in obedience but when we examine their growth behold they go from good vnto bad from light vnto darknesse from obedience to disobedience from some order vnto none from some vnity to all sorts of faction First warring with their mother then iarring amongst themselues and lastly a loathing vnto all men So grew Israel in the wildernes from discontent vnto faction from faction vnto Schisme from Schisme vnto rebellion from rebellion to lifes confusion till the earth was weary of them the Sanctuary lothed them and the Lord slue them Malcon O Lord how nere this comes vnto me and how may I seale to the truth thereof from mine owne experience Reuerend sir I haue beene thus troublous vnto you but God I doubt
had to do with meere Infidels without the Church but ours with Christians within the visible face of the Church and therefore no such cause nor néed But as the Apostles hauing ordained Presbyters or Priests to euery Church for yâ— néere ouer sight thereof did notwithstanding care for all the Churches and visite them as opportunity was offred so it is yâ— duty of ours and their maine duty If any one faile herein Est quidem error personalis non legalis the fault is in the person not in the function confirmed by Law As for their Prerogariues what haue they wherein the Apostles exceeded not If they incarcerate persons by authority deriued lawfully from our Prince a thing which Infidelious Princes would not coÌ„mit to yâ— Apostles nor yet to any ChristiaÌ„ is therfore yâ— sword vnlawful to a ChristiaÌ„ in the roome therof the King of kings collated a farre greater power vpon them In so much as thereby S. Paulâ—mot â—mot Elymas the sorcerer with blindnes and S Peter smote Anamas and Sapphira with present sodaine death When the times begun to be ordinarily Christian then the Lord tooke away that extraordinary prerogatiue and conferred vppon his Church the ordinary meanes for protection and correction of bodies A weake despised Church they would haue her who being destitute of extraordinary power would haue her robbed of that which is ordinary also The Prophets could foretell that Kings of the earth should bring their honour and glory vnto it and these cannot abide it Yes they will say we would haue the Church not her ministry to haue it I beleeue it they would haue themselues and their lay children euected and the ministry deiected Euen as they expound that precept Tell the Church to bee tell Tom Tynker tell Dick Cullion tell Ione the oyster-wench with all the rest of their Ignorants such a Sanhedrim the Iewes neuer had so yâ— bringing of glory and honour vnto the Church must not be at all or almost not at all to the ministerie for they be but vassalls but to her Laicall members as being the only vessels capable of glory honour They would haue all power and dignity in their owne hands that so the ministery standing both in Need Awe of them they might be topped and ouertopped at their pleasure not daring once in their Sermons to touch their corruptions as they wold not haue their good Masters and good Dames to withdraw their Almes from them So indeede it would come to passe as it did in Ezechiels time wee should be glad to preach for a crust of bread and an handful of barley Malcon Indeede sir I must needes say it would come to no better Experience euery where will giue testimony vnto it But I beseech you sir another question how shall wee cleare that the Surplice is not an Idolothyte Medioc By the definition of an Idolothyte for an Idolothyte is whatsoeuer is dedicate or consecrate to an Idoll by way of deuotion But none of our Surplices haue been so deuoted therfore none of them Idolothytes If any can fetch out a Surplice that hath beene by the Papists consecrated to their Idol-idle masse such a one may be termed an Idolothyte and it skils not though it were burnt As for ours they be not such though like to such no more then the Animal-offerings of Israel vnder the lawe were Idolothytes howsoeuer like to the oblatioÌ„s of Aegypt out of which they made their exode and passage But that which is more if the idolatour had abused it may I not vse it The Apostle teacheth otherwise vnto the Corinthians he layes downe the case thus Of cattle offered vp to the Idols some part comes to the offerers and from them sometimes that part comes to the flesh market Some infidell buyes of it dresseth it and sets it before thee Let thy coÌ„science make no scruple to eate of it how soeuer it was Idolatrized for as the earth is the Lords not the Diuels so the fulnes thereof is his and created for the vse of his Yet this prouiso withall If any one at table with thée doe pointe at it and say certainly this is an Idolothyte I like it not then because of his conscieÌ„ce not because of thine let it alone for the Lord hath things know besides in the earth for thee to feede vpon Otherwise thou eating of it and giuing thankes to God for it why should another speake end of thee Hence it is plains that the children of God may lawfully vse any creature in the earth howsoeuer it haue beene by others prophaned Only in case of anothers weaknes he is to forbeare euen from his owne right This Prouiso I know is the maine of all their speech who kéepe such a stir about the poore garmeÌ„t but in pressing this prouiso they must take with them this they must confesse themselues to bee but as yet very yong Christians and not fitted to be Pastors ouer flocks of people no more then they were fit for ministeriall function which were but Neophyts newly come from heatheÌ„ Idolatry vnto Christianity for such were they of whom the Apostle speaketh And then it will followe first that they haue sinned in medling with the strongest function in the congregation being but as yet nouices in the faith Secondly that they deserue to be sharply censured for making their people weaker then they â—ound them who at first could brooke the Garment well but now must 〈…〉 as if it were an Idolothyte And if they say they knowe their owne Christian liberty therein but many about them will be offended I answere there be none about them that can as the former Neophyts plead tollerable infirmity All about them be Christians borne of Christian parents in the profession of Christianity for some thousand yeares and vpward Let them sée to it then if such their exception doe not growe not from infirmity but from wilful péeuishnes as willing to stick rather in their owne preiudged opinion then to â—eeled forward vnto Christ. With the Apostlo to the Colossians I say thus If they be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though they liued in the world are they burdened with traditions as touch not taste not haÌ„dle not wee say to shew the liberty wherewith Christ hath made theÌ„ free they ought to weare it They answere that they may not We say besides the former reason the Christian Princes commandement propounding it but as a garment for seemelines and order it ought to moue their conscience to the vse of it They answere it doth not PropouÌ„d what we shall they still with the superstitious Colossians doe returne vs a not as if their only study were to crosse Christ to crosse a Christian King and to crosse the Churches affirmatiue with their Ethelothreskia their Negatiue Not. Malcon I wonder how reading that place to the Corinths so often as I haue so well as this last to the Colossians I could
thē by crosse carriage towards them And then no maruaile they cast out a dart for the least creatures haue their splen and their gall And this I will tell you further if shee can draw her sting back againe thē all is well enough with her howsoeuer she haue tickled her molestor But if she leaue it quite behind then through want of choser to inflame her vnto duty she becommeth a drone and loiterer liuing vpon the spoile of others All which may put vs in mind First that a Christian is to be zealous in a good cause but so as he ouershoot not the compasse of his owne good Secondly that a man ouerlashing in zeale doth finally grow to be as cold as a clocke a plaine loiterer liuing vpon the vndeserued paines of others For extremity of zeale ordinarily is turned into extreame security We are therefore to spend our zeale to day as wee may be feruent in the Churches quarrell to morrow Malcon A wise obseruation and godly Medioc Now sir when such a one becomes a plaine loiterer they want not discipline and that a sharp one for procéeding with such a party marke these two bées you shall haue a present instance sée you how that blacker bee is got vpon the iacke of the other sée how she tugs her forward now she tūbles down with her from the stone now she flies vp againe hauing left the other for dead Malcon Surely she is dead indeed Medioc Whia this was an idle bée and seeing shee would not worke as the Apostle vrgeth she shall not eate amongst them May not both Church and common wealth learne from hence that it is shame to suffer loiterers to the consumption of their labours Now sir marke againe how some come forth to fly about for more prouision Others againe see how they come with their thighes laden with matter for effecting of hony And in the third place obserue how some others help to beare in their burthen From hence may wee not learne that as euery Christian is to haue his calling and therein to bee painfull so the stronger are to support the weaker one bearing anothers burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ Malcon How dull haue I beene in contemplating the workes of God! Medioc Now sir all these maintaine Vnity in the bonds of peace and so their small beginnings increase to a mightie lump whereas on the other side the greatest things by discord and dariance do come vnto nothing Furthermore as they haue a gouernor to goe in and out before them so they do camp round about his person as willing to be slaine before y◠their anointed be touched And may not the obseruation hereof bring confusion of face vnto such as not only make away but also themselues ioyne in traiterous violences against the Lords annointed our dread Soueraigne king Iames Besides how may it plainly demonstrate the leaud spirits of some Zeloists who being called to inuiron the Church as the Tribes with their tents in the wildernes inuironed the Sanctuary are not onely not such but in deede and in word and in writings incompasse her with firebrands setting all on fire Though the Lord had his holy fire in the Temple yet it was the Diuels wild-fire by Nabuchadnetsar that set the Temple on fire Malcon Wel now I perceiue that the smallest creatures do go before me in obedience to their Creator Reuerend sir as I heartily thanke GOD for the good I haue this way already receiued so I beseech you to giue me patient hearing while I propound my soules sorrow vnto you and that shal be in so fewe words as I can I haue sinned against our Church mightily I am afraid in hauing bin vnto her not a Bee but a spider in drawing all into the euill part for nourishing my poisonfull iudgement My humble desire is that in propounding some doubts which yet as stumps remaine behind vnpulled vp you would vouchsafe vnto mee some reasonable resolution Medioc With all my heart and the Father of Christ Iesus exhibite a plenteous blessing Malcon Amen I beseech him The first question is how may I be assured that the ministrie of our Church is one with that ministry which Christ left vnto the ministration of the new Testament that is of the Gospel or glad tidings through Faith in Christ opposite in respect of the forme of iustification to the workes of the Law The doubt ariseth First from their diuersity of titles the one called Bishops and Deacons the other called Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops Priests Parsōs Vicars Secondly our Bishops seemto haue greater dignities prero gatiues in the world thē the other had Medioc To the first I answer The house of Ioseph made no separation from their master nor the Iewes from Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah howsoeuer Pharaoh altered the first and Nebuchadnetsar gaue bad ones to the second Names are not of the essence or being of things otherwise false Christs should bee true Christs and false Prophets true Prophets because they be inuested with y◠commendable titles of Christ and Prophet And yet no such euill in our names for what is Archbishop but chiefe ouerseer Lord Bishop a ruling ouerséer Priest the corrupt word of Presbyter as Bishop of Episcopos signifieth onely an Elder which phrases of Bishop and Elder were giuen to the Apostles also The first in respect of ouerseeing Church or Churches the second in respect of their yeares sufficiencie before they entred into the worke of the ministry As for the terme Parson you may call him Pastor if you will the Law giues you leaue the terme Parson arguing rather the nature of his Maintenance then of his Office The same may be said of Vicar also and therefore hee that in Lancashire said God hath giuen me a liuing and the diuell hath giuen me a name argued therein more precipitate zeale then sadnes of learning I wonder why Phanatique spirits so well as at this do not brabble with their Parents for giuing and with themselues for bearing such names as Richard Robert Roger Hercules Diana Mar-prelate for so one was baptized and these thousands moe be not onely not in the Bible but many of them rapt from heathen Poets what not But they haue litle to do that will contend with their owne shadow Secondly for the greater dignities prerogatiues which our Bishops haue in the world I answer the Apostles had right to far greater dignities then ours be possessed of the Apostle had right to euery vineyard hée planted to euery flocke hee had fed and that is right to maintenance from multitudes of Churches and countries If it be replied y◠Apostles had it not no not y◠Arch-apostle S. Paul I answere y◠was not because it was not their right but because the people would not giue vnto thē their right If here it be obiected but our Bishops haue not so laboured and conuerted y◠people from whom they haue such dignities I answer the first