A BROTHERLY PERSWASION TO VNITIE AND VNIFORMITIE IN IVDGEMENT AND PRACTISE TOVCHING THE RECEIVED and present Ecclesiasticall gouernment and the authorised rites and ceremonies of the Church of England VVritten by Thomas Sparke Doctor in Diuinitie And seene allowed and commanded by publike authoritie to be printed ROM 12.18 If it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men COR. 11.16 If any lust to be contentious we haue no such customs nor the Churches of God LABORE ET CONSTANTIA LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for Roger Iackson and are to be sold at his shop in Fleet-street neere to the great Conduit 1607. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD OF GREAT BRITAINE France and Ireland King and ouer all persons and in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuill in these his dominions next and immediatly vnder God Supreme Gouernor and defender of the ancient Catholike and Apostolike Faith HIgh and mightie Monarch and my most dread gratious Soueraigne being one of them that by your most Honorable Councels letters in your Maiesties name were called to be before your highnes at the conference at Hampton Court and receiuing there such satisfaction as I did by your excellent Maiesties owne most readie and apt answers to the doubts and obiections there and then proposed as I could not but then greatly reioyce in my heart and praise and magnifie the Lord for the same so euer since though to the better satisfying of all others I haue not onely in my practise accordingly yealded vniuersall conformitie but priuately by word and writing also haue laboured to perswade all whom I haue met with to do likewise yet seeing and obseruing so many stil to refuse I could not but think it my bounden dutie to God and his Church first then to your highnesse by writing some short Treatise to doe the best that I could to further your most gracious christian purpose resolution determination in the said conferēce which was as I conceiued it by your most princely moderation resolution first of al in our home controuersies amongst our selues about our Churches Liturgie or Hierarchie so to knit vs all together in vnitie verity as that al our forces hereafter might more strongly be bent employed against our common aduersaries so the better also after to draw them to conformity with vs in the exercises and profession of our true and pure religion And therfore now wel nigh two yeares ago hauing writ this Treatise and finding that the priuat vse therof though it hath done good with som yet to that purpose could reach but to a few it hauing in this time comd bene in the view of some of the most reuerend Bish so hauing also got allowāce by authority to be printed hereupon hauing bene by thē and many others which haue sene read the same much vrged to publish it I am bound thus to dedicate it to your Maiesty so to offer it to the sight of all who shal be pleased to read it And the rather I thought iustly I might so do for that the ground of most of that I haue said therin to the satisfying of my brethren arises frō the speeches answers determinations that your highnes self gaue in the forsaid cōference But indeed I must needs confesse I durst not yet thus far haue aduentured but vpon comfortable remēbrāce of your Mai. vouchsafing the next morning after the said cōference to send for me thē to giue me that most gratious coūtenāce most princely kind words that you thē did in cōsideration of a book that your highnes vnderstood I had writtē bin in some trouble for in her Ma. time that last was touching succession Pardon me therfore most gracious soueraign if to testify in some measure my loyalty and thankefulnes for the same I venture now againe into your highnesse presence with so small a present as this For you being pleased to accept the same to giue it passage thus vnder your most roial patronage and protectiō to the end aforesaid vndoubtedly it wil may much the sooner get liking and entertainment withall so also giue the better satisfaction and contentment to all them whersoeuer it finds the same Thus therefore once againe most humbly crauing pardon for this my great boldnes hoping of your Maiesties fauorable acceptance hereof most instantly vpon the knees of my soule begging of the almighty that your Highnes your most royall issue may most happily prosperously reign rule ouer vs while the Sun Moon endure to his most gracious protection I commend your Maiestie now and euer From Bletchley in Buckinghamshire 1607. Your Maiesties faithfull and humble subiect Thomas Sparke The Epistle to the Christian Reader I Am not ignorant welbeloued in the Lord that I haue and doe vndergoe already the hard censure of many for conforming my selfe as I haue to the orders of our Church and that I am like to endure harder for the writing and publishing of this Treatise following to perswade others so to doe likewise And all this the rather for that eyther through ignorance what my iudgement in former times hath beene of these matters now in question or misconstruction of some of my former actions many as it seemeth haue conceiued that heretofore I haue not beene the same man that now in this my dealing I manifest my selfe to be To satisfie therefore all men if it may be in this respect first they are to vnderstand that though there be now vpon occasion of the manner of this new vrging the rites and ordinances of our Church as they are some difference in outward shew betwixt my former courses and this which I now take that yet that prooues not circumstances duely considered any alteration of my minde or iudgement at all touching these things For I alwaies before as occasion serued me both in Pulpit and otherwise in priuate conference with many manifested my selfe to be of that opinion that I alwaies thought they were rather to be yealded vnto being but of the nature they are and being vrged no otherwise then in deed and truth they be by our Church then that any minister should for his refusing conformity therunto suffer himself to be put from the vse of his gifts place and ministery for such a necessity is laid vpon vs that be in the ministery I alwaies knew and remembred to preach the Gospell that woe is to vs if we do not so 1 Cor. 9.16 And with Archippus I euer vnderstood that Paule had said to euery one of vs take heed to thy ministery that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Coll. 4.17 And therfore I could neuer think and so my vsuall saying hath been alwaies to my friends and felow ministers talking with me of these things that at the last day it would or could be taken
9. Of the order and practise of the book in reading the scriptures Canonicall Chap. 10. Touching the reading as the booke appointes of the Apocrypha Chap. 11. Concerning the interrogatories in Baptisme Chap. 12. Answers touching diuers other obiectiōs against the booke Chap. 13. Touching subscription and certaine obiections against the same Chap. 14. Answers to more obiections made against the same Chap. 15. Answers to certaine obiections against the booke of ordination Chap. 16. The conclusion and an exhortation to vnitie A PERSVVASION TO VNIFORMITIE VNto his Christian brethren The Preamble Chap. 1. THough I must needs confesse well beloued that none that with any diligence haue read the Ecclesiasticall stories and the monuments of the ancient councels and fathers but that therein they must needs see and find that alwayes there haue bene diuersities of opinions in causes Ecclesiasticall euen in the best times sinse the Apostles and that amongst the best and most famous Christians otherwise especially about the outward orders and customes of the Church yet no small griefe hath it bene vnto me to see and behold now for these 34. yeares that I haue bene in the ministerie the originall growth and continuance of these our domesticall controuersies amongst our selues about the outward policie and rites of our Church For whiles men haue spent their times and zeale in the pursuit thereof as of both sides they haue very much so much time leasure and oportunitie hath Sathan got to sow and water his tares of Atheisme Papisme and of sects and schismes amongst vs. Insomuch that the sight and consideration therereof hath often made me to thinke and say as occasion hath serued me to men of both sides as Moses did to the Israelits Exod. 2. Why smitest thou thy fellow being thy brother and as Paul sayd to the Galathians Gal. 5. If ye thus bite one another take heed yee be not consumed one of another For alwayes it hath bene and still is my opinion in such cases Conferant fratres sed non contendant for doubtlesse in such matters as these especially S. Paul hath told vs if any list to be contētious that we haue no such custome nor the Church of God 1. Cor. 11.16 Foreseeing yet what further inconuenience might grow of these controuersies in the end if it were not in time preuented I haue long and much wished and prayed that God would raise vs some one that both for authoritie skill and will were fit to be a moderator therein and so an effectuall composer thereof Wherein his name be blessed for it at the last he hath graunted that my desire in sending vs him to be our soueraigne Lord and king whom he hath who accordingly vpon his first entrance into this his kingdome most religiously and christianly hath sought by a solemn conference to end and determine the same by letting both parties therein see wherein they had gone too farre what was the Medium in which they were both to meete and agree Wherein his Maiestie so caried himself that verily I thinke I may boldly speake it in the name of all that were then present thereat that neuer any of his place before in such varietie of questions and matters shewed himselfe more worthie of admiration and applause of all either for his indifferency in deciding or for his iudicious kind of examining of euerie thing that then came in question Insomuch that without all doubt if once whatsoeuer then and there his Maiestie resolued of might take effect and accordingly be put in execution witnesse but the report of the sayd conference alreadie with allowance published in print great hope there would be that the vnitie that thereby his Highnesse aimed at would quickly be attained and happily continued For euen thereby it appeares that an vniuersall learned and preaching Ministery through his dominions and that also by all good meanes prouision should be made for the same as soone as might be was then yeelded to be fit and verie necessarie Pag. 52. 96. The carelesnesse and negligence of sundrie ministers in this Church also was therein by his Maiestie inueyed against and condemned Pag. 52. And that stricter order should be taken for the due sanctifying of the Sabaoth was then vniuersally approued Pag. 45. Likewise how and by whom hereafter the censures of the Church might be euerie way and in all Ecclesiasticall courts most fruitfully and sincerly administred then and there was so resolued of as that if accordingly there be proceeding therein we shall all therefore haue great cause to reioyce Pag. 19. 78. 89. 94. And for the better maintenance of the puritie of religion amongsts vs then and there by his Highnesse order was taken which since most carefully and religiously his Maiestie hath caused to be gone about that as pure and perfect a translation should be made of all the scriptures as may be that then that onely both to the ending of all quarrels touching translations as much as possible might be both amongst our selues and also with our aduersaries should after be publiquely vsed in our Churches Page 46. Then also it was to the same end agreed that our Catechisme should be perfected Page 43. which since thereupon as we see hath beene enlarged amended Thirdly to that end likewise it was yeelded vnto that there should bee a straiter restraint for the selling of Papists bookes then before had beene Page 49. And lastly then also it was graunted that the words in the sixteenth Article of the booke of articles touching falling from grace of regeneration should be explayned by addition of some such words as wherby plainly it might appeare that it taught not that the regenerate and iustified either totally or finally fall at any time from the same Page 30. 41. Further concerning the communion booke to make the vse and subscription thereunto the easier to be yeelded vnto it was by his Maiestie with the assent of the Bishops concluded that to the title of absolutiō shold be added for the better explanation of the meaning thereof these words or remission of sins Page 13. And that to the title of confirmation should be annexed these laying on of hands vpon children baptised and able to render an accompt of their faith according to the Catechisme following Page 36. And that the Rubricks touching priuate babtisme should be so altered as that thereby it might be euident that the booke in no case of necessity allowes any but a lawfull minister to baptise any childe Page 19. 86. And that those words his disciples shold twice be left out in the Gospells Page 63. al which we see in our new communion bookes don And then also certainly as it is plainly set downe Page 61 of the said booke of the cōferēce his Maiesties order was that none of the Apocrypha should bee read at all wherein there was any error and therefore his highnes willed D Reynolds to note those chapters in the Apocrypha bookes wherein such errors were and to
they serue and so consequently as there also is noted are the freer from danger of abuse yet indeed that booke no where nor any publike ordinance of our Church annexeth any signification vnto any of them as I said before either for that naturally of themselues they signifie any such thing or that supernaturally any such is tied thereunto what vse soeuer therefore we make of any of them by way of signification or resemblance it is either from our owne declared meaning and intention in the vse thereof as in this or from our voluntarie meditation thereof as in the rest and therefore they neither darken the nature of the Sacraments nor no way iustly can be sayd or thought to be as new Sacraments For all Sacraments by Christs owne ordinance not onely signifie the spirituall things whereof they are Sacraments but also are Gods ordinarie meanes whereby he doth offer deliuer and seale the deliuerie thereof to all the worthie receiuers of the same in all which these come short of them And who knoweth not but the Sacraments haue significations some principall and proper and some lesse principall and common to them with other things and that therefore though the Church may not either in her intention or voluntarie meditation in the vse of her owne rites and ceremonies thereby encroach vpon the principall and proper vse of Christs Sacraments yet she may without wronging either of Christ or his Sacraments reach in her intention and meditation by occasion of her owne rites and ceremonies to those that are lesse principall and common As for example the Supper of the Lord hath two ends and vses the one principall and proper to be vnto the right receiuers the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ as Paul sheweth 1. Cor. 10.16 and another lesse principall set downe in the next verse namely to knit vs in communion amongst our selues Now though the Church neuer that we read of ventured by any of her rites and ceremonies to signifie the former yet doubtlesse both by her loue feasts taken vp in the Apostles times as it appeares euen in that Chapter and by the vse of the holy kisse mentioned Rom. 16.16 and 1. Cor. 16.20 yea euen immediatly before the receipt of the Sacrament by Iustine Martirs time as it appeares in his Apologie vnto Antoninus Pius it was the Churches vse to resemble vnto themselues the latter and thereby as by admonitorie signes and tokens the better to put and keepe themselues in remembance thereof what should let therefore but that the sacrament of baptisme principally and properly signifying our remission of sinnes in the bloud of Christ and our regeneration through his spirit in being thereby so ingrafted into his death and resurrection as that we are dead to sinne and raised vp to righteousnesse but that the Church of Christ may vse the signe of the Crosse as she doth with vs as an admonitorie token of our christian hope and expectation that the children of Christians baptized amongst vs shall and will answer the lesse principall and common end thereof which is to bring forth the fruits and effects of the former thereby before bestowed vpon them and sealed vnto them 3. Hereby also we are led to answer another maine obiection which they make against it for that whiles it is vsed as it is it is charged to be an addition to Christs Sacrament and ordinance of baptisme which is vtterly vnlawfull or at least an arguing him in some sort of some imperfection in the ordaining the maner how it should be ministred in that wee neuer read he or any of his Apostles made any mention of the vse hereof in the administration of this Sacrament For euen hereby we see alreadie by the lawfull vse of the loue feasts and the holy kisse together with the receit of the other Sacrament in the primitiue and apostolike Churches neither of which were any more mentioned by Christ in the institution of that Sacrament then this was in this other that euerie such rite and ceremonie taken vp by the Church and vsed when and where the Sacraments are ministred though they be also such as serue to betoken and signifie vnto the people some thing also signified by the Sacraments themselues as these did are not straight to be accounted either vnlawfull additions thereunto or things arguing Christ of imperfection in not remembring them in the first institution They themselues that vrge this obiection most do allow diuerse things in the administration hereof and in the other Sacrament also as here either of godfathers or godmothers or of the parents or of some in their roome and that to answer certaine questions as also in the other of ministring it in the morning in the publike assemblies and to women none of which are expressed in the first institution of either and yet they will not grant either of these things to folllow thereupon But the full answere to this obiection is this that the truth is indeede that Christ hath left the institution of the Sacraments full and perfect for all the substantiall and vnchaungeable things thereunto appertaining expresly set downe by the direction of his spirite in the Scriptures wherein he is to bee followed without addition or detraction yea or any alteraon thereof at all and that he left vnto his Church the further ordering of the circumstances and further what was fit according to varietie of times persons and places for the most orderly decent and comely administration thereof prouided alwayes that therein she keepe her selfe in a course not contrarie but consonant to rules set downe in the same Scriptures for her direction herein for thus the practise of his true Church euer since hath taught vs to vnderstand him therein Vnlawfull addition to any of Christs Sacraments therefore is only that that either participates therewith in all or at the least in the chiefe and proper ends and vses thereof or is added for complement thereof as necessarie and so vnchangeable whereas our Church in the last named tract of her ceremonies protesteth of this and of all the rest that they are retained only for discipline and order and may vpon iust causes be altered and changed therefore are not to be esteemed equall with Gods law and we haue heard that the 30. Canon particularly of this protesteth that the vsing of it is neither to adde any vertue or perfection to the Sacrament nor the omitting of it detracts any thing from the effect and substance of it And therfore not only priuate baptisme as we haue heard is by our seruice booke iudged perfect and effectuall without it but we see that our Church accounteth many thousands that haue bin and yet are baptized without it sufficiently baptized so that euen thereby it is euident that it is vsed not as a necessarie supply to perfect baptisme though it be called the signe of the Crosse in baptisme but that it is vrged only vpon the minister to vse it as is
in the name of the child they professing and desiring what is it but in the true meaning of the booke in Christian charitie and hope so to do for that they are perswaded that if the child were of age it would euen so do professe desire therfore that they in the mean time do so in the name therof in full expectation that when it shall it will account that by them it selfe so did that so the Couenant betwixt God and it may in this Sacrament stand ratified therein And yet in some sence according to Christs saying Math. 18. it might well bee defended that such little ones beleeue in him as habitually they are reasonable not actually CHAP. 12. Answering diuerse obiections against the booke touching baptisme and other things there ordained ANd seeing by Christs baptisme and his ordaining of this sacrament water was alloted to be the outward part therein why may we not according to the booke both say and thinke that therby the water of the flood Iordan wherin he and others were baptised and all other water was indeed sanctified meaning as the outward element in a sacrament by the institution therof was and is thereby sanctified for that vse to the mysticall washing away of sin As for that which is further obiected against that which is set downe in the foresaid parte of the Catechisme touching two sacraments only generally necessary to saluation the meaning onely is that there are only 2 such taking a sacrament properly as thereafter it is defyned and that they two are necessary so to saluation as by no means without danger therof they may be contemned or neglected and that for all christians first or last yong or old and then what iust exception can there be made at all against that So also by the order that is now takē in the booke that the lawfull minister only shall priuately baptise the child the old obiection against the conditional baptising of it after in the case mentioned in the booke is sufficiently taken away for now that will neuer neede to be put in vse And as for the ring vsed in mariage the words with my bodie I the worship or the resēblance that it is said there to haue of the spirituall marriage betwixt Christ and his church I finde not that any seeme greatly to stand at any or at all of these And if they should surely they could not therin finde any iust cause for the ring is but giuen taken as a ciuill token betwixt the parties that are maried of the promise and couenant that therein they make one to the other and the word worship there vsed doth but import that worship or honor that growes vnto the woman by marriage in that thereby man is so made her head that she hath in the phrase and sense of the Apostle thereby also such a right of ouer and in his bodie that thenceforth it is not his owne as it was before which whiles by marying of her he intitles her vnto very truly hee may say in that sense that with his bodie he doth her worship and finding the holy ghost so oft hath taken delight vnder the shadow of marriage betwixt man and woman to set forth vnto vs the spirituall marriage betwixt Christ and his Church the speech in the booke beeing to bee vnderstood no otherwise but as hauing reference onely thereunto as indeed iustly it cannot no iust fault can be found thereat Now as for all the rest of the obiections alledged against precise conformity in the practise of the booke from certaine words phrases in sundry prayers and parts thereof which seeme hardly and harshly to be set downe yea so as without some alteration they cannot well be so vsed to helpe vs in that we are to call to mind againe his Maiesties pleasure as I noted in the beginning of this treatise most gratiously deliuered vs in the conclusion of the conference that hee would haue vs to take euery thing in the best sense we could for in that sense only he would haue vs to vnderstand that he vrged them to be vsed and yeelded vnto for in this case we but so doing there is nothing so hardly set downe but that taking it and explaining it as the very booke meanes it and as the publikly professed and authorised doctrine of our Church doth lead vs the offence thereat will be remoued 2 Then secondly howsoeuer some now so the better to countenance their refusall to yeeld this conformity though in some sort they haue seemed better to like thereof heretofore perswade themselues would also perswade others that now they are more strictly bound to follow in euery thing the precise letter of the Booke then before by the new Canons and the declared meaning therein of the Church in that respect we are to vnderstand that both contrarie to his Maiesties foresaid declared pleasure in that point and contrarie indeed both to the meaning of the booke and those Canons it is so conceiued for if that were so that now vpon no circumstance or due consideration the precise letter thereof might be altered at any time then we should neyther burie baptize nor visite any but males and though there be but one to be baptised we should yet alwaies vse the plurall number in speaking thereof for so onely runs the letter of our booke yea that more is if conformitie now vrged bound vs to such a precise and strict following the very letter of our booke in euery thing then thereby we should be bound to breed the Bishops and the whole state more trouble by our exact so doing then they breed any by the vrging of it For by the last rubricke in marriage euery married couple should receiue the Communion that day and by an other euen the last also in the tract of confirmation it is flatly set downe that none are to be admitted vnto the holy communion vntill such time as they can say that Cathechisme and bee confirmed for all wise men will and may easily conceiue that if our conformity bound vs so strictly to the letter of the book that by force of these two Canons no Papists or Brownists that refuse vtterly to communicate with vs nor any else that cannot both say the whole Catechisme and were not confirmed also might by any minister of this Church lawfully be married what inconueniences soeuer otherwise grew thereof and likewise that all vnconfirmed old and yong man and woman noble and ignoble should be held from the communion vntill they could all say the Catechisme and were also confirmed there being therefore so few in comparison of the rest that are thus qualified what a stirre would this breede Ministers in most places should haue far lesse to doe then they haue in marrying and in ministring of the Communion and the Bishops would be driuen to spend all their time and liuing in confirming of the vnconfirmed or the whole land would mightily be disquieted in running and seeking
beginning of morning and euening praier but that there it is pronounced generally to all there present that are truly penitent and beleeue in Christ according to the Gospell and here particularly but to the sicke party likewise so professing both faith and repentance And why may we not in the Collect of Trinitie sonday pray as there the booke appoints to be deliuered from all aduersitie as well as in the Lords prayer to be deliuered from all euill For the Church and her members at the least some particular Churches sometime may haue rest therefrom but if not and she were sure thereof also why may she not yet so pray to shew her desire that she might as Christ did that the cup might passe from him which he knew should not These things duly considered I remember nothing of any moment in the booke to stay any man from yeelding to conformity in the vse and practise therof For as for the few supposed incommodious phrases in some other praiers they will and may be easily remooued but by taking them in the best and fairest sense most standing with the substance of sound doctrine otherwise publikly professed and authorised in this Church which vntil euident cause be giuen mē to the contrary euery one in duty is bound to do For what reason hath any man to think but that our professed authorised doctrine and our praiers and practise agree Our Church therfore disalowing praier for the dead as it doth and requiring alwaies stedfast faith in our praiers we may be sure therby we are only in the Letany so taught to pray that God would not remember the sinnes of our forefathers as therfore to take vengeance of vs and in the two collects the fift after the offertory the second after Trinity to feare and to distrust only in respect of our selues but not in respect of Gods mercy in Christ at all Wherfore hauing now thus said what I hope may be sufficient to moue my good brethren for the Churches peace good and also for their owne and to preuent greater inconueniences to stand forth no longer in their refusal to conforme themselues in their practise to the orders of our Church required at their hands let vs passe on to that which yet seemeth to be wanting to perswade thē also if and when need shal be in the same respects rather to yeeld to the vrged form of subscription then either therfore to shun to enter into the ministry when otherwise they are fit and might or for the refusal therof to be debarred of the vse of their gifts therin CHAP. 13. Touching the yeelding to the now vrged subscription and answering certaine obiections against the same BEing therefore now come to the question about this subscription howsoeuer heretofore it was doubted whether it had any express law or canon to warrant it or no now wee are put out of doubte thereof by these last cannons and namely by the 36 in that wee see and know them all to be so authorised by his Maiestie as they are who hath full and sufficient authority by his highnesse tytle prerogatiue confirmed vnto him by expresse law otherwise so to doe And therefore we cannot be now ignorant but that our reuerend fathers the Bishops haue thereby authority to vrge such ministers thereunto as bee vnder their iurisdictions at such times and in such cases and vpon such occasions and in such manner as are expressed in the said canons and also vnder the penalties to the refusers then specified in the same Wherefore as I said of the former so I must needs say of this so farre as there is nothing within the compasse therof either in the owne nature or as it is meant by the order of our Church and the gouernors thereof contrary either to sound faith or good manners taught in Gods word conscience in respect of them and this their authority which they haue now by law or canon though not in regard of the bare nature of euery thing within the reach of the same without all question doth bind vs for the Churches good and our owne to yeeld thereunto And this is certaine the first Article touching his Maiesties iust Title and supremacie therin set downe the last touching the booke of Articles so far forth as they concern faith the sacraments all mē of our religion profession that hold communion with vs haue alwaies since subscription hath beene first required beene willing and ready to yeeld the same acknowledging as by the lawes of the realme so also by the lawes of God for the plaine and manifest truth therin contained that they were bound in cōscience also euen for the matter therof so to do The question therfore concerning this point lies in this whether the rest contained in these thre articles mentioned in that 36 canon in the form there set down may be yeelded vnto with a safe good cōscience wherūto first I say that cōparing the Articles wher vnto now subscriptiō is required with the 3 that formerly were wont to be vrged touching either the whole or the rest now only in question I find no great difference some words are added in the first somewhat more fully to expresse his Maiesties title and supremacy wherof therefore I think euery one likes so much the better and as for the second it is word for word the same it was and that requires that by our subscription therunto we only aduouch that those twoe bookes therein named the booke of common prayer and the booke of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons containe nothing contrary to the word of God and in the last as I finde these words added now to make it plaine how many articles the said booke of Articles containes being in number 39 besides the ratification so I obserue for the word beleeueth vsed before touching all the Articles therein contained as it there is expresly set downe a softer word put namely acknowledgeth so that herein euen in the construction of those that most mislike and write against the former it is most cleare that this now vrged is in respect of the matter therof the very same if not better and easier then it was before especially considering also the things amended explaned in the booke of common prayer of late as was noted in the beginning 2 If any say yet now it is worse then it was in respect of the forme because now is added ex animo where it was before but volens that is such a difference whereupon it will not follow that it is one iot worse then it was before for who can indeed say or write that he doth a thing volens and yet not ex animo it also appearing by that which I haue said already of the former point that our Church by these last canons hath in nothing made the sense of any thing harder then it was before it must neees follow that now to refuse thus to subscribe for any
16 hundred yeares to be destituted bereued of her proper and essentiall outward forme of church gouernment or that he would haue continued blessed the other as he hath both in the ancient churches since if it had beene or were so displeasing vnto him antichristian as they now charge it to be 2 As for the preaching by deacons ministring baptisme by such who can read the story of the Acts touching the Deacon Phillip and what after is storied there in both respects as done lawfully by him though we read there only of his calling to the office of a deacon or what to like purpose as the foresaid two learned fathers haue shewed out of the monuments of true antiquity such haue don in the primitiue Church but he will see he hath cause to cease froÌ„ obiecting that as a fault against that booke in that our Deacons are said to bee called to their office according to apostolike example 3 And as for the name Priest it answering with vs as it doth in respect of our office the word presbyter not the other Sacerdos what iust offence can any take thereat 4 And as long as we find Apostles directing and commaunding Euangelists as Paul did Timo. and Tytus witnesse the epistles he wrote to them they therby directed to ouersee direct pastors as therin by the storie of the Acts it appeares they did pastors charged to attend feed their flocks though we find not the precise names of Archbishops Metropolitans or primats at the first what should wee therfore striue Strife about words as long as wee find the matter and substance that in truth implyeth as much becomes not the Church of God but the ecclesiasticall stories and the records of the ancient councells make it most manifest to them that read them that it was not long after the age of the apostles ere these very names were taken vp and for order sake giuen to the Bishops ouer other 5 And as for that saying receiue the holy Ghost it beeing vnderstood either of the holy Ghost it selfe or of the gifts thereof fit for the ministry as some take it it doubtlesse is vsed and meant as a prayer that so they may not as a speech of one hauing power authority to giue it as when Christ vsed it but taking it as very wel also it may for the calling to the ministry wherof the holy Ghost is the author they as the ordinary means wherby he calleth them thereunto may say so wherfore to grow to an end I verily think no one thing more either hath bred or yet doth nourish more the ecclesiasticall controuersies of ours about rites and ceremonies and the outward pollicy of our Church as either not reading or negligent studying of sound antiquity therfore I would wish do with all my heart that all my good brethren of the in ministry as far as their ability will serue theÌ„ would get them the writings of the ancient fathers especially the ecclesiasticall stories of Eusebius his fellows the tomes of the ancient councels then next after the study of the sacred scripture that they would diligently read consider of theÌ„ For doubtles euen therby they would learn much to direct them how to cary themselues in their places in all occurreÌ„ts that otherwise for lack of so good presideÌ„ts to much troble many of theÌ„ are ofteÌ„ cause also why they are more troublesome vnto others for such matters theÌ„ otherwise they would be if they were throughly acquainted with the ancient practise of Christs Church in such cases There they should finde it in August Epist 86. to Casulan 118. to Ianuari Euseb lib. 5. cap. 23. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. Zozom lib. 7. cap. 19. in Greg. ad Leandrum and that one Church is not bound in her outward rites fashions to anothers and therfore that no one Church is preiudiced by anothers different fashions in such things yea that nihil officit in eadem fide conspirantium EcclesiaruÌ„ consuetudo diuersa yea that rather that so being they holding notwithstanding vnity of faith they are the more commendable for the bonds of the Churches vnitie were alwaies held to be one God one faith one baptisme and not one rite or one ceremony and therefore there also shall they finde how peacably godly the learned in such times conformed themselues to the orders and fashions alwaies of the Church wherin they liued in such things and so neither gaue offence to any nor tooke any and how the different fashions or opinions in such things notwithstanding they thought it vnfit to breake vnity with others And to this end I wold euery one would but read the said 86. 118 epistles of S. Augustine and his next also the 119 for there they should find both excellent councell and examples to this purpose 7 Alas how can any ioyne with the brownists in holding rhis kinde of gouernment by Archbishops and Bishops to be antichristian and that of theirs to be Christs Churche perpetuall essentiall regiment but he must needs ioyne with them in their practise rent separation from vs 8 Or the premises considered what sound reason hath any man to thinke though one of late an enemie thereunto hath vrged it in print that the holding of this gouernment of ours to haue warrant from the scriptures should impeach the Kings supremacy as though that these degrees of ministers in this sort allowed by the booke of ordination of them could not both stand together wheras indeed therby it is coÌ„firmed strengthened as Solomons was in that though the high Priesthood was expresly from God he yet rightly deposed Abiather and placed Sadok in his roome 1. Kings 3.35 For though in respect of that which they haue froÌ„ PrÃnces they may be said to be theirs of humane constitution yet in respect of their ministry spiritual iurisdictioÌ„ in the church they wel may be said to be of Gods own ordinance 9 Wherfore to grow towards an end remember we my good brethren this one thing more that it standeth this our state and Church much vpon hauing made so many seuere lawes as it hath against Papists Schismaticks Barowists or Brownists cal theÌ„ as you wil hauing also so executed theÌ„ as they haue minding as it semeth so to do stil and we see it is most necessary for the peace of the church they should let none of vs that should ioyne with theÌ„ therin also euery way strengthen theÌ„ what we could they so multiplying as they do both on the right hand left by any means weaken eyther our ' selues or theÌ„ against them which once againe I caÌ„not but put you in mind we do so long as eyther for conformity or this subscribing by our refusal stil hereof we not only make distraction rent breach amongst our selues but also strengthen them with so many arguments as we stand vpon