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cause_n	church_n	holy_a	scripture_n	2,807	5	5.7899	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68023	A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.	Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.; Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.; Vermigli, Pietro Martire, 1499-1562.; Hooper, John, d. 1555.	1566 (1566)	STC 10387; ESTC S101661	56,521	86

comprehended so all the matter that euen at the first I conceyued no small ioy of your singuler and earnest studye in that you put your endeuour that Christ his religion may be brought agayne vnto a chaste and simple puritie For what shoulde be more desired of all Godlye hartes then that all thynges by a litle and litle shoulde be cleane taken awaye and cut of whiche hath very litle or nothyng in them that can be referred wholly to edification but rather be iudged of the godly to be superfluous For to speake of my selfe I am hardly drawne from that simple and pure custome which ye knowe they of Argentine haue vsed euer from the tyme that they refourmed their Church where diuersitie of apparell in Church ministration was abolyshed For I haue alwayes alowed that pure vsage that originally had imitation of the Apostles Churche And I beseche God immortall that this maner may both there for euer continue and also that whersoeuer Christ his Church is refourmed it maye at length be receyued You see that in the substaunce and chiefe poynt of the matter I dissent not from you nay I desyre with all my hart that that thyng whiche you go about to bryng to passe may take place And the most especyal cause why I do so desyre is partly for that I woulde we shoulde come as nygh as myght be to the holye Scriptures in rites and ceremonies and folow the example of the Church when it was in best case and state partlye for that I perceyue that those that be geuen to papistrie do go about with these reliques to maynteyne at least a litle spyse of Masse and to be geuen to them more then the nature of indifferent thynges do require Notwithstandyng yet the consideration of these matters do not so farre carry me nor the reasons alleaged by you so perswade me that I should affirme the vse of such vestures to be pernitious or of theyr owne nature contrary to Gods worde For I do vtterly thynke it to be a thyng indifferent And I am not ignoraunt that suche is the nature of indifferent thynges that at one tyme they may be vsed and at another tyme refused To eate that is strangled of it selfe is an indifferent thyng yet it is meete sometymes to refrayne from the vse thereof and sometymes to vse it most freely And in this respect though I haue sayde this diuersitie of Church apparell is not to be retayned neuerthelesse it to be wicked I neuer so iudged that I dare therefore condemne any such whom I see vse it For yf I had ben so perswaded I would neuer haue cōmunicated here in England with the Church where such a choyse as yet is reserued For although as I sayde I do very litle alowe it neuerthelesse I see sometimes in these indifferent things that some of them although they be greeuous burdenous in that it is not lawfull to do otherwyse must be pacientlye suffered left yf men shoulde stryue for them more bytterly then it needeth that it woulde be a let to the aduauncement of the Gospell and also that those thynges whiche of theyr owne nature be indifferent through our heate in contention shoulde be taught to be meer wicked Which two thynges except I am deceyued bryng with them great and greeuous discommodities For yf we could be content to suffer the Gospell fyrst to be spred and depely to take roote without all doubt men would better and easiyer be perswaded to remoue away these externall rites A man so long as he is sycke or is in his recouery oftentymes is much greeued that certayne small and tryflyng thynges parteynyng to his meate and drynke should be debarred from hym which yet afterwarde when he is fully restored vnto his health by himself of his owne accord without any other mans councell doth renounce them as vnmeete and vnprofitable Wherfore let Englande be fyrst diligently instructed and confirmed in the chiefe and most necessary poyntes of religion then afterwarde by my iudgement the Church shall not be much offended to haue these thynges somewhat superfluous to be remoued But nowe where as alteration in the most necessary poyntes of religion is laboured for and that with so much difficultie if now we pronounce those thynges to be wicked that be of them selues indifferent so much woulde the most part of mennes myndes be alienated from vs that from that day they would not fynde in theyr hartes euer after to heare with a good wyll at our handes sounde doctrine and instructions of very necessary matter Surely Englande is much bounde vnto you in that ye haue laboured more then a great sort hath in preachyng and teachyng Lykewise in Englande you alredye haue obteyned much fauour and great aucthoritie wherby ye shalbe able to do muche good to the aduauncement of gods glory Ye must therefore take heede left ye stande sit your owne way contendyng to bytterly and all out of time Yet woulde I not haue you hereby gather that my mynde is that a Minister of Gods worde should neuer contende for the mayntenaunce of the trueth and principles of Scriptures I make no such assertion who dayly aswell in publike as in priuate disputations in wayghtie controuersies do take a part agaynst the aduersaries for true religion But this I say we must take heede lest these thynges whiche be of lesse importaunce through our siryfe may be the meanes that those thinges which shoulde be esteemed of greater force and value eyther can not at al be brought into the Church either if they be once brought in can not be establyshed with continuaunce Agayne yf we holde on in disswadyng from these indifferent thinges as pernitious and altogether wicked we condemne withall very many Churches which haue receyued the Gospell and blame to bytterly innumerable which a great whyle agoo were counted worthy of al prayse Neyther am I ignoraunt that the aucthoritie of Churches that be nowe or hath ben ought not to beare such a sway that thereby the aucthoritie of Gods worde shoulde be trode vnder foote Which although the whole worlde shoulde run to wrecke ought to remayne without touch of breste sure vnuiolable yet for al that I iudge we must take heede lest that for thinges indifferent eyther we condemne suche Churches as be now at this day or thynke not well of those that haue ben long before our dayes And forbecause I perceyue that ye suppose these thinges not to be indifferent peraduenture it shall not be amysse nowe for to examine the reasons that so ledde you that as you do I may do it in fewe wordes I reduce the chief matter to two chief poyntes First of all ye say that the Priesthood after the order of Aaron is not to be restored whervnto these diuersities of vestures seme to pertayne For seyng we haue Chryste to be our Priest Aarons ceremonies be vtterly abrogated and therfore they cannot be called agayne of those that meane well and gedly The

perceyue that it muste nedes fall to ruyne decaye of credite of it selfe though no man should bende any force at it how soeuer in the heate which is now taken thought to be wittyly grauely inuincibly wrytten but worthy in deede to be put out in the name of such whō it would specially defende Yf ye aske me whom I coulde thinke to be vnder the protection thereof Surely I can not see that diuers suche as be learned and commonly iudged to be amongest this number can muche ioy to fight vnder that banner or to runne with them to that marke they shoote at For it is certayne that many whom this smale route named London Ministers woulde haue ioyned with them for theyr more honestie be farre from theyr determinations in this question neither so handling it nor so woulde conclude in this cause as they do Who howsoeuer some of them do yet a litle stay at the vsing of this apparel in themselues yet be not of their iudgement to condemne the thyngs of wyckednes nether in them selues nor in the vse of thē as the Ministers in this Church of Englande be called nowe to weare them And therefore howsoeuer they woulde wyshe a libertie to theyr owne consciences reserued tyll they may see more in the cause yet be they faxre of to condemne theyr brothers whose consciences can serue them for obedience sake to vse them And therfore I must nedes wype a great many out of their brotherhood in their singularities conteyned in this last writing and say They be but a very fewe in them selues other then such as haue ben eyther vnlearnedly brought vp most in prophane occupations or suche as be puffed vp in an arrogancie of them selues peraduenture chargeable to suche vanities of assertions as at this tyme I wyll spare to charge them God graunt they do not by this degree fall to the sectes of Anabaptistes or Libertines wherevnto some wyse and zelous men of theyr owne frendes Patrones feare they do make poste haste one day openly to professe Wherevpon the aduersaries of true religion can winne no great reioyce at these mens ouersightes as beyng but a very fewe and counted in deede none of the sincere and learned protestauntes howsoeuer for a tyme they seemed to be amongest vs. For though they be gone out from vs yet they were belyke neuer of vs. So that the aduersaries shall haue the whole state of the Cleargie in place and reputation for learnyng wysdome and grauitie concordely ioyned to be wholly agaynst them to defende the sinceritie of the Gospel though a fewe of these make suche adoo in our Churche as stories make mention was euer wont some to ryse in sundry tymes to trouble the state of their Churches where they dwelt And good it were that these Englishe Louanistes dyd not to muche delyght them selues with any hye reioysinges as though the Prince woulde for disprouyng of a fewe counterfaites dislyke the whole state of the rest of the Cleargie who shall by Goddes grace be able ynough to defende the true religion of the Gospell whiche they maye heare howe the Prince doth professe dayly and openly to maintaine and defende to the vttermost iote of the worde of God with renouncing aswell all forrayne aucthoritie as all forrayne doctrine not surely grounded vpon this stable rocke of Gods worde Theyr fawning flatterie prefaces theyr greatly conceyued hopes theyr busie dispraysyng of better learned then them selues be can not so bewitche wyse mens heades or hartes but they can discerne trueth from falsehood deuotion from superstition papistrye from the Gospell tiranny from discipline Christ from Antichrist And therefore sirs if ye knewe howe fewe these are by whom ye delyght to slaunder the learned howe lytle we thinke the rest of the Apostles discredited though Judas fell out from them and howe these be regarded and accompted of so long as they thus continue and finally howe lytle we shall ioy of them and vse them to take the Gospell in defence agaynst you Ye woulde not be so busie to infarce in your bookes the reproche of these men to lade other with enuye the breath of whose pennes ye shall neuer be able to aunswere say and wryte what ye can Your bookes so fast and hastyly sent ouer in great numbers beyng not muche feared for any substaunce that is in them may for a time relieue you to your sustentation may be gaineful to your Printers Pedlours may peraduenture ieoparde your frendes within this your naturall Countrey for readyng and cherishing matter agaynst theyr owne suretie and agaynst the state of the Realme But trueth is to hye set for you to plucke her out of heauen to manyfestlye knowen to be by your papers obscured and to surely stablished to drowne her in the myrie lakes of your Sophisticall licorous writinges Howsoeuer ye embosse out your glorious stiles they be but Superuacaneae conflictationes hominū mente corruptorum quibus adempta est veritas qui existimāt quaestū essepietatē with the forepart of the text there expressed that is but superfluous brawlings of men peruerse in hart from whō the truth is withdrawen which think that lucre is godlynes c. Ye were best to vnderstand Quod qui habitat in coelis c. irridebit omnes Iannes et Mambres qui resistunt veritati homines mente corrupti reprobi circa fidem sed non proficient amplius siquidem amentia istorum euidens erit omnibus quemadmodum et illorum fuit He whiche is in heauen shal deride all Jannes and Mambres which resist the trueth men of corrupt mindes reprobate in the fayth but they shal preuayle no longer for theyr madnes shalbe vtterly knowen to all men as theyrs was Ye shoulde do well to remember Quod dominus est qui custodit veritatē et quod veritas magna est et fortior pre omnibus veritas enim manet et inualescit ineternum et viuit et obtinet in secula seculorū That it is the Lorde whiche preserueth the trueth for the trueth is of great force and is stronger then all other thynges for veritie wyll remayne wyll preuayle for euer and wyll lyue and haue the victory worlde without ende But to drawe to an ende and to say some thyng to these vpon whom this labour is bestowed who moste glory of this gaye booke of theyrs I shall wyshe them to haue a respecte to theyr former callyng and profession of the Gospell And as loue of grace and trueth I trust dyd fyrst induce them so God graunt that they do not finally fight agaynst this grace receyued and wylfullye peruerte the true sinceritie of the Gospell by treadyng not aright ouercome by humaine cogitations as was Peter for a tyme tyll Paule dyd reprehende him Trustyng that they wyll so aduisedly expende the earnest counsell of these two notable Fathers Maister Bucer and maister Martir in this their purposed discussyng of the cause that they wyll finally rest in quiet praysyng

God in trueth and veritie forsakyng errour couered with zelous perswasion to the sauyng of theyr owne soules to the reioyce of such Christians to whom they haue ben teachers as good subiectes ought to do to the glory of God To whom be all honour and dominion for euer Amen A briefe summe of the Reasons in the declaration Generall reasons All thynges in the Churche ought to edifie 2. Cor. 13. Iuxta potestatem Ephe. 2. Iam non estis Ephe. 4. Idem dedit 1. Cor. 14. Omnia fiant These orders do not edifie for that they Hynder the simple Make more obstinate the papistes Are monumentes of Idolatrie Deut. xii Ergo. Maior Preceptes of men must not be receyued Deut. 7. Aras eorum Math. 15. Frustra me Esay 29. Appropinquat popul Minor These are preceptes of men Ergo. Maior Offences and superstition ought to be auoyded Math. 18. Videte ne 1. Cor. 10. Omnia mihi Rom. 14. Bonum est non mand 2. Cor. 6. Eandem remunerati Minor These orders offende Ergo. Maior Nothyng muste be brought into the Churche besides or contrary to Scripture for princes plesures Deut. 4. Non addetis Deut. 5. Non declinabis 1. Reg. 15. Domus Saul euertitur quòd declinabat 3. Reg. 12. Reboam amittit x. tribus 4. Reg. 20. Ezechias benedic quòd non declin 3. Reg. 22. Micheas noluit adulari Ezech. 13. Haec dicit dominus Math. 15. 16. Christus praedicat quae pater mandat Math. 28. Apostoli praedicant quae iussit Christus 1. Cor. 11. Paulus tradit quae accepit Phil. 3. Paulus sequendus vt sequitur Christum 2. Cor. 4. Paulus non praedicat seipsum Minor These orders are besydes and contrary to the Scripture c. Ergo. Maior Christian libertie must be maintained whiche Christ hath purchased for vs. Joh. 19. Consummatum est Gala. 3. Christus nos red Particuler reasons In outwarde apparell there ought to be no difference as is proued thus 1. Reg. 9. Samuel was not knowen to be a prophete by Saule 4. Reg. 1. Elias was not knowen by Ochozias seruauntes Math. 3. John Baptist had no such apparell Math. 26. Peter was knowen by his speache Hier. Eustochiū was wylled to haue no notable apparell Hier. Marcella was tolde that at Hierusalem there was no diuersitie of apparell The Cleargie of Rauenna sayde they were to be discerned from the people by doctrine not vesture Cau. 21. q. 4. Holy men vsed meane vyle apparel The minystryng garmentes ought not to be admitted For They were taken from the Jewes or Gentyles Glos. ord in Ezech. 44. Platina in vita Siluest Durand Rat. diui 3. Poli. li. 4 Ca. 5. de Inuēt ▪ They haue ben abused to Idolatrie Sorcery Coniuryng Men haue an euyll opinion of them Papistes that they are holly Gospellers that they ought not vse them Bucer would haue them away He woulde haue puritatem rituū Peter Martir Doct. Ridley Bishop Jewel They preachers shalbe thought to bryng the peopl● to Egipt agayne to be partakers of Idolatrie t● offende the simple to hazarde theyr soules to defy● theyr consciences The Solicitours of these orders were bluddy persecutours whose purposes be to deface the Gospell ❧ The Examination AS you pretend in your preface that feare lest the Ministers of Gods worde shoulde be brought into contempt was the cause of the vnorderly publishing of these your small reasons So it is well knowen that the great care whiche the chiefe gouernours of this Churche of Englande taketh to preserue true and faythfull Ministers from dispite and reproche moued them to retayne and set forth these orders as whereby theyr hope is Gods dilligent seruauntes accomplishing also other parties of their vocation myght recouer agayne the auncient dignitie of their forefathers and that Gods holy worde Sacramentes nowe by the craft of Sathan somethyng basely esteemed myght also haue theyr due reuerence and honour Herein they haue folowed the steppes of wyse Princes and good Fathers who thought it theyr seruice not only to establyshe sounde doctrine in matters of fayth but also to redresse and ordeyne rytes for discipline and publike quiet as in the godly counsels appeareth Nicoene Calcidon and others But in your considerations howe smally you haue regarded your duetie in this common wealth on this maner to make the worlde wonder at your factions wylfulnes before your superiours yf you thynke herein you haue any reade ouer your reasons it is rather to be lamented and prosecuted with teares then to be blased abrode in wordes and vttered by penne Surely it maye be true here Nos talem consuetudinem non habemus nec ecclesiae dei We haue no such custome nor the Churches of god Leauing then to the iudgement of others whether you run not headlong the ready waye to make your selues iustly and the ministerie also euyll spoken of by not seekyng the peace of the Countrey where you dwell and by not obeyng and folowyng but breakyng and forsakyng those variable orders and maners whereby worldly quietnes at the least is gotten and mayntayned which as S. Augustine sayeth is not the vsage of the Citie of God touchyng maners lawes and ordinaunces whereby the religion of the liuing God is not hurt Leauing I say this and your consideration to the iudgement of others it shall be sufficient at this tyme to weygh the groundes and reasons whiche you vse in refusyng to weare apparell and garmentes not nowe of the Popes Church but of Christes Churche in Englande It shall not be vnnecessary to aduertise the Christian reader that in the declaration there are much paynes bestowed of these discoursours where as very litle needeth to the intent peraduenture other to aduaunce them selues in theyr knowledge of Gods worde or to nip and taunte theyr felowes and betters as vnlearned and fooles For where as fewe or none are ignoraunt that all thynges should be done to edifie no offences shoulde iustly be geuen and Christian libertie should alwayes be defended such lyke Yet in confirming of these vndoubted truthes many wordes are spent when as lytle or nothyng is sayd of that which in this cause and many others contayneth the controuersie that is of the Minor or next proposition As whether these orders do edifie do offende or hurt Christian libertie Wherfore thinke not much if dyuers sentences of scripture tendyng to stablishe one trueth not denyed at this time be briefely collected and aunswered together For those thinges ought and shalbe expended whiche make any thyng at all to the pithe of the matter The fyrst discourse here is of edifiyng or buyldyng the Churche of Christ which all faythfull Ministers do acknowledge to be theyr bounden duetie and seruice accordyng to the graces of God bestowed vpon them and neuer to hinder and plucke downe awhit wherof much more myght be said then is here rehearsed if it were nedefull to wade further in so worthy a matter Herewithall in textes and expositions you woulde not greatly haue enlarged your

called Dalmatica and so stode in lynnen Chrysostome maketh mention of the whyte vesture of the ministers of the Church Moreouer the auncient wryters declare vnto vs that Christians when they came first vnto Christes religion chaunged their apparell and for a gowne they dyd put on a cloke for the which cause when they were mocked of the Gentyles Tertullian wrote a very learned treatise De Pallio that is to say of a Cloke Neyther as I take it you be ignoraunt that a whyte vesture was wont to be geuen to them that were baptized Wherfore it appeareth that before the Popes tiranny ouerwhelmed the Church there was some maner of diuersitie of apparell in the Church But be it so let them be the inuention of the Pope as you woulde haue it yet notwithstanding for the respecte of the papisticall inuention in them I can not be perswaded so muche impietie to be therin that whatsoeuer it toucheth it doth by and by so infecte and corrupt that it cannot be lawfull for good and godly men to vse it Godly I suppose ye vnderstande what my iudgement is eyther in reseruyng or bringing in agayne the Moisaicall or papisticall rites Nowe that I haue briefelye gone ouer these two chiefe poyntes of your reasons I come vnto that whiche ye also graunt That all thynges inuented by man be not forthwith to be reiected and condemned For what is it els but mans inuention that we communicate at the Lordes table rather in the mornyng then when we haue dyned It was also deuysed by man that the value of such thynges as was to be deuyded in the primatiue Churche were layde at the feete of the Apostles I graunt with you that these choyses of apparell do not of it selfe edifie And yet for all that other men wyll iudge it expedient that they be tollerated for a tyme as though peraduenture by that meanes these contentions wyll be auoyded by which it is in hazarde lest greater benefites and more ample commodities be hyndered and as we see it falleth out lest mennes myndes be withdrawen from the Gospell I wyll not here saye that they whiche stande to the defence of this matter may pretende some honest and iust signification of the apparell and that not dissentyng from the worde of God which is this The Ministers of the Church as the prophete Malachy witnesseth be Angels and Gods messengers but Angels for the most part appeared being clothed in whyte garmentes I pray you howe shall we debarre the Church of this libertie that it can not signifie some good thyng in settyng foorth theyr rites and ceremonies especially beyng so done that no maner of Gods honour is attributed vnto them and that they be in sight comely and in number few and that Christian people be not with them ouerburdened matters of greater importaunce be omitted Peraduenture you wyll say to me Let Ministers of the Churche declare themselues to be Angels not represent Angels by signification But Paule the Apostle might so haue ben aunswered when he taught the Corinthians that it was meete that a woman shoulde haue her head couered and a man his head vncouered vrgyng it only in respecte of signification For some man of the Church myght haue aunswered hym saying Let a man declare hym selfe to be head of his wyfe and let a wyfe declare her selfe to be subiect vnto her husbande not in signes but in deedes and conuersation But yet Paule iudged it a meete and a profitable thyng that both of them aswell the man as the woman should be monished of theyr duetie by such a signe or action For by such signes and meanes we be stirred vp to do our office and duetie for they bryng into our myndes that whiche is decent for vs to do And yf hereby the weakelynges take an occasion of errour let them be monyshed that they be but indifferent thynges and let them be taught that no part of Gods honor and religion is placed in them Nowe whether the eyes of them that be present be turned cleane away from thynkyng of serious matters because of the diuersitie of apparell peraduenture euery man wyll not graunt it Fyrst the aduersaries maye aunswere that this shall not folow yf such apparell be appoynted that hath no gorgeousnesse but is playne and vsed before in the Church For no man maruelles at those thynges that be dayly vsed and of small value Nay it is more like that men beyng stirred with the reuerence of them shall haue theyr cogitacions more attentiuely vpon serious thynges for the externall partes of the sacramentes seeme to be instituted to this ende that we euen of the very fyght and of our externe sensis shoulde be inwardely moued to haue contemplation of diuine thynges Neyther suppose I by and by a tiranny to be brought in yf any thyng that is indifferent should be receyued into the Church to be done and that many should constantly obserue the same Nowe a dayes we do minister the Lordes supper in the mornyng so that we wyll not receyue at al after dyner in the publique congregation But who wyll say that this sauoureth of any tiranny which we all do with one wyll and consent Truely it woulde please me rather as I haue oftentymes rehearsed that we shoulde only do those thynges that Chryste dyd and Paule delyuered but yf there be some indifferent thynges added I woulde not nowe therefore greatly contende especially forsomuch we see that they by whom the lyght of the Gospell is much aduaunced in England and dayly may be more aduaunced do take part agaynst vs. I graunt with you that all which is not of fayth is synne Neuerthelesse that which is written of Saint Paule to Titus seemeth greatly to serue for to ease and quiet the conscience that is All thynges are cleane to the cleane And to Timothy Euery creature is good For it is not necessaryly required that we shoulde proue euery particuler thyng which we vse to be expressely mentioned in the Scriptures It is enough generally to knowe this fayth That indifferent thynges can not corrupt those that be of a pure mynde and sincere conscience in theyr doynges These thynges haue I briefely gathered together as touchyng the controuersie whiche ye proposed vnto me out of the which I beseche God with all my hart that ye maye shyft your handes well of And I desyre you to take in good part that I haue written for yf I coulde haue aunswered eyther more substancially or more playnely I woulde haue satisfied your request to my power But forbecause it is not graunted to euery man to wryte handsomely and redyly of these matters you must needes pardon me And assure your selfe further of this one poynt that I am redy nowe and at all tymes to beleue the trueth when I shall be otherwayes instructed In the meane season thynke ye not that this iudgement whiche here I haue declared vnto you was but nowe fyrste perswaded vnto me For euen