before So sayth Demosthenes this King Philip vnder pretence of friendship seeking his owne benefite would haue you to deliuer vp your Orators which from time to time call vpon you and giue you warning of his subtile and craftie deuises to the ende that when you haue so done ere you bee ware he may bring you and your citie vnder his tyrannie And this saying of Demosthenes proued after verie true indeede Euen so good Christians the subtile serpent Sathan prince of darkenesse seeking to bring the Church of England vnder his kingdome againe from which by the mightie hand of God it hath beene deliuered indeuoureth cunningly to perswade the shepheardes that is the chiefe Gouernours of this realme to put away their barking dogges that is to put downe the state of Bishops and other chiefe of the Cleargie to take away their landes and liuings and set them to their pensions the sooner by that meanes to worke his purpose And heere in he turneth himselfe into an Angel of light and pretendeth great holines and the authoritie of Gods word and the holy Scriptures For such a subtile Protheus he is that he can turne himselfe into all maner of shapes to bring forward his deuise The craftie enemie of the Church of GOD doeth well knowe the frailetie and corruption of mennes nature that they will not of them-selues easily bende to that is good vnlesse they bee allured vnto it by the hope of benefite Hee vnderstandeth that Honos alit artes and if he shall by any cunning bee able to pull away the reward of learning hee right well seeth that hee shall haue farre fewer dogges to barke at him and almost none that shall haue teeth to bite those hell houndes that hee will sende to deuoure and destroy the flocke of Christ Happily there may bee some young Spanielles that will quest lauishly ynough but hee will not feare them because hee knoweth they will haue no teeth to bite If the state of the Cleargie shall bee made contemptible and the best reward of learning a meane pension hee foreseeth that neither yong flourishing wittes will easily incline them-selues to godly learning neither wil their parents and friendes suffer them to make that the ende of their trauaile To bring this to passe hee worketh his deuises by sundry kindes of men first by such as be Papists in heart and yet can clap their handes and set forwarde this purpose because they see it the next way either to ouerthrowe the course of the Gospell or by great and needelesse alteration to hazard and indanger the state of the common weale The second sort are certaine worldly godlesse Epicures which can pretend religion and yet passe not which end thereof goe forwarde so they may bee partakers of that spoyle which in this alteration is hoped for The thirde sorte in some respect the best but of all other most dangerous because they giue the opportunity and countenance to the residue and make their indeuours seeme zealous and godly These bee such which in doctrine agree with the present state and shewe themselues to haue a desire of a perfection in all things and in some respect in deede haue no euill meaning but through inordinate zeale are so caried that they see not howe great dangers by such deuises they drawe into the Church and state of this Realme Howe great perils euen small mutations haue brought to Common-weales the knowledge of Histories and the obseruation of times will easily teach vs. Obiection But in this place mee thinketh I heare some crie out with earnest affection against me and say that I shew my selfe to bee a carnall man and in this matter of the Church vse carnall and fleshly reasons out of humaine policie and doe not stay my conscience vpon Gods word the holy Scriptures where unto only in the gouernment of the Church wee shoulde cleaue though all reason and policie seeme contrary Answere If I doe stay my selfe and grounde my conscience vpon humane policie in any matter of faith and religion I must needes confesse my selfe to be worthie great blame But if in some things perteining to the externall fourme of gouernement or the outwarde state of the Church I haue respect to Christian policie not contrary to Gods word I see no iust cause why I shoulde be misliked if in consideration of the corrupt affection of mans nature I wish the state of a Christian Church common weale to bee such that yong and towardly wittes not yet mortified by Gods spirit may bee allured with the hope of benefite to the studie of learning and principally of the holy Scriptures leauing the secret direction of their minde to God I trust no man can with good reason reprooue this my desire and in the course of my writing no man shall iustly say that either I doe staye mine owne conscience or will other men to grounde theirs vpon reason and policie onely without the word of God For neither will the feare of God suffer mee so to deale in matter of such weight neither doe I see that by such meanes I can further the cause that I write of Many Pamphlets haue bene of late yeres partly written and partly printed against the whole gouernment of the Church by Bishops and those in sundrie sortes according to the nature and disposition of the Authors but in all great protestation of euident and strong proofe out of the Scriptures and other writers But especially there is one which I haue seene the writer whereof maketh this solemne protestation following That as he looketh to be acceptable to the Lorde at the iudgemēt of the immaculate lambe in his accusation that he maketh against the Clergie of this Realme hee will not cleaue to his owne iudgement nor will followe his owne braine nor wil of himself inuent ought nor vntruly blame ought but will faithfully and vntruly sincerely and incorruptly rehearse the holy Scriptures and the sentences actes and deedes of other learned men which determine and agree vpon those things that he layeth downe against them You may well vnderstand therefore that such an accusation will not bee answered and shifted away with humane reason onely The matter must haue more pith and substance in it But howsoeuer that accusation will bee answered I woulde the authour had perfourmed his protestation as faithfully as to carry some credite and fauour he layde it out solemnely Then shoulde not his writing containe so manie vncharitable and contemptuous speeches so many slaunderous vntruethes so many wrested Scriptures so many false conclusions so many impertinent allegations as he doth vse The purpose to perswade so great and dangerous a mutation in a common weale should haue carryed with it not onely more trueth and comlinesse of speech but also more weight of matter sound substance of proofe But such is the libertie of this time and such is the manner of them that to slaunder and deface other passe not what they speake or write I will
doubt of their consciences which neuer doubted before Many strange Assertions either plainly false or as Paradoxes true in some rare and extraordinarie sense haue beene by sundry persons and some of them well learned vttered and taught to the troubling of many mens mindes and specially such as were not able to reach to the depth of them As for example that it is a grieuous offence to kneele at the receiuing of the Communion A gentleman of good countenaunce hath affirmed to my selfe that hee woulde rather hazard all the land hee had then bee drawen to kneele at the Communion An heauie burthen to lay vpon a mans conscience for an externall gesture The doctrine of the Lords Supper hath bene so slenderly taught by some that a number haue cōceiued with themselues that they receiue nothing but the externall elements in remembrance that Christ died for them And these their cogitatiōs haue they vttered to other to their great misliking Priuat baptism yea publike also if it be ministred by one that is no preacher hath bin so impugned as if it were no sacrament at all whereby questiōs haue bin raised by sundry persons what is become of them that were neuer baptized otherwise Or whether it were not necessary that all such persons as are certainly knovven not to haue receiued any other baptisme thē that was priuatly done ought not to bee baptised againe because the other is esteemed as no Sacrament The article of the common Creed touching Christes descension into hell contrary to the sense of all ancient writers hath bin strangely interpreted and by some with vnreuerent speeches flatly reiected These and a number of such other haue vndoubtedly bred great offence and wounded the hearts of an infinite number causing them partly to reuolt to Papistry partly to Atheisme and neglecting of all Religion as is seene by the liues of many to the exceeding griefe of all them that feare God and loue his trueth As I haue talked with many Recusants so did I neuer confer with any that would vse any speech but that he hath alleadged some of these offences to bee cause of his reuolting And some haue affirmed flatly vnto me that in seeking to presse thē to come to our Church and seruice we do against our owne consciences seeing our most zealous preachers as they be taken openly speake and vvrite that as well our seruice as the administration of the sacraments are contrary to the word of God I beseech Almightie God of his great mercie that he vvill open the eyes of them vvhich thus eagerly haue striuen against the present state of this Church to see vvhat hurt and hinderance hath come to the profession of the Gospell by these vncharitable and needelesse contentions And vndoubtedly if God moue not the heartes of the chiefe Rulers and Gouernours to seeke some ende of this Schisme and faction vvhich nowe renteth in pieces this Church of England it cannot bee but in short time for one Recusant that now is wee shall haue three if the increase of that number which I mention be not greater For I doe heare and see those things that it grieueth my heart to consider What hurt and trouble Satan hath at all times raised in the Church of God by occasion of dissention and discorde mooued not only by heretikes false teachers but also by them vvhich othervvise haue bene good and godly Christians the Ecclesiasticall Histories doe euidently declare What should I recite the Schisme between the East and West Churches for the obseruation of the feast of Easter vvhich continued a great number of yeeres and grevv to such bitternesse that the one excommunicated the other What shal I say of the Schismes and grieuous contentions in the East Church and especially at Antiochia and Alexandria betweene Paulinus and Flauianus Lucifer and Eusebius the Meletians and Eustathians all at the beginning good Christians and imbracing true doctrine And yet did they vvith great troubles eschevve one the others communion as you may reade in Epiphanius lib. 2. Theodor. lib. 1. cap 8. c. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 23. Sozom lib. 2. cap. 18. for the space of 80. yeres and aboue I omit the great strife betweene Chrysost of the one part and Theophilus Cyrill and Epiphanius on the other for the burning of Origens bookes They vvere all good and learned bishops and vve doe worthily reuerence their memory yet fel this matter so foule among them that because Chrysost vvould not consent to the burning of Origens bookes Theophilus and Cyrill vvould scantly euer acknovvledge him to be a lavvfull Bishop I mention not a great number of other like factiōs vvhich grew in the same age to the trouble and hinderance of true Christianitie as many godly and learned men did then complaine And sundry graue authours vvhich haue written in this our time and before iudge that these wayward contentions in the East Church vvere the chiefe causes that brought vpon them afterward the heauie wrath of God that tooke his Gospel from them and cast them into the tyrannie of Saracens Turkes as we haue seene novv these many yeeres A notable example to vs good Christian Readers to take heede in time and earnestly to pray vnto God that he will so blesse vs with his holy Spirite that wee may be all like minded hauing the selfe same loue being of one minde and of one iudgement that nothing bee done among vs through strife and vaine glory but that in humblenesse of minde euery one will thinke of other better then of himselfe that vve may growe together in one heart and minde against the common aduersarie to the glory of God and the promoting of his Gospel the safetie of our gracious Prince naturall countrey Of such discord in the church S. Basile grieuously cōplaineth When I was growen saith he into mans age often going into strange Countries fel into troubles I obserued and found that in other Artes there was great concord agreement betweene them that were the chiefe of those Artes and Sciences Onely in the Church of God for which Christ died and vpon which he had plentifully powred downe his holy spirit I saw great vehement discord aswell among themselues particularly as in things contrarie to the holie Scriptures And that which is most horrible I sawe them that are the chiefe of the Church so drawen asunder in diuersitie and contrarietie of opinions that without all pitie they did most cruelly teare in pieces the flocke of Christ so that if euer nowe it is verified that the Apostle speaketh From among your selues shall rise men speaking peruerse things that they may drawe Disciples to followe them The third cause and the principall of all other is that the ramping roaring Lion that goeth about seeking whome he may deuoure and watching all occasions to doe mischiefe in the Church of God hath taken the opportunitie of this Schisme diuision among our selues And therefore euer since that began he
repressed they thinke it better to beare with some imperfections then by attempting great alterations in so dangerous a time to hazard the state both of the Church and of the Realme And the like toleration in some meane things I vnderstand vpon like consideration hath bin vsed in other churches reformed beyond the Seas Obiection An other crime is obiected not onely against ishops but against all other of the Clergie that is Ambition and greedie seeking after liuings and promotions If a benefice fall voyde say they then rideth hee then writeth hee then laboureth hee then inquireth he who can doe most with the Patrone And if hee be a Lay-man then at the least a reasonable composition will serue And if the Bishop haue the gift then Master Chancellor or Master Steward or my Lords Secretarie or my Mistresse his wife must helpe to worke the maâ—ter Answere Doe you not see how this malicious spirite passeth ouer all the good giftes that God hath in these dayes bestowed on a number of learned men to the great ornament of this land and of purpose onely to deface the Church taketh holde of those imperfections and blemishes which the corruption of mans nature specially in so perillous times and so large a Church must needes worke in a number Well writeth Basile Quemadmodum vultures c. As vultures or carren Rauens flie away to stinking carcasses and passe ouer many sweet medowes and many sweete sauouring places And as the flies shun the whole and sounde places of the body and rest only vpon scabs and soares out of which they suck matter to norish them euen so the enuious malitious and backbiting spirite passeth ouer all the ornaments worthy commendations of the liues of meÌ„ carpeth biteth at those things that he findeth worthy blame This Realme of England neuer had so many learned men nor of so excellent gift in deliuering the word of God It is the greatest ornament that euer this church had For my part surely I do reuerence and maruell at the singular gifts of God that I see in many But these things bee wincked at and passed with silence and the ambitious doings of some few brought in as matter to discredite the whole number of Preachers Diogenes seeing the cleanly furniture of Plato his house got vp vpon his bed and trampled on it with his dirtie feete saying Calco fastum Platonis that is I contemne tread vnder my feet the pride of Plato True it is quoth Plato sed alio fastu with another pride worse then mine So these men in rebuking ambitioÌ„ reach at an higher authoritie and power then any bishop in England hath or will vse Ambition I knowe and confesse is very wicked hath euer beene a perillous instrument of the deuil to make mischief By this he drew our first pareÌ„ts to the disobedience of the commandement of God perswading them not to be conteÌ„t with that happy state that God had placed them in By this he incensed Corah Dathan and Abiram with other to rebel against Moses and Aaron By this he thought to ouercome Christ when hee sawe he could not preuaile by other meanes By this he hath always raysed discorde dissention rebellion warre and tumult not onely to the troubling and disquieting but to the shaking and ouerthrowing almost of all common weales that euer haue beene and thereby also hath wrought the murther and destruction of an infinite number of the creatures of God By this he hath froÌ„ time to time raised many schismes heresies in the Church of Christ By this vndoubtedly I thinke he worketh no small euill nowe at this day in this our Church of England But what then Doe they thinke that if the bishoppes landes and the rich liuings of the Cleargie be taken away that they shall extinguish Ambition in the heartes of the ministers Was there no Ambition in the Church before that bishops had lands or before preachers had so large liuings No man can so thinke but they that are ignorant of the ecclesiasticall histories What was the first root of the troublesome schisme of the Donatists Whereof sprang first the heresies of the Nouatians at Rome What gaue the first occasion of the pestilent heresie of the Arians What maintayned and continued it was it not Ambition and seeking of preheminence But what shoulde I number vp any more examples Fewe schismes and heresies in the Church but had their beginning out of this roote And many knowe that a repulse of a dignitie desired was the first cause that our schisme brake forth hath so eagerly continued Surely though I confesse that I see and knowe in our church more corruption that way then I am gladde to beholde and so much especially in some kinde of Ministers as I praie GOD by some sharpe order may bee diminished yet this I dare stande to iustifie that all the enemies of the bishoppes and better sorte of the cleargie shall neuer be able to proue notwithstanding the daunger of this corrupt time that there is at this day in this Realme such heauing and shoouing such canuasing and working for bishoprikes and other Ecclesiasticall liuings as I will declare vnto them to haue beene in the ancient time aboue a thousand yeeres since in the best state that euer was in the church from the Apostles age vnto this time That there is no Ambition vsed among vs as I haue saide I dare not affirme but surely if there bee any there can be no Ambition on the one part but there must bee corruption on the other therfore let them looke vnto themselues that haue authoritie to bestow the liuings The best sorte of the ecclesiastical liuings are in the disposition of the princes authoritie And those honorable that haue to doe therein and are counsailers to her Maiestie be not so vnwise but they can espy Ambition in him that sueth and laboureth for them And if they do perceiue it they are very greatly to blame if they suffer it to escape without open shame or other notable punishment and thereby bring suspition eyther vpon themselues or vpon those that be about them As for the corruption in bestowing other meaner liuings the chiefe fault thereof is in patrones themselues For it is the vsuall manner of the most part of theÌ„ I speake of too good experieÌ„ce though they may haue good store of able meÌ„ in the Vniuersities yet if an ambitious or greedie minister come not vnto them to sue for the benefice if there bee an vnsufficient man or a corrupt person within two shires of them whom they thinke they can draw to any composition for their owne benefit they wil by one meanes or other finde him out And if the bishop shall make curtesie to admitte him some such shift shall be found by the lawe either by Quare impedit or otherwise that whether the bishop will or no he shalbe shifted into the benefice I know some bishops vnto whom such sutes against
may seeme to be of great importance and such in deede as God hath had much care of in all times as before it hath beene countenanced by the Lawe and Prophets so must it nowe bee drawen also through the whole course of the nevve Testament Yea whatsoeuer is vsed eyther of Christ himselfe or of his Apostles against couetousnesse or the loue and care of this worlde and delight of this life all that either by faire meanes or foule is brought into this fort to batter and shake the lands and possessions of Bishops and other of the Cleargie And first men are willed to cal to remembrance the example of Christ our Sauiour his birth the state of his life the choise of his apostles his perpetuall doctrine exhorting to pouertie and contempt of the worlde His parents say they were poore and liued by an handie craft descended of a stocke and kinred growen altogether out of credite in the worlde in steede of a princely chamber borne in an Oxe stall wrapped in poore clothes in steede of white and fine linnen layde in a cribbe for want of a rich cradle and in place of worthie seruitours hee had the presence of an Oxe and an Asse And that hee might shewe himselfe to delight in pouertie and contempt of the world his natiuitie was first reuealed vnto poore Shepheards watching their flockes As hee was borne so was he bredde in the poore and contemptible Towne of Nazareth out of the which Nathaniel thought nothing woorthy credite coulde come in which Towne as it may bee thought by the exercise of an handie craft hee liued in obedience of Ioseph and of his Mother Such as his birth and breeding was such was the state of his liuing when the full time of his dispensation came for hee was not borne to anie Landes or possessions neyther had hee any great wealth and riches to susteine himselfe yea not so much as an house to put his heade in but was mainteyned by the almes as it were and by the charitable deuotion of certayne wealthie vvomen of Galiley and other godly persons His Apostles that he chose to follovve him and to bee the Ministers of his kingdome hee tooke not out of the state of Princes noble men or great and rich Lordes with Landes and dominions but out of the poore state and condition of fishers Tent-makers and toule-gatherers And thus may we see our Lorde and Christ altogether wrapped in pouertie and besette on euery side with the base and contemptible state of the vvorld But to what purpose is all this alleaged Forsooth that wee may vnderstande that it is not lawfull for such as bee guides of the Lordes flocke to liue in any other state then in that the Lorde gaue example of For vvhosoeuer seeketh Christ say they in other state and sort then hee gaue example of seeketh not Christ but Antichrist and the pompe of the vvorld So that the sense and effect of the reason is this Christ was borne bredde and liued in pouertie and chose vnto him Apostles of poore condition therefore bishoppes and Ministers of the church must haue no Landes or possessions but stay them selues in like poore state as Christ and his Apostles did I doe not frame this argument good Reader of purpose to cauill but to admonish thee of the principall state and that considering the proofe to bee naked in it selfe thou maiest the better iudge of the strength thereof Surely I will hencefoorth cease to marueile at the wrested and violent interpretations that Hermites Monkes and friers haue made vpon the scriptures to iustifie and set foorth their superstitious life of voluntary pouertie and forsaking the worlde seeing professors of the gospel to mainteine their new doctrines take vpon themselues the like liberty and boldenesse in abusing the holie Scriptures and worde of God And yet surely it doth grieue mee and make my heart bleede to see it What shall the aduersarie thinke of our dealing with the Scriptures Surely that wee doe in so earnest manner pull them from the interpretation of the Fathers of the Church to the ende that by applying them according to our owne fantasies we may set foorth and seeme to iustifie to the worlde what doctrine soeuer we shall thinke good our selues And so shall this bee an occasion to discredite all the particular doctrines of the Gospell which hitherto as well this Church of England as other churches reformed haue taught But to vnderstande the weight of this reason before vsed against the wealthie liuings of our Clergie wee must trie it by a right and iust balance that is by the true meaning of the holy Ghost First therefore let vs consider the causes of Christes pouertie and of the choyce of such Apostles which in mine opinion are two The one is the necessitie of our redemption the other is an example and iust instruction set foorth vnto Christians As touching the first when the certaine purpose of God had determined that his sonne shoulde come into the worlde to worke the redemption of mankinde and his deliuerance from sinne necessarie it was for him to satisfie the iustice of God in sustaining all those difficulties and punishmentes that were due to man for sinne that is to say affliction ignominie reproch contempt pouertie and all worldly troubles and miseries and last of all death This is that the Prophet Esay spake of long before Hee is despised and abhorred of men hee is such a man as hath good experience of sorowes and infirmities we reckned him so vile that we hidde our faces from him Howbeit hee onely hath taken our infirmities on him and borne our paines Yet wee did iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God This is that humiliation and debasing of himselfe that Paul speaketh of when hee saith Hee beeing in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and founde in figure as a man hee humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen to the death of the Crosse These places good Christians declare vnto vs both the pouertie and contemptible state of Christ here in earth and also the very roote and principall cause thereof that is the saluation of mankinde The sonne of God became the sonne of man that he might make vs the children of God he vvas borne a weake and tender babe that he might make vs strong men in him he was tied in swadling bands that he might loose and deliuer vs from the bondes of the fraile and sinful flesh he was wrapped in poore clowtes that with the garment of his innocencie he might hide our nake dnes he was borne liued poorly that he might make vs rich plentiful in him he was a stranger in the world had not an house to put his head in that he might purchase for vs a citie heritage
set vp Antichrist aloft in his throne and wrought him the dominion of the church which I pray God may be more carefully looked vnto amoÌ„g vs then yet I perceiue that they haue bene especially if we meane so earnestly to keepe away from vs the returne of his corruption as many now would seeme to do The first cause that aduaunced Antichrist was Schisme and here sie in the Church for the space of 200. yeres and more together with the barbarous irruptions which before I spake of The secoÌ„d cause was the generall decay of learning especially of the knowledge of the Scriptures and of the tongues Thirdly the vsurpation of Ecclesiasticall Discipline practised against Emperours and Princes by which hee conquered more then by all other meanes The helping causes to these principall were these two first the negligence the vnskilfulnesse the vnworthinesse of many emperors and gouernours giuen ouer rather to wantonnesse and voluptuous pleasures then to the care of their charge and secondly the superstitious deuotion of the people maintained by corrupt doctrine But the graund cause of al causes was the iust iudgement of God for the generall vnthankfulnesse of the worlde in receiuing the knowledge of his gospell which he sent among them And this cause was vniuersall in all estates and kindes of persons as well ecclesiasticall as other The bishoppes and Ministers were giuen ouer to maintaine factions and hereticall doctrines Princes looked more to their sensuall pleasure then to the godly gouernment of their subiects the people were bent wholly to superstition and wickednes of life so that a smal number only excepted none did study howe in life and godly conuersation to frame theÌ„selues to the good wholesome doctrine of the Gospel which at the hand of many godly men they at the beginning had receiued SuÌ„dry of these or the like causes haue we now also growing encreasing among vs and therfore haue we great cause to feare the like iust iudgement of God that eyther shal cast vs againe vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist or bring vpon vs some plague no lesse grieuous then that is Our ministers and Preachers breake out to Schismaticall factions and curious doctrines The people in steed of superstitious deuotion haue conceiued an heathenish contempt of Religion and a disdainfull loathing of the ministers thereof Vice and wickednesse ouerwhelmeth all states and conditioÌ„s of men None almost vnlesse it bee some that God reserueth to his secrete knowledge studie to shew themselues thankfull to God and in life to expresse that which in doctrine they will seeme to approue I pray God that by abusing this long suffering of the Lorde we heape not vp wrath for our selues against the day of wrath God hath dealt as mercifully with this land as euer hee did with any I beseech him that in time we may repent with Niniue and turne to him in sackcloth and ashes while hee may bee founde and while hee stretcheth vnto vs the hande of his gracious goodnesse least when it is too late and hee hath turned his face from vs we crie vnto him with vaine gronings and mourne with vnprofitable sighings Hee sent the light of his trueth into this Realme first in the time of King Henry the eight and brake the power of Antichrist among vs but because hee sawe neyther thankefull receyuing of the Gospell nor any thing studied for by men generally but the benefite of Abbey lands and possessions to enrich them-selues hee by and by cut off the comfortable sweetnesse of his worde with the bitter sauour of the sixe articles and sharp persecution of them that professed true religion His iustice in deede coulde no longer abide the full ripenesse of the superstition idolatrie and wicked life of the Monkes and Friers and such other swarms of Antichristian impietie but our vnthankfulnes deserued not to haue the same turned to our benefite nor the freedome of his Gospel to be continued among vs to our further comfort In the time of that gracious Prince king Edward the sixt hee gaue vs a larger taste of his word and a greater freedome of all points of sound true christian doctrine to our vnestimable benefite if wee could haue receiued it accordingly But euen then also hee perceiued that wee sought not so much the increase of his glory or to frame our liues according to our profession as wee did studie vnder countenance of religion by al meanes we could to worke againe our owne worldly benefit commoditie And therefore did hee the second time take from this realme his fatherly blessing cast vpon vs that heauie scourge of persecution which immediatly followed keeping vs vnder the rodde of his correction by the space of certaine yeeres Neuerthelesse as a mercifull Father declaring that by his chastening he sought not our confusion but our amendment euen for the glory of his names sake onely beyond all hope expectation he shewed vs againe the light of his countenance and that more fauourably bountifully then euer he did before raising for vs as it were out of the dust of death a noble Queene a gratious Prince as a nurse or protectresse of his church Vnder the shadow of whose wings although but a virgine he keepeth vs in great safetie quietnesse against al the ancient enemies both of his church of our natural countrey Notwithstanding al this our old vnthankfulnes and forgetfulnesse of our duetie stil continueth we shew our selues the same men that euer we did before And therfore beside the earnest preaching of his word calling vs continually to repeÌ„tance vvho seeeth not diuers times he hath shaken the rod of his displeasure ouer vs as in the Northren rebellion in many signes tokens from heauen thereby if it were possible to waken vs out of our sinful security wherein we sleep so confidently Yea and the more to keep vs in feare he hath made vs to nourish in our bosomes the apparant instrument of his wrath by whoÌ„ we could not choose but see that in a moment he might haue taken froÌ„ vs both the comfort of his Gospel the freedom and happinesse of our state Here must I put you in mind again of his exceeding mercies shewed toward vs eueÌ„ in these few months deliuering vs froÌ„ the bloody cruelty of our enemies But to what effect I pray you commeth all this carefull working of our mercifull God by fayre meanes and foule meanes thus labouring to drawe vs vnto him Doth it quicken in vs the care of our saluation doth it increase the feare of his displeasure doth it stir vp any more zeale and â—oue of his Gospell hath it any thing diminished our uncharitable strife contentioÌ„ doth it any thing abâ—â—e the obstinacie of the aduersary hath it any way diminished the loosenes of our liuing hath it taken from vs our pride in apparell our daintines in feeding our wastfull and pompous building hath it made lesse any euill among vs and
AN ADMONITION TO THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND VVHEREIN ARE ANSVVERED NOT ONELY THE slaunderous vntruethes reprochfully vttered by Martin the Libeller but also many other Crimes by some of his broode obiected generally against all Bishops and the chiefe of the Cleargie purposely to deface and discredite the present state of the Church Detractor libens auditor vterque Diabolum portat in lingua Seene and allowed by authoritie Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1589. TO THE READER I Am not ignoraunt Gentle Reader what daunger I drawe vpon my selfe by this attempt to answere the quarrels and slaunders of late time published in certaine Libelles against the Bishops and other chiefe of the Clergy of the Church of England We see the eagernesse boldenesse of their spirit that bee the authors of them we taste alreadie the bitternes of their tongues and pennes The raging furie of their reuenge vpon all which they mislike themselues dissemble not but lay it downe in words of great threatnings I must needs therfore looke for any hurt that venemous scoffing and vnbridled tongues can worke toward me And how should I hope to escape that when the Saints of God in Heauen doe feele it In the course of their whole Libell when they speake of Peter Paul or the Blessed Virgin Marie c whome other iustly call Saintes their phrase in derision is Sir Peter Sir Paule Sir Marie Surely it had becommed right well the same vnmodest Spirite to haue saide also Sir Christ and so throughly to haue bewrayed himself Seeing they haue sharpned their tongues and heartes against heauen we poore creatures on earth must bee content in our weaknesse to beare them The dartes I confesse of deceitefull and slaunderous tongues are verye sharpe and the burning of the woundes made by them will as hardly in the hearts of many bee quenched as the coales of Iuniper But I thanke God I feare them not though they bring mee greater harme eyther in credite liuing or life then I trust that God that seeth knoweth and defendeth the trueth will suffer them Ambrose beeing in case somewhat like sayeth thus Non tanti est vnius vita quanti est dignitas omnium Sacerdotum If I therefore shoulde hazarde the one for the defence of the other I trust the godlye woulde iudge that I did that duetie which I owe to the Church of God and to my brethren of the same function and calling What is the cause why wee bee with such spight and malice discredited Surely because as the duty of faythfull Subiectes dooth binde vs liuing in the state of a Church refourmed we doo indeuour to preserue those Lawes which her Maiesties authoritie and the whole state of the Realme hath allowed and established and doe not admitte a newe platforme of gouernment deuised I knowe not by whome The reasons that mooue vs so to doe are these two First wee see no proofe brought out of the word of God that of necessitie such forme of Gouernement ought to be Secondly that by the placing of the same it woulde bring so many alterations and inconueniences as in our opinion woulde bee dangerous to the Prince and to the Realme Some of those inconueniences I haue in this treatise laid downe and leaue them to the consideration of them whom God hath set in place of gouernment It may be some will iudge that I am wordly affected because I shewe my selfe so much grieued with losse of our credite and hinderance of good name among the people In trueth although a godly Minister shoulde haue no wordly thing so deere vnto him as his credite yet if the hurt went no further then to our selues wee should make lesse account of it But seeing by our reproche and infamie the doctrine which wee teache is greatly hindered we ought by all lawfull meanes to defend it Christ himselfe in this respect answered such reproches as the enemies obiected against him As that hee vvas a friende vnto Publicanes and sinners That hee vvrought his miracles by the power of Beelsebub That hee broke the Sabbaoth day That hee was a Samaritane That hee had a deuill c. Saint Paul also to the Corinthians against his Aduersaries sheweth that hee was not a vaine Promiser That hee was not light and vnconstant and a wauering Teacher That hee did not teache craftily or corruptly dispensing the worde of God That hee did not teach ambitiously as seeking his owne glorie c. The like did a nomber of learned Fathers of the Primitiue Church at large answering those vile and reprochefull Slaunders raysed against the Christians in those dayes Augustine in a whole woorke answered Assertions falsly fathered vpon him and so did many other Wee seeke not therein our owne prayse and commendation If I doe insert particular prayses and commendations I must say vnto the Libellers as S. Paul sayde to the Corinthians Si insipiens fui in laudando vos me coegistis If I haue bene foolish in ouermuch praising your immodest reproches vntrueths and slaunders do driue me to it In this mine answere I seeke not to fatisfie all kinde of men but onely the moderate and godly For the malicious Back-biter Rayler will neuer be satisfied but the more he is answered the worse he will be If my defence may take moderate place with the better sort I shall be glad if not I may not be excessiuely grieued with sorowe but I must say with Paul Gloria nostra haec est testimonium conscientiae nostrae And with Iob Ecce in caelis testis meus This witnesse in heauen and the witnesse of our owne heart and conscience is sufficient to comfort vs. And for our further helpe we must pray with Dauid who was lamentably beaten and bitten with viperous tongues Leade vs O Lorde in thy righteousnesse because of our enemies make thy way plaine before vs. This God I trust will deliuer vs from the daunger of euill tongues and open their eyes and hearts that they may see and vnderstande what hinderance they bring to the Gospel of Christ which they will seeme to professe so earnestly Amen T. C. The Contents of this Treatise AN Admonition to beware of the contempt of the Bishops and other Preachers Page 1. The ende which the enemy of the Church of God respecteth in woorking their discredite pag. 23. Answeres to the vntrucths and slaunders vttered in Martins late Libell pag. 33. Against my Lord of Canterburie pag. 37. Against my Lord of London pag. 51. Against the Bishop of Rochester Lincolne and Winchester pag. 62. 63. c. The causes why the Bishops desire to maintaine the present state of the gouernment of the Church and what inconucniences they feare vpon the alteration thereof will come to the state of the Realme pag. 79. c. Answeres to certaine generall Crimes obiected to all the Bishops without exception as first The Crime of Simonie and Couetousnesse pag. 66.
The dispensing with Banes for money pag. 100. The Sale of Christian libertie in Marriages pag. 103. That they make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for money pag. 108. That they maintaine an vnlearned Ministery therby be occasion of Reuoltings many other mischiefs to the Prince and the Common weale But it is declared that there is no such vnlearned Ministery as they pretend and therefore can not bee an occasion of Reuolting or any other like mischiefes but that there bee other true and right causes to redresse of which it behoueth them that God hath set in place in time to haue speciall regarde for feare lest those mischiefes that be pretended doe increase pag. 109. c. The Crime of mainteyning Pilling and powling Courts pag. 135. The Crime of abusing Ecclesiasticall discipline pag. 141. The Crime of ambition and griedie seeking after Liuings and promotion pag. 144. That Bishops are carnally disposed which they shewe by hoarding vp great summes of money by purchasing Landes for their wiues and children by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded Cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable Fines and Incomes pag. 148. That the Prince ought to take away their great Lands and Liuings and set them to meane Pensions that in pouertie they may be answerable to the Apostles pag. 157. which they take vpon them to prooue by the whole course of the Scriptures pag. 162. The Lawe pag. 166. The Prophets pag. 177. The example of Christ pag. 190. and the doctrine of his Apostles pag. 221. Answere to the prescription of the old Lawe vvith the true meaning thereof pag. 166. Ansvvere to the Allegations out of the Prophets noting hovve absurdly and affectionately they be abused pag. 177. c. Answere to the example of Christ and the true doctrine that is to be taken of the same pag. 191. c. Answere to the doctrine of the Apostles declating hovv the same is rightly to be vnderstanded pag. 221. A Declaration how Ministers haue bene maintained from the beginning wherein is shevved that they haue had both Lands Houses Rents and Reuenues pag. 231. c. A Declaration that the wealthie state of the Church vvas not y e chiefe cause of setting vp Antichrist in his Throne as it is pretended but that the Histories of that time do declare other causes of more importance which also beginne to growe among vs and therefore good heede to be taken in time pag. 238. c. ¶ AN ADMONITION to the Church and people of England to take heede of the contempt of those Bishops and Preachers which God hath sent to them as messengers to bring vnto them the doctrine of their saluation WHen I call to my remembrance the loathsome contempt hatred and disdaine that the most part of men in these dayes beare and in the face of the vvorld declare tovvarde the Ministers of the Church of God asvvel Bishops as other among vs here in Englande my heart can not but greatly feare tremble at the consideration thereof It hath pleased God novv a long time most plentifully to povvre dovvne vpon vs his manifold great benefits of vvealth riches peace and quietnesse euen in the middest of the flames of discord dissention and miserie round about vs yea and that more is by the space of these thirtie yeeres by the continual preaching of the Gospel hath called vs vnto him as before time he called his chosē people of the Ievves by his Prophets and yet do vve not only not shevv any sound token either of our returning to him that called vs or of our thankefull receiuing his worde which he hath sent vs or of conforming our liues thereunto as hee willeth vs but also euidently to the eyes and eares of all men shew our hatred and misliking of those reuerend persons whome it hath pleased God to vse as his messengers to call vs vnto him and as his instruments to bring vnto vs the glad tidings of the Gospel which before with sworde and fire was taken from vs. For who seeth not in these dayes that hee who can most bitterly inueigh against Bishops and Preachers that can most boldely blaze their discredites that can most vncharitably slaunder their liues and doings thinketh of himselfe and is esteemed of other as the most zealous earnest furtherer of the Gospel Yea they thinke it almost the best way most ready to bring themselues in credite and estimation with many A lamentable state of time it is wherein such vntemperate boldnesse is permitted without any bridle at all What man therefore that feareth God that loueth his Church that hath care of his Prince and countrey can remember this thing and not dread in his heart the sequele thereof When the Israelites derided and contemned the Prophets which God had sent among them his wrath was so kindled that hee brought the Assyrians vpon them to their confusion When the tribe of Iuda did the like to Ieremie and other messengers of God they were cast into the captiuitie of Babylon When the Iewes reprochefully vsed Christ and with vvicked slaunder persecuted his Apostles that brought to them the light of saluation their Citie and Temple vvas burned their people slaine and as Christ threatned their countrey made desolate and giuen ouer to the spoyle And shall wee thinke that God vvill not remaine the same God tovvard vs Is his minde changed is his iustice slaked is his hand shortned that either he wil not or cannot reuenge as he hath bin wont to doe No good Christians let vs neuer deceiue our selues with such vaine and godlesse cogitations God remaineth alwayes one and is not mutable His benefits to the Israelites and Iewes were neuer greater then they novv these many yeeres haue bene toward vs they were neuer more earnestly eyther by Gods blessings allured or by preaching called to repentance then vve haue bene And yet our vnthankefulnesse in some respectes is greater then theirs and our vncourteous vsing of his messengers not much inferiour yea if the willes of many were not brideled by Gods singular grace in our Prince and gouernours it is to bee feared it woulde shewe it selfe as outragious as theirs did We haue iust cause therefore to feare the like plague which they in like case sustained And surely it cannot bee but that it hasteneth fast vpon vs. Obiection But some will say I knowe That I doe great iniury to the Prophets the Apostles and other messengers of God to compare them with such wicked men such blinde guides such couetous hypocrites such antichristian Prelates such symonicall Preachers as our Cleargie men now are Answere I doe not compare them good Reader in worthines of grace and vertue but in likenesse of office and ministerie These haue brought vnto this realme the same light of the Gospell the same trueth of doctrine the same way of saluation that the Apostles brought to the people of God in their time They are the mouth of God whereby hee speaketh to
vs and calleth vs to his knowledge as hee did his chosen by other in the Primitiue Church And howsoeuer by the libertie of this time it pleaseth men in the heate of their spirite to boyle out with reprochfull choler against them yet I am sure they are not able to vse more bitter and vncourteous speech then the like affection vttered against the Prophets against Christ himself and his Apostles as after more euidently shall appeare I knowe they being but fraile and sinfull men in comparison of those blessed Saintes of God beforetime may giue more iust cause of reproche and minister more matter to euill tongues then they did And yet I doubt not but the tenth part of that euil that vnthankefull mindes vtter against them shall neuer be found to be true They that haue the feare of God will not rashly iudge of other and christian charitie will hide the blemishes and faultes of their brethren and specially of the preachers of the gospell sincerely teaching Gods trueth Charitie woulde consider that the times are dangerous and that wee are lighted into these corrupt and perillous last daies whereof Christ prophecied in the Euangelists and therfore may thinke our selues thrise happy if wee haue tollerable Ministers though they bee farre from that rule that Christian perfection requireth These dayes bee like the times Nazianzen writeth of When they heare any thing spoken of a Minister or Priest they by and by conceiue that of all which is reported of one And wee are become a Theater not to Angels and men as that Champion Saint Paul saith But wee are become a Stage to the most vile and abiect men at all times and in all places in the Streetes in Shoppes at Tables at feasts at Councels euen to the very playing scaffoldes which I speake with teares and are scoffed at euen of the vile and contemptible players c. The time was saith Caluine when no man durst open his mouth against the Ministers or Preachers of the worde But nowe there is no speech more plausible None of these base persons would speake a word if they did not see themselues backed by men of great authoritie and receiue reward for so dealing Such vntrueths woulde soone vanish and bee forgotten vnlesse they were nourished by them for whose pleasure they were deuised It may be hardly thought that the true zeale of God and loue of his Gospell is in that heart that can easily breake out to the discrediting of the ministers and teachers therof They woulde rather sigh in their hearts and groane in their consciences and pray vnto God in the spirit of mildenes to take away such blemishes from the face of his Church and to amende the faults thereof if not all at once yet by little and little as to his gratious prouidence might seem best For surely where hatred and contempt of the ministers is there all goodnes must needes growe to confusion And that maketh mee to feare that to our great euil the ruine of the gospell is at hand among vs. For where God is loued and feared there his word is imbraced and his ministers reuerenced This is the cause of all euil sayth Chrysostome that the authoritie of spirituall gouernours is decayed no reuerēce no honor no feare is vsed toward them Obey your gouernours saith Paul and be subiect to them But now al things are ouerthrowen cleane confounded Neither speake I this for the gouernours sake but for your owne And a little after He that honoureth the Priest honoureth God and hee that despiseth the Priest by little and little falleth to this also that he will vse reproch against God himself He that receiueth you sayth Christ receiueth me And in another place sayth the Scripture Haue his Priestes in honour Hence commeth it sayth Cyprian that the bonde of the Lordes peace is broken Hence is it that brotherly loue is violated Of this cause is it that trueth is corrupted vnitie is broken that men leane to Schismes because Priestes are slaundered Bishops are enuied and euery man either complaineth that hee is not ordeined rather then another or else disdaineth to haue another aboue him c. The Iewes were esteemed to despise God because they made so small account of his seruant Moses And to Samuel saith the Lord They haue not despised thee but me Yea if it be an euill Minister sayth Chrysostome yet God marketh that for his sake thou doest reuerence and obey him that is not worthie honour of himselfe and therefore will he pay thee thy rewarde If he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet receiue the rewarde of a Prophet it cannot be that he that reuerenceth and obeyeth his ordinarie Minister shall want his reward Christians should remember that Bishops and Preachers are the Angels of God the Ambassadours of Christ the Ministers of our saluation and therefore that they can not be slaundered or abused but the reproche must touch God himselfe Esay sheweth when the vnthankeful disobedient Iewes did mocke the Prophets did put out their lips and lell out their tongues in disdaine of them that God was dishonoured with the reproch there of Happily it will be doubted whether our Bishops Preachers bee the ministers and messengers of God or no. Yea some dare affirme boldly that indeede they be not But good Christians beware of such cogitations as displeasant and misliking affections may raise in you If they be not the ministers and messengers of God if they bee not sent of him then it is not the message of God that they haue brought vs it is not his worde that they haue taught vs they be not Gods Sacramentes that they deliuered vnto vs and so doe a great nomber of vs remaine as no Christians Though they were such vnworthy persons as the vnthankfull mindes of many doe imagine them or as the vncharitable tongues and pennes of some of late time haue blazed them yet bringing nothing vnto you but Gods will out of his holy Scriptures for in deede they haue not done otherwise howsoeuer their doctrine be defaced you shoulde assuredly bee perswaded that they are the instruments of Gods blessing vnto you Although they that be superiours saieth Chrysostome and Gouernours were euill and spotted with manye faultes yet shoulde not the Disciples withdrawe them from their instruction For if Christ speaking of the Doctours of the Iewes that because they sate in Moyses Chaire they were worthie to bee hearde of their Disciples although their woorkes were not commendable what fauour are they woorthie of which contemne and trample vnder foote as it were the Prelates of the Churche which by Gods goodnesse liue moderately If it bee a foule matter for one to iudge an other howe much more is it vnlawful to iudge their Maisters and instructers Baalam was a couetous prophet and yet by him GOD blessed his people Nowe surely if you haue receiued at their handes the blessing of Gods trueth
faultes Christian charitie forceth me to winke at them because I know greater matter in my selfe And I see they are men and no Angels and they liue in a perillous time and haue many occasions to offend so that it is harder for them to stande vpright then for some other that are in priuate state Hee is an Angell that neuer falleth hee is no man Men are fraile and in daunger to sinne though they haue otherwise great graces If any of them haue fallen with Aaron to anie great and horrible offence I trust they are with him also risen by repentaunce and with teares in the mercie of God washed away their wickednesse Or if they haue not I must needes say with Christ Better it were that a Milstone were hanged about their neckes and they cast into the sea then that by their continuance in euil they shoulde bee occasion that anie shoulde fall from God or reiect his Gospell As their vertues are more profitable and beneficial to the Church of God then the vertues of other priuate persons so are their vices and faults more hurtfull daungerous They stande on an high place where all mens eyes are fastened vppon them their least faultes cannot be hidde and the greatest are of all men abhorred A wart in the face and a blemish in a Bishoppe is no small disfiguring of either of them If other mens faults be seene the offence is not accounted great but if a bishops be espied it is esteemed not according to the greatnes of the thing but according to the dignitie of the person Hee that knoweth the will of his Master and doth it not shalbe beaten with many stripes Sacerdos saith Chrysostome sipariter cum Subditis peccat non eadem sed acerbiora patietur If a Priest shall offend as the inferiour doeth hee shal suffer not the same punishment but farre greater It behooueth them therefore in the feare of God to looke more diligently about them then any other and specially in these miserable dayes vvherein all mens eyes are so curiously set vpon them that they almost cleane forget to looke any thing vpon themselues or to finde fault vvith any other then vvith Ecclesiasticall persons and officers Obiection Heere some perchaunce vvill take me in mine ovvne turne and conclude against al that hitherto I haue spoken yea and against the vvhole purpose of my vvriting That if Bishoppes offences be so grieuous and hurtfull more then other mens are and that our Bishops and Ecclesiasticall Ministers are seene to commit so soule and heynous faultes that they are worthie of all that euill that is spoken against them and that I cannot iustly blame these persons that with great zeale doe reproue these their doings so hurtful to the Church of Christ and so dangerous to the people of God Answere Surely if all bee true that is vvritten and spoken against them as I trust and in part I knovve it is not I must needs confesse and vvere vvicked if I vvoulde denie that they had iustly deserued vvhatsoeuer euill coulde be vttered of them For sure I am if as I say all vvere true that is spoken that they should be as detestable as any heretikes that euer vvere in the Church yea as the Pope and Antichrist himselfe vvhose pillars and vpholders they are called and accounted vvith many And yet can I not excuse them vvhich in such manner doe persecute them vvith the bitternesse of their tongue and penne no more then I can excuse Nabuchodonosor or any other tyrant that plagued the people of God offending against his lavve For vvhatsoeuer God in his prouidence respected they looked onely to the satisfying of their couetous ambitious cruell and bloody affection And so vvhatsoeuer God regardeth in chastening his negligent Ministers or in vvaking them out of sleepe vvith the sourre of infamy and reproch yet by their virulent and vnseasoned speeches that are vsed by the scornefull and disdainefull reproches by the rash and vncharitable vntruethes I feare it may bee too truely gathered that they vvhich bee the instruments thereof seeke to fulfill their enuious proude and disdainefull appetites or the working of some other purpose which they looke to bring to passe by the discrediting of the Bishops and other chiefe of the Clergie which be as great blockes and stops in their way Qui habet aures ad audiendum audiat But let such persons in time take heede vvhen God as a mercifull father hath chastised his children sufficiently and stirred them to remember their dueties that he cast not the rod into the fire as before time he hath vsed to doe and bring the rewarde of their vnchristian dealing vpon their ovvne heades If right zeale vvith conscience and detestation of euil vvere the roote of these inuectiues which so boyle in loath some choller bitter gall against the Bishops other of the Clergie surely the same spirit would mooue them to breake out into like vehement lamentations against the euils and vices which shew themselues in a great nomber of this Realme I meane the deepe ignorance and contempt of God in the midst of the light of the Gospell the heathenish securitie in sinne and wickednesse the monstrous pride in apparell the voluptuous riot and sensualitie the excessiue buildings and needelesse nestes of mens treasures which bee as cankers consuming the riches of this Realme What shall I say of the loosenesse of whoredome and adulterie the wrongfull wresting by extortion bribery and vsury the crafty cosening for priuate commoditie the libertie in false swearing and periurie with the heape almost of all other vices where with mans life may be distained so that if some stay were not by moderat gouernment and some meane number restrained in conscience by the doctrine of the Gospell it were greatly to be feared that our wickednesse would growe in haste to such perfection as it woulde presently pull out of heauen Gods wrath against vs. But all these thinges are wrapt vp in deepe silence among most of these men vnlesse it bee to vpbraid Bishops as causes thereof and the corrupt gouernment as it is thought of this Church with the rich and wealthy states of Bishops pretended to bee the onely cause of Gods indignation toward vs. But this is the wicked working of the deuill to turne mens eyes from their owne sinnes that they may not acknowledge them and by repentance turne away the displeasure of God and his iustice hanging ouer vs and if it be possible also to destroy the course of the Gospell that hath bene so long with so small fruit among vs. But here I haue to aduertise the godly and chiefely the Prince and Magistrates that they be not abused and ledde by the cunning that Sathan hath alwayes vsed to deface the glory of God and disturbe his Church When Sathan seeth the doctrine of Trueth to spring vp amongst men and somewhat to prosper when hee seeth wickednesse and vice by diligent preaching to bee repressed and thereby his
of other For proofe whereof I referre you to B. Iewell in his worthy booke wherein he answereth Hardings reply against his 27. questions proposed at Pauls Crosse c. I remēber touching this matter of the Sacrament Occolampadius a man of great reading godlines saith of S. August Is primus mihi vellicauit aurem He did first put me in minde of the true vnderstanding of this Sacrament These foure principal Articles I haue laid downe for example that the Christian Reader may the more easily perceiue vvhat comfort it is to any Church to haue the grounds of their faith and religion so established vpon the holy Scriptures that for the interpretation of the same they haue the testimonie consent of the Primitiue Church the ancient learned Fathers From which Consent they should not depart either in doctrine or other matter of weight vnlesse it so fall out in them that we be forced thereto either by the plaine wordes of the Scriptures or by euident and necessary conclusions following vpon the same or the Analogie of our faith Which thing if we shall perceiue we ought safely may take that liberty that themselues especially Augustine hath vsed requireth other to vse Nec Catholicis Episcopis c. Wee must not consent saith Augustine so much as to Catholike Bishops if they be deceiued and be of opinion contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures Againe I am not tied with the authoritie of this Epistle For I haue not the writings of Cyprian in like estimation as I haue the Canonicall Scriptures but I measure them by the rule of the holy Scriptures If I finde any thing in his writings agreeing to the Scriptures I receiue it with commendation and reuerence if otherwise with his good leaue I refuse it The like you haue Epist 48. 111. 112. In Prooemio li. 3. de Trinitate and many other places Otherwise to reiect the testimonie of the ancient Fathers rashly is a token of too much confidence in our owne wits It was noted as a great fault in Nestorius and a chief cause of his heresie that contemning the Fathers hee rested too much vpon his owne iudgement The like confidence drew many learned men and of great gifts to be Patrons of sundry foule and shamefull errours How came it to passe that after that notable Councell of Nice so many detestable heresies arose against the Deitie the Humanitie of Christ against the vniting of both natures and the distinction of the properties of them c. but onely out of this roote that they contemned the graue sentences interpretations determinations of those famous Confessors and great learned Fathers as were in the same assembled and had too much liking in their owne wits learning But woe be vnto them saith Esay that are ouerwise in their owne conceite Vigilius in his first booke against Eutyches saith thus These cloudes of fond and vaine accusations are powred out by them chiefly which are diseased either with the sickenesse of ignorance and of a contentious appetite and while they being puffed vp with confidence of a proud stomacke for this only cause they reiect the rules of faith laide downe by the ancient fathers that they may thrust into the Church their owne wauering deuises which they haue ouerthwartly conceiued This sentence I would our vncharitable accusers troublers of the Church would well weigh and consider with them-selues Therfore good reader I protest for my selfe and for the residue of this church that we dare not in conscience nor thinke it tollerable with contempt to reiect the testimonies of antiquitie in establishing any matter of weight in the Church We leaue that to our hasty Diuines that in three yeeres study thinke themselues able to controll all men to haue more learning then all the Bishops in England And for this cause vvil they giue no credit to ancient writers against their new found equality For with them it is a foule fault once in a sermon to name an ancient father or to alledge any testimonie out of his workes Novve good Christian Reader seeing by the good blessing of God vve haue all parts of Christian fayth and Religion professed and taught in this Church and the same grounded vpon the canonicall Scriptures vvith the consent and exposition of the Primitiue Church and ancient Fathers What a vaunting pride is it as Cyprian speaketh vvhat an vnthankefulnesse to God vvhat vncharitable affection toward the Church of their naturall Countrey that they cannot abide any good to be spoken of it pretending nothing but the priuate faultes and vices of some men or the disagreeing from them in some orders and partes of Gouernement which they vvill neuer be able to proue by the word of GOD to bee of necessitie In other reformed Churches vvhome they so greatly extolle and vvould make paterne to vs haue they not imperfections Haue they not foule faults and great vices among all sortes of men as well Ministers as others Surely their worthiest writers grauest Preachers doe note that they haue And if they woulde denie it the world doth see it and many good men among them doe bevvaile it I vvill not stay in the other blessings of God vvhere with he hath adorned this Church I shall haue occasion to speake somewhat more of it hereafter and God send vs grace that we may vvith true thankefulnesse acknovvledge it But this I may not omitte vvithout great note of vnthankefulnesse towarde our mercifull God vvhich hath not onely preserued maintained and defended the State but also appoynted this Church to be as a Sanctuarie or place of refuge for the Saints of God afflicted and persecuted in other Countries for the profession of the Gospell for whome I am persvvaded vvee doe fare the better at Gods hande And I doubt not but in that respect al reformed Churches in other places feeling the blessing of God by vs thinke reuerently of our State and pray to God for vs as all good men vvith vs ought to doe for them that the true linke of Christian charitie may soundly knitte vs together in one body of right faith and Religion If some fevve persons thinke amisse of our Church I impute the cause thereof only to the malicious vntrue reports made by some of our owne Countreymen vnto them Which persons if they did vnderstande the true State of this our Realme would thinke farre othervvise as diuers of the most graue learned writers haue already euidently declared This also is not the least blessing of God as well in the time of K. Edward as in the reigne of our gracious Soueraigne that this Church hath had as ample ornamēts of learned men Rumpantur vt Ilia Momo as the most reformed Churches in Europe farre more plentifully then some place whose state they seeke to frame vs vnto Only I except those excellēt men whō God had prepared in the beginning to be the restorers of his Trueth doctrine of
and states of the Church of Christ one onely forme of outward gouernment Secondly that they will note and name some certaine particular Churches either in the Apostles time or afterward wherein the whole gouernement of the Church was practised onelie by Doctours Pastours Elders and Deacons â—nd none other and that in an equalitie without superioritie in one aboue an other If this bee done soundly and truely without any wresting or double vnderstanding of the places of Scripture I protest they will shake that opinion that nowe I haue of this present gouernement of the Church of Englande Yet vnder correction I will not say that I know but I am surely perswaded that they will neuer be able to doe it Moreouer I woulde wish them vnfaignedly to declare whether all the Churches at this day reformed in Europe where the light of the Gospell was first restored and specially of Saxonie and High Almaine haue this gouernement which by these men is nowe required and none other If they haue it is a good preiudice for their cause if they haue not it is hard that the example of two or three Churches shoulde ouerrule all the residue in which the light of the Gospell beganne before them And it may bee well sayde Did the Gospell beginne first with you Wee may not pull downe one Rome and set vp an other Surely as graue learned meÌ„ as most that haue written in this time euidently affirme the contrarie do make good proofe of this proposition That one forme of Church-gouernment is not necessarie in al times and places of the Church that their Senate or Segniorie is not conuenient vnder a Christian Magistrate In Denmarke they haue bishoppes both in name and office as it appeareth in certaine Epistles of Hemingius written to some of them In which hee sayth They are greatly troubled vvith continuall visitation of their Churches In Saxony they haue Archbishoppes and bishoppes in office but not in name For proofe heereof I alleadge the testimonies of that learned man Zanchius in the Annotations vpon certaine parts of his confession In the Church of the Protestants saith he in deede they haue bishops and Archbishops which chaunging the good Greeke names into ill Latine names they call Superintendents and generall Superintendents c. The same Zanchius in the same his confession hath these words By the same reason those thingâ— that were ordained in the church touching Archbishops yea and the foure patriarchs before the Counsell of Nice may bee excused and defended These vvordes and some other were misliked by one famous learned man who wrote to Zanchius of the same But Zanchius was so farre from altering his iudgement that in the foresaid Annotations hee writeth a large defence of it out of Bucer in Epist ad Ephes vvhich is also found in a little Treatise vvhich the same Bucer hath vvritten De vi vsu Ministerij And Zanchius in the same place shewed the reason why hee is so grounded in that opinion I beleeue saith hee that those things which were concluded and determined by the Godly Fathers assembled in the name of the Lorde with common consent and without contradiction to the Scriptures proceede from the holie spirite of GOD and therefore I dare not inconscience improoue them And what is more certaine by the Histories Councels and writings of the Fathers then that those orders of the Ministers of which wee haue spoken haue bene receiued and allowed by the common consent of Christedome And I pray who am I that I should reprooue those thinges which the whole church hath allowed Neither durst all they that bee of our time hee meaneth the learned men of Germany reprooue the same In the foresaide place of his Annotations when he hath spoken of the gouernement of the churches of Saxony he addeth touching other places Euen there where they haue neither the good Greeke names nor the euill Latine termes yet haue they certaine chiefe men in whose handes well neere is all authoritie Seeing then we agree in the things why should we haue controuersie about the names and titles This man vndoubtedly knewe the gouernement of all the Churches in Germany For hee had beene a reader and teacher in diuers of them He had bin in Geneua he taught at Argentine eleuen yerees after at Clauenna foure yeres Again after that at Heidelberge ten yeeres And lastly by Cassimire appointed at his town at Newstade where yet he liueth an olde man if God of late hath not taken him out of this world Those places of high Almaine wherein most zealous preachers and learned men haue remained with whome in doctrine wee most nighly agree haue not one maner of gouernment nor formes of Discipline In Tygâ—â—e it is wel knowen they haue no Senate of Elders nor thinke it tollerable vnder a Christian Magistrate nor the Discipline by Excommunication which they more mislike I thinke it be not much differing at Berne one of the gretest Churches as I gather by Aretius in sundry places At Geneua and some other places especially such as haue had their beginning from thence they haue a gouernmeÌ„t not much vnlike that platforme which is desired to be with vs and is nowe in Scotland I might say the like for some ceremonies outward orders In Saxony and at Basile they kneele at the Lords Supper At Tygure they sit and it is brought to them In other places they go and receiue it for the more expedition as they passe The like libertie and diuersitie vse they in some other externall things which I am not willing for some causes to lay downe in writing All those Churches in which the gospell in these dayes after great darkenesse was first renewed and the learned men whome God sent to instruct them I doubt not but haue beene directed by the spirite of God to retain this liberty that in external gouernment other outward orders they might choose such as they thought in wisdome and godlinesse to bee most conuenient for the state of their Country and disposition of the people Why then shoulde this libertie that other Countries hauevsed vnder any colour bee wrested from vs I thinke it therefore great presumption and boldenesse that some of our nation and those whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues not of the greatest wisedome and skill shoulde take vpon them to controll the whole Realme and to binde both prince people in necessity of conscience to alter the present state and to tie themselues to a certaine platforme deuised by some of our neighbours which in the iudgement of manie wise and godly persons is most vnfit for the state of a kingdome or to bee exercised vnder a Christian Prince that defendeth the Gospell as in part experience already hath taught in some I pray God they looke not further and haue not a deeper reach then good subiectes that loue their Prince and countrey should haue Lastly I would wish them leauing the long discourses where unto
bishopricks in England be worth For Mat. Paris vvriteth that in the time of king Henry the 3. the Pope had yeerely out of this Lande 60000 markes vnto which if you doe adde his like dealing in Germanie and other countreys you shall perceiue the value to be inestimable And surely I am of that hope and in my conscience I think it to be most true that all the Bishops in this land by Simoniacal practise and couetous oppression doe not gaine the hundred part thereof And if it doe rise to that value it is a great deale too much yea if it be one peny it is wicked and by no good man ought to be defended much lesse by them to bee practised I hope well of all although I wil not take vpon me to excuse all But for some I assuredly know in my conscience dare depose that since they were made Bishops they haue not wittingly gained that way one twenty shillings Therefore in equalling the bishops of Englande in the practise of Simonie vvith the Pope of Rome there must needs be great oddes in the comparison and the whole speech may well be called Hyperbole that is an vncharitable amplification surmounting all likelihood of honest and Christian trueth Obiection But somewhat to giue countenance to an euill slaunder it will be sayde that the Bishop of Rome practized Simonie by al meanes that he had our bishops by as many as they haue Answere Oh a worthie reason Is this to iustifie so shameful a slaūder of the church of God vnder a christian Princes gouernment Is that Christian Preacher and Bishop if any such be that vseth Simoniacall practise in two or three points of smal importance and litle value in grieuousnesse of offence before God and the vvorlde to be equalled to the head of Antichrist and the principall enemy of the Gospel practizing the same in a thousande of great weight and vnestimable value I cannot but wish more charitable hearts to them that will take vpon them the zeale and profession of the Gospel Let sinne be blamed euen in them that fauour the word and chiefly the Clergie but yet so as trueth will beare and modestie with Christian charitie doeth require lest in much amplifying of small offences you become instruments not onely to discredit the parties blamed but also to ouerthrowe the doctrine that they teach There ought to be great difference betweene Christian Preachers writers inueighing against Antichrist and his members enemies of the Gospell and zealous professors blaming reprouing the faults of their owne Bishop and Clergie in the estate of a Church by authoritie setled The one part is kindled with an earnest zeale detestation of the obstinate patrones of errour and idolatrie the other shoulde bee mooued onely with a charitable sorowe and griefe to see Preachers of the trueth not to declare in life that which they vtter to other in doctrine They that by humane frailtie offende in blemish of life onely are not with like bitternesse to bee hated harried rated and defaced as they that with obstinate and vnrepentant hearts offend both in life and doctrine and to the face of the worlde shewe them-selues aduersaries of the truth Christ after one maner blameth the Scribes pharises after another he reprooueth the ignorance the dulnesse the ambition and carnal affection of his owne Disciples that followed him But I pray you let vs consider the particular proofe of this generall accusation and odious comparison Surely they are so trifling that I am ashamed to stay vpon them and yet I must needes speake a word or two of them The Church of England retaineth a good and necessarie order that before the celebration of marriage the Banes should be asked three seuerall Sabboth dayes Obiection This order saith the aduersarie and accuser is by Dispensation abused and by our Bishops solde for money Answere The order I thinke very good and meete to bee obserued in a Christian Church and not without good cause to be altered and yet doth it not beare any necessitie in Religion and holinesse whereby mens consciences should be wrung or wrested But I will demaund of the accuser whether there be not some cases wherein the circumstances being considered this matter may bee dispensed withall among Christians And if there bee as no reasonable man can deny then I aske further whether there bee any lawe in this Church of Englande whereby with the authoritie of the Prince it is granted that a Bishoppe may in such conuenient cases dispense with this order And if there bee such lawe of the Church and of the Realme I marueile howe it can be counted Simonie or couetous selling of the libertie of the Gospell to dispense with it Obiection Yea but if the order be good why is it not kept vnuiolably if it be euill why is it solde for money Answere The order is good no man can deny it or without good cause alter it but there is no externall order so necessary but that authoritie may in some considerations lawfully dispense therewith It was a good order and cōmandement of God that none but the Priests should eat of the shew bread and yet in a case of necessitie Abimelech the hie Priest did dispense with Dauid his company in eating the same bread The external obseruation of the Sabboth day was a good order and a commandement streightly giuen by God and yet we read that the Iewes in necessitie did breake it and fought on the Sabboth day And Christ himselfe defended his Disciples that on that day did bruise Corne and eate it Therefore by lawfull authoritie such orders may bee dispensed with and not deserue iust reproofe much lesse the crime of Couetousnesse and Simonie Obiection Yea but the dispensations are solde for money for some haue for writing and other for sealing and my Lord so granting c. Answere By as good reason may they excuse any Iudge or chiefe officer in this Land of extortion and bribery because his Clearkes and vnder officers take money for the writing dispatch of Processes Writs and other like matters where of happily some small portion commeth to the Iudge or chiefe officer himselfe and the same also warranted and made good by the lawes of this Realme If either Ecclesiasticall Ministers or other officers and Magistrates shall by extortion wrest more then by order is due there lieth lawfull remedie and sharpe punishment for the same And in all societies and common weales that euer haue bene aswell among Christians as other it hath bene counted lawfull that the Ministers to higher officers aswell Ecclesiasticall as other should haue lawfull portions and fees allowed them for such things where in they trauell Therefore how this may be imputed to Bishops as Simonie and sale of Christian libertie I see not Obiection They will say Dispensations for Banes for greedinesse of money are granted more commonly then they should be Answere If that
men may not flatter and deceiue themselues I let them vnderstande that the Scriptures in no place teach them that the offences and faultes of the Ministers are alwayes the onely cause why the word of God doth not take place in mens hearts It is more commonly and almost alvvaies imputed to the waywardnesse vnthankefulnesse and obstinacy of the people that heare it Therefore it vvere good for alsortes of men of what calling soeuer to looke into their owne bosomes carefully to consider whether the fault thereof be not in themselues For they knowe right vvell that the master may bee learned and diligent and yet the scholler not thriue by reason of his owne dulnesse The Physition may bee honest and skilfull and the obstinate Patient make light of his vvholesome counsaile The seede may be good and the seede sower a paineful and skilfull husbandman and yet the fruite not to bee ansvverable to his trauell because of the naughtinesse and barrennesse of the ground This our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs in the parable of the Seede-sovver Matth. 13. The Sower sayth he went foorth to sowe his seede and some fell in the high way that is to say into the heartes of them that vvere continually trampled vvith vvicked and vngodly cogitations so that the seede coulde not sinke into their hearts but by those birds of the deuill vvas caried avvay vvithout fruite Some fell into stonie ground that is into such hearts as wanted the good iuice and moysture of Gods holy spirite and therefore when the heate of persecution ariseth or some great temptation assaulteth them their zeale is withered and they reuolt from the trueth Some fell into busshie ground that is into the mindes of them that were troubled with the cares of the worlde with the loue of riches and with the pleasures of this life which wholly choked vp the good seede of the Gospell of Christ so that it could not in any wise prosper and bring foorth fruite Heere you may perceiue that for one fourth part of good grounde that yeeldeth fruite of the doctrine of God there are three greater partes of euill ground wherein it nothing at all prospereth But in these our dayes amongst vs we haue a fourth sort of men which obstinatly at al refuse to heare the word of God and do shut vp their eares not onely against preaching but against priuate exhortation also If there were lesse store of these euill groundes in this land at this day vndoubtedly wee should see more successe of the Gospell and more ample fruite of our teaching then novve wee doe It were good for men to looke that these quarrellings at other mens liues bee not one of the coardes of vanitie that Esay speaketh of Woe be to them saith God by his holy Prophet that drawe on iniquitie with coardes of vanitie and sinne as it were with a Cart-rope that is Woe bee to them that imagine excuses and coulours to nouzell and mainetaine them selues in contempt of Gods vvorde and vvant of repentaunce Let men take heede of such dealing that such Coardes of vanitie pull not on iniquitie so fast that it draw them to the vtter contempt of God and his trueth Example where of is seene at this day in too many to the griefe of all good mens hearts For the schoole of Epicure and the Atheists is mightily increased in these days The like effect Esay noteth to haue fallen out among the Iewes at that time For this he maketh them to say in derision of the preaching of the Prophets Let God make speede and hasten his worke that wee may see it Let the counsell of the holy one of Israel drawe neere and come that wee may knowe it And in like manner dealeth the wicked in Ieremie Chapter 5. They haue denied the Lorde and sayde It is not hee Tush the Sword and the plague shall not come vpon vs neither shall we see it The threatnings of the Prophets are but wind the true word of God is not in them They vtter their owne fantasies and these things shall come vnto themselues Euen with like contempt and derision many at this day abuse the Preachers of Gods worde When we lay before them the terrible threatnings of Gods wrath and indignation if they reuolt from the trueth of the Gospell or suffer the same to bee betrayed into the hands of the enemie saying that God wil for sake them that he wil take his defence from them that he will set his face against them that he will bring strangers vpon them to destroy their countrey and possesse their great landes and goodly buildings Oh say they These Preachers make great outcries they put strange expectations into the peoples heads they are vndiscreete they medle with matters which doe not appertaine vnto them if matters goe amisse the greatest fault is in them selues But I haue sufficiently spoken of this maner of intertaining of Ministers alreadie shall speake of the same hereafter The second and in deede a chiefe cause of backsliding and reuolting is the schisme faction and dissention vvhich for the space of these fifteene or sixteene yeeres hath exceedingly growen betweene the Ministers and Preachers of England For the like hath in all ages bene a cause to many of falling both from the trueth of God and to wickednesse of life Basile speaking hereof saith Ob haecrident increduli fluctuant qui modicae sunt fidei ambigua est fides ipsa The effects of this schisme hath bene as in part I haue declared in other partes of this treatise First that not only in sermons publikely but also in common table talke priuately yea and in writing and treatises spredde abroade into all mens handes wickedly vehement and bitter inuectiues haue beene made against the Bishoppes and other Preachers of the Church of England to the discredite not only of their persons but also of the doctrine which they haue taught Yea the whole state and gouernment of this church the Liturgie and booke of Common prayer and the administration of the Sacraments established by Lavve and authoritie the externall rites and ceremonies layde downe onely for order sake haue beene publikely misliked depraued and condemned as directly contrary and repugnant to the worde of God Men haue not onely deliuered foorth these inuectiues against the whole state of our Church and all the partes thereof but in the face of the vvorlde against Lavve against authoritie haue taken vpon them to alter all thinges according to their ovvne pleasure Which dealing you may bee sure cannot bee vvithout great offence of an infinite nomber as the worlde euidently seeth it hath beene Moreouer many persons both vndiscreete and vnlearned because they will not bee accompted Dumbe dogs haue taken vpon them to preach without license or triall and entring into discussing of matters nowe in controuersie betweene vs and the aduersarie haue handled them so coldly nakedly and vnperfectly that many haue beene grieued to heare them some brought in
not be saued by shame might haue his saluation wrought by reproch For a great thing it is to one that hath any feare of God to haue reproch in the face of the Church And to this interpretation the most of the ancient writers agree Obiection They will reply that at that time there were manie Presidents as it were and gouernours of the Church together with the chiefe Ministers in euery Congregation Answere I grant it was so But it doth not follow thereupon that it is a commaundement that for euer in all places and times it should be so I am not of that opinion nor euer was any of the auncient Writers no more are sundry learned men of great credite at this time Quòd vna semper debet esse oeconomia Ecclesiae that is that the externall gouernement of the Church should alwayes in all places be one and specially by a college or company of Elders When Christ said Tel the Church there was as yet no Christian church established but Christ took his speech according to the state of the Iewes Church that then was as in another place he â—aith If thy brother trespasse against thee leaue thine offering before the altar If they will gather by the former speech Tell the Church that of necessity they must haue a company of Elders as then was in the Iewes church why let them make like collection of the latter that of necessitie there must be altars in the church of Christ the absurditie whereof will bee greater then any good christian man will easily receiue Obiection They will say the Apostles afterward and the Primitiue Church did practise the same Answere That is not yet proued but let theÌ„ struggle while they lust theysh al neuer find a commandement in the scriptures charging that it shuld for euer be so It were to great a bridle of christiaÌ„ liberty in things external to cast vpoÌ„ the church of Christ So loÌ„g as the church of God was in persecutioÌ„ vnder tyrants might well seeme to be the best and fittest order of Gouernment But when God blessed his Churche with Christian Princes the Scriptures doe not take away that libertie that with the consent of their godlie magistrates they may haue that outwarde forme of iurisdiction deciding of Ecclesiasticall causes as to the state of the Countrey and people shall be most conuenient And that libertie haue diuers reformed churches since the restoring of the Gospell vsed Now as when other churches in their externall order of gouernment differ froÌ„ ours we neither do nor ought to mislike with them so if ours differ froÌ„ theirs retaining still the sinceritie of the gospel and trueth of doctrine I trust they will euen as charitably thinke of vs. If any desire further aunswere in this controuersie of church gouernment I refer them to the reply of D. Bridges vntill they haue with modestie and grauitie answered his booke It is obiected also against Bishops that they abuse Ecclesiasticall Discipline I take Ecclesiasticall Discipline to consist in reprouing correcting and excommunicating such as be offendors in the Church And I thinke their meaning is here that bishops their officers abuse Excommunication in punishing therewith those persons which obstinately with contempt refuse either to appeare when they bee called to aunswere their offences or when they appeare disobey those orders and decrees by Ecclesiasticall officers appoynted Howe this part of Church Discipline was abused by the Pope it is well knowen and that hee made Excommunication an instrument to bring the neckes of Emperors and Princes ynder his girdle and to make the whole world subiect to him For this was almost the onely meane whereby he became so dreadfull to all men and got to himself so great autoritie The perpetual course of the histories euen such as were written by his owne Parasites and chiefly of this Realme of England declare this to be most true For triall hereof reade the historie of Thomas Becket But I thinke no man is so caried with the misliking of our Bishops that he wil accuse them in this sort to abuse Excommunication seeing by their preaching they haue binprincipall instruments to ouerthrow the same in the Church of Rome They cannot say that any Bishop of this church euer since the restoring of the Gospell indeuoured to excommunicate the Prince and gouernours of purpose to make them subiect to their authoritie in the Church And happily that may bee a fault yea and a great fault that is founde with them in these daies that they do not so and constraine the prince and Rulers to doe that which by perswasion they will not doe But howe expedient this maner of Excommunication is for this time I leaue to the wise and godly to consider Sure I am that some of the most zealous churches reformed haue it not nor thinke it tollerable And yet such a maner of Excommunication it is that many striue at this day to haue brought into the Church vnder the name of Discipline But how easily it would grow to abuse and what danger it might bring in this state of time I thinke there is no wise man that doth not foresee vnlesse it be such as to bring their purpose to passe and to settle their deuise in the Church thinke no danger to be shunned As for the Excommunication practised in our Ecclesiasticall Courtes for contumacie in not appearing or not satisfying the iudgement of the Court if it had pleased the Prince and them that had autoritie to make Lawes for the gouernment to haue altered the same at the beginning and set some other order of processe in place thereof I am perswaded the Bishops and Clergy of this Realme woulde haue bin very wel contented therewith Gualter a learned man of the Church of Tygure writing vpon the first to the Corinthians hauing shewed the danger of this other Excommunication speaketh of a maner of ciuile discommuning vsed in that Church Which or the like good order deuised by some godlie persons if it might bee by authoritie placed in this Churche without danger of further innouation I thinke it woulde be gladly reciued to shunne the offence that is taken at the other and yet surely vnder correction the Law of alteration woulde breede some inconuenience But the perpetuall crying of many to haue a mutation of the whole state of the Clergie and a number of other thinges in the Church beside which must needes draw with it a great alteration in the state of the Realme also maketh the Prince and other Gouernours to bee afraide of any mutation For they knowe what daunger may come in these perillous dayes by innouations And if they shoulde once beginne things are so infinite shat they can see no ende of alterations Therefore eeing wee haue a Church setled in a tollerable maner of reformation and all trueth of doctrine freely taught and allowed by the authority of this realme yea and the aduersaries of trueth by lawe
trueth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie founde in his lippes he walked with me in peace and in equitie and hee turned many from their iniquitie but yee haue gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the Lawe ye haue corrupted the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of hosts therefore haue I made you despised and vile before the people These wordes of the prophet doe so touch our Bishops and clergie men if they be so euill as they are made as all sentences wherein the Prophets blame the Priests of their time doe touch euill ministers of the Church but howe they eyther specially nippe our bishoppes as it is thought or any thing pertaine to the proofe of the principall matter or reproouing of Preachers liuings by Landes I see not In deede this sentence of Malachy might bee rightly vsed against the pope his prelates which neglecting the whole dutie of Gods ministers both in preaching and liuing stayed themselues vpon the authoritie of Saint Peter and of succession as though the Spirite of God had beene bounde to their succession though they taught and liued neuer so corruptly For so indeede did these priestes whome Malachie reprooueth they neglected the true worshippe of God and yet woulde they bee accompted his good and true priestes because they were of the tribe of Leui with whom God had made his couenant that hee and his seede shoulde haue the office of the high priesthood for euer But Malachie sayth they haue broken the couenaunt on their part That our bishoppes and ministers doe not challenge to holde by succession it is most euident their whole doctrine and preaching is contrarie they vnderstād and teach that neither they nor any other can haue Gods fauour so annexed and tyed to them but that if they leaue their dueties by Gods worde prescribed they must in his sight leese the preheminence of his ministers and bee subiect to his wrath and punishment They knowe and declare to all men that the couenaunt on the behalfe of Leui that is on the behalfe of the ministers of God to be perfourmed consisteth in these three branches by preaching to teach the right way of saluation and to sette foorth the true worship of God to keepe peace and quietnesse in the Church of God and thirdly by honest life to bee example vnto others These branches of the couenant if our bishops and preachers haue corrupted and broken they haue to answere for it before God and their punishment will be exceeding grieuous As for their doctrine I am right sure and in the feare of GOD I speake it will hazard my life to trye it that all their enemies shall neuer bee able so to prooue it but that it shall bee founde sincere and true so that I doubt not but God him selfe will beare witnesse with them as hee did with Leui that Trueth is in their mouth and as touching their doctrine no iniquitie founde in their lippes For they doe both teach the trueth according to the Scriptures sincerely and confounde the errours of the Antichristian Church learnedly and truely They therfore that speake so much against them may seeme lesse to regarde this part of their obseruing the couenant of Leui then the duetie of Christians requireth But I trust our mercifull God will fauourably consider it and beare with some other their imperfections in them I pray God wee bee not lighted into that time that men haue itching eares and can like no preachers but such as clawe their affections and feede their fantasies in vanities and newe deuises The couenaunt of peace they keepe also liuing in vnitie and peace among them-selues and studying so much as they can by teaching and by good order to keepe it among other And that is no small cause of their misliking at this time because they being in some place of gouernment according to their dueties striue to represse those which by vntemperate zeale seeke to disturbe the Church and to giue cause of faction and disorder by altering things externall in a setled and refourmed state As touching their liues and conuersations according to the Lawe of God as before I haue said if I must iudge according to that I knowe I must thinke the best because I know no ill Though there bee imperfections in some things if men woulde charitablie consider in what time wee liue and whose Messengers they are and somewhat withall descend into their owne bosomes and lay their owne dueties before their eyes I thinke surely they woulde iudge of them more christianly then many doe Obiection But they will say that according to the wordes of Malachie God sheweth his iudgement against thē for their wickednesse because hee hath made them so contemptible so vile and despised before all the people for say they wee may see how all men loath and disdaine them Answere It must needes be true I confesse that Malachie spake of the Priests of his time but I doe not take it to be alwayes an vnfallible token of euil Priests and Ministers or a certaine signe of Gods displeasure towarde them when the people do hate disdaine and contemne them I see more commonly in the Scriptures that it is a token of vnthankefull stubborne and hard-hearted people which smally regarde the worde of God and therefore also mislike his ministers Elias Micheas Amos and other Prophets were smally esteemed you knowe among the Israelites Esay Ieremie Ezechiel were euen of as small credite and estimation among the lewes It may appeare so to bee seeing Esay signified that they lilled out their tongues in mocking of him and other of his time And I am sure you knowe the fauour and entertainement that the Apostles had also among the same people I trust then you will not say it was a token of naughtie and corrupt Ministers or of Gods iust iudgement against them for they were the right and true Prophetes Apostles and Messengers of God and yet were in great hatred and misliking of them that thought themselues to be the people of God It may be surely and in deede I thinke it to be very true that God hath touched our bishops Preachers with this scourge of ignominie and reproch for their slackenesse and negligence in their office And I pray God they may take this mercifull warning and shunne his greater plagues But I must say withall as Christ sayeth of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifice and of them vpon whome the Tower of Siloe fell Doe you thinke that they onely are sinners nay I say vnto you if you do not repent you shall all taste of the same sharpe iustice If God punish his Ministers he will not suffer the other vntouched Now the time is come that the iudgemēt beginneth at the house of God and if God punish those that he sent with his worde what will hee doe to them that vnthankfully receiue his worde THAT this matter of Ecclesiasticall mens liuings
broughtin who saieth in the Actes to the poore â—ame man Siluer and gold haue I none c. Loe saie â—hey S. Peter was a right Apostle was in so poore â—ase that he had neither siluer nor golde no not so â—uch as hee could bestowe a meane reliefe vpon a poore begger His example should our rich bishops and Preachers followe And S. Paul to Timothie Hauing food and rayment we should therewith be content Here we may learne say they what manner of liuing Ministers of the Church shoulde haue that is so much onely as will prouide them meate drinke and cloth whatsoeuer is aboue that is superfluity more then Gods word requireth Who seeth not good Christians whereat these men shoote and what state of the Ministerie this earnest zeale that now is pretended woulde settle in this Church that is more miserable and worse prouided for then any other state of the lande beside Those heartes wherein is true deuotion and the right loue of the Gospell are rather ouer bountifull toward the Preachers thereof then too sparing For they are thus affected that they thinke nothing too deare for theÌ„ yea if it were possible they would giue their eyes vnto them out of their heads as Paul saith to the Galathians What spirit this is therefore that would so hard ly pinch wring the ministers of the church it is euidently to be gathered The principall purpose at the beginning was to proue y t the Ministers might not by the word of God inioy any temporall lands but now forsooth through the goodnesse of their cause in the vehemencie of their reasoning and fulnesse of their proofe it falleth out so that Ministers may not haue so much as any peny in their purse to prouide them sustenance but must liue vpoÌ„ the charitable almes of the people coÌ„tent theÌ„selues with meat drink and apparel onely as the Apostles did For they are no spiritual men say they that haue temporall liuing Yea of the very tithes they ought to claime no more then may serue them to meat drink cloth And if the same be denied them they may not by law sue for it For if their coate be taken from them they should deliuer their clokealso This doctrine doth very wel iustifie the couetous and vncharitable dealinges of many Parishioners which partly by violence partly by craftie meanes detaine from the Ministers their portioÌ„ of tithes appointed by the lawe This doctrine giueth good countenance to corrupt patrones who wil not bestow their benefices but by composition of a good part of the fruits to their owne vse commoditie And when the liuing shall be worth 100. pounds by the yeere they will aske whether thirtie or fourtie pounds bee not a sufficient portion for the Parson This dealing before time hath bin accounted little better then sacrilege or simonie but now it may be thought if this doctrine be good allowable that it is lawfully done and according to the worde of God yea and that the minister is a couetous worldling and worthy great blame that will not content himselfe with such a rate as they willingly shall allow him What care they which thus reason haue I wil not say of the preaching of the gospel but of the state of learning and knowledge in the Church of Christ all men may euidently perceiue Either they iudge as I haue before written at large that men be Angels without corruption and will followe the course of learning for conscience sake though there be no hope of reward to allure theÌ„ or els they think that God wil miraculously giue knowledge to such as he shal incline to the Ministery as hee did in the primitiue Church to his Apostles and other As touching the example of Saint Peter it is before declared what cause Christ respected in the choosing of so poore Apostles and leauing them in so base state and condition of life that is that the worke of winning the whole world to the doctrine of saluation by so simple and poore instruments as in the iudgement of men they seemed might bee the greater glorie to God as Saint Paul saith Especially seeing he did set them forth and furnish them vvith the heauenly riches of his holy spirite that is to say extraordinary knowledge rare giftes of vertue and povver to worke miracles But vpoÌ„ this extraordinary dealing of God in the fouÌ„ding of his church to ground a general perpetual rule to bind the Ministers of al places times is such maner vsing y e scriptures as must needs breed great inconueniences among the people of God As for the words of Saint Paul there is no man I thinke but that hee may perceiue they are spoken generally and not to Ministers onely as they are iâ— this place applied Remember the place viewe the circumstances consider what goeth before and what commeth after and you shall vnderstand it to be true For S. Paul there speaketh to the same purpose that Christ doth Matth. 6. when he willeth meÌ„ not to bee carefull what to eate what to drinke or what to put on but that they should seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and al other things should by the prouidence of God bee cast vnto them So I say S. Paul exhorteth men not to be in loue with the riches of this worlde which they shal neuer cary away with theÌ„ that they should not practise wicked waies to gaine but accouÌ„t godlines their chiefe gaine coÌ„moditie holding them-selues contented with those things that the necessitie of nature requireth that is foode apparel For whatsoeuer is aboue that may seeme to be superfluous This wholesome doctrine the spirit of God in the scriptures doth often cast vpon the consciences of Christians as a necessary bridle to stay the wicked affection of couetousnes greedy desire of the world wherto the corruptioÌ„ of our nature is giuen And yet he doeth not condemne riches or a more plentifull life as euill in it selfe It is the heart the minde and the affection that God would haue staied and kept vnder in his obedience and not the forbearing of the externall creatures as before is at large declared Iob in the middes of his greatest wealth had as poore and as contented a heart as he that had a small liuing and did no more exceede in gluttonie or other riotous excesse then hee did which had not a peny more then to prouide meate drinke cloth This doctrine as it doeth generally pertaine to all Christians so I denie not but it very nighly and chiefly ought to touch Preachers ministers of the Church Wherfore I must do confesse that so much as our bishops and Clergy want of the performance hereof they want of that perfection that by the word of God they should haue But how caÌ„ it be proued hereby that they may not haue more ample or large alowance then shal suffice theÌ„ for necessarie foode apparell
not rather increased euery thing to an higher degree then euer it was before Shall we thinke then that this our vnsensible dulnesse and vnthankfulnesse can bee without imminent punishment Surely me thinketh the song of Esay the Prophet painteth out our state and condition with the euent that will follow of it The Lord hath chosen this lande as his beloued vineyard hee hath mounded it with his gratious fauour and diuine protection hee hath stoned it by casting out the rubble of the Synagogue of Antichrist the broken stones I meane of idolatrie superstition false doctrine and corrupt worship of God hee hath planted among vs the sweete grape of his most wholesome Gospel and the true vine Christ Iesu he hath set vp a watch Tower of Christian gournement and a wine presse of earnest preaching of repentance to presse and wring mens hearts if it were possible to yeelde foorth the sweete iuice of the fruits of the gospel to the glorie of God And he long hath looked for these his great benefites that wee should haue brought foorth sweete grapes and we haue yeelded nothing but sowre and stinking fruite discord and dissension among our selues couetousnesse oppression extortion drunkennesse banquetting voluptuous pleasure whoredome adulterie securitie in sinne contempt of God disdaine of his Minister despising of his worde selfe-liking in our owne â—oings confidence and trust in our owne wisedome and policie c. I pray God therefore in time wee may take heede of that heauie iudgement that followeth I meane that hee will take away the â—edge and breake downe the wall of his mightie protection whereby onely wee haue hitherto remayned safe and that hee vvill lay vs waste that the beastes of the fielde may ouertrample vs that hee vvill take from vs the teaching and preaching of his Gospell vvherevvith in vayne hee hath so long digged and delued in our barraine heartes that hee vvill forbidde the cloudes of his heauenly prouidence to rayne dovvne vpon vs his great and manifolde blessings vvhich beforetime hee hath giuen vs so that wee shalbe left as a desolate ground breeding nothing but bushes and brambles of ignorance errour idolatrie superstition heresie and vvicked life and bee made subiectes and slaues vnto our greatest enemies The Lorde turne away that which our vnthankfull hearts may iustly feare to be at hand c. By this that I haue written as I doubt not but the godly may perceiue it was not riches and vvealth of the Cleargie that first set vp Antichrist in the vsurped throne of his dominion ouer the Church but that there vvere other more true and right causes that bredde that mischiefe so likewise that conscience that feareth God and vvithout affection looketh into the state of this time among vs and rightly weigheth and considereth thinges may easily iudge that it is not the Lands and great liuings of bishops Ecclesiasticall persons but other matters more heynous more grieuous that wil hasteÌ„ the wrath displeasure of God against this realme which indeed it behoueth bishops principally and all other in their states and conditions to haue care of and in time while wee may by all godly meanes to preuent it The affection of them which at this day speak so much against the Landes and liuinges of Bishops and other Cleargy men is much like the dealing of those persons that murmured against Marie of Bethania which in the house of Simon the leper in testimonie of her thankfulnesse for the great mercies that shee had receiued of Christ powred vpon his head the precious oyntment of Spikenarde For euen in like manner our gracious Queene vvhen God had deliuered her out of the iawes of the greedie Lyons and cruell wolues that sought her blood and by his mighty hande had set her in the throne of this her Fathers kingdome to testifie her thankefull minde and to shewe her liberall and bountifull heart towarde the Church of GOD shee powred vpon it this plentifull gift towarde the maintenance of the Ministers and Preachers of his woorde that shee might declare to the worlde that in imbracing the Gospel and restoring the same to this Realme shee had not that minde and affection which some other haue shewed that is vnder colour thereof to make the increase of her owne benefite and the commoditie of her Crowne But as then Iudas and some other Disciples murmured at Marie and vnder pretence of holinesse and charitie towarde the poore found great fault with that superfluous excesse as they thought it euen so nowe many Disciples among vs with like colour of religion and holinesse and of zeale towarde the perfection of the Church forsooth murmure at the liberal benefit of our prince which she hath bestowed vpon the Church think the same a great superfluitie that might bee better imployed sundry wayes to the benefite of the common weale Whatsoeuer is pretended I pray God the cause of the griefe bee not the same that Iohn mentioneth to haue beene that which first began the murmuring at that time But whatsoeuer is the cause of this reproouing of the liberalitie of our gracious prince and soueraigne if the time did now serue I coulde with better reason and authoritie prooue the Contrary Proposition to that which they take vpon them to maintaine that is That it is not lawfull to bestow such liuings vpon Lay men as are appointed by godly lawes for Ministers and Preachers of the worde of God But the shortnesse of the time wil not now serue to follow that course ⧠Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1589. Matth. 9. Matth. 12. Iohn 8. Tertul. Iustin Melito c. 4. Reg. 17. 18. 4. Reg. 24. Matth. 23. Luke 13. Apolog. In 2. epist ad Tim. 2. 1. Matt. 10. De zelo liuore Nom. 16. Mal. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Ephes 2. Esay 57. Chrysost in 2. ad Cor. Chrys in 2. ad Timoth. 1. Tim. 5. Nom. 16. 1. Thes 1. Matth. 5. 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 14. Matth. 12. Chrys in epist ad Rom. Eccle. 3. Chrys in Epist ad Rom. In Matt. 8. homil 27. Hest 3. 4. Matt. 11. Iohn 8. Tertull. Apolog in Epist Mar. Collec apud Euseb Theol. lib. c. 26. Athan. Apol 2. Socrat lib. 1. cap 30. Theodor. Socra lib. 1. cap. 35. Libel pag. 1. Answere Libel Pag. 3. Answere Libel pag. 10 Answere Libel pag. 15 Answere Libel pag. 21. Answere Libel pag. 22 Answere Libel pag. 23 Answere Pag. 24. Pag. 25. Libel pag. 26. 27. Answere Libel pag. 31 Answere Pag. 32. Pag. 34. Libel pag. 37 Libel pag. 44. Answere Libel pag. 50 Answere Prouer. 24. Psalm 55. Esay 5. Psal 120. Pro. 24. De vnitate Eccle. cap. 10 Contra Crescon lib. 2. ca. 31. Lib. 1. contra Celsum Euseb lib. 6. cap. 19. Socr. lib. 1. cap. 9. In Praescript Tertul. Eusebius Euseb lib. 4. cap. 28. Epiphanius Theodor. Psal 34. Epist lib. 7. Epist 44. Super Canâ— Serm. 24. Moral