no such weight then can you not excuse eyther your selfe or them In déed the Papists haue no iust matter of reioycing for they disagrée both in me also in far greater matters thā these be euen in y e chiefest points of their religion but this is no sufficient excuse for vs we may not disagrée in truth bicause they disagrée in error Neither ought the weak to be offended bicause such cōtentions haue bin vsual in the Church as I haue also shewed in myne Epistle dedicatorie to the Churche of England But yet wo be vnto those by whome suche offences come T. C. And it is to be remembred that these controuersies for the most part are not betwene many For sundry of those things which are cōprehended in the answer to the Admonition haue as I am persuaded few fauorers of those especially which are of any stayed or soūder iudgement in y e scriptures and haue sene or red of the gouernment and order of other Churches so that in deed the father of that answere excepted we haue this controuersie oftentimes rather with the Papistes than with those whiche professe the Gospell as we doe Io. Whitgifte Certainly I do not willingly defend any thing against the word of God or of mine own priuate persuasion but I haue either sufficient warrant of the worde of God or some godly lerned zelous authors iudgement for the same If I haue done otherwise I trust I shal heare of it in this booke but I am fully persuaded that all men of stayed and sound iudgement ioyne with me in these matters such especially as haue had the beste experience of the order and gouernment of other reformed Churches for proofe whereof I referre you to the wisest godlyest and best learned among the clergie in this lande T. C. And where as last of all it is sayde that this precedeth of enuie of singularitie and of popularitie although these be no sufficient reasons agaynst the truth of the cause whiche is neither enuious singular nor popular and although they be such as might be seuerally by greate likelyhodes probabilities refuted yet bicause the knowledge of these things pertaineth only to God which is the searcher of the heart raynes and for auoyding of to much tediousnesse we will reste in his iudgement tary for the day wherin the secretes of hearts shal be made manifest And yet all men doe see how vniustly we be accused of singularitie * Notable vntruths as wil fal out in triall which propound nothing that the Scriptures doe not teache the writers both olde and newe for the moste parte affirme the examples of the Primitiue Churches and of those which are at these dayes confirme Io. Whitgifte Whether if procéede of enuie or no lette the manner bothe of their and your writings declare Popularitie you can not auoyde séeing you séeke so greate an equalitie committe so many thyngs to the voyces of the people and in sundrye places so greately magnifye and extoll them than the whyche thrée what can bée more popular Singularitie and the properties therof It is Singularitie to deuyde youre selfe from that Churche whyche bothe professe the woorde of God truely and is not to bée touched in any poynte of doctrine necessarie to saluation It is true that a godly learned writer sayth Charitie Musc. in 〈◊〉 Mat. knittes together and reconcileth singularitie cutteth in peeces and diuideth it is the beginning and roote of all heresie to hate contemne the cōmunion of the church And a little after There be some contentious persons whom no church can please always hauing some thing to blame in other but nothing in themselues which is a manifest signe of singularitie But bicause the mindes and affections of men are certainly knowne only to God the determinate iudgement hereof I also referre vnto him As for this bolde assertion that you propeund nothing that the scriptures doe not teach c. howe true it is must hereafter by examination appeare The Epist. of T. C. Sect. 13. All these accusations as wel against the cause as the fauourers therof albeit they be many and diuers yet are they no other thā which haue bin long sithens in the Prophets apostles our sauior Christs now of late in our times obiected against the truth the professors therof And therefore as y e sunne of the truth then appered brake through al those clouds which rose against it to stop the light of it so no doubt this cause being of the same nature will haue the same effect And as all those sclanders could not bring the truth in disgrace with those y t loued it so the children of y e truth through these vntrue reports wil neither leaue the loue of this cause which they haue alredy cōceiued nor yet ceasse to enquire diligently to iudge indifferētly of those surmises which are put vp aagaynst it Io. Whitgifte These be but words of course which men of any sect though not truly wil apply vnto thēselues if they be otherwise delt with than they can wel beare The truth certainly can not be kept vnder by any meanes and yet sometime error ouershadoweth the truth euen as the cloudes do the Sunn My hope also is that men will not be caried away with slaunderous reportes ▪ for if they shoulde then musre you néedes preuayle but with sounde reasons and the truth of the cause The Epistle of T. C. Sect. 14. Moreouer seing that we haue once ouercōmed al these lets climed ouer them when they wer cast in our way to hinder vs from cōming frō the grosse darknesse of Poperie vnto y e glorious light of the Gospel there is no cause why now they shuld stay our course to further perfection cōsidering that neither the stile is higher now thā it was before being the very selfe same obiections in all this time we ought so to haue grown in knowledge of the truth that in stead of being then able to leape ouer a hedge we should now haue our feete so prepared by the Gospell that they shoulde be as the feete of a hynde able to surmount euen a wall if neede were Io. Whitgifte There is but one truth that is certain whē we haue obteined if we must therin remain constant without altering whosoeuer shal ouerleap or ouerrun this wall must of necessitie procure vnto himself great danger and therfore according to the olde prouerbe Looke before thou leape We must grow in faith knowledge always be growing going forward but it doth not therfore follow y t we must dayly inuent new opinions or broach new dectrines alter in iudgement we must grow in strength of faith we must increace in practise and loue of vertue we must studie to encrease our knowledge that we may be the more confirmed in the truthe that we haue learned out of the worde of God This is an euill collection we must grow in the knowledge of
Archbishop dyd with their factiousnesse trouble the Church Whiche words I added to declare how vntruely the Papistes doe abuse that place of Cyprian to proue the Popes authoritie ouer all the Churches when he onely speaketh of the authoritie of an Archbishop or Bishop in his owne prouince or dioces True it is that Cyprian doth not speake of the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome ouer all Churches but of the authoritie that Cornelius then Bishop of Rome or Cyprian himselfe had in his owne prouince neither wil any denie this but Papists Now to peruert this my plaine meaning and to father on me whether I will or no this argumente he speaketh not of the Bishop of Rome and therfore of an Archbishop argueth a mynd disposed to con and a stomacke desirous rather to deface the person than to giue care to the matter T. C. pag. 1. Sect. 9. And in the. 71. pag. * Other vntruthe ▪ There must be superiours Ergo one minister must be superiour vnto an other There must be degrees therefore there must be one Archbishop ouer a prouince Io. Whitgifte There are no such reasons those that be in that place alleaged are onely out of Hierome and Chrisostome and of greater force than wil be truely answered T. C. pag. 1. Sect. 10. And in the. 73. there was one ouer euery congregation therefore there was one ouer all the ministers Another vntruth in the prouince These and a number like vnto these M. Doctor hath scattered throughout his booke which as Nero sayd of his maister Senecas workes cleaue together like sand and thus let it be seene whose argumentes are most iustly concluded those of the Admonition or these of M. Doctors Io. Whitgifte It is a shame to lye of the deuill Where finde you in all that page any such argument or similitude of it but surely you haue done me a great pleasure who searching my booke so diligently for arguments to quit the Admonition haue not founde one but most vainely and vntruely fained those to be which be not Truly I do not think my selfe in euery circumstance to be so circumspecte but that I may minister sometime matter to a quarreller howebeit as yet you haue not founde any thing for your purpose And I shall most hartily desire the reader to iudge of the rest of your doyngs euen according to these beginnings An Exhortation to such as be in authoritie and haue the gouernment of the Church committed vnto them whether they be Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall Magistrates Io. Whitgifte COnsidering the strangenesse of the time the varietie of mens mindes and the maruellous inclinations in the common sort of persons especially where the Gospel is most preached to imbrace newe inuented doctrines and opiniōs though they tende to the disturbing of the quiet state of the Church the discrediting and defacing of such as be in authoritie and the mainteining of licenciousnesse and lewde libertie I thought it good to set before your eyes the practises of the Anabaptistes their conditions and qualities the kinde and manner of their beginnings and proceedings before the broching of their manifolde and horrible heresies to the intent that you vnderstanding the same may the rather in time take heede to such as proceede in like maner least they being suffred too long brust out to worke the same effect I accuse none onely I suspect the authors of this Admonition and their fautours what cause I haue so to do I refer to your selues to iudge after that I haue set forth vnto you the Anabaptisticall practises euen as I haue learned in the writings of suche famous and learned men as had themselues experience of them when they first began in Germanie and did both personally reason with them and afterwardes very learnedly write against them neither will I in this point write one word which I haue not my author to shew for An answere to the Exhortation to the ciuill Magistrates T. C. pag. 2. Sect. 1. IT is more than I thought could haue happened vnto you once to admitte into your minde this opinion of Anabaptisme of your brethren which haue alwayes had it in as great detestation as your selfe preached against it as much as your selfe hated of the folowers and fauourers of it as much as your selfe And it is yet more strange that you haue not doubted to giue out such slaunderous reportes of them but dare to present such accusations to the holy and sacred seate of iustice and therby so much as in you lyeth to corrupt it to call for the sword vpon the innocent which Bigge wordes is giuen for their maintenance and safetie that as it is a boldnesse vntollerable so coulde I hardly haue thought that it could haue fallen into any that had caried but the countenance and name of a professor of the Gospell much lesse of a Doctor of diuinitie Before you will ioyne with vs in this cause you will place vs whether we will or no in the campe of the Anabaptistes to the ende you might therby both withdraw al frō aiding vs which are godly minded as for that you fearing as it seemeth the insufficiencie of your pen might haue the sworde to supply your want other wayes And if we be founde in their campe or be such disturbers of the quiet estate of the Church efacers of such as be in authoritie mainteyners of licenciousnes lewde libertie as you do seeme to charge vs with we refuse not to go vnder those punishments that some of that wicked sect receiued for iust recompence of their demerites You say you will not accuse any (a) A charitable iudgement and yet before he reproued the l ke I know it is for want of no good will that you do not accuse them of whose condemnation extreme punishment we might be sure if your hand were as strong as your harte But you suspect the authors of the Admonition and their fautors * Charitie is not suspitious Let vs therefore see whether there be iuste 1. Cor. 13. 5. matter to beare out and to vphold this suspition You will beare men in hand that if we be not alreadie full Anabaptists yet we are in the way thither the fotesteps wherby you trace vs must be considered Io. Whitgifte There is no cause why you should so maruaile at the matter all things well considered neither do I thinke that the Anabaptistes do so greatly detest and hate them as you woulde make vs beleue I do not accuse them of the doctrine of Anabaptisme as you your selfe in the ende of this section do acknowledge but I declare that I greatly suspect them bicause they come so neare vnto the qualities and practises of the Anabaptistes and vse the same beginnings whether this my suspition be true or no I referre it to the iudgement of others If the reportes be slaunderous let them take their lawfull remedie against me but if they be most manifest then it is conuenient that the Magistrates haue
vnderstanding thereof Your great wordes doe not answere the matter I feare not the insufficiencie of my pen I thanke God neither is there any cause why I should for the truth hath alwayes a plentifull defense whereas error and schisme is compelled to vse arrogant opprobrious and contemptuous speaches to maintaine it selfe Of all other T. C. hath least cause to complaine of such extremitie or to speake in this maner I haue much more cause to accuse his vndutifull and vnthankefull nature If Charitie be not suspitious why do you then thus not suspecte but directly giue sentence that it is not for want of good will that I doe not accuse them of Anabaptisme 〈◊〉 it not lawfull for me to suspect and is it lawfull for you to condemne You tooke vpon you to reproue me before for iudging and can you fall so sone into it your selfe 〈◊〉 déede charitie is not suspicious without iust and lawfull causes but whether the causes be iust or no let those iudge to whom it doth especially appertaine Io. Whitgifte The first article pag 2. Sect. 1. First Anabaptisme tendeth to this ende that in those places where the Gospell hath bin for a time preached and where Churches be reformed the Gospell may be hindered the Churches disquieted the simple brought to doubt of the Religion that hath bene taughte them contentious and vnquiet mindes may haue matter to worke on the preaching of the Gospell become odious finally that Magistrates and such as be in authoritie may be contemned and despised of their subiectes and inferiours T. C. pag. 2. Sect. 2. It is all true you heere alleadge of the Anabaptistes God be praysed there is nothing of it true in vs. If through these questions moued the Churche be disquieted the disquietnesse riseth in that the truth and sinceritie which is offered is not receyued We seeke it in no tumultuous manner but by humble sute vnto them to whom the redresse of things pertayne and by teaching as our callings will suffer If all those are to be counted in the way to Anabaptisme which moue controuersies when the Gospell is preached (*) The ca is 〈◊〉 thing lyke Then those that taught that the Gentiles weare to be preached vnto when as the most of the beleeuing Iewes which likewise preached the Gospell thoughte otherwise are to be counted in the way of Anabaptisme Likewise those that preached that circumcision was not necessarie vnto saluation when as a greate number of Christians at the first thought it necessarie Then Maister Zumglius and Decolampadius smelt of Anabaptisme which went aboute to ouerthrowe diuers things which Maister Luther helde I coulde goe further with this but I content my selfe with these examples If any be brought in doubt or hatred of the truth hereby or any man take occasion to be contentious it is not in the nature of the doctrine which is taught but in the corruption of their mindes nor it is not offence giuen but taken nor this doctrine can be no more charged than the rest of the Gospell which is a * sworde that cutteth a Citie or kingdome in sunder and setteth a * fire where Mat. 10. 34. there was none and putteth contention betwene the father and the sonne But what is to giue an Luc. 12. 49. incurable offence vnto the simple and matter to the enimie to reioyce in to all good Christians of teares and weeping if this be not to make the worlde thinke that numbers of those which professe the Gospell are infected with the poyson of Anabaptisme which can not be touched with the smalest poynt of it As for the Magistrate and authoritie we acknowledge the lawfulnesse necessitie A good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfayne and singular commoditie of it we commende it in our sermons to others we pray for them as for those of whose good or euill estate hangeth the flourishing or decay of the common wealth and Church both We loue them as our Fathers and Mothers we feare them as our Lordes and Maisters and we obey them in the Lord and for the Lorde If there be any thing wherein we do not according to that which is commaunded it is bycause we can not be perswaded in our consciences that we may so doe whereof we are readie to render a reason out of the word of God and if that will not serue forthwith to submitte our selues to that punishment that shall be awarded against vs. And herein we first call the Lorde God to witnesse of our meaning and then we referre our selues to the consciences of all men in the sight of God Io. Whitgifte Nothing is here sayde of you in the defense of the authors of the Admonition but the Anabaptistes will say the same in theirs Let the like effectes procéeding from the like causes and in like manner iudge the likelyhoode betwixte the Anabaptistes and them One of the chiefe notes that are giuen of Anabaptistes by Zuinglius in his Zuinglius booke called Ecclesiastes and in his other bookes where he speaketh of them is that they sowe discorde and contention in those Churches where the Gospell hath bene truely preached and that about externall matters as it may more at large appeare in the seconde edition of my answere to the Admonition And tell me I praye you what Churche hath any of them setled themselues in but in such wherin the Gospell hath bene well The admonitors iustly accused of contention planted before or in what place haue they for any time remayned where they haue not with contention and factions troubled not that place onely but the whole countrey rounde aboute in lyke manner Surely if they preached doctrine necessarie to saluation that is the Gospell and in those places wherein the Gospell is not receyued then if contentions shoulde arise the cause were not to be ascribed vnto them but vnto their hearers onely but seyng they ran not teache the Gospell more sincerely than it is taught and seyng the matters they contend for be not of such necessitie that the Churches should for them be disquieted seyng also that they séeke reformation as they call it neither in due time due place nor before méete persons And finally seyng contentions are raised by them in those places where the Gospell is receiued I sée not howe they can auoyde the iust accusation of contentieus persons and disturbers of the peace of the Church For if you aske of the time the Admonition was published after the Parliament to the which it was dedicated was ended If you Their disorder in publishing the Admonition speake of the place it was not exhibited in Parliament as it ought to haue bene but spred abroade in corners and sent into the Countrey If you inquire of the persons it came first to theyr handes who had least to doe in reforming Likewyse your sermons of these matters when preache you them surely euen in this troublesome Their disorder in preaching and tumultuous tyme when there
question I omit that whyche he speaketh of this matter in his booke de sancto spiritu Idem where althoughe he gyueth too muche authoritie to vnwritten traditions yet dothe it there appeare that many thyngs were then vsed in the Church of Christ whyche were not expressed in the worde of God I myghte here alleage Socrates who Socrates in his sifte Booke and. 22. Chapter of hys ecclesiasticall historie handleth this matter at large and speakyng of Easter he saythe The Apostle and the Gospell doe in no place laye a bonde of seruitude vpon them whyche come to the preaching But men them selues haue euery one according as they thoughte meete in theyr countryes celebrated of custome the feast of Easter and other feastes for the resting from laboure and the remembrance of the healthfull passion c. and in the same Chapter No Religion obserueth the same rytes althoughe it embrace the same doctrine of them for they doe differ among themselues in rytes whiche are of the same fayth And so he procéedeth in declaryng the varietie of Ceremonyes and other obseruances and rytes in the Churches whereby it is manyfest that by hys Indgement many things are committed to the disposition of the Churche whyche are not expressed in the worde of God And that the Churche hathe vsed thys libertie from tyme to tyme to the same effecte speaketh Sozome Lib. 7. Cap. 19. They he meaneth Policarpus and Victor thought Sozome it follye and not wythoute cause to be separated one from another for Ceremonyes or Customes whyche dyd agree in the principall poyntes of Religion for you can not fynde the same rytes and altogether lyke in all Churches no thoughe they doe agree together I myghte pester thys Booke and that you knowe well enoughe wyth the iudgement of all the auncient Fathers that haue any occasion to speake of this matter but these maye suffice to declare that I haue not vainely vsed their names for mutes on the stage Touchyng Councels I maruayle you wyll make any doubte of them whervnto Councels of things indifferent tende the moste of theyr Canons in matters of Ceremonyes and gouernmente of the Churche but to teache that the Scriptures haue not expressed all thyngs concernyng the same bnt lefte them to the order and appoyntment of the Churche I praye you where shall you fynde in the Scripture the. 13. Canon Ancyrani Conci de vicarijs Episcoporum eorum potestate or the. 15. non debere pr sbyteros Ancyranum ecclesiastica iura vendere and diuerse others in the same Councell or the. 11. Canon Concil Nencaes Nicaenum Neocaesari of the certayne age of hym that ought to be minister or the. 1. Canon Concil Nicaeni of Enuches the fourth of ordering Byshoppes the sixte of Metropolitans the seuenth of the Byshop of Ierusalem the twentith of standyng in the tyme of Prayer or the. 7. Canon Concil Gangren or the. 18. or 20. or y e. 11. 15. 18. 19. c. Concil Arelatens Gangrense Arelatens But what shoulde I trouble the reader wyth suche particular rehearsals of so manye Councels whiche haue made suche a number of Canons concernyng suche matters as muste be ordered in the Churche whereof the Scripture hath particularly determyned nothyng is it not therefore manyfest that Councels both generall and prouinciall by their actes declare that touchyng Cer monyes discipline and gouernment of the Churche many things are lefte to the discretion of the Church whiche be not expressed in the Scriptures And whereas you charge me for not alleaging of Scriptures if I woulde Scriptures of things indifferent wythoute discretion cyte places nothyng pertayning to the purpose as you hytherto haue done I coulde vse a number but I had rather haue one texte to my purpose than a hundred wroong and wrested as yours be Howebeit there is no cause why you shoulde as yet complayne for hitherto I haue alleaged moe than you haue answered To the. 1. Cor. 14. as yet vnanswered I maye ioyne that which the 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 11. Quemadmodùm tradidi vobis instituta tenetis You keepe the ordinances as I delyuered them to you The whych wordes Maister Caluine expoundyng sayth on thys sorte I doe not denye but that there were some traditions of the Apostles Caluine not written but I doe not graunt them to haue beene taken as partes of doctrine or necessarie vnto saluation VVhat then euen suche as dyd pertayne to order and pollicie For vve knovve that euerie Churche hathe libertie to ordayne and appoint suche a forme of gouernment as is apte and profitable for it bycause the Lorde therein hath prescribed no certainetie So Paule the firste founder of the Church of Corinthe dyd also frame it wyth honest and godly institutions that all things might there be done decently ▪ and in order And that also which is in the end of the Chapter Other things wyll I set in order when I come Wherevpon the same Maister 1. Cor. 11. 34. Caluine Caluine sayth But let suche toyes passe seyng that it is certaine that Paule speaketh but of externall comelynesse the vvhiche as it is put in the libertie of the Churche so it is to be appoynted accordyng to the tyme places and persons In déede I glory not in wordes so muche of the Scriptures as yeu d ee but I truste that I haue as sure grounde there for anye thyng that I haue affyrmed as you haue and muche more else woulde I be sorye It is not beasting of the Scriptures in wordes and falsely applying of them that can cary away the matter with those that be learned and wyse you knowe what Maister Caluine saythe of the Anabaptists in hys Booke written against them Quià verò nulla specie illustriore seduci possunt miseri Caluin aduersus Anabap. Why the Anabaptists alwayes pretended the worde of God Christiani c. But bicause the wofull Christians whiche with a zeale doe followe God can not by any other more notable shewe be seduced than when the worde of God is pretended the Anabaptistes agaynst whome we write haue that euermore in their mouthe and alwayes talke of it And yet in lawfull matters not expressed in the Scriptures I knowe not to whome we shoulde resorte to knowe the vse and antiquitie of them but to the Councels stories and doctors The opinion of S. Augustine of things indifferent Chap. 3. the first Diuision Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 23. Sect. 1. That notable learned Father Augustine hathe diuerse sayings Augustin touchyng thys matter worthy to be noted In his Epistle ad Casulanum 86. he sayth thus In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit scriptura diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda sunt in those thyngs vvherein the holy Scripture hathe determined no certainetie the custome of the people of God the traditions or decrees of our forefathers are
ministration and thereby helpeth somewhat in the way of comelinesse and order to the encrease of faithe VVhat I pray you can be brought out of the scriptures why that Churche is not left to hir owne iudgement in this matter neyther therefore to be contemned or to be called into question for hir iudgement sake That Church verely will keepe in these things a meane agreable to the crosse of Christ and will diligently attend that no abuse creepe into it Hitherto M. Bucer To the like effect also writeth M. Martyr in the epistle before named Chap. 7. the. 5. Diuision Ansvver to the Admonition Fol. 239. Sect. 1. Furthermore that they do edify it is manifest firste bycause they The apparell doth tend to edifying for three causes are by a lawfull magistrate by lawfull authoritie for order and decencie appoynted in the Church without any manner of superstition or suspicion of the same T. C. Pag. 57. Sect. vlt. Then he bringeth reasons to proue it whereof in the first he seemeth to reason that bycause it is commaunded by a lawfull magistrate and lawfull authoritie therefore it edifyeth As though a lawfull magistrate doth nothing at any time vnlawfully or as though a lawfull and a godly magistrate doth not sometimes commaund things which are inconuenient and vnlawfull Saule was a lawfull magistrate and did commaund vnlawfull things Dauid was a lawfull and godly magistrate and yet there flipt from him commaundements which were neyther lawfull nor godly But he addeth that it is done for order and for decencie without superstition or suspition of it This is that which is in controuersie and ought to be proued and M. Doctor still taketh it as graunted and still faulteth in the petition of the principle wherewith he chargeth others Io. Whitgifte That whiche is appointed in the Church by a lawfull magistrate and by lawfull authoritie for order and decencie without any superstition or suspition of superstition doth edify as other orders do but it is certaine that the apparell nowe vsed is so appointed Ergo it doth edify as other orders do You cauill at the maior and bring in the examples of Saule and Dauid to proue that a lawfull magistrate did commaund vnlawfull things but you omitte the other circumstances conteined in the maior and therefore you answer not to the purpose The minor you saye is in controuersie and I do fault in the petition of the principle Surely I do petere y ◠principium that no good subiect can denie For the Quéenes maiestie is a lawful magistrate the authoritie of Parliament is a lawful authoritie hir maiestie by that authoritie hathe appointed this apparell and that as it is protested for comelinesse and decencie without any superstition Ergo the minor is true If you will yet doubte of comelinesse and decencie then I still say vnto you that what is comely and decent is not euery mans part to iudge but the magistrates and suche as haue authoritie in the Church Chap. 7. the. 6. Diuision Ansvver to the Admonition Pag. 239. Sect. 2. Secondly bycause we are by due proofe and experience taughte that such as haue worne this apparell and do weare it by the ministerie of the word haue greatly edifyed and do dayly T. C. Page 58. Sect. 1. The second reason is that they that weare this apparell haue edifyed and do edify which is as if a man would say the midwiues which lyed vnto Pharao did much good amongst the Israelits Ergo their lying did much good If he will say the comparison is not like bycause the one is not sinne in his owne nature whereas the other is sinne then take this One that stammereth and stutteth in his tong edifyeth the people therefore stammering and stutting is good to edify For what if the Lord giue his blessing vnto his word and to other good gifts which he hath that preacheth and weareth a surplis c. Is it to be thought therefore that he liketh wel of the wearing of that apparell This is to assigne the cause of a thing to that which is not only not the cause thereof but some hindrance also and s aking of that whereof it is supposed to be a cause For a man may rather reason that for asmuch as they which preach with surplis c. edify notwithstanding that they therby (*) They that are driuen away or that cause do giue suspition of Anabaptisme driue away some and to othersome giue suspition of euill c. then if they preached withoute wearing any such thinges they should edify much more And yet if a man were assured to gaine a thousand by doing of that which may offend or cause to fall one brother he ought not to do it Io. Whitgifte Indéede if this apparell were of that nature that a lye is your similitude of the midwiues had some shew in it and yet must you of necessitie confesse that their lying to Pharao did much good per accidens for otherwise the men children of the Israelites and euen Moses himselfe had bin murthered and you are not ignorant that diuers writers in this respect excuse that doing of theirs You knowe likewise what the opinion of some is touching that kynd of lye that is called officiosum mendacium but for my part I am in that point of Sainte Augustines iudgement But your similitude is not lyke and if it were yet makes it agaynst you for theyr lying dyd good as I haue sayd e before Yo r other similitude of stammering stutting is ridiculous and argueth your great contempt of lawfull and decent orders The lawes of this Churche haue prescribed this apparell to the ministers of the worde as decent orderly and comely the same lawes haue inhibited those to preach that refuse to submit themselues vnto such orders Wherefore s eing they be appointed as fit garments for preachers and non may preach except he receiue them they do edify not by themselues as I haue before declared but per accidens as all other suche like things do For neyther the church nor the Pulpit nor the bells nor 〈◊〉 and such other do otherwise edify than per accidens Touching offence that is taken at the wearing of this apparell I haue shewed before that it is an offence taken and not giuen neyther is i to be considered whether men be offended or no but whether they haue any iust cause of offence Many be offended with our Churches and will neyther heare sermon nor receiue the sacraments in them we must not therefore pull downe our Churches or cease to preach and administer the Sacramentes in them You must remember the destinction of scandalum acceptum and scandalum datum an offence giuen and an offence taken Chap. 7. the seuenth Diuision Ansvver to the Admonition Fol. 239. Sect. 3. Thirdly bycause also by experience we dayly vnderstand that such as consent in wearing this apparell consent also in all other points of doctrine and kepe the peace of the church which