make the action to be without fault Now in thinges which naturally are indifferent as these are the Precept of the superiour doth binde more then the Conscience of the inferiour can for the subiect hath the Commaundement of his lawfull superiour whether King or Bishoppe for his warrant and in things of this nature his duetie is not to examine but onely to performe what hee seeth commaunded Wherein wee doubt not but the Consideration is and will be greate of those who are in authoritie what they doe commaund The conscience that doth erre though it bynd vntill it be reformed ought notwithstanding to be reformed because either Ignorance necligence pryde Inordinat affection fayntnes perplexitie or self loue are the corrupt and originall causes of the errors of it so that if none of these haue ouerruled you as I dare not condemne another mans seruant but that knowledge with due consideration hath directed you in that ye did there is great reason to hearken to your excuse and to regard you and others with much attention whilst with reuerence and humility you alledge your Conscience In the meane time for remedy against these errours let them not disdaine the Counsell which wisemen haue found to be most safe If it bee of ignorance to say with IEHOSOPHAT Wee knowe not what to doe but our eyes are toward thee If of negligence to come without partiality or preiudice as NICHODEMVS to CHRIST to those that for knowledge are fit to teach vs. If of Pride to submit our selues one to another and especially to those that haue more learning and doe rule ouer vs. For hee that praiseth himselfe is not allowed but hee whome the Lord praiseth A singularity in this kinde hath beene the originall of most heresies in all ages and not the least occasion of the troubles of these times if from Inordinate affection making that lawfull which wee haue a minde to doe wee must hearken to Iudgement and refuse our affections in this â—ase for iudgement turned into affection doth all perish If from faintnesse then onely to bee scrupulous and fearefull when wee haue cause least wee thinke it lawfull because wee straine a gâ—at to swallow a Camell If of perplexitie when a man is closed as it were betwixt two sinnes where he is not able though willing to auoid both that which will not make eyther to be lawfull will make one of them directly a lesse sinne If of humilitie an errour sure of least danger wee wish them onely to take heed of too much feare for those external lets as that men cast vs out of their conscience for vsing these things supposing we are as ready wheÌ„ time serueth to say Masse we esteeme not the vanity of such mens coniectures whose proper guiltines is the strongest motiue to thinke and to speake euill Neyther do wee desire a place in their conscience who cannot make a difference betwixt vsing of these and saying of Masse which things though eyther they cannot or list not to distinguish yet we do last of all that boyes and girles laugh at those for the vsing of these things whom before they looked on with feare It ought no more to be any motiue to a religious and graue man then when Michol saw Dauid daunsing before the Arke and dispised him in her heart saying in derision O how glorious was the King of Israell this day which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the maydens of his seruants as a foole vncouereth himselfe But rather confidently let vs answer to Atheists prophane and irreligious persons children and ignorant people as he did It was before the Lord which chose me rather then thy father and all his house and commaunded me to be ruler ouer the people of the Lord euen ouer Israell and therefore will I play before the Lord and will yet be more vile then thus and will bee low in my owne sight and of the verie same mayd seruants which thou hast spoken off shall I bee had in honour So I doubt not but euen those who by reason of the discontinued vse of these things eyther sport themselues at vs or thinke vs ready to intertaine popery in the highest measure shall learne by these ornaments to be more religious and in short time euen of them the ministers shall be had in farre greater honour APOLOGY LEt the Kings Maiestie please to remember how pardonably good men â—â—ffer in lighter things and that our opinion is neither new nor vncountenanced from as learned men as this age hath knowne nor so concluded vp in the ministers breasts as that the quenching of them and the cause will prooue one worke And iâ— your Maiestie measure our desires and spirits by the scantling which you tooke of some in Scotland God and time will surely cleare vs and it will appeare that we affect not any popularity or parity in the Church of God nor stand vpon factions and partakings and that a little of Abrahams indulgence to his inferiour would haue drawne a peace more speedie safe then can be inforced Your excellent Maiestie is perswaded first to draw all into conformitie and then set vpon popery with a compleat armie ANSWER IF the long and eager contentions of this Church had all proceeded from a pardonable difference in lighter things the church of England might easelye haue hoped for a peace but had little cause to haue coÌ„mended their Zeale who were willing so vehemeÌ„tly to dissent vpon small occasions there is litle hope that wee should possesse any great portion of inheritance in Gods church who haue not learned in patience to possesse our owne soules Saint Chrisostome maketh certain steps of this vertue a vertue that none want which possesse charitye for charitye is patient it suffereth long it is not puffed vp it suffereth all things It beleueth all things it hopeth all things it indureth all things the first steppe is not to offer wrong the second not to reuenge it vpon our equals the third not to returne the like but to bee quiet the fourth to ascribe the desert of what we suffer to our selues the fift to yeeld our selues to him that doth euill the sixt not to hate him the seauenth to loue him the eight to doe good to him the last to pray for him Thus whatsoeuer wee suffer shall bee a medicine not a punishment But haue you delt thus nay haue you not complained of persecution whilst men in authoritie haue with griefe of heart but executed those lawes which were made for the Churches peace haue you not sought boastingly to countenance your opinions by as learned men in your iudgement as this age hath knowne Let it not be a blemish to the Honorable memory of M. Caluin M. Beza Pet. Martyr or any other of that time place that they fauored the discipline that you hold who doubtles if they had liued in this Kingdom in these times would haue thought otherwise
sinister and false collections might be deriued from it whilest some others peraduenture more probably think that you meant to beare your brethren in hand that you yeilded not so farre as in truth ye did Consider if the concealement of this subscription haue not some proportion with the hypocricy of Saul but honour me I pray thee before the elders of my people and that which you feare would be taken to be an euil conscience could not but in the iudgement of so wise a Prince be thought an obedient and an humble mind 3 The third thing is that notwithstanding your allowance of these ceremonies yet you could not conforme your selfe but would willingly allow the practise of them by some other euen in your owne cure this in my apprehension doth seeme strange for seeing your flocke haue that good opinion of you as is fit for sheepe to haue of their pastor and that you feare not any scandal amongst them as your selfe afterward confessed your example might haue remooued both from them others neare vnto you all offence if there were any who peraduenture might haue stumbled at the same things being vsed by others and scandal being so dangerous is not fit to be offered by a Curate 4 Fourthly you intreat compassion towards the ministers in a few lighter things Let me tell you that mildnesse in some other cases may be a vertue but in this a vice and surely he fayleth in his episcopall courage who through remisnesse or pitie suffereth the lawes of the Church by being wilfully broken to be vnhallowed disturbers of the Churches peace and surely if the vrging of subscription which the law required haue beene the cause of the seuerall dissentions in our Church a worse effect could not haue proceeded from so good a cause then that that which was a vertuous inuention to make peace by the vnquiet disposition of some few should become the originall fountaine of so much warr Besides experience telleth vs that the mildnes which that Reuerend Archbishop Grindall vsed in those times little auailed with those men for to make them better and the last Archbishop of famous memory found it to be most true that such as were spared eyther from his owne compassion the importunity of others or a hope to win theÌ„ by this means the fauour shewed them in that kind they esteemed but desert his mildnes patieÌ„ce to be their own merit besides the things are not to be esteemed few or light which are manifold disobedieÌ„ces to those peaceable orders lawful coÌ„stitutions which the Church maketh 5 Fiftly you feare not so much the offence of those with whom you do now liue as of other places where you haue liued This can be no good pretence for disobedieÌ„ce in this case seeing they by your example were most fit to be resolued of the true lawfulnesse of those things of whose suspected vnlawfulnes they first grew iealous by your doctrine who since I hope haue been better taught APOLOGY NOw because it may seeme a part of dishonesty or leuity now to refuse the conditions so often accepted I beseech your Lordship to wey this mine answer that for so much as the purpose if not doctrine of our Church to which I referred my subscription appeareth vnto me by the late Canons Booke of conference and some speeches of your Lordship and some others to be varied somewhat from that which I before not without reason tooke it to be I hold my selfe to be where I waâ— but the state of subscription to be changed from it selfe partly in the end of requiring subscriptioÌ„ partly in the things subscribed vnto I euer-â—ook our subscription to import an admission of things so farre tollerable taken in the Churches intention that men not otherwise preiudiced might lawfully vse them being imposed this conceit the words of the subscription in which we acknowledge the booke such as may lawfully be vsed did breed in me and the Ordinary speeches of your Lordship and other Bishops strengthen as that the ceremonies were trifles rags beggerly rudiments that in the booke were multae tollerabiles ineptiae which if it pleased the King to remoue they would be glad which all are pleas rather for tolleration then approbation of them Neither did I mistake if mistake that point alone for there be many some of geeat place that vrging subscription and conformity neuer sticke to say that authority ought to remoue some things and sinneth in not doing it thereby shewing that they thinke not Subscription to approue the voluntary imposition but the compelled obseruation of some things in the booke But now I perceiue by the close of the third Article of Subscription wherin ex animo we must professe to subscribe to all things contained in any of the three articles and by the sixt Canon where the approbation of the rites and ceremonies is prouided for as well as the vse and by the whole tenour of the Canons which apparently condemne and preiudge all clayme made or to be made for any alteration now my Lord if this be the intention of our Church in requiring Subscription I cannot yeild thereto some things a man must aequitate improbare as Austin speaketh and many things may be well obserued that are not so well commanded saith Beza be it that a man might doe well rather to vse the ceremonies then loose his calling shall I acknowledge your Lordship to doe well in the ordaining of them hath God in vaine commaunded dissimilitude with idolaters were the fathers vnwise that called so instantly from conformity with the heathen or the sects of Iewes or heretikes in matters indifferent such a garland or habit or keeping of Easter day or thrise dipping c. ANSVVER THere is little hope of sufficient strength in the sequell of this Apology whose foundation is laide vpon so false a ground nature hauing taught all men this truth that where the beginnings of things faile the deductions which are as it were an issue proceeding from the same originall must needes bee worse both because all vertue which is coÌ„municated except imediately from the author of all vertue must by participation bee weakned and all admission of concurrence in other causes cannot but make something which is weake cleaue vnto that vertue besides nothing is so easie if there were either as much honesty or safety in it as for men euill disposed to wrong those that are innocent whome if wee cleare from all fault as they deserue we shall either bee thought to flatter or else burden their modestie with their deserued praises A change in you not in opinion but in obedience can no way be iustified but by an accusation of our whole state as if that now vpon the sodaine wee varied and declyned not from the doctrine but from the intention and purpose that the Church had Wee accept very willingly that which you haue graunted which no aduersaries to this Church shal
for information of manners yet seeing in those ancient times some of the fathers did inhibit the reading of them some say they were vsed by the Catechistes as wee permitted base coyne to the Irish some euen Councels forbad the reading of them and seeing by their first more innocent then prudent admission of them to be read in assemblies they wonne as appeareth in the third Councell of Carthage the stile first of Canonicall Scriptures and afterward the full dignity and haue since iustled with the Canon as Ismael did with Isack for precedeÌ„ce and hauing wonne it by this stratagem do maintaine their stile from the sâ—me reason of being read and that euen amongst vs me thinks there was neuer so great cause of aduancing them so neare the Chayr of estate as is now of teaching them to know their distances eyther by sylencing their voyces in the assemblies as most of the reformed Churches do or else by teaching them to speake in a different time as doe those Churches that read them while the coÌ„gregation is gathering not as parts to diuine seruice or at least that euery Minister were ioyned to giue them their note of difference that the people might know and discerne the voice of God from the voice of good men And if Hierom translating some of them did giue them a brand of difference why should not we in the reading Or if the elder brother suffer not the yonger to giue the armes of his house without a Crescent to distinguish them how will God that is so Iealous of his Honour put it vp that wee put no sensible difference betwixt the children of his spirit and the baser sonnes of men though good men In which cause my Lord I am the more earnest because I finde at the Conference Hierom taxed for calling them Apocripha and there though not truely for Cyril did it before him saide to bee the first that so termed them and his exceptions called the old euils of the Iewes and I find theÌ„ also tearmed Canonicall ad mores as if any writing but Gods could be properly Canonical which is co ipso canonica quo authentica as D. Whitaker well saith which make one feare that which I am loth to feare or speake must make me by so much the more afraid of allowing their admission by how much they incroch vpon the prerogatiues royoll of the Scriptures eyther in titles or in vsage ANSVVER THe custome of accusing the lawfull ordinances of this Church hath imboldened some men aboue both dutie and reason to continue still vehement in their first opposition which peraduenture at the beginning was vndertaken without cause this land as it neyther doth nor I hope euer shall professe any other doctrine but that which is sincere and true Our home aduersaries confessing that for the substance of Religion it maintayneth the true and the holy faith so for our publike Lyturgye which now is misliked by you wee will first take the censure of one as strickt as any that liued eyther since or before him and after if wee be further vrged enter into the particular defence of all that iustly can bee misliked in our Church not that wee are willing to giue any strength to this last errour or to flatter for aduancement the eye or the hand of this time an infirmitie which we hope shall not cleaue vnto vs but because wee are perswaded in conscience that the holy Spirit hath directed the consultations of the fathers of our Church euen then when first they banished superstition to frame by the assistance of a Diuine power a publike seruice of God in this land purer for the matter more effectuall for vse more chast for ceremonie more powerfull to procure deuotion then any Lyturgye publicklye established since the defection from the primitiue Church Of which as I promised I must tell you what Maister Deering said Looke if any line be blameable in our seruice take holde of your aduantage I thinke Maister Iewell will accept it for an article our seruice is good and godly euerie title grounded vpon holy Scriptures and with what face doe you call it darknesse But men are ashamed to seeme guiltie who alwaies haue beene Iudges or at least accusers That then which you mislike in this place for the rest wee shall indeuour to defend when wee come vnto them is the reseruation euen of the parcels of those Chapters some parts whereof we reiect as drosse that is to summe vp your whole accusation in few words that no Apocripha is publikely to be read in diuine seruice The Church of Christ according to her authoritie receiued from him hath warrant to approoue the Scriptures to acknowledge to receiue to publish and to commaund vnto her children so then that the Scriptures are true to vs wee haue it from the Church but that we beleeue them as true in themselues we haue it from the holy Ghost By this power the Church hath severed those parcels of Scripture by the name of Apocripha from those which vndoubtedly were penned from Gods Spirit In this diuision neyther hath the light nor the approbation beene all one seeing euen some partes penned by the holy Ghost and so now generally approued both by the Church of Rome and vs haue had some difficulty not without great examination to be admitted into the Catalogue of Gods Canon As the Epistle to the Hebrewes of S. Iames the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn the Epistle of Iude and the Reuelation And howsoeuer those that were neuer doubted of may seeme to haue in some sort greater authoritie then those that were yet wee giue them saith M. Zanchy equall credit with the rest and to the Apocripha the next place of all other to the holy Scripture The Canonical only wee allow for probation of the doctrine of Faith but the other being proued for the confirmation therof Nay the Church of Rome confesseth howsoeuer they and wee differ which are Canonicall that the Apocripha in the Canon are to haue no place Saint Austin calleth by a larger acceptation of the word Canonicall euen those which though they had not perfect and certaine authority yet accustomably were read in the Church to edefie the people a custome as it seemeth neither now nor differing from the practise of our Church Athanasius allowed them to some men The third CouÌ„sel of Carthage not at al. Cyrill Bishoppe of Ierusalem reiectes them from beeing read in the Church of whome Doctor Whitakers whome you alledge giueth this censure in this Cyrill peradueÌ„ture was ouer vehement which forbad these bookes to be read at all For other Fathers although they accounted them Apocripha yet they permitted them to be read And Saint Hierome speaketh of the booke of wisdome and of Ecclesiasticus out of which two is more read in our seruice then out of al the Apocripha besides that they may be reade to the edification
maximè potuimus ad Ecclesiam Apostolorum veterum Catholicorum Episcoporum patrum quam scimus adhuc suisse integram atque vt Tertullianus ait incorruptam viâ—ginem nulla dum idolclatria nec errore graui ac publico contaminatam nec tantùm doctrinam nostram sed etiam sacramenta praecumque publicarum formam ad illorum ritus instituta direximus In al which doubtlesse there is nothing wanting which is requisite in a religious reformed Church sauing the charitable construction of our brethren who will needs eyther out of singularitie or feare bee our aduersaries in this cause And when nothing can bee said against the forme of that Lyturgy which wee vse they blame the orders of our Church which inioyne the whole Lyturgy to be read at the vsuall houres And vnder pretence of long prayers to banish preaching out of the Church I meruaile that any man will obiect it now seing it was an vntrue imputation long since by Master Cartwright layd vpon this church but as one telleth him neither aduisedly nor truly spoken wee will not compare two things of that nearenes and vse together but if some mens discretion could haue tempered their Zeale so farr that their owne paynes which they call Sermons might haue beene shorter and the orderly prayers of the church wholly read I doubt not but the religion of the people would haue beene much greater the worship of God more sound and the vnseasonable contentions of the Church farr lesse and if they continew but as some before them haue done to allow an houre half according to the pattern of reformed Churches for the whole Lyturgy or seruice wee are perswaded it will both bee time sufficient for performing the intention of the Canon which forbiddeth all diminshing in regard of preaching yet no man shal haue iust cause if he be willing to preach to complaine that hee wants time or that the length of prayers hath deuoured the Church for by this means hauing time which the wisdom of authority thinketh sufficient for both all extemporall inuention of vnsounde prayer shall bee vtterly banished out of christes Church and in Preaching the shortnesse of time shall necessarily cut off all impertinent discourses whilest they are sorced to comprize abundance of matter in few words But if any man thinke the Communion booke at first to be ordayned in part to supply the want of a Learned ministry which being obtayned may beomitted either in part or in whole as men please It is an error greatly mistaking the first vse and ouermuch differing from the modesty and humility of auncient tymes Wherein the Apostles came into the Sinagogue of the Iewes at Antioch and sat downe and after the Lecture of the law the prophetts which I take was their ordinary seruice the rulers of the Sinagogues sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on read the ordinary marginall note vpon this place and it will seeme that the Sermon expected the finishing of ordinary diuine seruice as neither all waies necessarily following when this was nor at any time presuming to be vpon the Sabbath when this was not nor if the vnhallowed boldnesse of some in our time hath aduentured to thrust the graue religious discreete deliberate and iudicious prayers established by authoritie out of our Churches and forced them against all reason to giue place to an vnlearned vnorderly and bould exhortation without wisedome or sobrietie onely somewhat glorying in the show of a hote zeale was it not a petition necessary and seasonable humbly at the conference to intreat of his Maiestie for a praying ministery From the contempt whereof haue directly proceeded the prophannesse the Atheisme and all the want of Religion in this land yet let no man thinke that eyther the Canons or any of the Reuerend Fathers desire that preaching may be lesse but rather that with all modesty God being honoured in our praiers as we ought wee maye the better be able to profit by those lessons that sermons doe giue vnto vs. And therefore it is ouer greate boldnes of our aduersaryes in this to accuse any man in authoritye in the church as an aduersarie to preaching seing the whole scope of sundry of these late Canons prouideth better for more and more learned Sermons then any lawes heretofore concluded in this Kingdome so that wee banish not preaching for prayers as you would make the world beleeue but saye as our Sauiour doth in another case this ought ye to haue done but not to haue left the other vndone For doubtles the children of God fynd continually an excellent vse of both by prayer saith Isiodore wee are clensed by reading and hearing wee are instructed If both may be had they are both good If both cannot be had it is better to pray So then to say lesse then their vncharitable accusation deserueth in this cause wee affirme that they surmise vs to seeke to haue preaching neglected but wee know too wel that praiers are contemned by their meanes from which at the last without great care the neglecting of preaching must needs follow and therefore the restraynt of the one with discretion to giue way to the other is neither to delay or delude the Kings purpose against an vnlearned and scandalous ministery or like the shadowe of the moone at the battell of Cremona or an abuse to his Maiestie a sinn to bishops aplague to the Church or to the offenders Intollerable Insolencye in stead of deserued shame but rather to speake truly and as this wisdome deserueth in the vpright sinceritye of a good conscience an execution of the Kings vertuous and religious care an honour to his Princelye Maiestye a holye discretion in the reuerend Bishops a happines to the Church a brydle strayt enough to such as deserue shame for now all may learne to be longer in prayers and shortter in Sermons because speeches ouer much inlarged want vnderstanding saith Saint Austen And you may be aduised heareafter to blame your selfe and to pardon others APOLOGY ANd thus from the generall I descend to some particular exceptions as first those about the Scriptures to be read which are three 1. The omission of the Canon 2. The appointing of some corrupt Apocripha 3. The translations It is manifest that 160. Chapters of the Canon and therein some whole bookes as the Chronicles Canticles and most of the Apocalipse are omitted in the Rubrick as least to edifying This I excused in my owne heart thus that because most of these chapters omitted were either obscure or obnoxius to euill hearts if read without interpretation the Church in good discretion making a choyce of Scriptures which the learned allow did omit them in the direction of the Kalender but made no doubt but any able Minister might read them ouer and aboue the appointed Lessons with some exposition of
lawfull first to disobey and then to forsake your calling and liue a priuate life it were lamentable that the state of our Church were such as that men to auoid the seuerity of her superstitious laws had no other safetie for their conscience but to forsake their functions we know better of her and we will hope better things of you then you should thinke or write thus CERTAINE REASONS BY VVAY OF AN Apology deliuered to the Right Reuerend Father in God the Lord Bishoppe of LINCOLNE by IOHN BVRGES Wherein hee laboureth to proue that hauing heretofore subscribed foure tymes and now refusing to subscribe as a thing vnlawfull that he hath notwithstanding done lawfully in both ¶ The Preface of the APOLOGY RIGHT Reuerend Father in God according to my promise made vnto your Lordshippe at our conuention before you on the third of October and since by Letters I now present vnto you my determinate answere and therein my refusall of such subscription as your Lordshippe and the late Canons doe require And because it will seeme strange that I should now stick at subscription who haue already foure times subscribed I craue leaue to performe vnto your Lordshipe a true and sincere report of what I haue yeelded vnto as of what I now refuse and the reasons of both And because there goe many rumors and some copies and both perhaps false of my late subscriptions I pray leaue to set downe those very words which acquired as from the King I sent by maister Deane of the Châ—ppell vnto his excellent Maiestie and the report of that which I afterward performed before my Lord of London ANSVVER THere is little hope in the sequell of this Apology to find that submission and humility which were requisite in the Ministers of Christ when one of inferiour place dare aduenture to make a determinate answere of refusal to subscribe hauing notwithstanding before subscribed and yet maintaineth that he is lawfully warranted to do both doubtlesse if it had but beene the obedience to a priuate bishoppe in his own Dyoces ought we not rather to haue yeelded theÌ„ either to haue incurred the suspicion of coÌ„tempt or to haue hazarded by suspension the vse of our ministery But when by your confession it was that Subscription which his Lordship and the Canons did both require you giue a singuler testimonie of his Lordshippes Episcopall vigelancie and withall runne into suspition of singuler contempt vnlesse your reasons being examined do prooue good for except the inferiour Clergy be obedient to the Bishoppe and the Bishoppes to the Metropolitane there would bee saith S. Hierome as many Scismes as Priests And one of the most modest and most learned that seemeth to fauour the cause of discipline maketh it a principall poynt of the ecclesiasticall gouerment that the Inferior clergye in things honest be obedient to the Bishop and the Bishoppe to the metropolitan so that you not onlye refusing obedience in this vnto the Bishopp but violating those canons wherevnto in ther intendiment you gaue consent which doubtles being so lawfully authorised was the whole church of England by representation you had need to afford good reasons of this refusall or else to account this refusal a great sin which the rather I doubt not but your wisdome will be carefull to avoyde as being not onlye to render an account of your owne obedience but to do it being required by so humble so learned so vertuous a King who in the midst of the greatest affaires of his realme vouchsafeth in his vsuall and extraordinarye loue to his cleargie to respect you and to require your answere by their message who if they had spoken in their own names deserued verye much to haue bene reuerenced by yow APOLOGY MY Answere to his Maiesties demaunds touching the discipline Ceremonies and Subscription I doe thinke and beleeue touching the gouernment of the Church by Bishops as with vs in EnglaÌ„d or by ruling Elders as in other Churches of God that neither of them was prescribed by the Apostles of Christ neither of them is repugnant to the word of God but may well and profitably bee vsed if more fault bee not in the persons then in the callings themselues 2 Secondly I doe hold and am perswaded of the Crosse and Surplesse that as our Church vseth them they bee not vnlawfull though in some men and places so inexpedient as that I thinke no mans ministery likely to do so much good as some mens sodaine vse of them might doe hurt 3 Thirdly for the subscription to the Articles of 62. as the Lawe requireth it and to his Maiesties Supremacie I approue it without any exception or qualification And touching the third Article about the booke of Common Prayer and booke of Ordination doe holde that howsoeuer they haue some things in them which cannot simply bee allowed as false translations c. Yet considered in the purpose and intention of the Church of England and reduced to the propositions it publickly professeth they containe nothing contrarie to the word of God and in witnesse that this is my vnfained Iudgement in the premises I haue set to my name this second of Iuly 1604. and will be alwaies ready to professe at his Maiesties command ANSVVER I doubt not but you haue well examined what you haue here set downe and wise men in cases of this moment deale not like vnwise builders but cast their account before hand Wee heare your opinion which it pleaseth you to call your vnfained Iudgment concerning Discipline Ceremonies and Subscription matters oftentimes handled before as be also the most things set downe by you wherein we must craue pardon if we alledge our owne words euen in that which we haue been occasioned to answere in another Treatise for wisdome telleth vs that it is necessarie to sowe againe after an euill haruest seeing oftentimes that which perisheth by the barrennes of some badground is abundantly restored in the fertility of some one year that followeth In your first concerning the gouernment of the Church which you call discipline neither is it vndetermined what was prescribed by the Apostles of Christ nor what succession of Bishops was continued in all Churches euen from their time so that it must needes seeme strange that the gouernment by Elders or by Bishoppes should in your opinion be a thing so indifferent as that neither beeing prescribed by the Apostles of Christ neither of them repugnant to the word of God may wel profitably be both vsed It seemeth straÌ„ge to my vnderstanding that after so many sharpe conflictes for the discipline of the Churh after such bitter inuectiues against the authority of Bishops After so confident commendation of the gouernment by Elders maintained as onely warrantable and inioyned out of Gods word fancies wherwith ye haue filled the Church for this fifty yeares that you should now confesse neither to be coÌ„maunded neither to bee repugnant to Gods word What meant
the propositions which it publikely professeth it contayneth nothing contrarie to the word of God This then being your approbation vnder your hand doe you not think it lawful to alow by subscription what you think lawfull The truth of those things whereunto you haue beene required to subscribe hath forced a confession of their lawfulnesse euen from the mouthes of her greatest aduersaries and yet for all this because they would be to others examples of disobedience they haue refused to subscribe to thrust others of lesse learning greater moderation into the like contempt This being as one noteth the principal vnhappines of those men that they had the authoritie of the aged and the faults of youth Who being in this as they thought to publish their vertue were supposed not without cause to affect glory APOLOGY A Weeke after I was called before the Bishop of London the Deane of the Chappell being with him and after many sharpe rebukes for my Sermon preached before his Maiestie vrged to subscribe to the three articles we stood a time in clearing some exceptions then taken at last I prayed leaue to write downe the same limitation which I had written to his Maiestie and then read before them Which being denyed as idle and needlesse to be exprest because it was alwaies implied and vnderstood I taking them both and God to witnes that I did subscribe in the same sence and with the same limitations that I had expressed in that sent vnto his Maiesty did then subscribe This done I pretested vnto them that I had in the some manner and with the same protestation subscribed twise before yet wished that my present subscription might not be diuulged but as I my selfe should open it least I should be thoght to haue done that at this time out of feare for desire of inlargment which God knew I had done according to my iudgement so become lesse profitable in my calling lesse able to satisfie other men The bishop replied that the King must know it otherwise for his part it should be concealed which the Deane also promised as well as he I answered that I knew well his Maiestie must know it and cared not who knew it but in the former respect and that my selfe would make it knowne which thing I did the same houre and neuer yet denyed beseeching them to informe his Maiestie that I had done no more now then before least his Maiesty should thinke me caried by feare as a man of an euill conscience which they both promised to doe his Lordship and Master Deane then exhorted me to conformitie in practise I answered that for my iudgement of the ceremonies they knew it as did also many of the ministers amongest whom I had at sundry conferences discouered and maintayned my opinion of their lawfulnes but for practise I should yeilde to haue them vsed in my cure but in my owne person who had neuer vsed them and once lost my place for not vsing them I durst not promise it at least vntill I had done what I could to preuent offence Two daies after this I was called againe before the Bishop to be discharged of mine imprisonment by order from his Maiesties Counsell At what time the Bishop exhorted me to conforme my selfe and perswade other men for conformitie I besought his Lordship not to expect it at my hands nor to say I doubled with him if I performed it not so long as the feare of scandall should restraine me adding that his Lordship might gaine much honour to himselfe and peace to the Church by shewing compassion vpon the ministers in a few lighter things when their hearts were so inclinde to peace his Lordship replied that I should haue time to teach and satisfie my people I answered that I did not so much feare the offence of those with whom I now liue as of other places where I had liued And as touching the satisfying of other men I tolde him I might not vndertake to perswade but would be readie vpon any occasion to professe freely what I thought as I had done alreadie at sundrie conferences and that I had that day receiued some obiections of a friend in writing to which I had promised Answer His Lordship wished to see the arguments but I craued pardon bycause they were committed to me from a friend and vpon trust he then required to see mine answer before I should send it to my friend which I yeilded vnto and haue not yet broken for I neuer sent answer to it nor euer shall And this my Lord to my best remembrance is the whole summe of that which I haue done and the world speaketh of so much and diuersly out of all which this summe ariseth First that I haue foure times subscribed to the Booke of common prayer with limitation and reference of all things therein contayned vnto the purpose and doctrine of this Church of England and limitation I eyther wrote down or protested before witnesse Secondly that I neuer promised present conformitie in practise howsoeuer I confessed the ceremonies not simply vnlawfull as I did since also before your Lordship ANSVVER IT is the desire of all men who are willing to continue the reputation without wrong to be able to giue account of what they doe and to render a reason of what they speake The narration of your behauiour and trouble as also your opinion concerning conformitie with this Church as we haue receiued it vnder your owne hand so wee desire leaue without offence to obserue some few things materiall to this end and although your reducing the summe of the whole storie to those two heads first that you haue foure times subscribed to the booke of common praier with limitation and reference of all things therein contayned vnto the purpose and doctrine of this Church of England Secondly that you neuer promised conformitie in practise howsoeuer you confessed the ceremonies not simply vnlawfull be the principall things contayned in it yet because some other things are pertinent to this cause wee will rather examine then answer what you haue alleadged 1 You haue yeilded to subscribe with limitatiō which limitation is the purpose and intention of the Church of England a caueat doubtlesse not needful to be expressed seeing it is the same Church that requireth subscription who would not haue any within her own bosom require an allowance to the fancies opinions that others hould And peraduenture wise men will thinke that the distinctions found out are but euasions do what they would not seeme whilst in the meane time they might lurke vnder some equiuocall cloud as the Iesuits doe 2 Further you desire that your present subscription might not bee diuulged but as your selfe might open it a thing you see both yeilded vnto and performed by those in whose power it was but doubtfull what intention you had in concealing of it I can easily afford you so much charity as to thinke it was least some
that translation which for their 〈◊〉 and cost in it is commonly calâ—ed the Bishops Bible from whence if you or any man collect that because a new translation is authorised and the papistes iustly taxed by our men for adhering to the vulgar that any man might correct the translations in the communion Booke where they obscured or crossed the sense we must tell you that first for the vulgar translation we disable not so farre but that we are readie to confesse whether you vnderstand the Italian or that which goeth vnder the name of Saint Hierom that they were vsed anciently in the Church a thousand and three hundred yeares ago one of them by Saint Austin preferred before all the rest the other highly commended by Beza and that of the vulgar though with Pagian and Dryedo we thinke it were not Saint Hieroms but mixt yet we can be content to say as Isiodor doth of it Interpretatio eius ceteris anteponitur his translation is to be preferred before others but for all this both you the Church of Rome must know that these neither are so pure as the fountaines themselues for no translation whatsoeuer is Authenticall Scripture and that from hence euerie priuate man must not take libertie vnto himselfe to correct and amend at his owne pleasure least wee haue iust occasion to complaine as Saint Hierome doth that there be as many varieties of translations as there be bookes whilest euerie man according to his fancie addeth or detracteth as seemeth good to himselfe Neyther can an error in translating in any Church be an argument sufficient to proue it to be no Church And concerning the Church of England it hath not wanted a care and a religious care in this point and therefore it were no reason for you or any to reproue her for that wherein she deserueth prayse onely your patience is required to forbeare all priuate corrections of translations vntil authority from the diligent labors of learned men wholly imployed in that busines may establish a better yet the faults in this are not such but they may be tollerated without offence though peradueÌ„ture corrected with more benefit And seeing there is no error in faith contrarie to the doctrine of the Church that can be in pretence confirmed by any reading which we allow me thinks the article of subscription may wel say that the book of common prayer containeth nothing in it contrarie to the word of God and that it may lawfully be so vsed But say you if Austin whom I call Saint Austin vpon the credit of many Latin copies would not admit one word palam where the sense rather required theÌ„ receiued it because it was not in the Greeke how shal I approue vnder my hand a translation which hath many omissions c. If your moderation had beene like vnto Saint Austins in this case we should haue little cause to mislike your doing and yet the example which you bring for your best warrant being stretched so far as you do cannot iustly be reckond amoÌ„gst S. Austins vertues For in that place which you alledge he saith Multa latina exemplaria sic habent et pater tuus quividet in absconso reddet tibi palam sed quia in Graecis quae priora sunt non inuenimus palam non putauimus huic aliquid disserendum esse Now I see not what can be directly gathered from S. Austins example for palaÌ„ was not in some Greek copies but I hope you know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is which sometimes they traÌ„slate in propatulo somtimes palam if the old Latin translation want it the Greek haue it as Doctor Whitakers noteth Iudge whether you ought to imitate Saint Austin in this whom the Rhemistes follow rather then the original which is followed by our Church and therefore the blemishes in our translation which your zeale hath published of omission addition obscuritie peruerting as senselesse contrary and such like we are willing to answer them when we come to your obiections in the last page whch wee know you cannot proue not that you want wit but because you are not assisted with a good cause APOLOGY FRom the exceptions concerning the Scriptures I come to those which arise about the SacrameÌ„ts And though there because to speake of priuat Communions as on the Churches part not so well ordained yet I will insist vpon priuate Baptisme and will draw vnto it that Rubrick which saith that it is certaine by Gods word that Infantes baptised haue all things needfull to saluation and are vndoubtedly saued This speech I did interpret as spokeÌ„ not simply but ex hypothesi in opposition to the popish conceit of the necessity of confirmation in this maner that the child hath al things necessary that is all outward means needs no confirmation is vndoubtedly saued that is as vndoubtedly as if it were confirmed And vnto this construction the precedent part of the Rubrick directed me the sound doctrine of our Church against the simple necessity of Baptisme and grace inseperably annexed therto did set me in it then the speech seemed like that of Christ in the ninth of Iohn where hee saith neither hath this man sinned nor his father that is not in such sense as the question was asked whether he or his father had sinned As for priuate Baptisme by a lawfull minister being acccompanied with such doctrine as our Church hitherto hath generally receiued about the same I thought it might be inexpeâ—tent but not vnlawfull But my Lord obseruing since in the booke of conference that my Lord of Londoâ— leauing the state of the child vnbaptised as vncertaine saith that if it die baptised there is an euident assurance that it is saued without any exception made of Gods eternall purpose and further that the place in the third of Iohn Except a man be regenerate of water and of the holy Ghost c. must be vnderstord of the Sacrament of baptisme which conceit if we draw the text to infants must necessarily thrust vs as it diâ— Austin and other Fathers vpon the simple necessity of that Sacrament vnto saluation as the like words in the sixt of Iohn Except ye eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of the Sonne of man ye cannot be saued being vnderstood of the other Sacrament drew on the Administration thereof to Infants perceiuing I say the grounds laid in that conference and by whom and adding therunto that addition to the Catechisme that there be two Sacraments as generally necessary to salâ—uation and the sixtie ninth Canon which vnder paine of suspension bindes the Minister in case of necessity to hast to the baptising of euery weake child the very night not excepted It seemeth to me that our Churches doctrine in this point is declining to that opinion of the simple necessitie of that Sacrament and grace annexed thereto which we formerly opposed And if this be
derided our fathers in the christian faith for preaching beleeuing in him who was crucified vpon the crosse by which all vertuous and pure both men and times were so farre from being discouraged in their profession by the ignominie of the crosse as that thereby they rather reioyced and tryumphed in it yea the holy Ghost so farre honored the dispised name of the crosse amongst the Iewes that vnder it was contained all the suffering the merits the fruites and the comforts of Christs death From hence proceedeth a reuerend vse and estimation of the signe of the crosse in the Apostles time signing hereby not onely themselues when they met with the Iewes but their children which were baptised to dedicate them by badge as it were to his seruice whose benefits bestowed vpon them were contained vnder that name and procured vnto man by Christs death vpon the crosse But time corrupting often with staines of superstition the best things for if Christ tell Peter If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with mee Peter will answere Lord not my feete only but my hands and my head so apt are we to ouerdoe that which wee finde to bee profitable vnto vs The signe of the crosse in the more ignorant times of the church that followed after became so loaden with a continuall and necessarie obseruation full of superstitious Idolatry as if it had beene for all occasions a compleate armour to euery Christian and that nothing could bee well either begun continued or ended that was not first hallowed with this signe From which ignorant opinion blemishing a thing of vertuous and good vse the Church of England desiring to free the signe of the Crosse doth not commaund or allow the publick vse at any other time but in Baptisme and that first as no part of the substance of that Sacrament adding any thing to the vertue or perfection of Baptisme Secondly nor as a meanes of admitting of any into Christs flock but as a lawfull outward ceremony and honorable badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the seruice of him that dyed vpon the crosse In respect whereof the very name hath and shall bee honorable amongst all true christians to the worlds end and therefore your comparison of those in the conuocation for making of this Canon to them in the councell of ARMINE might haue beene well spared seeing the perticulers of both beeing duely waighed wise men may easily perceiue the beginnings the proceedings and the conclusion to bee farre vnlike and therfore I must tel you though not with so much seuerity as the cause deserueth you could not with all your studie haue found out a comparison more vnbefitting this cause more presumptuously iniurious to the King and the whole Church which that the reader may better vnderstand wee will briefly set downe as others haue done from the begining to the end the proceeding of that councell After CONSTANTINES death whose wisdom supprest the greatest heresy whose vertue taught the whole world religion CONSTANTIVS his sonne raigned one rather seeming not so euill as hee was then beeing in trueth so vertuous as hee seemed whom to haue setled in a right opinion in his Fathers time had beene a duety of good seruice toward God a meane of peace and quietnesse to the church of Christ a labour easie and peraduenture as pleasing as the suggestion of those who were the vnnaturall corruptions of a well disposed sonne of so vertuous a father CONSTANTIVS by the perswasion of the ARRIANS deuised to assemble all the Bishops of the whole world about their great controuersie but in two seueâ—all places the Bishops of the West at ARIMINA in Italy the Eastern at SELVCIA the same time amongst them of the East there was no stoppe they agreed without any great adoe gaue their sentence against heresie excommunicated some cheefe maintainers thereof and sent the Emperour word what was done whom doubtlesse it much offended not that an heresie of that nature could not from the authoritie of wisdome obtaine strength which it is like had not beene so much fauoured by him if hee had not esteemed the daunger in the word to bee little whilest their meaning as they pretended in sence was all one but I lay the greatest part of the blame for this euill vpon AELIVâ— LEONTIVS Bishoppe of ANTIOCH that fauoured the ARRIANS for mildnesse and yeelding in some Bishops made the whole church bee troubled with that herisy who scratching his head white for age said wheÌ„ this snow is melted there will bee much durt as if the bishops which were to succed him would not suffer the same Hymnes it is like of gloria patri agreeable to the Nycen councel which he did they had at Armine foure hundred which held the trueth scarce of the aduerse part foure score But these obstinate and the other wearie of contending with them thereupon by both it was resolued to send to the Emperour such as might informe him of the cause and declare what hindered their peaceable agreemeÌ„t there are chosen on the Catholick side such men as had in them nothing to be noted but boldnesse neither grauitie nor learning nor wisdome The Arrians for the credit of their faction take the eldest the best experienced the most warie and the longest practised Veterans they had amongst them the Emperour coniecturing of the rest on either part by the quality of them whom he saw sent them speedily away and with them a certaine confession of faith ambiguously and subtilly drawne by the Arrians whereunto vnlesse they all subscribed they should in no case bee suffered to depart from the place where they were whereby many vexed with hunger and violent detention yeelded vp their conscience as captiue to those penalties that were vrged vpon them yet as it seemeth by some others what error soeuer was concluded in that councell was rather from the obscurity of the Greek word then from any penaltyes of which Saint Hierom saith thus Ingemuit totus orbis se ArrianuÌ„ esse miratus est Now what can there be in the late graue and reuerend conuocation of the clergie of England answerable to this councell First for any thing that I know there was amongst them no faction Secondly they dealt not deceitfully with the king to obtaine an allowance of what they concluded Thirdly no mn was vrged by compulsion or detained vpon penalties to giue his consent onely in this one thing peraduenture not vnlike that the councell of Nyce had on her side foure hundred whereas the Arrians these inuentors of new opinions had not foure score besides I doubt not but what was practised with the Emperour in this councel the contrarie was done with the King at the conuocation and so consequently you haue little reason to thinke that they were vsed as the good fathers at the councell of Armine for all men see that such as the Catholicks made choyce of as Embassadors for their part to the
Emperour at that time such the Scismaticks selected as solicitours of their cause and followers of those petitioÌ„s which were deliuered vp some in whome nothing was to be noted but boldnesse neither grauitie nor learning nor wisdome Which if you confesse and thereby would conclude your selues to haue the trueth but to haue also the same euill choyce of Agents as the catholickes at that time we say this were to wrap his sacred Maiestie in the ouersight of Constantine and for excusing of your selues to lay an iniurious imputation vpon one of the grauest the most religious the most learned and vertuous conuocations that euer were asseÌ„bled in this church wrong not your pretended sincerity zeale ouer much in your vncharitable vncomly ceÌ„suring of that meeting froÌ„ which wee doubt not but holinesse and piety shall receiue strength and comfort and the church very shortly shal be blessed with a consent and happie peace striue not against the retaining of that which the auncientest fathers so much commend called it the Lords sygne the badge of Christs Kingdome the note of patience of humility of the death of Christ of his tryumph from these beginnings men may not ignorantly proceede to become in the end direct enemies to the cros of Christ this made master BVCER modestly to speake concerning the retaining of the sygne of the crosse in Baptisme in our church Signum hoc non tam quod est vsus in Ecclesia antiquissimi quam quod est admodum simplex presentis admonitionis crucis Christi adhiberi nec indecens nec in vtile existimo si adhiheatur modo pure intellectum religiose excipiatur nulla nec superstitione adiuncta nec elementi seruitute aut vulgari consuetudine all which considerations are and haue beene obserued in our church and therefore I cannot but maruell how you should compare it to Reuben ascending to his fathers bed the one being an agent of much euill for which hee lost his beauty the other onely an innocent sufferance of some euill by which if any blemish were contracted to a thing faire for you say Thou wast faire It is more fit the spots to bee put to an euerlasting banishment and therefore discretion would haue forborne those speaches which follow seeing wee must tell all the world which often by others hath beene proued alreadie That the Crosse in Baptisme as it is vsed in the Church of England was neuer either a spirituall harlot heretofore or a band now and consequently his vse no way forbidden by the first table which will better peraduenture appeare in that which followeth APOLOGIE AGaine if by it the childe bee dedicated vnto Christ then is that done by it at least externally which was before done both effectually and solemnly by the Act of Baptisme it selfe which must imbrace either the sacrament of insufficiencie to the same point for this addition of idlenesse and superstition in either whereof it is made vnlawfull at least in the imposers and vpon as good ground to bee refused as those other ceremonie which Popery drained from antiquitie and all reformed Churches haue religiously cast out ANSVVERE WHere men are willing to dissent from the ancient lawfull practise of their owne church either because they are desirous to bee like others or because they cannot long indure to be like themselues It is strange with what care they are subtilly cunning to â—inde out probable excuses wherby they may seeme to the common capacitie of man for to erre with reason If when wee admit into the church the Infant by Baptisme wee than also signe him with the crosse in token of that warfare which hee promiseth to vndertake shall wee therefore conceiue that either the Sacrament is impeacht of insufficiencie in that point or that this addition is idle and superfluous It is ouer much confidence and rigour to conclude thus wee derogate nothing from the sacrament of Baptisme when wee call the crosse a token of our warfare for Christ. For there may bee many signes of one and the same thing though notal alike excelleÌ„t Baptisme is a Sacrament ordained of God and a seale of his promise teaching vs also that we are Christs soldiers must fight vnder him choosing a ceremony ordain'd by the church in the purest times in signe and token also of the same warfare and as it was not superfluous in the Lawe to declare one thing by many signes as namely mans vncleannesse by circumcision purifying c. So it must not bee accounted needlesse vnder the Gospell to make that plaine by words or signes that at the first cannot so easily be vnderstood Saint Austin saith that the whole action of our Redemption is signified vnto vs by the day of the natiuity of Christ yearely celebrated and also by the Sacrament of the supper but after a diuerse sort for the day of the Natiuitie is onely a memoriall thereof the other a Sacrament The same may be said of crossing in Baptisme and of baptisme it selfe the one is a more externall accidentall signe the other a substantiall Sacrament neither is this signe in the numbeâ— of those vnnecessary things which are a burden or not to edifying or one of those beggerly rudiments which bring vs into bondage againe or one of those which Popery drained from antiquity and all reformed churches haue cast out but a signe for vse of great antiquitie in the Sacrament of baptisme now things that are significant are not all equally significant for a sacrament saith Saint Austine is when there is such a remembrance of the thing done that there is also something signyfied which is holily to be receiued so that howsoeuer many ceremonies are retained in the church significant for those ends furtherances of piety whereunto they serue yet we neither do nor dare account them significant as the sacraments which represent christ and are rather to be receiued then done the other rather to be done then to be receiued by vs. If this signe then of the crosse haue not beene drained from Popery as you imagine but of ancient and publike vse in Tertullians time who liued within lesse than a hundred yeares after Saint Iohn If Bucer in his censure of our Lyturgy P. Martyre Hemingius Beza and diuerse others of the reformed Churches as shall appeare hereafter account it to bee lawfull as it is vsed and retained in this Church we cannot but tel you and the whole world that the curiositie of some few is no iust preiudice to antiquitie nor these sleight occasions either warrant to your conscience for disobedience or in the opinion of wise men any great imputation to our Church APOLOGI IF by this signe the Infant be dedicated to Christ then is this signe a meanes by which Christ is worshipped and so will-worshippe is raised repugnant to the word for this is plaine that euery action referred to God to set out any part of our deuotion and duetie to him
desire to ouertake and also a common enemie surpriseth vs with aduantage making vs to seeme in the eye of the world to bee of their minde because with greater moderation we abstain from that vehemeÌ„t zeale to reformation that others more rashly are traÌ„sported with so that in this case the labour is neither easie nor safe For to answere our brethren at home with that trueth and freedom which both the cause and our loue to their persons doth chalenge from vs is but to open the mouth of the common aduersarie as if wee spake and thought as they doe and out of this feare to suppresse our answere were with much weakenesse to betray the trueth This consideration as it is not of small importance in the whole cause so especially in this point concerning the crosse where the diffence of a lawful ceremony may easily bee thought the erecting of that Idoll whereunto the most superstitious in those later times haue beene corruptly perswaded to giue honor For mine owne paâ—t in satisfaction to the Church of Christ whereunto I owe the vttermost of that simple talent which GOD hath giuen mee I Protest that neither out of malice I oppugne our brethren at home nor willingly would bee thought to Patronize the least errour of the Church of Rome neither I hope hath any thing euer passed my pen with so sleight consideration since I was able to deale in this cause whereof I cannot giue a sufficient reason that it is farre from the defence of any error of the Romish Church And therefore in my opinion the late Authour of the Protestantes Apologie hath dealt somewhat vnkindly with mee and others to alledge vs as witnesses for their side but most inconsiderately to the disaduantage of his owne cause who now in the latter end beeing driuen from Scriptures Fathers and Councelles are compelled to support themselues with the wrested mistaken Testimonies of such as haue and are willing to fight against them and yet if wee erre of what valewe are our errours to conuince a trueth The daunger of this euill if it were fully considered by our brethren that will needes striue with vs would make them forbeare all further contention in this cause and Ioyne with our Church in cerimonyes as they doe in doctrine that all like the children of the same wombe might bee readye as with one heart and one voyce to resist their subtill and malicious attempts who vnder colour of Religion and the Catholike faith seeke treacherously the ruine and subuersion both of this Church and this commonwelth And therfore in the Iudgment of all wise and religious men vnexcusable is their paynes and trauell who extend their witts to the vttermost of that they are able to deriue an enuye vpon that gouerment as Infected with Popish superstition wherein hitherto they haue louingly peaceably and plentifully bene brought-vp It seemeth that the vse of the Crosse in Baptisme offendeth not so much as that the Infant by this means is dedicated to Gods seruice because say you If dedicated at which word you take all your offence then either Initiated or consecrated for the words in the Hebrewe doe onely signifie one of these two of which if we graunt the first you peremptorily conclude that Baptisme is made voyde if the second that then this signe is operatiue and hath vertue in it and yet say you in the true vse of speach to dedicate and to consecrate is all one I am sorry that in matters of this consequence for which men can perswade themselues that it is warrantable to forsake their flockes that at the last the conclusion being summed vp it should bee onely a contention of wordes yet I must tell you that to speake properly and as men of Iudgment haue done before vs to consecrate is to make of prophane thinges holy to dedicate is when they are appoynted to some certayne GOD foâ— to dedicate or Initiate the Greekes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to consecrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to sanctifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to sanctifie as Peter Martyr saith is nothing else but to apply to diuine religious vses or to prepare himself to offer some thing to God Now if it may appeare as doubtlesse it will that not onely religious things were dedicated but other things also and that their dedication was in another kinde without any worship diuine but by first vsing what inconuenience wil follow if in the whole action of baptisme and those prayers that are vsed the Infant be dedicated which in the canon is ascribed vnto the crosse that being the onely externall cerimonie expressing the intention of the whole act Thus Dauids house was dedicated for which was made the thirtieth Psalme the walles of a citie Nehem. 12.27 were dedicated which was nothing else as P. Martyr saith but that the wals of a citie being made vp the people together with the Leuites and Priests and also the Princes went thither and there gaue thanks vnto God because the walle were reedified and prayed that the city might bee righteously vsed This kinde of Dedication was called by the Hebrewes Canach The other which was Chadash was to consecrate things holy to God Now which of these you vnderstand to bee done by the crosse in Baptisme it will not bee greatly material against vs seeing the verie act of Dedication or consecration dependeth not vpon the signe of the crosse but yet so said because the crosse is an ancieÌ„t significant coÌ„uenient signe of that act of dedication or consecration which is done in Baptisme by the worde and prayer For our Dedication in Baptisme is as it were a surreÌ„dering of al that tight which our pareÌ„ts or our selues might haue in our selues into Gods hands wherein as in the dedication both of the Temple and the Tabernacle God gaue a manifest signe that hee tooke possession of both so it standeth with reason that on the Infants behalfe hereafter to put him in minde and for the present to admonish those that are lookers on that the minister signe him with that badge which is the ensigne of his merit victory whom the child must serue The ancient vse of the crosse at all other times was for infidels but in Baptisme for the good of beleeuers which is intended still but as they haue done in this so they exclude the crosse in the dedication of Temples as if it were all one to build a house to God and a parlour or Kitchin to our selues wherin though I allow not greatly the superstitious number of twelue in the building of Churches yet I am not altogether of their opinion who hold crosses vnmeete at the dedication of Temples which if some corruptly haue vsed to a false end wee cannot but mislike their superperstitious intention and yet retaine that warrantable signe which wel becommeth that place which ought to be the religious Schoole-house of Christs death If wee may credit antiquity in the