vnfitly applyed euen by orators to the best things The next is these words In Baptisme God doth bestow presently remission of sins and the Holy-ghost binding also himselfe to ad in processe of time what grace soeuer shall be further necessasary for the attainment of euerlasting life Heere you aske of Maister Hooker what warrant he hath of present grace in the very work wrought of baptisme where by the way you cūningly with a truth of his mingle an error of your owne for who euer doubted but that baptisme doth bestow the remission of sins and yet not this as we haue often told you for the very work wrought of baptisme The next in these wordes The signe of the Crosse as we vse it is in some sort a meane to work our preseruation from reproch and Christs marke It seemes that this speech hath made you to forget that ciuill respect which had bin fit to one whome worthily you ought to esteeme as reuerend for very rudely you say when where or how did Christ tell thee that the signe of the Crosse as we vse it is the marke of Christ and preserueth frō reproch Be not caried more violently then the cause requireth for Maister Hooker doth not affirme but saith shall I say and addeth surely the minde which as yet hath not hardned it selfe in sinne is seldome prouoked thereunto in any grosse and greeuous manner but natures secret suggestiō obiecteth against it ignominy as a bar which conceit being entred into that pallace of mans fancy the gates wherof haue imprinted in thē that holy signe which bringeth forthwith to mind whatsoeuer Christ hath wrought and we vowed against sinne it commeth hereby to passe that Christian men neuer want a most effectuall though a silent teacher to auoid whatsoeuer may deseruedly procure shame Let vs not thinke it superfluous that Christ hath his marke applied vnto that part where bashfulnes appeareth in token that they which are Christians should at no time be ashamed of his ignominie The last words misliked by you in this article are these Assuredly whosoeuer doth wel obserue how much al inferiour things depend vpon the orderly courses and motions of these greater orbs wil hardly iudge it meet or good that the Angels assisting them should be driuen to betake themselues vnto other stations although by nature they were not tyed where now they are but had change also else where as long as their absence from beneath might but tollerably be supplyed and by descending their roomes aboue should become vacant Heere wholy mistaking Maister Hooker you run into a strange discourse of Angels of their attendance vpon the elect and aske where it is reuealed that they attend vpon celestiall orbs and whether it be not sinne to leaue their naturall charge and here you aske whether he meane not the Angels that fel These and such like are those collections which your iudgement thath gathered wholy mistaking the scope of this excellent speech For he sheweth here that there may be iust reasons of non-residence in Vniuersities in Bishops houses and last of all for their imployment in the families of noble men or in princes courts For assuredly whosoeuer doth well obserue how much all inferiour things depend vpon the orderly courses and motions of those greater orbs will hardly iudge it either meete or good that the Angels assisting them should be driuen to betake themselues vnto other stations although by nature they were not tyed where now they are but had charge also else where as long as their absence from beneath might but tolerably be supplied and by descending the roumes aboue should become vacant Who vnderstandeth not now that by orbes are ment those great persons which by their motion do carrye inferiours with them And by Angels assisting them are ment those graue diuines which are by their wisdome holinesse and direction to moderate their motion Why then being but a parable or an allegorie run you to examination of orbes of Angels of motion and yet these are things so well knowne in the Philosophers schooles as that Maister Hooker had no reason to feare to take a similitude from them without being called to examination of the truth of the thing it selfe And this may suffice for a moderate answere to those things which in this article are tearmed by you speculatiue doctrine Only I must ad this which Maister Hooker noteth in a troublesome aduersary with whom he had to deale that in this article as often in this letter besides there are two faults predominant which would tyre out any which should answeare to euery poynt seuerally first vnapt speaking of schoole controuersies secondly a very vntoward reciting of M. Hookers words that as he which should promise to draw a mans countenance and did indeed expresse the parts at least the most of them truly but peruersely place them could not represent a more offensiue visage then a mans owne would be to himselfe so haue you dealt with M. Hooker where your misplacing of those words which he hath vttered hath framed a picture which as you direct men to looke at it little differeth from the shape of an vgly monster for answeare whereunto this labour is sufficient wherein I haue set downe both his words and meaning in such sort that where your accusation doth depraue the one or that either you misinterpret or without iust cause mislike the other it will appeare so plainly that to the indifferent reader I shall not neede to ad any further answeare for any man may see that you haue iudged his words as they doe colours which looke vpon them with greene spectacles and thinke that which they see is greene when indeede that is greene whereby they see The best remedy will be to vse charity where iudgment wanteth ARTICLE XIX Of Caluin and the reformed Churches WHere the persons of particular men is the subiect of our discourse we cannot well either be too short or too charitable for of the best if we speake much something will be wrested to a hard construction if vncharitablie we shal seeme to follow the practise of those which haue no other skill to ouerthrow a generall cause but by wounding of some particular men And howsoeuer that cause must needs be weake which either hath his beginning or his greatest strength from one priuate man yet doubtles in common reason it is no small policie to blemish a truth by detracting frō the sincerity and religion of such as are the principal defenders of it How much this part of the world hath cause to esteeme of Luther and Caluin there is no man of any learning that can be ignorāt in which respect notwithstāding by some mē a threefold wrong is don vnto our Church First to make thē authors of that religion amongst vs which by many hūdreth yeers was far more ancient then they both were Secondly to lay the infirmities that were in thē as being mē it were too great ignorance
must either be dispraised or our negligence shall want excuse And whatsoeuer hath the power to conuince must suffer reproofe where the heart of man wanteth humilitie to giue obedience The worlds greatest errour is in esteeming when our corruptions making vs ambitious to seeme whilest we are carelesse to be winneth allowance from a fond opinion which the streame of violent fancies denieth to rest vpon those that are truly vertuous Because for anie man to oppose himselfe against that euill which is growne heady either by custome or patience is to hazard much of himselfe if he be strong and in the opinion of many vndoubtedly to perish if he be weake And therefore as vice hath euer had mo that did dislike it then durst dispraise it so vertue wil euer haue mo that are willing to allow it in their iudgements then dare aduenture to interpose themselues for the defence of that which they do allow Iealousie making those to depraue euen the very defence of that which their owne iudgements did thinke worthy and their wishes desired might be defended For to do that which euerie man accounteth his own duty as it argueth oftentimes more strength then courage so amongst many it reapeth little else but an opinion of singularitie From this corrupt fountaine a fountaine poisoned by malicious ignorance haue flowed these bitter but small streames which the importunitie of some mens commendations arising out of a blind loue haue made for power and greatnesse like the red sea to drown as they say Pharaoh and all his host Let them perish in it without helpe beaten downe with that hand that striketh from aboue who seeke to hold Israel a seruant in Egypt or captiue in the house of bondage but let them passe through without harme who couragiously haue freed the posterity of Iacob and led Israel to the land of promise I doubt not but without a miracle a man of small stature may goe through these waters and not bee drowned yet sometimes the most righteous may say with Dauid the ouerflowing of vngodlinesse made me afraid Deceit vsually couereth with a mask better then the face that euill which it desireth should kill vnseene and vnpreuented but errour cannot more easily fall then when it is built vpon such a foundation nor weaker opinions sooner vanish then when they are bred nourished supported onely with the strength of fancie It is of small vse in the church though a thing practised in al ages for men ouer-curiously to labour to remoue those staines which like an impure breath darken the glasse of steele whilest it is warme but slide off through their owne weakenesse hauing no power to make any deeper impression then onely aire Any cloth in a hand of no skill or strength is able to wipe off with ease those blots or marks that are stained with no greater force or vertue but a hote breath But seeing the reputation that vertue challengeth and industrious labour seasoned with discretion doth merit seeketh rather to gaine an approbation from the iudgement of the wise then recompence or reward from the mightie hand of the rich men of vertuous desert in all ages euen from the lowest step of humilitie obedience haue with confidence and truth taught the world a far better iudgment by their wise apologies and haue gained as much honour in remouing euill as they haue gotten vertue vnto their names in doing wel The malice of enuie out of impatient ignorance doing vertue this benefit that that which was cleare before by a few light trifling spots gaineth a wiping to make it clearer desert and goodnesse being effects of a first motion perfection and excellencie the worke of a second maker It must needs seeme strange to many and be vnpleasing to all that are of any sober indifferent or vertuous disposition that the iust defence of a present religious Ecclesiasticall policie vndertaken without bitternesse of spirit in a graue moderation to reforme presumption and informe ignorance should so farre taste of the eagernesse of some vnlearned pennes that iudgement should be thought too weake to answer idle wordes or vertue not strong enough to withstand malice or lastly that he could want a defence whose endeuour as himselfe professeth was not so much to ouerthrow them with whom he contended as to yeeld them iust and reasonable causes of those things which for want of due consideration heretofore they haue misconceiued sometimes accusing lawes for mens ouersights sometimes imputing euils growne through personall defects to that which is not euill framing to some sores vnwholsome plaisters and applying remedies sometimes where no sores were It is much easier to answer those shadowes of reason wherein these Admonishers do please themselues then by their silence to make them confesse that they are fully answered For as they know not for the most part well how to speake sauing only tinkers musick like sounding brasse because they want charitie so do they lesse know how to hold their peace like clamorous Frogs because they want humilitie Holy pretences haue euer beene the strongest motiues that pride hath and Zeale how preposterous and ignorant so euer hath beene deemed reason sufficient to some men in the opinion of their followers to warrant defend whatsoeuer they haue done Vpon this ground was published some few Articles in manner of a letter in the yeare 1599. requiring resolution in matters of doctrine concerning some points which either they misconceiue or list not to vnderstand vttered by M. Hooker in those fiue learned and graue books of Ecclesiasticall policie wherin it must needs appeare that their ignorant malice hath done him great honour who in an argument so distasted by them and comming with a proud confidence to reprehend haue only carped sillily at some few things neither of moment nor importance whereof humilitie and charitie would haue craued no answer But these being willing and desirous to find somewhat to oppose haue onely discouered his great mature and graue iudgement and their owne small vndigested and shallow learning For there is nothing that can better both excuse and commend a workman thē to see enuie desirous to reprehend and reprehension to vanish in his owne smoke For saith the Wiseman all such as regarded not wisedome had not onely this hurt that they knew not the things that were good but also left behind them vnto men a memoriall of their foolishnesse so that in the things wherein they sinned they could not lie hid yet the people see and vnderstand it not and consider no such things in their hearts how that grace and mercie is vpon his Saints and his prouidence ouer the elect For as he himselfe well noted as to the best and wisest while they liue the world is continually a froward opposite a curious obseruer of their defects and imperfections so their vertues it afterwards as much admireth Those whom we must make aduersaries in this cause are men not knowne either by name religion or learning
profession they be Christians then are they of the visible Church of Christ and Christians by externall profession they are all whose marke of recognisance hath in it those things which we haue mentioned Yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked hereticks persons excommunicable such as we deny not to be euen the lims of Satan as long as they continue such Is it then possible say you that the selfesame men should belong both to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Christ Vnto that Church which is his mystical bodie not possible because that bodie consisteth of none but only true Israelits true sonnes of Abraham true seruants and Saints of God Howbeit of the visible body and Church of Christ those may be and oftentimes are in respect of the maine parts of their outward profession who in regard of their inward disposition of minde yea of externall conuersation yea euen of some parts of their very profession are most worthily both hatefull in the sight of God himselfe and in the eies of the sounder parts of the visible Church most execrable From hence haue proceeded those bitter speeches wherewith many of our reuerend Fathers haue censured the Church of Rome as also those violent courses and vnseemely which they haue hitherto vsed against vs. Therefore our Sauiour compareth the kingdome of heauen to a net whereunto al that commeth neither is nor seemeth fishe his Church he compareth to afield where tares manifestly knowne and seene by all men doe grow intermingled with good corne and so shall continue til the final consummation of the world God hath had euer and euer shall haue some Church visible vpon earth But for lack of diligent obseruing the difference first betwixt the church of God mystical and visible then betweene the visible sound and corrupted sometimes more sometimes lesse the ouersights are neither few nor light that haue bin committed This deceiueth them and nothing else who thinke that in the time of the first world the family of Noah did containe al that were of the visible church of God From hence it grew and from no other cause in the world that the Affrican Bishops in the councel of Carthage knowing how the administration of Baptisme belongeth only to the church of Christ and supposing that hereticks which were apparantly seuered from the sound beleeuing church could not possiblie be of the church of Iesus Christ thought it vtterly against reason that baptisme administred by men of corrupt beleefe should be accounted as a Sacrament Some of the Fathers were earnest especially Saint Cyprian in this point but I hope you haue not yet proceeded so farre This opinion was afterwards both coÌ„demned by a better aduised councel and also reuoked by the chiefest of the Authors therof themselues And therfore as it is straÌ„ge for any man to denie them of Rome to be of the church so I cannot but wonder that they will aske where our church was before the birth of Martin Luther as if any were of opinion that Luther did erect a new church of Christ. No the church of Christ which was from the beginning is and continueth in substance the same vnto the end of which al parts haue not bin alwaies equally sincere and sound In the daies of Abiha it plainly appeareth that Iuda was by many degrees more free from pollution then Israel In Saint Paules time the integrity of Rome was famous Corinth many waies reproued they of Galathia much more out of square in Iohns time Ephesus and Sâ—yrna in better state then Thiatyra and Pergamus were and yet all of them no doubt parts of the visible church so standeth the cause betwixt Rome and vs so farre as lawfully we may we haue held and do hold fellowship with them we acknowledge theÌ„ to be of the family of Iesus Christ and our heartie prayer vnto God Almightie is that being conioyned so farre forth with them they may at length if it be his will so yeeld to frame and reforme themselues that no distraction remaine in anie thing but that we all may with one heart and one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord and Sauiour whose church we are As there are which make the church of Rome no church at all vtterly so we haue them amongst vs who vnder pretence of imagined corruptions in our discipline do giue euen as hard a iudgement of the church of England it selfe But whatsoeuer either the one sort or the other teach we must acknowledge euen heretikes themselues to bee though a maimed part yet a part of the visible church For as to baptize is a proper action belonging vnto none but the church of Christ which is true in the church of Rome howsoeuer some Anabaptists account it but a mockerie so if an infidell should pursue to death an heretike professing christianitie onely for christian profession sake could the church denie him the honour of Martyrdome Yet this honour all men know to be proper vnto the church and therefore where the Fathers make opposition betwixt the visible church and hereticall companies as often times they doe they are to bee construed as separating heretikes not altogether from the companie of beleeuers but from the fellowship of sound beleeuers for where profest vnbeleefe is there can be no visible church of Christ there may be where sound beleefe wanteth Infidels being cleane without the church denie directly and vtterly reiect the very principles of Christianity which heretikes imbrace and erre onely in misconstruction And therefore it is strange that you dare affirme the Turke to hold any part of the christian faith or to bee in that respect comparable to the church of Rome For that which separateth vtterly that which cutteth off cleane from the visible church of Christ is as Maister Hooker saith plaine Apostasie direct deniall vtter reiection of the whole christian faith as farre as the same is professedly different from infidelitie Heretikes as touching those points of doctrine wherein they faile Schismatikes as touching the quarrels for which or the duties wherein they diuide themselues from their brethren loose licentious and wicked persons as touching their seuerall offences or crimes haue all forsaken the true church of God the church which is sound and sincere in the doctrine that they corrupt The church that keepeth the bond of vnitie which they violate the church that walketh in the lawes of righteousnesse which they transgresse This verie true church of Christ they haue left howbeit not altogether left nor forsaken simply the Church vpon the maine foundations whereof they continue built notwithstanding these breaches whereby they are rent at the top asunder But peraduenture you will say why then doe wee refuse to communicate with the church of Rome more then Zacharie Elizabeth Anna and others did with the high priests corruptions being in both and both remaining parts of the church of God I answer that in the time of our Sauiour Christ the synagogue
Ecclesiasticall work is for the maner of performaÌ„ce ordered by diuers ecclesiastical lawes prouiding that as the sacrament it self is a gift of no mean worth so the ministerie thereof might in all circumstances appeare to bee a function of no small regarde The ministerie of the things diuine is a function which as God did himselfe institute so neither may men vndertake the same but by authority and power giuen them in lawfull manner That God which is no way deficient or wanting vnto man in necessaries and hath therfore giuen vs the light of his heauenly truth because without that inestimable benefit we must needes haue wandred in darknesse to our endles perdition and who hath in the like aboundance of mercies ordeined certaine to attend vpon the due execution of requisite parts and offices therein prescribed for the good of the whole world which men therunto assigned doe hold their authority from him whether they be such as himselfe immediately or else the Church in his name inuesteth it being neither possible for all nor for euery man without distinction conuenient to take vpon him a charge of so great importance and therfore very fitly the Church of England affirmeth that it is not lawfull for any one to take to himselfe the office of preaching publikely or administring the Sacraments in the Church except he be first lawfully called to doe thâ—se things For God who hath reserued euen from the first beginning of the world vntill the end therof a Church vnto himselfe vpon earth against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile hath likewise appointed a perpetuall ministery for the seruice therein which though for outward calling hath not bin euer the same yet continually it was limited in those bounds as a thing most vnmeet and vnlawfull for any man to vndertake that was not called For as it is Gods infinite mercie when he could either saue vs without the ministry of any or by the ministry of Angels yet then to honor man with this dignity to make him a coadiutor dispenser and cohelper in so great a worke so it is his wisdome to appoint both for the auoiding of confusion and vnfitnesse such persons as are truly allotted to so honorable an office which neither before vnder or after the law was euer lawfull without any calling to vndertake The enemies to this religious order of the Church haue bin certaine louers of confusion which vnder pretence of the calling of the spirit haue ouerboldly intruded themselues into those holy functions for which lawfully they had neuer warrant Such were the Enthusiasts Anabaptists Schwenkfeldians who being enemies to all order vnder pretence of a calling from the Holy-ghost which others wanted haue made a passage contrary to that restraint of the Apostle Let no man take vpon him that honor to himselfe but he that is called of God without expectation of lawfull warrant to those duties that in the Church are greatest for in the time before the law it was not permitted to take the office of priesthood vnlesse he either were or had the prerogatiue of the eldest brother This was for the sinne of Ruben deriued to the tribe of Louie first for their zeale in that great idolatry and was after confirmed vnto him in the sedition of Corah and yet not to all of that family either to serue in that tabernacle or to teach throughout all Israel Neither were all ages equally fit vnto this calling it being neither lawfull before fiue and twenty nor after fifty to be admitted to it As also those that were admitted had a speciall consecration for a personall difference from the rest of that family to let them vnderstand that although they and only they of that tribe were to be imployed in those functions yet it was not lawfull to vndertake it without a calling this afterward wheÌ„ better notes of eminencie gaue that allowance which before birth did was with greater reuerence to be expected and to be obserued with a greater care by those whom the Church had inuested with authority to call vnto that charge To these persons because God imparted power ouer his mysticall bodie which is the society of soules and ouer that naturall which is himselfe for the knitting of both in one a worke which antiquity doth call the making of Christs body the same power is in such not amisse both tearmed a kind of marke or Character and acknowledged to be indeleble For ministeriall power is a marke of separation because it seuereth them that haue it from other men and maketh them a speciall order consecrated vnto the seruice of the most high in things wherewith others may not meddle Their difference therfore from other men is in that they are a distinct order and I call it indeleble because they which haue once receiued this power as Maister Hooker saith may not thinke to put it off and on like a cloake as the weather serueth to take it reiect and resume it as oft as themselues liste of which prophane and impious contempt these latter times haue yeelded as of all other kinds of iniquity and apostasie strange examples But let them know which put their hands to this plough that once consecrated vnto God they are made his peculiar inheritance for euer Suspensions may stoppe and degradations vtterly cutte off the vse or exercise of power giuen but voluntarily it is not in the power of man to separate and pull asunder what God by his authority coupleth Neither neede there a reordinatioÌ„ for such as were consecrated by the Church in corrupter times for out of men indued with gifts of the spirit the Church chose her ministers vnto whom was giuen ecclesiasticall power by ordination which they could neither assume or reiect at their owne pleasure Of these without doubt the Apostolick Churches did acknowledge but three degrees at the first Apostles in stead whereof are now Bishops Presbyters and Deacons for there is an error as Maister Hooker saith which beguileth many who much entangle both themselues and others by not distinguishing seruices offices and orders Ecclesiasticall the first of which three and in part the second may be executed by the laity whereas none haue or can haue the third namely order but the clergie Catechists Exorcists Readers Singers and the rest of like sort if the nature only of their labour and paines be considered may in that respect seeme clergie men euen as the fathers for that cause tearme them vsually Clerks as also in regard of the end whereunto they were trained vp which was to enter into orders when yeeres and experience should make them able notwithstanding in as much as they no way differed from others of the laity longer then during that work of seruice which at any time they might giue ouer beeing thereunto but admitted not tyed by irreuocable ordination we finde them alwaies exactly seuered from that body whereof those three before rehearsed orders alone are naturall parts
that the Sacraments by the worke done actiuely doe not affoord grace though rightly vnderstood passiuely they may by the worke done for in that iustification and meanes of righteousnesse whereof man is made partaker by the Sacraments manie things concurre First in Gods behalfe a will that we should vse those sensible elements in Christs behalfe his passion from which the sacraments haue their vertue in the Ministers behalfe his power his will in the receiuers behalfe will faith repentance in respect of the Sacrament it selfe the externall action which ariseth out of the fit application of the matter the form of the Sacraments Now that which in all this actiuely and instrumentally bringeth grace is the externall action which is commonly called the Sacrament This hauing his vertue from his institution and not from anie merit either in the Minister or in him that receiueth For the wil of God which vseth the Sacramēts as that meanes of grace which it hath ordained concurreth actiuely but as a principall cause the passion of Christ concurreth as a cause meritorious the power and the will of the Minister necessarily concurre but as causes further remoued hauing their vse only in effecting the sacramentall action in whose due circumstances of administring he is vnwilling to faile Will faith and repentance are necessarily required in the receiuer that is of yeares not as actiue causes but as fit dispositions for the subiect for faith and repentance make not the sacramentall grace nor giue power to the Sacrament but onely remoue those lets which are hindrances that the Sacraments exercise not that vertue that is annexed to them So that in infants in whom no such disposition is required the sacrament of Baptisme is auaileable without these And therefore to satisfie your demaunds in this Article wee conclude that a man dying without faith and receiuing the sacramentall signes for sacraments he cannot receiue shall not be saued and not receiuing them if his want bee not either negligence or contempt may be saued Yet the latter to vs is fearefull and ordinarily impossible whereas the former is an euidence of our hope and giueth most iust reason charitably to iudge So that we say with Saint Austin he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation but he that contemneth to eate hath not life and therefore shall not come to eternall life And yet those things that hurt the vnworthy receiuer do much profit him who receiueth them as he ought ARTICLE XV. Of Christs Institution IT is not an apprehension equally incident vnto the iudgments of all wise men rightly to conceiue the true dependance of things for those who allow and confesse actions to haue much vertue oftentimes do mistake from whence that vertue commeth this as it happeneth in causes of more vsuall and knowne nature so it is sometimes euen in those things where the authour is but one and he incomparably the best Because he vouchsafeth to admit instruments of a lower conditiō to be agents in the performance of things of so great an vse This maketh men in the sacraments those holy institutions of God left vnto the Church often to faile in a due estimation of them And when they do graunt their vse to be singular yet euen then to doubt whereupon this dependeth because the same things performed by diuers are not the same and those which admit no difference in respect of substance yet are subiect in regard of some circumstance to an alteration either more or lesse From hence hath proceeded the difference in this article which ouer violently you vrge to be betwixt Maister Hooker and our Church of whom as vsually you do you carie too iealous a suspition of too great agreement with the Church of Rome That sacraments haue a vertue euen more then to be onely signes is already proued but whether this vertue be lesse where the Minister hath moe faults or none at all where his intention is not to administer a sacrament that commeth now to be discussed in this place To make the Sacraments depend for their grace vpon the integritie of men were to denie the benefit to a great number without cause and to punish men for a fault that were none of theirs The first of these is denied by fewe nay some are so farre from opinion that sin in the Minister is anie let to the sacrament that they are not affraid to affirme that Sacraments are effectuall though administred by Satan himselfe Doubtlesse few sauing onelie some Anabaptists denie the efficacie of the Sacraments for the defects of life in the lawfull dispensers of them They are inestimable fauours vnto Gods Church not to be measured by the hand from whom immediately wee receiue them but by that Almightie power the fountaine of all goodnesse from whence they do first come For as amongst men it were want either of iudgement or ciuilitie or both lesse to esteeme of the benefit for the meannesse of the messenger where we are vndoubtedly assured that it is the princes seale so in the Sacraments we must esteem them as the seales fauours of God himselfe whatsoeuer the imperfections are in those Ministers from whom we haue them For the defects of men being in the Church and lawfully called to those functions no way touch the efficacie of the Sacraments whose vertue dependeth vpon a higher power And therefore we denie all reiteration of Baptisme whatsoeuer the defects for manners are in those that do first giue it For we are equally baptized into the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost what vnworthines or inequality soeuer remaine in the persons that do baptize For the holinesse of the Sacraments is no way polluted by the vncleannesse of the handes that giue them For those Sacraments which vnreuerently being handled as Saint Austin saith doe hurt the giuer yet euen by their hands profit those that receiue them worthily It was both in Asia and Africk an error longe since that the Sacraments were not firme which were administred by Heretickes or Schismatickes separated from the vnity of the Church The first author of this was Agrippinus Bishop of Carthage whom Saint Cyprian succeeded as Saint Austine writeth and was a little infected with the same errour After these were the Donatists but we wil not labour for confirmation of this point because you obiect nothing against Master Hooker in it And it is no controuersie at all betwixt vs and the Church of Rome and therfore we say with the auncient Fathers Stephanus Siricius Innocentius the first Leo Anastasius the second in his epistle to Anastasius the Emperour with the councels first the generall councell of Nice often alledged by Saint Austin to this ende the first councell of Carthage the last assembly at Trent with the testimonies of Fathers and Doctors and according to the articles of our Church by you alledged That by the malice of wicked men which are ouer the administration
the happinesse of their countrey in the ashes of anothers greatnesse Thus God both in mercie and iudgement in mercie to them that die and in iudgement to those that are left behind doth before the fulnesse of yeares cut off those men whom other mens erring affections haue aduaunced too high conueying that from the presence of vnstable mindes whereunto desert and weakenesse whilest it was in our sight gaue strength that it could bewitch This oftentimes I confesse hath beene my priuate contemplation when I haue seene Parents vntimely to loose their children In whom they tooke most pride Churches those persons of greatest ornament the cōmon wealth those that were worthiest of all honor as if God had bin iealous that these would haue stolne our honor loue from him And therfore wise was the answer of that mother who in one day losing both her husband her two sonnes said I know O Lord what thou seekest my whole loue Which she thought peraduenture might haue beene lesse if those things had bin left vnto her which she found her selfe apt for to loue too much And therfore as vertuous men haue voluntarily disclosed their owne infirmities scratching as it were the face of beautie least others should too much admire them so I perswade my selfe that Maister Caluin if he now liued would much worse esteeme of your fond commendation then of those speeches which M. Hooker out of iudgement doth write of him He was doubtlesse as Bishop Iewel calleth him a reuerend Father and a worthy ornament of Gods Church and surely they do much amisse who haue sought by vniust slaunders against him a thing too vsuall to derogate from that truth whose strength was not builded vpon mans weaknesse This therefore being the practise of our aduersaries you aske M. Hooker what moued him to make choise of that worthy piller of the Church aboue all other to traduce him and to make him a spectacle before all Christians Giue me leaue to answer you for him who vndoubtedly would haue giuen a farre better answer for himselfe if he had liued There is not one word that soundeth in that whole discourse to any other end towards Maister Caluin but to shew how his great wisedome wrought vpon their weakenesse his knowledge vpon their ignorance his grauitie vpon their inconstancy his zeale vpon their disorders only to establish that gouernement which howsoeuer not necessary for other places was fit enough peraduenture for that town Neither need the present inhabitants thereof take it in euill part that the faultinesse of their people heretofore was by Maister Hooker so farre forth laid open seeing he saith no more then their owne learned guides and pastors haue thought necessarie to discouer vnto the world But what say you hath Master Caluin done against our Church that he should be singled out as an aduersarie Surely that harme though against his will which neuer will bee soundly cured so long as our Church hath any in it to spurne at the reuerend authority of Bishops For howsoeuer those Ecclesiasticall lawes established in Geneua wherein notwithstanding are some strange things might be fit enough to passe for statutes for the gouernement of a priuate Colledge or peraduture some small Vniuersity yet to make them a rule for so great so rich so learned a kingdome as this is must needes be a vaine desire of noueltie idly to attempt and a thing in nature vnpossible to performe And therefore hee cannot bee free as an occasion though no cause of all those troubles which haue disquieted our Church for these many yeares But it may bee M. Hooker spake not thus against M. Caluin of himselfe but perswaded either by our aduersaries in whose mouth he is an inuincible champion or incited vnto it by some of the Reuerend Fathers of our Church and therefore you desire him to resolue you in that point Can it possibly be that you should thinke him a man of so great simplicitie either to be moued to attempt it by the perswasion of others or hauing attempted it that he must needs disclose it are all those flatterings of the Bishops that alleaging of their authorities ended in this to accuse them as Authors of doing that which your conscience maketh you accuse to be euill done Could you perswade yourselfe that those reuerend Fathers whose authorities you alleage in the praise of Caluin would be drawne to substistute another to dispraise him whom themselues commended Is it not a thing differing from sense void of reason contrary to religion And if that be a fault that M. Hooker is commended by our aduersaries in no construction it can be concluded to bee his fault This peraduenture may commend them who are ready to approue learning iudgement and moderation euen in those who are aduersaries but no way can touch those whom they thus commend Vnlesse wee make the conclusion to light heauily vpon the best both for place wisedome and learning that our Church hath Haue not in all ages the Heathen thus commended the Christians and did not Libanius thus thinke Gregorie most worthy to succeed him if he had not been a Christian Can we in reason denie Iulian his learning because an Apostata or Bellarmine and others because they haue written against vs No we willingly giue thē that due that belongs vnto them and hold it not vnmeete to receiue euen from their mouthes without suspition of trechery that commendations which are but the recompence of a iust desert The termes of hostility are too violent and vnreasonable which denie vs thus far to communicate with our verie enemies But you say this was pride in M. Hooker to contemne all those of our owne Church as too weake to encounter with him and therefore he must raise Maister Caluin out of his sweet bed of rest to contend against him And here you vncharitably make a comparison betwixt Golias and Maister Hooker only you say vnlike in this that Golias was content to chalenge one liuing and present in the army demanded but chose not sought for one that was aliue and vaunted not ouer the dead in all which respects by your censure Maister Hooker is more presumptuous To speake the least which is fit to be answered in this place surely hee which will take vpon him to defend that there is no ouersight in this accusation must beware left by such defences he leaue not an opinion dwelling in the minds of men that he is more stiffe to maintaine what he hath spoken then carefull to speake nothing but that which iustly may be maintained that he hath not shunned to encounter those euen the best of that faction in our land your selues can witnesse that he nameth M. Caluin onely to this end to shew the authour of that Discipline which he was to handle you must needes confesse that he rather reprooued another state then discouered the violent and vncharitable proceedings to establish it at home it was his wisdome for we know