doeth nothinge contrarie to the lawes of his Prince because the positiue lawes of men be imperfect as their makers bee Yet a good Christian ought to indeauour in tâ—e obedience of faith That all his actions in Gods worshippe which shall be surely iudged in the day of Iesus bee iustifiable by the word because The Lawe of the Lorde is perfect and the Scriptures are so sufficient That thereby the man of God may bee made absolutely wise vnto saluation I can hardlie withhold my self from disputing this case Because I see That this distinction openeth a gate to sinne and superstition For as he who teacheth That all thinges in Gods worship for which we must aunswere before God must be according to the word restraineth mans inuentioÌ„s occasioneth the godly more throughlie to reley on the scriptures so he who teacheth That it is sufficient that nothing be contrary to the word giueth too much occasion of libertie to mans inventions and causeth wise men according to the flesh to be lesse zealous in searching and depending on the scriptures But I desire the humble and godly to consider whether ceremonies and an ecclesiasticall gouernement may be thrust vpon Christ his Church which is his kingedom without any warrant from Gods word Seeing Moses that extraordinarie Lawgiuer and Bezaleel Aholiab miraculouslie inspired with cunning coulde not make any thing about the Tabernacle no not a payer of snuffers by their owne invention but according to the patterne which God himselfe had shewed vpon the mountaine and seeing our state and Church doeth forbidde setting vp of candles Because it is a worke deuised by mans phantasie besides scripture condemneth Reseruation of the Sacrament Because it is not by Christe his ordinance and is earnest against setting vp of Images in temples though they be not worshipped Because it is not lawfull agreeable to Gods word so to doe To come somewhat neerer the point Suppose such a distinctioÌ„ in God his matters may be admitted yet examine your hearts whether that figg leafe will couer your nakednesse Sith the Bishoppes Priests and Deacons of our Church are saide in the Booke of Consecration to bee called to their seuerall ministrations according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ And by your subscription to the thirde of the ArchBb Articles ye prosesse That ye beleeue all the articles conteined in the Book of Articles of ReligioÌ„ set forth Anno 1562 the 36. whereof allowed Bishopps c. to bee agreeable to God yet notwithstanding ye haue bene still seeme to be perswaded in your conscience That our Bishops haue not their calling from God but were set vp by man and setled by custome for vnities sake A thirde sorte of subscribers would couer their heads with the shield not of faith but of humaine pollicie and stand to it That of two euils the lesse is to be chosen And therfore some things are to be tolerated rather than the Church should lose the benefite of their ministerie Wherevnto though the Reasoner hath well aunswered by opposing the wisedom of the Spirite which forbiddeth vs to lye Howsoeuer thereby the veritie of God might more abounde vnto his glorie and by shewing Howe this lye or politique subscription draweth a curse and not a blessing vppon the ministerie of subscribers against their owne conscience Yet giue me leaue to speak somewhat to this excuse I will not vrge the opinioÌ„ of that most reuerend learned and godlie diuine Maister Beza who can giue no other couÌ„cel than that Ministers hauing testified their innocencie and tried all remedies in the feare of the Lord should giue place to manifest violence when they be commaunded not onlie to tollerate the ceremonies and ecclesiasticall gouernement of our Church but also to allowe them by their hand writing For there is great difference betweene toleration and subscription But I would learne whether that ground of pollicie be not to be vnderstood rather of the euils of payne and punishment than of the euils of sinne and guiltines Sith by the doctrine of our Church No sinne is veniall or pardenable in it selfe And I make this Quaere Whether silence inforced or temporizing subscription be the greater euill Concerning the former This is my perswasion That as God who needeth not the lye of politique subscription but can butide his Church as hee will doeth not giue an ordinarie blessing to the ministerie of such subscribers so the very silencing of faithful ministers that staÌ„d fast in the libertie wherewith Christe hath made vs free against the bondage of mans inventions doeth turne rather as Paules bands to the furthering of the Gospel For If an hundred godlie ministers were suspended for not subscribing to all the ArchBishoppes Articles I doubt not but that their silencing would preach reformation very effectuallie Wheras your temporizing subscriptioÌ„ doth hurt many wayes For therby the ArchBb is so hartened in his course that he hath resolutelie said That sith God hath so blessed him therin that fewe of any accoumpte withstand the same hee would not giue it ouer now Is not then your politique subscribing the cause why those few be so hardlie dealt with That no mediation can prevaile in their behalfe To say nothing of prosessours who seeing you who haue stood in the gappe to subscribe at the last do thinke those few that now stand more precise than wise and become therfore lesse comfortable to them than they haue bin But answer me Is not this affliction added to their sufferings by your fault I say more By your subscriprioÌ„ ye may seeme in some sort guilty of preiudicing your brethren not onely for the time present but for euer hereafter except by the standing out of some prescription be interrupted For as many things enacted by Law are antiquated by non vsage so many thinges not coÌ„manded by law are established by custome and prescription This is not all For as Peters example drew not onely the Iewes but Barnabas also into dissimulation with him so your temporizing subscription hath bene and daily will be an occasion to many weak ones if not of falling yet of stumbling if not of going backe into Egypt yet of looking backe toward Sodome So that few be now so zealous for reformation as they haue bene Which must needes be a great offence and that giuen by you If in your iudgement there be neede of reformation Shall I tell you That hee who woundeth weake consciences doeth sinne against Christ who pronounceth an heauie iudgment against him that offendeth any of his litle ones Nay rather I beseech you by the mercies of God That If your own heart condemne you for subscribing against your conscience ye would feare him that is greater than you hearte remember from whence yee be fallen repent and doe the first workes REASONS why faithfull Ministers should not be depriued or suspended for peaceable omission of prescribed ceremonies much
lesse for not subscribing to thē and all other partes of ecclesiasticall policie as to ordinances not contrarie to the worde of God FIRST their omission and scruple of such subscription is meerely of a cōscience fearfull to offend in allowing by acte or hande any thing not warrantable by the worde and therefore a meere invention of man According to that of zealous Dauid I hate vaine inuentions but thy Lawe doe I loue For in a godly ielousie of that spiritual whordome whereof the people of GOD ought carefullie to take heede they holde That what soeuer is not according to the expresse scripture or sound conclusion from the same is contrary to the worde Which their opinion omission aunswering therevnto seemeth vnto them grounded vppon the worde and iudgement of authoritie But sith it is not answerable to my present purpose here to sett down manie of their reasons drawne from the sufficiencie of the scriptures which can suffer neither adding nor diminishing declining to the right nor to the lefte hande from the sinceritie of the Gospell whiche can not brooke Iewishe much lesse Romishe ceremonies And from sundrie other good cōsiderations generall and particular I onely craue fauour to sett down one or two That the tendernes of their cōscience may somwhat appeare to proceede not from conceipted scrupulositie without at least some probable perswasions THE generall precept of the Apostle Walke as children of the light approuing that which is pleasing to the Lorde and haue no fellowship with vnprofitable workes of darknesse concerneth not onely corrupt manners but vnprofitable ceremonies deuised by man without warrant of the worde at least by good consequence For it is an Apostolicall canon Let all things be done vnto edification And it is a Propheticall direction To the Lawe and to the Prophetes If they speake not according to this worde it is because there is no light in them But the saide faithfull Ministers see not howe ceremonies prescribed are profitable notwitstanding their godly significations pretended For if Christ who in these last dayes speaketh euidently by his Gospell and spirit had iudged signifying ceremonies convenient vnto edification he would not haue abolished so many prescribed by Moses as being fitt for children and appointed so few and those not onely for signification but principallie to be seales of spirituall graces And therefore this addition of signifying ceremonies seemeth vnto them to eclipse the glorie of Christ his wisedome and faithfulnes in providing for the full instruction of his people contrarie to the scriptures which giue him testimonie that he is as onely so a sufficient Teacher of his Church Neither doe they see how the signifying ceremonies bee otherwise according to the worde And the rather because that other cānon of the Apostle Let all things bee done honestlie and by order so much vrged in their defence doeth onelie commaund decent disposing of ceremonies of order not of figure and not that what soeuer may seeme tending to decencie is therefore to bee thrust into the Church In consideration of which so conceiued vnprofitablenes and vnwarrantablenes the saide Ministers dare not haue fellowship with prescribed ceremonies In giuing allowaunce by vsing or subscribing Againe this fearfulnesse of prescribed ceremonies and generall subscriptiō seemeth to them to be groūded 1 vpon the second commandment 2 the second petition 3 an vse of the Lords supper aunswerable to that article of our Creede where we say I beleeue that the Church is an holy cōmunion of Sainctes For the seconde commandement forbidding vs to bowe or yeeld to any Idoll of mans invencion vnder the name of Grauen Imaege the chief Idoll as all vncleannes is forbidden vnder the name of adulterie the grossest pollucion of the fleshe doeth withall commaund all thinges in and about the seruice of God to be according to his revealed will As appeareth by the opposition or relatiue respect of these wordes Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image to these of them that loue me keepe my commaundements And further by conferring the vse of Fringes whiche the children of Israell were to make vpon the border of their garments set down in these wordes And yee shall haue the fringes that when yee looke vppon them yee may remember all the commaundementes of God and doe them And that ye seeke not after your owne heart nor after your owne eyes after which ye goe a whoring In the second petition we pray That GOD would raigne in his Church by the worde of his Kingdome whiche teacheth vs That as a worldly kingdome cannot brooke two Monarches So Christ to whom the Father hath committed all iudgement is onely Maister among his Disciples onely Prince among his people And therefore the Apostle hauing reprooued the vnprofitable traditions of men As touch not taste not handle not exhorteth the Colossians to seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hande of God As if hee should saye Christ onely ruleth Therefore ye are not to obey the commaundements of men but to be ruled by him onely The vse of the Lordes Supper before mencioned Saint Paule him self maketh when he thus argueth Wheras the bread which we breake is the cōmunion of the body of Christ that is a seale of that communion which we haue with Christ and one with an other in him Therefore we must be so farr from hauing any fellowship with Idolaters that how so euer we pretend the safe keeping of our hearts for God yet we must not no not onely in bodie be present at Idolatrous seruice From all which they thinke verilie that the spirit of God it selfe maketh this argument What communion hath the light of the worde with the darknes of mans inventions What cōcorde hath Christ our Sauiour with Beliall the Antichrist of Rome And what agreement hath the Temple of God which is our selues with Idolls of humane traditiōs Wherfore come out of Babilon that is the confusion or confused worship and gouernment of Rome touch no vnclean thing But as man him selfe who is borne in sinne and conceyued in iniquitie so his own inventions which make him more sinfull can not bee sanctified but by the worde The hypothesis or ground of this conclusion is a perswasion That the ceremonies which they stumble at bee not onelie the inventions of man but parte also of the scarlet woman her fornications yea notwithstanding they were in vse before Antichrist was exalted As circumcision was parte of the ceremoniall law notwithstanding it was not of Moses but of the Fathers And therefore such ceremonies are by thē in their zeale iudged to be more fitting the whore of Babylon then beseeming the chaste spouse of Christ who should be conformable to her husbande in simplicitie and sinceritie That their dislike of prescirbed ceremonies may 〈…〉 to them grounded
cunning but counterfet prophesie of Hannaniah make him laye his hande vppon his mouth for a time yet the worde of God will be in his heart as a burning fire so that he shalbe wearie of forbearing and not able to stay from prophecying yokes of yron in steed of those wodden ones which Hananiah did or would break And the rather because Maist Hooker too friendlie a censurer of Papistes hath by dawbing ouer not onelie the walles of ceremonies but also the grossest corruptions and that with vntempered Morter provoked Ieremie or some of the Prophetes to stand in the gappe to contend for the trueth and so to knowe not his wordes but his power For the kingdome of GOD is not in worde but in power Lastlie it is to be feared That such cōtention only about supposed reliques of Rome Such stopping of the passage of Gods word which should be free and glorified and that to vphold but mans inuentions And such extreame dealing with brethren yea Fathers to be respected onely for ceremonies helde but as indifferent thinges will at last drawe vpō the whole lande most heauie iudgements if it bee not by better courses prevented For if by contention we byte one another let vs take heede least we be cōsumed one of another For so adviseth the Apostle in a like contention Againe if God cast away Saul from being King because he cast away the worde of the Lord followed his owne device If God destroyed children onely for mocking a Prophet And if he that is least in the kingdome of God is greater then John Baptist who was more then a Prophet Thē if rulers of Gods householde neglecting their proper duetie of giuing each one his porciō of meat in due season beginne to smite their fellowes and that more seuerelie then can stande with mercie iudgement Thereby manifestinge greater contempt of their brethren then childish mocking It is I saye to bee feared That he by whose prescription Paul and Barnabas expelled by the Iewes shooke off the duste of their feete in witnes against thē will in time sende foorth his wrath to destroy them that ouer sharpelie intreat his seruants TO CONCLVDE If Ministers make scruple of conformitie in prescribed ceremonies and of generall subscription merelie of conscience groūded as it may seeme to them selues to others vpon Gods worde and our Churches iudgement And cōvenient respect is to be had of such consciences Secondlie if by the practise and precept of the Apostle indifferent things are not to bee inforced against the conscience of anie and by the doctrine of our Church traditions of men are but indifferent things And therefore onely open and wilfull contemners are openlie to be rebuked the said Ministers are freed from wilfull contempt by manie argumcntes Thirdlie if the extreeme censures of deprivation and suspencion onely for peaceable omission not of diuine seruice but of ceremonies bee without lawe As it is conceiued probably and inforcing generall subscription be besides the statute so perceyued evidentlie and the rather because subscription according to the Statute is tendered willingly Fourthly if harder measure should not be offered to faithfull Ministers not the worst of her Maiesties subiects then to ciuill men in ciuill causes and to vnlearned Priestes tollerated for personall pitie and the churches necessitie And learned Preachers be as needfull as bare Readers And fifthly If many and great inconueniences accompanie or follow such extreame dealing As first inforcing manie to cōformitie against their consciences whereby they prouoke Gods curse vppon their giftes and labours Secondlie Exposing the Church to the daunger of the wolfe and theefe by thrusting or keeping out faithfull Pastours and enterteyning idoll sheepeheardes idle Non-residents Thirdlie Confirmation of Papistes through want of teaching not prosecuting thē for zeale against Puritans and countenaūcing their supposed ceremonies Fourthlie Occasioning schisme and contention present and to come And fifthlie Confusion threatned by contention or some heauie iudgement of GOD for stopping the passage of his word and mouthes of his Messengers only for omission of mans inventions Then there may seeme to bee reason why faithfull Ministers should not be depriued or suspended for peaceable omission of prescribed ceremonies much lesse for not subscribing to thē all other partes of ecclesiasticall policie as to ordinances not contrarie to the worde of God Inducements to make a Quaere whether peaceable omission onely of ceremonies be punishable by 1 o Eliz. Cap. 2 o. When that statute was made the law makers did not imagine That any willing to obserue the forme of seruice Sacraments would make scruple of so few ceremonies reteyned considering Poperie was but then reformed And therfore as it may be probably coniectured they neuer thought of prouiding punishment for omission only of ceremonies Which may be the rather supposed if these Inducements from the statute it selfe be well considered VVHEREAS the said statute prouiding against 3 offences touching the booke of cōmon prayer To wit 1. Refusing 2. Wilful vsing anie other And 3. Deprauing the same expresseth rites ceremonies in the 2. latter but in the 1. speaketh onely of forme order of prayer and Sacramentes In all likelihood it was not intended to punish peaceable omission only of ceremonies so the forme bee obserued For if there had ben anie such meaning ceremonies would have bin mēcioned especially in the first place But the Law makers who in that statute appoint degrees of punishments wisely considered That how soeuer wilfull vsing anie other forme or ceremonie and deprauing either forme or ceremonie prescribed were daūgerous in policy Yet peaceable omission only of ceremonies could not be daūgerous and therefore not to be punished with like seueritie AND the rather because ceremonies are subiect to inconueniences For which cause authority is giuē vnto her Majestie to add or alter by aduice So that it appeareth that ceremonies were not so established as the forme And therefore reason why the law-makers sett downe no punishment for peaceable omission only of ceremonies so the forme be obserucd THAT by forme and order the statute understandeth not ceremonies but the texte wordes or matter to be read in seruice and administration of Sacramentes Appeareth by authorizing the forme and order of King Edwardes booke set forth in the fifth and sixt yeares of his raigne with one alteracion or addicion of certen lessons c. But no word of alteration or addition of ceremonies in that place as afterward Where wee are referred to the second yeare of his raigne Which is to be noted LASTLY vsing another forme is not punished by that statute but as it is wilfull and ioyned with refusing the forme prescribed Therefore it may be probably conceiued that peaceable omission not of diuine seruice but onely of ceremonies is not punishable by the statute with so great seueritie THE Hypothesis of these Inducements is a perswasion That where
as a Professor of the worde and no student in lawe That whereas Habacuc compareth wicked men devouring men more righteous then they to fishes of the sea that haue no ruler ouer them wee may learne that were there is a soueraigne one subiect is not to tyrannize ouer an other without lawfull authoritie FOVRTHLIE let it be supposed That peaceable omissiō not of diuine seruice but of Ceremonies bee punishable in some sorte by some law or other And that the Bb. of Canterburie his generall subscription were to be inforced by law Yet sith no statute so farre as they knowe doeth expreslie set downe what punishment is due to either offence they thinke that in equitie their fault and in discretion their calling is so to be regarded that punishment deserued exceede not the fault committed But losse of liuing by depriuation or suspencion is the next punishment to death Therefore they complaine that more then severitie is done against them For if it bee a grieuous punishment to fyne a laye man so called 10. 20. or 30. pound May not the greeued spirites of faithfull Ministers sigh yea crie vnto God for that their bondage is such That onelie omission and that of cōscience with peace is corrected with no lesse punishment than losse of liuing Authoritie doeth not esteeme them as Ieroboams Priestes the basest of the people And the word doeth exhorte vs to knowe them and to haue them in singular loue for their workes sake Yea it straightlie forbiddeth vs to touch his anoynted or to doe his Prophetes anie harme because God hath reproued Kings for their sakes Bee it therefore farre from vs to admitt it to be the pleasure of our gracious and Christian Queene That discreet and able Teachers of her own profession should be subiect to such extremities without sufficient lawe or so deseruing faultes Againe vnlearned Priestes that can but read and therefore not to be admitted to take charge of soules by anie warrant of God or Man are generally tollerated not onely for want of Ministers but also in pitifull regard of them selues their wiues and their children If there be greater want of Preachers thē of Readers If as great pitie to bee shewed to Preachers brought vp in learning fiō their infancie and therefore lesse able to shift for them selues theirs than Readers that may liue by their trades or occupations seruices or other labours from which they came And if there be no partialitie in Church gouernours Then Preaching Ministers may expect tolleration of peaceable omission or at least mitigation of so grecuous extremities LASTLIE the due consideration of manie and great inconveniences which accompanie or followe so extreame proceedinges may mooue such as loue Christ and the sheepe of his pasture more then them selues or priuate respectes to allowe or consent to tolleration or mitigatiō in these cases For first such proceedinges constreyne manie to vse ceremonies and generallie to subscribe against their owne consciences As may appeare by their protestations or limitations before and by their concealing or excusing after subscription Whereby they sinne and so drawe vppon them selues and their labours a curse and not a blessing For their pretence of choosing the lesse of two euills according to the counsell of politiques will not iustifie them against the doctrine of the Apostle which is That how soeuer the veritie of God might more abounde through our lye vnto his glorie yet we must not doe euill that good may come of it Therefore as the spirit of God departed from Saul and an euill spirit vexed him after hee had sinned against his conscience vnder pretence of a good ende So all such cōformers may feare that which is seene in too manie least the good graces of Gods spirit decay in them and they prooue as ill or worse in negligent teaching heaping vp of liuings and inveighing against such as stande for reformatio than they that neuer pretended like sinceritie Secondlie such stopping of the mouthes of painefull and profitable Preachers for ceremonies sake is no lesse punishment to the Church it selfe thā to the Preachers yea so much the greater because feare of troubles for ceremonies make manie convert their studies to Phisicke Lawe or otherwise idoll sheepheardes or idle Nonresidentes are for the most parte thrust into the places of faithfull Pastours remoued So that the proverbe is fulfilled Where Prophesie faileth the people are scattered Thirdlie such thrusting out of faithfull Ministers Watchmē for ceremonies is occasion as of much sinne so of manie papists who are increased or confirmed partlie through want of that diligent teaching whiche is in Cities and good Townes as one of themselues obserueth partlie by impunity For as the Turkes haue lesse feared Croysadoes euer since the Pope his vassalls haue fet them selues against the Lutherans so Papistes doe lesse feare the high Cōmission when they see the B. of Canterburie and his Colleagues most earnest against Puritanes so called And therefore as it is generallie to be obserued sincere Preachers are for the most parte accused and persecuted by Church-papistes and partlie by that conceipt which Papistes take of the rest of their religion when they see such zeale for their supposed ceremonies For Bristow makes it a speciall motiue to Poperie That in ceremonies and our booke of common prayer we apishlie imitate so apishlie hee writeth Catholiques and the Masse booke And therefore some English protestantes are scornefullie termed Caluin-papistes for such conformitie Fourthlie such vrging of ceremonies hath bene and is likelie to be the occasion of scisme and contention amongest professours of the same faith and religiō For they that suffer think them selues bound to followe the example of Christ in approuinge as they may the omissiō of ceremonies least their suffering should bee scandalous they them selues for so suffering traduced as ill doers Agayne professours occasioned by such suffering diligentlie to consider the cause finde thē selues bound as well as their Teachers to iustifie wisdome in such sorte as becometh her childrē Hence it is that the multitude is deuided some holding with the Iewes some standing with the Apostles whereas if vrging on the one side and confuting on th'other side were giuen ouer our Church would be at vnity in it self As the reformed Churches in France Scotland and the low coūtries are for there is no generall differēce amongst vs but about Romish so reputed Policie Otherwise it is not to be expected though wished that contention will so surcease For to saye nothing of the schisme of the Brownistes to whō these ceremonies are great stumbling blockes and therfore to be remooued or not so grievouslie vrged least the rent of our Church prooue greater and greater I am perswaded That howsoeuer the rayling of manie and feare on euerie side inforce Ieremie to cease speaking in the name of God and the