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
This will appeare more fully howsoeuer you mislike it â—f we consider but a little those seruices and duties about which they were imployed The first were doorekeepers for we omitte the first tonsor which was not any order but a preparation whose office was as Maister Caluin noteth to open and to shut the doores of the temple we agree in this with the Church of Rome our diffrenece is for the ordination of them The second were readers the duty of these as Zanchy saith was only to reade the Bible without any exposition in a pulpit or place more eminent then the rest so that in the compasse of a whole yeere it was fully finished and read ouer this was to make the people who could not read more familiarly acquainted with the holy scriptures Of this duty S. Cyprian in his Epistles hath written most as of one Aurelius beeing made a Reader of one Saturâ—s as also of Celerinus which afterward was a Martyr The difference betwixt vs in this point and the Church of Rome is that they make it a certaine degree and order which Maister Caluin doth not which in my opinion is no material difference seeing vndoubtedly the Church by speciall ordination without Ecclesiasticall order appointed those whom she vsed in those places The next were exorcists with vncleane spirits but this was rather doubtlesse a peculiar gift then any ordinary office in Gods Church The next were disputers which were appointed with all commers to defend the religion against the heathen The next were Acolouthi attendants vpon the Bishops with whom these had for their learning and reuerend behauiour that familiarity that they were thought fittest to succeede in the place of Bishops This as it was an imployment of great respect so it is retained in the Church of Rome at this day with too meane a regard for so reuerend a place The next were Singers for it was thought vnfit that a Bishop a Presbyter or Deacon should doe this The last which we wil reckon was the Catechists whose office was to teach children and others conuerted the summe of Christian doctrine This dutie was referred to learned men sometimes Presbyters Doctors or Deacons but not euer For though Origen and Clemens were both Doctors and Catechists in Alexandria yet all that were Catechists and so allowed to expound and teach the Scriptures were not of necessitie admitted to holy orders and so consequently as the word is properly taken by Maister Hooker none of the Clergie I say properly for Clergie is a general name for all those whose lot and portion is the Lord More specially for those who are students in diuinity after are to enter into holy orders Of these there were Colledges after the Apostles as before Colledges of the Prophets And out of these were taken such as the Church without Ecclesiasticall ordination vsed in those seruices which before are mentioned Out of all which it is most apparant that from the Clergie in respect of ministeriall power these are iustly seuered This is that which you mislike esteeming it a thing vnfit for any man to preach that hath not a ministerial calling Neither doth Maister Hooker determine how fit it is that this should be performed by men who are not entred into orders but that this hath sometimes beene the practise of the Church howsoeuer now performed by men of another calling there is no man of anie reading can possibly doubt Neither is the practise in some Colledges of diuines at this day altogether vnlike where men are admitted euen for exercise or triall to interpret expound the Scriptures which are not as yet but hereafter may be consecrated to an Ecclesiasticall function Now whereas you scoffe at the word Character as if there were no stamp at al which made a difference betwixt the Clergie and the Laity know that where there is a chaÌ„ge of estate with an impossibility of returne there we haue reason to account an indeleble character to bee imprinted This faith the Church of Rome is in Baptisme Confirmation Order Of the last of which we only contend at this time For any thing that I reade Saint Austin was the first that vsed the word in this sense and no doubt of it in Baptisme there is that mark stamped vpon vs in that we are baptized that there is a passiue power as the Schoolemen call it which maketh a man in time fit to receiue the rest which they cal Sacraments and without which they are truly accounted void This forme figure impession or character is called indeleble because that is not to be reiterated froÌ„ whence it commeth The character of Order is an actiue power as the Schoolemen speake which giueth an abilitie publikely to administer the SacrameÌ„ts vnto those whoÌ„ the church hath esteemed fit From whence proceedeth the second great exception which you haue taken in this Article namely that Maister Hooker seemeth to grant a libertie as for Catâ—chists to preach who are no Ministers so also for women in cases of some necessitie to Baptise contrary say you both to that most Reuerend Archbishop and others who constantly affirme that God wel ordred Churches forbid women all dispensation of holy mysteries Wee are not to dispute what lawes giue allowance to the performance of this office nor what care ought to make restraint from too vsuall a libertie of doing it without great necessitie seeing weaknesse is commonly bold and boldnesse a presumptuous intruder where it hath least cause But this we say which M. Hooker hath proâ—ed already that Baptisme by women is truly Baptisme good and effectual to those that haue it neither doe all those exceptions of sexe qualitie insufficiencie or whatsoeuer serue to frustrate such as the Church of her indulgence is willing to admit from being partakers of so great a benefit To make women teachers in the house of God were a grosse absurditie seeing the Apostle hath said I permit not a woman to teach and if any from the same ground exclude them froÌ„ other publike offices in the Church wee are not much against it But to womens Baptisme in priuate by occasion of vrgent necessitie the reasons that concerne ordinarie Baptisme in publike are no iust preiudice neither can we by force thereof disproue the practise of those Churches which necessity requiring allow Baptisme in priuate to be administred by women We may not from lawes that prohibite any thing with restraint conclude absolute and vnlimitted prohibitions For euen things lawfull are well prohibited when there is feare least they make the way to vnlawful more easie it may be the libertie of Baptisme by women at such times doth sometimes embolden the rasher sort to do it where no such necessity is But whether of permission besides law or in presumption against law they do it which now is no part of the question in hand it is not hereby altogether frustrate void
yet such as would seem in zeale to the present state to desire a resolution in some points that might otherwise giue offence It may be peraduenture the worke of some one who desirous to gaine an opinion amongst his followers vndertaketh to speake as from the minds of many hoping those demaunds how idle soeuer will gaine answer being to satisfie a multitude which no doubt M. Hooker in his wisdome patience and grauity would easily haue contemned if they had but beene the priuate cauils and obiections of some one For there is no man but thinketh manie how light so euer in themselues being vnited may haue that weight to chalenge euen by a ciuill right a direct answer from one euerie way farre better then had beene fitting for their modestie weaknesse to prouoke Well whosoeuer they are as I cannot easily coniecture so I am not curious to knowe this age hath affoorded an infinite number whom superstitious feare for want of true vnderstanding and an ignorant zeale not directed with discretion haue made violent in matters of Religion vsing the razor in steed of a knife and for hatred of tares oftentimes pulling vp good corne But with these we will deale with that temperate moderation as may serue to giue true worthinesse a iust defence and impatient and furious spirits vnlesse desperately violent no iust cause to find themselues to be grieued with vs. This which wee are to answer is tearmed by them A Christian letter of certaine English Protestants vnfained fauorers of the present state of religion authorised and professed in England vnto that reuerend and learned man M. Richard Hooker Thus the humilitie and mild temper of their superscription may peraduenture gaine the reading at some mens hands through an opinion that Protestants and manie and in a Christian letter would hardly be caried with violence so far to make demaunds seasoned with so little modestie learning or vnderstanding These men they may be as we take the word largely Protestants for anie thing that I know that is men outwardly of the Christian religion who liue and professe a doctrine for the most part opposite to the Church of Rome but I can hardly be perswaded that the Letter being wholy an vnciuill Ironie is either Christian or that themselues are vnfained fauourers of the present state of religion or that they thinke M. Hooker to be either reuerend or learned in their opinions For whatsoeuer they may pretend in vrging the reuerend Bishops of our Church against his assertions as though they ascribed much vnto them yet their desire is to make an opposition appeare and in that shewe of contradiction to make themselues sport in the end proudly and maliciously to contemne both But Saint Iames telleth these that if anie man seeme religious and refraine not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans religion is vain And in this I appeale to the censure of the most modest and discreet amongst themselues by what shew of reason they could tearme that Letter to bee Christian wherein were contained so many vnseasoned and intemperate speeches or that man to be either reuerend or learned whom they haue vsed with so little respect and accused of so manie defects But doubtlesse as they neuer thought him to be either reuerend or learned whom all that knew him whilest he liued knew to be both so they little desired that their Letter should be such a one as might worthily be accounted Christian. Else what meane these accusations to account his goodly promises meere formall and great offers to serue only to hoodwink such as mean wel as though by excellency of words and intising speeches of mans wisedome he ment as they say to beguile and bewitch the Church of God A little after they call him a goodly Champion and by the sweet sound of your melodious stile almost cast into a dreaming sleepe which stile notwithstanding afterwards they account not vsual but long and tedious far differing from the simplicity of holy scripture and a hard and harsh stile for the manner of the stile we shall make our defence when we answere that Article But in that you scoffingly account him a goodly Champion giue me leaue to tell you that if our Church were throughly furnished with such men the holy function of our calling had not growne in contempt by ignorant and vnlearned ministers our peace had not bin troubled with furious and violent spirits worldly men had not seazed vpon the Church with such eagernes through an opinion of the vnworthines of the clergie they of the Church of Rome had not thus long remained obstinate through the violent proceedings of vndiscreet men whose remedies were worse then the disease it selfe nor last of all the generall amendment of life the fruite of our preaching had not bin so small if these turbulent heads had not more desired to make Hypocrits then truely religious It is much safer to praise the dead then the liuing hauing seene the period of their dayes expired when neither he that is praised can be puffed vp nor he that doth praise can be thought to flatter hee was as Saint Austine sayd of Saint Cyprian of such desert of such a courage of such a grace of such a vertue that as Theodosius sayd of S. Ambrose I haue known Ambrose who alone is worthy to be called a Bishop of whom I dare giue that iudgement though he were in true estimation great already which Antigoras gaue of Pirrhus that he would haue bin a very great man if he had bin old Great in his own vertues of great vse in the Church in al appâ—rance though these times be vnthankefull of great authoritie I let passe those other tearmes which shew your letter to bee vnchristian vntill we come to their particular answers and thus much for the title It hath bin no new thing in all ages that reprehension hath waited vpon those books which zeale from a vertuous minde hath written to support the truth for the nature of man is much apter to reproue others then reforme it selfe seeing to see faults in others is an act of the vnderstanding if they bee and of a frowardnes of the will if they be not but to rectifie them in ourselues must be the worke of a cleare vnderstanding and a reformed will therfore vsually men practise themselues what they punish in others so that no man can directly conclude that all men hate what they do accuse Therefore Saint Hierom of whome saith S. Austin no man knew that whereof S. Hierom was ignorant oftentimes complaineth of the detractions slaunders and vntrue accusations of euill men These for the most part are vnstaid violently caried with the current of the present time sometimes bitterly either vpon discontentments or to please others inueighing against those whom themselues before out of flattery not iudgement haue highly praised Thus Libanius the sophister who was eloquent against
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
flattery to acquite them frō al imperfections in that kind euen vpon the religiō it self which had no more affinity with the faults that were in them then they had with the framing of that religion which proceeded first from no weaker author then God himselfe The last is y e wrong which our church hath euen frō those who vndoubtedly would seem in their zealous affection exceedingly to fauour both The ground of which wrong proceedeth only from hence that those persons y ◠gouernment which place time and other necessities caused them to frame ought without exception to be an absolute patterne to al the Churches that were round about them In so much that that gouerment which was at the first so weake that without the staffe of their approbation who were not subiect vnto it themselues it had not brought others vnder subiection began now to challenge an vniuersal obedience and enter into open conflict with the most Churches of Europe but especially with those which in desperate extremity had bin releiuers of it Thus because some few who neither in quality nor place were much distant from Geneua in opinion of Maister Caluin were content to follow their forme of gouernment others not weighing the riches of that mercy which had made their own Church too great and honorable to be framed to so narrow poore ascantling began stormingly to repine that presently al things were not so bared to y e patterne of those Churches which in their opinions were most reformed So that whatsoeuer any man spake or wrote in disallowance of that to be our modell to beframed by or truly to the laying open of those conflictes conquered with great policy which Maister Caluin had in the first establishing of that gouernment all sounded harshly in the eares of these men and was plainly construed to be a direct disgracing of Maister Caluin which could be nothing else as you say but a discouery of a popish and vnsound affection Where before I answere to this I must first tell them that if they should with the like importunity seek to frame vs to the exāple of the primitiue church in respect of gouernment we should tell them that Israel are not bound to the same things in Canaan that they were in the desert nor that those reuerend Fathers 〈◊〉 Bishops who succeed in that apostolick charg are not for their maintenance and state though the authority be all one to be framed to that pouerty which was the portion of those who planted and gouerned the first Churches This being then no such necessity but that the Church may lawfully vse euen those benefits wherwith God hath blessed her setting her feete in a large roume why should men without cause recall her back againe to her daies of mourning or feeding her with the bread of teares coupe her vp in those narrow limites of subiection and want seeing God in his mercy hath prouided for her now the same gouerment to be administred in a richer manner Now how far all men are bounde to speake of those whom they reuerence and loue and yet in some cases do thinke not safe to follow this is that error that hath deceiued many For from hence the priuate ouersights of those who how famous and excellent soeuer were but men haue growne by the violence of some of their followers to be stifly maintained as vndoubted truthes as though there were no difference betwixt being a man not alwaies erring and not erring at all The one is a worthy happines graunted to some few the other a speciall priuiledge not permitted to any meerely man no not to Maister Caluin himselfe This serueth to teach vs that for those things which we doe and beleeue wee haue better warrant then mans inuention and that no man how excellent soeuer except Christ may or ought precisely to be followed in all that he doth For thus while we ad vnto men that honor a great part whereof peraduenture they deserue we detract frō that truth which we make no where to be found but in those who inseparably are followers of their steps That Maister Caluin who is made by you the vnpleasing subiect of this article was as Maister Hooker termeth him the wisest man incomparably that euer the French Church did inioy since the hower it inioyed him I thinke there is no man of any reading that much doubteth and surely for learning and vnwearied paines in his calling men of best iudgement and vnderstanding would be ready enough to giue him that which belonged vnto him if some priuate men out of their loue and zeale did not too greatly ouerlode him with it For doubtlesse we should be iniurious to vertue it selfe if we did derogate from them whom their industry hath made great Two things there are of principall moment which haue deseruedly procured him honor throughout all the world the one his exceeding paines in composing the Institution of Christian religion from which most haue gleaned that haue written since the other his no lesse industrious trauailes in the exposition of holy scripture in which two things whosoeuer they were that after him bestowed their labour he gained the aduantage of preiudice against them if they gainsaide and of glory aboue them if they consented Now out of this so hardly are we taught to keepe a meane proceeded this intollerable fault that many were desirous in an opinion of his worth that all Churches together with his learning shoulde swallow vp without making choice whatsoeuer other imperfections remained in him So that of what account Peter Lumbard was in the church of Rome whom for singular reuerence they called the Maister of the Sentences of the same and more amongst the Preachers of reformed Churches Maister Caluin was And they onely were iudged the perfectest diuines which were skilfullest in Caluins writings His bookes almost were reputed the very Canon for controuersies to be iudged by To this extremity and far greater the partiall affection of loue caried a number of wise men who from approbation growing to strong praises frō praises to admiration frō admiration to a tyrannous opinion that it was wholy vnlawfull in any thing to dissent from him So that now it was almost as necessarie to dispraise him as to commend him because what with discretion the Church before might haue vsed with much profit she scarce now could admit without a generall suspition thorough all Christendome that we durst not in any thing dissent from him And doubtlesse in some weake minds that which at first was but praise in the end was not many steps short of idolatrie So that the practise of Ezechias in breaking to peeces that serpent of brasse wherunto the children of Israel had burnt incense was not altogether vnfit to bee vsed in this case For in kingdomes it is high time either to cut off or disgrace those whom the multitude are willing to puffe vp when neglecting their owne ruine they are content to burie
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