thē by crosse carriage towards them And then no maruaile they cast out a dart for the least creatures haue their splen and their gall And this I will tell you further if shee can draw her sting back againe thē all is well enough with her howsoeuer she haue tickled her molestor But if she leaue it quite behind then through want of choser to inflame her vnto duty she becommeth a drone and loiterer liuing vpon the spoile of others All which may put vs in mind First that a Christian is to be zealous in a good cause but so as he ouershoot not the compasse of his owne good Secondly that a man ouerlashing in zeale doth finally grow to be as cold as a clocke a plaine loiterer liuing vpon the vndeserued paines of others For extremity of zeale ordinarily is turned into extreame security We are therefore to spend our zeale to day as wee may be feruent in the Churches quarrell to morrow Malcon A wise obseruation and godly Medioc Now sir when such a one becomes a plaine loiterer they want not discipline and that a sharp one for procéeding with such a party marke these two bées you shall haue a present instance sée you how that blacker bee is got vpon the iacke of the other sée how she tugs her forward now she tūbles down with her from the stone now she flies vp againe hauing left the other for dead Malcon Surely she is dead indeed Medioc Whia this was an idle bée and seeing shee would not worke as the Apostle vrgeth she shall not eate amongst them May not both Church and common wealth learne from hence that it is shame to suffer loiterers to the consumption of their labours Now sir marke againe how some come forth to fly about for more prouision Others againe see how they come with their thighes laden with matter for effecting of hony And in the third place obserue how some others help to beare in their burthen From hence may wee not learne that as euery Christian is to haue his calling and therein to bee painfull so the stronger are to support the weaker one bearing anothers burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ Malcon How dull haue I beene in contemplating the workes of God! Medioc Now sir all these maintaine Vnity in the bonds of peace and so their small beginnings increase to a mightie lump whereas on the other side the greatest things by discord and dariance do come vnto nothing Furthermore as they haue a gouernor to goe in and out before them so they do camp round about his person as willing to be slaine before y◠their anointed be touched And may not the obseruation hereof bring confusion of face vnto such as not only make away but also themselues ioyne in traiterous violences against the Lords annointed our dread Soueraigne king Iames Besides how may it plainly demonstrate the leaud spirits of some Zeloists who being called to inuiron the Church as the Tribes with their tents in the wildernes inuironed the Sanctuary are not onely not such but in deede and in word and in writings incompasse her with firebrands setting all on fire Though the Lord had his holy fire in the Temple yet it was the Diuels wild-fire by Nabuchadnetsar that set the Temple on fire Malcon Wel now I perceiue that the smallest creatures do go before me in obedience to their Creator Reuerend sir as I heartily thanke GOD for the good I haue this way already receiued so I beseech you to giue me patient hearing while I propound my soules sorrow vnto you and that shal be in so fewe words as I can I haue sinned against our Church mightily I am afraid in hauing bin vnto her not a Bee but a spider in drawing all into the euill part for nourishing my poisonfull iudgement My humble desire is that in propounding some doubts which yet as stumps remaine behind vnpulled vp you would vouchsafe vnto mee some reasonable resolution Medioc With all my heart and the Father of Christ Iesus exhibite a plenteous blessing Malcon Amen I beseech him The first question is how may I be assured that the ministrie of our Church is one with that ministry which Christ left vnto the ministration of the new Testament that is of the Gospel or glad tidings through Faith in Christ opposite in respect of the forme of iustification to the workes of the Law The doubt ariseth First from their diuersity of titles the one called Bishops and Deacons the other called Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops Priests Parsōs Vicars Secondly our Bishops seemto haue greater dignities prero gatiues in the world thē the other had Medioc To the first I answer The house of Ioseph made no separation from their master nor the Iewes from Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah howsoeuer Pharaoh altered the first and Nebuchadnetsar gaue bad ones to the second Names are not of the essence or being of things otherwise false Christs should bee true Christs and false Prophets true Prophets because they be inuested with y◠commendable titles of Christ and Prophet And yet no such euill in our names for what is Archbishop but chiefe ouerseer Lord Bishop a ruling ouerséer Priest the corrupt word of Presbyter as Bishop of Episcopos signifieth onely an Elder which phrases of Bishop and Elder were giuen to the Apostles also The first in respect of ouerseeing Church or Churches the second in respect of their yeares sufficiencie before they entred into the worke of the ministry As for the terme Parson you may call him Pastor if you will the Law giues you leaue the terme Parson arguing rather the nature of his Maintenance then of his Office The same may be said of Vicar also and therefore hee that in Lancashire said God hath giuen me a liuing and the diuell hath giuen me a name argued therein more precipitate zeale then sadnes of learning I wonder why Phanatique spirits so well as at this do not brabble with their Parents for giuing and with themselues for bearing such names as Richard Robert Roger Hercules Diana Mar-prelate for so one was baptized and these thousands moe be not onely not in the Bible but many of them rapt from heathen Poets what not But they haue litle to do that will contend with their owne shadow Secondly for the greater dignities prerogatiues which our Bishops haue in the world I answer the Apostles had right to far greater dignities then ours be possessed of the Apostle had right to euery vineyard hée planted to euery flocke hee had fed and that is right to maintenance from multitudes of Churches and countries If it be replied y◠Apostles had it not no not y◠Arch-apostle S. Paul I answere y◠was not because it was not their right but because the people would not giue vnto thē their right If here it be obiected but our Bishops haue not so laboured and conuerted y◠people from whom they haue such dignities I answer the first
Neither will I answere such a foote to his full lest I become like him Neque Iupiter omnibus pluens placet neque abstinens The Lord deliuer our Church from euill Amen From my House at Norburne in East-kent this 8. of Iune Anno Dom. 1608. Thine in the Lord He. Cl. THE FIRST DIALOGVE between Mal-content and Romanist First it must be conceiued that Malcontent sitting vnder a tree in the Hie-way hee thus alone expostulates with himselfe Malcontent O Mal-content how vnhappy art thou in this life whither shalt thou go and what will become of thee Go to the Brownist shall I do so In them and their proceedings I find no vnity no concordance Their hand being against all and the hands of all against them The brother of that Churches Pastor hath writ a great booke against them their vnsetled resolutions bloody excommunications and hie-handed tyrannies as if the Pastor were a Pope taking more vpon them for the measure of strength they haue then do all the English prelates In so much as howsoeuer he perswades people to ioine with the cause of Separation as himselfe had and therein since hath died yet at no hand to ioyne with his brothers congregation for manifold reasons there alledged Since which time one whose name soundes vpon an Anuile hath drawen certaine Principles and inferences touching a true visible Church where in he quoteth scripture for another forme of discipline then that which the Brownist practise and most of vs haue taught in our sermons and writings He purposing as it seemeth to receiue others into communion with him who shall separate as he hath and so shew themselues willing to be ruled by his discipline Aes me which side shall I leane vnto Both of them hold a set forme of discipline to be contained in the word Both of them alleadge for the substance thereof the very sarue scriptures but both of them differ exceedingly in the sense of such Scriptures Another side hauing no Baby for their leader although his sir name begin with a B. he holds both with the gouernement at home by Lord Bishops as also with that of Lay-elders abroad as being in the scriptures neither commanded nor forbidden but things in themselues of an indifferent nature So he holdes and yet denies to subscribe for sundry reasons Shall I separate with the first two or shal I continue in the Church of England with the third But miserable man how shall separation or not separation be good If I separate from the Church as Antichristian then the Anabaptist take hold vpon me and saith that I must separate not so much for the prelaticall discipline as for that the spirit of Antichrist there breatheth Antichristian doctrine Yea that the Church becomes to be Antichristian for that their groundes of faith therein held be principles opposite to Christ. And in my cōscience if the first be granted the second will ineuitably follow If I separate not but continue still in the Church I shall in my worke iustifie that which I haue condemned in word In word I haue condemned the Tippet the Surplice the Corner-cap the Crosse in Baptisme and the like for markes of Antichrist But forsaking my ministry I may liue in some other calling and so be put to the vse of no such ceremonies Yea but if I haue a child I must bring it where before I will not it cannot be baptized without the crosse Come I to the Cōmon seruice I must sit in the sight of a Surplice and come I to the Cōmunion I must there kneele receiue at the hands of one that vseth the ceremonies And be I called to be a Church-warden I must take an oath to present the sincere-sort that omit or speake against such ceremonies I am diuided in my selfe what shall I doe H. I. his followers do say very well that this persecution is worse then that of Queene Maries for that made an end of a man quickly but this grants life with a continuing misery Wo is me how is my soule pained within me Though heretofore Ifumed against the author of that booke intituled Errour on the Right-hand yet now mine affections bee cooled and calmed for well I see that there is nothing yet right amongst them And at home I know not how to liue as I would not be held an Hypocrite or turne-coat The euasion must be by some third meanes that as yet I know not Rest poore head rest rest against this trees roote and take a little nap in the shade He being asleep Romanista passeth by and espying Male-content asleepe be staieth and so speaketh Romanista What fast asléepe who may he be By his habite hée should be some Scholar or Citizen Whoo I know him it is Male-content whose head is full of whirligigs and whose pen spins nought but Cob-webs Stay his lips moue to and fro as doth my dog Grim when as he is ready to chunder and barke sléeping Malcon sleeping Fire fire Elias fire Romanista He is calling for fire from heauen as did Elias But it will burne as fast I thinke as did our Uault-gunpowder that should haue blowne vp the Parliament-house in Westminster together with all the heads of the Country But stay some politique retch now or neuer for an inch of policie I hold better then an ell of Diuinity In the time of discontent it is best working vpon Malcontent for vpon conceit it is then most easy to worke I remember a Dialogue in Erasmus his great Colloquium where one passing by the hie-way was desire us to fasten some strange conclusion vppon the conceit of his fellow Passengers Hereupon hée stops his course with his eies vpon the firmament fixed gaping gazing crossing blessing trembling The passengers thereupon stay looke vp and wonder whereat he should so wonder Anon as with much ado he tels them what a fearefull signe he saw in the firmament a Dragon a terrible thing in description I warrant you hereupon he startles holds vp his hands and wondreth at all the rest that they should say they see nothing Anon one of thē thinking scorne but he should see as much as another he also affirmeth that he saw such a terrible wonder Afterwards some and some euery one said he saw it and trembled In this dialogue some haue thought that Erasmus flouted people in England for conceiting a certain great prelate in the Churches firmament beyond that they should conceit c. But howsoeuer I will take aduantage of the time and see if so I can worke some strange thing vpon him I hope it the rather because one of this spirit a Sole sincerian being of late conuented before a great Prelate of this land he offred that if he the said Prelate could proue but one point then in hand hee would without more adoe turne back to the Church of Rome whereupon the Prelate spake to this effect I is it true indéed are you now ready to go a poping what a poping I had
had to do with meere Infidels without the Church but ours with Christians within the visible face of the Church and therefore no such cause nor néed But as the Apostles hauing ordained Presbyters or Priests to euery Church for yâ— néere ouer sight thereof did notwithstanding care for all the Churches and visite them as opportunity was offred so it is yâ— duty of ours and their maine duty If any one faile herein Est quidem error personalis non legalis the fault is in the person not in the function confirmed by Law As for their Prerogariues what haue they wherein the Apostles exceeded not If they incarcerate persons by authority deriued lawfully from our Prince a thing which Infidelious Princes would not coÌ„mit to yâ— Apostles nor yet to any ChristiaÌ„ is therfore yâ— sword vnlawful to a ChristiaÌ„ in the roome therof the King of kings collated a farre greater power vpon them In so much as thereby S. Paulâ—mot â—mot Elymas the sorcerer with blindnes and S Peter smote Anamas and Sapphira with present sodaine death When the times begun to be ordinarily Christian then the Lord tooke away that extraordinary prerogatiue and conferred vppon his Church the ordinary meanes for protection and correction of bodies A weake despised Church they would haue her who being destitute of extraordinary power would haue her robbed of that which is ordinary also The Prophets could foretell that Kings of the earth should bring their honour and glory vnto it and these cannot abide it Yes they will say we would haue the Church not her ministry to haue it I beleeue it they would haue themselues and their lay children euected and the ministry deiected Euen as they expound that precept Tell the Church to bee tell Tom Tynker tell Dick Cullion tell Ione the oyster-wench with all the rest of their Ignorants such a Sanhedrim the Iewes neuer had so yâ— bringing of glory and honour vnto the Church must not be at all or almost not at all to the ministerie for they be but vassalls but to her Laicall members as being the only vessels capable of glory honour They would haue all power and dignity in their owne hands that so the ministery standing both in Need Awe of them they might be topped and ouertopped at their pleasure not daring once in their Sermons to touch their corruptions as they wold not haue their good Masters and good Dames to withdraw their Almes from them So indeede it would come to passe as it did in Ezechiels time wee should be glad to preach for a crust of bread and an handful of barley Malcon Indeede sir I must needes say it would come to no better Experience euery where will giue testimony vnto it But I beseech you sir another question how shall wee cleare that the Surplice is not an Idolothyte Medioc By the definition of an Idolothyte for an Idolothyte is whatsoeuer is dedicate or consecrate to an Idoll by way of deuotion But none of our Surplices haue been so deuoted therfore none of them Idolothytes If any can fetch out a Surplice that hath beene by the Papists consecrated to their Idol-idle masse such a one may be termed an Idolothyte and it skils not though it were burnt As for ours they be not such though like to such no more then the Animal-offerings of Israel vnder the lawe were Idolothytes howsoeuer like to the oblatioÌ„s of Aegypt out of which they made their exode and passage But that which is more if the idolatour had abused it may I not vse it The Apostle teacheth otherwise vnto the Corinthians he layes downe the case thus Of cattle offered vp to the Idols some part comes to the offerers and from them sometimes that part comes to the flesh market Some infidell buyes of it dresseth it and sets it before thee Let thy coÌ„science make no scruple to eate of it how soeuer it was Idolatrized for as the earth is the Lords not the Diuels so the fulnes thereof is his and created for the vse of his Yet this prouiso withall If any one at table with thée doe pointe at it and say certainly this is an Idolothyte I like it not then because of his conscieÌ„ce not because of thine let it alone for the Lord hath things know besides in the earth for thee to feede vpon Otherwise thou eating of it and giuing thankes to God for it why should another speake end of thee Hence it is plains that the children of God may lawfully vse any creature in the earth howsoeuer it haue beene by others prophaned Only in case of anothers weaknes he is to forbeare euen from his owne right This Prouiso I know is the maine of all their speech who kéepe such a stir about the poore garmeÌ„t but in pressing this prouiso they must take with them this they must confesse themselues to bee but as yet very yong Christians and not fitted to be Pastors ouer flocks of people no more then they were fit for ministeriall function which were but Neophyts newly come from heatheÌ„ Idolatry vnto Christianity for such were they of whom the Apostle speaketh And then it will followe first that they haue sinned in medling with the strongest function in the congregation being but as yet nouices in the faith Secondly that they deserue to be sharply censured for making their people weaker then they â—ound them who at first could brooke the Garment well but now must 〈…〉 as if it were an Idolothyte And if they say they knowe their owne Christian liberty therein but many about them will be offended I answere there be none about them that can as the former Neophyts plead tollerable infirmity All about them be Christians borne of Christian parents in the profession of Christianity for some thousand yeares and vpward Let them sée to it then if such their exception doe not growe not from infirmity but from wilful péeuishnes as willing to stick rather in their owne preiudged opinion then to â—eeled forward vnto Christ. With the Apostlo to the Colossians I say thus If they be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though they liued in the world are they burdened with traditions as touch not taste not haÌ„dle not wee say to shew the liberty wherewith Christ hath made theÌ„ free they ought to weare it They answere that they may not We say besides the former reason the Christian Princes commandement propounding it but as a garment for seemelines and order it ought to moue their conscience to the vse of it They answere it doth not PropouÌ„d what we shall they still with the superstitious Colossians doe returne vs a not as if their only study were to crosse Christ to crosse a Christian King and to crosse the Churches affirmatiue with their Ethelothreskia their Negatiue Not. Malcon I wonder how reading that place to the Corinths so often as I haue so well as this last to the Colossians I could