the dutie of vniformitie throughout all Churches in all manner of indifferent ceremonies will bee very hard and therefore best to giue it ouer But perhaps they are by so much the more loth to forsake this argument for that it hath though nothing else yet the name of Scripture to giue it some kinde of countenance more then the next of liuerie coates affordeth them For neither is it any manâ— dutie to cloth all his children or all his seruants with one weede nor theirs to cloath themselues so if it were left to their owne iudgements as these ceremonies are lâ—ft of God to the iudgement of the Church And seeing Churches are rather in this case like diuerse families then like diuers seruants of one family because euery Church the state whereof is independent vpon any other hath authoritie to appoint orders for it selfe in thinges indifferent therefore of the two we may rather inferre that as one familie is not abridged of libertie to be clothed in Fryers gray for that an other doth weare clay-colour so neither are all Churches bound to the selfe same indifferent Ceremonies which it liketh sundry to vse As for that Canon in the Councell of Nice let them but read it and waigh it well The auncient vse of the Church throughout all Christendome was for fiftie dayes after Easter which fifty dayes were called Pentecost though most commonly the last day of them which is Whitsunday be so called in like sort on all the Sundayes throughout the whole yeare their manner was to stand at praier whereupon their meetinges vnto that purpose on those dayes had the name of Stations giuen them Of which custome Tertullian speaketh in this wise It is not with vs thought sit either to fast on the Lordes day or to pray kneeling The same immunitie from fasting and kneeling we keepe all the time which is betweene the Feasts of Easter and Pentecost This being therefore and order generally receiued in the Church when some began to be singular and different from all others and that in a ceremonie which was then iudged very conuenient for the whole Church euen by the whole those fewe excepted which brake out of the common pale the Councell of Nice thought good to inclose them againe with the rest by a lawe made in this sort Because there are certaine which will needs kneele at the time of praier on the Lordes day and in the fiftie dayes after Easter the holy Synode iudging it meet that a conuenient custome be obserued throughout all churches hath decreed that standing wee make our praiers to the Lord. Whereby it plainely appeareth that in things indifferent what the whole Church doth thinke conuenient for the whole the same if any part doe wilfully violate it may be reformed and inrayled againe by that generall authority whereunto ech particular is subiect and that the spirit of singularitie in a few ought to giue place vnto publike iudgement this doth clearely enough appeare but not that all Christian Churches are bound in euery indifferent ceremonie to be vniforme because where the whole hath not tyed the parts vnto one and the same thing they being therein left each to their owne choyce may either do as other do or else otherwise without any breach of dutie at all Concerning those indifferent thinges wherein it hath beene heretofore thought good that all Christian Churches should bee vniforme the way which they now conceiue to bring this to passe was then neuer thought on For till now it hath bene iudged that seeing the lawe of God doth not prescribe all particular ceremonies which the Church of Christ may vse and in so great varietie of them as may be found out it is not possible that the lawe of nature and reason should direct all Churches vnto the same thinges each deliberating by it selfe what is most conuenient the way to establish the same things indifferent throughout them all must needs be the iudgement of some iudiciall authoritie drawne into one onely sentence which may be a rule for euery particular to follow And because such authoritie ouer all Churches is too much to be granted vnto any one mortall man there yet remaineth that which hath bene alwayes followed as the best the safest the most sincere and reasonable way namely the verdict of the whole Church orderly taken and set downe in the assembly of some generall councell But to maintaine that all Christian Churches ought for vnities sake to be vniforme in all ceremonies then to teach that the way of bringing this to passe must be by mutuall imitation so that where we haue better ceremonies then others they shall bee bound to followe vs and we them where theirs are better how should we thinke it agreeable and consonant vnto reason For sith in things of this nature there is such varietie of particular inducements whereby one Church may be led to thinke that better which another Church led by other inducements iudgeth to be worse For example the East Church did thinke it better to keepe Easter day after the manner of the Iewes the West Church better to do otherwise the Greeke Church iudgeth it worse to vse vnleauened bread in the Eucharist the Latine Church leauened one Church esteemeth it not so good to receiue the Eucharist sitting as staÌ„ding another Church not so good standing as sitting there being on the one side probable motiues as well as on the other vnlesse they adde somewhat else to define more certainely what ceremonies shall stand for best in such sort that all Churches in the world shall know them to be the best and so know them that there may not remaine any question about this point we are not a whit the neerer for that they haue hitherto said They themselues although resolued in their owne iudgements what ceremonies are best the foreseeing that such as they are addicted vnto be not all so clearely and so incomparably best but others there are or may be at least wise when all things are well considered as good knewe not which way smoothly to rid their hands of this matter without prouiding some more certaine rule to be followed for establishment of vniformitie in ceremonies when there are diuerse kinds of equall goodnesse and therefore in this case they say that the later Churches the fewer should conforme themselues vnto the elder and the mo Hereupon they conclude that for as much as all the reformed Churches so farre as they know which are of our confession in doctrine haue agreed already in the abrogation of diuerse things which we reteine our Church ought either to shew that they haue done euill or else she is found to be in fault for not conforming her selfe to those Churches in that which she cannot deny to be in them well abrogated For the authoritie of the first Churches and those they accompt to be the first in this cause which were first reformed they bring the comparison of younger daughters conforming themselues
to Ierusalem the erecting of Pulpets Chaires to teach in the order of buriall the rites of mariage with such like being matters appertaining to the Church yet are not any where prescribed in the law but were by the Churches discretion instituted What then shall we thinke Did they hereby adde to the law and so displeas◠God by that which they did None so hardly perswaded of them Doth their law deliuer vnto thē the self same general rules of the apostle that framing therby their orders they might in that respect cleare thēselues frō doing amisse S. Paule would then of likelihood haue cited them out of the Law which we see he doth not The truth is they are rules and Canons of that law which is written in all men hearts the Church had for euer no lesse then now stood bound to obserue them whether the Apostle had mentioned them or no. Seeing therefore those Canons do bind as they are edicts of nature which the Iewes obseruing as yet vnwritten and thereby framing such Church-orders as in their lawe were not prescribed are notwithstanding in that respect vnculpable it followeth that sundry things may be lawfully done in the Church so as they be not done against the Scripture although no Scripture do commaund them but the Church only following the light of reason iudge them to be in discretion meete Secondly vnto our purpose and for the question in hand whether the commaundements of God in Scripture be generall or speciall it skilleth not For if being particularly applied they haue in regard of such particulars a force constraining vs to take some one certaine thing of many and to leaue the rest whereby it would come to passe that any other particular but that one being established the generall rules themselues in that case would be broken then is it vtterly impossible that God should leaue any thing great or small free for the Church to establish or not Thirdly if so be they shall graunt as they cannot otherwise do that these rules are no such lawes as require any one particular thing to be done but serue rather to direct the Church in all things which she doth so that free and lawfull it is to deuise any Ceremony to receiue any order and to authorize any kind of regiment no speciall commandement being thereby violated and the same being thought such by them to whom the iudgement thereof appertaineth as that it is not scandalous but decent tending vnto edification and setting forth the glory of God that is to say agreeable vnto the generall rules of holy Scripture this doth them no good in the world for the furtherance of their purpose That which should make for them must proue that men ought not to make lawes for Church regiment but onely keepe those lawes which in Scripture they find made The plaine intent of the booke of Ecclesiasticall discipline is to shew that men may not deuise lawes of Church gouernment but are bound for euer to vse and to execute only those which God himselfe hath already deuised and deliuered in the Scripture The selfe same drift the Admonitioners also had in vrging that nothing ought to be done in the Church according vnto any lawe of mans deuising but all according to that which God in his word hath commanded Which not remembring they gather out of Scripture generall rules to bee followed in making lawes and so in effect they plainely graunt that we our selues may lawfully make lawes for the Church and are not bound out of Scripture onely to take lawes already made as they meant who first alleaged that principle whereof we speake One particular platforme it is which they respected and which they labored thereby to force vpon all Churches whereas these generall rules do not let but that there may well enough be sundrie It is the particular order established in the Church of England which thereby they did intend to alter as being not commanded of God whereas vnto those generall rules they know we do not defend that we may hold any thing vncomfortable Obscure it is not what meaning they had who first gaue out that graund axiome and according vnto that meaning it doth preuaile farre and wide with the fauourers of that part Demaund of them wherefore they conforme not themselues vnto the order of our Church and in euery particular their answer for the most part is We find no such thing commaunded in the word Whereby they plainely require some speciall commaundement for that which is exacted at their hands neither are they content to haue matters of the Church examined by generall rules and Canons As therefore in controuersies betweene vs and the Church of Rome that which they practise is many times euen according to the very grosnesse of that which the vulgar sort conceiueth when that which they teach to maintaine it is so nice and subtle that hold can very hardly be taken thereupon in which cases we should do the Church of God small benefite by disputing with them according vnto the finest points of their darke conueyances and suffering that sense of their doctrine to go vncontrolled wherein by the common sort it is ordinarily receiued and practised So considering what disturbance hath growne in the Church amongst our selues and how the authors thereof do commonly build altogether on this as a sure foundation Nothing ought to be established in the Church which in the word of God is not commanded were it reason that we should suffer the same to passe without controulement in that currant meaning whereby euery where it preuaileth and still till some strange construction were made thereof which no man would lightly haue thought on but being driuen thereunto for a shift 8 The last refuge in maintaining this position is thus to conster it Nothing ought to be established in the Church but that which is commaunded in the word of God that is to say All Church-orders must be grounded vpon the word of God in such sort grounded vpon the word not that being found out by some starre or light of reason or learning or other helpe they may be receiued so they be not against the word of God but according at least wise vnto the generall rules of Scripture they must bee made VVhich is in effect as much as to say We knowe not what to say well in defence of this position and therefore least we should say it is false there is no remedie but to say that in some sense or other it may be true if we could tell howe First that Scholie had neede of a very fauourable Reader and a tractable that should thinke it plaine construction when to be commaunded in the word and grounded vpon the word are made all one If when a man may liue in the state of Matrimonie seeking that good thereby which nature principally desireth he make rather choyce of a contrarie life in regard of Saint Paules iudgement that which hee doth is manifestly grounded
they would rather forsake Christianitie then endure any fellowship with such as made no cōscience of that which was vnto them abhominable And for this cause mention is made of destroying the weake by meates and of dissoluing the work of God which was his church a part of the liuing stones whereof were beleeuing Iewes Now those weake brethren before mentioned are said to be as the Iewes were and our ceremonies which haue bene abused in the Church of Rome to be as the scandalous meates from which the Gentiles are exhorted to abstaine in the presence of Iewes for feare of auerting them from Christian faith Therefore as charitie did bind them to refraine frō that for their brethrens sake which otherwise was lawfull enough for them so it bindeth vs for our brethrens sake likewise to abolish such Ceremonies although we might lawfully else retaine them But betweene these two cases there are great oddes For neither are our weake brethren as the Iewes nor the ceremonies which we vse as the meates which the Gentiles vsed The Iewes were knowne to be generally weake in that respect whereas contrariwise the imbecillitie of ours is not common vnto so many that we can take any such certaine notice of them It is a chance if here and there some one be found and therefore seeing we may presume men commonly otherwise there is no necessitie that our practise should frame it selfe by that which th' Apostle doth prescribe to the Gentiles Againe their vse of meates was not like vnto our of Ceremonies that being a matter of priuate action in common life where euery man was free to order that which himselfe did but this a publike constitution for the ordering of the Church and we are not to looke that the Church should change her publique lawes and ordinances made according to that which is iudged ordinarily and commonly fittest for the whole although it chance that for some particular men the same be found incōuenient especially whē there may be other remedy also against the sores of particular inconueniences In this case therefore where any priuate harme doth growe we are not to reiect instruction as being an vnmeete plaster to apply vnto it neither can wee say that hee which appointeth teachers for phisitians in this kind of euill is as if a man would set one to watch a childe all day long least he should hurt himselfe with a knife whereas by taking away the knife from him the daunger is auoyded and the seruice of the man better imployed For a knife may be taken away from a childe without depriuing them of the benefite thereof which haue yeares and discretion to vse it But the Ceremonies which children doe abuse if we remoue quite and cleane as it is by some required that wee should then are they not taken from children onely but from others also which is as though because children may perhaps hurt themselues with kniues wee should conclude that therefore the vse of kniues is to bee taken quite and cleane euen from men also Those particular Ceremonies which they pretend to be so scandalous we shall in the next booke haue occasion more throughly to sift where other things also traduced in the publike duties of the Church whereunto each of these appertaineth are together with these to be touched and such reasons to be examined as haue at any time beene brought either against the one or the other In the meane while against the conueniencie of curing such euils by instructiō strange it is that they should obiect the multitude of other necessary matters wherin Preachers may better bestow their time then in giuing men warning not to abuse Ceremonies a wonder it is that they should obiect this which haue so many yeares together troubled the Church with quarels concerning these things and are euen to this very houre so earnest in them that if they write or speake publiquely but fiue words one of them is lightly about the dangerous estate of the Church of England in respect of abused ceremonies How much happier had it bene for this whole Church if they which haue raised contention therein about the abuse of rites and Ceremonies had considered in due time that there is indeede store of matters fitter and better a great deale for teachers to spend time and labour in It is through their importunate and vehement asseuerations more then through any such experience which we haue had of our owne that we are forced to thinke it possible for one or other now and then at leastwise in the prime of the reformation of our Church to haue stumbled at some kinde of Ceremonies Wherein for as much as we are contented to take this vpon their credite and to thinke it may be sith also they further pretend the same to be so dangerous a snare to their soules that are at any time taken therein they must giue our teachers leaue for the sauing of those soules bee they neuer so fewe to intermingle sometime with other more necessary thinges admonition concerning these not vnnecessarie Wherein they should in reason more easily yeelde this leaue considering that hereunto we shall not neede to vse the hundreth part of that time which themselues thinke very needefull to bestowe in making most bitter inuectiues against the ceremonies of the Church 13 But to come to the last point of all the Church of England is grieuously charged with forgetfulnesse of her dutie which dutie had bene to frame her selfe vnto the patterne of their example that went before her in the worke of reformation For as the Churches of Christ ought to be most vnlike the synagogue of Antichrist in their indifferent ceremonies so they ought to be most like one vnto an other and for preseruation of vnitie to haue as much as possible may be all the same Ceremonies And therefore S. Paul to establish this order in the Church of Corinth That they should make their gatherings for the poore vpon the first day of the Saboth which is our sunday alleageth this for a reason that he had so ordained in other Churches Againe as children of one father and seruants of one family so all Churches should not only haue one dyet in that they haue one word but also weare as it were one liuerie in vsing the same Ceremonies Thirdly this rule did the great Councell of Nice follow when it ordained that where certaine at the feast of Pentecoste did pray kneeling they should pray standing the reason whereof is added which is that one custome ought to be kept throughout all Churches It is true that the diuersitie of Ceremonies ought not to cause the Churches to dissent one with another but yet it maketh most to thauoyding of dissention that there be amongst them an vnitie not onely in doctrine but also in Ceremonies And therefore our forme of seruice is to be amended not onely for that it commeth too neare that of the Papistes but also because it
all kind of furtherances vnto his cause could espie in the whole Scripture of God nothing which might breed at the least a probable opinion of likelihood that diuine authority it selfe was the same way somewhat inclinable And all which the wit euen of Caluin was able from thence to draw by sifting the very vtmost sentence and syllable is no more then that certaine speeches there are which to him did seeme to intimate that all Christian Churches ought to haue their Elderships indued with power of excommunication and that a part of those Elderships euery where should be chosen out frō amongst the laitie after that forme which himselfe had framed Geneua vnto But what argument are ye able to shew whereby it was euer prooued by Caluin that any one sentence of Scripture doth necessarily enforce these things or the rest wherein your opinion concurreth with his against the orders of your owne Church We should be iniurious vnto vertue it selfe if we did derogate from them whom their industrie hath made great Two things of principall moment there are which haue deseruedly procured him honour throughout the world the one his exceeding paynes in composing the Institutions of Christian Religion the other his no lesse industrious trauailes for exposition of holy Scripture according vnto the same institutions In which two things who soeuer they were that after him bestowed their labour he gayned the aduantage of preiudice against them if they gaine said and of glorie aboue them if they consented His writings published after the question about that discipline was once begunne omit not any the least occasion of extolling the vse and singular necessitie thereof Of what accompt the Maister of sentences was in the Church of Rome the same and more amongest the Preachers of reformed Churches Caluin had purchased so that the perfectest diuines were iudged they which were skilfullest in Caluins writings His bookes almost the very Canon to iudge both doctrine and discipline by French Churches both vnder others abroad and at home in their owne Countrey all cast according vnto that mould which Caluin had made The Church of Scotland in erecting the fabricke of their reformation tooke the selfe same paterne Till at length the discipline 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 beganne now to challenge vniuersall obedience and to enter into open conflict with those very Churches which in desperate extremitie had bene relieuers of it To one of those Churches which liued in most peaceable sort and abounded as well with men for their learning in other professions singular as also with diuines whose equals were not elsewhere to be found a Church ordered by Gualters discipline and not by that which Geneua adoreth vnto this Church the Church of Heidelberge there commeth one who crauing leaue to dispute publiquely defendeth with open disdaine of their gouernement that To a Minister with his Eldership power is giuen by the law of God to excommunicate whomsoeuer yea euen kings and princes themselues Here were the seedes sowne of that controuersie which sprang vp betweene Beza and Erastus about the matter of excommunication whether there ought to be in all Churches an Eldership hauing power to excommunicate and a part of that Eldership to be of necessitie certaine chosen out from amongest the laity for that purpose In which disputation they haue as to me it seemeth deuided very equally the truth betweene them Beza most truly maintaining the necessitie of excommunication Erastus as truly the nonnecessitie of layelders to be ministers thereof Amongest our selues there was in King Edwards dayes some question moued by reason of a few mens scrupulositie touching certaine things And beyond Seas of them which fled in the dayes of Queene Mary some contenting themselues abroad with the vse of their owne Seruice booke at home authorised before their departure out of the Realme others liking better the Common prayer booke of the Church of Geneua translated those smaller contentions before begun were by this meane somewhat increased Vnder the happy raigne of her Maiesty which now is the greatest matter a while contended for was the wearing of the Cap and Surplesse till there came Admonitions directed vnto the high Court of Parliament by men who concealing their names thought it glory inough to discouer their minds and affections which now were vniuersally bent euen against all the orders and lawes wherein this Church is found vnconformable to the platforme of Geneua Concerning the defendor of which admonitions all that I meane to say is but this There will come a time when three words vttered with charitie and meeknesse shall receiue a farre more blessed reward then three thousand volumes written with disdainefull sharpnes of wit But the maner of mens writing must not alienate our hearts from the truth if it appeare they haue the truth as the followers of the same defendor do thinke he hath and in that perswasion they follow him no otherwise then himselfe doth Calvin Beza and others with the like perswasion that they in this cause had the truth We being as fully perswaded otherwise it resteth that some kind of tryall be vsed to find out which part is in error 3 The first meane whereby nature teacheth men to iudge good from euill as well in lawes as in other things is the force of their owne discretion Hereunto therefore Saint Paule referreth oftentimes his owne speech to be considered of by them that heard him I speake as to them which haue vnderstanding iudge ye what I say Againe afterward Iudge in your selues is it comely that a woman pray vncouered The exercise of this kind of iudgement our Sauiour requireth in the Iewes In them of Berea the Scripture commendeth it Finally whatsoeuer we do if our owne secret iudgement consent nor vnto it as fit and good to be done the doing of it to vs is sinne although the thing it selfe be allowable Saint Paules rule therefore generally is Let euery man in his owne minde be fully perswaded of that thing which he either alloweth or doth Some things are so familiar and plaine that truth from falshood and good from euill is most easily discerned in them euen by men of no deepe capacitie And of that nature for the most part are things absolutely vnto all mens saluation necessarie either to be held or denied either to be done or auoided For which cause Saint Augustine acknowledgeth that they are not onely set downe but also plainely set downe in Scripture so that he which heareth or readeth may without any great difficultie vnderstand Other things also there are belonging though in a lower degree of importance vnto the offices of Christian men which because they are more obscure more intricate and hard to be iudged of therefore God hath appointed some to spend their whole time principally in the studie of things diuine to
saith of the church of Rome Alexandria the most famous Churches in the Apostles times that about the yeare 430. the Romain Alexandrian Bishops leauing the sacred function were degenerate to a secular rule or dominioÌ„ HereupoÌ„ ye coÌ„clude that it is not safe to fetch our gouernment from any other then the Apostles times Wherein by the way it may be noted that in proposing the Apostles times as a paterne for the Church to follow though the desire of you all be one the drift and purpose of you all is not one The chiefest thing which lay reformers yawne for is that the Cleargie may through conformitie in state and condition be Apostolicall poore as the Apostles of Christ were poore In which one circumstance if they imagine so great perfection they must thinke that Church which hath such store of mendicant Friers a Church in that respect most happy Were it for the glory of God and the good of his Church in deede that the Cleargie should be left euen as bare as the Apostles when they had neither staffe nor scrip that God which should lay vpon them the condition of his Apostles would I hope endue them with the selfesame affection which was in that holy Apostle whose words concerning his owne right vertuous contentment of heart As well how to want as how to abound are a most fit episcopall emprese The Church of Christ is a body mysticall A body cannot stand vnlesse the parts thereof be proportionable Let it therefore be required on both parts at the hands of the Cleargie to be in meannesse of state like the Apostles at the hands of the laitie to be as they were who liued vnder the Apostles and in this reformation there will bee though little wisedome yet some indifferencie But your reformation which are of the Cleargie if yet it displease ye not that I should say ye are of the Cleargie seemeth to aime at a broader marke Ye thinke that he which will perfectly reforme must bring the forme of Church discipline vnto the state which then it was at A thing neither possible nor certaine nor absolutely conuenient Concerning the first what was vsed in the Apostles times the scripture fully declareth not so that making their times the rule and Canon of Church politie ye make a rule which being not possible to be fully knowne is as impossible to be kept Againe sith the later euen of the Apostles owne times had that which in the former was not thought vpon in this generall proposing of the Apostolicall times there is no certaintie which should be followed especially seeing that ye giue vs great cause to doubt how far ye allow those times For albeit the louer of Antichristian building were not ye sâ—y as then set vp yet the foundations thereof were secretly and vnder the ground layd in the Apostles times so that all other times ye plainely reiect and the Apostles owne times ye approue with maruellous great suspition leauing it intricat and doubtfull wherein we are to keepe our selues vnto the paterne of their times Thirdly whereas it is the error of the common multitude to consider onely what hath bene of olde and if the same were well to see whether still it continue if not to condemne that presently which is and neuer to search vpon what ground or consideration the change might growe such rudenes cannot be in you so well borne with whom learning and iudgement hath enabled much more soundly to discerne how farre the times of the Church and the orders thereof may alter without offence True it is the auncienter the better ceremonies of religion are howbeit not absolutely true and without exception but true onely so farre forth as those different ages do agree in the state of those things for which at the first those rites orders and ceremonies were instituted In the Apostles times that was harmlesse which being now reuiued would be scandalous as their oscula sancta Those feastes of charitie which being instituted by the Apostles were reteined in the Church long after are not now thought any where needfull What man is there of vnderstanding vnto whom it is not manifest how the way of prouiding for the Cleargie by tithes the deuise of almes-houses for the poore the sorting out of the people into their seuerall parishes together with sundrie other things which the Apostles times could not haue being now established are much more conuenient and fit for the Church of Christ then if the same should be taken away for conformities sake with the auncientest and first times The orders therefore which were obserued in the Apostles times are not to be vrged as a rule vniuersally either sufficient or necessary If they bee neuerthelesse on your part it still remaineth to bee better prooued that the forme of discipline which ye intitle apostolicall was in the Apostles times exercised For of this very thing ye faile euen touching that which ye make most account of as being matter of substance in discipline I meane the power of your lay-elders and the difference of your Doctors from the Pastors in all Churches So that in summe we may be bold to conclude that besides these last times which for insolencie pride and egregious contempt of all good order are the worst there are none wherein ye can truly affirme that the complete forme of your discipline or the substance thereof was practised The euidence therefore of antiquitie failing you yee flie to the iudgements of such learned men as seeme by their writings to be of opinion that all Christian Churches should receiue your discipline and abandon ours Wherein as ye heape vp the names of a number of men not vnworthy to be had in honor so there are a number whom when ye mention although it serue ye to purpose with the ignorant and vulgar sort who measure by tale not by waight yet surely they who know what qualitie and value the men are of will thinke ye drawe very neare the dregs But were they all of as great account as the best and chiefest amongst them with vs notwithstanding neither are they neither ought they to be of such reckening that their opinion or coniecture should cause the lawes of the Church of England to giue place Much lesse when they neither do all agree in that opinioÌ„ and of theÌ„ which are at agreemeÌ„t the most part through a courteous inducement haue followed one man as their guide finally that one therein not vnlikely to haue swarued If any chance to say it is probable that in the Apostles times there were layelders or not to mislike the continuance of them in the Church or to affirme that Bishops at the first were a name but not a power distinct from presbyters or to speake any thing in praise of those Churches which are without episcopall regimeÌ„t or to reproue the fault of such as abuse that calling all these ye register for men perswaded as you are that euery christian
therunto may we cause our faith without reason to appeare reasonable in the eyes of men This being required euen of learners in the schoole of Christ the duty of their teachers in bringing them vnto such ripenes must needes be somewhat more then only to read the sentences of scripture and then paraphrastically to scholie them to vary theÌ„ with sundry formes of speech without arguing or disputing about anything which they contain This method of teaching may coÌ„mend it selfe vnto the world by that easines facilitie which is in it but a law or a patterne it is not as some do imagine for all men to follow that will do good in the Church of Christ. Our Lord and Sauiour himselfe did hope by disputation to do some good yea by disputatioÌ„ not onely of but against the truth albeit with purpose for the truth That Christ should be the sonne of Dauid was truth yet against this truth our Lorde in the Gospell obiecteth If Christ be the son of Dauid how doth Dauid call him Lord There is as yet no way knowne how to dispute or to determine of things disputed without the vse of naturall reason If we please to adde vnto Christ their example who followed him as neere in all thinges as they could the Sermon of Paule and Barnabas set downe in the Actes where the people would haue offered vnto them sacrifice in that Sermon what is there but onely naturall reason to disproue their acte O men why doe you these thinges We are men euen subiect to the selfe same passions with you wee preach vnto you to leaue these vanities and to turne to the liuing God the God that hath not left himselfe without witnesse in that he hath done good to the world giuing raine and fruitfull seasons filling our heart with ioy and gladnesse Neither did they onely vse reason in winning such vnto Christian beleefe as were yet thereto vnconuerted but with beleeuers themselues they followed the selfesame course In that great and solemne assembly of beleeuing Iewes how doth Peter proue that the Gentiles were partakers of the grace of God as well as they but by reason drawne from those effectes which were apparently knowne amongst them God which knoweth hearts hath borne them witnesse in giuing vnto them the holy Ghost as vnto vs. The light therefore which the starre of naturall reason and wisedome casteth is too bright to be obscured by the mist of a word or two vttered to diminish that opinion which iustly hath beene receiued concerning the force and vertue thereof euen in matters that touch most nearely the principall duties of men and the glory of the eternall God In all which hitherto hath beene spoken touching the force and vse of mans reason in thinges diuine I must craue that I be not so vnderstood or coÌ„strued as if any such thing by vertue thereof could be done without the aide and assistance of Gods most blessed spirit The thing wee haue handled according to the question mooued about it which question is whether the light of reason be so pernitious that in deuising lawes for the church men oughâ— not by it to search what may be fit coÌ„uenient For this cause therfore we haue endeuoured to make it appeare how in the nature of reason it selfe there is no impedimeÌ„t but that the self-same spirit which reuealeth the things that god hath set down in his law may also be thoughâ— to aid direct men in finding out by the light of reason what lawes are expedient to be made for the guiding of his Church ouer and besides them that are in scripture Herein therfore we agree with those men by whom humane lawes are defined to be ordinances which such as haue lawfull authorisiâ— giuen them foâ— that purpose do probably draw from the lawes of nature God by discourse of reason aided with the influence of diuine grace And for that cause it is not said amisse touching Ecclesiasticall canons that by instinct of the holy Ghost they haue bin made and consecrated by the reuerend acceptation of all the world 9 Lawes for the church are not made as they should be vnles the makers follow such directioÌ„ as they ought to be guided by Wherin that scripture standeth noâ— the church of God in any stead of serueth nothing at aâ—â—o direct but may be let passe as needles to be consulted with we iudge it prophane impious and irreligious to thinke For although it were in vaine to make laws which the scripture hath already made because what we are already there coÌ„manded to do on our parts there resteth nothing but only that it be executed yet because both in that which we are commanded in concerneth the duty of the church by law to prouide that the loosenes and slacknes of men may not cause the commandements of God to be vnexecuted and a number of things there are for which the scripture hath not prouided by any law but left them vnto the carefull discretion of the Church we are to search how the Church in these cases may be well directed to make that prouision by lawes which is most conuenient c fit And what is so in these cases partly scripture and partly reason must teach to discerne Scripture comprehending examples lawes lawes some naturall and some positiue examples neither are there for al cases which require lawes to be made and wheâ— they are they can but direct as precedents onely Naturall lawes direct In such sorte that in all things wee must for euer doe according vnto them positiue so that against them in no case we may doe any thing as long as the will of God is that they should remaine in force Howbeit when scripture doth yeelde vs precedents how far forth they are to be followed when it giueth naturall lawes what particular order is thereunto most agreeable when positiue which way to make lawes vnrepugnant vnto them yea though all these should wanâ— yeâ— what kinde of ordinances would be most for that good of the Church which is aimed at al this must be by reason found out And therefore Tib refuse the conduct of the light of nature saith S. Augustine is not folly alone but accompanied with impietie The greatest amongst the Schoole diuines studying how to set downe by exact definition the nature of an humane lawe'â— of which nature all the Churches constitutions are found not which way better to do it thâ—n in these words Out of the precepâ—s of the law of nature as out of certaine coÌ„mon vndemonstrable principles mans reason doth necessarily proceede vnto certaine more particular determinations which particular determinations beeing found out according vnto the reason of man they haue the names of humane lawes so that such other conditions be therein kept as the making of lawes doth require that is if they whose authoritie is thereunto required do establish and publish them as lawes And the truth is that all our
or Laitie eate the vnleauened of the Iewes nor enter into any familiaritie with them nor send for them in sicknes nor take phisicke at their haÌ„ds nor as much as goe into the bath with them If any do otherwise being a Clergie man let him be deposed if being a lay person let excommunicatioÌ„ be his punishment If these Canons were any argumeÌ„t that they which made them did vtterly coÌ„demne similitude betweene the Christians Iewes in things indifferent appertaining vnto religioÌ„ either because the Iewes were enemies vnto the Church or else for that their ceremonies were abrogated these reasons had bin as strong effectual against their keeping the feast of Easter on the same day the Iewes kept theirs and not according to the custome of the West Church For so they did froÌ„ the first beginning till Constantines time For in these two things the East West churches did interchangeably both confront the Iewes and concur with theÌ„ the West church vsing vnleauened bread as the Iewes in their passouer did but differing froÌ„ them in the day whereon they kept the feast of Easter conâ—â—ariwise the East church celebrating the feast of Easter on the same day with the Iewes but not vsing the same kind of bread which they did Now if so be the East Church in vsing leuened bread had done wel either for that the Iewes were enemies to the Church or because Iewish ceremonies were abrogated how should we think but that Victor the B. of Rome whom all iudicious meÌ„ do in that behalf disallow did well to be so vehement fierce in drawing theÌ„ to the like dissimilitude for the feast of Easter Againe if the West Churches had in either of those two respects affected dissimilitude with the Iewes in the feast of Easter what reasoÌ„ had they to drawe the Easterne Church herein vnto them which reason did not enforce them to frame themselues vnto it in the ceremonie of leauened bread DiffereÌ„ce in rites should breed no coÌ„trouersie between one church an other but if controuersie be once bred it must be ended The feast of Easter being therfore litigious in the daies of CoÌ„stantine who honored of all other churches most the Church of Rome which Church was the mother from whose breasts he had drawn that food which gaue him nourishmeÌ„t to eternall life sith agreement was necessary and yet impossible vnlesse the one part were yeelded vnto his desire was that of the two the Easterne church should rather yeeld And to this end he vseth sundry perswasiue speeches When Stephen the Bi. of Rome going about to shew what the Catholique Church should do had alleaged what the heritiques themselues did namely that they receiued such as came vnto them and offered not to baptise them anew S. Cyprian being of a contrary mind to him about the matter at that time questioÌ„ which was Whether heretikes conuerted ought to be rebaptised yea or no answered the allegatioÌ„ of Pope Stephen with exceeding great stomack saying To this degree of wretchednes the church of God and Spouse of Christ is now come that her wayes she frameâ—h to the example of heretikes that to celebrate the sacrameÌ„ts which heaueÌ„ly instructioÌ„ hath deliuered light it self doth borrow froÌ„ darknes Christians do that which Antichrists do Now albeit CoÌ„stantine haue done that to further a better cause which Cyprian did to countenance a worse namely the rebaptization of heretiques and haue taken aduantage at the odiousnesse of the Iewes as Cyprian of heretiques because the Easterne Church kept their feast of Easter alwayes the fourteenth day of the Moneth as the Iewes did what day of the weeke soeuer it â—el or how soeuer Constantine did take occasioÌ„ in the handling of that cause to say It is vnworthy to haue any thing common with that spitefull Nation of the Iewes shall euery motiue argument vsed in such kinde of conferences be made a rule for others still to coÌ„clude the like by coÌ„cerning all things of like nature when as probable inducements may leade them to the contrary Let both this and other allegations suteable vnto it cease to barke any longer idlely against that truth the course and passage wherof it is not in them to hinder 12 But the waightiest exception and of all the most worthy to be respected is against such kind of ceremonies as haue bene so grossely shamefully abused in the Church of Rome that where they remaine they are scandalous yea they cannot choose but be stumbling blockes and grieuous causes of offence Concerning this point therefore we are first to note what properly it is to be scandalous or offensiue secondly what kinde of Ceremonies are such and thirdly when they are necessarily for remedie therof to be taken away and when not The common conceipt of the vulgar sort is whensoeuer they see any thing which they mislike and are anrgy at to thinke that euery such thing is scandalous and that themselues in this case are the men concerning whome our Sauiour spake in so fearefull manner saying Whosoeuer shall scandalize or offend any one of these little ones which beleeue in me that is as they conster it whosoeuer shall anger the meanest and simplest Artizan which carrieth a good minde by not remouing out of the Church such rites and Ceremonies as displease him better he were drowned in the bottom of the sea But hard were the case of the church of Christ if this were to scandalize Men are scandalized when they are moued led and prouoked vnto sinne At good thinges euill men may take occasion to doe euill and so Christ himselfe was a rock of offence in Israel they taking occasion at his poore estate and at the ignominie of his crosse to think him vnworthy the name of that great and glorious Messias whom the Prophets describe in such ample stately terms But that which we therfore terme offensiue because it inuiteth meÌ„ to offend and by a dumb kind of prouocation incourage thmoueth or any way leadeth vnto sinne must of necessitie be acknowledged actiuely scandalous Now some thinges are so euen by their very essence and nature so that wheresoeuer they be found they are not neither can be without this force of provocation vnto euill of which kinde all examples of sinne and wickednes are Thus Dauid was scandalous in that bloudie acte whereby he caused the enemies of God to be blasphemous thus the whole state of Israell scandalous when their publique disorders caused the name of God to be ill spoken of amongst the nations It is of this kind that Tertullian meaneth Offence or scandall if I be not deceaued saith he is when the example not of a good but of an euill thing doth set men forward vnto sinne Good things can scandalize none saue only euill mindes good things haue no scandalizing nature in them Yet that which is of it owne nature either good or at least not euill may by some accident become