which celebrate it in the euening after supper And to proceed in the Apostles time they did baptise in riuers and fountaines shall we therefore leaue our Churches and baptise our children in riuers to the imitation of the Apostles that imitation were vndiscreet for they liued in time of persecution and therefore were glad to take the opportunitie of time and place We liue in time of peace wherein the Churches God be thanked are open vnto vs. If God for our sinnes should lay persecution vpon vs we must be content to doe as they did And there is no doubt but if God had giuen them that libertie which he hath granted vs they would haue done in this point as we doe and haue thanked him for the blessing of peace In the Apostles time the Ministers liued by voluntarie contributions or by their owne handie labours for how could they doe otherwise They liued not onely in persecution but their enemies the Leuiticall Priests had the tithes during the standing of the Temple But now when tithes are appointed for the Ministers of the Gospell by Christian Princes shall wee returne to handie labour or voluntarie contributions In the Apostles time the people sold their possessions and laid the money at the Apostles feete but shall our people be tied of necessitie to doe the like In the Apostles time there were no Christian Colledges nor Vniuersities founded shall we therefore dissolue our famous Vniuersities and damme vp the welsprings of learning In the Apostles time it was hard to finde any Christian Hospitals for the poore but is this a reason that now we should haue none In the Apostles time the Bible was not diuided into Chapters and Verses as now it is shall we therfore relect an inuention so commodious In the Apostles time the bounds of Parishes were not so distinguished as now they are doth it therfore follow that this distinction must be taken awaâ— not so beloued for when the state condition is vnlike an absolute conformitie is not to be vrged 31 Thirdly it is commonly obiected that our ceremonies are popish and Antichristian yea some of them not onely popish but Iewish also to which it may bee answered that if their meaning be that they are the inuention of Antichristian Popes this consure as they apply it will vndoubtedly prooue more sharpe then sound because many of our rites which they so brand and amongst the rest the Crosse were in the Church before the Popedome was hatched And although it may bee that some of our ceremonies were deuised by the Bishop of Rome yet it followeth not that they were the inuention either of heretikes or of Antichrist For though now the Church of Rome bee hereticall and seemeth to bee the verie cage of Antichrist yet in ancient time it was not so A great number of Bishops there before Syluester were holy men and Martyrs But suppose some of our orders were deuised by papists and heretikes what then If among the filth of their heresies saith a great controler of our Church there be found any good thing as it were a graine of good corne in a great deale of darnell that we willingly receiue not as theirs but as the Iewes did the holy Arke from the Philistines whereof they were vniust owners And againe he saith it may come to passe that the synagogue of Sathan may haue some one thing at some time with more conueniencie then the true and catholike Church of Christ as for example The Church did vse in ancient time to powre water thrice in Baptisme in token of the Trinitie The Eunomian heretikes deuised the powring of water once to crosse the doctrine of the Trinitie But what shall once applying of water be for euer vnlawfull because it was brought in by heretikes our controuler confesseth the contrarie and affirmeth that it is vsed in most reformed churches And surely it is not onely lawfull but in some cases more conuenient for where thrice hath beene abused to signifie three Gods there once may bee expedient to betoken one God likewise in cold countries especially in winter time and the rather when the childe is weake Some flowers may grow in the wildernesse and some things may proceed from heretikes and yet not vnseemely to be vsed in the Church of Christ. Many of our Colledges were builded by papists yea and our Churches partly by papists partly by Painims and must they needes bee pulled downe onely because they had heathenish or hereticall founders Furthermore if they tearm all ceremonies popish and hereticall which were vsed by Papists and heretikes then sundrie absurdities will follow For so many innocent orders primatiue and peraduenture Apostolike shall bee branded with the name of popish or hereticall for there is no doubt but sundry such haue bene vsed in the Church of Rome Moreouer this will breed a scrupulositie in the mindes of men for seeing there haue beene so many swarmes of heretikes how can we assure our selues of any ceremonie that it hath not beene vsed by heretikes at one time or other A true opinion if it be holden by an heretike or idolater by Antichrist or the diuell himselfe it must not be forsaken for all trueth is the trueth of God wheresoeuer it bee found though it be in the mouth of the diuell and shall we abhor a ceremonie which the primitiue Church deuised and our nationall Church hath iudged comely and conuenient onely because it had the happe to bee handled of papists Not whatsoeuer heretikes idolaters or any wicked persons haue done or saide but what they haue done or saide heretically idolatroussie wickedly is to be abandoned so farre as it is euill but whatsoeuer in their actions is fit or requisite to be done is from God and therefore in that respect not to be abhorred Lastly if they call them popish because they were abused in poperie we confesse it to bee true they were abused to idolatrie and that most shamefully The belles were rung to Masse the Surples was worne at Masse In the Church they saide their Masse in the Pulpit they maintained their Masse But what can bee concluded of all this Inconueniencie onely or vnlawfulnesse also If inconueniencie onely let it be granted for disputation sake But doe they thinke that they shall euer so long as they liue finde a Church vpon the face of the earth so angelicall that it shall be voide of all inconuenience or must a man for a bare inconuenience breake out of the common pale transgresse the law of his Prince leaue his pastorall charge and make a rent in the Church of Christ At Geneua the vse of the Wafer-cake being brought in in the absence of Caluin did seeme to sundry godly men a thing so offensiue that they were of minde to haue refrained from the Lords supper But Caluin being demanded his iudgement wished them rather quietly to vse it then to make any tumult in the Church
for it is not a seale but onely a signe not commanded of the Lord but appointed by the Church not as a confirmation of his couenant but as a memoriall of our dutie Wherefore it doth not appeare to be of a scandalizing nature and therefore a wise and iudicious man liuing in reformed churches where the crosse is not vsed doth call it plainly a thing indifferent Let vs now consider whether it be scandalous in respect of the vse And first dare any man affirme that it was deuised to a scandalous end that doth not appeere but rather the contrarie For among the Iewes to die vpon a tree was a cursed death and among the Romanes the death of the crosse was full of reproch Wherefore the Iewes seeing the poore estate of Christ and his shamefull death did thinke him vnwoorthy the title of their glorious Messias and many of the Gentiles did scorne to beleeue in a crucified God But the true Christians reioiced in the crosse of Christ that is in Christ crucified not onely in Christ rising ascending and sitting in glorie but they reioiced in his crosse that is in his death passion which he suffered vpon the crosse for his humiliation is our exaltation his death our life his crosse our crowne his reproch our glorie And whereas the heathen did reproch the children of God with it the Christians set the signe of it in their foreheads to testifie that they were not therefore ashamed of the same God And this the great controller of our Church confesseth to be done of a good mind to keepe amongst them an open profession of Christ crucified and so though hee disâ—â—ke the meanes hee commendeth the end Yet I confesse though it were deuised to a good end it was afterward abused and peruerted to euill For ceremonies depend vpon the doctrine especially of the free grace of God and merits of Christ. So long as this doctrine is preserued pure the ceremonic is pure when the doctrine declineth the ceremonie is peruerted and therefore Goulartius affirmeth that the old Christians did vse the signe of the crosse without superstition because the doctrine of the merits of Christ preserued them from errour which afterward crept in When the doctrine was corrupted no maruell if the ceremonie were defiled as it came to passe in poperie where it was very scandalously abused But if it were scandalous onely in respect of the abuse then the abuse being remooued the scandall it selfe is likewise remooued Now can any man say that it is abused in the Church of England for doe we adore it with diuine worship all the world may know that we detest and abhorre all such abhomination Doe wee superstitiously ascribe anie grace or vertue vnto it let our very enemies be our iudges And surely if the puritie of doctrine preserue from superstition then who can accuse the Church of England wherein the doctrine of Christ is so purely taught as euer it was in anie Church vpon the face of the earth since the Apostles time But peraduenture they will say that our Church doth vse it scandalously in respect of some circumstances of time person or place Indeed we vse it in the Church at the time of Baptisme as our forefathers haue done before vs which liued either in or neere the Apostolike age But that wee vse it scandalously wee vtterly denie For who are they which are scandalized They answer that the papists are some weake aad some obstinate weake which haue made some steppe to the Gospell and yet are not fully scowred from their former rust and these as is imagined thinke that the sacraments get reuerence by the ceremonies as namely by the crosse and surples and that they want some thing they should haue where these are not vsed In which errour they are said to be strengthened by our vsing of them And the stubborne and obstinate doe heereby take occasion as is supposed to blaspheme the Gospell and to hope that the rest of their trumperie shall likewise in time be receiued And by this meanes they grow hardened and frozen in their dregs But if the Papists be weake and not wilfull there is great hope that as they haue alreadie made some step from popish opinions by meanes of good instruction so these silly imaginations may likewise by the like meanes in time be remooued For this doth not inforce any abolishing of ceremonies but it requireth more diligence in instruction And for the stubborne papists which stop their eares against all instruction wee need not regard them When the Pharisies were displeased with the Disciples of Christ for eating with unwashed hands Christ rendred a sufficient reason in defence of their fact but the Pharisees notwithstanding were offended then Christ answered Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch This may be applied to our papists which being blinde themselues go about to corrupt others with their blinde opinions but we wil let theÌ„ alone returne to our weake brethren To whom Beza answereth that it is a vaine thing to pretend weaknes in that kingdome where the Gospell hath beene alreadie so manie yeers both preached and receiued and confirmed by the bloud of so many most excellent Martyrs But the godlie are much greeued at our ceremonies surely it is great pittie that the godly should be grieued at that which is lawfull our intent is not to grieue them but rather that we may goe with them hand in hand and doe our dutie with all ioy and comfort At Geneua some godly brethren were grecued at the wafer cake yet they did not therefore cancell the publike constitutions of their Church but Caluin did instruct the weak in the nature of things indifferent and so they learned to comfort and content themselues If they vrge vs with the saying of our Sauior Whosocuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeueth in me It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea It may be answered that Christ speaketh of such offenders as by their owne default giue offence vnto others and therefore Caluin vpon this place doth excellently define Scandall giuen Siquis nostra culpa vel impingit velabáucitur à recto cursu veltâ—rdatur eum dicimur offendere Now if any be offended with our ceremonies it is their owne fault and not to bee imputed to the Church of England Neither is a Church bound vpon euery pretended offence presently to alter her publike decrees for that were nothing els but ridiculous leuitie Indeed it is the dutie of euerie Church carefully to prouide that nothing bee decreed which may minister iust occasion of offence and likewise to establish her ceremonies with such sufficient cautions and cleerenesse of doctrine as may preuent so far as is possible all sinister constructions and
to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace And to begin with the declaration let vs first declare the order which our church vseth in making of Church orders 12 By the ancient lawes of this realme this kingdome of ENGLAND is an absolute Empire and Monarchie consisting of one head which is the King and of a bodie politike which bodie politike the law diuideth into two generall parts the Cleargie and the Laitie Now the King of England being an absolute Soueraigne and consequently by the law of God supreme gouernour ouer all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall within his owne dominions may by the ancient prerogatiue and lawes of England make an Ecclesiasticall commission by aduise whereof or of the Metropolitane he may according to his Princely wisedome ordaine and publish such ceremonies or rites as shall be most for the aduancement of Gods glorie the edification of his Church and the due reuerence of Christs holy mysteries and Sacraments And it is further enacted by authoritie of Parliament that the Conuocation shall bee assembled alwaies by vertue of the Kings Writ and that their Canons shall not be put in execution vnlesse they be approoued by Royall assent According to which statute or act of Parliament it pleased our gracious Soueraigne to direct his Writ to the most reuerend Father in God the late L. Archbishop of Canterburie his grace by vertue wherof the Bishops and others of his Prouince were summoned and because particular Churches should not be left destitute the Ministers of euerie Diocesse had libertie to choose two Clerks out of their owne bodie by coÌ„mon consent to represent the rest These assembling at the place and time appointed by vertue of other his Maiesties Writtes directed to the rigâ—â— reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of London then being duely authorized President of the Conuocation proceeded to consultation and after long deliberation set downe their conclusions which being the constitutions of the sacred synod and the same presented to the King ratified by his roiall assent confirmed by his Highnesse letters Patents vnder the great Seale of England and by his soueraigne authoritie published commanded and enioined to be diligently obserued executed and equally kept by all the subiects of this kingdome haue a binding force and are in the nature of a law and therefore may bee iustly called the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawes in making whereof the Church of England without all controuersie proceedeth honestly and in order 13 But to come to particulars let vs first consider our Ministerie and then our ministration The Ministers of England are not in popular paritie but our Bishops are aduanced aboue the rest being indued with power of giuing orders and the exercise of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that according to the purest and Apostolicall times Timothie and Titus ordained Presbyters that is Ministers of the Gospel towne by towne and these answer to our Pastors of particular Churches whose dutie is to minister the Word and Sacraments Timothie himselfe had the ouersight of Ephesus Titus of Creete not onely of the flocks but of the Ministers also and had authoritie both to minister the Word and Sacraments which was common to them with all other inferior Presbyters and likewise to exercise ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and by imposition of hands to consecrate to holy orders For the better execution of which duties it hath pleased Christian Kings in all ages out of their Princely fauours to grace and countenance Bishops and by their lawes examples and bounties to make them acceptable vnto the people well considering that the decay of the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Rulers and the want of yeelding to them reuerence honour and feare is the cause of all euil as Chrysostome well noted saying He that honoureth the Priest doth also honour God and he that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that he waxeth contumelious against God himselfe And as these glorious stars and angels are to be honored so againe they must remember the saying of Ambrose Magna sublimit as magnam debet habere cautelam Honor grandes grandiori debet sollicitudine circumuallari 14 Concerning inferiour Ministers the first point to be pondered is their ordination For which purpose the place is famously known being either the cathedral church or the parish Church where the Bishop resideth The time Ieiunia quatuor temporum commonly called Ember weeks which by the wisedome of our Church are consecrated to a most excellent vse that all the people of the land should fast and praie that the Lord would blesse his Church with learned Ministers and send foorth woorthy labourers into his haruest This is apparent by our Canons and Constitutions and surely it is an honest a decent a holie and heauenly preparation 15 After the preparation followeth the Examination both of maners and learning for the first the person desirous to enter this holy calling must exhibite letters testimoniall vnder the seale of some Colledge where he before remained onof three or foure graue Ministers with the subscription of other credible persons who haue known his life and behauiour by the space of three yeeres next 〈…〉 carefull is our Church that this should be performed honestlie and in order 16 Concerning their learning our desire is that in euerie parish the Word of God might abound like Euphrates and as Iordan in the time of haruest that the doctrine of the Gospell might shine as the light and ouerflow as Geon in time of vintage plant O Lord we beseech thee if it be thy pleasure in euery parish a learned Minister O Lord let thy Vrim and Thummin be with thy holy ones that they may teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law But beloued in the Lord it is one thing to speake of these things in speculation and another when we come to practise A Carpenter may contriue in his head a most exact and curious building but when he comes to the point he can make it no better then his timber will suffer The Defendour of the Admonition about thirtie three yeeres ago auouched that 2000. sufficient Preachers which preach and feed diligently were hard to be found in this Church Admit this were true and seeing there be in England about 10000. parishes suppose that libertie had beene granted to this great Reformer to haue reduced the Church of England to his imagined platforme what would he haue done should 2000. Parishes haue beene furnished euerie one with a sufficient Preacher and 8000. beene left forlorne without publike Praying or Preaching or reading diuine Seruice Should they haue had none none at all either to minister the Communion or to Baptise their children This had beene rude and barbarous and the high way either to Atheisme or to Paganisme Should one man haue had fiue benefices That were contrarie to his owne principles for so ech parish should haue had but the fift
in an equall ballance it will be found that the wisedome of the Church hath disposed them honestly and in order 25 And as our Church desireth that doctrine may shine like the light of the Lord vpon the holie candlesticke so she is carefull that the conuersation of her Ministers be such as may adorne the Gospell of Christ. In making of which Canon the church of England may seeme to haue set before her eies that golden sentence Let thy Priests ô Lord be clothed with holinesse and let thy Saints reioice and sing 26 And as they should be inwardly decked with godlinesse and grace so it is inioined that their outward apparell shall be sober and graue euery way correspondent to their calling that all things may bee done honestly and by order And thus much of the Ministrie and so I come to our ministration 27 The beginning of our Church Seruice is with some memorable sentence of holy Scripture appointed for that purpose moouing to repentance and praier or magnifying the mercy of God in Christ then after a holy exhortation all of vs both Minister and people fall downe before the throne of grace confessing our sinnes with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart meekely kneeling vpon our knees without question beloued heere is a holie and a blessed beginning Now because that God which dwelleth in eternitie hath respect to an humble and contrite spirit and hath appointed the Minister to comfort them which mourne in Sion therefore in the next place the Minister in the name of Iesus Christ pronounceth forgiuenesse of sinnes to all that truely repent and vnfainedly beleeue his holie Gospell This is the oile of gladnesse the balme of Gilead the fountaine of grace for the washing away of sinnes O the fountaine of the gardens the Well of liuing water and the springs of Lebanon And lest any man hauing the pardon of his sinnes pronounced should take occasion of carnall libertie therefore our Church doth presently apply a preseruatiue against presumption and a conseruatiue of all grace and godlinesse euen that zealous and piercing praier which the Lord Iesus himselfe hath taught vs. And because when we haue done all that we can we are vnprositable seruants and must forget that which is behinde and indeuor our selues vnto that which is before therefore as though we had yet done nothing we beseech him to open our lippes that our mouth may shew foorth his praise And so with praier to him which is best able to helpe vs wee giue glory to the blessed Trinitie in all which what is there which can be bettered by the wit of man Now forasmuch as the minde of man in praier mounteth aloft with Eagles wings piercing the clouds with ardent affection and powring out her plaintes in the bosome of the Almighty therfore lest the vehement attention which is required in praier should be dulled by long continuance our Church vseth a profitable varietie intermingling the reading of heauenly wisedome wherein the soule tasting and seeing how good and gracious the Lord is feedeth vpon him by diuine contemplation and so returneth to praier with a greater inflammation The Psalms being a store-house of all godlinesse wisedome and grace so plaine to the simple so profound to the wise so profitable to all sorts in all ages in all estates ioy or griefe prosperitie or aduersitie our Church desireth to make familiar to all men and therefore we reade them ouer euery moneth still interlacing the Hymne of glorie to the blessed Trinitie Then follow Chapters of the old and new Testament intermingled with sacred Hymnes all in a knowne language so God is glorified and the people edified It is true that to some parts of the Apocrypha we giue publike audience in our church yet we omit some bookes thereof and reade them not at all and those bookes we reade we reade not altogither intirely but omit some Chapters and peeces of Chapters which some haue thought capable of hard construction And if any thing we reade be such as may seeme to found suspiciously or doubtfully wee hold it our dutie to make the most charitable and christian construction and if wee cannot of our selues satisfie our selues wee are referred for resolution of our doubts to the Bishop of the Diocesse of whom what interpretation is to bee expected the Church doth teach vs binding him to doe nothing contrarie to the booke and proclaiming withall in the booke that nothing is ordained which is not the very pure word of God or euidently grounded vpon the same and therefore his interpretation being accordingly performed should in reason satisfie and content vs. Furthermore we receiue them for humane cōpositions and not for diuine therfore we reade them not for confirmation of Faith but for information of maners yet haue I said nothing of the libertie granted by the Preface of the second booke of Homilies concerning the changing of Chapters Moreouer though some portions of the Canonicall concerning Genealogies and some other intricate and mysticall points be not appointed to be solemnly read in our Church seruice yet we vsually alleage and expound them in Sermons Neither is it our meaning to aduance the Apocryphal which we reade aboue the Canonicall which we reade not for all Canonicall being the sacred Oracles of God haue incomparable preheminence of excellencie yet nothing doth hinder but that some thing in it selfe of farre lesser excellencie may be more familiar for popular capacitie After the Chapter of the new Testament accompanied with a holie Psalme or Hymne wee all stand vp boldly professing our faith before God and men in that forme which is most anciently receiued in the Church of Christ for which purpose we vse sometimes the Creed of Athanasius and elsewhere the Creed of the Councell of Nice Hauing thus fedde our mindes with heauenly meditation of the blessed Word and confessed our faith in the holie Trinitie we fall a fresh to Praier we praie for our Prince for all the States of the land for all Gods children and that for all blessings spirituall and temporall and we praie onely to God and onely in the merits of Iesus Christ. And because the life of man is subiect to a seaof miseries and little doe we know what storme may hang ouer our heads and suddenly surprize either vs or any of our brethren therefore that Gods present wrath may bee appeased and future dangers graciously preuented we humble our soules in the presence of God with a most deuout Letanie which is so pathetically penned that it may seeme to soare aloft with wings of sanctified affections and to pierce the skies as it were with darts of deuotion And after some time spent in Praier wee intermingle againe the reading of Gods holie word to beate downe sinne wee reade Gods firie law and fearefull commandements religiously beseeching him to incline our hearts to keepe his law And to kindle and increase
theirs be imbraced for they are no where commanded If theirs be not commanded and yet be lawfull then ours also may be lawfull though they be not commanded Let themselues be iudges let them acquit vs or condemne vs chuse them whether Thirdly as they are not commanded so are they no where in holie Scripture forbidden either directly or by consequence if they bee let the places be produced if they be not then seeing they are neither commanded nor forbidden the Lord hath left them as things indifferent and therefore authoritie may command them and wee may with a good conscience obserue them without sinne Fourthly it shall bee conuinced by example and first what speciall commandement of God was there for Purim which Mardocheus inioined Hester set forward and the Iewes established for all generations Was the institution diuine or Ecclesiasticall If meerely diuine let it so appeere by diuine authoritie if Eccclesiasticall then I inquire whether it was lawfull or vnlawfull If lawfull for the Iewish Church why not for the Christian If it bee said that the Iewish Church was directed by the spirit it is true And vnlesse the contrarie could be proued why should wee not iudge the like of the Christian Church which hath more ample promises If it be saide that Hesâ—â—â— and Mardocheus did it by speciall and extraordinary directions they must consider that we must not flie to extraordinarie motions without sufficient warrant of holie Scripture And this seemeth to be done by the ordinary power of the Church for the Iewes in Shushan kept the fifteenth day of the moneth Adar with feasting and ioy the Iewes of the villages kept the fourteenth Mardocheus brought them to an vniformitie by inioining of both daies Afterward the Iewes by reason of an other deliuerance added the thirteenth day changing it from fasting and mourning to feasting and ioy and the like they did commonly vpon the like occasion If any imagine it to be vnlawfull though that imagination were very strange let him cast his eie vpon another example I meane the feast of the Dedication which was no where commanded in the law yet was solemnly obserued and Christ himselfe may seeme to haue approoued it by his presence But to leaue these Iewish festiuals and to come to the Christian. Are there not many which were instituted in the primitiue Church and euer since continued in the Church of Christ The feast of the Natiuitie is no where commanded in scripture yet hath bin allowed by the general consent of al ChristiaÌ„ nations Some reformed churches haue laid away those festiuals which beare the name of Saints yet they which vse them not themselues excuse the vse of them in the Church of England The Church of Geneua at the comming of Caluin obserued no holidaies but the Sabbath onely for so it pleased Farellus and Viretus to appoint The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluin brought in other holidaies and Caluin at his returne from banishment sought a middle course which was that the feast of the Natiuitie should be celebrated and as for other holidaies there should be solemne praiers in the forenoone and the people should returne to their labour in the afternoone This proouing inconuenient they were all againe abrogated except the Sabbath onely Caluin protesting that he was not the cause thereof yet not misliking it being done Other reformed Churches vsed some more some fewer according to their Christian libertie Wherefore it is cleere that the Church in all ages hath vsed authoritie in things indifferent and the customes and constitutions of the Church which are not repugnant to the word of God haue beene generally approoued although no where commanded Lastly though the admonition would haue nothing placed in the Church but that which is commanded in the sacred Word and grounded vpon this assertion as vpon an oracle yet the Defendour of the Admonition was forced such is the light of trueth to forsake his friends the admonitioners and to confesse the plaine contradictorie of their position to be apparently true 30 Secondly our opposites doe glance at vs as though the orders and ceremonies of our Church were not Apostolike To which I answer that those Apostolike times we honour and reuerence not onely for doctrine which then did runne most cleere as being neerest to the crystalline fountaine but also for discipline so farre as the state of those daies could possiblie suffer But though the doctrine of the Apostles be fully set downe in the Apostles writings yet the discipline is not so The reason whereof is because the doctrine is one and the same eternall and vnchangeable and therefore it is called an euerlasting Gospel but the discipline especially the ceremonies is for the most part variable according to circumstance of time and place Therefore the whole doctrine is purposely and plentifully the discipline onely in part by occasion and sparingly deliuered in holy Scripture and consequently what the orders Apostolike were can not bee fully knowne by the Apostolike writings yet of those which are knowne the grand and maine points are obserued in the Church of England as namely among other the gouernment by Bishops and the ceremonie of laying on of hands in the making of Ministers Moreouer those that call for reformation doe not 16 themselues absolutely and altogether imbrace the Apostolike orders as for example to salute with a holie kisse was an apostolike order which now is not thought fit to be restored in reformed Churches So Loue-feasts were vsed in the Apostles time but are not receiued in reformed Churches Furthermore the Church of England altereth nothing from the Apostolike institution but such things onely as may be altered One kinde of Physicke agrees not to all bodies neither one kinde of ceremonie to all Churches the same Physicke which is good for the bodie when it is yoong may be dangerous in the same disease when it is old One maner of discipline may beseeme a citie and an other a kingdome One may be good for a Church newly planted and an other when it is in the flourish One ceremonie may be seemely for the time of peace and an other for the time of persecution Now to require like where the case is vnlike agrees not with reason Our Sauiour did celebrate the Communion after Supper and it was fit hee should so for the Passeouer by the law was to be eaten betweene the two euenings and the Communion was to succeed the Passeouer therefore it was fit that the Communion should be instituted in the euening But for vs to celebrate it in the morning is farre more conuenient For I make no doubt but our learned and godly brethren which seeke reformation will in this point rather ioine with the Church of England and with all other Christian Churches which make choice of the morning then with the Anabaptists
taking of offence which points are already in ample maner performed by the church of England But it will be replied that many things are lawfull which are not expedient meats offered to idols were lawfull yet euill to him that eateth offensiuely So our garments may be lawful yet euill to him that weareth them offensiuely So the crosse may be lawfull yet euill to them that vse it offensiuely And thought the offence commeth by the weaknesse of our brother yet charitie bindeth vs to refraine from that which offendeth our brother And they stand much vpon Pauls protestation that he would eate no flâ—sh so long as the world standeth rather then hee would offend his brother The answer whereunto may bee this that the case is vnlike for first those meats whereof S. Paul doth speake were matters of priuate action of common life But we speake of the publike ceremonies of our Church Secondly S. Paul was at his owne choice no law restraining his libertie but our ceremonies are commanded by lawfull authoritie Thirdly S. Paul by forbearing flesh did preiudice none but himselfe But wee in forbearing the ceremonies should preiudice the authority of the Prince Fourthly S. Pauls practise did further and not hinder the course of his Ministerie but as the case now standeth our refusall of ceremonies might be a meanes to silence our selues and to stoppe the course of our preaching which is a dutie so necessarie that it may not be omitted no not for feare of a scandall Fiftly though eating of those meats were offensiue to some yet the not eating we doe not finde to haue beene offensiue to any But in our ceremonies some are offended because they are vsed and some are offended because they are not vsed and that more iustly because the not vsing of a thing so commanded is disobedience to the Prince and may prooue a very scandalous and pernicious example If they say that charitie bindeth me to respect the one I answer that the same charitie bindeth mee to regard the other and dutie bindeth me to honour and obey my Prince Wherefore in a mixt congregation what shall I doe for both will be offended the one if I vse them the other if I vse them not Surely in such a case I thinke it my part after feruent praier diligent studie and Christian conference to consult with mine owne conscience and finding the thing commanded to bee no way contrarie to the word of God I will hold it my dutie to obey my Prince And as for those which shall be offended with my fact I will in the spirit of meekenesse both publikely and priuately render them a reason of my doing instructing them from time to time in the doctrine of things indifferent and the dutie of a subiect to his Prince But if they will not be thus satisfied if they refuse to hearken and still continue stiffe in their owne opinions let them take heed lest the saying of Aquinas may be applied vnto them Concerning the scandall of little ones saith he wee must obserue that for the auoiding thereof a man is bound to deferre the vse of lawfull things so long till the scandall may bee remoued by a reason rendered But if the reason being rendred the scandall doe still remaine now it seemeth not to proceed of ignorance or infirmitie but of malice and so shall belong to the scandall of Pharisees 36 Moreouer some are so tender that they are offended not onely at things formerly abused but euen at the names of vanished abuses The moneths of the yeere were sometimes dedicated to heathen Idols this very moneth wherein I speake to Iuno the daies to the planets this very day to the Sunne Our Chronicles testifie that Wednesday and Friday were so called of Woden and Frea the Idols of the Saxons All those names were imposed and abused to Idolatry but shall we therfore thinke that all which vse these names speake scandalously by countenancing Idolatrie It may bee that some of our Churches called by the names of Saints had their names not only as memorials but were also superstitiously dedicated to the honour of Saints and shall it therefore now bee imagined that the very vse of these names is a scandalous point God for bid The superstition and Idolatry are worne away the names remaine only as ciuill names and may bee so vsed for distinction sake as may be iustified by Scripture For the Prophet Daniell was called Belteshazzar according to the name of the God of Nabuchodonosor yet the Prophet inspired by the Spirit of God speaking of himselfe calleth himselâ—e Belteshazzar The Citie of Athens was so named of Pallas and therein was a street called the streete of Mars both which names proceeded from Idolatrie yet who can accuse Saint Luke of speaking scandalously in calling the Cittie Athens and the streete the streete of Mars Saint Paul sailed in a ship of Alexandria whose badge was Castor and Pollux which as Saint Crisostome truly obserueth were Idols Yet S. Lukes pen did not write scandalously in describing the ship by the names of Castor and Pollux Neither was it a scandalous point in S. Paul to saile in the ship for S. Luke vsed the name only historically as a ciuill name of distinction and S. Paul knew that the earth is the Lords and all that therein is And therefore in the tempest he did not inuocate Castor and Pollux but the true God Wherefore the names of times places and persons scandalously imposed may be vsed for distinction sake without scandall Many take offence at their brethren for vsing the names of Christmas Candlemas and the like as though it were a scandalous peece of Popery but admit that these feastiuities had their names of the masse though some learned men are of an other opinion yet suppose it were so those that are offended with this word Christmas as fauouring Poperie might bee offended with Bolteshazzar as fauouring Paganisme But they will say it renueth the memorie of the abhominable masse be it so and withall it may renew the memorie of our deliuery from the masse So the names of the daies of the weeke may put vs in minde how this land was sometimes drowned in Paganisme and the same may put vs in minde how it hath pleased God to deliuer vs from Paganisme Wherfore though men in such points may vse their libertie yet in such peremptorie maner to condemne their brethren is against charitie And thus much of scandall 37 Lastly they propose vs the paterne of reformed Churches which haue reiected these ceremonies as though it were our dutie therein to follow them The wordes of the admonition are these Is a reformation good for France and can it be euil for England Is discipline meete for Scotland and is it vnprofitable for this Realme Surely God hath set these examples before your eies to incourage you c. Concerning the reformed Churches I beseech God to poure his blessings
doctrinae consensum sibi inuiclatum futurum 2 A ciuibus primum omnium contendit Caluin vt coactus populus vniuersus â—iâ—â—rato palam papatu in Christianam religionem ac disiplin am paucis Capitibus comprehensam iuraret Beza in vita Caluini à quibus postea dicedere nequi ministris neque ciuibus liceret ibidem 3 Dedit tamen Dominus 20. Iulij an 1537. vt palam praeeunte publico scriba à senatu populoque Geneuensi in Christianae religionis ac disciplinae simul capita iuraretur ibidem 4 Canon 40. 5 Canon 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 6 Canon 45. 7 Canon 46. 8 Canon 49. 1 Canon 75. 2 Psal. 132. 9. 3 Canon 74. 4 Esay 57. 15. 6 Cant. 4. 15. 7 Luk 17. 10. 8 Phil. 3. 13. * As the bookes of Maccabes and 3. and 4. of Esdras 1 Tob. 5. 6. and 8. in the kalender of the booke of common praier explaned c. 2 Eccles. 46. verse 20. and in other places * Preface to the Booke of Common Praier 3 Articles Anno 1562. artic 6. 4 Gen. 36. alibi 5 As in Leuiticus Canticles c. 1 Gen. 28. 17. The confutation 2 Gen. 49. 23. 3 See the answer of Oxford to the petition 4 Admonition vide Arch. Whit. pag. 739. 5 T. C. apud Arch. Whit. pag. â—94 6 T. C. apud Arch. Whit. pag. 474. 7 A view of popish abuses remaining Vide Arch. Whit. pag. 798. 8 Admonit T. C. vide Arch. Whit. pag. 494. 9 Admon T. C. vide Arch. Whit. pag. 589. 10 T. C. vide Arch. Whit. 496. 11 Ibidem 12 Admon vide Arch. Whitg pag. 494. 13 Oxfords ansvver to the humble petit on Arch Whitg pag. 803. 14 Admon T. C. vide Archiepiscop Whitg tr 9. c. 7. 15 Admon T C. vide Archiep. Whitg p. 598. 16 Admon vide Arch. Whitg pag. 568. 17 Admon vide Archiepiscopum Whitg pag. 727. * Admon in principio The first obiection 1 1. Cor. 10. 23. 2 Hester 9. 21. 3 29. 4 23. 27. 5 9. 18. 6 19. 7 21. 8 Maccab. 15. 36. 37. 2 1. Maccab. 4. 59. 3 Iohn 10. 22. 23. 4 Bullinger ep 129. inter epist. Calu. 5 The Churches of France and Flanders in their obseruation vpon the Har. s. 16. ad Boh. obseru 1. 6 Priusquam vrbem vnquam ingrederer nulla prorsus erant feria praeter diem Dominicum Caluin epist. 118. 7 Farello Vireto hoc vtilâ— visum fuerat ibidem 8 Quae apud vos celebrantur eodem plebiscito acceptae sunt quo ego Farellus fuimâ—â— expulsâ— Caluin epist. 118. 9 Ibidem 10 Ego sanctè testari possum me inscio ac ne optante quidem hanc rem suisse transactam ibid. 11 Ego tametsi neque suasor neque impulsor sui sic tamen accidisse non molesâ—èfero ibid. 12 Bullinger ep 129. inter epist. Cal. 13 T. C. lib. 1. pa. 27. 31 14 T. C. lib. 3. pag. 97. A very dangerous thing to ground any order or policie of the Church vpon men at al which indeede ought to haue their standing vpon the Doctrine and orders of the Apostles c. 15 Reu. 14 6. * Accessimus quantum makimè potuimus ad ecclesiam Apostolorum c. Nec tantum doctrinam nostram sed etiam sacramenta precumque publicarum formam ad illorum ritus instituta direximus Iuel Apol. Lâ—nd 1591. pag. 170. 1 Ro. 16. 16. 2. Cor. 1â— 12. 1. Thes. 5. 26. 2 Iude verse 12. 1. Pet. 5. 14. * Quid quòd quadam illorum instituta veluii communes illa◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsa necessitas aboleuit Beza epist. 8. 3 1. Cor. 11. 25 4 Exod. 12. 6. 5 Act. 8. 36. 6 Act. 4. 37. 7 Act. 20. 34. 1. Cor. 4. 12. 8 Act. 4. 37. 9 Sixtus Senensis biblioâ—â— sanct l. 3. de part meth 4. 10 Honorius Arch Cant. did first diuide his prouince into parishes vide D. Godwine in Cat. The third obiection * Now they must be discerned from others by Popish and Antichristian apparell as Cap Gowne Tippet And againe Now wee must haue Surplesses deuised by Pope Adr. Adm. 1 They confesse that the crosse in Baptisme was mentioned by Cyprian Treatise of crosse printed at Amsterdam 1604. 2 T. C. in cp before his 2. booke 3 Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 26. 4 Greg. lib. 10. ep 71. Caluiâ—â—â— bonâ—s nonnullos ista mutatione vsâ— adeo essenses â—t etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sibi abstinendum pataren serio mâ—â—â—â—t 〈◊〉 ob istud 〈◊〉 liteâ— mâ—uerent sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—us Bezâ— in vita Caâ—â—â—â— anno 1558. 2 2. Reg. 18. 4. 3 Greg. prim epist lib. 10. epist. 71. 4 1. Reg. 11. 7. 5 2. King 23. 13. 6 1. King 18. 6. 1 The Queenes Iniunctions 23. 2 Iniunct 35. 3 Iniunct 2. * Leuit. 14. 1 Esay 30. 22. vrged by the â—dm 2. 2 Act for vniformitie 3 Deut 7. 25. 4 T. C. vide Arch. Whit. pag. 273. 5 August cp 154. ad public 6 Zanchius de operibus redemptionis cap. 19. pag. 647. Psal. 241. 8 Cor. 10. 26. 9 Beza maâ—or annotat in 1. Cor. 10. 1 1. Cor. 10. 25. 2 verse 27. 3 Surplices copes tippers and caps may be applied to a good vse either common or priuate as they will best serue T. C. see Arch. Whit. p. 273. 4 We thinke it an attire vnfit for a minister the surplice especially more than the other two the cap and the tippet because such hurtfull Ceremonies are so much more dangerous as they doe approch nearer the seruice and worship of God T. C. vide Ar. Whitg pag. 256. * Iudg. 6. 25. 1 Epist. 154. 2 Vbique locorâ—m in â—â—nibus sere regnis prouincijs quae Euangelium amplexa sunt templa ipsa in quibus idololatria admissa fuit tot annos retent a sunt euersis tantùm altaribus Zanch. de op redemp lib. 1. cap. 12. 3 Ex. 23. 24. 4 Non desunt 〈◊〉 doctique viri qui sentiunt scribunt omninâ— talia templa esse diruenda ZaÌ„ ib. 5 As for Churches it hath beene answered that they haue a profitable vse therfore they are euil compared with the surplice which beside that it bringeth no profit hurteth also T. C. vide Ar. Whâ—t p. 284. 6 K. Iam. in ratification of the Can. 7 Nehem. 8. 4. 8 Iohn 19. 40. 9 Colloss 2. 17. 10 Heb. 9. 11 1. Chro. 25. 1. 1 Seductus ex lectione instâ—t 〈◊〉 Cal. Ruardus â—apper explic Tom. sec. Art 8. 2 Father Lat. pag. 70 1596. * Bellar. de instif l. 2. cap. 1. in eandem sententiam siue potius errorem um Eu. de caussa formali iustific incidit Alb. Pig Cont. 2. 3 Adâ—icom in descrip vrbis Hierosolyma 4 1. Reg. 6. 20. 5 Ibidem 6 Ibid. verse 19. and 23. 7 2. Chron. 3. 14. 8 See Adric. 9 1. Kings 6. 10. 10 Heb. 9. 7. 11 Admon T. C. vide Arob Whiâ— pag. 534. The fift obiection 12 Sozomen lib. 6. Hist. eccl cap. 26. 1 Ep. l. 1. c. 41. 2 Concil 2. Tol. 4. c. 5. 3 Ro. 14. 15. 4 1. Cor. 8. 10. 5 Ios. 22. 16. 6 1. Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 9 T. C. l. 3. pag. 262. 10 Beza cp 8. 11 T. C. l. 1. pag. 75. 12 T. C. lib. 3. pag 262. 13 Respondeo minimè mihi videri deserenda ecclesiâ—â— propter vestâ—â— aut 〈◊〉 lcoâ— aut eâ—â—smodi verè medium aut indifferens Beza epist. 8. 14 Treatise of the crosse fol. 3. 15 T. C. lib. 1. 171. 16 T. C. 16. 17 Luke 1 59. 6. 18 Calu. ep â—02 19 Adam T. C. vide Arch. Whit. pag. 617. 20 Rom 4. 11. 21 Goul. annot in Cyp. epist. 56. 22 Deut. 21. 23. 23 Gal. 3. 13. 24 T. C. lib 1. pag. 170. 25 ibidem 26 Goul. annot iâ— Cyp. l. ad Demet. cap. 19. * In the vnfolding of the Popes attire made by certaine ministers of London as also T. C. vide Archb. Whit. p. 252. Beza ep 8. 1 Matth. 15. 14. 2 Beza in vita Caluini 3 Mat. 18. 6. 4 Mat. 18. 1 1. Cor. 8. 13. 2 Aquin in ep ad Rom. c. 14. lect 2. 3 Isid or l. 5. cap. 33. 4 Censorin de die nat c. 22. 5 Isid or l. 5. cap. 30. 6 Malmesh de gestis Regum Angliae lib. 1. 1 Dan. 4. 5. 2 Dan. 4. 16. 3 Act. 17. 19. 4 Act. 28. 11. 5 Chrisost. in Act. The sixt obiection Hest. 9. 21. * It shall suffice that the bread be such as is vsually to bee eaten at the table c. Booke of common praier 1 Cal. ep 118. 2 Cal. in arg in ep ad Gall. 3 Treatise of ceremonies 4 Eccles. hist. lib. 5. cap. 21. 5 Greg. epist. lib. 1. cap. 41. 6 Aug. ep 86. ad Casutan 1 Episcopo tuo in hac re noâ—â— resistere quod facit ipse sine vllo scrupulâ— vel discâ—ptatione sectare Aug. ibid. 2 Gen 49. The exhortation 3 Bez. in vita Caluin 4 Calu. epist. 5 Cal. ep 379 Malam cau dam trabat quia tamen per se verbo dei non repugnat concedi potest 6 Act. monument 7 Calu. epist. 120. de piles veste linea maluâ—ssem vt illa etiam non probem non vsque adeo ipsum pugnare idque nuper suadebam 8 Cal. ep 370. 9 Cal. ep 200. 10 Ibidem 1 See perpetuall gouernment 2 Rom. 14. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 33. 2 Iob 39. 38. Aug. retrac lib. 2. cap. 18. 1 Ioh. 21. 15. 2 1. Cor. 9. 16. 3 Rom. 13. 1. 4 2. Sam. 1. 20 1 Gen. 13. 7. Reu 18. 4. Bpâ—â—st 379. Rom. 3. 17.