A IVST AND TEMPERATE DEFENCE OF THE FIVE BOOKS OF ECCLESIASTICAL POLICIE WRITTEN BY M. RICHARD HOOKER Against an vncharitable Letter of certain English Protestants as they tearme themselues crauing resolution in some matters of doctrine which seeme to ouerthrow the foundation of religion and the Church amongst vs. Written by WILLIAM COVEL Doctor in Diuinitie and published by authority The contents whereof are in the page following Psalm 112.6 The righteous shall be had in an euerlasting remembrance At LONDON Printed by P. SHORT for CLEMENT KNIGHT dwelling at the signe of the holy Lambe in Paules church-yard 1603. The Articles handled in this Booke 1 Of the Deity of the Sonne of God 2 Of the coeternitie of the Sonne and the proceeding of the holy Ghost 3 Whether the holy Scriptures containe all things necessary to saluation 4 Whether the Scriptures be aboue the Church 5 Of the nature and freedome of mans will 6 Of the vse of faith and good works 7 Whether God allow more then he commandeth 8 Of the vertue of good works 9 None free from euery sinne how from all 10 Of Predestination 11 Whether the Church of Rome be any part of the visible Church 12 Of Preaching and Sermons 13 Of the Ministers office 14 Of the nature of the Sacraments 15 Of Christs institution of the Sacraments 16 Of the necessitie of Baptisme 17 Of Transubstantiation 18 Of speculatiue doctrine or sentences mistaken 19 Of Caluin and the reformed Churches 20 Of Schoolemen Philosophie Reason c. 21 Of the stile and maner of M. Hookers writing TO THE MOST REVEREND Father in God my verie good Lord the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace Primate and Metropolitan of all England THree principall causes Right Reuerend haue moued me to offer this small Labour to your Graces view First the iust respect of my particular dutie which challengeth al parts of my labor as a most thankefull acknowledgement of that seruice which I owe vnto you Secondly the forme of our Church gouernment which imposeth a submitting of our labours to the censure and allowance of those to whom by right that charge belongeth wherein seeing your authoritie and care next vnto our dread Soueraigne is and is to bee esteemed greatest I desire you to vouchsafe to giue that allowance which your Grace in your wisdome shall thinke fit The last reason is the person of him who whilest he liued was aduanced honoured and esteemed by you and now being dead his learning and sinceritie against the false accusations of others challengeth a defence at your Graces hand For doubtlesse it is more right to vertue to defend the deceased then to aduance those that are liuing This as reason euer expecteth at the hands of vertue so especially then when men of worth of desert of learning are mistaken and accused by those that doe want all I craue to the rest of all your Graces fauours that this last may be added That whatsoeuer my imperfections are in this iust and temperate Defence they may no way diminish the honourable remembrance of him whom I doe defend all allowance is his due the faults are mine for which in all humilitie I craue pardon Your Graces to bee commaunded W. COVEL TO THE READER SEeing we are all bound in the dutifull respect of a common iust cause euen to defend those who are strangers to vs it cannot seeme vnfit to any if we affoord theÌ„ so much fauour whose persons and deserts are verie well knowne There is no better contentment for our labour past then in the assurance from our conscience that it is well imployed for doubtlesse the spurning at vertue giueth a greater stroke to the doer then to him that suffereth yet euen that religion that coÌ„mandeth patience forbiddeth not the iust defence of our selues in a good cause especially then when by wronging a particular man there may be some hazard of the truth it selfe Our Church hath had some enemies more openly discontent in the case of Discipline then they now appeare whom to satisfie with reason Maister Hooker indeuoured with much paines that which might haue contented all was in diuers a spurre to a more violent choler for medicines how profitable soeuer worke not equally in all humours From hence proceeded a desire in some to make question of things whereof there was no doubt and a request for resolution of some points where in there was no danger to this end a Letter which heere is answered was published by certaine Protestants as they tearme themselues which I heare how true I know not is translated into other tongues this they presume hath giuen that wound to that reuerend and learned man that it was not the least cause to procure his death But it is farre otherwise for he contemned it in his wisdome as it was fit and yet in his humilitie would haue answered it if he had liued Surely for mine owne part I neuer thought it conuenient that the grauity of this present businesse and the reuerend worthinesse of him that is accused should not be answered with grauitie both of person and speech and my witnesses are both in heauen and earth how iustly I can excuse my selfe as Elihu did Behold I did wait vpon the word of the ancient and harkened for their knowledge I stayed the time and a long time vntill some elder and of viper iudgement might haue acquited me from all opinion of presumption in this cause which being not done by theÌ„ whom many reasons might haue induced to this Defence I could not for that part which I beare in that Church whose gouernment was defended by Maister Hooker with patience endure so weake a Letter anie longer to remaine vnanswered And herein I haue dealt as with men although to me vnknown of some learning and grauitie to whom peraduenture in manie respects I am farre inferiour and yet for anie thing that I know or appeareth in this Letter they may bee clothed with the same infirmities that I am But if this had beene by himselfe performed which I heare he hath done and I desire thee to expect it thy satisfaction gentle Reader would haue beene much more yet vouchsafe in thy kindnesse to accept this The Authours Preface LIttle hath labour done to make any man excellent if vertue haue not as much power to make it continue neither were it anie honour to deserue well if our memories might die with our names â—or our names be buried as often â—s malice or enuie doth seeke to hide them Fewe things are eminently good which are indured amongst distempered iudgements without bitter reprehension for where weakenesse hath not strength enough to imitate and reuerence that vertue which it feareth it hath violence and malice sufficient to detract from that vertue which it hateth Amongst euill persons as there be fewe things that are good in themselues so there be not manie things which they are willing should appeare good in others for vertue where it is not followed
the Christians to please Iulian was noted with this marke of leuity for writing Panegyricks or orations of praise to commend Constantius while he liued against whome afterward he wrote most bitter inuectiues when he was dead Thus some small discontentment serued to turne the heart and open the mouth of Porphyry against the Christians what cause of griefe these zealous professours haue I know not but in my opinion the whole tenor of that vncharitable and vnchristian letter argueth some inward discontent either enuious that other men should be excellent or that themselues being excellent are not more regarded Wherein though they dislike the dim eie of gouernment that loketh not cleerely into mens vertues and the niggardly hand that doth not bountifully reward such as deserue well yet they mighte out of patience and charity worthily haue forborne to haue inueied against his honour which consisted in no other wealth but in his religious contentment and in that true commendation which was the due merit of his own vertues For the world had not much to take from him because hee had not taken much from the world for he neuer affected flatteringly to please her nor she neuer cared fauninglie to please him For as all that Scipio brought from Africa after his danger and trauell to be called his was only a Surname so the greatest recompense that his labours had was the iust commendation that he was a very reuerend learned and graue man For his iudgement taught him out of a Christian patience the resolution of Cato if I haue anie thing to vse I vse it if not I know who I am And seeking to profit in knowledge and that this knowledge might profit the Church he shewed that hee was borne for the good of many and few to bee borne for the good of him For as S. Hierom speaketh of Nepotian despising gold he followed learning the greatest riches But peraduenture his learning had puft him vp and his pride had made his writings impatient and full of bitternes and this moued you to vndertake this vncharitable and vnchristian letter for you say if we beleeue them meaning the Bishops we must thinke that Master Hooker is verie arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe the onely Rabbi That you had no cause to prouoke him in these tearmes all men know that do reade his writings for dealing in an argument of that kinde with aduersaries of that nature and in a time growne insolent by sufferance hee hath written with that temperat moderation rather like a graue father to reforme the vnstayed errors of hot young violent spirits then seuerelie correcting them with the vntemperat bitternes of their owne stile and sighing at the scurrilous and more then satyricall immodesty of Martinisme he feared with a true sorrow least that honourable calling of Priesthood which was ruinated by slaunder amongst ourselues could not long continue firme in the opinion of others Well for all this the gouernment of his passions was in his owne power as Saint Bernard speaketh of Malachie the Bishop And he was able to rule them for he was truly of a milde spirit and an humble hart and abounding in all other vertues yet he specially excelled in the grace of meekenes for the grauity of his lookes as Saint Bernard speaketh of Humbers was cleered by those that did sit or conuerse with him least he should be burdensome vnto them but a ful laughter few euer discerned in him Some such our Church hath had in all ages a few now aliue which are her ornament if shee can vse them well but moe that are dead whome she ought to praise For all those were honourable men in their generations and were well reported of in their times there are of them that haue left a name behind them so that their praise shall be spoken of for whose posterity a good inheritance is reserued and their seede is conteined in the couenant their bodise are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore the people speake of their wisedome and the congregation talke of their praise In this number vertue hath placed him whom you accuse and are not afraid being now awaked out of a dreame to account a deceiuer As though in his labours he had meant by intising speech to deceiue the Church or as though by a colourable defēce of the Church discipline he purposed as you say to make questionable and to bring in contempt the doctrine and faith it selfe beating against the heart of all true Christian doctrine professed by her Maiestie and the whole state of this realme Therfore you haue made choice of the principall things conteined in his bookes wishing him to free himselfe from all suspicion of falshoode and trechery accounting your selues to rest contented if he will shew himselfe either all one in iudgement with the Church of England or else freely and ingenuously acknowledge his vnwilling ouersight or at the least shew plainely by good demonstratiō that al our reuerend Fathers haue hitherto bin deceiued To this you craue a charitable direct plaine sincere and speedy answeare this is the summe of the preface to your Christian letter It is too true that al ages haue had deceiuers and that the most dangerous deceiuers haue strongly preuailed vnder pretence of Religion and therefore whereas all bodies are subiect to dissolution there are vndoubtedly mo estates ouerthrown through diseases within themselues which familiarly do steale vpon them then through violence from abroade Because the maner is alwaies to cast a doubtfull and a more suspicious eie towards that ouer which men know they haue least power therfore the feare of apparant dangers causeth their forces to be more vnited it is to all sorts a kind of bridle it maketh vertuous minds watchful it holdeth contrary dispositions in suspence and imployeth the power of all wits and the wits of all men with a greater care Whereas deceits couered with good pretenses are so willingly interteyned so little feared so long suffered vntill their cruelty burst forth when it is too late to cure them vice hath not a better meanes to disperse it selfe nor to gaine intartainment and fauour then by borrowing the counterfeit name and habit of seeming vertue Thus that rebellious Sandracot vnder pretence of liberty mooued the Indians against the officers of Alexander the Great which when they had slaine he that was the author of their liberty turned that into a more cruell bondage oppressing the people whom he had freed from strangers vnder the cruell tyranny of his owne gouernment But of all deceits there is none more dangerous then when the name of God or religion is pretended to countenance out heinous crimes And howsoeuer euen in this kinde this age hath not wāted examples who beeing dangerous vnder holy pretenses the hand of Iustice hath cut off yet the imputation of this fault can in no reason cleaue to him who hath so
one that had a misfortune it was because hee honoured not his parents For the sixt nature hath made the Murderer to expect what he hath committed For the seuenth Flie the name of an adulterer if thou wilt escape death For the eight Demosthenes against Timocrates repeateth it as Solons law plainely in the verie words And for false witnesse the Romans did punish it by their twelue tables But the incarnation of Christ the Sacraments the Trinitie the Decree of God are matters of a deeper speculation wherin humilitie must follow the direction of faith and not seek vainely with curiositie to know that which our silly weaknesse is far vnable to comprehend For as those things that are manifest are not to bee neglected so those things that are hid are not to be searched least in the one we be vnlawfully curious and in the other be found daungerously vnthankfull Now specially for the matter of the Trinitie wherein you take exception in your two first Articles doubtlesse there are few errours more dangerous or that haue stirred vp greater tragedies in the church of God All men see in nature that there is a God but the distinction of persons Trinitie in Vnitie that faith in humilitie must teach vs to beleeue For who can comprehend by reason that in that holy and sacred Trinitie one is what three are and that two is but one thing and in themselues and euerie particular infinite and all in euerie one and euerie one in all and all in all and one in all Fire hath three things motion light and heat Arrius deuide this if thou canst and then deuide the Trinitie Out of this difficultie together with the rash presumption of ignorant men haue proceeded those dangerous errours that so long and so hotly haue troubled the church thus the Manichies haue denied the vnitie of Essence the Valentinians or Gnostici from Carpocrates held that Christ was man onely from both sexes borne but that he had such a soule which knew all things that were aboue and snewed them Those that haue in their erronious doctrine oppugned the Trinitie are of two sorts they haue either denied the distinction of persons or else the samenesse of Essence thus the Arrians for we will not stand to incounter or confute all other heresies held that Christ was a person before his incarnation but that he was true and eternall God equall and of the same essence with his Father that they denied for they hold that the Sonne is not eternally begotten of the substance of his Father and so that there is an inequalitie and indeed a distinction and prioritie of essence Into this dangerous and ignorant blind heresie confuted long since with powerfull and strong reasons it seemes you are of opinion that Maister Hooker is fallen both against the truth and against the true assertions of the Reuerend Fathers of our church The ground of this so great and so vncharitable accusation is because he saith that the Father alone is originally that Deitie which Christ originally is not Where you seem to inferre against the distinction of the Trinitie that the Godhead of the Father and the Sonne cannot bee all one if the Sonne be not originally that Deitie It seemes then in your opinions that this speech vttered verie learnedly and with great wisedome and truth The Father alone is originally that Deitie which Christ originally is not is both vnusuall new and dangerous First because it weakeneth the eternitie of the Sonne in the opinion of the simple or maketh the Sonne inferiour to the Father in respect of the Godhead or else teacheth the ignorant that there may be many Gods I know your owne Christian iudgements could easily haue freed him from all suspicion of error in this point if your charity had bin equall to your vnderstanding for he himselfe hath confessed in the very same place from whence you haue taken this wherof you accuse him that by the gift of eternall generation Christ hath receiued of the father one and in number the selfe same substance which the father hath of himselfe vnreceiued from any other Who seeth not saith S. Augustine that these words Father and Son shew not the diuersities of natures but the relation of persons and therfore the Son is not of another nature and of a diuers substance because the father is God not from another God but the Son is God from God his father heere is not declared the substance but the originall that is not what he is but from whence he is or is not for in God the Father and in God the Son if we inquire the nature of them both both are God and but one God neither greater or lesse in essence of Godhead one then the other But if we speake of the originall saith Saint Austin which you see Master Hooker did the Father is God originally from whom the Son is God but there is not from whom the Father hath originally his deity so that to mislike this kinde of speech is contrary to all truth to affirme that the Son is not eternally begotten of the father that the Father is not eternally a deity begetting But heere you must take heede of the errour of Arrius who against the truth reasoned thus If the Sonne be coeternall with his Father tell vs we beseech you whether he were begotten when he was or when he was not if when he was then there was before two vnbegotten and afterwards one begot the other if when he was not then he must needes be later and after his Father But saith Saint Augustine as we haue knowne onely the Father alwayes and without beginning to be vnbegottē so we confesse the Son alwaies and without beginning to bee begotten of his Father therefore because the Father is originally that Deitie from whence the Sonne is the Sonne though hee be the same Deity yet the Father alone is originally that Deitie which the Sonne originally is not The want of Identitie being not in the Deitie whereof we must needes with the Church of God acknowledge an Vnitie but in that it is not originally the same For euery thing that is a beginning is a father vnto that which commeth of it and euery ofspring is a sonne vnto that out of which it groweth Christ then being God by being of God light by issuing out of light though he be the same deity for in the Trinitie there is but one deity yet the Father is originally that deity alone which Christ originally is not Here if you note but the difference betwixt that Deity and originally that Deity you must needs confesse that M. Hooker speaketh with the consent of reformed antiquitie and hath said nothing to diminish the eternitie of the Sonne or to make him inferiour in respect of his Father or to teach the ignorant that there be manie Gods ARTICLE II. The coeternity of the Sonne and the proceeding of the holy Ghost
that naked faith c. In these assertions which in my opinion are repugnant to our Church and in the best construction make but a harsh sound what do you else but discouer y e error which they of the Church of Rome by a mistaking haue thought vs to hold as though it were our doctrine that wee could be iustified by a faith that were meerely naked Luther striuing to shew how litle our works did in the merit of mans saluation speaketh somewhat harshly when he saith Faith without before we haue charitie doth iustifie And in another place both which are not vniustly called in question by those of the Church of Rome he saith Faith vnles it be without euen the least good works doth not iustify nay it is no faith But M. Calum speaketh in this better then either Luther or you Faith alone iustifieth but not that faith which is alone For if our Church held a naked faith which none that were wise euer did might not all the world iustly accuse vs as enemies to good works The most of the learned in Germany held a necessitie of good works not a necessitie of effecting but a necessitie of presence for we are saued doubtlesse by grace but hauing yeers we cannot ordinarily be saued vnles we haue good works For faith which we teach to iustifie is not void of good works as Doctor Fulke answereth to the Rhemes obiection And therfore in another place he saith the elect are alwayes fruitfull of good works From hence seeing faith hath no assurance for itselfe either to God or to maÌ„ we exhort in our sermons to good works we perswade to humiliation by fasting weeping which are if they be truly penitent meanes to blot out sin thorough Gods vnspeakable and vndeserued mercie For as Saint Paul saith Godly sorrow causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of And therefore saith Saint Hierom fasting and sackcloth are the armor of repentaÌ„ce And y e men please God by fasting saith D Fulk as Anna Tobie Iudith Hester we doubt nothing at all while we vse it to the right end allowed of God that is huÌ„bling of our selues chastising of our bodies that it might bee more obedient to the Spirit and feruent in prayer Nay our solemne fasts are as M. Hooker saith the splendor and outward glorie of our religion forcible witnesses of ancient truth prouocations to the exercise of all piâ—tie shadowes of our endlesse felicitie in heauen and euerlasting records and memorials vpon earth which it is great pitie it is so much neglected because euen therein they which cannot be drawne to harken vnto what we teach might onely by looking vpon that we do in a maner reade whatsoeuer we beleeue Now that he saith the attainement vnto anie gratious benefit of Gods vnspeakable and vndeserued mercie the phrase of antiquitie hath called by the name of Merit this is that wherein you desire to be resolued And surely he hath read little who is ignorant that the heathen Masters of the Latine tongue and the Fathers for antiquitie nearest vnto those times haue vsed the word Merit far in another sence then that whereunto the violence of some coÌ„structions haue wrested it at this day And Aquinas himselfe vnderstandeth by the name of â—urit not a worke not due which should deserue a reward but a worke which mercifully and by the goodnes of God a reward followeth The phrase of the Latine doth properly make one to merit of another and as it were to bind him to him who doth any thing which pleaseth and delighteth him for whom it is done Thus that place in the epistle to the Hebrues To do good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased Where they of Rhemes following the Latine promeretur say promerited shewing that they meant nothing els in ancient time by merit but that delight allowance and contentment which God taketh in those good things we do and so rewardeth them And Doctor Fulke confesseth that Primasius who was Saint Austins scholler vsed the same word promeretur as it was taken amongst the vulgar at that day farre differing from the sense wherein it is nowe vsed Thus much briefly may serue for answer in this point that faith is not alone though alone it iustifie that though a man sinne if he repent his faith may saue him that there are vses nay excellent vses of good works though they do not saue vs and last of all if posteritie had not corrupted the word merit that we would not be afraid to speake in the phrase of antiquitie and call our vertuous attainment by mercie of grace by the name of merit ARTICLE VII The vertue of works AS goodnesse so truth being but one whatsoeuer is opposite be it neuer so carefully obserued in the course of a long streame at the last foldeth it selfe in a contradiction For falshood hath no more strength to proue a truth then truth hath weaknesse to beget a lie Then the ground of all true assertions concurring immoueably in that one first truth of which all other inferior are but branches whatsoeuer goeth about to disproue that must of necessitie in his owne parts bee diuers and imply a contrarietie seeing it laboureth to infring the certainty of that which eternally and vnchangeably is but one Hence commeth it that vnskilfull men the grounds of whose opinions are but the vncertainties of their owne ignorance are thought to want memorie whilest they contradict themselues when indeed the defect is in iudgment which caÌ„not make truth the ground of their knowledge from which if they swarue neuer so little they doe not sooner oppugne others then crosse themselues truth admitting no coherence of contrarieties seeing it selfe is but onely one From this hath proceeded that ouersight of a great number who speaking first against a truth vttered by others come at length to speake euen directly against themselues Thus you that in the former Article disputed of faith naked and destitute of all good works make your next step to those good works that do accompany faith Where I vnderstand not but perhaps you do why you call them good if they arise not naturally out of faith or why you call that faith naked which is accompanied with these good works But doubtlesse there being a morall goodnes euen where there is want of supernatural light and the most certaine token of that goodnes being if the general perswasion of all men do so account it it can not chuse but seeme strange that the approbation of these should in your opinion be applied to those works that are done out of faith after man is iustified seeing there is a good as M. Hooker saith that doth follow vnto all things by obseruing the course of their nature yet naturall agents cannot obtaine either reward or punishment for amongst creatures in this world only mans obseruation of the law of his nature because he
perswade Valens the Emperor that the variety of sects was a thing much pleasing to God seeing by that meanes he was worshipped after diuers manners This though Constantine the great did at the first whose fact we will not at this time examine yet afterward he commanded all the temples of the Idols to be shut vp and the Christian religion to be only vsed whose sonnes Constantius and Constantinus so far followed as Saint Austin saith the example of their Father that Constantine threatned banishment to al those who rested not in the determination of the Nicene councel The contrary was practised by the Emperors Iouinian Valens and Iulian who giuing a liberty to all heretickes sought nothing more then the ouerthrow of the vnity of the Church But wisemen haue euer seene that the peace and tranquilitie of the common wealth seldome or neuer ariseth but out of the concord and agreement of the Church it selfe The dissentions whereof as they serue to hinder religion so they kindle that flame wherewithall doubtlesse in the end the common wealth it selfe must needs perish But how farre all sides are from allowance of reconcilement both the times present can testifie too well and the ages to come must needs witnesse which shall possesse a Church as sonnes doe the inheritance of contentious parents the best part whereof is wasted in vnnecessarie sutes The sound knowledge of religion as well perishing in the middest of dissention as the true practise doth faile by the plentifull abundance of too much peace There haue beene in the world from the verie first foundation thereof but three religions Paganisme which liued in the blindnesse of corrupt and depraued nature Iudaisme embracing the law which reformed heathenish impietie and taught saluation to bee looked for through one whoÌ„ God in the last dayes would send exalt to be lord of al finally Christianisme which yeeldeth obedience to the Gospell of Iesus Christ and acknowledgeth him the Sauiour whom God did promise Now the question is whether the dissenting parties in this last religion be so farre not in opinion but in the obiect differing as that there is no hope of reconciliation and the one part only hath but the priuiledge to be tearmed the Church For the matter of reconcilement it is no businesse which lieth within the compasse of this labour and whether and how it may be done we are willing to referre it to the iudgements of men who haue better abilitie to decide the cause A booke in Latine was published in the first beginning of these bitter contentions without name bearing the title of the dutie of a godly man but since Bellarmine saith that the Author was one George Cassander this booke perswading that Princes ought to make an agreement betwixt the Catholikes the Lutherans and Caluinists as he tearmes them which whilest they cannot find out the meanes to performe they should permit to all men their seuerall religions so that they held both the Scripture and the Apostles Creed for all saith he are the true members of the Church howsoeuer in particular doctrines they seeme to differ This booke was first confuted by Caluin on the one side and then by one Iohn Hessels of Louaine on the other side that all the world might see how loth both sides were to be made friends This hath since beene esteemed by others a labour much like to those pacificants in the Emperour Zeno his time or the heresie of Apelles who held as Eusebius writeth that it was needlesse to discusse the particulars of our faith and sufficient only to beleeue in Christ crucified But least any man should thinke that our contentions were but in smaller points and the difference not great both sides haue charged the other with heresies if not infidelities nay euen such as quite ouerthrowe the principall foundation of our Christian faith How truly both haue dealt those that are learned can best iudge but I am sure that in the greatest differences there are great mistakings which if they were not it is like their dissentions had beene much lesse Now for the second whether both parts may bee called the Church this is that which concerneth the cause that wee haue in hand The Church of England confesseth that the Church of Christ is a company of faithfull people among whom the pure word of God is preached and the sacraments rightly administred according to Christs institution so that as our reuerend Fathers say without Christ there is no Church and those particular Churches are more perfect which in their religious worship haue lesse failed in both these now when enemies become iudges sentences are often partiall and each side with bitternesse of tearmes doth condemne other whilest neither part is willing to confesse their errour or amend themselues Wee haue not suffered the contemptible reuiâ—ings of the Church of Rome without telling her aloud that her faults are not so few as she imagineth that her chastitie and puritie are not so great that she need to boast and that if she will needes bee proud and confidently striue to be the chiefe and the onely Church wee must tell her in zeale that what she was she is not that pride and prosperitie haue corrupted her as other Churches This though we speake out of zeale seeing her faults and knowing her contempt of vs yet out of iudgement we say which Maister Hooker doth that with Rome we dare not communicate concerning sundrie her grosse grieuous abominations yet touching those maine parts of Christian truth wherein they constantly still persist wee gladly acknowledge them to bee of the familie of Iesus Christ therefore wee hope that to reforme our selues if at anie time wee haue done amisse is not to seuer our selues from the Church wee were before in the Church we were and we are so stil as also we say that they of Rome notwithstanding their manifold defects are to bee held and reputed a part of the house of God a limme of the visible Church of Christ. This is that whereat your hote spirits haue taken offence speaking out of the same ignorant zeale against our Church as ye wish our Church to speake against the Church of Rome accounting vs for perfection of a Church as farre short of you as Rome is of vs or your selues of the Angels that are in heauen and therefore you affirme that our statute congregations of England are no true christian churches Which error as you haue at last beene from an vnresistable wisedome taught how to recant so no doubt at length vpon better aduise you wil learne in iudgment how to censure of the Church of Rome And yet mistake me not to giue her her due is not to grant more then shee ought to challenge nor to account her a part of the Church is not to affirme that shee is absolutely perfect There is no one word that from the varietie of acceptation hath bred greater difference in the Church
of God then the word Church Somtimes it is taken for any assembly somtimes for a faithful religious assembly and theÌ„ it sometimes noteth out the whole bodie of the elect in all ages times places both in heauen earth and only them So it is in the article of our faith I beleeue the catholike church that is all those who are or shal be saued both Angels men so it is taken in that speech of our Sauior VpoÌ„ this rock will I build my church that is the whole catholike church Somtimes it is taken for that part only which is in heauen as when it is said that the church is without spot or wrinckle which can be verified of no part whatsoeuer the Anabaptists dreame but of that which triumpheth Sometimes it is taken for that part of the catholike church which is militant that thou maist knowe howe thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the church of the liuing God the piller and ground of truth So feare came vpon all the church Sometimes it is taken for the pastors and gouernours onely of the church as when it is said Tell the church that is the heads and gouernours of the church Sometimes for the people Take heede therefore vnto yourselues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the church of God which he hath purchased with that his owne bloud Somtimes for particular churches professing the doctrine and religion of Christ as To the Angell of the church of Ephesus so we say the church of Rome the church of Corinth the church of England now from the mistaking of this worde Church doubtlesse much harme and needlesse contentions haue come vnto the church of Christ. For in the first great contention of what persons the Church consisteth in my opinion wee dispute of one Church namely the true Catholike all which must be saued they dispute of the visible wherein are hypocrites also So that the reasons that are brought on both sides are smally to the purpose seeing both sides directly mistake the question Thus in the iudgment of those of the Church of Rome persons excommunicate though vniustly are cut off froÌ„ the particular Church but not froÌ„ the catholike excommunication being only the censure of a particular Church Therfore saith our Sauior Christ many are called with an externall calling to the society of the â—isible Church but few are chosen that is to the Cathoâ—icke For though both be a folde yet of the visible Church saith Saint Austin In the Church there are many wolues and out of the Church there are many sheepe but in the Catholicke without any other mixture are sheepe only Now visible and inuisible maketh not two Churches but the diuers estate condition of one the same Church Hence coÌ„meth it to passe that in this question of the visibility of the Church there is the like mistaking as in the former for they of Rome say we haue made this distinction because our Church hath not bin alwaies visible but we say if our Church had bin as glorious and as famous as any Church in the world we would haue accounted the Catholicke Church inuisible Which no doubt of it they of Rome doe vnderstanding Catholick and visible as we meane For the Church of Christ which we properly tearme his mystical body can be but one neither can that one be sensibly discerned by any man in as much as the parts therof are some in heauen already with Christ and the rest that are on earth albeit their natural persons be visible yet we cannot discerne vnder this property wherby they are truly and infallibly of that body only our minds by internal conceit are able to apprehend that such a real body there is a body collectiue because it conteyneth a huge multitude a body mystical because the mystery of their coniunction is remoued altogether from sense Whatsoeuer we reade in scripture concerning the endles loue and the sauing mercy which God shewed towards his Church the only proper subiect therof is this Church They who are of this society haue such markes and notes of distinction from al others as are not subiect vnto our sense only vnto God who seeth their harts and vnderstandeth al their secret cogitations vnto him they are cleere and manifest In the eie of God they are against Christ that are not truly and sincerely with him in our eies they must be receiued as with Christ that are not to outward shew against him to him they seeme such as they are but of vs they must be taken for such as they seeme Al men knew Nathaniel to be an Israelite but our Sauiour pearsing deeper giâ—eth further testimony of him then men could haue done with such certainty as he did behold indeede an Israelite in whom is no guile Now as those euerlasting promises of loue mercy and blessednes belong to the mystical Church euen so on the other side when wee reade of any duty which the Church of God is bounde vnto the Church whom this doth concerne is a sensible knowne company and this visible Church in like sort is but one continued from the first beginning of the world to the last end which company beeing deuided into two parts the one before the other since the comming of Christ that part which since the comming partly hath imbraced and partly shal hereafter imbrace the Christian Religion we tearme as by a proper name the Church of Christ. For all make but one body the vnity of which visible body and the Church of Christ consisteth in that vniformity which al seueral persons thereunto belonging haue by reason of y e one Lord whose seruants they all professe theÌ„selues to be that one faith which they al acknowledge that one baptisme wherwith they are al receiued into the church As for those vertues y t belong vnto morall righteousnes honesty of life we do not speake of them because they are not proper vnto Christian meÌ„ as they are Christian but do concerne theÌ„ as they are men True it is the waâ—t of these vertues excludeth from saluation so doth much more the absence of inward beleefe of heart so doth despaire and lack of hope so emptinesse of Christian loue and charity but we speake now of the visible Church whose Children are signed with this marke One Lord one Faith one Baptisme In whomsoeuer these things are the Church doth acknowledge them for her children them only she holdeth for aliens and strangers in whom these things are not found For want of these it is that Saracens Iewes and infidels are excluded out of the bounds of the Church others we may not though you doe denie to be of the visible Church as long as these things are not wanting in them For apparant it is that al men are of necessity either Christians or not Christians if by externall
profession they be Christians then are they of the visible Church of Christ and Christians by externall profession they are all whose marke of recognisance hath in it those things which we haue mentioned Yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked hereticks persons excommunicable such as we deny not to be euen the lims of Satan as long as they continue such Is it then possible say you that the selfesame men should belong both to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Christ Vnto that Church which is his mystical bodie not possible because that bodie consisteth of none but only true Israelits true sonnes of Abraham true seruants and Saints of God Howbeit of the visible body and Church of Christ those may be and oftentimes are in respect of the maine parts of their outward profession who in regard of their inward disposition of minde yea of externall conuersation yea euen of some parts of their very profession are most worthily both hatefull in the sight of God himselfe and in the eies of the sounder parts of the visible Church most execrable From hence haue proceeded those bitter speeches wherewith many of our reuerend Fathers haue censured the Church of Rome as also those violent courses and vnseemely which they haue hitherto vsed against vs. Therefore our Sauiour compareth the kingdome of heauen to a net whereunto al that commeth neither is nor seemeth fishe his Church he compareth to afield where tares manifestly knowne and seene by all men doe grow intermingled with good corne and so shall continue til the final consummation of the world God hath had euer and euer shall haue some Church visible vpon earth But for lack of diligent obseruing the difference first betwixt the church of God mystical and visible then betweene the visible sound and corrupted sometimes more sometimes lesse the ouersights are neither few nor light that haue bin committed This deceiueth them and nothing else who thinke that in the time of the first world the family of Noah did containe al that were of the visible church of God From hence it grew and from no other cause in the world that the Affrican Bishops in the councel of Carthage knowing how the administration of Baptisme belongeth only to the church of Christ and supposing that hereticks which were apparantly seuered from the sound beleeuing church could not possiblie be of the church of Iesus Christ thought it vtterly against reason that baptisme administred by men of corrupt beleefe should be accounted as a Sacrament Some of the Fathers were earnest especially Saint Cyprian in this point but I hope you haue not yet proceeded so farre This opinion was afterwards both coÌ„demned by a better aduised councel and also reuoked by the chiefest of the Authors therof themselues And therfore as it is straÌ„ge for any man to denie them of Rome to be of the church so I cannot but wonder that they will aske where our church was before the birth of Martin Luther as if any were of opinion that Luther did erect a new church of Christ. No the church of Christ which was from the beginning is and continueth in substance the same vnto the end of which al parts haue not bin alwaies equally sincere and sound In the daies of Abiha it plainly appeareth that Iuda was by many degrees more free from pollution then Israel In Saint Paules time the integrity of Rome was famous Corinth many waies reproued they of Galathia much more out of square in Iohns time Ephesus and Sâ—yrna in better state then Thiatyra and Pergamus were and yet all of them no doubt parts of the visible church so standeth the cause betwixt Rome and vs so farre as lawfully we may we haue held and do hold fellowship with them we acknowledge theÌ„ to be of the family of Iesus Christ and our heartie prayer vnto God Almightie is that being conioyned so farre forth with them they may at length if it be his will so yeeld to frame and reforme themselues that no distraction remaine in anie thing but that we all may with one heart and one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord and Sauiour whose church we are As there are which make the church of Rome no church at all vtterly so we haue them amongst vs who vnder pretence of imagined corruptions in our discipline do giue euen as hard a iudgement of the church of England it selfe But whatsoeuer either the one sort or the other teach we must acknowledge euen heretikes themselues to bee though a maimed part yet a part of the visible church For as to baptize is a proper action belonging vnto none but the church of Christ which is true in the church of Rome howsoeuer some Anabaptists account it but a mockerie so if an infidell should pursue to death an heretike professing christianitie onely for christian profession sake could the church denie him the honour of Martyrdome Yet this honour all men know to be proper vnto the church and therefore where the Fathers make opposition betwixt the visible church and hereticall companies as often times they doe they are to bee construed as separating heretikes not altogether from the companie of beleeuers but from the fellowship of sound beleeuers for where profest vnbeleefe is there can be no visible church of Christ there may be where sound beleefe wanteth Infidels being cleane without the church denie directly and vtterly reiect the very principles of Christianity which heretikes imbrace and erre onely in misconstruction And therefore it is strange that you dare affirme the Turke to hold any part of the christian faith or to bee in that respect comparable to the church of Rome For that which separateth vtterly that which cutteth off cleane from the visible church of Christ is as Maister Hooker saith plaine Apostasie direct deniall vtter reiection of the whole christian faith as farre as the same is professedly different from infidelitie Heretikes as touching those points of doctrine wherein they faile Schismatikes as touching the quarrels for which or the duties wherein they diuide themselues from their brethren loose licentious and wicked persons as touching their seuerall offences or crimes haue all forsaken the true church of God the church which is sound and sincere in the doctrine that they corrupt The church that keepeth the bond of vnitie which they violate the church that walketh in the lawes of righteousnesse which they transgresse This verie true church of Christ they haue left howbeit not altogether left nor forsaken simply the Church vpon the maine foundations whereof they continue built notwithstanding these breaches whereby they are rent at the top asunder But peraduenture you will say why then doe wee refuse to communicate with the church of Rome more then Zacharie Elizabeth Anna and others did with the high priests corruptions being in both and both remaining parts of the church of God I answer that in the time of our Sauiour Christ the synagogue
of the Iewes although it was not in regard of the high Priests and chiefe Doctors in all respects the true visible church yet in some sort it was because the remainders of religion were left the worship instituted of God himselfe was not wholy taken away so with the Papists we would not be affraid to communicate in our liturgie if it were not in respect of their superstitious order some prayers which are idolatrous for which we haue some reasons as yet to doubt that they haue no warrant We must all of vs be ioined to the true church else we cannot be saued that is to the catholicke not the visible for doubtles a man may bee saued that liueth not in any particular Church or that is excommunicated from all yet we say thus much That we must ioyne ourselues to some particular Church if wee will be saued with this twofold caution If such a Church be knowne vnto vs or if it be possible to ioyne vnto it Wherein because euerie particular may erre yet none absolutely exclude from saluation all men haue reason to ioyne with that that is most sound This then were the fittest point to bee discust with moderation and learning That seeing all Churches haue some vnsound parts in them which Church is to be reputed at this day the soundest of all the rest Doubtlesse the Church of Rome was once a light to all the Churches of the world but through the corruptions of some those diseases haue somwhat infected the Church which now to the sorrow of Christendome like a canker or leprosie haue inlarged themselues As there is a contention when Adam fell so histories varie when this defection beganne Some make fiue or sixe hundred yeares to be the continuance of her sound estate some three hundreth some to erre euen from the Apostles time Doubtlesse in the Apostles time there were heretikes in the Church the Nicholaitans Simon Magus Cerinthus others Eusebius reporteth out of Egesippus that although as long as the Apostles liued the Church did remaine a pure virgin yet after those times immediately errours crept into the Church Clemens Alexandrinus to confirme that there was corruption of doctrine presently after the Apostles time alleageth the prouerbe There are few sons like their Fathers Socrates saith of the Church of Rome and Alexandria the most famous Churches in the Apostles time that about the yeare 430. the Roman and Alexandrian Bishops leauing their sacred function were degenerate to a secular rule or dominion Yet we say not that all before Gregorie were sound nor all after corrupt yet their errours grew on by little and little euen from those men whose reuerend names gaue warrant to what they held they thinking nothing â—esse then by those meanes to haue corrupted the Church But shee may when it pleaseth God recouer her former soundnesse againe if we had but so much care of them as they seeme to haue of vs or that all sides peaceably with indifferencie would admit the true vse of a generall Councell But let their errours be as they are we leaue them to bee reproued by those whom that businesse doth concerne and to bee iudged by the searcher of all hearts yet for all that we affirme them to be parts of the Church of Christ and that those that liue and die in that Church may notwithstanding bee saued Of those who are of a contrarie opinion in a good meaning I say with Lactantius With howe good a meaning these poore soules do euill To conclude least you should thinke Maister Hooker to bee arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe as you say the onely Rabbi know that hee hath saide nothing which that honourable Frenchman of worthie memorie hath not said before with great wisdome moderation and learning But if you cannot bee resolued without a miracle as you scoffingly seeme to desire wee can but in our prayers recommend your weakenesse to the God of all power and the fountaine of all light ARTICLE XII Of Preaching HOw hard it is for those who are in loue with themselues to carâ—e a well tempered indifferencie betwixt that which they out of ignorance performe and others out of iudgement auoid this Article alone may serue as euidence sufficient to perswade all For euen in the matter of greatest vse vnto Gods church the dispensation of the word of life a vehement dislike of those things which they cannot attaine hath wrought too violeÌ„t an opposition for the ouerthrow of that course which learning and truth haue held not to be the weakest meanes to support the same Hence commeth it to passe that whilest al grant the word to be powerful and effectual some thinke this is only true of the word preached which otherwise hath smal vertue except it be in sermoÌ„s those sermoÌ„s only to haue this power which are of their own making Causing the holy ghost whose streÌ„gth is perfected in weakenes to be necessarily tied to a defect of al outward ornaments as though that almighty power vpon whom euer excellency depeÌ„ds eueÌ„ in the weakest meanes were of lesse authority or lesse power wheÌ„ the meanes which he vseth were more excellent thus depriuing the church of variety of guifts who out of obedience and humility hath learned how to profit by all But as to tie the power of conuerting sinners to that which is eloquently strong in humaine wisdome were a thing not safe iniurious to the church so to bee too earnest against al outward ornaments through an affectation of pure simplicity is an error no lesse dangerous then the former was For seeing those that teach are not all either capeable or furnisht with the same guifts and that continually there is no lesse variety in those that heare it is the wisdome and discretion of the church for a better attainmeÌ„t of a more perfect estate to learne with thankfulnes and reuerence how to profit by all For as it is impossible that anie one forme of teaching should please or perswade all men a prerogatiue which was not graunted to the first and best sermons whose excellencie was that they conuerted many but not all so the rest who yet are not but must be conuerted are to expect though not with curiosity to affect a variety for the manner euen of that which in substance and end is but meerely one For the mysticall body as it is ful of variety and diuersity in his parts yet in it selfe but one so the working is manifold different though the beginning and the end Gods power and his glory be in truth to and for all men but one For sometimes the word by being read proposeth and preacheth it selfe to the hearer sometimes they deliuer it whom priuately zeale and piety moueth to be instructors of others by conference sometimes of them it is taught whom the church hath called to the publick either reading thereof or interpreting by them after a most diuers manner but
attention gained without wit nor their affections perswaded without eloquence where to come vnfurnisht and leaue the workings without meanes to him who giueth a power and a blessing to the meanes we vse is all one to appoint him what meanes are fittest or to inioyne him to worke without meanes at all which though that Almightie power can do yet then to refuse theÌ„ when they are prouided or not to furnish vs with as much as we can of the best that he hath prouided it argueth our vnthankfulnesse and our want of choise This made when Celsus Iulian and Porphyry had written against vs the holy Fathers to confute them with all varietie of humane learning that thus the enemies of that truth which we teach may say with Iulian We are strooke through with our owne weapons This was the happines of Epiphanius whiâ—â— I wish were common to all preachers that his writings were read of the learned for the matter of the simple for the words Thus we should not doubt but to win an attention from all nay euen for the true discharging of this businesse there is a necessarie vse of Grammar to teach the originall proprietie of words of Logicke to discerne ambiguities of Rhetoricke for ornament a good tale being much better when it is well told of Philosophie for the vnfolding the true nature of causes the ignorance whereof hath brought much error in expounding the holy Scriptures of Historie for the computation of times in one word of all humane learning which like the spoiles of Egypt we haue recouered from the vniust owners accounting it no more disgrace to be accused of eloquence wit or humane learning then S. Austin did by Petilian to be termed Tertullus the Orator There be that account Inciuilitie of maners and Rusticitie of speech as Saint Hierome speaketh true holinesse But it is not fit that those that are toothlesse should enuie the teeth of others or those that are Moules repine that others see as the same Father admonisheth Calphurnius It hath beene a trouble of some of our best and most excellent preachers that they haue beene inforced after their wearisome â—oiling and vnregarded paines to giue a reason and make a defence as though they had committed a fault for the vse of that for which in true estimation they ought to haue reaped much praise And therfore saith one whom I dare oppose for eloquence and iudgement against the best in that great city of the contrarie faction I am not of opinion with those men who thinke that all secular and prophane learning should be abandoned from the lips of the preacher and that whether hee teach or exhort he is of necessitie to tie himselfe to the sentence and phrase of only Scripture Good is good wheresoever I find it vpon a withered and fruitlesse stalke saith S. Austin a grape sometimes may hang shall I refuse the grape because the stalk is fruitlesse and withered There is not any knowledg of learning to be despised seeing that all science whatsoeuer is in the nature kind of good things rather those that despise it we must repute rude vnprofitable altogether who would bee glad that all men were ignorant that their owne ignorance lying in the common heape might not be espied And S. Austin in in another place saith Eloquence is not euill but a sophisticall malignant profession proposing to it selfe not as it meaneth but either of contention or for commodity sake to speake for all things against all things What were more profitable then the eloquence of Donatus Parmenian others of your sect if it ran with as free a streame for the peace vnity truth and loue of Christ as it floweth against it for els it is a venimous eloquence as Saint Cyprian wrote of the eloquence of Nouatus I know there is much amisse both in matter and in the vse of prophane learning but this we are sure if we bring it to the Scripture if it bee faultie it is condemned if wholsome it is there confirmed And I see no reason that any man should be bold to offer his owne inuentions and conceits to the world when hee findeth such in the Fathers and others as cannot be amended I am sorie that the learned of any sort as my Author saith that hath but born a book should dispraise learning she hath enemies enough abroad though she bee iustified by her children It is fitter that wisedome bee beaten by fooles then by those who ought to be esteemed wise aboue all other places a blow giuen in the pulpit against learning a fault too common leaueth a scarre in the face of knowledge which cannot easily be cured It calleth in question the reaching of others as if they fed the people with acorns husks not bread or because they gather the truth out of humane Authours they contemned the authority of the holy Scriptures Doubtlesse it is somtime vanity in those that preach itching in those that heare a thing not tolerable or allowable in either but where it is otherwise let not a rasâ— conclusion without proofe as though it were young mens faults bee admitted against good learning If Asclepiodorus will draw with a cole or chauke alone I iudge him not if others wil paint with colours neither let them be iudged for those that are wise and humble in the Church know how with discretion to make vse of all and yet not all of the like authoritie For doctrines deriued exhortations deducted interpretations agreeable are not the verie word of God but that onely which is in the originall text or truly translated and yet we call those sermons though improperly the word of God To conclude this point as our Church hath manie excellent Preachers which we wish by good incouragement may increase so it is too presumptuous a labour for any to prescribe one forme necessarie to all But I could wish that all were like him whom you accuse or like one Marianus Genazanensis whom Angelus Politianus doth excellently describe in my opinion an excellent patterne of a reuerend Diuine ARTICLE XIII Of the Ministers office IN the actions of this life whether spirituall or temporal God and man giue their approbation in a diuers maner the one looketh onely at the thing done the other at the mind disposition of the doer And therefore the same things from diuers parties are not of the same nor of like value nay that which is from sinceritie a worship is from hypocrisie a sin and the defects which outwardly the maner of doing disproueth the sinceritie oftentimes in the mind of the doer acquiteth In the eye of man it is sometimes a fault which is no sin in the eye of God a sin which in the eye of man was no fault So that according to lawes which principally respect the heart of man works of religion being not religiously performed caÌ„not morally be perfect Baptisme as an
away their soules and therefore there is a more absolute necessity in the Church to giue Baptisme which she can neuer willingly refuse to doe without cruelty then there is in the faithfull to receiue it who how willing soeuer yet alwaies cannot ARTICLE XVII Of Transubstantiation SEeing the Church hath nothing left vnto it either more powerful or more reuerently to be esteemed then the holy Sacraments it hath bin the policie of Sathan from the beginning to darken the cleere light of these with infinit clouds of vnnecessary questions wholy impertinent and vnprofitable to that cause So that out of due consideration of this great euill wisemen haue thought it more fit by application to make vse of that which concernes them in this kinde rather then by curious inquisition to desire to finde out what concerneth them not The whole benefit which the Church hath is from Christ and this by no other meanes but by participation For Christ to be what he is is not to be what he is to the Church but only by a participation of all that he is as a mediator betwixt him and vs. This we cal the mutuall inward hold which Christ hath of vs and we of him in such sort that each possesseth other by way of speciall interest properly and inherent copulation for what soeuer we are eternally according to his election wee are actually no longer in God then onely from the time of our actuall adoption into the body of his true Church into the fellowship of his children wee are therefore adopted sonnes of God to eternall life by participation of the onely Sonne of God whose life is the welspring cause of ours This participation besides the presence of Christs person and besides the mysticall copulation thereof with the parts and members of his whole Church importeth a true actuall influence of grace whereby the life which we liue according to godlinesse is his and from him wee receiue those perfections wherein our eternal happinesse consisteth This is partly by imputation of his merit partly by habituall and reall infusion of his grace the first whereof as the ground of all the rest being the Spirit maketh a blessed vnion of all those howsoeuer distinguisht by place or time who mystically belong vnto that body and this being the common vnion of all Saints we fitly terme the communion of Saints That of imputation maketh vs al sonnes in which number how farre so euer one may seeme to excel another yet touching this that all are sons they are all equals some happily better sonnes then the rest are but none anie more a sonne then another Neither doth this participation include anie grosse surmise of any mixture of the substance of his flesh with ours but is actually deriued vnto his Church by the vse of his holy Sacraments Wherein Baptisme doth chalenge vnto it self the inchoation of those graces the consummation whereof dependeth vpon other mysteries For the grace which we haue by the holy Eucharist doth not begin but continue life and therefore no man receiueth it before Baptisme because nothing is capable of nourishment that doth not liue Now life being propounded to all men as their end those which by Baptisme haue laid the foundation and attained the first beginning of a new life haue in the Eucharist foode prescribed and giuen for the continuance of life in them In both the same thing being affoorded which is a participation of Christ in our infancie we are incorporated into Christ and by Baptisme receiue the grace of his Spirit without any sense or feeling of the gift which God bestoweth In the Eucharist we so receiue the gift of God that we know by grace what the grace is which God giueth vs. The degrees of our increase in holinesse and vertue we see and can iudge of them we vnderstand that the strength of our life begun in Christ is Christ that his flesh is meat and his bloud drinke not by surmised imagination but truly euen so truly that through faith we perceiue in the body and bloud sacramentally presented the verie taste of eternall life the grace of the Sacrament is heere as the food which wee eate and drinke And howsoeuer it was to bee feared that by the meanes of some men should be brought to account of this Sacrament but only as of a shadow destitute emptie and voide of Christ yet now at length for any thing that I can see all sides are growne as it is fit to a generall agreement concerning that which alone is materiall namely the reall participation of Christ and of life in his body and bloud by meanes of this Sacrament The maner how which ought to be the least part of our consideration is in this question the greatest difference So that considering the small successe that bitter contentions haue had in this cause it were to be wished that men would giue themselues more to meditate with silence what they haue by the sacrament and in humilitie lesse to dispute of the maner how This being the true difference betwixt Christes disciples and others that the one because they enioyed not disputed the other disputed not because they inioyed For doubtlesse this heauenly food is giuen for the satisfying of our emptie soules and not for the exercising of our curious and subtill wits It is sufficient that the sacraments reallie exhibit what they promise though they are not really or doe not really containe in themselues that grace which with them or by them it pleaseth God to bestow Now the first by all sides being granted why doe we vainly saith Maister Hooker trouble our selues with so fierce contentions whether by consubstantiation or els by Transubstantiation the sacrament it selfe be first possest with Christ or no a thing which no way can either further or hinder vs howsoeuer it stand because our participation of Christ in the sacrament dependeth vpon the cooperation of his omnipotent power which maketh it his body and bloud to vs whether with change or without alteration of the element such as they imagine we need not greatly to care or enquire for That being admitted wherein all agree which is a reall presence why should not the rest in question rather be left as superfluous then vrged as necessarie This is that which being vttered by Maister Hooker out of great wisdome argueth as you surmise that hee maketh light of the doctrin of Transubstantiation whereas the reuerend Fathers of our Church doe so much detest it and that so many blessed Martyrs haue suffered death for denial thereof Whether the doctrine of Transubstantiation be true or false howsoeuer it is plaine what Maister Hooker thought yet that is no part of the contention at this time The matter in question betwixt you and him is only this Whether it be not curiosity to contend for the manner how seeing all sides are agreed that the thing is For as in those who were to bee cured by our Sauiour Christ we
what there I receiue from him without searching or inquiring of the manner how Christ performeth his promise let disputes and questions enemies to piety abatements of true deuotion and hitherto in this case but ouer patiently heard let them take their rest Let curious and sharpe witted men beate their heads about what questions themselues will the very letter of the word of Christ giueth plaine security that these mysteries doe as nailes fasten vs to his Crosse that by them we draw out as touching efficacy force and vertue euen the blood of his wounded side that this breade hath more in it then our eies behold that this cup hallowed with solemne benediction auaileth to the endlesse life and welfare both of soule and body i◠that it serueth as well for a medecine to heale our infirmities and purge our sins as for a sacrifice of thanksgiuing which touching it sanctifieth it inlightneth with beleefe it truly conformeth vs vnto the Image of Iesus Christ. What these elements are in themselues it skilleth not it is enough that to me which take them they are the body and blood of Iesus Christ his promise in witnesse hereof sufficeth his word he knoweth which way to accomplish why should any cogitation possesse the minde of a faithfull communicant but this Oh my God thou art true oh my soule thou art happy To dehort then from violence of disputing and curiosity of seeking in a matter needlesse to know being as Maister Caluin saith incomprehensible what fault can you finde in Maister Hooker Doth he not disswade from this in zeale only to draw vs to a better contemplation Can this in reason be termed any gentle construction of popishe opinions or priuily to rob the truth of our English creede of her due estimation thinke not so vncharitably of one whose principall care was in the midst of all his knowledge only to follow that truth soundly and vncorruptly which was auaileable and sufficient to saue himselfe Many itch with curiosity they are not few that doe blow contentions to make them kindle some desire to know only that they may know some others that they may be knowne he doubtles with humble sobriety both in this and in all other points to comprehend that which was most auaileable for the true direction of others and the saluation of his own soule And therefore to your obiections in this article which are neither great nor many I haue framed my answere most out of his mouth who fulliest vnderstood this cause and ought to be esteemed the best interpretor of his owne meaning ARTICLE XVIII Of Speculatiue doctrine AS wise Phisitians in the curing of some diseases neglect not that habit of the body which when the disease is cured may threaten a relapse because euils past leaue a disposition for the like to come and by returning are so much the more daungerous by how much the strength of the sick is lesse able to make resistance so fareth it with vs in the labour imployed about these articles that follow wherin if you had wel considered the serious superscription of your letter that it was for resolution in matters of doctrine those of no small moment but such as seeme it is wel you said seeme to ouerthrow the foundation of Christian religion and of the church amongst vs these articles that follow might very fitly haue bin omitted by you For though all that you obiect be far frō that mature iudgment which ought to bee in such as you desire to seeme yet these concerning speculatiue doctrine the naming of Maister Caluin Schoolemen or Maister Hookers stile how can they bee called matters of doctrine or in any construction be thought to weaken the foundation of the Church amongst vs But seeing in the former we haue done somwhat to cure that distemper the effect of too much choler which being suffered to increase might grow dangerous it is not amisse gently to apply some thing euen to these which wanting the malice of any dangerous discase yet are infallible tokens of a distempered habit Neither neede we in this to make anie other defence for the right vse of those sentences which you reprehend sauing only to set downe to the readers eye the sentence at large which you haue maimed by seuering and challenging him in those things which are incomparably excellent you haue manifestly discouered your weaknesse of vnderstanding But as in anie curious workmanship where the parts are not disiointed there appeareth the admirable effects of a skilfull hand which rudely being seuered and rashly pulled in peeces blemish the beautie of the former work and make manie things seeme in the eye of ignorance to be idle and of no vse so fareth it with those speeches which in this Article so vnseasonably are distasted by you which if any indifferent reader will but compare with the places from whence you tooke them he must needs be amazed that things set downe with so much eloquence and iudgment should be called in question by so great a weakenesse of vnderstanding The sentences by you alleaged of speculatiue doctrine as you call them are onely eight which if you had set downe at large with that coherence that hee did doubtlesse you could not haue deuised to haue done Maister Hooker a greater honour but being pretermitted by what reason I know not you haue hazarded the suspition of intolerable ignorāce And vndoubtedly this Article alone giueth full assurance that this Letter could not possibly be the act of many nor of any one that had either charitie leasure or learning in any great abundance The first Theorem so you terme them in derision not familiar to you common Christians is this Ten the number of natures perfection In which place Maister Hooker speaking of paying of tythes saith as Abrahā gaue voluntarily as Iacob vowed to giue God tithes so the law of Moses did require at the hands of al mē the self same kind of tribute the tenth of their corn wine oyle fruit cattell and whatsoeuer encrease his heauenly prouidence should send Insomuch that Painims being herein followers of their steps paid tithes also Imagine we that this was for no cause done or that there was not some speciall inducement to iudge the tenth of our worldly profits the most cōuenient for Gods portion are not all things by him created in such sort that the formes which giue their distinction are number their operations measure and their matter weight three being the mysticall number of Gods vnsearchable perfection within himselfe seuen the number whereby our perfections through grace are most ordered and ten the number of Natures perfections for the beauty of nature is order the foundation of order is number and of number ten the highest we can rise vnto without iteration of numbers vnder it could nature better acknowledge the power of the God of nature then by assigning vnto him that quantity which is the continent of all that she possesseth Now let the