may seeme to be of great importance and such in deede as God hath had much care of in all times as before it hath beene countenanced by the Lawe and Prophets so must it nowe bee drawen also through the whole course of the nevve Testament Yea whatsoeuer is vsed eyther of Christ himselfe or of his Apostles against couetousnesse or the loue and care of this worlde and delight of this life all that either by faire meanes or foule is brought into this fort to batter and shake the lands and possessions of Bishops and other of the Cleargie And first men are willed to cal to remembrance the example of Christ our Sauiour his birth the state of his life the choise of his apostles his perpetuall doctrine exhorting to pouertie and contempt of the worlde His parents say they were poore and liued by an handie craft descended of a stocke and kinred growen altogether out of credite in the worlde in steede of a princely chamber borne in an Oxe stall wrapped in poore clothes in steede of white and fine linnen layde in a cribbe for want of a rich cradle and in place of worthie seruitours hee had the presence of an Oxe and an Asse And that hee might shewe himselfe to delight in pouertie and contempt of the world his natiuitie was first reuealed vnto poore Shepheards watching their flockes As hee was borne so was he bredde in the poore and contemptible Towne of Nazareth out of the which Nathaniel thought nothing woorthy credite coulde come in which Towne as it may bee thought by the exercise of an handie craft hee liued in obedience of Ioseph and of his Mother Such as his birth and breeding was such was the state of his liuing when the full time of his dispensation came for hee was not borne to anie Landes or possessions neyther had hee any great wealth and riches to susteine himselfe yea not so much as an house to put his heade in but was mainteyned by the almes as it were and by the charitable deuotion of certayne wealthie vvomen of Galiley and other godly persons His Apostles that he chose to follovve him and to bee the Ministers of his kingdome hee tooke not out of the state of Princes noble men or great and rich Lordes with Landes and dominions but out of the poore state and condition of fishers Tent-makers and toule-gatherers And thus may we see our Lorde and Christ altogether wrapped in pouertie and besette on euery side with the base and contemptible state of the vvorld But to what purpose is all this alleaged Forsooth that wee may vnderstande that it is not lawfull for such as bee guides of the Lordes flocke to liue in any other state then in that the Lorde gaue example of For vvhosoeuer seeketh Christ say they in other state and sort then hee gaue example of seeketh not Christ but Antichrist and the pompe of the vvorld So that the sense and effect of the reason is this Christ was borne bredde and liued in pouertie and chose vnto him Apostles of poore condition therefore bishoppes and Ministers of the church must haue no Landes or possessions but stay them selues in like poore state as Christ and his Apostles did I doe not frame this argument good Reader of purpose to cauill but to admonish thee of the principall state and that considering the proofe to bee naked in it selfe thou maiest the better iudge of the strength thereof Surely I will hencefoorth cease to marueile at the wrested and violent interpretations that Hermites Monkes and friers haue made vpon the scriptures to iustifie and set foorth their superstitious life of voluntary pouertie and forsaking the worlde seeing professors of the gospel to mainteine their new doctrines take vpon themselues the like liberty and boldenesse in abusing the holie Scriptures and worde of God And yet surely it doth grieue mee and make my heart bleede to see it What shall the aduersarie thinke of our dealing with the Scriptures Surely that wee doe in so earnest manner pull them from the interpretation of the Fathers of the Church to the ende that by applying them according to our owne fantasies we may set foorth and seeme to iustifie to the worlde what doctrine soeuer we shall thinke good our selues And so shall this bee an occasion to discredite all the particular doctrines of the Gospell which hitherto as well this Church of England as other churches reformed haue taught But to vnderstande the weight of this reason before vsed against the wealthie liuings of our Clergie wee must trie it by a right and iust balance that is by the true meaning of the holy Ghost First therefore let vs consider the causes of Christes pouertie and of the choyce of such Apostles which in mine opinion are two The one is the necessitie of our redemption the other is an example and iust instruction set foorth vnto Christians As touching the first when the certaine purpose of God had determined that his sonne shoulde come into the worlde to worke the redemption of mankinde and his deliuerance from sinne necessarie it was for him to satisfie the iustice of God in sustaining all those difficulties and punishmentes that were due to man for sinne that is to say affliction ignominie reproch contempt pouertie and all worldly troubles and miseries and last of all death This is that the Prophet Esay spake of long before Hee is despised and abhorred of men hee is such a man as hath good experience of sorowes and infirmities we reckned him so vile that we hidde our faces from him Howbeit hee onely hath taken our infirmities on him and borne our paines Yet wee did iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God This is that humiliation and debasing of himselfe that Paul speaketh of when hee saith Hee beeing in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and founde in figure as a man hee humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen to the death of the Crosse These places good Christians declare vnto vs both the pouertie and contemptible state of Christ here in earth and also the very roote and principall cause thereof that is the saluation of mankinde The sonne of God became the sonne of man that he might make vs the children of God he vvas borne a weake and tender babe that he might make vs strong men in him he was tied in swadling bands that he might loose and deliuer vs from the bondes of the fraile and sinful flesh he was wrapped in poore clowtes that with the garment of his innocencie he might hide our nake dnes he was borne liued poorly that he might make vs rich plentiful in him he was a stranger in the world had not an house to put his head in that he might purchase for vs a citie heritage
gouernours of Prouinces to be punished if they neglect to execute the same But I wil make no longer discourse herein Such as doe doubt hereof and desire to be better satisfied I referre them to a Treatise which Maister Beza hath writtē for that matter I haue taried the longer in this part for that I am desirous to let the indifferēt christian reader vnderstand that it is but an assectionate iudgemēt of some when they impute the only cause to be in bishops why there is in these dayes so great back sliding from the Gospell so great mischiefe deuised against the Prince the State It appeareth their mindes are blinded with affection that they cannot see the trueth AN other crime layde against Bishoppes is that they maintaine pilling and pouling and as some in despite terme them bawdy courts If they maintayne courtes for the administration of Iustice in such thinges as are vvithin their charge they doe as I am persvvaded by Gods law they may doe and as by the lawes of this Realme and state of this Church they ought to doe But if they mayntaine pouling in their Courtes that in deede is vvorthy blame and by no pretence can bee salued For as all Magistrates ought to deale vprightly and vvithout corruption so principally such as be Spirituall and of the Church of God But hovv is it prooued that Bishops maintaine pouling Courtes Surely I knovve not For they doe not lay it dovvne in particulars If they did I thinke the matter might easily be answered vvith good reason It may bee they thinke the vnder-Officers take money and bribes where they should not For that is polling and extortion If it bee so it is euill and not to be suffered and vpon proofe the Lavve appoynteth sharpe punishment Though it bee true that they surmise in this case that Officers are so corrupt it is one thing to say The Officers vse pouling and another to say The bishop maintaineth a pouling Court A bishop may haue an euill Officer vvhome yet he vvill not maintaine no nor suffer if he knevve it and be able to redresse it I am in persvvasion there is no bishop in this Realme but if it be complayned of and proofe made vnto him that his officers take more then is prescribed by order and lavv that they may doe but wil mislike with the thing and doe his best to see it redressed Or if hee will not I fauour not their State so much but that I could vvish him to be punished himselfe But if a Bishops Officers shall be counted to poule when they take no more then the ordinary fees and duties by Lawe allowed the bishop when he beareth with the same shall bee called a maintainer of a poulling Court this is a matter in a slaunderer to be punished and not a fault in a bishop to bee blamed By this meanes all the Courtes in Englande may bee defamed and called poulling Courtes and the Officers or Iudges vnder whose authoritie they stande may bee reprooued as mainteners of poulling Courtes Bee it that there is vnlawfull taking in many Courtes of this Realme as happily there is in some by greedie Officers were it therefore the duetie of christian godly subiects to spread libels against the Prince or chiefe gouernors as mainteners of corruption briberie and pouling An hard matter it is in so corrupt times for anie magistrate to warrant the doinges of all inferiour officers I pray God this making of exception to Courtes and officers goe no further then to the officers of bishops and of the Cleargie Whatsoeuer they pretend the very root of the matter is this The whole state Ecclesiasticall by the loosenesse of this time is growen into hatred contempt all inferiour subiectes disdaine in any poynt to be ruled by them And therfore when they be called conuēted and punished for such things wherin they haue offended or be brideled of that they would do disorderly they grudge at it their stomackes rise against it and thinke al that is done to be vnlawfull though it be neuer so iust And because they are not able otherwise to be reuenged they crie out that they be cruel and poulling Courts Obiection To cut off the whole matter it wil be said that by the word of God it is not lawfull for bishops to haue such Courtes nor to exercise such iurisdiction Answere Yet truly I must answere that it is lawful for christian subiects to obey it and vnlawfull for them to kicke and spurne against it seeing it standeth by authoritie of the Lawes and of our Christian and gracious prince by whom God hath sent to vs and doeth continue with vs the free course of his Gospell But why may not a bishop exercise iurisdiction haue a Court to iudge determine and ende matters Surely Saint Paule sayth to Timothie Against a Priest or Elder receiue no accusation vnder two or three witnesses Here is an accuser Heere is a person accused here are witnesses examined heere is a iudgement and deciding of the matter therefore here is an exercise of iurisdiction and a manner of a Court. They will say It was not Timothies Court onely but ioyntly exercised with the residue of the Elders that had the gouernement Vndoubtedly there is no such thing there in that place The words are directed to Timothie only the adioyning of some other is but the interpretation of some fewe vpon which to build the necessity of a doctrine in the Church of Christ is but hard dealing and not sufficient to ground mens consciences vpon And yet here note you that by this place it is euident that ecclesiasticall persons may haue and vse iurisdiction To prooue that bishops may not alone exercise iurisdiction they adde Christes saying Matthew 18 If thy brother offend thee go and tel him his fault between thee and him alone If he shal heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he wil not heare thee take yet with thee one or two if he wil not heare then Dic Ecclesiae Tell it to the Church Here say they we are willed to tel the Church but the Church cannot be vnderstāded to be one person as the bishop or such like First I answere that by the consent of most interpreters that place speaketh not of the exercise of publike iurisdiction but of a charitable proceeding in priuate offences And Christes large discourse which immediatly following he maketh vnto Peter touching the forgiuing of them that doe offend vs doth very euidētly iustifie that meaning If some do interpret the place otherwise as I haue before said Christians shoulde not build thereupon a generall doctrine of necessitie It will be asked what Christ meant when he said Dic Ecclesiae As some interprete it he meant Tell the Gouernours of the Church After some other Tell it openly in the Church or congregation as Hierome saith Vt qui non potuit pudore saluari saluetur opprobriis that is that hee which could
violence and extortion shall wrest more vnto him of the landes and substance of the people then lawe and right requireth I see no cause warranted by Gods word that the inferiour subiectes can rebell or resist the Prince therein but that they shal euidently shew thēselues to resist the ordinance of God For they haue not the sword of correction committed into their hand and oftentimes God by euill Princes correcteth the sinnes of the people Wherefore if subiects resist the hard dealings euen of euill Magistrates they doe in that respect striue against God himselfe who will not suffer it vnpunished Wherefore Ieremie willeth the Iewes to submit themselues to the obedience of Nabuchodonosor a wicked and cruell king and Baruch teacheth them to pray for the good estate of the sayd Nabuchodonosor and his nephewe Balthasar And Saint Peter and Saint Paul will Christian subiects not onely to bee obedient to the heathen tyrants vvhich vvere in their time as Nero and such other but also to make most humble and heartie prayers for them that his people might liue vnder them a quiet and peaceable life vvith all godlinesse and honestie Tertullian also shevveth the same to haue beene the practise of the primitiue Church euen towarde the enemies and cruell persecutours of the faith of Christ A Christian saith he is enemie to none and least of all to the Emperour whome he knowing to be ordeined of God must of necessitie loue reuerence and honour and wish to bee in safetie together with the whole Romaine Empire And againe We pray for all Emperours that God woulde graunt vnto them long life prosperous reigne strong armies faithfull Counsell obedient Subiects c. We may learne then by this that Christian duetie of a subiect consisteth in louing in reuerencing in obeying the Prince and Magistrate in all things that lawfully hee commandeth and in those things that he commandeth vnlawfully not by violence to resist him though the same touch our goods our lands yea and our life also As touching our duetie towarde God wee owe vnto him our selues whollie both body and soule and all things and partes to the same appertaining according to that his Lavve requireth Thou shalt loue God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and with thy whole power For wee are his creatures and hee is our Lorde and maker But forasmuch as Princes Magistrates Rulers Parents Masters and all superiours haue a portion of Gods authoritie ouer vs as his officers and Lieutenants in their callings therefore God doeth permit vnto them some part also of his honour but so farre and in such things and such maner as before is declared retaining vnto himselfe our faith and religion vvith all the partes of his diuine vvorshippe consisting in Spirite and in trueth the calling vpon his blessed name the confession of his holy trueth and the obedience of his morall Lavve vvhich thinges hee doeth not make subiect to any Princes authoritie And if any Prince or Magistrate by violence and crueltie shall breake into the boundes of our duetie towardes God I saie not that priuate subiects may by violence resist it but surely they may not obey it but rather yeelde into his handes goods landes countrey and life too For so did the Prophet Daniel so did the yong men his companions so did the whole number of the martyrs of God by whome the Church of Christ increased as Augustine saieth Non resistendo sed perferendo not by resisting but by suffering And Hierome The Church of Christ was founded by suffering reproch by persecutions it increased by martyrdomes it was crowned To this ende saith Tertullian also Semen Euangelij Sanguis Martyrum This is the true doctrine of the wordes of Christ before mentioned by which wee are taught to put a difference betweene our duetie towards God and that we owe towarde the Prince yeelding to each that vvhich is his A doctrine most profitable and necessarie to all Christian Churches and common weales But who can gather of this that the Ministers of the Church of Christ liuing vnder a Christian Prince fauouring and defending the Gospel must of necessitie giue vp into the Princes hands those landes and possessions which by the graunt of the same Prince and the Lawe of the Lande is assigned vnto them For if the land be Caesars and therefore must bee deliuered to Caesar then are all goods Caesars and must be also yeelded into his hands God saue vs from Princes that will vse like violence and tyrannie towarde our Landes goods and bodies as these men vse to the worde of God I haue not as yet noted vnto you good Christians the very grounde of this corrupt interpretation of the doctrine of Christ and the mischiefe that is hid vnder it I pray you therefore consider to vvhome doth Christ speake in al those places of his doctrine before mentioned Whome doeth he teach whom doth he instruct that they shoulde not hoarde vp treasure vpon earth that they may not serue God and Mammon that they may not bee carefull what to eate and what to drinke that they must sell all that they haue and followe him that they must renounce all that they haue if they will bee his true Disciples And lastly that they must yeelde to Caesar that which is Caesars Are these things spoken to Ministers onely doeth Christs doctrine pertaine to Bishops and Ministers onely Is it his will that they onely shoulde followe his godly instructions and commaundements Then of likelihoode as hee came onely to teach Ministers and to bee example of life to them alone so hee came to saue Ministers onely But what a wicked vanitie were it so to speake or thinke Now if Christes doctrine bee generall to all the faithfull as in deede it is that beeing the true interpretation that they vvoulde haue to bee it must of necessitie followe that no true Christian can keepe landes and possessions nor abide in any wealthie or rich estate which is the very ground of the Anabaptists doctrine as all learned men do know In so much that all the famous men that in this our age haue expounded the Scriptures or written against the Anabaptistes doe note that by this interpretation of the speeches of Christ before mentioned they doe grounde their communitie and taking away of proprietie and possession of goods with sundry like other doctrines We may see therfore it is time to take heed of it how sathā vnder pretences seeketh to thrust the spirit of the Anabaptists the groūds of their learning into this church of England The inconuenience then of this kinde of reasoning is either that these sentēces of the gospel touch bishops and ministers only and all other are left free which is a very great absurditie or els that the same doctrine gathered out of these places in the same sense that they vse doth belong to al christiās which with the Anabaptists taketh away al
of other For proofe whereof I referre you to B. Iewell in his worthy booke wherein he answereth Hardings reply against his 27. questions proposed at Pauls Crosse c. I remēber touching this matter of the Sacrament Occolampadius a man of great reading godlines saith of S. August Is primus mihi vellicauit aurem He did first put me in minde of the true vnderstanding of this Sacrament These foure principal Articles I haue laid downe for example that the Christian Reader may the more easily perceiue vvhat comfort it is to any Church to haue the grounds of their faith and religion so established vpon the holy Scriptures that for the interpretation of the same they haue the testimonie consent of the Primitiue Church the ancient learned Fathers From which Consent they should not depart either in doctrine or other matter of weight vnlesse it so fall out in them that we be forced thereto either by the plaine wordes of the Scriptures or by euident and necessary conclusions following vpon the same or the Analogie of our faith Which thing if we shall perceiue we ought safely may take that liberty that themselues especially Augustine hath vsed requireth other to vse Nec Catholicis Episcopis c. Wee must not consent saith Augustine so much as to Catholike Bishops if they be deceiued and be of opinion contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures Againe I am not tied with the authoritie of this Epistle For I haue not the writings of Cyprian in like estimation as I haue the Canonicall Scriptures but I measure them by the rule of the holy Scriptures If I finde any thing in his writings agreeing to the Scriptures I receiue it with commendation and reuerence if otherwise with his good leaue I refuse it The like you haue Epist 48. 111. 112. In Prooemio li. 3. de Trinitate and many other places Otherwise to reiect the testimonie of the ancient Fathers rashly is a token of too much confidence in our owne wits It was noted as a great fault in Nestorius and a chief cause of his heresie that contemning the Fathers hee rested too much vpon his owne iudgement The like confidence drew many learned men and of great gifts to be Patrons of sundry foule and shamefull errours How came it to passe that after that notable Councell of Nice so many detestable heresies arose against the Deitie the Humanitie of Christ against the vniting of both natures and the distinction of the properties of them c. but onely out of this roote that they contemned the graue sentences interpretations determinations of those famous Confessors and great learned Fathers as were in the same assembled and had too much liking in their owne wits learning But woe be vnto them saith Esay that are ouerwise in their owne conceite Vigilius in his first booke against Eutyches saith thus These cloudes of fond and vaine accusations are powred out by them chiefly which are diseased either with the sickenesse of ignorance and of a contentious appetite and while they being puffed vp with confidence of a proud stomacke for this only cause they reiect the rules of faith laide downe by the ancient fathers that they may thrust into the Church their owne wauering deuises which they haue ouerthwartly conceiued This sentence I would our vncharitable accusers troublers of the Church would well weigh and consider with them-selues Therfore good reader I protest for my selfe and for the residue of this church that we dare not in conscience nor thinke it tollerable with contempt to reiect the testimonies of antiquitie in establishing any matter of weight in the Church We leaue that to our hasty Diuines that in three yeeres study thinke themselues able to controll all men to haue more learning then all the Bishops in England And for this cause vvil they giue no credit to ancient writers against their new found equality For with them it is a foule fault once in a sermon to name an ancient father or to alledge any testimonie out of his workes Novve good Christian Reader seeing by the good blessing of God vve haue all parts of Christian fayth and Religion professed and taught in this Church and the same grounded vpon the canonicall Scriptures vvith the consent and exposition of the Primitiue Church and ancient Fathers What a vaunting pride is it as Cyprian speaketh vvhat an vnthankefulnesse to God vvhat vncharitable affection toward the Church of their naturall Countrey that they cannot abide any good to be spoken of it pretending nothing but the priuate faultes and vices of some men or the disagreeing from them in some orders and partes of Gouernement which they vvill neuer be able to proue by the word of GOD to bee of necessitie In other reformed Churches vvhome they so greatly extolle and vvould make paterne to vs haue they not imperfections Haue they not foule faults and great vices among all sortes of men as well Ministers as others Surely their worthiest writers grauest Preachers doe note that they haue And if they woulde denie it the world doth see it and many good men among them doe bevvaile it I vvill not stay in the other blessings of God vvhere with he hath adorned this Church I shall haue occasion to speake somewhat more of it hereafter and God send vs grace that we may vvith true thankefulnesse acknovvledge it But this I may not omitte vvithout great note of vnthankefulnesse towarde our mercifull God vvhich hath not onely preserued maintained and defended the State but also appoynted this Church to be as a Sanctuarie or place of refuge for the Saints of God afflicted and persecuted in other Countries for the profession of the Gospell for whome I am persvvaded vvee doe fare the better at Gods hande And I doubt not but in that respect al reformed Churches in other places feeling the blessing of God by vs thinke reuerently of our State and pray to God for vs as all good men vvith vs ought to doe for them that the true linke of Christian charitie may soundly knitte vs together in one body of right faith and Religion If some fevve persons thinke amisse of our Church I impute the cause thereof only to the malicious vntrue reports made by some of our owne Countreymen vnto them Which persons if they did vnderstande the true State of this our Realme would thinke farre othervvise as diuers of the most graue learned writers haue already euidently declared This also is not the least blessing of God as well in the time of K. Edward as in the reigne of our gracious Soueraigne that this Church hath had as ample ornamēts of learned men Rumpantur vt Ilia Momo as the most reformed Churches in Europe farre more plentifully then some place whose state they seeke to frame vs vnto Only I except those excellēt men whō God had prepared in the beginning to be the restorers of his Trueth doctrine of
his lippes that they speake no guile The mouth of a malicious man saith Ambrose is a deepe or bottomlesse pit The innocent that is too easie of credit doth quickly fall but he riseth againe But the backebiting railer is by his owne craft cast downe headlong to confusion in such sort as he shall neuer recouer himselfe againe And Bernard Let not my soule be in companie of backebiting tongues because God doth hate them when the Apostle saith Backbiters are odious to God Euery one that backbiteth sheweth himselfe voyd of charitie Moreouer what other thing seeketh hee by deprauing but that he whome he backebiteth may come in hatred and contempt with them among whom he is depraued Wherefore the backebiter woundeth charitie in all that heare him and somuch as in him lyeth doth vtterly destroy him whome he striketh with his tongue As for the reproch of want of learning he will not striue much with them The Bishop hath not vsed God bee thanked to vaunt himselfe of great learning Neither doth he disdaine to be accounted vnlearned of these men which many yeeres since contemned Bishoppe Iewell as a man of no deepe learning and euen of late dayes coulde say that Erasmus was no Diuine His prayer is that the small measure of knowledge which it pleased God to giue him in the continuance of fiftie yeeres studie may be imployed to the glorie of God and the benefite of his Countrey It is knowen fiue and fourtie yeres since that he was Master of Art and Student of Diuinitie and disputed in that facultie since which time hee was neuer drawen from that exercise of good learning This is his greatest comfort that since he was a yong man in Magdalene Colledge in Oxford he hath bene brought vp in the loue of the Gospel and was reasonablie able to confirme his conscience to represse the aduersary not only by the holy scriptures but also by the writings of the anciēt Fathers and the best authours of this age since the renewing of the Gospell as hee hath many honest and learned men witnesses yet aliue M. Trauers whome they prefere before him he knoweth not what he is He neuer sawe him to his remembrance but once and that was at my Lord of Canterburies in the presence of some honourable persons at which time the man shewed no great learning Doctor Sparke is so well knowen to the Bishoppe of Winchester and the Bishoppe to him that hee cannot be perswaded that Doctor Sparke will affirme that he did put the Bishop at that time or any other as they terme it to a non plus But vvhatsoeuer hee vvill doe if the one or the other or they both doe make any bragge of a victorie then gotten as I haue before sayde surely they doe greatly forget themselues and declare that Ladie Philautie did bleare their eyes and made that they coulde not see the right rules of modestie especially considering what the witnesses were and what report they haue made thereof to the best of this Lande which hath not bene made vnknowen to the worlde It is true that Gregorie saith Superbia lumen intelligentiae abscondit Pride daseleth the eyes of a mans vnderstanding And againe Superbi c. Proud men when they thinke them selues despised fall by and by to railing Cyprian that reuerend and learned father sayth notably An high and swelling heart arrogant and proude bragging is not of Christ that teacheth humilitie but springeth of the spirit of Antichrist I pray GOD these men may remember these lessons AS touching the Gouernment of the Church of England now defended by the bishops this I say When God restored the doctrine of the Gospel more sincerely and more aboundantly then euer before vnder that good yong Prince King Edward 6. at vvhich time not the gouernours onely of this Realme vnder him but a number of other Noblemen Gentlemen were well knovven to be zealous in the fauor of the trueth by consent of all the States of this Land this maner of gouernment that now is vsed was by law confirmed as good and godly The bishops other of the clergy that gaue their aduise and consent to the same vvere learned zealous bishop Cranmer Ridley Latimer and many other vvhich after sealed their doctrine vvith their blood all learned graue and vvise in comparison of these yong Sectaries which greatly please themselues M. Couerdale M. Hooper neuer thought to be superstitious or inclining to Antichristian corruption were contented to vse the office authority and iurisdiction of bishops the one at Exeter the other at Glocester Peter Martyr Bucer and Iohn de Alasco graue men and of great knovvledge and godlinesse did liue in that state vnder the Archbishops and bishops that then vvere and vvrote to them most reuerendly not refusing to giue them those Titles that novv bee accompted Antichristian The like they did to other of late time Reade the Preface of Peter Martyr set before his Dialogues against Vbiquity see what honourable testimonie hee giueth to bishop Iewell and what titles he affoordeth him To condemne all these as Reprobate and Pety Antichrists were great rashnesse and such impudencie as ought not in any Christian Church or common weale to bee borne without punishment When God had marueilously preserued for vs our gracious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth set her in her Fathers seat being brought vp from her tender yeres in the instruction of Gods trueth shee tooke aduise of her most honourable Counsell Nobles and learned of the Realme and especially such as were most forward in religion and with consent of all the States of this Realme by law receiued confirmed and established the manner of Gouernment and other orders of the Church now obserued The learned men that yeelded their aduise and consent to the same were those reuerend godly persons that came lately out of banishment from the schoole of affliction could not so soone forget their Lorde God and the zeale of his trueth namely Master Cox Grindall Sands Horne Pilkington Iewell Parkhurst and a number of other vvho vvere after chosen to be bishops and executed those offices without grudging or repining of any vntill about the tenth yeere of her Maiesties raigne the curious deuises beganne to be more common Since vvhich time by the countenauncing of some they haue greatly increased in strange assertions now be come almost to the highest The reproches therefore that are giuen to this State by these Libellers touch not onely the Bishoppes but the Prince the Counsell and the honorable woishipfull wise and learned of the Realme As for this question of Church-gouernment I meane not at this time to stand much on it For let them say what they lust for any thing that hath beene written hitherto touching it it is sufficiently answered Onely this I desire That they will lay downe out of the worde of God some iust proofes and a direct commandement that there shoulde be in all ages
be true I praise it not I defend it not I excuse it not and I thinke the fault more in inferiour Officers then in Bishops themselues But in whome soeuer the fault be that cannot be so great and hainous that Bishoppes of England may iustly bee accounted Antichristian Prelates Petie Antichrists Subuice-Antichrists c. as some in the heate of their zeale doe tearme them But God I trust in due time will coole their heate with the spirite of mildenesse and gentlenesse If many Bishops haue gained by this kinde of Dispensatiō I maruaile Surely I know some that neuer receiued pennie in that consideration but haue giuen strait charge to their inferiour officers neuer to dispense with that matter but vpon great and weighty cause such order is now generally taken But good Christians here is the griefe that moueth all this grudge that euill persons when either to cloke their whoredome or to preuent another of his lawfull wife or some other like purpose will marrie without orderly asking in the Church they bee for the same conuented punished by the magistrate This they be grieued at count it great extremitie for because they see the lavvfull Magistrate vpon good considerations sometime to dispense with this order they thinke it as conuenient for them vvithout leaue of their ovvne heads to vse the same to the satisfying of their vnlavvfull lust or other lewde affection For such is novv the state of this time that vvhatsoeuer an Officer specially Ecclesiastical may do by lawful authoritie the priuate subiect thinketh he may doe the same at his owne vvill and pleasure And if he be brideled thereof why then it is Lordlinesse Symonie Couetousnesse and Crueltie And I pray God the like boldenesse grovve not tovvard other Officers and magistrates of the Common vveale also Surely vve haue great cause to feare it for the reasons vvhereon they ground their doings may be applied as vvell to the one as to the other Obiection Another Argument of couetousnesse in bishops is farre vvorse as it is said then the former that they prohibite marriage at certaine times most contrary to Gods worde that is say they a Papistical practise to fill the Cleargies purse yea it is a doctrine of Antichrist and of the deuill him selfe prohibiting Marriage euen in Laye men contrarie to S. Paules wordes who sayth Marriage is honourable in all persons Answere Surely for my part I confesse and before God and the vvorlde protest that in my conscience I thinke that who soeuer forbiddeth Marriage to any kinde of men is tainted vvith the corruption of Antichristian doctrine and hath his conscience seared with an hot iron bearing the marke of the beast spoken of in the Apocalypse but I am clearely resolued that the Bishoppes of Englande are free from any touch of that opinion and doe account it no lesse then a token of Antichrist noted by Daniel to prohibite lavvfull Matrimonie Their doctrine openly taught and preached and the practise of their life doth shevve it to be so that no man vnlesse hee bee blinded with malice vvill impute that errour vnto them Who seeth not that by exercise of mariage in their ovvne persons they cast themselues into the displeasure and misliking of a great nomber in that onely they bee married contrary to the corruption of the Popish and antichristian Church Wherefore I pray you good Christian readers weigh and consider with your selues what vnchristian and heathenish dealing this is toward the ministers of God of purpose onely to deface them and bring them in misliking by sinister interpretations to cast vpon them the filth and reproche of that corrupt doctrine of Antichrist vvhich most of all other they doe impugne in their teaching and withstand in their doing Is there feare of God in those hearts that can doe this Obiection Why they will say It is euident that Mariage is prohibited by them at certaine times of the yere and thereby occasion giuen to weake fraile persons to fall into whoredome and fornication or to burne in their consciences with great danger of their soules Answere Vndoubtedly this must needs be thought a captious and rigorous interpretation to say that a stay of mariage for certaine daies and weekes is an vnchristian forbidding of mariage vvorthy so grieuous blame as is cast vpon bishops for it For then it is a Popish disorder also and Antichristian corruption to stay marriage for three weekes vntill the Banes bee asked for in that space light and euill disposed mindes may easily fall to offence And yet this order both is and ought to bee accounted of them a godly and necessary order in the Church Obiection They will ansvvere that it is Popish and superstitious to tye the order of Marriage vnto any time or season more then other For the thing beeing good and lawfull by the worde of God why should it bee say they assigned to any time or place There is no place more holy then Paradise was nor no time so good as was before Adam fell by his disobedience c. Answere I ansvvere if any man appoynt Marriage to bee vsed at this or that time and place for conscience sake or for holinesse as though the time or place coulde make the thing eyther more or lesse holy surely I must needs condemne him as superstitious and cannot thinke well of the doing though all the bishoppes in Englande shoulde affirme the contrarie For to make holy or vnholy those things that God hath left free and bee of them selues indifferent is one of the chiefe groundes of all Papisticall corruption But I suspect no bishop in this Realme to be of that iudgement and I dare say there is not A thing left by Gods lawe free and indifferent may bee accounted more conuenient comely and decent at one time and place then at another but more holy it cannot bee All meats are free at all times by the law of God for nothing is vnclean that is receiued with thankesgiuing neither doeth any thing that goeth into the mouth defile a man And yet because it is now a Positiue law in this common vveale not for holinesse but for orders sake it is not so comely and conuenient for an Englishman to eate flesh on Fridayes and Saturdayes or in the Lent as it is at other times Obiection Heere they will crye and say that both the one law and the other is superstitious and naught and proceeded both out of the Popes mint and there were coyned and had their beginning and therefore that the Bishops doe wickedly and like to popish Prelates that so retaine in the Church and common weale the dregs of Antichristian corruption Answere This is the voice opinion of them only vvhich thinke not any thing tollerable to be vsed that hath bin vsed in the church before time were it of it selfe neuer so good These vvill haue no Font but christen children in basons They wil weare no caps nor surplices many of
a bill of diuorcement and put it in her hand and send her out of his house Of this mercifull bearing of God with the breach of his commandement Christ shevveth the reason Math. 19. saying in this wise For the hardnesse of your hearts God suffered you to put away your wiues but from the beginning it was not so Heere we learne that our gracious and mercifull God for the shunning and auoyding of a greater mischiefe among stubborne people suffered his seruant Moses to giue foorth a more fauourable interpretation of his iust and perfect Lavve and to suffer diuorcements in such cases as the right and rigor of his iustice in itselfe had forbidden This haue I written not of purpose to incourage men to breake and alter the Lawes and ordinances of God but rather to comfort those consciences whith in this case may bee troubled and to put away that opinion wherewith some are led to thinke that that Congregation is not vvorthie the name of a Christian Church nor meete vvherein a good Christian man shoulde abide as Minister where all things are not reformed to the perfect rule of Gods holy worde Surely the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church doe not seeme to be of that iudgement For they did all find fault with many enormities in their time as vvell in outvvarde ceremonies as corruption of life yea in some point of doctrine also and yet it is not read that they did therefore separate themselues from the Churches or thinke that they could not as faithfull Ministers serue in them Saint Augustine sheweth of himselfe of Saint Cyprian very notably as in many places so chiefly against the Donatists who were infected with that errour but most plainely of all other places De Baptismo contra Donatistas Lib. 4. Cap. 9. Where at large he disputeth this question which place is vvorthie diligent reading and consideration Cyprian had blamed the Bishops and Ministers in his time of Couetousnesse Extortion and Vsurie And yet saith Saint Augustine Cyprian writeth vnto Antonianus that before the last separation of the wicked and the Godly no man ought to separate himselfe from the vnitie of the Church because of the mixture of euill persons What a swelling pride is it sayeth hee what a forgetting of humilitie and mildenesse what a vaunting arrogancie that hee can thinke himselfe able to doe that which Christ woulde not permit to his Apostles that is to separate the weedes from the Corne c. Yea and S. Paul himselfe as before I haue saide iudgeth the Church of Corinth an honorable blessed Church of God though there vvere in the same not onely some blemishes and imperfections but many great enormious faultes Wherefore to returne againe to my purpose though our Bishops through the necessitie of time neither at the beginning had nor novv can haue perfect good Ministers in euery parish within their charge I see no cause vvhy they may not vse such as vvith their best diligence they may haue especially if they order the matter so as the fault bee not in their ovvne negligence or corruption That you may the better conceiue that an vnlearned Ministery for want of preaching of the Gospel is not the cause of the backesliding and reuolting of so many in these dayes nor of sundry other inconueniences imputed to the same you shall easily vnderstand if you will call to your remembrance that when there were fewer Preachers and lesse teaching by great oddes then oflate yeres hath bene the people did not reuolt as now they doe There is therefore some other cause if we will with vpright mindes looke into it There were fevver Preachers and lesse teaching in the dayes of that King of blessed memorie Edward the sixt and yet did not the people then reuolt as novv although the reformation of the Church was then but greenely setled They had the same imperfection and want of Ministers which wee haue novv and that in greater measure in so much as they were faine to helpe out the want with reading of Homilies as you knowe Which deuise although it be greatly misliked and inueighed against in these dayes as intollerable yet did that reuerend and learned father M. Bucer highly commend the same and shewed his good liking thereof willing moe Homilies to bee prepared for that purpose And vvhat were they that were then Preachers and in the state of gouernment of the Church Surely such persons as did diligently obserue those orders in outwarde thinges vvhich the Bishops now for feare of further inconuenience desire and studie to maintaine In the first ten yeeres of her Maiesties most gracious reigne there was little or no backsliding from the Gospell in comparison of that now is yet was there not then so much preaching by the halfe nor so many Preachers in the Church of England by 1000. as now there are And since that time I speake of good experience and better knowledge then gladly I would that in diuers places where there hath beene often preaching and that by learned graue men there haue bene many that haue reuolted and litle good effect declared among the residue You will aske me then what I thinke to be the true cause thereof Surely the causes are many but I will note vnto you onely two or three that bee of greatest weight First to haue the fruites of the Gospell setled in the consciences of men and declared in their liues It is not sufficient to haue often and much preaching but also to haue diligent and reuerent hearing Though the Preachers be neuer so learned and discreet if it bee not heard as the worde of God it is to no purpose But in these dayes as in all other men be easily induced to disburthen themselues and lay the whole fault vpon the Ministers and Preachers Obiection Oh say they if wee had good and zealous Bishoppes and godly Preachers such as the Apostles were vndoubtedly this doctrine of the Gospell woulde haue had better successe and would more haue preuailed in mens hearts For they are not zealous nor seeme to bee mooued with the spirite of God therefore it cannot be that they should moue other Answere Though this reason seeme somewhat plausible to some kind of men and to be of great force to excuse the common people yet I aduertise all them that haue any sparke of the feare of GOD in their hearts that they take heede of it beware that to their own great dāger they be not caried away with it For it hath bene seldome or neuer heard or read that the people of God among whom true doctrine hath bin preached as the Lorde be thanked it hath bene with vs did euer vse such allegations for their ovvne excuse and defence It hath beene alwayes the pretence of the reprobate and wicked to colour their owne obstinacie and contempt of Gods word vvhen they vvere offered the light of the Gospell and called to repentaunce But that these kinde of
therefore saith Chrisostome As I haue sayde wine is not ill but drunkennesse is ill so say I riches are not ill but couetousnesse is ill A rich man is one thing and a couetous man is another A couetous man cannot be a rich man And to the same meaning in an other place Let vs not falsely accuse either riches or pouertie for both riches and pouertie are such as if we will our selues bring instruments of vertue Let vs therefore so frame our selues that we iudge not so as we may seeme to blame Gods giftes but the euill affections of men The same Chrysostome Riches saith he killeth not but to be a slaue to riches killeth and to loue couetousnesse And againe the rich glutton was punished not because he was rich but because he wanted mercie For it may bee that one hauing riches ioyned with mercie may attaine to all goodnesse By these testimonies of the ancient learned Fathers grounded vpon the examples and doctrine of the Scriptures you may perceiue that riches are the good gift and blessing of God that the Saintes of God haue vsed and enioyed them that welth possessions of them selues are not hinderous to pietie godlinesse but rather instruments of vertue and meanes to come to heauen that God doeth not condemne them in his seruants that it is not a man voyd of lands and possession but a heart voyde of couetousnesse that Christ desireth that it is not riches but the sinfull affections of men that he reproueth How then can it bee prooued by Christs doctrine that any state of his disciples or faithfull seruants and followers ought not to haue landes possessions or ample and large liuings or that they be by his word so expresly prohibited that neither Prince may suffer it vvithout danger nor faithfull Minister with good conscience inioy them Let vs somewhat better consider the particular places of this doctrine of Christ whereon this assertion is grounded Where Christ saith Hoarde not vp treasures for your selues on earth he saith not you shall haue no treasures To haue treasures and to hoarde treasures be diuerse Hee that hoardeth vp treasures sheweth that hee hath a carefull minde to keepe them but a man may possesse treasures and yet with free heart bee willing to imploy them to godly purposes like as Iob did who had his riches alwayes ready to pleasure other When Christ affirmeth that where a mans treasure is there is his heart by treasure he meaneth not the possession of riches simply but hee meaneth that wherein a man reposeth his chiefe treasure and felicitie to consist And in deede it can not bee but that hee that esteemeth his chiefe felicitie in any thing doeth set his heart also vpon it He that setteth his felicitie in honour and dignitie hath his heart possessed with ambition Hee that thinketh it to bee in worldly pleasure hath his whole minde on playing banqueting feasting and riot He that reposeth his felicitie in building giueth ouer his cogitations vnto that So hee that iudgeth his blessednes in this life to be in possession of riches lands vndoubtedly can not but haue his heart fastened vpō them And seeing that God chalengeth vnto himselfe all our whole heart and our whole soule and minde they that so do must needes offend God most grieuously make of their riches their God and so as S. Paul saith become very idolaters Therfore if either Ecclesiasticall persons or lay men do so set their minds on riches this place nighly toucheth them When Christ saieth No man can serue two masters c. and ye cannot serue God and Mammon Marke I pray you that he saith not No man can serue God get riches For godly men both haue before time now may get lands riches procured either by heritage or by gift or by any other lawfull meanes Consider the Patriarch Iacob who passed Iordane onely with a staffe in his hand in the time of his liuing in a strange Countrey gate so great riches as he returned with two great cōpanies of seruants cattel And yet vndoubtedly this Patriarch was a good Christian being saued by the same religion that his grandfather Abraham was the father of the faithfull who with reioycing sawe the day of Christ Neither doth Christ say No man can serue God and possesse riches For as it is saide before Abraham Iob and Ioseph possessed great wealth riches and yet vndoubtedly truely and sincerely serued God Riches are the blessings of God neyther may anie more rightly or with better title possesse them then the good and faithfull seruants of God What saith Christ then forsooth No man can serue two masters or No man can serue God and Mammon Getting or possessing is one thing seruing is another Seruing presupposeth a mastership or dominion in him that is serued He that serueth riches acknovvledgeth them to be his Lord and Master Seruitude or bondage hath this condition that hee wholly obey his master that night and day he doe nothing but that pleaseth his master that he shall be contented to haue the displeasure of all other so that he may haue the good vvil of his master Finally vvhatsoeuer a seruant doth what labour soeuer he taketh vvhatsoeuer by his paines he getteth he doth it to the vse behalfe of his master Whosoeuer is such a bond-slaue to riches is a traytour reuolted from God neither can it be possible for him to serue God Such a seruing of Mammon it is that Christ in this place rebuketh vvith vvhich seruice the seruice of God cannot be ioyned But it vvere great rashnesse to thinke all that possesse lands lordships and riches of necessitie to be subiect to this slauish seruice of Mammon as some men vncharitably iudge of the Bishops and Clergie of England Ioseph of Arimathea vvas a rich man and yet in time of great perill did more seruice to Christ then all his poore Apostles vvhich had so little to leese It is vvritten in the Euangelists When Euen was come there came a rich man from Arimathea named Ioseph which also himselfe was Iesus his disciple He went to Pilate and begged the body of Iesus Then Pilate commaunded the body to bee deliuered and when Ioseph had taken the body hee wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloth and layde him in a newe tombe c. Consider the circumstances of the historie vveigh the danger of the time call to remembrance how many things might haue hindered and staied Ioseph from this doing and you shall perceiue that possession of landes and riches may be ioyned with a free faithful seruice yea oftentimes more faithful then pouerty and base estate in the vvorlde Good Christians therefore may not condemne as slaues seruants to Antichrist all such as haue lands possessions Experience in England God be thanked hath taught whē a number of poore Priests Ministers reuolted frō Christ to the Mammon their Masse that many which