Chief-Priest and such like ought not in any sort at all to be given unto any Christian Bishop what excuse should we make for so many Antient both Fathers and Synods of Fathers as have generally applyed the Title of Arch-Priest unto every Bishop's Office High time I think it is to give over the obstinate defence of this most miserable forsaken Cause in the favour whereof neither God nor amongst so many wise and vertuous men as Antiquity hath brought forth any one can be found to have hitherto directly spoken Irksome confusion must of necessity be the end whereunto all such vain an ungrounded confidence doth bring as hath nothing to bear it out but only an excessive measure of bold and peremptory words holpen by the start of a little time before they came to be examined In the Writings of the antient Fathers there is not any thing with more serious asseveration inculcated than that it is God which maketh Bishops that their Authority hath Divine allowance that the Bishop is the Priest of God that he is Judge in Christ's stead that according to God's own Law the whole Christian Fraternity standeth bound to obey him Of this there was not in the Christian World of old any doubt or controversie made it was a thing universally every where agreed upon What should move men to judge that now so unlawful and naught which then was so reverently esteemed Surely no other cause but this men were in those times times meek lowly tractable willing to live in dutiful aw and subjection unto the Pastors of their Souls Now we imagin our selves so able every man to teach and direct all others that none of us can brook it to have Superiours and for a mask to hide our Pride we pretend falsely the Law of Christ as if we did seek the execution of his will when in truth we labour for the meer satisfaction of our own against his XVII The chiefest cause of disdain and murmure against Bishops in the Church of England is that evil-affected eye wherewith the World looked upon them since the time that irreligious Prophaneness beholding the due and just advancements of Gods Clergy hath under pretence of enmity unto Ambition and Pride proceeded so farr that the contumely of old offered unto Aaron in the like quarrel may seem very moderate and quiet dealing if we compare it with the fury of our own times The ground and original of both their proceedings one and the same in Declaration of their Grievances they differ not the Complaints as well of the one as the other are Wherefore lift ye up your selves thus farr above the Congregation of the Lord It is too much which you take upon you too much Power and too much Honour Wherefore as we have shewed that there is not in their Power any thing unjust or unlawful so it resteth that in their Honour also the like be done The labour we take unto this purpose is by so much the harder in that we are forced to wraftle with the stream of obstinate Affection mightily carried by a wilful prejudice the Dominion whereof is so powerful over them in whom it reigneth that it giveth them no leave no not so much as patiently to hearken unto any speech which doth not profess to feed them in this their bitter humour Notwithstanding for as much as I am perswaded that against God they will not strive if they perceive once that in truth it is he against whom they open their mouths my hope is their own Confession will be at the length Behold we have done exceeding foolishly It was the Lord and we know it not Him in his Ministers we have despised we have in their honour impugned his But the alteration of men's hearts must be His good and gracious work whose most omnipotent power framed them Wherefore to come to our present purpose Honour is no where due saving only unto such as have in them that whereby they are sound or at the least presumed voluntarily beneficial unto them of whom they are honoured Wheresoever nature seeth the countenance of a Man it still presumeth that there is in him a minde willing to do good if need require inasmuch as by nature so it should be for which cause Men unto Men do honor even for very Humanity sake And unto whom we deny all honor we seem plainly to take from them all opinion of Human Dignity to make no account or reckoning of them to think them so utterly without vertue as if no good thing in the World could be looked for at their hands Seeing therefore it seemeth hard that we should so hardly think of any man the Precept of St. Peter is Honor all men Which duty of every men towards all doth vary according to the several degrees whereby they are more and less beneficial whom we do honor Honor the Physician saith the Wiseman The reason why because for necessities sake God created him Again Thou shalt rise up before the beary head and honor the person of the Aged The reason why because the younger sort have great benefit by their gravity experience and wisdom for which cause these things the Wiseman termeth the Crown or Diadem of the Aged Honor is due to Parents The reason why because we have our beginning from them Obey the Father that hath begotten thee the Mother that bare thee despise thou nor Honor due unto Kings and Governors The reason why because God hath set them for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Thus we see by every of these particulars that there is always some kinde of vertue beneficial wherein they excel who receive honor and that degrees of Honor are distinguished according to the value of those effects which the same beneficial Vertue doth produce Nor is Honor only an inward estimation whereby they are reverenced and well thought of in the mindes of men but Honor whereof we now speak is defined to be an External sign by which we give a sensible testification that we acknowledge the beneficial Vertue of others Sarah honored her Husband Abraham this appeareth by the Title she gave him The Brethren of Ioseph did him honor in the Land of Egypt their lowly and humble gesture sheweth it Parents will hardly perswade themselves that this intentional Honor which reacheth no farther than to the Inward conception only is the Honor which their Children owe them Touching that Honor which mystically agreeing unto Christ was yielded literally and really unto Solomon the words of the Psalmist concerning it are Unto him they shall give of the Gold of Sheba they shall pray for him continually and daily bless him Weigh these things in themselves Titles Gestures Presents other the like external signs wherein Honor doth consist and they are matters of no great moment Howbeit take them away let them cease to be required and they are not things of small importance
overcome by the sword which they were very ready to take into their hands So that those very men that began with tender meek Petitions proceeded to print publick Admonitions and then to Satyrical Remonstrances and at last having like David numbred who was not and who was for their Cause they got a supposed Certainty of so great a Party that they durst threaten first the Bishops and not long after both the Queen and Parliament to all which they were secretly encouraged by the Earl of Leicester then in great favour with her Majestie and the reputed Cherisher and Patron-general of these Pretenders to Tenderness of Conscience whom he used as a sacreligious snare to further his Design which was by their means to bring such an odium upon the Bishops as to procure an Alienation of their Lands and a large proportion of them for himself which Avaritious desire had at last so blinded his Reason that his ambitious and greedy Hopes had almost flattered him into present possession of Lambeth-house And to thse strange and dangerous Undertakings the Non-conformists of this Nation were much encouraged and heightened by a Correspondence and Confederacy with that Brotherhood in Scotland so that here they became so bold that one told the Queen openly in a Sermon She was like an untamed Heyfer that would not be ruled by Gods people but obstructed his Discipline And in Scotland they were more confident for there they declared Her an Atheist and grew to such an height as not to be accountable for any thing spoken against Her No nor for Treason against their own King if spoken in the Pulpit Shewing at last such a disobedience even to Him that His Mother being in England and then in distress and in prison and in danger of Death the Church denied the King their Prayers for Her and at another time when he had appointed a day of Feasting their Church declared for a general Fast in opposition to his Authority To this height they were grown in both Nations and by these means there was distill'd into the mindes of the common people such other venemous and turbulent Principles as were inconsistent with the safety of the Church and State And these vented so daringly that beside the loss of Life and Limbs the Church and State were both forced to use such other severities as will not admit of an excuse if it had not been to prevent Confusion and the perilous consequences of it which without such prevention would in short time have brought unavoidable ruine and misery to this numerous Nation These Errors and Animosities were so remarkable that they begot wonder in an ingenious Italian who being about this time come newly into this Nation writ scoffingly to a Friend in his own Countrey That the common people of England were wiser then the wisest of his Nation for here the very Women and Shop-keepers were able to judge of Predestination and determine what Laws were fit to be made concerning Church Government then what were fit to be obeyed or abolished That they were more able or at least thought so to raise and determine perplex'd Cases of Conscience then the most Learned Colledges in Italy That Men of the slightest Learning and the most ignorant of the common people were mad for a new or Super or Re-Reformation of Religion and that in this they appeared like that man who would never cease to whet and whet his Knife till there was no Steel left to make it useful And he concluded his Letter with this observation That those very Men that were most busie in Oppositions and Disputations and Controversies and finding out the faults of their Governors had usually the least of Humility and Mortification or of the Power of Godliness And to heighten all these discontents and dangers there was also sprung up a Generation of Godless-men Men that had so long given way to their own Lusts and Delusions and had so often and so highly opposed the Blessed Motions of his Blessed Spirit and the inward Light of their own Consciences that they had thereby sinned themselves to a belief of what they would but were not able to believe Into a belief which is repugnant even to Humane nature for the Heathens believe there are many gods but these had sinned themselves into a belief that there is no God And so finding nothing in themselves but what is worse then nothing began to wish what they were not able to hope for That they should be like the Beasts that perish and in wicked company which is the Atheists Sanctuary were so bold as to say so Though the worst of mankinde when he is left alone at midnight may wish but cannot then think it Into this wretched this reprobate condition many had then sinned themselves And now When the Church was pestered with them and with all these other Irregularities when her Lands were in danger of Alienation her Power at least neglected and her Peace torn to pieces by several Schisms and such Heresies as do usually attend that sin When the common people seemed ambitious of doing those very things which were attended with most dangers that thereby they might be punished and then applauded and pittied When they called the Spirit of Opposition a Tender Conscience and complained of Persecution because they wanted power to persecute others When the giddy multitude raged and became restless to finde out misery for themselves and others and the râ—â—ble would herd themselves together and endeavor to govern and act in spight of Authority In this extremity fear and danger of the Church and State when to suppress the growing evils of both they needed a Man of Prudence and Piâ—ty and of an high and fearless Fortitude they were blest in all by Iohn Whitgift his being made Archbishop of Canterbury of whom ingenious Sir Henry Wotâ—on that knew him well hath left this true Character That he was a Man of a Reverend and Sacred Memory and of the Premitive temper A Man of such a temper as when the Church by lowliness of Spirit did flourish in highest examples of Vertue And though I dare not undertake to add to his Character yet I shall neither do right to this Discourse nor to my Reader if I forbear to give him a further and short account of the life and manners of this excellent Man and it shall be short for I long to end this digression that I may lead my Reader back to Mr. Hooker where we left him at the Temple Iohn Whitgift was born in the County of Lincoln of a Family that was ancient and noted to be prudent and affable and gentile by nature He was educated in Cambridge much of his Learning was acquired in Pembroke-Hall where Mr. Bradford the Martyr was his Tutor From thence he was remov'd to Peter-house from thence to be Master of Pembroke-Hall and from thence to the Mastership of Trinity Colledge About which time the Queen made him her Chaplain and not
devices brought in which our Fathers never knew When their grave and reverend Superiors do reckon up unto them as Augustin did to the Donatists large Catalogues of Fathers wondred at for their wisdom piety and learning amongst whom for so many Ages before us no one did ever so think of the Churches affairs as now the World doth begin to be perswaded surely by us they are not taught to take exception hereat because such Arguments are Negative Much less when the like are taken from the sacred authority of Scripture if the matter it self do bear them For in truth the question is not Whether an Argument from Scripture negatively may be good but whether it be so generally good that in all actions men may urge it The Fathers I grant do use very general and large terms even as Hiero the King did in speaking of Archimedes From henceforward whatsoever Archimedes speaketh it must be believed His meaning was not that Archimedes could simply in nothing be deceived but that he had in such fort approved his skill that he seemed worthy of credit for ever after in matters appertaining unto the science he was skilful in In speaking thus largely it is presumed that mens speeches will be taken according to the matter whereof they speak Let any man therefore that carrieth indifferency of judgement peruse the Bishops speeches and consider well of those negatives concerning Scripture which he produceth out of Irenaeus Chrysostome and Leo which three are chosen from among the residue because the sentences of the others even as one of theirs also do make for defence of negative Argments taken from humane Authority and not from divine onely They mention no more restraint in the one then in the other yet I think themselves will not hereby judge that the Fathers took both to be strong without restraint unto any special kind of matter wherein they held such Argument forcible Nor doth the Bishop either say or prove any more then that an Argument in some kinds of matter may be good although taken negatively from Scripture 7. An earnest desire to draw all things unto the determination of bare and naked Scripture hath caused here much pains to be taken in abating the estimation and credit of man Which if we labour to maintain as far as Truth and Reason will bear let not any think that we travel about a matter not greatly needful For the scope of all their pleading against mans Authority is to overthrow such Orders Laws and Constitutions in the Church as depending thereupon if they should therefore be taken away would peradventure leave neither face nor memory of Church to continue long in the world the world especially being such as now it is That which they have in this case spoken I would for brevity sake let pass but that the drist of their speech being so dangerous then words are not to be neglected Wherefore to say that simply an Argument taken from mans Authority doth hold no way neither Affirmatively nor Negatively is hard By a mans Authority we here understand the force which his word hath for the assurance of anothers mind that buildeth upon it as the Apostle somewhat did upon their report of the house of Chloe and the Samaritans in a matter of far greater moment upon the report of a simple Woman For so it is said in S. Iohns Gospel Many of the Samaritans of that City believed in him for the saying of the woman which testified He hath told me all things that ever I did The strength of mans Authority is Affirmatively such that the weightiest affairs in the world depend thereon In judgement and justice are not hereupon proceedings grounded Saith not the Law that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word shall be confirmed This the Law of God would not say if there were in a mans testimony no force at all to prove any thing And if it be admitted that in matter of Fact there is some credit to be given to the testimony of man but not in matter of opinion and judgment we see the contrary both acknowledged and universally practised also throughout the world The sentences of wise and expert men were never but highly esteemed Let the title of a mans right be called in question are we not bold to relie and build upon the judgement of such as are famous for their skill in the Laws of this Land In matter of State the weight many times of some one mans authority is thought reason sufficient even to sway over whole Nations And this is not only with the simple sort but the learneder and wiser we are the more such Arguments in some cases prevail with us The Reason why the simpler sort are moved with Authority is the conscience of their own ignorance whereby it cometh to pass that having learned men in admiration they rather fear to dislike them then know wherefore they should allow and follow their judgements Contrariwise with them that are skilful authority is much more strong and forcible because they only are able to discern how just cause there is why to some mens Authority so much should be attributed For which cause the name of Hippocrates no doubt were more effectual to perswade even such men as Galen himself then to move a silly Emperick So that the very self-same Argument in this kind which doth but induce the vulgar sort to like may constrain the wiser to yield And therefore not Orators only with the people but even the very profoundest Disputers in all faculties have hereby often with the best learned prevailed most As for Arguments taken from humane Authority and that negatively for example sake if we should think the assembling of the people of God together by the sound of a Bell the presenting of Infants at the Holy Font by such as we commonly call their Godfathers or any other the like received custom to be impious because some men of whom we think very reverently have in their Books and Writings no where mentioned or taught that such things should be in the Church this reasoning were subject unto just reproof it were but feeble weak and unsound Notwithstanding even negatively an Argument from humane Authority may be strong as namely thus The Chronicles of England mention no more then only six Kings bearing the name of Edward since the time of the last Conquest therefore it cannot be there should be more So that if the question be of the authority of a mans testimony we cannot simply avouch either that affirmatively it doth not any way hold or that it hath only force to induce the simpler sort and not to constrain men of understanding and ripe judgement to yield assent or that negatively it hath in it no strength at all For unto every of these the contrary of most plain Neither doth that which is alledged concerning the infirmity of men overthrow or disprove this Men are blinded with ignorance and error many
acknowledge that as well for particular application to special occasions as also in other manifold respects infinite Treasures of Wisdom are over and besides abundantly to be found in the holy Scripture yea that scarcely there is any noble part of knowledge worthy the minde of man but from thence it may have some direction and light yea that although there be no necessity it should of purpose prescribe any one particular form of Church-Government yet touching the manner of governing in general the Precepts that Scripture setteth down are not few and the examples many which it proposeth for all Church-Governors even in particularities to follow yea that those things finally which are of principal weight in the very particular Form of Church-Polity although not that Form which they imagine but that which we against them uphold are in the self-same Scriptures contained If all this be willingly granted by us which are accused to pin the Word of God in so narrow room as that it should be able to direct us but in principal points of our Religion or as though the substance of Religion or some rude and unfashioned matter of building the Church were uttered in them and those things left out that should pertain to the form and fashion of it Let the cause of the Accused be referred to the Accusers own conscience and let that judge whether this accusation be deserved where it hath been laid 5. But so easie it is for every man living to err and so hard to wrest from any mans mouth the plain acknowledgment of Error that what hath been once inconsiderately defended the same is commonly persisted in as long as wit by whetting it self is able to finde out any shift be it never so sleight whereby to escape out of the hands of present contradiction So that it cometh herein to pass with men unadvisedly faln into Error as with them whose state hath no ground to uphold it but onely the help which by subtil conveyance they draw out of casual events arising from day to day till at length they be clean spent They which first gave out That nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded by the Word of God thought this principle plainly warranted by the manifest words of the Law Ye shall put nothing unto the Word which I command you neither shall ye take ought therefrom that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you Wherefore having an eye to a number of Rites and Orders in the Church of England as marrying with a Ring Crossing in the one Sacrament Kneeling at the other observing of Festival days more then onely that which is called the Lords day enjoyning Abstinence at certain times from some kindes of Meat Churching of Women after Childe-birth Degrees taken by Divines in Universities sundry Church Offices Dignities and Callings for which they found no Commandment in the holy Scripture they thought by the one onely stroke of that Axiom to have cut them off But that which they took for an Oracle being sifted was repeal'd True it is concerning the Word of God whether it be by misconstruction of the sense or by falsification of the words wittingly to endeavor that any thing may seem Divine which is not or any thing not seem which is were plainly to abuse and even to falsifie Divine Evidence which injury offered but unto men is most worthily counted heinous Which point I wish they did well observe with whom nothing is more familiar then to plead in these causes The Law of God the Word of the Lord Who notwithstanding when they come to alledge what Word and what Law they mean their common ordinary practice is to quote by-speeches in some Historical Narration or other and to urge them as if they were written in most exact form of Law What is to add to the Law of God if this be not When that which the Word of God doth but deliver Historically we construe without any warrant as if it were legally meant and so urge it further then we can prove that it was intended do we not add to the Laws of God and make them in number seem more then they are It standeth us upon to be careful in this case For the sentence of God is heavy against them that wittingly shall presume thus to use the Scripture 6. But let that which they do hereby intend be granted them let it once stand as consonant to Reason That because we are forbidden to add to the Law of God any thing or to take ought from it therefore we may not for matters of the Church make any Law more then is already set down in Scripture Who seeth not what sentence it shall enforce us to give against all Churches in the World in as much as there is not one but hath had many things established in it which though the Scripture did never command yet for us to condemn were rashness Let the Church of God even in the time of our Saviour Christ serve for example unto all the rest In their Domestical celebration of the Passover which Supper they divided as it were into two courses what Scripture did give commandment that between the first and the second he that was chief should put off the residue of his Garments and keeping on his Feast-robe onely wash the feet of them that were with him What Scripture did command them never to lift up their hands unwashe in Prayer unto God which custom Aristaus be the credit of the Author more or less sheweth wherefore they did so religiously observe What Scripture did command the Jews every Festival day to fast till the sixth hour The custom both mentioned by Iosephus in the History of his own life and by the words of Peter signified Tedious it were to rip up all such things as were in that Church established yea by Christ himself and by his Apostles observed though not commanded any where in Scripture 7. Well yet a gloss there is to colour that Paradox and notwithstanding all this still to make it appear in shew not to be altogether unreasonable And therefore till further reply come the cause is held by a feeble distinction that the Commandments of God being either general or special although there be no express word for every thing in specialty yet there are general Commandments for all things to the end that even such cases as are not in Scripture particularly mentioned might not be left to any to order at their pleasure onely with Caution That nothing be done against the Word of God and that for this cause the Apostle hath set down in Scripture four general Rules requiring such things alone to be received in the Church as do best and nearest agree with the same Rules that so all things in the Church may be appointed not onely not against but by and according to the Word of God The Rules are these Nothing scandalous
the impotent and not please ourselves It was a weakness in the Christian Jews and a maim of judgment in them that they thought the Gentiles polluted by the eating of those meats which themselves were afraid to touch for fear of transgressing the Law of Moses yea hereat their hearts did so much rise that the Apostle had just cause to fear lest they would rather forsake Christianity then endure any fellowship with such as made no conscience of that which was unto them abominable And for this cause mention is made of destroying the weak by meats and of dissolving the work of God which was his Church a part of the Living Stones whereof were believing Jews Now those weak Brethren before mentioned are said to be as the Jews were and our Ceremonies which have been abused in the Church of Rome to be as the scandalous Meats from which the Gentiles are exhorted to abstain in the presence of Jews for fear of averting them from Christian Faith Therefore as Charity did binde them to refrain from that for their Brethrens sake which otherwise was lawful enough for them so it bindeth us for our Brethrens sake likewise to abolish such Ceremonies although we might lawfully else retain them But between these two cases there are great odds For neither are our weak Brethren as the Jews nor the Ceremonies which we use as the meats which the Gentiles used The Jews were known to be generally weak in that respect whereas contrariwise the imbecillity of ours is not common unto so many that we can take any such certain notice of them It is a chance if here and there some one be found and therefore seeing we may presume men commonly otherwise there is no necessity that our practice should frame it self by that which the Apostle doth prescribe to the Gentiles Again their use of meats was not like unto our Ceremonies that being a matter of private action in common life where every man was free to order that which himself did but this a publick constitution for the ordering of the Church And we are not to look that the Church should change her publick Laws and Ordinances made according to that which is judged ordinarily and commonly fittest for the whole although it chance that for some particular men the same be found inconvenient especially when there may be other remedy also against the sores of particular incoveniences In this case therefore where any private harm doth grow we are not to reject instruction as being an unmeet plaister to apply unto it neither can we say that he which appointeth Teachers for Physicians in this kinde of evil is As if a man would set one to watch a childe all day long lest he should hurt himself with a Knife whereas by taking away the Knife from him the danger is avoided and the service of the man better employed For a Knife may be taken from a childe without depriving them of the benefit thereof which have years and discretion to use it But the Ceremonies which Children do abuse if we remove quite and clean as it is by some required that we should then are they not taken from Children onely but from others also which is as though because Children may perhaps hurt themselves with Knives we should conclude that therefore the use of Knives is to be taken quite and clean even from men also Those particular Ceremonies which they pretend to be so scandalous we shall in the next Book have occasion more throughly to sift where other things also traduced in the publick duties of the Church whereunto each of these appertaineth are together with these to be touched and such Reasons to be examined as have at any time been brought either against the one or the other In the mean while against the conveniency of curing such evils by instruction strange it is that they should object the multitude of other necessary Matters wherein Preachers may better bestow their time then in giving men warning not to abuse Ceremonies A wonder it is that they should object this which have so many years together troubled the Church with quarrels concerning these things and are even to this very hour so earnest in them That if they write or speak publickly but five words one of them is lightly about the dangerous estate of the Church of England in respect of abused Ceremonies How much happier had it been for this whole Church if they which have raised contention therein about the abuse of Rites and Ceremonies had considered in due time that there is indeed store of Matters fitter and better a great deal for Teachers to spend time and labor in It is through their importunate and vehement Asteveâ—ations more then through any such experience which we have had of our own that we are enforced to think it possible for one or other now and then at leastwise in the prime of the Reformation of our Church to have stumbled at some kinde of Ceremonies Wherein for as much as we are contented to take this upon their credit and to think it may be sith also they further pretend the same to be so dangerous a Snare to their Souls that are at any time taken therein they must give our Teachers leave for the saving of those Souls be they never so few to intermingle sometime with other more necessary things Admonition concerning these not unnecessary Wherein they should in reason more easily yield this leave considering that hereunto we shall not need to use the hundredth part of that time which themselves think very needful to bestow in making most bitter Invectives against the Ceremonies of the Church 13. But to come to the last point of all The Church of England is grievously charged with forgetfulness of her duty which duty had been to traine her self unto the Pattern of their Example that went before her in the Work of Reformation For as the Churches of Christ ought to be most unlike the Synagogue of Antichrist in their indifferent Ceremonies so they ought to be most like one unto another and for preservation of Unity to have as much as possible may be all the same Ceremonies And therefore St. Paul to establish this order in the Church of Corinth that they should make their gatherings for the Poor upon the first day of the Sabbath which is our Sunday alledgeth this for a Reason That he had so ordained in other Churches Again As children of one Father and Servants of one Family so all Churches should not onely have one Diet in that they have one Word but also wear as it were one Livery in using the same Ceremonies Thirdly This Rule did the Great Council of Nice follow when it ordained That where certain at the Feast of Pentecost did pray Kneeling they should pray Standing The reason whereof is added which is That one Custom ought to be kept throughout all Churches It is true That the diversity of Ceremonies
for not conforming her self to those Churches in that which she cannot deny to be in them well abrogated For the authority of the first Churches and those they account to be the first in this cause which were first Reformed they bring the comparison of younger Daughters conforming themselves in attire to the example of their elder Sisters wherein there is just as much strength of Reason as in the Livery Coats beforementioned St. Paul they say noteth it for a mark of special honor that Epanetus was the first man in all Athaia which did embrace the Christian Faith after the same sort he toucheth it also as a special preheminence of Iunius and Andronicus that in Christianity they were his Ancients The Corinthians he pincheth with this demand Hath the Word of God gone out from you or hath it lighted on you alone But what of all this If any man should think that alacrity and forwardness in good things doth add nothing unto mens commendation the two former speeches of St. Paul might lead him to reform his judgment In like sort to take down the stomach of proud conceited men that glory as though they were able to set all others to School there can be nothing more fit then some such words as the Apostles third sentence doth contain wherein he teacheth the Church of Corinth to know that there was no such great odds between them and the rest of their Brethren that they should think themselves to be Gold and the rest to be but Copper He therefore useth speech unto them to this effect Men instructed in the knowledge of Iesus Christ there both were before you and are besides you in the world ye neither are the Fountain from which first nor yet the River into which alone the Word hath flowed But although as Epanetus was the first man in all Achaia so Corinth had been the first Church in the whole World that received Christ the Apostle doth not shew that in any kinde of things indifferent whatsoever this should have made their example a Law unto all others Indeed the example of sundry Churches for approbation of one thing doth sway much but yet still as having the force of an example onely and not of a Law They are effectual to move any Church unless some greater thing do hinder but they binde none no not though they be many saving onely when they are the major part of a General Assembly and then their voices being more in number must over-sway their judgments who are fewer because in such cases the greater half is the whole But as they stand out single each of them by it self their number can purchase them no such authority that the rest of the Churches being fewer should be therefore bound to follow them and to relinguish as good Ceremonies as theirs for theirs Whereas therefore it is concluded out of these so weak Premisses that the retaining of divers things in the Church of England which other Reformed Churches have cast out must needs argue that we do not well unless we can shew that they have done ill what needed this wrest to draw out from us an accusation of forein Churches It is not proved as yet that if they have done well our duty is to follow them and to forsake our own course because it differeth from theirs although indeed it be as well for us every way as theirs for them And if the proofs alledged for confirmation hereof had been sound yet seeing they lead no further then onely to shew that where we can have no better Ceremonies theirs must be taken as they cannot with modesty think themselves to have found out absolutely the best which the wit of men may devise so liking their own somewhat better then other mens even because they are their own they must in equity allow us to be like unto them in this affection Which if they do they ease us of that uncourteous burden whereby we are charged either to condemn them or else to follow them They grant we need not follow them if our own ways already be better And if our own be but equal the Law of Common Indulgence alloweth us to think them at the least half a thought the better because they are our own which we may very well do and never draw any Inditement at all against theirs but think commendably even of them also 14. To leave Reformed Churches therefore and their Actions for Him to judge of in whose sight they are as they are and our desire is that they may even in his sight be found such as we ought to endeavor by all means that our own may likewise be Somewhat we are enforced to speak by way of Simple Declaration concerning the proceedings of the Church of England in these affairs to the end that men whose mindes are free from those partial constructions whereby the onely name of Difference from some other Churches is thought cause sufficient to condemn ours may the better discern whether that we have done be reasonable yea or no. The Church of England being to alter her received Laws concerning such Orders Rites and Ceremonies as had been in former times an hinderance unto Piety and Religious Service of God was to enter into consideration first That the change of Laws especially concerning matter of Religion must be warily proceeded in Laws as all other things humane are many times full of imperfection and that which is supposed behoveful unto men proveth oftentimes most pernicious The wisdom which is learned by tract of time findeth the Laws that have been in former ages established needful in latter to be abrogated Besides that which sometime is expedient doth not always so continue and the number of needless Laws unabolished doth weaken the force of them that are necessary But true withal it is that Alteration though it be from worse to better hath in it inconveniences and those weighty unless it bein such Laws as have been made upon special occasions which occasions ceasing Laws of that kinde do abrogate themselves But when we abrogate a Law as being ill made the whole cause for which it was made still remaining Do we not herein revoke our very own deed and upbraid our selves with folly yea all that were makers of it with oversight and with error Further if it be a Law which the custom and continual practice of many ages or years hath consumed in the mindes of men to alter it must needs be troublesome and scandalous It amazeth them it causeth them to stand in doubt whether any thing be in it self by nature either good or evil and not all things rather such as men at this or that time agree to account of them when they behold even those things disproved disannulled rejected which use had made in a manner natural What have we to induce men unto the willing obedience and observation of Laws but the weight of so many mens judgments as have with deliberate advice assented