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
men may not flatter and deceiue themselues I let them vnderstande that the Scriptures in no place teach them that the offences and faultes of the Ministers are alwayes the onely cause why the word of God doth not take place in mens hearts It is more commonly and almost alvvaies imputed to the waywardnesse vnthankefulnesse and obstinacy of the people that heare it Therefore it vvere good for alsortes of men of what calling soeuer to looke into their owne bosomes carefully to consider whether the fault thereof be not in themselues For they knowe right vvell that the master may bee learned and diligent and yet the scholler not thriue by reason of his owne dulnesse The Physition may bee honest and skilfull and the obstinate Patient make light of his vvholesome counsaile The seede may be good and the seede sower a paineful and skilfull husbandman and yet the fruite not to bee ansvverable to his trauell because of the naughtinesse and barrennesse of the ground This our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs in the parable of the Seede-sovver Matth. 13. The Sower sayth he went foorth to sowe his seede and some fell in the high way that is to say into the heartes of them that vvere continually trampled vvith vvicked and vngodly cogitations so that the seede coulde not sinke into their hearts but by those birds of the deuill vvas caried avvay vvithout fruite Some fell into stonie ground that is into such hearts as wanted the good iuice and moysture of Gods holy spirite and therefore when the heate of persecution ariseth or some great temptation assaulteth them their zeale is withered and they reuolt from the trueth Some fell into busshie ground that is into the mindes of them that were troubled with the cares of the worlde with the loue of riches and with the pleasures of this life which wholly choked vp the good seede of the Gospell of Christ so that it could not in any wise prosper and bring foorth fruite Heere you may perceiue that for one fourth part of good grounde that yeeldeth fruite of the doctrine of God there are three greater partes of euill ground wherein it nothing at all prospereth But in these our dayes amongst vs we haue a fourth sort of men which obstinatly at al refuse to heare the word of God and do shut vp their eares not onely against preaching but against priuate exhortation also If there were lesse store of these euill groundes in this land at this day vndoubtedly wee should see more successe of the Gospell and more ample fruite of our teaching then novve wee doe It were good for men to looke that these quarrellings at other mens liues bee not one of the coardes of vanitie that Esay speaketh of Woe be to them saith God by his holy Prophet that drawe on iniquitie with coardes of vanitie and sinne as it were with a Cart-rope that is Woe bee to them that imagine excuses and coulours to nouzell and mainetaine them selues in contempt of Gods vvorde and vvant of repentaunce Let men take heede of such dealing that such Coardes of vanitie pull not on iniquitie so fast that it draw them to the vtter contempt of God and his trueth Example where of is seene at this day in too many to the griefe of all good mens hearts For the schoole of Epicure and the Atheists is mightily increased in these days The like effect Esay noteth to haue fallen out among the Iewes at that time For this he maketh them to say in derision of the preaching of the Prophets Let God make speede and hasten his worke that wee may see it Let the counsell of the holy one of Israel drawe neere and come that wee may knowe it And in like manner dealeth the wicked in Ieremie Chapter 5. They haue denied the Lorde and sayde It is not hee Tush the Sword and the plague shall not come vpon vs neither shall we see it The threatnings of the Prophets are but wind the true word of God is not in them They vtter their owne fantasies and these things shall come vnto themselues Euen with like contempt and derision many at this day abuse the Preachers of Gods worde When we lay before them the terrible threatnings of Gods wrath and indignation if they reuolt from the trueth of the Gospell or suffer the same to bee betrayed into the hands of the enemie saying that God wil for sake them that he wil take his defence from them that he will set his face against them that he will bring strangers vpon them to destroy their countrey and possesse their great landes and goodly buildings Oh say they These Preachers make great outcries they put strange expectations into the peoples heads they are vndiscreete they medle with matters which doe not appertaine vnto them if matters goe amisse the greatest fault is in them selues But I haue sufficiently spoken of this maner of intertaining of Ministers alreadie shall speake of the same hereafter The second and in deede a chiefe cause of backsliding and reuolting is the schisme faction and dissention vvhich for the space of these fifteene or sixteene yeeres hath exceedingly growen betweene the Ministers and Preachers of England For the like hath in all ages bene a cause to many of falling both from the trueth of God and to wickednesse of life Basile speaking hereof saith Ob haecrident increduli fluctuant qui modicae sunt fidei ambigua est fides ipsa The effects of this schisme hath bene as in part I haue declared in other partes of this treatise First that not only in sermons publikely but also in common table talke priuately yea and in writing and treatises spredde abroade into all mens handes wickedly vehement and bitter inuectiues haue beene made against the Bishoppes and other Preachers of the Church of England to the discredite not only of their persons but also of the doctrine which they haue taught Yea the whole state and gouernment of this church the Liturgie and booke of Common prayer and the administration of the Sacraments established by Lavve and authoritie the externall rites and ceremonies layde downe onely for order sake haue beene publikely misliked depraued and condemned as directly contrary and repugnant to the worde of God Men haue not onely deliuered foorth these inuectiues against the whole state of our Church and all the partes thereof but in the face of the vvorlde against Lavve against authoritie haue taken vpon them to alter all thinges according to their ovvne pleasure Which dealing you may bee sure cannot bee vvithout great offence of an infinite nomber as the worlde euidently seeth it hath beene Moreouer many persons both vndiscreete and vnlearned because they will not bee accompted Dumbe dogs haue taken vpon them to preach without license or triall and entring into discussing of matters nowe in controuersie betweene vs and the aduersarie haue handled them so coldly nakedly and vnperfectly that many haue beene grieued to heare them some brought in
The dispensing with Banes for money pag. 100. The Sale of Christian libertie in Marriages pag. 103. That they make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for money pag. 108. That they maintaine an vnlearned Ministery therby be occasion of Reuoltings many other mischiefs to the Prince and the Common weale But it is declared that there is no such vnlearned Ministery as they pretend and therefore can not bee an occasion of Reuolting or any other like mischiefes but that there bee other true and right causes to redresse of which it behoueth them that God hath set in place in time to haue speciall regarde for feare lest those mischiefes that be pretended doe increase pag. 109. c. The Crime of mainteyning Pilling and powling Courts pag. 135. The Crime of abusing Ecclesiasticall discipline pag. 141. The Crime of ambition and griedie seeking after Liuings and promotion pag. 144. That Bishops are carnally disposed which they shewe by hoarding vp great summes of money by purchasing Landes for their wiues and children by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded Cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable Fines and Incomes pag. 148. That the Prince ought to take away their great Lands and Liuings and set them to meane Pensions that in pouertie they may be answerable to the Apostles pag. 157. which they take vpon them to prooue by the whole course of the Scriptures pag. 162. The Lawe pag. 166. The Prophets pag. 177. The example of Christ pag. 190. and the doctrine of his Apostles pag. 221. Answere to the prescription of the old Lawe vvith the true meaning thereof pag. 166. Ansvvere to the Allegations out of the Prophets noting hovve absurdly and affectionately they be abused pag. 177. c. Answere to the example of Christ and the true doctrine that is to be taken of the same pag. 191. c. Answere to the doctrine of the Apostles declating hovv the same is rightly to be vnderstanded pag. 221. A Declaration how Ministers haue bene maintained from the beginning wherein is shevved that they haue had both Lands Houses Rents and Reuenues pag. 231. c. A Declaration that the wealthie state of the Church vvas not y e chiefe cause of setting vp Antichrist in his Throne as it is pretended but that the Histories of that time do declare other causes of more importance which also beginne to growe among vs and therefore good heede to be taken in time pag. 238. c. ¶ AN ADMONITION to the Church and people of England to take heede of the contempt of those Bishops and Preachers which God hath sent to them as messengers to bring vnto them the doctrine of their saluation WHen I call to my remembrance the loathsome contempt hatred and disdaine that the most part of men in these dayes beare and in the face of the vvorld declare tovvarde the Ministers of the Church of God asvvel Bishops as other among vs here in Englande my heart can not but greatly feare tremble at the consideration thereof It hath pleased God novv a long time most plentifully to povvre dovvne vpon vs his manifold great benefits of vvealth riches peace and quietnesse euen in the middest of the flames of discord dissention and miserie round about vs yea and that more is by the space of these thirtie yeeres by the continual preaching of the Gospel hath called vs vnto him as before time he called his chosē people of the Ievves by his Prophets and yet do vve not only not shevv any sound token either of our returning to him that called vs or of our thankefull receiuing his worde which he hath sent vs or of conforming our liues thereunto as hee willeth vs but also euidently to the eyes and eares of all men shew our hatred and misliking of those reuerend persons whome it hath pleased God to vse as his messengers to call vs vnto him and as his instruments to bring vnto vs the glad tidings of the Gospel which before with sworde and fire was taken from vs. For who seeth not in these dayes that hee who can most bitterly inueigh against Bishops and Preachers that can most boldely blaze their discredites that can most vncharitably slaunder their liues and doings thinketh of himselfe and is esteemed of other as the most zealous earnest furtherer of the Gospel Yea they thinke it almost the best way most ready to bring themselues in credite and estimation with many A lamentable state of time it is wherein such vntemperate boldnesse is permitted without any bridle at all What man therefore that feareth God that loueth his Church that hath care of his Prince and countrey can remember this thing and not dread in his heart the sequele thereof When the Israelites derided and contemned the Prophets which God had sent among them his wrath was so kindled that hee brought the Assyrians vpon them to their confusion When the tribe of Iuda did the like to Ieremie and other messengers of God they were cast into the captiuitie of Babylon When the Iewes reprochefully vsed Christ and with vvicked slaunder persecuted his Apostles that brought to them the light of saluation their Citie and Temple vvas burned their people slaine and as Christ threatned their countrey made desolate and giuen ouer to the spoyle And shall wee thinke that God vvill not remaine the same God tovvard vs Is his minde changed is his iustice slaked is his hand shortned that either he wil not or cannot reuenge as he hath bin wont to doe No good Christians let vs neuer deceiue our selues with such vaine and godlesse cogitations God remaineth alwayes one and is not mutable His benefits to the Israelites and Iewes were neuer greater then they novv these many yeeres haue bene toward vs they were neuer more earnestly eyther by Gods blessings allured or by preaching called to repentance then vve haue bene And yet our vnthankefulnesse in some respectes is greater then theirs and our vncourteous vsing of his messengers not much inferiour yea if the willes of many were not brideled by Gods singular grace in our Prince and gouernours it is to bee feared it woulde shewe it selfe as outragious as theirs did We haue iust cause therefore to feare the like plague which they in like case sustained And surely it cannot bee but that it hasteneth fast vpon vs. Obiection But some will say I knowe That I doe great iniury to the Prophets the Apostles and other messengers of God to compare them with such wicked men such blinde guides such couetous hypocrites such antichristian Prelates such symonicall Preachers as our Cleargie men now are Answere I doe not compare them good Reader in worthines of grace and vertue but in likenesse of office and ministerie These haue brought vnto this realme the same light of the Gospell the same trueth of doctrine the same way of saluation that the Apostles brought to the people of God in their time They are the mouth of God whereby hee speaketh to
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
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