Churche be so great and the people so many that he cannot be heard of them then there ought to be some regarde thereof S. Luke telleth what S. Peter dyd in the congregation he dothe not prescribe any general rule Euery circumstance that is tolde in the scriptures is not streightway to be made an inuiolable rule of all men to be followed The place is not material so that it be suche as the people may well heare and vnderstande that whiche is read and preached Concerning the lessons whiche are to be read the booke prescribeth no place only it willeth the minister to stande and to turne him so as he may best be heard of all suche as be present And are you offended at that neyther doth y ◠booke appoynt any certein place for the Le anie to be sayde in and therfore you do but dally and trifle The Ordinarie is the méetest man to whose discr tion those things sh uld be le t both for his learning wisdome and also that there may be one vniforme or 〈◊〉 his diocesse if any Ordinarie be carelesse in such matters if you wil complaine of him I am sure you shal be heard But your delight pleasure is to be gyrding at Bishops though the cause be forged Chap. 1. the. 20. Diuision T. C. Pag. 105. Sect. 3. And the ende of the order in the booke is to be obserued which (*) 〈◊〉 is to kepe the prayers in the accustomed place of the church chappell or chauncell which howe maketh it to edification And thus for the generall faultes committed either in the whole lyturgie or in the most part of it both that I may haue no neede to repeate the same in the particulars and that I be not compelled alwayes to enter a new disputation so oft as M. Doctor saith very 〈◊〉 vnlike a diuine (*) These be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence so euer this or that come so it be not euill it may be well established in the Church of Christ. Io. Whitgifte What is the ende of the booke in that matter why do you not expresse it But you say it is to keepe the prayers in the accustomed places c. if this be the ende why doth the book admitte alteration do you not sée your solfe manifestly conuinced by the booke I beléeue and I am well assured that the ende is edification whatsoeuer you imagine to the contrarie And vndoubtedly you haue founde out maruellous weightie and wittie reasons agaynst the whole Lyturgie or the moste parte of it And the faults you haue noted be very many and excéeding great But haue you no conscience in calling good euill or are you not afrayde vpon so light quarels to make suche a schisme in the Church and to bring so worthy a booke into so great contempt Well you will one daye be better aduised I doubt not whiche truely I wishe for and hope for howe vncourteously so euer you haue vsed me That which M Doctor sayth so vnskilfully and vnlike a diuine he hath learned of better and more skilfull diuines than eyther of vs bothe be that is of Ambrose and of Caluine for the one sayth Omne verum à quocunque dicitur à spiritu sancto est All truthe of 〈◊〉 in ▪ ▪ Mat. vers 37. whom soeuer it is spoken is of the holy Ghost the other Purus est multarū erū vsus quarū vitiosa est origo The vse of many thinges is pure whose beginning is vicious and vnpure But M. Doctors bare affirmation if he had so vsed it is of as good credite as your bare negation But when he hath learned mē of his opinion and Iudgement for you thus to shift it of is but to bewray your vnablenesse to disproue it either by authoritie or reason You should at the least haue made true repor e of my words which you haue not done but delt therin according to your accustomed manner for my wordes be th se. Fol. 82. It maketh no matter of whome it was inuented in Pag. 82. sect what booke it is conteyned so that it be good and profitable and con onant to Gods worde and you reporte them thus whence soeuer this or that come so it be not euill it may be well established in the churche of Christ. If you haue the truthe why doe you thus goe about to maynteyne it with lyes In so doing you hurt not me but your selfe and your cause ¶ An examination of the particular faultes eyther in matter or forme wherwith the booke of common prayer is charged Chap. 2. the. 1. Diuision T. C. Pag. 105. Sect. 3. Nowe I come to the forme of prayer whiche is prescribed wherein the Authors of the Admonition declare that their meaning is not to disallowe of prescript seruice of prayer but of thys fo rme that we haue (*) A prop excus for they expounde them selues in the additions vnto the fyrst parte of the Admonition Io. Whitgifte In déede they haue retracted it in some poynt which argueth they writte their booke at the first with small aduise and lesse discretion It is no exposition but a retractation or recantation for the places of Scripture which they quoted and their very wordes declare that they ment the contrary and so doth their practise in secrete conuenticles But now you come to my Answere wherein you take what you list and leaue what you list as you haue hitherto done Chap. 2. the. 2. Diuision Admonition The fouretenth Then ministers were not so tied to any forme of prayers inuented by mā but as the spirit (g) Rom. 8. 26 1. Tim. 1. 2 moued them so they powred forth hartie supplications to the Lord. Now they are bound of necessitie to a (h) Damasus the first inuentor of this stuffe vvell furthered by Gregory the seuenth prescripte order of seruice and boke of common prayer Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 77. Sect. 3. To proue that ministers were not so tied to any forme of prayer inuented by man but that as the spirite moued them c. you quote Rom. 8. the 1. Timo. 1. In the eight to the Romaines the wordes be these Likevvise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for vve knovve not vvhat to pray as vve ought but the spirite it self maketh request for vs vvith fighes which cannot be expressed This place speaketh nothing against any prescript forme of prayer for then it should disallow the Lordes prayer but it teacheth vs that it is the spirite of God that sturreth vs vp to pray and maketh vs earnestly poure out our supplications vnto God And thus the spirit worketh as well by prescript prayers as by prayers sodenly inuented The wordes to Timothie Epist. 1. ca. 1. vers 2. are far fetched nothing to the purpose the wordes be these Vnto Timothie my natural sonne in the fayth grace mercie and peace from God our father and from Christ Iesu our Lorde what maketh these wordes against any prescript forme of
prayers peraduenture you would haue alleaged the 1. to Timo. 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications c. which maketh directly agaynst you Io. Whitgifte Nothing answered to this Chap. 2. the. 3. Diuision Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 78. Sect. 1. If you meane by prayers inuented by man such prayers as man inuenteth against the worde of God as prayer for the dead prayer vnto saincts such like then it is true that you say But if you mean such prayers as by godly men be framed according to the holy scriptures whether they be for matters perteyning to the life to come or to this life then you shew your ignorāce for it is manifest that there hath bene alwayes in the Church of Christ a prescript forme of publike prayer as it appeareth in Iustinus Martyr Apol. 2. Pro Christianis other Iustinus Martyr auncient fathers neyther did euer any learned or godly man or reformed Church finde faulte herewith or not greatly cōmende the same except onely the secte of Anabaptistes T. C. Pag. 105. Sect. vlt. Pag. 106. Sect. 1. It is not to any purpose that M. Doctor setteth himself to proue that there may be a prescript order of prayer by Iustine Martyres testimonie which notwithstanding hath not one worde of prescript forme of prayers only he sayth there were prayers he sayth in deede the auncient fathers say that there hath bene alwayes such kinde of prayers in the Churches and although they do say so yet all men may vnderstand easily that M. Doctor speaketh this rather by contecture or that he hath hearde other men say so for so much as that Doctor which he hath chosen out to speake for ll the rest hath no such thing as he fathereth on him He sayeth that after they haue baptized they pray for themselues and for him that is baptized and for all men that they may be meete to learne the truth and to expresse it in their honest conuersation and that they be founde to keepe th mmaundementes that they may atteyne to eternall life but is this to say that there was a prescript forme of prayer when he sheweth nothing els but the chiefe poynts vpon the which they conceyued their prayers If you had alleaged this to proue what were the matters or principall poynts that the Primitiue Churche vsed to pray for you had alleaged this to purpose but to alleage it for a proofe of a prescript forme of prayer when there is not there mentioned so much as the essentiall forme of prayer which is the asking of our petitions in the name and thorough the intercession of our Sauiour Christ without the which there is not nor cannot be any prayer argueth that eyther you little know what the forme of prayer is or that you thought as you charge the authors of the Admonition so often that this geare of yours should neuer haue come to the examination But for as much as we agree of a prescript forme of prayer to be vsed in the Church let that go this that I haue sayde is to shew that when M. Doctor happeneth of a good cause which is very seldome in this booke yet then he marreth it in the handling Io. Whitgifte I haue the lesse laboured in this point bicause it is a thing so generally allowed of in all Churches in all times and so vnlearnedly impugned by the authors of the Admonition Iustinus Martyr maketh much for my purpose for in that he doth rehearse those chiefe poyntes of theyr prayers then vsed it is manifest that they had a prescript order and forme of prayer the which no man can denie that readeth the place I graunt that these wordes prescript forme of prayer are not there to be founde Yet is there a prescript order and forme by him generally described whereby it is more than probable that at that tyme there was vsed a prescript forme of prayer In the 3. Councell Con Carth. 3 Can. 23. of Carthage we finde this Canon Let no man vse the formes of prayer which he hath framed to himselfe without conference with brethren that are better learned Whereby it may euidently be gathered that at that time there was a prescript forme of prayer vsed and that it was not lawfull to vse any new forme of priuate prayers except the same were allowed by the brethren But for as much as in this poynt you consent with me and graunt that there may be a prescript forme of prayer I will omitte whatsoeuer I had purposed to haue sayde more in that matter and so I will do also your taunts respecting the matter rather than Lucians Rhetoricke Chap. 2. the. 4. Diuision Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 78. Sect. 2. 3. Damasus was a good Bishop therfore no good thing by him appointed Damasus added Glori Patri c ▪ to be disallowed but he did not first ordeyne a prescript forme of publike prayers he onely added something therevnto As Gloria patri c. to the end of euery psalme And decreed that Psalmes should be song aswell in the night time as in the day time in euery Church but they were song in the Church before and as I haue sayde there was a prescript forme of prayer in Iustinus Martyrs time who was long before Damasus Gregorie added the Letanie onely I muse what you meane to Gregory made the Letanie write so manifest vntruthes Io. Whitgifte Nothing answered to this Chap. 2. the. 5. Diuision Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 79. Sect. 1. You note not here neyther are you able any prayer in the whole Cōmunion booke wherein there is any thing not agreeable to Gods worde we may say as S. Augustine sayth in his 121. Epistle written Ad Probam viduam Etsi per omnia praecationum sanctarum verba discurras quantum existim Augustine nihil inuenies quod non ista Dominica contineat concludat orati Vnde liberum est alijs atque alijs verbis eadem tamen in orando dicere sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere And if thou runnest thorough all the vvordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalt finde nothing vvhich the Lordes prayer doth not conteyne and comprehende therefore vve may in other vvordes speake the same thinges in our prayers but vve may not speake contrarie things T. C. Pag. 106. Sect. 1. 2. After he a irmeth that there can be nothing shéwed in the whole booke which is not agreeable to the worde of God I am very loth to enter into this fielde albeit M. Doctor doth thus prouoke me both bycause the Papistes will lightly take occasion of euill speaking when they vnderstande that we do not agree amongst our selues in euery poynt as for that some fewe professoures of the Gospelt being priuate men boldened vpon such treatises take such wayes sometimes and breake forth into such speaches as are not meete nor conuenient Io. Whitgifte In so saying I do fullie agrée with such as haue
all learned men both liuing dead They may well be sayde to haue sealed this booke wyth their bloud How they sea led the booke with their bloud bicause they were martyred for that religion that is conteyned in this booke and according to the which this booke was framed and if they were condemned for improuing the articles drawne out of the Masse booke ▪ as you say why maye it not be likewise affirmed that they receyued the sentence of condemnation for approuing the Articles conteyned in the Communion booke I know the booke they dyed for was the booke of God yet did not the aduersarie pretende that but the articles drawne out of this and suche like bookes grounded vpon the worde and booke of God Name one of them who at the time of his death or in y e time of his imprisonmēt declared openly his misliking of certayne things in this booke I can shew you the contrarie That notable vessell of God for learning zeale and vertue inferiour to none of our M. Ridleys testimonie of the booke of cōmon prayer age Master Ridley Bishop of London in his last farewell as it is called looking dayly and hourely when he should go to the stake giueth this testimonie of this same booke of common prayers the whiche the Churche of Englande nowe vseth and you so contemptuously reiect This Churche sayth he of Englande had of late of the M. Foxe infinite goodnesse and abundant grace of almightie God great substance great riches of heauenly treasure plentie of Gods true and sincere worde the true and vvholsome administration of Christes holy sacraments the whole profession of Christes religion truely and playnely set foorth in baptisme the playne declaration and vnderstanding of the same taught in the holy ▪ Catechisme to haue bin learned of all true Christians This Church had also a true and sincere forme and maner of the Lords supper wherin according to Iesus Christes ordināce holy institution Christes cōmaundements were executed and done For vpon the bread and wine set vpon the Lords table thāks were giuen the commemoration of the Lords death was had the bread in the remembrance of Christes body torne vpon the crosse was broken and the cuppe in remembrance of Christes bloud was distributed and both communicated vnto all that were present and woulde receyue them and also they were exhorted of the minister so to do All was done openly in the vulgare tongue so that euery thing mighte be bothe easily heard and playnely vnderstoode of all the people to Gods high glory and the edification of the whole Church This Church had of late the whole diuine seruice all common and publike prayers ordeyned to be sayde and heard in the common congregarion not onely formed and fashioned to the true vayne of the holy Scripture but also set foorth according to the commaundement of the Lorde and S. Paules doctrine for the peoples edification in their vulgar tongue But I knowe his testimonie shall weigh with you as all other mens doe howbeit I trust it will pearce the hearts of the godly Neyther is this to oppose the bloud of men to the bloud of the sonne of God when the martyrdome of men is brought into beare witnesse vnto the truthe of God Chap. 1. the. 3. Diuision Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 149. Sect. vlt. 150. Sect. 1. 2. The vnperfectnesse of this booke and such things in the fame as be culled and picked out of that popishe dunghill the Masse booke with the contents therein that be agaynst the worde of God shall appeare I am sure in your seuerall reasons for it is not sufficient for you barely to saye so without witte learning or reason This you know right wel that in so saying you make the Papists Aduantage gi uen to the papistes by the Admonitours leape for ioye bicause they haue gotten suche companions to assaulte this booke whylest they rest them lye as it were in sleepe O that the wyse men of this realme suche I meane as be in authoritie see not this Popishe practise and seeke not with more earnestnesse to preuent it Will ye suffer the Papists to gather strength and to multiplie by tollerating such Libellers vnder the pretēce of reformatiō to discredite so muche as lyeth in them yea to ouerthrow the whole state and substance of religion in this Churche Bee not secure but watche and remember the beginning and encrease of the Anabaptistes of late in Germanie whiche I haue described in my Preface to this booke You saye that you can not but much maruell at the craftie wilynesse of those men whose partes it had beene first to haue proued eache and euery content therin to be agreable to Gods word c. Nay surely but it were your parts rather to proue The apponēt must proue by rules of Logike that there is something therein contrarie or not agreable to Gods worde For such as be learned and knowe the manner of reasoning say that the Opponent must proue or improue and not the answerer They stande to the defense and mayntenance of the booke you seeke to ouerthrowe it it is your partes therfore to iustifie your assertions by reasons and arguments T. C. Pag. 157. Sect. 1. For the Papistes triumphe I haue answered before and I will not striue about the Goates 〈◊〉 who is the apponent and who the respondent in this difference Io. Whitgifte Thus you passe all this ouer in silence for I doe not remember where you haue answered one worde to it Chap. 1. the. 4. Diuision Admonition They should first proue by the worde of God that a reading seruice going before and with the administration of the sacraments is according to the worde of God that wafer cakes for theyr bread when they minister it surplesse and cope to doe it in churching of women comming in vayles abuong the Psalme to hir I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hilles c. and suche other Psal. 120. foolishe things are agreable to the written worde of the almightie Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 151. Sect. 2. 152. Sect 1. I doe not well vnderstande your meaning would you haue vs to proue that to reade prayers before and with the administration of The order of prayers in the Communion booke agreable to y e scripture the sacraments is according to the worde of God In deede in the booke of seruice there is first appoynted to be read some one or two profitable sentences mouing eyther to prayer or to repentance after followeth a generall confession then the Lords prayer and certayne Psalmes nexte certayne chapters out of the olde and newe Testamente c. laste of all the administration of the sacramente If you aske me of the sentences they be scripture If of the Lordes prayer Psalmes and chapters they be scripture also If of the sacrament of the Supper it is according to scripture Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. If of
the selfe same had not the correction of the booke which were the first penners of it and therefore how they will like of this correction it may be doubted But although the wordes in the texte be altered yet the quotations in the margent remayne still Belike they are to be applied as it pleaseth the platformers All this is added in the seuenth reason But some will say that the baptisme of Fol. 4. women is not cōmaunded by law if it be not why do you suffer it wherfore are the childrē so baptized accordingly cōmon experience teacheth that it is vsed almost in all places fewe speake against it this I am sure of that when it was put in the booke that was the meaning of the most part that were thē present and so it was to be vnderstāded as cōmon practise without cōtrolement doth plainely declare All these be but cōiectures Diuers things be suffered in many places vsed without cōtrolment which notwithstanding by no lawe be cōmaunded What the meaning was of those that penned the booke I know not neither as I thinke do you And surely for cōmon practise I can say litle but for mine own experiēce this I dare affirme that I haue not knowne one childe so baptised in places where I haue had to do no not since the beginning of the Q. Maiesties reigne I speake not of the thing it self but only of your coniectures I Baptizing by women not collected out of the booke thinke if the circūstances of the booke be well considered it will appeare that the meaning is that priuate baptisme is rather to be ministred by some minister which in y e time of necessity may soonest be come by thā by any womā But in this poynt I submit my iudgemēt to such as better know the meaning of y e bok being pēners therof thā I do In the same leafe ninth reason speaking of certeyne things vsed about mariage they adde these words VVith diuers other heathenishe toyes in sundry coūtries Toyes about mariage as carying of wheat sheafs on their heads casting of corne with a nūber of such like wherby they make rather a maygame of mariage thā a holy institutiō of God These be but toyes in deede vsed I know not where not conteyned in any part of the boke of cōmon prayers therfore without my cōpasse of defense They lacke matter whē they stuffe theyr booke with such vaine friuolous trifles In the. 10. reason to these wordes as for confirmation is added which the Fol. 5. Papists and our men say was in times past Apostolicall grounding their opinion perhaps vpon some dreame of Hierome And in the same place these wordes be left out VVe speake not of other toyes vsed in it how far it differeth is degenerated from the first institution they thēselues that are learned can witnesse And in the place hereof this is inserted as though baptisme were not already perfect but needed cōfirmation or as though the Bishop could giue the holy Ghost You your selfe in effect haue confessed in your first edition that confirmation of children is very auncient that it hath bene wel instituted for there you say that now it differeth is degenerate Confirmation of children allowed at the last frō the first institution But vpon better aduisemēt you haue left out these wordes in your second Edition as you haue also left out these with other toyes vsed in it wherby you confesse contrary to your former sentence that the confirmation of Children now vsed is without any toyes Howsosoeuer it pleaseth you to accompt Hieromes iudgemēt touching the antiquitie of confirmation a dreame yet his dreame may be of as much credite with wise men as your bare deniall of the same The wordes The ende of confirmation that you haue added in the second place might wel haue bene spared for you know that confirmation now vsed in this Churche is not to make baptisme perfect but partly to trie how the godfathers Godmothers haue performed y t which was enioyned thē whē the children were baptised partly that the childrē thēselues now being at the yeares of discretiō hauing learned what their Godfathers Godmothers promised for thē in baptisme may with their owne mouth with their owne consent openly before the church ratifie confirme the same also promise that by the grace of God they will euermore endeuour themselues faithfully to obserue keepe such things as they by their own mouth confessiō haue assented vnto And this reason is alledged among other euē in the booke of cōmon prayers And that it is not to make baptisme perfect y e boke of cōmon prayers it self declareth in these words And that no mā shal think any detrimēt shal come to Childrē by deferring of their cōfirmatiō he shal know for truth that it is certaine by Gods word that childrē being baptised haue all things necessary for their saluatiō be vndoubtedly saued You adde as though the Bishop could giue the holy Ghost the Bishop may vse the ceremonie vsed by the Apostles that is imposition of handes may safely say this godly prayer conteyned in the booke Defend O Lorde this childe with the heauenly grace that he may continue thine for euer and dayly encrease in thy holy spirit more and more vntill he come vnto thy euerlasting kingdome Amē And other such godly prayers there cōteiued Of any other kind of giuing y e holy ghost there is no mētion in that boke therfore these additions might very well haue bene leftout of your libel To the end of the eleuenth reason these wordes be added and open our eyes that we may see what that good and acceptable will of God is and be more earnest to prouoke his glory to the which I onely answere Amen In the ende of the. 12. there is something left out which they haue placed in the. 13. reason but it is answered before There is nothing added or altered worth the noting onely in the Fol. 6. fiftenth reason where they sayd before that we honored Bishops by the titles of kings nowe they haue recanted that and condemned themselues of an vntruth for they haue left out that title Fol. 7. In the seuenth leaf and 19. reason these words be left out banners and belles which argueth that they were before vntruly sayd to be vsed in gang weeke But to lye is a small matter with these men For Lordes grace of Yorke there is the Archbishop of Yorke The cause of Fol. 8. this alteration I know not When you say that you striue for true Religiō gouernment of the Church c. Fol. 9. You say that you do that which is to be wished you should do But your doings tēde to y e defacing of true Religion ouerthrow of the right gouernment of the Church although you be not the head of Antichrist yet are you his
Emperour in ciuill businesse Theodosius the Emperour made a lawe wherein it was decréed that all ciuil stryfes and controuersies shoulde be referred to the iudgemente of the churche if either Dorotheus Duaren lib. 1. of the parties did desire it And the same lawe did Carolus Magnus afterwards renew and confirme and yet doe you saye that the practise of the churche dothe confirme that Bishops may not meddle with ciuill offices If you flée to reason is it not good reason that a Bishop shoulde haue that office Some ciuill iurisdiction giuen to Bishops is agreable to reason and that authoritie that maye helpe hym in dooing his duelie in correctyng vice in procuryng peace in maynteyning good order in cuttyng off sectes schismes and suche lyke in accomplyshing all whiche be that séeth not howe muche he is helped by suche ciuill authoritie as the Prince committeth vnto hym is eyther voyde of reason or wilfully blynded Wherfore I may moste iustly conclude that for so muche as the holye Scriptures The conclusion of this matter doe teache that Ecclesiasticall persons maye meddle with ciuill effices the practyso of the Churche confirmeth the same and reason telleth that it is conuenient and seeing that suche as practise them both in the maner and forme before declared breake not foorth into any other mannes callyng busy not themselues in things whiche belong not vnto them but walke in their callyng occupie themselues in matters incidents vnto it and do good seruice both to God their Prince and their countrey these offices may very aptely concurre and meete together in one person and be profitably linked and ioyned together in one man This did Augustine confesse and acknowledgeth that the Apostle hath bounde them to these troubles not by his owne iudgement but by Bishops bounde by the holie ghost to ciuill troubles iudgement of him that did speake in him as I haue before declared This haue the godlie Bishops Cranmer Ridley Hooper c. consented vnto this doo the graue wise and learned Bishops in our tyme in this Churche by experience knowe Admonition The eightenth And birds of the same fether are couetous patrones of benefices persons vicars readers parish priests stipēdaries riding chaplains y t vnder the authoritie of their masters spoile their flocks of y e food of their soules (a) Phi. 21. 2. such seeke not the Lord Iesus but their own bellies (b) Iud. 12. cloudes that are without rayne trees without fruite (c) Mat. 23. 27. painted sepulchers full of dead bones fatted in all aboundance of iniquitie and leane locustes in all feeling knowledge and synceritie Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 226. Sect. vlt. 227. Sect. 1. It is true that couetous Patrones of benefices be a great plague Couetous patrones to this Church and one of the principal causes of rude and ignorant ministers God graunt some speedie reformation in that poynt Neyther can I excuse all persons vicars c. but all this is spoken without the booke and therefore not fitlye of you alleadged agaynst the booke T. C. Pag. 171. Sect. 4. Unto the two sections I haue spoken in that which hath bene sayde touching excommunication canons and Prebendaries c. And vnto that whyche is conteyned in the. 226. and. 227. I answere that I can not excuse couetous patrones of benefices but couetous parsones and vicars be a greate pi gue vnto this Churche and one of the principall causes of rude and ignorant people Io. Whitgifte I confesse that the couetousnesse of some of them one waye and the contentiousnesse of some of you an other way hath done muche harme in the Church brought no small hinderance to the Gospell I pray God open the heartes of all that euery man may espye his owne deformitie and be therof ashamed T. C. Pag. 171. Sect. vlt. Lykewise vnto the two next sections I haue answered before in speaking against the spirituall courtes which are now vsed vnto the next after that in speakyng of the ordeyning of ministers Io. Whitgifte You haue not answered to this conteined page 233. I vvill neitheriustifie that vvhich is amisse nor condemne that vvhich I knovve not Only this I say that this taunting spirit of yours seketh rather defamation than reformation vttereth spitefulnesse of stomacke rather than godlie zeale for what a deriding of authoritie disdayn towards the same is this three of them would be enough to sting a man to death for why they are high commissioners VVhat example haue you of any godly man that vsed thus to deride and floute magistrates you say all this springeth out of that Pontificall whiche you must allow by subscription c. But it had bin well if you had tolde vs out of what part of that Pontificall they spring and how they be thereof gathered This you passe ouer in silence Admonition And thus much be spoken as touching this booke against which to stand is a wonder to two 2. Tim. 2. 7. 2. Cor. 4. 4. forts of men the one ignorant the other obstinate The Lord giue those that be his vnderstanding in all things that they may haue iudgement as for the other whome the God of this world hathe blinded least they (f) Math. 13. 15. should see and confesse the truth and so be saued and that do in the full growth of wickednesse maliciously resist the truth God confound them that his peace may be vpon Israell and his sauing health vpon this nation Ansvver to the Admonition Page 234. Sect. vlt. Nay surely it is a wonder to wise learned and godly men to see this booke so painefully penned with such aduise perused and by so long practise allowed now to be defaced as it were with friuolous Foure sortes of aduersaries to the Church vnlearned and vnapt reasons and that by fower sorts of men Atheists Papists and Anabaptists and as you woulde be counted Puritanes God of his infinite mercie giue you charitable quiet thankfull minds and eyther conuert your harts or roote al such disturbers out of this Church that we may with one hart and mind serue our Lord God T. C. Pag. 171. Lin. vlt. And vnto that which is conteyned in the latter end of the. 234. and the beginning of the. 235. I say that the Church shall iudge of the aptnesse or vnaptnesse of our reasons albeit we do fynde fault with diuers things in the booke yet we neither oppugne as enemies nor are by the grace of God eyther Papists Anabaptists Atheists or Puritanes as it pleaseth M. Doctor to call vs. And to the prayer against disturbers of the Church I say with all my heart Amen Io. Whitgifte I would to God you did not oppugne it as enimies c. Surely then would not your fiercenesse nor your bitternes of speach haue bin such as it is But God forgiue you and to the prayer I say agayne Amen Amen Admonition If this be not playne inough by that which is already set
foorth we mind by Gods grace to make it playner and shoulde do it better if it were as lawfull for vs as for our aduersaries to publish our mindes in print then should appeare what slender stuffe they bring that are so impudent by open writing to defend it And if it might please hir Maiestie by the aduise of you righte Honorable in this high Court of Parliament to heare vs by writing or otherwise to defend ourselues then such is the equitie of our cause that we would trust to find fauoure in hir Maiesties sight then those patched Pamphlets made by sodeine vpstarts and new conuerts should appeare in their colours and truth haue the victorie and God the glory if this cannot be obteyned we will by Gods grace addresse ourselues to defende his truthe by suffering and willingly lay our heads to the blocke And this shall be our peace to haue quiet consciences with our God whome we will abide for with all patience vntill he make our full deliuerance Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 243. And I will not spare my laboure from time to time to vtter my mind and conscience in these matters protesting that if by learning you can perswade me I will say agayne with Augustine Errare possum baereticus esse nolo All the rest of your stoute and suspitious braggs of your vndecent and vnseemely words I let passe and leaue them to be considered as notes of your spirit and modestie The Queenes Maiestie may assure hir selfe that she hath of learned men a number sufficient able by learning to mainteine both hir authoritie and lawes which hir Maiestie hath hitherto vsed and made for the further e of the Gospell and mainteyning of good order and peace in the Church The Lord of his infinite goodnesse long preserue hir and giue vs thankfull hearts to God for hir T. C. Pag. 172. Sect. 1. Unto the next section I haue answered in the treatise of the apparell And vnto the next after in the treatise which declareth to whome it doth appert ine to make ceremonies and orders of the Church And vnto the section contayned in the. 243. page I say that M. Doctor being asked of oynions auswereth of garlike For the Authours of the Admonition desiring that it might be as lawfull for them to published by print their minds or to be heard dispute or that their mind put in writing might be openly debated M. Doctor answereth with Augustines sentence which he hath made the fote of his song nothing to the purpose of that which they says the performance of which promise we will notwithstanding wait for Io. Whitgifte Why what haue they sayd there worth the answering that I haue not directly answered vnto they boast of their writing and of their disputing And I tell them that I will not spare my laboure from time to time to vtter my mind and consciēce in these matters also What other answer would you haue me to make vnto them The saying of S. Augustine commeth in due place you call it the foote of my song and I am very well content you should so do for I intend to sing that song so long as I liue neither can any mislike it but such as either be or intende to be herelikes I purpose God willing to performe all the promises that I haue made and when I shrinke from any of them let me heare of it Admonition For the Articles concerning the substance of doctrine vsing a godly interpretation in a poynte Doctrine The right gouernment of the Churche cannot be separated from the doctrine 1. Tim. 3. 2. or two which are eyther too sparely or else too darkely set downe we were and are ready according to duetie to subscribe vnto them We would to God that as they hold the substance togither with vs and we with them so they would not denie the effect and vertue thereof then shoulde not our words and works be deuorced but Christ should be suffered to reigne a true ministerie according to the word instituted discipline exercised Sacraments purely and sincerely ministred thys is that we striue for and about which we haue suffered k 1. Pet. 3. 17 not as euill doers but for resisting poperie and refusing to be stoong with the tayle of Antichristian infection ready l 2. Pet. 3. 15. to render a reason of our fayth to the stopping of all our enimies mouthes We therefore for the Churche of Gods sake whiche ought to be most deare vnto you beseech you for our soueraignes sake vpon whome we pray that all Gods blessing may be poured abundantly we pray you to consider of these abuses to reforme Gods Church according to your duties and callings that as with one mouth we confesse one Christe so with one consent this reigne of Antichriste may be turned out headlong from amongst vs and Christ our Lord may reygne by hys word ouer vs. So your seates shal be established and setled in great assurance you shall not neede to feare your enimies for God wyll turne away his threatned plagues from vs which he in mercy do for his Christes sake Amen Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 245. 246. It is very well that you so like of the articles but yet it pleaseth Of subscribing to the Articles you not to subscribe vnto them you say bycause of a point or two which are eyther too sparely or else too darkly set downe but indeede your meaning is to subscribe to nothing which by authoritie you are required to do and that argueth an arrogant mind and a disposition that loueth alway to be singular You note in the margente that the right gouernmēt of the Church The argumēt of the aduersary retorted agaynst himselfe can neuer be separated from the doctrine but by your owne confessiō we haue the doctrine Ergo of necessitie we also haue the righte gouernment Here in few words you haue cast downe whatsoeuer you seemed before to build so do commonly vnskilfull builders I would to God that for so much as contrary to your former assertion you now confesse that we haue the veritie of doctrine you could be content to say downe great heart and submit your selues to the Queenes Maiestie and hir lawes according to your dutie then no doubt Christ should without resistance reigne in this Church and the frutes of the Gospell would much more appeare You bragge much of your suffering you are little beholding to Persecution pretended wher none is your neighbours when you are thus constreyned to prayse your selues But I pray you whether dothe he persecute that modestly and soberly defendeth the truthe or he that vnlawfully reuengeth hymselfe with rayling and backbi ing you loue very well to haue the worlde knowe howe greatly you be persecuted and therefore if one of you here in Cambridge be punished but twenty pence for his open contempte of statutes to the whiche he is sworne in post hast it is carried into all quarters and especially to London