Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	church_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	1,430	5	9.3304	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68023	A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.	Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.; Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.; Vermigli, Pietro Martire, 1499-1562.; Hooper, John, d. 1555.	1566 (1566)	STC 10387; ESTC S101661	56,521	86

by men it be commaunded but as the tradition or precept of god Thus farre Doctour Bucer With whom Maister Caluine very wel agreeth saying ‡ That which is part of decencie commended vnto vs by the Apostle though it be prescribed by man is Gods tradition and not mans as kneelyng at solemne prayers and suche lyke So then if you woulde haue rested vppon the censures of these godly learned men you shoulde not haue needed thus vnwysely to haue skoffed at this wysdome of man contaynyng her selfe within the limittes of the wysdome of God as is before proued and myght be fully iustified by infinite places of Germayne wryters and by theyr letters of late sent into the Realme to dyuers godly but for prolixitie The thyrde mayne reason you vse is That none of Christes litleones must be offended Whiche thyng accordyng to your vsage you augment with sundrye textes of Scripture as yf all the men of vnderstandyng in this Realme were yet aslepe and neyther saw nor harde the voyce of theyr maister Christ and his holy Apostle But you passe ouer with silence that whiche you shoulde haue substauncially waded through Vz That these orders nowe taken do iustly offende the weake lambes of Christes folde Wherfore to aunswere to the generall proposition it is not expedient seeing it is holden as most true of all men But concerning the offendyng of the weake briefely In indifferent thynges if lawe for common tranquilitie haue prescribed no order what ought to be done a Christian man ought to haue a great regarde of his neyghbours conscience accordyng to S. Paules doctrine But yf lawe foreseeyng harmes and prouiding quietnes haue taken lawefull order therin offence is taken and not geuen when the subiect doth his duetie in obedience so seuerely enioyned hym by Gods worde Notwithstandyng you say that a wyse shipper in saylyng wyll not come nygh rockes and flattes yf he may but take sea rowme ynough In deede the wyse shipmen of our Churche haue spyed the rockes of false doctrine superstition and errour wherevpon many haue ben cast away and to auoyde them haue taken rowme ynough in the scriptures of God For outwarde apparell of them selues are not suche rockes and flattes as you do phantasie neyther euer harde you any of Christes seruauntes to be in daunger of perishing iustly by them as they be now appoynted Yea you may beholde many a godly passenger vnder these orders saylyng with a straight course towarde that heauenly Hauen whervnto he trusteth safely to arriue Al these men in this ship of Christ takyng example by the politike gouernour S. Paul crye out aloude and say Non omnia papistica edificant All popery doth not edifie and are marueylous circumspect and carefull lest any of Christes deare flocke should be offended As for the place alleaged by you where S. Paule forbyddeth Cōmunion with the Gentyles in their idolatricall worshyppyng yf you had applyed it you shoulde haue perceyued no sequele therof For thankes be to God we dwell not among the Babilonians and Chaldies we haue in our Church no publique worshyppyng of Idolles no Heathenishe or idolatrical sacrifice as were in some place of the citie of Corinth whose societie contagion we ought to auoyde And yf there be in a Church where Christes Gospel is purely preached and his sacraments rightly ministred some euyl among the good as in one net diuers sortes of fishes in one fielde wheate and tares in one barne corne and chaffe yet the good are not sayde to communicate or be defyled of the badde as long as they consent not to theyr wickednes but depart from among them not by corporall separation but by dissimilitude of life and diuersitie of maners though they both vse the same temple the same table the same sacramentes as S. Augustine setteth out at large It is one thyng to flee from communicatyng with open professed idolatrie theyr prophanes rites and deuylyshe orders though in hart we worshyp God and another ryghtly to vse rites and fassions abused all the abuses beyng clearely condempned Of the one we haue an expresse commaundement in Scripture the other our auncient fathers haue practised before you and Gods holy worde hath not forbydden it The fourth foundation or grounde that you lay is That you must needes cast away and forsake all those thynges as haue ben brought into the Church besides or contrary to the Scripture This platte you enlarge with a dosen seuerall sentences all which paynes you myght well haue saued yf you had not mynded to haue ben bytyng and snappyng by the way at your superiours This trueth all faythful Christians confirme with you That concernyng fayth and doctrine concernyng remission of sinnes and eternall saluation nothing ought to be taught or receyued which is contrary or not grounded in the Canonicall Scriptures For holy writ geuen by the inspiration of God is not only a lyght to our feete as Dauid sayth but also so profitable that thereby the man of God maye be absolute beyng made perfecte vnto all good workes as Saint Paule testifieth And though this be most true touchyng the substaunce of Christian religion yet the maner and order of settyng of it foorth is not particularly expressed but generally left to the disposition of Christes Churche from tyme to tyme accordyng to those wordes of Saint Paule * Let all thynges be done comely and orderly Wherein whatsoeuer shalbe lawfully done to those purposes is not to be iudged besydes the Scriptures As for example Fastyng is commaunded in Gods worde But what dayes we shoulde fast or what dayes we shoulde not beyng not there determined yf the Christian Churche decree it is not besydes the Scripture The ministryng of Baptisme the Lordes supper is commaunded in Gods worde But what dayes what tymes what places in what companye with what prayers before and after yf the Christian Churche decree it is not besides the Scriptures And accordyng to this Saint Augustine wryteth touchyng the receyuyng of the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ fastyng in the mornyng Saluator ideo non praecepit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur vt Apostolis per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat seruaret hunc locum Our Sauiour therfore hath not cōmaunded in what order the Sacrament shoulde be afterwarde receyued because he myght reserue this place to his Apostles by whom he woulde order the Churches Thus also the preachyng of the Gospell is commaunded in Gods worde but howe to do this office in Pulpit or otherwayes in mornyng or after noone and so forth yf the Christian Churche decree it is not besides the Scripture The lyke may be sayde concernyng lawes politike of Princes affayres and trafficke betwixt man man whose groundes and rules are in Gods worde and yet the particular circumstaunces in practising them being diuers in sundry Countreys accordyng to the iudgement of magistrates are not besides Scriptures when al those diuersities haue Gods worde for theyr

the same as they may rightlye of them by whom chiefelye all Romyshe religion with superstition and errour was through the spirite of God bannyshed this Realme Well howesoeuer it hath pleased you for spite agaynst some one to bryng a great number of very godly in obloqui and suspition yf the thynges required be indifferent in themselues and not so horrible daungerous for this Churche at these dayes as the prudent and chare ouerseers iudge euen as it were in the syght of Chryst to whom they must render an accompt for his deare flocke what matter is it who they be that call vpon you to accomplyshe your duetie Unlesse you thinke that no man ought to make general lawes in the lyke cases but let euery Curate be supreme gouernour in his owne paryshe Which loose imagination what inconuenience it wyll drawe with it you may well consider Howe innocent handes they haue from the bloud of all Gods Saintes who vnder a most godly vertuous and pure regiment deale with you al maner of wayes that you slippe not from your loyall obedience yea though they shoulde vse towarde some of you charitable seueritie terrible lenitie auengement medicinal as S. Augustine setteth out the true ecclesiastical discipline not only the wise within this Realme vnderstande but the enemies also without confesse But because your enemies as you surmize put you in mynde of your duetiful subiection you wyll not be cowards you saye yeeldyng your weapons to your aduersaries handes As yf by wearyng this apparell the sword of Gods worde were wrested out of your handelyng where as you knowe well enough in these orders you may manfully caste downe strong holdes ouerthrowe imaginations and euery hygh thyng that exalteth hymselfe agaynst the knowledge of God and bryng into captiuitie all vnderstandyng to the obedience of Christ yea and take vengeaunce of all disobedience as S. Paule describeth at large the faythful preachers weapons and fyght Nay God graunt this vndiscrete dealyng of yours be not a voluntarye throwyng awaye of your weapons in deede marueylous daungerous also to Christes people committed to your charge whyles you open thus a gappe for hirelynges to creepe in and defende not your flockes from the great peryls of heynous errours and vngodlynesse of lyfe because some hauyng interest aswellas you in your sheepe shewe vnto you an orderly poynt or two Last of all you request two thynges The one That you may kepe your conscience vndefiled This your petition in some thynges touchyng the worshyp of God myght haue his place But in these matters which you call indifferent what is it that shoulde defyle you the thyng itselfe or your weake opinion of it The thing itselfe doth not pollute you For as S. Paule sayth to the pure all thynges are pure And agayne Nothyng is common or vncleane of itselfe Nowe as concernyng your weakenes thankes be to God that which the same S. Paule reporteth of the Corinthes may be verified of you We all haue knowledge And We are sure that an Idoll is nothyng in the worlde and that there is none other God but one It were to be wyshed and would to God there were no examples now of it that none of them which pretende herein a straytnes of conscience dyd strayne a Gnat and swallowe a Camell Next you require freedom to teach your flockes by doctrine This thyng your bounden obedience may easylye obtayne where as by your owne wylfulnes you depriue yourselues therof Then you would go before your sheepe in that which you haue taught If it be as farre as becommeth your owne persons and degree you shall deserue thankes whensoeuer you perfourme it â–ª For though it chaunce so oftentymes that many thynges are to be taught of themselues indifferent yet in your example it shall not be lawefull for you to vse them before your paroeces as you lyst Meete is it that Christian people heare dyuers tymes of the freedome of conscience in meates places tymes and dayes and yet neyther you nor they ought to disturbe politicall order lawfully taken Whiche disturbaunce of publique quiet in rites and ordinaunces which may be for the varietie of places diuers and yet to be straytly obserued what a great offence it is not only the Scriptures may teache you the vsage of Christes true Church but also the determination of this Church in Englande both agreed vpon in kyng Edwardes dayes also testified and subscribed by them themselues who nowe woulde gaynsay theyr owne doynges then The wordes which the whole Sinode were well pleased withall whervnto all the Cleargies handes are set to be these It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vtterly lyke for at all tymes they haue ben dyuers and maye be chaunged accordyng to the diuersities of Countreys tymes and mens maners so that nothyng be ordered agaynst the worde of God VVhosoeuer through his priuate iudgement wyllyngly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnaunt to the word of God and be ordeyned and approued by common auctoritie ought to be rebuked openly that other may feare to do the lyke as one that offendeth agaynst the common order of the Church and hurteth the auctoritie of the Magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren After these Godly mens iudgementes yf you go before your flocke in this quiet maner your example veryly shall edifie much Thus therfore if we al shalbe faithful wise seruauntes geuyng our maisters housholde theyr duetie of meate in due season and also be founde by our Lorde when he commeth so doyng happy shall we be and we shall haue our portion not with the hypocrites where is weepyng and gnashyng of teeth but with the blessed in the kyngdome of the most mightie God which is kyng of kynges and Lorde of Lordes to whom be honour and rule euerlastyng Amen Ephes. 4. But let vs folowe the trueth in loue and in all thynges growe vp into hym which is the head that is Christ. Phil. 3. Neuerthelesse in that wherevnto we are come let vs proceade by one rule that we may be of one accorde A prayer to be said dayly of a Christian man for the Churche Promissam pacem tua nunc ecclesia Christe Insano mundi turbine pressa petit â–ª Euigila tandem fluctus compesce furentes Fac tibi non pereant quos pater ipse dedit THe Churche O Christ thy spouse opprest with worldly spight Thy ioyfull peace doth craue by thee to her behight Awake sweete Lorde awake and styll this raging sea That thyne elect he saude whiche once were geune to thee FINIS Doctissimo viro D. Martino Bucero Theologiae in Academia Cantabrigiensi professori Regio Thomas Cantuariensis AFter my hartie salutations ryght welbebeloued Master Bucer I haue read that booke whiche ye haue sent to Doctour Peter Alexander concernyng the controuersie betwixt Master Hoper and the

howe can it be but that he which promised to blesse all the workes of our handes whiche we take in his name wyll denye his blessyng to these signes seyng he hath no where forbydden such a vse of them as we haue expounded and hath made vs Lordes of the Sabboth and all other thynges of this worlde But yf we graunt that these thynges which I haue spoken concernyng the vse of such signes may be it is surelye the part of brotherly charitie commaunded vs by God to leaue such vse of suche signes in such a Churche free to the iudgement and conscience of that congregation excepte we see an open abuse eyther of superstition as if these thynges were vsed as conteynyng in themselues some part of godly worship of themselues or of contention as if they displeased the greater and better part of the Church or of gettyng of good wyll of some men whom in these thynges we ought not to gratifie because they therby go about to bryng a seruitute vnworthy for Christian men It was euident at Saint Paules tyme by the most cleare Scriptures of God that the vse of dayes meates al other externe thynges was made free and it was a sure token of infirmitie in fayth to doubt therof yet the holy ghoste pronounceth that such weaklinges ought to be receyued not to the troublyng of their cogitations and not to be contemned of the stronger in fayth and that in these thynges it myght be graunted to euery one to be sure of his owne sense seyng that the Lord had receyued these weaklynges Nowe if the holy ghost woulde haue men to yelde so much to them which were in a manyfest errour inasmuch as they depended vpō him in the chiefest necessary partes of sincere religion what ought to be graunted to these concerning the free vse of external thinges whom we can not conuict of any errour by Gods worde For howsoeuer I examine and expende those your two arguments that is They are the imitation of the Aaronicall priesthood and the markes of Antichristes priesthood and therfore ought to be eschewed of them that loue Chryst yet that thyng whiche you woulde is not hereby concluded For to imitate Aarons ceremonies is not of it selfe vitious but only then when men vse them as necessarie to saluation or to signifie that Chryste is yet for to come to take fleshe vpon hym For yf by no meanes it be lawfull to vse those thynges whiche were of Aarons Priesthood or of the Gentyles then is it not lawfull for vs to haue Churches nor Holydayes For there is no expresse commaundement by worde in the holy Scriptures of these thynges It is gathered notwithstandyng from the example of the olde people that they are profitable for vs to the increase of godlines which thing also experience proueth For any thing to be a note of Antichrist is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe for to that end nothyng was made of God but it hangeth altogether of consentyng to Antichristes religion and the professing therof The whiche consent and profession beyng chaunged into the consent and profession of Christianitie there can sticke in the thynges them selues no note or marke of Antichristes religion The vse of Belles was a marke of Antichristianitie in our Churches when the people by them were called to Masses and when they were rong agaynst tempestes nowe they are a token of Christianitie when the people by them are gathered together to the Gospell of Christ and other holye actions Why may it not then be that the selfe same garment may serue godly with godly men that was of wicked signification with the vngodly Truely I know very many ministers of Christ moste godly men who haue vsed godlye these vestures at this day do yet vse them So that I dare not for this cause ascribe vnto them any fault at all muche lesse so heynous a fault of cōmunicating with Antichrist for the whiche fault we may vtterly refuse to Communicate with them in Christ. The Priestes of deuils did celebrate in theyr sacrifices the distribution of bread and the cuppe as Iustinus Marter and Tertullian make mention What let is there why we may not vse the same ceremonies also you wyll say we haue a commaundement of the Lorde touching this Ceremonie Uery well And by the selfe same it appeareth that same thyng to serue among the children of God to the seruice of Christ whiche the wicked abused in the seruice of Deuylles yf the commaundement of Chryste be added thereto But it is the commaundement of Chryst that in our holy actions we institute and vse all thynges so as comlynes and order be obserued that fayth may be edified Nowe yf any Churche iudge and haue experience such as I doubt not there are many this day in Germanie that the vse of suche vesture bryngeth some commendation to the holy ministration and thereby helpeth somwhat in the way of comelynes order to the encrease of fayth what I pray you can be brought out of the Scriptures why that Church is not to be left to her owne iudgement in this matter neyther therfore to be contenmed or to be called into question for her iudgement sake That Church veryly will kepe in these thynges a meane agreeable to the Crosse of Christ and wyll diligently attende that no abuse crepe into it If therefore you wyll not admit suche libertie and vse of vesture to this pure and holy Churche because they haue no commaundement of the Lorde nor no example of it I do not see howe you can graunt to any Churche that it maye celebrate the Lordes supper in the mornyng and in an open Churche especially consecrate to the Lorde that the Sacraments may be distributed to men kneelyng or standing yea to women aswell as to men For we haue receyued of these thynges neyther commaundement of the Lorde nor any example yea rather the Lorde gaue a contrary example For in the euènyng and in a priuate house he dyd make his supper and distributed the Sacramentes and that to men only and sitting at the table But it wyll be obiected that in England many vse vestures with manifest superstition that they do noryshe and confirme in the people superstition Euen so it may be aunswered very many abuse all this whole Sacrament as also Baptisme and all other Ceremonies Therefore let vs withstande this mischiefe and vanquishe it vtterly Wherevnto though it may be that the takyng away of vestures maye helpe somethyng yet to dryue away all this mischiefe it wyl not suffise Nay the Priestes them selues must be fyrst remoued and in their roumes placed faythfull ministers in the kyngdome of Chryst suche as be learned in deede and godly affected To this therefore to this I saye muste we chiefely endeuour our selues that the hartes of the people may be purged by fayth whiche fayth is fyrst begon and increased by the hearyng of the worde of God this hearyng is brought by the

God in trueth and veritie forsakyng errour couered with zelous perswasion to the sauyng of theyr owne soules to the reioyce of such Christians to whom they haue ben teachers as good subiectes ought to do to the glory of God To whom be all honour and dominion for euer Amen A briefe summe of the Reasons in the declaration Generall reasons All thynges in the Churche ought to edifie 2. Cor. 13. Iuxta potestatem Ephe. 2. Iam non estis Ephe. 4. Idem dedit 1. Cor. 14. Omnia fiant These orders do not edifie for that they Hynder the simple Make more obstinate the papistes Are monumentes of Idolatrie Deut. xii Ergo. Maior Preceptes of men must not be receyued Deut. 7. Aras eorum Math. 15. Frustra me Esay 29. Appropinquat popul Minor These are preceptes of men Ergo. Maior Offences and superstition ought to be auoyded Math. 18. Videte ne 1. Cor. 10. Omnia mihi Rom. 14. Bonum est non mand 2. Cor. 6. Eandem remunerati Minor These orders offende Ergo. Maior Nothyng muste be brought into the Churche besides or contrary to Scripture for princes plesures Deut. 4. Non addetis Deut. 5. Non declinabis 1. Reg. 15. Domus Saul euertitur quòd declinabat 3. Reg. 12. Reboam amittit x. tribus 4. Reg. 20. Ezechias benedic quòd non declin 3. Reg. 22. Micheas noluit adulari Ezech. 13. Haec dicit dominus Math. 15. 16. Christus praedicat quae pater mandat Math. 28. Apostoli praedicant quae iussit Christus 1. Cor. 11. Paulus tradit quae accepit Phil. 3. Paulus sequendus vt sequitur Christum 2. Cor. 4. Paulus non praedicat seipsum Minor These orders are besydes and contrary to the Scripture c. Ergo. Maior Christian libertie must be maintained whiche Christ hath purchased for vs. Joh. 19. Consummatum est Gala. 3. Christus nos red Particuler reasons In outwarde apparell there ought to be no difference as is proued thus 1. Reg. 9. Samuel was not knowen to be a prophete by Saule 4. Reg. 1. Elias was not knowen by Ochozias seruauntes Math. 3. John Baptist had no such apparell Math. 26. Peter was knowen by his speache Hier. Eustochiū was wylled to haue no notable apparell Hier. Marcella was tolde that at Hierusalem there was no diuersitie of apparell The Cleargie of Rauenna sayde they were to be discerned from the people by doctrine not vesture Cau. 21. q. 4. Holy men vsed meane vyle apparel The minystryng garmentes ought not to be admitted For They were taken from the Jewes or Gentyles Glos. ord in Ezech. 44. Platina in vita Siluest Durand Rat. diui 3. Poli. li. 4 Ca. 5. de Inuēt ▪ They haue ben abused to Idolatrie Sorcery Coniuryng Men haue an euyll opinion of them Papistes that they are holly Gospellers that they ought not vse them Bucer would haue them away He woulde haue puritatem rituū Peter Martir Doct. Ridley Bishop Jewel They preachers shalbe thought to bryng the peopl● to Egipt agayne to be partakers of Idolatrie t● offende the simple to hazarde theyr soules to defy● theyr consciences The Solicitours of these orders were bluddy persecutours whose purposes be to deface the Gospell ❧ The Examination AS you pretend in your preface that feare lest the Ministers of Gods worde shoulde be brought into contempt was the cause of the vnorderly publishing of these your small reasons So it is well knowen that the great care whiche the chiefe gouernours of this Churche of Englande taketh to preserue true and faythfull Ministers from dispite and reproche moued them to retayne and set forth these orders as whereby theyr hope is Gods dilligent seruauntes accomplishing also other parties of their vocation myght recouer agayne the auncient dignitie of their forefathers and that Gods holy worde Sacramentes nowe by the craft of Sathan somethyng basely esteemed myght also haue theyr due reuerence and honour Herein they haue folowed the steppes of wyse Princes and good Fathers who thought it theyr seruice not only to establyshe sounde doctrine in matters of fayth but also to redresse and ordeyne rytes for discipline and publike quiet as in the godly counsels appeareth Nicoene Calcidon and others But in your considerations howe smally you haue regarded your duetie in this common wealth on this maner to make the worlde wonder at your factions wylfulnes before your superiours yf you thynke herein you haue any reade ouer your reasons it is rather to be lamented and prosecuted with teares then to be blased abrode in wordes and vttered by penne Surely it maye be true here Nos talem consuetudinem non habemus nec ecclesiae dei We haue no such custome nor the Churches of god Leauing then to the iudgement of others whether you run not headlong the ready waye to make your selues iustly and the ministerie also euyll spoken of by not seekyng the peace of the Countrey where you dwell and by not obeyng and folowyng but breakyng and forsakyng those variable orders and maners whereby worldly quietnes at the least is gotten and mayntayned which as S. Augustine sayeth is not the vsage of the Citie of God touchyng maners lawes and ordinaunces whereby the religion of the liuing God is not hurt Leauing I say this and your consideration to the iudgement of others it shall be sufficient at this tyme to weygh the groundes and reasons whiche you vse in refusyng to weare apparell and garmentes not nowe of the Popes Church but of Christes Churche in Englande It shall not be vnnecessary to aduertise the Christian reader that in the declaration there are much paynes bestowed of these discoursours where as very litle needeth to the intent peraduenture other to aduaunce them selues in theyr knowledge of Gods worde or to nip and taunte theyr felowes and betters as vnlearned and fooles For where as fewe or none are ignoraunt that all thynges should be done to edifie no offences shoulde iustly be geuen and Christian libertie should alwayes be defended such lyke Yet in confirming of these vndoubted truthes many wordes are spent when as lytle or nothyng is sayd of that which in this cause and many others contayneth the controuersie that is of the Minor or next proposition As whether these orders do edifie do offende or hurt Christian libertie Wherfore thinke not much if dyuers sentences of scripture tendyng to stablishe one trueth not denyed at this time be briefely collected and aunswered together For those thinges ought and shalbe expended whiche make any thyng at all to the pithe of the matter The fyrst discourse here is of edifiyng or buyldyng the Churche of Christ which all faythfull Ministers do acknowledge to be theyr bounden duetie and seruice accordyng to the graces of God bestowed vpon them and neuer to hinder and plucke downe awhit wherof much more myght be said then is here rehearsed if it were nedefull to wade further in so worthy a matter Herewithall in textes and expositions you woulde not greatly haue enlarged your

the Church and that both they and theyr ministers woulde labour with all diligence to attayne to that bryghtnes and comelynesse that all at length may shyne in the vestures of ryghteousnes and saluation And it behoueth Ministers to vse some garmentes not onlye to couer and to defend theyr bodyes but such as may also haue some signification and may admonyshe them of some thyng Nowe therefore forasmuch as it is thought good to the Kynges Maiestie to the chiefe councell of the Realme to reteyne the vse of these vestures for this present they ought to chaunge the wicked abuse of the papistes in these good creatures of God in them selues to some Godly vse both to the glory of God and to the honour of the Kynges Maiestie and so openly to declare that all thynges to holye and good men are holy and pure And that they be truelye sanctified by the worde prayer so that neyther deuyll nor man can defyle any creature of God but that Godly men may vse them Godly and to the glory of God yea euen for some vse of signification not onlye in the fruition of theyr naturall effectes For all creatures may admonyshe vs many wayes to consider the creatour both of them and of our selfe and of our gratitude towarde hym besyde the consideration of his large liberalitie in respecte of theyr naturall effectes And to these admonitions they maye and ought publiquely be vsed Which sentence of myne I myght iustifie with diuers Scriptures besydes the example of the Apostles which dyd so long vse Moses ceremonies without any impietie As concernyng the second question this is my sentence gathered as I beleue out of holye Scripture They which do say that it is not lawfull to vse the apparell that is in question in any maner yea in that maner which I haue described I say that they be at the least in errour for that they denye all thynges to be holye to them that be sanctified The same do I affirme of suche whiche for the same cause wyll not weare those vestures forasmuche as the vse of them is receyued neyther vppon superstitious or lyght cause but by the publique lawe of the Realme and by the consent of the Churches In deede the vse of these vestures may be forced by such superstition to pleasure the Roman or any other Antichrist as it is nowe in Germany that it can not be godly admitted of the Godly ministers of Christ. For I must nedes say that they take from the godly Magustrates theyr due honour whiche doth deny that theyr iudgement ought to be folowed in these matters Rom. 14. for that they do declare the vse of these garmentes to be obserued of that consideration which I haue a litle before described I trust your most Reuerende fatherhood wyll beare all these thynges well in worth For to aunswere to briefly and to grossely I thought it a great offence especially for that I see with what art Satan doth resyst leste that at once the whole religion of Chryste shoulde be restored amongste vs as were necessary and as al godly Kynges hath done theyr diligent labour accordyng to Gods preceptes and examples which he hath declared by Moses and Chryst his sonne whyles Satan goeth about to stirre vp so many pernitious contentions of all the circumstaunces of our religion aswel in doctrine as rites For surely excepte that we remoue so horrible and manyfest sacriledges dishonorynges of God whereby the whole kyngdome of the sonne of God maye be receyued and we lowly submit our neckes to his good yoke O howe intollerable wrath of God shalbe kyndeled agaynst this Realme The Scriptures be full of suche examples as he doth nowe shewe most terrible vnto Germanye Our Lorde Jesus Chryst assyst the Kynges Maiestie with his holy spirite and be present with you the head fathers of the Churches and all the nobles of this Realme that ye may both knowledge and embrace duetifully in time the dayes of your holsome visitation al other such thynges in the which only standes the peace and health of this Realme God preserue your fatherhood At Cambridge this tenth of December ¶ To M. Martin Bucer doctour in Diuinitie most vvorthy his reader and maister most reuerende GRace and peace from the Lorde c. For what cause I am nowe in trouble moste Reuerende ye shall vnderstande it by this messenger in wrytyng I praye you that you woulde vouchsafe once to geue it the readyng and yf that ye shall espye any errour therein I desyre you to signifie it vnto me by your letters If any thyng hath ben vttered too darklye and with fewer wordes then the cause requireth I pray you that you woulde set it out in the margent with more lyght and apter wordes If ye see the cause iust and meete for a godly minister subscribe therevnto in the ende I hartyly pray you I sende you also that I haue written before three yeres agoo vpon the ▪ x. preceptes that your worthynesse may knowe what my iudgement is in the cause of diuorse I pray you vouchsafe to reade it that if I haue erred in this part by humayne ouersyght I maye be aduertysed by your learnyng and fatherly admonition and that I may refourme the same I pray your fatherhood therefore and I doubt not but I shall soone obteyne that you woulde helpe the Churche in her conflict by the great and most notable gyftes of God vndoubtedlye bestowed vppon you I require the same of M. doctour Martir to whom after your sentence and prudent iudgement is knowen this messenger which I sende shal repayre The Lorde Jesus long preserue your worthynesse At London the. xvii of October 1550. Yours in hart and prayer all hole Iohn Hoper ¶ To the Reuerende and learned father Iohn Hoper Byshop his good Lorde Grace and peace through Iesus Christ our Lorde RYght Reuerende and in Jesus Chryst most dearely beloued I had purposed to aunswere before this tyme vnto the letters which of late I receyued from you but I was so let with wayghtie sundry businesse that I could not before nowe accomplyshe eyther myne owne wyll or your expectation in this behalfe wherfore I besech you according to your accustomable gentlenesse and wysedome to take in good part this my delay What ye haue written of the controuersie whiche is rysen betwene you and the right Reuerende Lord Bishop of London as touchyng the apparell of ministers I haue both read it as your request was and also consider it as attentiuely as I coulde for the shortnes of the tyme. I saye shortnes of tyme because I could not retayne with me your writing but only one nyght For the messenger who delyuered it vnto me set foorth the next day early in the mornyng toward Cambridge whyther ye wylled me to send it being once read by hym vnto maister Bucer Whiche thyng I dyd both diligently and without all delay In that litle tyme that I had to peruse your wrytyng I