as the other yet so often as that we remember ▪ that too rare and seldome celebrating it argueth a mind too too much forgetfull of the vnspeakable benefyte of our redemption and argueth also that we are farre behind the primitiue Church in zeale which did celebrate it euery Saboth I say beside the preaching of the worde and ministring of the sacramentes there is required of hym that he should admonish priuately and house by house those that are vnder his charge 20. Actes Io. Whitgifte Certaine it is that the charge of a Pastor is great and that he which doth the best must confesse and say that he is but an vnprofitable seruant and yet if he occupy hys talents be they mo or be they fewer and gaine with them more or lesse he hathe a mercifull master who will embrace him with mercie and will accept of his seruice And therefore though he be much inferioure to Salomon in wisedome to Ioseph in councell to Paule in learning and to Iosua in actiuitie yet may he be a faithfull seruant Matth. 25. and heare of his Lord and master Euge serue bone fidelis c. It is wel done good seruant and faithfull If you should thus streightly deale with the Pastors and leaue them no consolation you should not follow our sauioure Christ his mildenesse and mercie But let the bitternesse of your speaches go and let vs come to the weight of your reasons you say that there is required of the Pastors preaching of the word and ministring of the sacraments priuate admonition that y e preaching of the word ministring of the sacramēt of Baptisme ought to be continuall and priuate exhortations likewise therfore the Pastor may not be absent Touching y e preaching of y e word I haue spokē before something it must be according y e to cōscience discretion of the Pastor who hath to cōsider what is best for that cōgregation wherof he hath y e charge both for the often preaching for the maner of preaching also The sacraments maye be administred by other than by the pastor as they were in the Apostles tyme. 1. Cor. 1. Act. 10. Priuate exhortation must also be vsed as occasion serueth according to the discretion of the minister But I meruayle that you saye the ministryng of the sacrament of Baptisme ought to be continually c. Baptisin ministred but once in the yeare You knowe that in Victor his tyme it was celebrated but once in the yeare at Easter And in Tertullians tyme at Easter and Pentecoste and in many Parishes in Englande there is no such dayly néede of administring that Sacramente To conclude both the Sacramentes maye bée as well ministred by an other if occasion serue And therefore of all other reasons this is the slenderest Sainct Paules meaning in the. 20. of the Actes is not that he dayely went into their houses to exhort them but that he did so as occasion serued Chap. 1. the fifte Diuision T. C. Page 47. Sect. 3. Now tell me howe this can be done profitably without a diligent marking and looking into their manners How can either publike preachings or priuate admonitions haue their effect and working vnlesse the word of God be applyed according to the disposition or state of that people vnto which it is preached And vndoubtedly hereof it commeth that the word of God is no more effectuall in this realme than it is for bycause it is preached hand ouer head without knowledge and vnderstanding the estate of the people For so oftentimes the promises and glad tidings of the gospell of our Sauioure are preached vnto those that being before secure in their sinnes are after the hearing of the promises rocked into a dead sleepe thereof and they that are ouerthrowen with the conscience of their sinne and confounded in themselues are by the sharpnesse of the law and hearing of the iudgement of God broken into peeces driuen to desperation And so likewise the people are taught sometimes how to leade their liues in honest conuersation when all that doctrine falleth to the ground bycause they haue no knowledge of Christ nor of faith in him and to be short it is as much as if eyther the surgeon should apply his plaister or the Phisition his medicine when they neyther know of the wound or disease of their patients But this knowledge of their estate cannot be withoute a continuall abode amongst them therefore a continuall residence is necssary Io. Whtgifte The Apostles and other in their time did not long continue in one place to learne A man may profyte them by preaching whome he knoweth not ▪ the peoples manners and yet did they muche preuaile by preaching neither is it so hard a matter to know the peoples manners and conditions though a man be not perpetually resident among them The word of God his name be praysed therefore hath bin effectuall in England and numbers are by the same conuerted from superstition blindnesse and ignorance to the true knowledge of God But this is an old and vsuall obiection of the Anabaptists against the Church of Christ that in their Churches there is a manifest amendmēt The vsuall obiection of y e Anabaptists of life but in other Churches which seeme to professe the gospell there appeareth no such frute that the gospel is preached but no man the better This I say is the slaunderous speach of the Anabaptists against those Churches from the which they haue deuided themselues and it is very oft vsed by you You must thinke that there be Pastors and Preachers in England that vnderstand the state of the people and know what discretion to vse in their sermons and exhortatiōs as well as you can teach them But this is most true that as you thinke none learned but your selfe so do you also iudge all men to lacke both wit add discretion but your selfe And here in this place haue you taken vpon you this censure most confidently I will not say arrogantly In the end of this diuision you conclude thus the knowledge of the estate of the people cannot be knowne without a cōtinual abode with them therfore a continual residence is necessary You must proue the Antecedent for it is false The Apostle knew so farre as it was The Pasto may know the estate of the people without a con tinuall abode amongst them necessary for him to knowe the Romaines the Corinthians Galatians and other Churches to whome he wrote and yet was he not continually resident among them ▪ And so did the other Apostles and Preachers whiche were not resident in any one place and yet a preacher may do good in preaching among them whome he knoweth not for it is God that directeth him in his words and matter And for as muche as he cannot but knowe that euery congregation consisteth of diuers mindes and affections therefore excepte he be voyde of discretion he will so moderate and
no such weight then can you not excuse eyther your selfe or them In déed the Papists haue no iust matter of reioycing for they disagrée both in me also in far greater matters thā these be euen in y e chiefest points of their religion but this is no sufficient excuse for vs we may not disagrée in truth bicause they disagrée in error Neither ought the weak to be offended bicause such cōtentions haue bin vsual in the Church as I haue also shewed in myne Epistle dedicatorie to the Churche of England But yet wo be vnto those by whome suche offences come T. C. And it is to be remembred that these controuersies for the most part are not betwene many For sundry of those things which are cōprehended in the answer to the Admonition haue as I am persuaded few fauorers of those especially which are of any stayed or soūder iudgement in y e scriptures and haue sene or red of the gouernment and order of other Churches so that in deed the father of that answere excepted we haue this controuersie oftentimes rather with the Papistes than with those whiche professe the Gospell as we doe Io. Whitgifte Certainly I do not willingly defend any thing against the word of God or of mine own priuate persuasion but I haue either sufficient warrant of the worde of God or some godly lerned zelous authors iudgement for the same If I haue done otherwise I trust I shal heare of it in this booke but I am fully persuaded that all men of stayed and sound iudgement ioyne with me in these matters such especially as haue had the beste experience of the order and gouernment of other reformed Churches for proofe whereof I referre you to the wisest godlyest and best learned among the clergie in this lande T. C. And where as last of all it is sayde that this precedeth of enuie of singularitie and of popularitie although these be no sufficient reasons agaynst the truth of the cause whiche is neither enuious singular nor popular and although they be such as might be seuerally by greate likelyhodes probabilities refuted yet bicause the knowledge of these things pertaineth only to God which is the searcher of the heart raynes and for auoyding of to much tediousnesse we will reste in his iudgement tary for the day wherin the secretes of hearts shal be made manifest And yet all men doe see how vniustly we be accused of singularitie * Notable vntruths as wil fal out in triall which propound nothing that the Scriptures doe not teache the writers both olde and newe for the moste parte affirme the examples of the Primitiue Churches and of those which are at these dayes confirme Io. Whitgifte Whether if procéede of enuie or no lette the manner bothe of their and your writings declare Popularitie you can not auoyde séeing you séeke so greate an equalitie committe so many thyngs to the voyces of the people and in sundrye places so greately magnifye and extoll them than the whyche thrée what can bée more popular Singularitie and the properties therof It is Singularitie to deuyde youre selfe from that Churche whyche bothe professe the woorde of God truely and is not to bée touched in any poynte of doctrine necessarie to saluation It is true that a godly learned writer sayth Charitie Musc. in 〈◊〉 Mat. knittes together and reconcileth singularitie cutteth in peeces and diuideth it is the beginning and roote of all heresie to hate contemne the cōmunion of the church And a little after There be some contentious persons whom no church can please always hauing some thing to blame in other but nothing in themselues which is a manifest signe of singularitie But bicause the mindes and affections of men are certainly knowne only to God the determinate iudgement hereof I also referre vnto him As for this bolde assertion that you propeund nothing that the scriptures doe not teach c. howe true it is must hereafter by examination appeare The Epist. of T. C. Sect. 13. All these accusations as wel against the cause as the fauourers therof albeit they be many and diuers yet are they no other thā which haue bin long sithens in the Prophets apostles our sauior Christs now of late in our times obiected against the truth the professors therof And therefore as y e sunne of the truth then appered brake through al those clouds which rose against it to stop the light of it so no doubt this cause being of the same nature will haue the same effect And as all those sclanders could not bring the truth in disgrace with those y t loued it so the children of y e truth through these vntrue reports wil neither leaue the loue of this cause which they haue alredy cōceiued nor yet ceasse to enquire diligently to iudge indifferētly of those surmises which are put vp aagaynst it Io. Whitgifte These be but words of course which men of any sect though not truly wil apply vnto thēselues if they be otherwise delt with than they can wel beare The truth certainly can not be kept vnder by any meanes and yet sometime error ouershadoweth the truth euen as the cloudes do the Sunn My hope also is that men will not be caried away with slaunderous reportes ▪ for if they shoulde then musre you néedes preuayle but with sounde reasons and the truth of the cause The Epistle of T. C. Sect. 14. Moreouer seing that we haue once ouercōmed al these lets climed ouer them when they wer cast in our way to hinder vs from cōming frō the grosse darknesse of Poperie vnto y e glorious light of the Gospel there is no cause why now they shuld stay our course to further perfection cōsidering that neither the stile is higher now thā it was before being the very selfe same obiections in all this time we ought so to haue grown in knowledge of the truth that in stead of being then able to leape ouer a hedge we should now haue our feete so prepared by the Gospell that they shoulde be as the feete of a hynde able to surmount euen a wall if neede were Io. Whitgifte There is but one truth that is certain whē we haue obteined if we must therin remain constant without altering whosoeuer shal ouerleap or ouerrun this wall must of necessitie procure vnto himself great danger and therfore according to the olde prouerbe Looke before thou leape We must grow in faith knowledge always be growing going forward but it doth not therfore follow y t we must dayly inuent new opinions or broach new dectrines alter in iudgement we must grow in strength of faith we must increace in practise and loue of vertue we must studie to encrease our knowledge that we may be the more confirmed in the truthe that we haue learned out of the worde of God This is an euill collection we must grow in the knowledge of
muste learne that there bee not onely Pastors in the Churche but also Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Doctors Ephes. 4. 1. Cor. 12. who all are called ministers and haue their place in the Churche of Christe as it shall be proued if you denie it T. C. Pag. 45. Sect. 1. This passeth all the diuinitie that euer I redde that there are nowe Apostles and Euangelistes and Prophetes You shall assuredly doe maruels if you proue that as you saye you wil if any denie it I denye it proue you it Io. Whitgifte Apostles Then haue you not redde muche diuinitie for if it be true that the Apostle Saincte Paule in the fourth to the Ephesians dothe make a perfecte platforme of a Churche and a full rehersall of the offices therein conteyned as you say he dothe then can I not vnderstande howe you can make those offices rather temporall than the office of the Pastors and Doctors And forasmuche as you so greatly contemne authoritie and woulde haue all thinges proued by Scripture lette mée heare one worde of the same that dothe but insinuate these offices to be temporall The place it selfe séemeth to importe a continuance of these functions vntill the comming of Ephes. 4. Christe For he sayeth He therfore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and some Pastors and Teachers for the gatheryng together of the Sainctes for the woorke of the ministerie c. vntill wee all meete together in the vnitie of faithe and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfecte man and vnto the measure of the age and fulnesse of Christe c. I am perswaded that you can not shew any lyke place whiche dothe so playnely importe the abrogatyng of them as thys 1. Cor. 12. 14. dothe make for their continuaunce I haue besyde that place to the Ephesians the twelfth of the firste to the Corinth and the. 14. where he speaketh of Prophets as of perpetuall ministers in the Churche of Christe I knowe that there were certayne thynges in the Apostles whiche were proper vnto themselues as theyr callyng whyche was immediatly from God their commission to goe into the whole worlde the power of woorkyng miracles to bée witnesses of the Resurrection and of the Ascention c. but to preache the woorde of God in places where néede requireth though the same be not peculiarly committed to them or to gouerne Churches alreadie planted I sée no cause why it shoulde not be perpetuall Euangelists Lykewise the office of the Euangelist if it be taken for the writing of the gospell then it is ceased But if it be taken for preaching to the people playnely and simply as (a) Bull. in 4. ad Ephes. Bullinger thinketh or generally for preaching the gospell as (b) Musc. Tit. de ver minist in locis com Musculus supposeth in whiche sense also Paule sayde to Timothie 2. Timo. 4. doo the worke of an Euangelist Or for preaching more feruently and zealously than other as (c) Bucer in 4. Ephes. Bucer sayeth then I see no cause at all why it may not still remaine in the Church Moreouer Prophetes if they be taken for suche as haue the gifte of foreshewyng things to come then be they not in all tymes of the Churche but if they be Prophets 1. Cor. 14. suche as Saincte Paule speaketh of 1. Corin. 14. such I saye as haue an especiall gyfte in interpretyng the Scriptures whether it bée in expoundyng the mysteries thereof to the learned or in declaryng the true sense thereof to the people I vnderstande not why it is not as perpetuall as the Pastor or Doctor Thus you sée that I haue bothe Scripture and reason on my syde and to the ende you maye perceyue that I am not destitute of the consent also of learned Ambrose men in thys matter I will sette downe the opinions of one or two Ambrose vpon these wordes Ad Ephes. 4. Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem Apostolos c. sayeth thus The Apostles are Bishops Prophets be interpreters of the Scriptures althoughe in the beginning there were Prophetes as Agabus and the foure Virgins Prophetesses as it is in the Actes of the Apostles c. yet nowe interpreters bee called Prophets Euangelistes bee Bucerin 4. Ephe. Deacons as Philip for althoughe they bee no Priestes yet maye they preache the Gospell without a chaire as both Stephanus and Philippe before named Bucer vppon the Fol. 42. sect vlt. same place sayth that there bée Euangelistes nowe and you your selfe fol. 42. confesse that Hus Ierome of Prage Luther Zuinglius c. were Euangelistes Peter Martyr in his P. Martyr Commentaries vpon the. 12. to the Romaines sayth that the Apostle there describeth those functions and giftes whyche are at all tymes necessarie for the Churche And in that place the Apostle mentioneth Prophecying M. Caluine in his Institut Caluine cap. 8. doth confesse that God hath stirred vp Apostles or Euangelistes since that tyme of the Primitiue Churche and that hee hathe doone so lykewyse euen nowe in thys tyme. M. Bullinger vpon the place of the fourth to the Ephe. sayeth that the woordes Bullinger bee confounded and that an Apostle is also called a Prophete a Doctor an Euangeliste a minister and a Bishoppe and a Bishoppe an Euangeliste and a Prophete c. To bée shorte it is thus written in the Confession of the Churches in Heluetia Confess Heluetica The ministers of the newe Testament bee called by sundrie names for they are called Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Byshoppes c. And speakyng of Prophetes it sayeth The Prophetes in tyme paste foreseeyng thynges to come were called Seers who were expounders of the Scriptures also as some bee euen nowe a dayes Euangelistes were wryters of the historie of the Gospell and Preachers also of the gladde tydings of Christe his Gospell As Paule bidde Timothie doe the woorke of an Euangeliste c. So that to saye that there is in the Churche Apostles Prophetes and Euangelistes in suche sense as I haue declared is no straunge diuinitie to suche as bée diuines in déede But let vs heare your reasons Chap. 3. the. 2. Diuision T. C. Page 45. Sect. 1. 2. 3. 4. And that you maye haue some thyng to doe more than peraduenture you thoughte of when you wrote these woordes I will shewe my reasons why I thinke there oughte to be none nor can be none vnlesse they haue wonderfull and extraordinarie callings It must first be vnderstanded that the signification of this worde Apostle when it is properly taken extendeth it selfe not only to all the ministers of God beeing sente of God but to the Embassador of any Prince or noble man or that is sente of any publike authoritie and is vsed of the Scripture by the trope of Synecdoche for the twelue that our Sauior Christ appointed to go thoroughout all the worlde to preache the Gospell vnto the which number was added Saint Paule and
as the Archbyshop And it is in effect all one with thys argument The Church is fully builded and brought to perfection and complete vnit e without the Christian magistrate Therefore Christian magistrates are not to be reteyned which is the very argument of the Anabaptists against Christian magistrates You must therefore vndersta d that the Churche must as well be preserued and kept in perfection peace and vnitie as builded and brought therevnto and that such offices and functious are lawfull as tend to that end and be therefore by lawfull authoritie appointed howsoeuer some weyward persons thinke the contrary Chap. 1. the. 16. Diuision T. C. Pag. 63. Sect. 6. And that without these ministeries the Church may be complete it appeareth by that which is in the fourth to the Ephesians where it is said that Christ gaue some Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors to the restoring of the saincts vnto the worke of the ministerie vntill we all come to the vnitie of faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God and vnto a perfect man Io. Whitgifte In that place to the Ephesians there is no mention made of Deacons and widowes The place in the. 4. Ephe. discussed nor of your elders and therefore it maketh as much against them as it dothe against Archbyshops Moreouer it hath Apostles Euangelists and Prophets all which you seclude from the state of this Church Thirdly it conteyneth those ministeries only which are occupied in the word and administration of the sacramentes not those whiche perteyne to order and discipline as you afterwarde your selfe confesse and therefore I vnderstand not how that place can help you any thing at all Chap. 1. the. 17. Diuision T. C. Pag. 63. Sect. vlt. The learned writers haue thus reasoned against the Pope that forasmuch as Apostles Prophets c. are sufficient for the building of the Church therefore there ought to be no Pope The argument and necessitie of the conclusion is as strong againste the Archbyshop and all one For by the same reason that the Pope is cast away as a superfluous thing for that these offices are able to make perfect the Churche is the Archbyshop likewise throwen out of the Churche as a knobbe or some lumpe of flesh which being no member of the body doth both burden it and disfigure it And as they say that God gaue no Pope to his Churche therefore the Pope can do no good so we may well say God gaue no Archbyshop to his Churche therefore the Archbyshop can do no good Io. Whitgifte If there were no stronger places than this against the Pope of Rome his vsurped authoritie it might stand still for any thing that I know bycause this place speaketh only of the offices occupied in preaching the worde and administrating the sacraments as I haue said not of any office of gouernment Neyther is it a perfect patterne bycause it hath omitted those offices before mentioned I haue tolde you before that a negatiue argument from the scripture except it be in matters of saluation is but weake Likewise that an Archbyshop is no new ministery but may well be conteyned in the number of those of whome the Apostle there speaketh For the name of a Pastor doth comprehende both Archbishops and Byshops The name dothe but signify an office of gouernment conuenient for the state of the Church in the external pollicy of it And if it did preuaile againste the Pope yet dothe it not so againste the The great difference betwixt the Pope and the Archbyshop Archbyshop For the Pope dothe chalenge hys authoritie by succession from Peter so dothe not the Archbyshop The Pope saythe that he is the head of the vniuersall Churche of Christe so dothe not the Archbyshop The Pope saith that to be subiect to him is necessary to saluation the Archbyshop thinketh no suche matter The Pope chalengeth power to remitte and retayne sinnes to dispense with the word of God to make newe articles of faythe c. so dothe not the Archbyshop To be shorte the Pope claymeth authoritie ouer kings and princes and saithe that they haue authoritie from him but the Archbyshops if you speake of ours acknowledge themselues to be subiects to their Prince and to haue that authoritie and iurisdiction from hir which they practise ouer and aboue that that other byshops do and therefore ▪ on must needes be reproued here either of great lacke of discretion or else of gresse ignorance or purposed malice You mighte saye that God gaue no magistrate in that place to his Church Ergo the magistrate can do no good Surely I thinke that if you should well consider how néere your arguments approch to the Anabaptists you would eyther more circumspectly vse them or else quite cast them away Chap. 1. the. 18. Diuision T. C. Pag. 64. Sect. 1. Neyther did God giue any Archdeacon to his Church therefore he cannot profyte y e Church But it will be said that this argument followeth not bycause no mention is made here of the deacon or of the elder which notwithstanding are both necessary in the Churche and therefore that there are functions profitable in the Church wherof no mention is made here But how (*) It is easily knowne and as easily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of you as appeareth af wards easily do all men know that the Apostle speaketh of those functions here only whiche are conuersant in the worde and haue to do with the preaching thereof and therefore made hereno mention of the Deacon or elder It is said agayne that in the epistle to the Corinthians S. Paule speaketh only 1. Cor. 12. of Apostles Prophets and Doctors leauing out Euangelists and Pastors and yet Euangelists and Pastors necessary and so although Archbyshops are not spoken o in the place to the Ephesians yet they may not be therefore shut out as vnnecessary But they that saye so shoulde haue considered that the diuersitie of the matter which the Apostle handleth in these two places bred a diuerse kind of speach For in the epistle to the Corinthians going about to condemne the ambition of men whiche will thrust themselues into other mens callings and take vpon them to do all themselues and to be as it were eye and eare and hand and all S. Paule proueth that the Church is a body wherein there are many members and the same diuerse one from another and that it is not one member only And to proue that it was sufficient to say that he placed some Apostles some Prophets some Doctors without rehearsing al y e kinds of functions But in the Epistle to the Ephesians meaning to shew the liberalitie of our sauioure Christ in giuing those which shuld be able by doctrine and teaching to make perfect and absolute his Church it was necessary that he should recken vp all those functions whereby that worke is done Io. Whitgifte You haue in this place your selfe answered your former reasons touching the T. C. hath answered
and naught so do you as naughtily 〈◊〉 it Is there no way for the prodigall man to come to liberalitie but by 〈◊〉 no way for the glutton to come to temperance but by pyning himselfe no way for t e 〈◊〉 person to come to the true feare and loue of God but by des eration 〈◊〉 way to come rom poperie to the Gospell but by confusion and 〈◊〉 of all good ord r and gouernment Is this diuinitie In déede uch 〈◊〉 it is that Aristotle a prophane Philosopher doth teach in his Ethikes but not that Chris and his 〈◊〉 do teach in the Gospell The ordinarie meanes whereby a Christian man must come from vice to vert e The ordinarie meanes to draw men from 〈◊〉 from an e treme to a meane is the diligent reading and hearing o the word of God ioyned with earnest and heartie prayers The best way therefore to bring a dronken man to sobrietie is not to perswade him to a superstitious kind of abstinence or fasting but to lay before him out of the word of God the horriblenes of that sinne and the punishment due vnto the same The similitude of a croked sticke is a t to set foorth so croked a precept but not so apt to make manifest the way vnto vertue But I may not blame you for vsing and allowing those prophane rules whiche you so aptly follow and so commonly practise in all your doings Chap. 1. the. 6. Diuision T. C. Pag. 103. Sect. 1. 2. This wisedome of not conforming it selfe vnto the ceremonies of the Idolaters in things indifferent hath the Church followed in times passed Tertullian sayth O sayth he better is the religion of the heathen for they vse no solemnitie of the Christians ▪ neyther the Lords day neyther the Pentecost and if they knew them they woulde Lib. de Ido latria haue nothing to do with them for they would be afrayd least they shoulde seeme Christians but we are not afraid to be called heathen Io. Whitgifte Tertullian in that place speaketh against such Christians as celebrated the feasts of the Gentiles togither with them remayning in their wicked abuse as it appeareth in the words that go before which are as followeth Nobis quibus sabbata extranea Lib. de Idolatria sunt neomenia feriae aliquādo a Deo dilectae Saturnalia lanuariae Brumae Matro ales frequentantur munera commeant strenae consonant lusus conuiuia constrepunt O melior fides nationum in suam sectam c. The feasts of Saturne of Ianus of Bacchus and of Iuno are frequented of vs vnto whome the sabbats new mones and holydays sometimes beloued of God are straunge gifts and presents are very ri e sportes and banquets keepe a sturre O better is the faith of the Gentiles in their sect c. Wherefore this saying of Tertullian may aptly be alledged against those that frequent the popish solemnities togither with them come to their Churches communicate with them in worshipping their idols and yet professe the knowledge of the Gospell but it can by no meanes be drawen vnto such as withdrawing themselues from suche kind of communicating with them do in their seuerall Churches vse those good things well which the Papists haue abused as the scripture the sacraments prayers and suche like Wherefore you do not well to alledge Tertullians words omitting the circumstances which declare his meaning A man being pr sent at Idolatrous seruice must néedes giue great suspition that he is an Idolater and therfore no man ought to be present at it which in heart condemneth it But as there is no honest and godly man which can call our seruice Idolatrous or Papisticall so is ther none that can suspect vs to be Idolaters or Papists The whole world knowing that both our practise and profession is to the contrary Chap. 1. the. 7. Diuision T. C. Pag. 103. Sect. 3. Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 17. Constantine the Emperoure speaking of the keeping of the feast of Easter saythe that it is an vnworthy thing to haue any thing common with that most spitefull companie of the Iewes And a little a ter he saith that it is most absurd and against reason that the Iewes shou de vaunt and glory that the Christians could not keepe those things without their doc rine And in another Socrat. li. cap. 9. place it is sayd after this sort It is conuement so to order the matter that we haue nothing common with that nation Io. Whitgifte Constantine speaketh of the feast of Easter which he would not haue obserued according to the manner of the Iewes and yet you know that the Churches in Asia following the examples of Philip and Iohn the Apostles and of Polycarpus and many other godly men did celebrate that feast togyther with the Iewes as it is to be seene in the fifth booke o Eusebius eccle history Wherfore the matter was not of so great Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 23. 24. 25. 26. importance before it was for quietnesse sake determined by the Churche neyther doth Constantine in eyther of the places meane that we should haue nothing common with the Iewes but only that we should haue no suche thinges common with them as are repugnant to Christian libertie or to the truth of the Gospell or such as may cō rme them in their obstinacie and error For if his meaning had bin generally and simply then mighte he haue vtterly abrogated the feast of Easter being no commaundement sor it in the new testament As therefore Cōstantine thought that the Churche had not the feast of Easter common with the Iewes not bycause the thing it selfe was abrogated but the ay altered Euen so the Churche of Englande cannot be said to haue any thing common with the P pisticall Church though it reteine something vsed in the same bycause the manner is changed and certayne circumstances altered or whereas before it was in a straunge tongue nowe it is in a tongue knowne and whereas it was before abused and mixt with superstition now it is rightly vsed and purged from all corruption And therefore although the thing remaine yet bycause the circumstances be altered it is not the same no more than our Sabbat is the Iewes Sabbat and our Easter the Iewes Easter Chap. 1. the. 8. Diuision T. C. Pag. 103. Sect. 4. 5. 6. The Councels although they did not obserue themselues always in making of decrees thys rule yet haue kept this consideration continually in making their lawes that they woulde haue the Christians differ from others in their ceremonies The Co ncell of Laodicea which was afterward confirmed by the sixt generall Councell decreed Tom. 1. con Lao. can 38 that the Christians should not take vnleauened bread of the Iewes or communicate with their 〈◊〉 Also it was decreed in another Councell that they shoulde not decke their houses with bay 2. To. Braccar can 7 leaues and greene boughes because the Paganes did vse so
of S. Paul to the Corinthians and not bicause I would haue the Churche to suffer any suche notorious offendours to receyue the Communion Chap. 2. the. 2. Diuision T. C. Pag. 132. Sect. vlt. And therefore Papists beeing suche as whiche are notoriously knowne to holde hereticall opinions ought not to be admitted muche lesse compelled to the supper For seeing that our sauiour Christ did institute his supper amongst his Disciples and those onely which were as S. Paule speaketh within it is euident that the Papists beeing without and foreners and straungers from the Church of God ought no to be receyued if they would offer themselues and that minister that shall giue the supper of the Lorde to him which is knowne to be a Papist and whiche hath neuer made any cleare renouncing of poperie with whiche he hath beene defiled dothe prophane the table of the Lorde and dothe giue the meate that is prepared for the children to dogges and he bringeth into the pasture whiche is prouided for the sheepe swyne and vncleane beastes contrarie to the fayth and trust that ought to be in a stewarde of the Lordes house as he is For albeit that I doubt not but many of those whiche are nowe papistes perteyne to the election of God whiche God also in hys good time wyll call to the knowledge of his truthe yet notwithstanding they ought to be vnto the minister and vnto the Churche touching the ministring of the sacraments as straungers and as vncleane beastes And as for the Papistes howsoeuer they receyue it whether as their popishe breaden God as some doe or as common and ordinary bread as other some doe or as a thing they knowe not what as some other they doe nothing else but eate drink their own condemnation the weight wherof they shall one day assuredly feele vnlesse they do repent them of suche horrible prophaning of the Lordes most holy mysteries Io. Whitgifte When our sauiour Christ dyd institute his supper Iudas was present and partaker thereof with the rest as it is euident in the Euangelistes and yet was not Iudas of the Churche but without the Churche and a reprobate You alleage S. Paule but there is neyther Epistle nor chapter nor any other place quoted which argues a guyltie conscience and willing to vse vntrue allegations or at the least vnapte I doe not allowe that Papists béeing notoriously knowne and continuing in their poperie should be admitted to receyue the Communion neyther are they admitted therevnto in this Churche And béeing suche as you speake of I thinke they woulde not come although they were compelled Chap. 2. the. 3. Diuision T. C. Page 133. Lin. 16. And if this be to gratisie the Papists to shewe that they ought not to be compelled to receyue the supper of the Lorde as long as they continue in their Popery I am well contente to shewe them thys pleasure so that bothe they and you forget not what I haue before sayde (*) You sayd before that if they be not meete to receyue the cō munion neyther are they meete to heare the worde Pag 118. Sect. 1. that the Magistrate ought to compell them to heare the worde of God and if they profite not nor wyth suffycient teaching correct not them selues that then they shoulde be punyshed And if you doe aske why they should be more cōpelled vnto y e sermons than vnto the supper of the Lord or why they are not as wel to be admitted vnto the one as vnto the other you see y e like done in the sacrament of baptisme whiche may not be ministred vnto all to whome the worde may be preached The reason also is at hande for the preaching of the worde of God to the Papistes is an offer of the grace of God whiche maye be made to those whiche are straungers from God but the ministring of the holy sacraments vnto them is a declaration and seale of Gods fauour and reconciliation with them and a playne preaching partly that they be washed already from theyr sinnes partly that they are of the housholde of God and suche as the Lorde wyll feede to eternall lyfe whiche is not lawfull to be done to those whiche are not of the housholde of fayth And therefore I conclude that the compelling of Papistes vnto the Communion and the dismissing and letting of them goe when as they be to be punished for their stubbornesse in Poperie wyth this condition if they wyll receyue the Communion is very vnlawfull when as althoughe they would receyue it yet they ought to be kepte backe vntyll suche tyme as by their religious and gospellike behauiour they haue purged them selues of that suspition of Poperie whiche their former life and conuersation hath caused to be conceyued Io. Whitgifte This is directly contrarie to that which you before affirmed page 118. For there Pag. 118. sect 1 you saye that those whiche are not meete to receyue the holy sacrament of the Supper are not meete to heare the worde of God if they be meete for the one they be meete for the other and that with what lawfulnesse they may offer them selues to the prayers and to the hearing of the worde of God they may also offer them selues to the Lordes supper and to whome so euer of them the Lorde will cōmunicate him selfe by preaching the worde vnto the same he will not refuse to cōmunicate him selfe by receyuing of the Sacraments These be your wordes there and nowe you sing another song going about to proue that the Magistrate may and oughte to compell those to the hearing of the worde who are not meete to be receyued to the Lordes supper Surely this is great inconstancie but I agree with you in this place and I Men persisting in wickeanesse and errours are not to be compelled haue before declared the vntruthe of your assertion in the other place This onely I muste let you vnderstande that when I speake of compelling eyther Papistes or other to the communion I doe not meane that they persisting in their wyckednesse and errours should be constrayned to come to the Lordes supper but that all ordinarie meanes of perswasion béeing vsed if they styll continue in their stubbornesse and refuse to communicate with vs suche discipline shoulde be vsed towardes them as is conuenient for their wilfulnesse and contempt of the truthe Your selfe before pag. 117. sayde that suche as wythdrawe them selues from the Communion The Replye agreeth not with the monition shoulde bothe by ecclesiasticall discipline and ciuil punishment be brought to communicate wyth their brethren the same doe I affirme also But the Authors of the Admonition saye that this is to dryue men in their synnes to the Lordes supper and therefore page 1 9 they woulde neyther haue Papistes nor other constrayned to communicate in the mysteries of The 〈◊〉 would haue no e cōpe led to communicate saluation meaning as I thinke that they would haue no correction nor discipline for
salued their vnapt and vnfitte alleadging of M. Caluine who is farre from prouing their purpose in those places which they haue noted In deede the true spirituall gouernment of the church is the ruling of Christ by his spirite in the heartes of the elect neither do I denie but that admonition exhortation and excommunication The whole externall gouernment of the churche is not spirituall perteine also to the spirituall gouernment of the church bicause they perteyne to the inward man and vse no corporall force or punishment but I d nye the whole gouernment of the church to consiste herein for I haue proued before and it cannot bee denied but that God hath chiefly and principally committed the gouernmente of his churche to the Christian magistrate by the sworde also and by conuenient lawes and orders to gouerne the same with an externall kinde of gouernment and therfore that which I denye neither you nor they haue as yet proued or can proue that is that the gouernment of the church is only spiritual But styll the Reader may note howe you labour cleane to shut out the ciuill magistrate from the gouernment of the church The ciuil magistrate excluded from gouernment of y e church For if the gouernment of it be only spirituall which you laboure to pro e then what hath the ciuill magistrate to do therewith Admonishe and exhort he may not excōmunicate he cannot and therefore hath he by your doctrine no more to doe in the gouernment of the church which consisteth in these and such like spirituall actions than the poorest subiecte in this lande For when you saye that the Admonition is farre from shutting out either ciuill gouernment or externall gouernment in the churche you speake Subtil sp ch of y e Replier Gouernour in the church not of the church subtilly in saying in the church not of the church for you confesse that the ciuil magistrate is a gouernour in the church but not of the church that is he gouerneth the common wealth which is conteyned in the church but he doth not gouerne the church O howe simply and playnely you deale Ansvvere to the Additions c. Fol. 8. In the margent ouer against the. 21. reason there is this note It conteyneth manifest blasphemie as may appeare Ephes. 1. 17. meanyng this saying of the Bishop to those that are admitted mynisters Receyue the holy Ghost The place in that chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians proueth no such thing these be the wordes I cease not to giue thankes for you making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christe the father of glory might giue vnto you the spirite of vvisedome and reuelation thorough the knovvledge of him What sequele is there in this argument S. Paule prayed that God would giue to the Ephesians the spirite of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him Ergo this saying of the Bishop Receyue the holy Ghost to those that are admitted into the mynisterie conteyneth manifest blasphemie Such is your vsuall manner of reasoning T. C. Pag. 175. Sect. 1. Upon the. 8. leafe M. Doctor sayth he seeth nothing how the place of the Ephes. maketh any thing agaynst this manner of speach of the Bishop Receyue the holy Ghost and yet it maketh thus much that for as much as the Apostles did vse to pray that the grace of God might be giuen vnto men the Bishops should not vse this manner of speache whiche conteyneth the forme of a commaundement Io. Whitgifte This is farre from prouing the woordes to conteyne a manifest blasphemie Of Tract 4. Cap. 2. the. 4. Diuis the manner of speaking these wordes vpon what consideration the Bishops vse the same forme and that they may do it I haue shewed before Ansvvere to the Additions c. Fol. 9. All this is added Neyther is the cōtrouersie betwixt them and vs as they would beare the world in hand as for a cap a tippet or a surplesse but for greater matters concerning a true ministerie and regiment of the Church according to the worde VVhich things once established the other melt away of themselues and yet consider I pray you whether their owne argument doth not choake themselues for euen the very name of trifles doth playnly declare that they ought not to be maynteyned in Christes churche and what shall our Bishops winne by it forsoth that they be maynteyners of trifles and trifling Bishops consuming the greatest part of their time in those trifles whereas they should be better occupied VVe striue for true religiō and gouernment of the Church and shew you the right way to throw out Antichrist both head and tayle and that we will not so much as communicate with the tayle of the beast But they after they haue thrust out Antichriste by the head go aboute to pull him in agayne by the tayle cunningly colouring it least any man should espie his foote steps as Cacus did when he stole the oxen What other men haue done I know not but for my parte I alwayes suspected partly knewe that some of you had greater matters Great matters pretēded not yet vttered in hand and of more importance than cap tippet and surplisse which surely was one of the firste causes that moued me to be more earnest against you than I was accustomed for I did vnderstād that you were hatching opinions tending not only to Anabaptisme but to the ouerthrow of the Gospell disturbing the quiet state of this church and yet who knoweth not that you haue made the cappe and surplisse your pretence hetherto vntill nowe of late when you see almost all men condemne your folly You say we choake our selues with our owne argumēt for euen the very name of trifles doth playnely declare that they ought not to be maynteyned in Christes churche Surely of themselues they be but trifles as all other externall Ceremonies and indifferent thinges be it is the circumstances that maketh them no tryfles but matters of weight For thinges indifferent beyng commaunded thus or so to be vsed by the Magistrate not as necessarie to saluation and iussification but as conuenient and necessarie for order̄ and decencie be not now trifles And whosoeuer without a lawfull vrgent cause or in a case of necessitie dothe breake the lawe made of them sheweth himself a disordered person disobedient a contemner of lawfull authoritie and a wounder of his weake brothers conscience And if any man shall say that this is to bring vs agayne in bondage of the lawe and to depriue vs of our libertie I answere no for it is not a matter of iustification but of order and to be vnder a lawe is no taking away of Christian libertie Christian libertie what it is For the Christian libertie is not a licence to do what thou list but to serue God in newnesse of minde that for loue not for seruile feare Of themselues therefore they be but trifles but