that crue nor yet of rouing preachers which preach quarter sermons nor of stipendarie curates that vnbrideled vntituled cleargye I shoulde say but that the liuings of the former might be â—estowed vpon the maintenance of the righte ministerie and the latter to be no longer an vnprofitable burden to the churche And further such prouision being made there shal be no nede of such dignities as they call them nor of qualifications for many beneficeÌ„s as pluralities trialities totquors and I wot not what conferring of benefices or prebends vpon bishops to amende their liuings forsothe All thys good commeth of the erecting of a right ministerye besides the faithfull discharging of so greate a charge as the feedyng of Chrystes flocke is And also thys I say it is so farre of that anye can take vyon him the charge whych our Lord Bishops do as they say one of them to be parson pastor they seme to meane of a whole diocesse moste diocesses containing diuers shires yea and some one of a prouince containing many diocesses that in deâ—de it is in manner too much for one to take charge of one only parish and to say truth if euery parysh were able as it wold be prouided for by restoring impropriations by augmenting of the liuings by ioyning moe paryshes in one if euerye paryshe I say were by some suche meanes made able it were meete euery paryshe had two pastors at least bothe for the common charge that lyeth vpon the shoulders of the pastors and for sondry vses that theyr congregations haue to employ them vpon or cheefely bicause in the sycknesse of the one the other myght supplye And the pastor or pastors being ryghtly called maye not be put away but for such causes and in such sort as was sayd before nor he or they maye not leaue their charge for he or they haue a necessyty * of tarying on theyr charge laide vpon them with their charge except by the good order oâ— the churches it be thought expedieÌ„t or when the shepe are wolues so they dryueÌ„ to flie froÌ„ them so y our resignatioÌ„s wil not staÌ„d with y word of god mâ—ch lesse wil our non resideÌ„ts abide y triall both seruing the couerousnesse of gredy bellied wolues the one to fleece wythout care of feedyng excepte it be themselues eyther in some chaplams roume or in some other stye to spare theyr labor where they should entende The other serueth hym that euer gapeth for a greater pray or to make mony when other shyftes sayle And further I wyll not excuse all those that eyther resygne or suffer them selues to be depryued to auoyde further trouble wythout consyderation of theyr flocke if the same conspire not generally against them seeing they oughte to giue theyr lyues for their flocke But thys is not thought to be so needefull nor in deede were so nedefull if to reade the scryptures the homilyes and the course of oure booke of common prayers were mough for then a boy of ten yeares olde may do the ministers office for the substance of their offyce is not in the yeares but in the reading And in deede boyes and sencelesse asses are oure common minysters for the moste parte for but common reason may serue thys turne and doe thys feat well mough It is in deede lesâ—â— busye then popyshe priestes seruyce bycause the kalender and the rubrikes of the booke are fewer and playner then his portuise and pie were so that lesse clarkes then popyshe priestes whych had but some blinde Latin in their bâ—lly may serue for our store therfore in deede the blindest bussarde of them if hee wyll keepe hys conscience to hymselfe nay he is not so narowly loked vnto if he wyll subscribe to our Articles of Christian religyon before hys ordinarye and blindely reade them at hys benefyces he shall not onely be seruing priest I vse their owne termes but he may haue one Benefyce or moe and nothyng shall nor may be sayde against hym and so he prouiâ—â— hys quarter sermons or pay his Ordinarie for that default and suche lyke he is as good a Pastor as the â—â—st And yet I thynke verely the laste Parliament saue thys meant very well in this respecte by a statute prouided in this case so that many a leud Priest of them if the Ordinarie had bene good not being corrupted by bribes or by their bribed offycers and seruaunts would haue bene remoued and the benefyces readye for better pastors but I can heare of none of few so badde but he is where he was and my Lorde Byshoppe hys great frende commonly for it seemeth by some of them that they sinâ—ll my Lords the Byshoppes meanyng is to make their hande nowe and to money themselues nowe and prouide for their wyfe and children somewhat honestly I will not say pompously for fear of after claps against a rainye day whatsoeuer tyme or change come and thys humoure these Priestes and all other Time seruers fâ—eâ—â— full handsomely and it serueth their purposes in deede fullye No no thys is not that mynisterie whych we haue neâ—â—e of and whych God erected in hys churche reading an Homilie is Popishe and sâ—nd whether they â—â—â—edes homilies or anye other auncient wryters homilies whych in tymes past vpon the lyke erroure were 〈…〉 sed so supplie the lyke lacke of preaching aâ— thoughe afterward they red them or sung them in an vn 〈…〉 tongue or they â—â— our bishoppes homilies in oure owne tongue for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing not by homilies but by the * worde of God in deede readyng of the word is as good and better preaching then readyng of homilies but the ministerie of faythe is the preaching of the same oute of the woorde of God by them that are sent of god How caÌ„ they preach except they be * sent as it is wrytten howe beautifull are the feete of them whych bryng good tidings of peace they must be sent of God endued wyth the gyftes of God furnyshed wyth hys graces vnto that ministerie that they may be able to bring the good tidings of peace and good thyngs to their congregations that their feete may be beautifull to them that they may knowe that they are iewels of God bestowed vpon hys churche that euerye churche may be assured they haue a treasure of their minister or ministers Thys is the ryghte way to bryng y ministerie into credyte and estimation their giftes giuen them of God theyr paynfulnesse and honest lyfe amongst their congregations not to make some of them Lordes Graces Earles Prelate and Register of the Garter Barons Suffraganes some of them ryche Deanes Archdeacons masters of Colledges Chauncellors Preâ—â—ndes rych persons and vicares and thoughe some of them be poore inoughe to gette them credite by their rochets hoodes cappes clokes tippets and gownes or suche lyke implements vsed by the * Phariseis whyche claimed hyghe roumes and made large borders
the seas as Geneua Fraunce c. And the only cause why our church differeth from the churches reformed of the straūgers or amongs our selues or they amongs themselues is because one church suffereth not it selfe so to be directed by the course of the scriptures as an other doth except it be in those things of order wherin one parishe may many times differ from an other wythout offence folowing the generall rules of the scripture for order as in appoynting tyme and place for prayers and so forth So that we are so farre off from singularitie wherwyth we are commonly charged that we desire to drawe by one line with the primitiue churche and the churches best reformed at thys day for we say there is but one * line throughout all coūtreis and at all times as the scripture speaketh there is one * body one spirite one hope one Lorde one fayth one baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through al and in vs all The persons and causes that are to deale and to be dealt with in the church are certayne and expressed in the scriptures The lyfe of the worde is the ministerie of the same howe shall they heare wythout a * preacher sayth the Apostle The former tretises therfore haue rightly spoken against the bastard idol and vnpreaching ministerie of thys church And therefore thys I say that first you must prouide a suffycient mayntenance for the ministerie that in euery parishe they may haue a preaching pastor one or moe that may only entend that charge Is not the scripture plaine Thou shalt not * mousel the mouth of the Oxe ▪ that treadeth out the corne for our sakes no doubt thys is wrytten that he that careth should care in hope that they whych sowe you spirituall things myght reape of you temporall things whych is no bad exchaunge for you Nowe to your handes oure auncestors haue raised a maintenance which is not so embeseled away nor the propertie so altered but that though mennes deuotion be colde to the ministers the state may easely by law restore the same prouision againe without losse in manner to any partie If none other way may be founde then haue the bishops and cathedrall churches temporalties inough to redeme those liuings that be impropriated or otherwyse out and to better those liuings whych are too small and as I thynke to be employed to other good vses of the church also But we will not stande wyth you so muche in the manner of the raisyng of theyr prouision for raise it as it shall please God to put you in minde so y you prouide sufficiently for your ministers that they maye be of abilitie to maintaine their charge and to bestowe vpon fitte furniture of bokes and honest hospitalitie But in the meane while vntill a sufficient prouision be made it is no better then sacrileage and spoyling of God to kepe backe any way the prouision which hath bene made in that respecte and the cursse of God threatned by Malachie to those that spoiled y * Leuites then of their prouision belongeth and wil light vpon our spoilers nowe vpon them in whose hands it is to redresse it if they doe it not Also there must be orders taken and looked vnto for the bestowing of the liuings prouided in the vniuersities now dennes of many theeuish non-residentes not to the greedy vse of many cormorant masters of colledges and at theyr wicked pleasure as they are but to the brynging vp for the moste parte of such as wil be content to be employed vpon the charge of the ministerie whē as the church shall haue nede of them and to take from them that haue moe liuings all saue one and that to except they will be resident and be able and willyng to discharge it hauing besides the allowāce which afterwards shal be spoken of by God hys grace And thys prouisiō must so sufficiently be established that it may be paide wythoute adoe and not to be sought for or worme by suspensions or * excommunication which are applied by y scriptures to a farre more proper and spirituall vse not at all to thys And also there are many charges going out of benefices wherof they shoulde be vnburdened Next you must repeale your statute or statutes whereby you haue authorised that ministerie that now is making your estate partly to consist of Lordes spiritual as you cal them and making one minister hygher then another appoynting also an order to ordayne ministers which order is cleane differing from the * scriptures wherefore you muste haue the order for these things drawne oute of the scriptures which order is this When any parishe is destitute of a pastor or of a teacher the same parish may haue recourse to the next conferēce and to them make it knowne that they maye procure cheefely from the one of the vniuersities or if otherwise a man learned of good report whome after triall of hys gyftes had in theyr conference they may present vnto the paryshe which before had bene wyth them aboute that matter but yet so that the same parishe haue him a certaine time amōgst them that they may be acquainted wyth his gifts and behauioure and geue their consentes for his stay amongste them if they can alleage no iust cause to the cōtrary for he may not be sent away again which is so sent to a parishe except a iust cause of misliking the cause alleaged being iustly proued against hym either amongst themselues in theyr owne consistorie so that he will appeale no further for hys triall or els in the next conference or counsell prouinciall or nationall vnto which from one to another he may appeale if he fynde hymselfe cleare and if he geue ouer they maye proceede as afore for another And when suche an one is founde to whome the parishe muste geue consent bicause there is no iust cause to be alleaged agaynste him the nexte conference by whose meanes he was procured shall be certified of the parishes liking wherupon they shall amongst themselues agree vpon one of the ministers which shall be sent by them to the same parishe and after a sermon made according to the occasion and earnest prayer to God wyth fasting according to the example of the scriptures made by that congregation to God the it would please him to direct them in theyr choise and to blesse that man whome they choose he shall require to know their consent which being graūted he the elders shall lay their hāds on him to signifie to him that he is lawfully called to that parishe to be pastor there or teacher Now for as much as I haue made mētion of a pastor and a teacher of a consistory in each parish of a cōference and of a counsell prouincial and national I wil as brefely as I can declare what eache of these meaneth and what the vse of them is
the worde of God whereof already you haue heard a parte and shâ—ll heare breefely the rest by God his grace or else they to bryng your reformation to the trial of the word of God and to ouerthrowe by the same all that we say and al that the other of the â—â—st reformed churches doe vse Well they may conferre and yeelde for neuer shall they ouerthrow the truthe which we vtter and which the reformed churches doe practise nor shall they be able to maintaine their owne doings but by crueltie wl at successe that hath euer had iudge by y scriptures and by the papistes experience For this order of chusing of ministers for their conferences and equalitie therefore you shall proue none to be so good as thys which I haue mentioned nor disproue but that thys oughte to be in a reformed churche Shall I examine their other orders y were infinite but yet for the booke of common prayer which of all other muste not be touched because they haue gotten the state so to beare it out Euen for the very states sake for the princes sake for the churches sake and for conscience sake he hath but a badde conscience that in thys time will holde hys peace and not speake it for feare of trouble knowing y there are suche intollerable abuses in it as it is plaine there are First I say that if it were praying that there were neuer an ill woorde nor sentence in all the prayers yet to appoynt it to be vsed or so to vse it as Papistes did their mattens and euensong for a set seruice to God though the woordes be good the vse is naught The wordes of the fyrst chapter after S. Iohn be good but to be putte in a tablet of golde for a soueraigne thyng to be worne that vse is superstitious and naughte and so is the vse of thys seruice for the order must be kept and that being done they haue serued god And if they alledge that that vse was not meant and that it is an abuse I say and caÌ„ proue it that if it be an abuse it is so setled it wil not be reforâ—ed till there be a reformatioÌ„ of praier Agayne wherelearned they to multiplye vp many prayers of one effect so many times Glorye be to the Father so manye times the Lorde be wyth you so many times let vs pray WheÌ„ce learned they all those needelesse repetitions is it not the popishe Gloria patri their Dominus vobiscum their Oremus Lorde haue mercye vpon vs Christe haue mercy vpon vs is it not kyrie eleeson Christe eleeson their many Pater nosters why vse they them But as though they were at their beades The words be good so were they when they were in Latine but the vse is naught forbidden by oure sauioure you when you pray vse not vaine repetitions as the heathen doe saythe he And then the Collect for the day to be vsed at ende of matâ—ens what shall I call it and afore the epistle and gospel as they call it The boke is suche a peece of worke as it is straunge we will vse it besydes I cannot accompt it praying as they vse it commonly but only reading or saying of prayers eueÌ„ as a childe that learneth to reade if hys lesson be a prayer he readeth a prayer he dothe not pray euen so is it commonly a saying and reading prayers and not praying the childe putteth of hys cap as wel as the minister For thoughe they haue manye guises nowe to knele and nowe to stande these bâ— of course and not of any pricke of conscience â—â— pureing of the heart most commonly One he kneeleth on hys knees and thys way he loketh and that way he loketh another he kneeleth him selfe a sleepe another kneeleth wyth suche deuotion that he is so farre in talk that he forgetteth to arise till hys knee ake or hys talke endeth or seruice is done And why is all thys but y there is no suche praying as should touche the hearte And therfore another hath so little feeling of the common prayer that he bryngeth a booke of hys owne and though he sitte when they sitte stand when they stande kneele when they kneele he may pause sometime also but mosâ—e of all he inâ—endetly hys owne booke is thys praying God graunt vs to feele oure lackes better then thys and to take a better order then thys for prayer it is will be all naught else Againe the Psalmes be all red in forme oâ— prayer they be not all prayers the people seldome marke them and sometime when they marke them they thinke some of them straunge geare and all for that they are buâ— only red and scarse red oftentimes It is a very simple shift that you vse to shift it wyth an Homilie to expounde darke places of scripture for they be darkly expounded that be expounded and many places more darke then you rehearse â—ny whiche are not once touched Simple and homely geare in diuers homelies there is There is none other helpe I came tell you but playne preâ—ching whych is God hys plaine order What reason to sing the chapters of scriptures and yet so they may in a plaine tune Are all the praiers that are â—â—ed agreeable to y scriptures to let passe the Benediâ—tus where I woulde knowehowe I might say in my prayer for thou childe shalt be called the Prophet of the highest and the Magnificat where I woulâ—e knowe howe any man yea or woman eyther might say the tenure of these very wordes for he hathe regarded the low degree of hys handmayde for beholde from henceforthe all gencrations shall call me blessed marke this well and you can neuer answere it well but that it is a palpable follye and vaine praying To let these passe I woulde knowe in what canonicall scripture they fynde thys prayer O all ye workes of the Lorde and what they meane when they say O Anamas Azarias and Misael prayse the Lord which part of prayer is not according to the scripture if all the rest be but the whole thankes geuing is Apochriphall and yet those men that are named were then aliue sayde it themselues if it were truely their prayer and it belongeth not to vs to speake to them nowe that are deade and why to them more then to the virgin Marie Peter or Paule c Let hym that speaketh speake as the woorde of God sayeth the Apostle wyth what truthe can we say that one Collect which is appoynted to be saide from the Natiuitie to New-yeares day which is that vpoÌ„ the natiuitie day I must say that Christe vouchsafed this day to be borne when I read it another day I must say he vouchsafed thys day to be borne and the next day againe this day Surely I lie one of the dayes and suche a prayer is at whitsontide appoynted I would know wher vpon they grouÌ„d their Collect appointed