thē by crosse carriage towards them And then no maruaile they cast out a dart for the least creatures haue their splen and their gall And this I will tell you further if shee can draw her sting back againe thē all is well enough with her howsoeuer she haue tickled her molestor But if she leaue it quite behind then through want of choser to inflame her vnto duty she becommeth a drone and loiterer liuing vpon the spoile of others All which may put vs in mind First that a Christian is to be zealous in a good cause but so as he ouershoot not the compasse of his owne good Secondly that a man ouerlashing in zeale doth finally grow to be as cold as a clocke a plaine loiterer liuing vpon the vndeserued paines of others For extremity of zeale ordinarily is turned into extreame security We are therefore to spend our zeale to day as wee may be feruent in the Churches quarrell to morrow Malcon A wise obseruation and godly Medioc Now sir when such a one becomes a plaine loiterer they want not discipline and that a sharp one for procéeding with such a party marke these two bées you shall haue a present instance sée you how that blacker bee is got vpon the iacke of the other sée how she tugs her forward now she tūbles down with her from the stone now she flies vp againe hauing left the other for dead Malcon Surely she is dead indeed Medioc Whia this was an idle bée and seeing shee would not worke as the Apostle vrgeth she shall not eate amongst them May not both Church and common wealth learne from hence that it is shame to suffer loiterers to the consumption of their labours Now sir marke againe how some come forth to fly about for more prouision Others againe see how they come with their thighes laden with matter for effecting of hony And in the third place obserue how some others help to beare in their burthen From hence may wee not learne that as euery Christian is to haue his calling and therein to bee painfull so the stronger are to support the weaker one bearing anothers burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ Malcon How dull haue I beene in contemplating the workes of God! Medioc Now sir all these maintaine Vnity in the bonds of peace and so their small beginnings increase to a mightie lump whereas on the other side the greatest things by discord and dariance do come vnto nothing Furthermore as they haue a gouernor to goe in and out before them so they do camp round about his person as willing to be slaine before y◠their anointed be touched And may not the obseruation hereof bring confusion of face vnto such as not only make away but also themselues ioyne in traiterous violences against the Lords annointed our dread Soueraigne king Iames Besides how may it plainly demonstrate the leaud spirits of some Zeloists who being called to inuiron the Church as the Tribes with their tents in the wildernes inuironed the Sanctuary are not onely not such but in deede and in word and in writings incompasse her with firebrands setting all on fire Though the Lord had his holy fire in the Temple yet it was the Diuels wild-fire by Nabuchadnetsar that set the Temple on fire Malcon Wel now I perceiue that the smallest creatures do go before me in obedience to their Creator Reuerend sir as I heartily thanke GOD for the good I haue this way already receiued so I beseech you to giue me patient hearing while I propound my soules sorrow vnto you and that shal be in so fewe words as I can I haue sinned against our Church mightily I am afraid in hauing bin vnto her not a Bee but a spider in drawing all into the euill part for nourishing my poisonfull iudgement My humble desire is that in propounding some doubts which yet as stumps remaine behind vnpulled vp you would vouchsafe vnto mee some reasonable resolution Medioc With all my heart and the Father of Christ Iesus exhibite a plenteous blessing Malcon Amen I beseech him The first question is how may I be assured that the ministrie of our Church is one with that ministry which Christ left vnto the ministration of the new Testament that is of the Gospel or glad tidings through Faith in Christ opposite in respect of the forme of iustification to the workes of the Law The doubt ariseth First from their diuersity of titles the one called Bishops and Deacons the other called Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops Priests Parsōs Vicars Secondly our Bishops seemto haue greater dignities prero gatiues in the world thē the other had Medioc To the first I answer The house of Ioseph made no separation from their master nor the Iewes from Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah howsoeuer Pharaoh altered the first and Nebuchadnetsar gaue bad ones to the second Names are not of the essence or being of things otherwise false Christs should bee true Christs and false Prophets true Prophets because they be inuested with y◠commendable titles of Christ and Prophet And yet no such euill in our names for what is Archbishop but chiefe ouerseer Lord Bishop a ruling ouerséer Priest the corrupt word of Presbyter as Bishop of Episcopos signifieth onely an Elder which phrases of Bishop and Elder were giuen to the Apostles also The first in respect of ouerseeing Church or Churches the second in respect of their yeares sufficiencie before they entred into the worke of the ministry As for the terme Parson you may call him Pastor if you will the Law giues you leaue the terme Parson arguing rather the nature of his Maintenance then of his Office The same may be said of Vicar also and therefore hee that in Lancashire said God hath giuen me a liuing and the diuell hath giuen me a name argued therein more precipitate zeale then sadnes of learning I wonder why Phanatique spirits so well as at this do not brabble with their Parents for giuing and with themselues for bearing such names as Richard Robert Roger Hercules Diana Mar-prelate for so one was baptized and these thousands moe be not onely not in the Bible but many of them rapt from heathen Poets what not But they haue litle to do that will contend with their owne shadow Secondly for the greater dignities prerogatiues which our Bishops haue in the world I answer the Apostles had right to far greater dignities then ours be possessed of the Apostle had right to euery vineyard hée planted to euery flocke hee had fed and that is right to maintenance from multitudes of Churches and countries If it be replied y◠Apostles had it not no not y◠Arch-apostle S. Paul I answere y◠was not because it was not their right but because the people would not giue vnto thē their right If here it be obiected but our Bishops haue not so laboured and conuerted y◠people from whom they haue such dignities I answer the first
Neither will I answere such a foote to his full lest I become like him Neque Iupiter omnibus pluens placet neque abstinens The Lord deliuer our Church from euill Amen From my House at Norburne in East-kent this 8. of Iune Anno Dom. 1608. Thine in the Lord He. Cl. THE FIRST DIALOGVE between Mal-content and Romanist First it must be conceiued that Malcontent sitting vnder a tree in the Hie-way hee thus alone expostulates with himselfe Malcontent O Mal-content how vnhappy art thou in this life whither shalt thou go and what will become of thee Go to the Brownist shall I do so In them and their proceedings I find no vnity no concordance Their hand being against all and the hands of all against them The brother of that Churches Pastor hath writ a great booke against them their vnsetled resolutions bloody excommunications and hie-handed tyrannies as if the Pastor were a Pope taking more vpon them for the measure of strength they haue then do all the English prelates In so much as howsoeuer he perswades people to ioine with the cause of Separation as himselfe had and therein since hath died yet at no hand to ioyne with his brothers congregation for manifold reasons there alledged Since which time one whose name soundes vpon an Anuile hath drawen certaine Principles and inferences touching a true visible Church where in he quoteth scripture for another forme of discipline then that which the Brownist practise and most of vs haue taught in our sermons and writings He purposing as it seemeth to receiue others into communion with him who shall separate as he hath and so shew themselues willing to be ruled by his discipline Aes me which side shall I leane vnto Both of them hold a set forme of discipline to be contained in the word Both of them alleadge for the substance thereof the very sarue scriptures but both of them differ exceedingly in the sense of such Scriptures Another side hauing no Baby for their leader although his sir name begin with a B. he holds both with the gouernement at home by Lord Bishops as also with that of Lay-elders abroad as being in the scriptures neither commanded nor forbidden but things in themselues of an indifferent nature So he holdes and yet denies to subscribe for sundry reasons Shall I separate with the first two or shal I continue in the Church of England with the third But miserable man how shall separation or not separation be good If I separate from the Church as Antichristian then the Anabaptist take hold vpon me and saith that I must separate not so much for the prelaticall discipline as for that the spirit of Antichrist there breatheth Antichristian doctrine Yea that the Church becomes to be Antichristian for that their groundes of faith therein held be principles opposite to Christ. And in my cōscience if the first be granted the second will ineuitably follow If I separate not but continue still in the Church I shall in my worke iustifie that which I haue condemned in word In word I haue condemned the Tippet the Surplice the Corner-cap the Crosse in Baptisme and the like for markes of Antichrist But forsaking my ministry I may liue in some other calling and so be put to the vse of no such ceremonies Yea but if I haue a child I must bring it where before I will not it cannot be baptized without the crosse Come I to the Cōmon seruice I must sit in the sight of a Surplice and come I to the Cōmunion I must there kneele receiue at the hands of one that vseth the ceremonies And be I called to be a Church-warden I must take an oath to present the sincere-sort that omit or speake against such ceremonies I am diuided in my selfe what shall I doe H. I. his followers do say very well that this persecution is worse then that of Queene Maries for that made an end of a man quickly but this grants life with a continuing misery Wo is me how is my soule pained within me Though heretofore Ifumed against the author of that booke intituled Errour on the Right-hand yet now mine affections bee cooled and calmed for well I see that there is nothing yet right amongst them And at home I know not how to liue as I would not be held an Hypocrite or turne-coat The euasion must be by some third meanes that as yet I know not Rest poore head rest rest against this trees roote and take a little nap in the shade He being asleep Romanista passeth by and espying Male-content asleepe be staieth and so speaketh Romanista What fast asléepe who may he be By his habite hée should be some Scholar or Citizen Whoo I know him it is Male-content whose head is full of whirligigs and whose pen spins nought but Cob-webs Stay his lips moue to and fro as doth my dog Grim when as he is ready to chunder and barke sléeping Malcon sleeping Fire fire Elias fire Romanista He is calling for fire from heauen as did Elias But it will burne as fast I thinke as did our Uault-gunpowder that should haue blowne vp the Parliament-house in Westminster together with all the heads of the Country But stay some politique retch now or neuer for an inch of policie I hold better then an ell of Diuinity In the time of discontent it is best working vpon Malcontent for vpon conceit it is then most easy to worke I remember a Dialogue in Erasmus his great Colloquium where one passing by the hie-way was desire us to fasten some strange conclusion vppon the conceit of his fellow Passengers Hereupon hée stops his course with his eies vpon the firmament fixed gaping gazing crossing blessing trembling The passengers thereupon stay looke vp and wonder whereat he should so wonder Anon as with much ado he tels them what a fearefull signe he saw in the firmament a Dragon a terrible thing in description I warrant you hereupon he startles holds vp his hands and wondreth at all the rest that they should say they see nothing Anon one of thē thinking scorne but he should see as much as another he also affirmeth that he saw such a terrible wonder Afterwards some and some euery one said he saw it and trembled In this dialogue some haue thought that Erasmus flouted people in England for conceiting a certain great prelate in the Churches firmament beyond that they should conceit c. But howsoeuer I will take aduantage of the time and see if so I can worke some strange thing vpon him I hope it the rather because one of this spirit a Sole sincerian being of late conuented before a great Prelate of this land he offred that if he the said Prelate could proue but one point then in hand hee would without more adoe turne back to the Church of Rome whereupon the Prelate spake to this effect I is it true indéed are you now ready to go a poping what a poping I had
Hostesse And I pray you has he not béene there already Liber No forsooth not this Pope but he is preparing to go thither so fast as he can Hostesse Mary and I wil pray for his good speede For then I hope euery true Catholick shall fare the better by it Good Lord he hath to doe with heauen and he hath to doe with hell and he hath to doe with purgatorie and he hath to doe with Limbo Libert Nay sweete hostesse I heard a Frier in Rome say in the Pulpit that one that was no Pope did aboue 1500 years since opē the gates of Limbo let al the soules out ouerturn the place Hostesse And had he not the Popes licence to doe it Libert He neuer spake with any Pope about it Hostesse And hath not the Pope since curst him Libert Yes forsooth He curst him euery time wherein he cursed Queene Elizabeth Hostesse Well then let king Iames take heed he do not anger him And I would pray you sir to beware how you speak any thing against holy mother Church or any of her children While I was of your mind euery thing went crosse Marry since I reconciled my selfe to holy mother Church my hens lay bigger egges then they did and I take two pence for good ale now where I tooke but a peny then I thanke Saint Campian and S. Garnet for it Well husband I see your flearing well enough These gentlemen can giue audience in all humbility but you will be a flouting Hmybeel as the man said Well gentlemen I will take away for I see you haue done Libert I pray you do meane time what 's the reckoning Hostesse Fiue shillings sir and you are heartily welcome Libert There it is Deo gratias I thanke you mine Host for your good company Malcon I pray you sir stay there be three shillings towards it and I desire I may walke with you a while Libert Well I will take your moneies for this once As for walking with me I am right willing if with any conference I may hestead you Malcon Yes sir seeing you haue bin behinde the Seas and seene the papists and their doings Libert I haue séene them and heard them and laught in my sleeue at them But which way lieth your way Malcon Towards Westminster Libert Haue with you at the nearest Hoste and Hostesse farewell Both. We thanke you heartily kind gentlemen The third Dialogue betweene Libertinus and Malcontent Libert NOw Mr Malcontent what is it you will propound Malcon I desire sir to haue notice of the state of Rome in these daies vile things be diuulged on it if it be so bad it were too bad Libert It was neuer famed for worse then it now is First for the state of substance it is generally very beggerly Traffficke as some other Cities in Italy haue it hath not Indeed many trauell thither as Pilgrimes and there be allowed to stay for certaine daies but as the number of such Pilgrims now be scarse one for an hundred that passed thither of yore so ordinarily they bee but of meane degree and ere they come thither their purse hath cast her calfe For the small time of their aboad then there somewhat comes out of the coffers of the scarlet Cardinals Which spent they put vp their pipes and packe away They might come out full but they returne foole and empty Secondly for the state of Pope and Cardinals it is altogether pompous and princelike the Cardinals hauing hinges enowe in their doore to turne vpon and the Pope besides other meanes hath a mighty allowance annually from the Curtizans scalding-tubs for no occupatiōs in Rome more cōmon then Venery and Penury Thirdly for the state of their religious houses let the vaults secret preambulatiōs vnder earth tell y◠Fourthly for their publique deuotions the formes of them be Pagan-like the multiplicitie of them be as Sisyphus stone alwaies rolling but neuer at an end In a word it is an Egypt for slauery a Babel for bondage a Bethel for idolatry a Tophet for confused noise a Gehinnon for bloud-shed a Sodome for all spurcicity an Hell for dānatiō Malcont If the head be no better what shall become of the body Libert And whereas they plead Vnity taxe all other Churches for Distraction I protest a man shall finde more emulations heart-burnings vituperies bloudy practises amongst them with mutuall oppositions one against another then amongst all other Christians in the world besides Euery schoole man standeth so for his owne schoole doctrine as Thomists for Thomas Scotists for Scotus sic ad infinitum as the like diuision neuer yet hath béene raised betwéene the Aristotelians and Ramists Then go to the friery Orders and the Augustine condemns the Dominik and the Dominik him The blacke frier vituperates the gray white and either of them againe preferres highly his owne order The Iesuite condemnes the Secular for an Apostate and the Secular priest againe auerreth that the Iesuite aberreth from his orders and is now become a Statesman and Factor for Spaine As for the bloody Inquisition they plague all and all curse them what shall I say Malcon Nay you haue said enough and yet but that which I oft before haue heard I beseech you sir of your counsell I haue beene one of them which haue stood heere for the new discipline holding that we haue for popish and Antichristian And seeing this discipline would not be had I lastly resolued to separate and so enter into that course which is called Brownisme As I thus resolued there comes a booke into my hands touching Principles and inferences of a true visible Church This booke teacheth a Separation as do the writings of the former but when he comes to the discipline he then differs much from the former and so from the most of our Reformistes heere at home so well as from the Church of Scotland and the like First we haue held that the Pastor might onely administer the Sacraments but the author of this booke holdeth that the Doctor may administer them also Secondly we haue taught that the Elders were to be imploied in Church gouernement onely I meane in the discipline but he affirmeth further that they are all of them apt to teach and so to assist in doctrine Thirdly we haue published that the Church is to giue the officers their Calling meaning thereby all the men of the Church were to giue their voice but he intimates further that women and children are to giue their consent also for such election and calling Fourthly we held Excommunication to be the casting out of a contumaticus person and that to the excution thereof there appertained only rebukes the word and prayer as all spirituall but he infinuates further that some bodily punishment also is to be annexed What shall I say in many things he is crosse to the discipline which before hath beene applauded and yet the man they say an honest man reuerend and learned In the necke of