but tendeth rather to the constitution of the Saboth than to the prohibiting of rest in any other day appointed to the seruice of God And it is as muche as if he shoulde say sixe dayes thou maist worke and so do some translate the Hebrew worde The place alledged out of the first of Esay is far from the purpose there is not one worde there spoken of any holy dayes dedicated to Saintes but only the Lorde signifieth that their sacrifices and feaste dayes were not acceptable to him bycause they were done in hipocrisie and without faithe so that he reproueth modum not factuÌ„ their manner of sacrifising that is their hipocriticall kinde of worshipping him In the 2. Esdras 1. in the place by you quoted I sée not one word that may serue for your purpose the words you quote be these I haue led you thorovve the Sea and haue giuen you a sure vvay since the beginning I gaue you Moses for a guide and Aaron for a preest In the 14. to the Rom. the Apostle speaketh nothing of our holydaies but of such as were obserued among the Iewes and abrogated by the comming of christ And yet in that place the Apostle exhorteth that we which be strong shoulde not dispise them that are weake nor condemne them though they vse not the christian libertie in dayes and meates That in the fourth to the Galath Ye obserue dayes monthâ—s and times and yeares c. Saincte Augustine ad Ianuarium epistola 119 â–ª expoundeth on this sort Eos inculpat qui dicunt non proficiscar quia posterus dies est aut quia luna sic firtur vel proficiscar vt prospera cedant quia itaâ—se habet positio syderum non agam hoc mense commertium quia illa stella mihi agit mensem vel agam quia suscepit mensem I knowe there be other that do otherwise expounde that place and that truly euen as they do also that in the 14. to the Rom. of certaine Iewish feasts as Sabboths new moones the feasts of Tabernacles the yeare of Iubilie and such like abrogated by the Gospell and yet superstitiously obserued of some But these places can by no meanes be vnderstood of the dayes obserued by vs and called by the names of Saincts dayes for they were ordeyned since the writing of this epistle And that you maye vnderstande the difference betwixte the festiuall dayes obserued of the Papists and the dayes allowed nowe in this Churche it is to be considered First that their Saincts dayes were appointed for the honoring and worshipping of the Sainctes by whose names they were called ours be ordeyned for the honoring of God for publique prayer and edifieng the people by reading the scriptures and preaching neyther are they called by the name of any Saincte in any other respecte than that the scriptures which that day are read in the Church be concerning that Saincte and contayne either his calling preaching persecution martirdome or such like 2. The Papistes in their Sainctes dayes prayed vnto the Sainctes we onely praye vnto God in Christes name 3. They hadde all thinges done in a straunge toung wythoute any edifieng at all Wée haue the prayers and the Scriptures readde in a tongue knowne whyche cannot bée withoute great commoditie to the hearers 4. To be shorte they in obseruing their dayes thinkâ— they merite thereby something at Gods hands we in obseruing our dayes are taught farre otherwise The Church euen from the beginning hath obserued such feasts as it may appeare in good writers Ierome writing vppon the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians saith on this sorte If it be not lawfull to obserue dayes monethes times and yeares we also fall into the like faulte which obserue the passion of Christ the Saboth day and the time of lent the feastes of Easter and of Penthecost and other times appointed to Martirs according to the manner and custome of euery nation to the whiche he that will aunswere simply will say that our obseruing of dayes is not the same with the Iewishe obseruing for we do not celebrate the feast of vnleauened or sweete breade but of the resurrection and death of Christ c. and leaste the confused gathering together of the people should dyminishe the faith in Christe therefore certaine dayes are appointed that we mighte all meete togither in one place not bycause those daies be more holy but to the intente that in what day soeuer we meete we may reioyce to see one another c. Augustine in like manner li. 18. de ciuitate dei cap. 27. saith that we honor the memories of Martirs as of holy men such as haue striuen for the truth eueÌ„ to death c. The same Augustine in his booke contra Adamantum Manachiâ—i discip cap. 16. expounding the wordes of the Apostle ye obserue dayes yeares and tymes writeth thus But one maye thynke that he speaketh of the Sabaothe doe not we saye that those tymes oughte not to bee obserued but the thinges rather that are signified by them for they did obserue them seruilely not vnderstaÌ„ding what they did signifie and prefigurate this is that that the Apostle reproueth in them and in al those that serue the creature rather than the Creator for we also solemnely celebrate the Sabboth day and Easter and all other festiuall dayes of Christians but bicause we vnderstande whervnto they do appertayne we obserue not the times but those things which are signified by the times c. Other reformed Churches also haue dayes ascribed to Saincts aswell as we as it may appeare by these words of Bullinger writing vpon the .14 to the Rom. In the auncient writers as Eusebius and Augustine thou mayst find certayn memorials apoynted to certayn holy men but after another manner not muche differing from ours whiche we as yet retayne in our Churche of Tigurie for we celebrate the Natiuitie of Christ his circumcision resurrection and ascention the comming of the holy ghost the feasts also of the virgin Mary Iohn Baptist Magdalene Steuen and the other Apostles yet not condemning those which obserue none but onely the Sabboth day For perusing old monuments we finde that this hath alwayes bene left free to the churches that euery one should follow that in these things that should be best and most conuenient Caluine in like maner writing vpon the fourth to the Galath dothe not disalow this kinde of obseruing dayes his words be these VVhen as holynesse is attributed to dayes when as one day is discerned from another for religion sake when dayes are made a peece of diuine worship then dayes are wickedly obserued c. But when we haue a difference of dayes laying no burden of necessitie on mens consciences we make no differeÌ„ce of days as though one were more holy than another we put no religion in them nor worshipping of God but only we obserue them for order and concorde sake so that the obseruing of dayes with vs is free and without all superstition And agayne
¶ An answere to a certen Libel intituled An admonition to the Parliament By IOHN VVHITGIFTE D. of Diuinitie 1. COR. 8.2 If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to knowe 1. COR. 11.16 If any man be contentious we haue no suche custome neyther the Churches of God. GALA 5.26 Let vs not be desirous of vayne glorie prouoking one another enuying one another ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for Humfrey Toy Anno. 1572. ¶ To his louing Nurie the Christian Church of England I. VV. a member and minister of the same vvisheth peace in Christ and continuance of his glorious gospell euen to the vvorlds ende THere bee diuers thinges especially fiue that wheÌ„ I first tooke this labour in hande had almost vtterly dissuaded me from the same First bycause I doe with all my hart hate contention and strife and especially in matters of religion among such as professe the selfe same Gospell Secondly for that I feared gretly least some slander might redounde to the Gospell by this open contention séeing that God is not the authour of contention or confusion but of peace Thirdly I doubted whether this kinde of dealing by writing might minister matter to the common aduersaries of the Gospell to reioyce and glorie and to flatter them selues the more in their damnable errors Fourthly I greatly suspected the slanderous reportes of the backbiter and of the vnlearned tonâ—ue â–ª the 〈◊〉 bycause he loueth to speake euill and heare euill of all those that be not in all pointes inclinable to his phansie whereof I haue great experience being my selfe most vniustlye slandered by that viperous kinds of men the other bycause they be not able to iudge of controuersies according to learning and knowledge and therefore are ruled by affection carried hedlong with blind zeale into diuers sinister iudgementes erronious opinions Lastlye bycause I knowe sundrie in all respectes worthie men much more able to deale in suche matters than I am But when I considered my dutie towardes God to his Churche and to our most gracious Lady and soueraigne Elizabeth hir Maiestie by whose ministerie God hath giuen his Gospell frée passage vnto us the first stoppe and hinderaunce was answered For I thought that that dutie ought not to be omitted for any such cause séeing God and not man shall be my Iudge and also that not he which defendeth the truthe and confuseth errours but he that impugneth the truthe and spreddeth sectes is the authour of contention Likewise when I remembred the it was no new thing to haue contentions sectes schismes in the Churche of Christ especially when it enioyeth externall peace and that we had manifest examples therof from time to time first in Peter Paule ad Gala. 2. Paule Barnabas Acto 15 then in the Churche of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. and .3 Afterwardes betwixt the orientall Church occidentall Church touching Easter such like matters Betwixt the Bishops of Aphrica and the Bishops of Italie for rebaptising of heretikes sundrie times yea vsuallie in the external peace of the church as may be more at large séene in Eusebius Lib. 4. eccle histo ca. 6. lib. 5. ca. 24.25.26 li. 8. c. Likewise in Ruffinus li. 1. ca. 1. In Zozom Li. 6. ca. 4. In Basilius magnus epist. 61. ad fratres Episcopas in accidente epist. 69. and in sundrie other auncient and learned histories and writers For the second point I was satisfied for I thought that that could be no slander to this Church which by the malice of Sathan hath bene practised in all Churches euen synce the ascention of Christ. Thirdly when I perceiued the these men against whome I nowe write did agree with the aduersaries in defacing the state of religion the order of coÌ„mon prayers the ministerie the sacramentes the kind of gouermeÌ„t c. vsed and allowed in this realme of England and that in as opprobrious spitefull manner as the aduersaries do likewise that they séeke to ouerthrow the selfe same pillers of this Church with the aduersaries although not by the selfe same meanes I thought that the confutation and ouerthrowe of the one should be the confutation ouerthrow of the other and therefore the aduersaries to haue small cause in déed of reioycing Against backbiters slanderers and vnlearned tongs I shall by Gods grace arme my selfe with pacience for their taulke is no sufficient cause for a man to absteyne from dooing his dutie To conclude I although the vnworthiest and vnméetest of a great nuÌ„ber was bold to take vpon me this enterprise partly to shew that the booke called the Admonition is not such but that it may easily be answered and especially to satisfie mine owne coÌ„science for I coÌ„sidered that if no man had taken vpon him the enuie of the coÌ„mon sort in withstanding the enterprises procéedings of the Anabaptists wheÌ„ they began in Germanie Anabaptisme had ouerrunne those Churches vtterly destroyed them These were the reasons that satisfied the former obiections and especiallye moued me to take vppon me this labour wherewith if I can also satisfie others I haue my desire if not yet haue I done my dutie and satisfied mine owne conscience And for asmuche as the matter toucheth the state of the whole Church of England I thought it most méete to dedicate this my booke rather vnto the same generally than to any one particuler member thereof protesting that if I haue affirmed any thing therein that by learning and good reasons may be proued erronious I will reforme the same for I wholly submit it to the rule of Gods worde and the iudgement of those that he learned discrete wise The Lord blesse the o deare spouse of Christ with the continuance of his Gospell of the Quenes Maiestie and of godlye peace and quietnesse Amen A briefe examination of the reasons vsed in the booke called an Admonition to the Parliamente FIrst in that booke the scripture is most vntollerably abused and vnlearnedly applyed quoted only in their margent to delude both such as for lacke of learning can not and suche as either for slouthfulnesse or some preiudicate opinion will not examine the same as I haue particulerly declared in my aunswere following Secondly their proofes consist especially of these arguments The first is ab eo quod est secundum quid ad id quod simplicitorest as such and such things were not in the Apostles time Ergo they ought not to be nowe Whiche kinde of argumente is very deceiptfull and the mother and welspring of many both olde and newe schismes of old as of them that called them selues Apostolicos and of the Aërians of new as of Anabaptists who considering neither the diuersitie of times concerning the externall ecclesiastical pollicie nor the true libertie of the christian religion in externe rytes and ceremonies in matters neither commaunded nor forbidden in Gods lawe nor the authoritie of Christian magistrates in
be And it is the common opinion of all writers that these words of Chryst do not condemne superioritie Lordeshippe or any suche lyke authoritie but the ambitious desire of the same and the tyrānical vsage thereof Musculus expounding these places sayth in this sorte VVhosoeuer vvill be great among you c. He sayth not no man ought to be chiefe among you vvhich he shoulde haue said if it had not ben lawful in the kingdome of God for some to be great and chiefe or if it had ben necessarie that all shoulde haue bene in all things equall the Celestiall spirits are not equal the stars be not equal the Apostles them selues vvere not equall Peter is found in many places to haue ben chiefe amōg the rest vvhich vve do not denie Therfore this is not Christes meaning to haue none great or chiefe among Christians seeing the very necessitie of our state requireth that some be superiours and betters so far is it from beeing repugnaunt to charitie In a common vveale it is necessarie that some should excell other so is it in a vvell ordered familie In like maner there must be in the Churche gouernours presidents rulers of vvhome Paule maketh mention Ro. 12. 1. Cor. 12. Heb. 13. As there is also in the body some principall mēbers some inferiour c. Therfore Christ doth not require that in his kingdome all should be equall but this he doth require that none should desire to be great or to be thought and counted chiefe Hitherto Musculus Which interpretation muste néedes be true else we may say that Christe in this place reiecteth and disalloweth the Princes and Magistrates of the Gentiles and also forbiddeth the same among Christians which is false and Anabaptisticall Likewise the same Musculus sayth that Chryste teacheth in this place what he ought to be in déede that desireth to beare rule ouer other to wit that he ought to be a seruaunt to other that is as he dothe interprete it to profite other and to serue for the cōmoditie of other for though the name of a prince and of a lorde be a name of honor and dignitie yet is it the office of a prince lorde to serue those which be vnder thē in gouerning of them carefully and in prouiding for their wealth and peace Moreouer the Greke wordes that Chryste vseth in all these places as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe signifie to rule with oppression and to rule as a man list Furthermore Christe doth not say that no man shall be great among them or beare rule but he sayth Quicunque voluerit inter vos magnus fieri c. He that desireth to be great among you c. To conclude it is manyfest that in Matthewe and Marke he reproueth the ambition of the sonnes of Zebedie who ambitiously desired the one to sitte on hys right hande the other on his lefte And in Luke the ambition of the rest of the Apostles who contended among themselues which of them should be greatest So that it is playne that these places suppresse ambition and desire of rule in all kinde of men and not superioritie not magistracie not iurisdiction in any kinde of persons Touching the place in the .23 of Mat. where Chryste said vnto his disciples Be not you called Rabbi call no man father be not called maisters Who is so ignorant to thinke that Christ forbiddeth by these wordes one Christen man to call another lorde maister father shal not children call their parents father shall not scholers call their teacher maister And shall not seruauntes call him master vnder whose gouernement they are Is it not lawfull for one to call an other maister doctour father lorde c Paule notwithstanding these wordes of Christ 1. Cor. 4. calleth himself their father and. 1. Ti. 2. he calleth himself the doctour of the Gētiles Wherfore it is manifest that these names be not here prohibited muche lesse the offices but only the pharisaicall ambitious and arrogant affection of superioritie As it is also manifest by this that foloweth VVho so euer exalteth himselfe c. And surely as Christe condemneth here the ambitious affectiō of such as ambitiously desire these names of superioritie so doth he in like maner cōdemne those who be so puffed vp with pride and arrogācie that they contemne and disdayne to call men in authoritie by the titles of their offices For pride contempt and arrogancie is as well in refusing to giue honoure and reuerence as it is in ambitious desiring the same But the chiefe purpose of Christe in this place is to teache vs not so to depende vpon men as though it were not lawfull to breake their decrées or to decline from their authoritie For there is one only Father Lorde and maister to whome wée are so bounde that by no meanes wée maye declyne at any tyme from hys preceptes These places therfore may be aptly alledged against the pride tyrannie and ambitiō of the Bishop of Rome whiche séeketh tyrannically to rule and not to profite But it maketh nothing at all against the lawfull authoritie of any other in any state or condition of men Howe aptly that place of the .24 of Mathew But if the euill seruaunt shall say in his heart c. is alleaged let all men iudge I thinke it forbiddeth not to punishe suche as breake good lawes But Lorde how these men are beaten which do as they liste say what they liste and that with reioycing thereto that is if they be no otherwise beaten than hitherto they haue bene they will not only with schismes and factions teare in sunder this Churche of Englande but in time ouerthrow the whole state of the common wealth To proue that either we muste haue a righte ministerie of God and a righte gouernement of his Church according to the Scriptures set vp c. or else there can be no right religion c. is alleaged the ninth of Matth. the fourth to the Ephe. and the eightenth of Math. In the ninth of Mat. the place they alleage is this Surely the haruest is great but the labourers be fevve vvherefore c. In the fourth to the Ephe. He therefore gaue some to be Apostle c. In the eightenth of Mathew If thy brother trespasse agaynst thee c. The first place declareth that Ministers of the words are necessarie in Christes Churche The seconde that there is diuers kindes and degrées of them And the thirde sheweth an order of correcting secrete sinnes and priuate offences and medleth not with those that be open and knowne to other Nowe therefore consider to what purpose those places be noted in the margente and howe little they proue that which is concluded As for all the rest of the places of Scripture that followeth noted in the margent of this preface I knowe not to what purpose they be alleaged but onely for vayneglorie to bleare the eyes of the ignorant people and to make them beléeue that all
that which is written in this booke is nothing else but Scripture it selfe They haue delt very subtilly to cote the places onely and not to set them downe in playne words for by this meanes they thinke that of the moste parte it shall neuer be vnderstanded howe vnaptly and to what small purpose they be alleaged This name Puritane is very aptely giuen to these men not bicause they be pure no more than were the Heretikes called Cathari but bicause they think them selues to be mundiores cateris more pure than others as Cathari dyd and seperate them selues from all other Churches and congregations as spotted and defyled Bicause also they suppose the Church which they haue deuised to be without all impuritie An answere to the admonition Admonition SEing that nothing in this mortall life is more diligently to be sought for and carefully to be looked vnto than the restitution of true religion reformation of Gods church it shall be your partes dearly beloued in this present Parliament assembled as muche as in you lieth to promote the same and to employ your whole labour and studie not onely in abandoning all Popish remnants bothe in ceremonies regiment but also in bringing in and placing in Gods churche those things onely which the Lord himselfe in his word cōmandeth Because it is not enough to take paynes in taking away euil but also to be occupied in placing good in the stead therof Now because many men see not all things and the worlde in this respect is maruellously blinded it hath bene thoughte good to prosfer to your godly considerations a true platforme of a Churche reformed to the ende that it beeing layd before your eyes to beholde the great vnlikenesse betweene it this our English church you may learne either with perfect hatred to detest the one and with singular loue to embrace and carefull endeuour to plant the other or else to be without excuse before the maiestie of oure God who for the discharge of our conscience and manifestation of his truth hath by vs reuealed vnto you at this present the sinceritie and simplicitie of his Gospell Not that you should either wilfully with stande or vngratiously tread the same vnder your feete for God doth not disclose his wyll to any suche end but that you should yet now at the length with al your mayne and might endeuour that Chryst whose easie yoke and lyghte burthen we haue of long time cast of from vs mighte rule and reigne in his Church by the scepter of his worde onely Aunswere I Will not aunswere words but matter nor bare affirmations or negations but reasons and therfore in as few words as I can I will comprehende many lines But before I enter into their reasons I thinke it not amisse to examine that assertion which is the chiefe and principall grounde so farre as I can gather of their Booke that is that those things onely are to bée placed in the Churche which the Lorde him selfe in his worde commaundeth As though they shoulde say nothing is to be tollerated in the Churche of Chryste touching either doctrine order ceremonies discipline or gouernement except it he expressed in the worde of god And therfore the most of their argumentes in this booke be taken ab authoritate negatiuè which by the rules of Logique proue nothing at all It is moste true that nothing ought to be tolerated in the Churche as necessarie vnto saluation or as an article of faith except it be expresly conteined in the worde of God or may manifestly therof be gathered and therfore we vtterly condemne reiect Transubstantiation the sacrifice of the Masse the authoritie of the bishop of Rome woorshipping of Images c. And in this case an argumente taken Ab authoritate Scripturae negatiuè is most strong As for example It is not to be found in Scripture that the Bishop of Rome ought to be the head of the Church and therfore it is not necessarie to saluation to beléeue that he ought to be the head of the Churche c. It is also true that nothing in ceremonies order discipline or gouernement in the Churche is to be suffered béeing against the worde of God And therfore wee reiect all ceremonies wherein there is any opinion to saluation woorshipping of God or merite As créeping to the crosse holy breade holy water holy candle c. But that no ceremonie order discipline or kynde of gouernement may be in the Churche except the same be expressed in the worde of God is a great absurditie and bréedeth many inconueniences The Scripture hath not prescribed any place or time wherin or when the Lords Supper shoulde be celebrated neyther yet in what manner The Scripture hath not appoynted what tyme or where the congregation shall méete for common prayer and for the hearing of the worde of God neyther yet any discipline for the correcting of suche as shall contemne the same The scripture hath not appoynted what daye in the wéeke should be moste méete for the Sabboth day whether Saterday whiche is the Iewes Sabboth or the day now obserued which was appointed by the church The Scripture hath not determined what forme is to be vsed in Matrimonie what woordes what prayers what exhortations The Scripture speaketh not one woorde of standing sitting or knéelyng at the Communion of méetyng in Churches fieldes or houses to heare the word of God of preaching in pulpets chaires or otherwise of baptizing in fontes in basons or riuers openly or priuatly at home or in the churche euery day in the wéeke or on the Sabboth day only And yet no man as I suppose is so simple to thinke that the Church hathe no authoritie to take order in these matters I pray you what mente Sainct Paule in the .1 Corinth 14. after he had prescribed certayne orders vnto them to bée obserued in the Churche thus generally to conclude Omnia decenter ordine fiant Lette all things be doone decently and in order Dothe hée not there giue vnto them authoritie to make orders in the Churche so that all thynges hée doone in order and decently The best interpreters doo vnderstande this as a general rule giuen vnto the churche to examine hir traditions and constitutions by And therefore without all doubte their iudgemente is that the Churche hath authoritie in external things to make orders and appoynte lawes not expressed in the woorde of GOD so that thys rule of the Apostle bée obserued Nowe if eyther godly Councels or auncient fathers were any thing at all regarded of these men as they be not suche is their arrogancie this controuersie mighte soone be decided For the most auncient fathers and best learned as Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Tertulian Cypriā and other do expresly declare that euen from the Apostles tyme the Churche hath always had authoritie in suche matters and hath obserued diuers orders ceremonies not once mencioned in the worde of God.
readie and vvyllyng to obeye to obserue those thinges vvhyche are appoynted accordyng to this rule not to contemne them nor negligentely to omitte them so farre off ought they to be from breaking them openly through disdayne and contumacie But thou vvylte saye vvhat libertie of conscience can there bee in so precyse and straighte obseruyng of them Truly the libertie of conscience maye vvell stande vvith it yf vve shall consider that these Lavves and decrees to the vvhiche vve are bounde bee not perpetuall or suche as are not to bee abrogated but onely externall rudimentes of mans infirmities vvhereof notvvithstanding vve all stande not in neede yet vvee all vse them bycause one of vs is mutually bounde to an other to nourishe loue and Charitie among oure selues This vve maye learne in the examples vsed before VVhat dothe religion consiste in a vvomans vayle that by no meanes shee maye goe abroade bare headed Or is the commaundemente touching hir silence suche as it maye not be broken vvithout vvickednesse or is there any mysterie in kneeling or in burying the dead that may not be omitted vvithout great offence no truly For if such hast be required of a woman to helpe hir neighbour that shee can haue no leysure to couer hir head shee dothe not offende thoughe shee runne oute bare headed And there is a tyme and place vvhen and vvhere it is as meete for hir to speake as it is else where to holde hir peace Him also to praye standyng whiche beeing letted vvith some disease can not kneele there is nothyng forbiddeth To be short it is better in tyme to burye the dead than to tarrye for a vvynding sheete or some to carrie him vntill he stinke aboue the grounde But there is somevvhat euen in those thynges vvhiche the custome of Religion lavves and decrees humanitie it selfe and the rule of modestie vvilleth vs to doe and to take heede of vvherein if vve shall thorough ignoraunce and forgetfulnesse offende there is no synne committed But if thorough contempte or contumacie it is to be reproued In lyke maner it skilleth not vvhat dayes be appointed vvhat houres vvhat manner of places touchyng the buyldyng vvhat Psalmes are to bee song thys daye or that daye And yet there muste certayn dayes be appoynted and certaine houres and a place meete to receiue all if vve haue any respect to keepe vnitie and peace For vvhat confusion vvere it and of hovve greate contentions and bravvlyngs the seede and cause yf euery man as hee listeth myghte alter and chaunge those things whiche pertayne to the common state Seyng that it vvoulde neuer be brought to passe that one thyng coulde please all men if suche matters vvere lefte indifferente and committed to euery mannes arbitremente novve if anye man repyne or grudge and will heere seeme vvyser than it behoueth him let him consider by vvhat reason he can excuse his vvayvvardnesse to the Lorde Notvvithstanding that saying of Saincte Paule muste satisfye vs VVee haue no custome to contende neyther the Churches of God. Thus farre Caluine In whyche woordes wée haue these thyngs to consyder Fyrst that GOD hath in Scripture fully and playnely comprehended all those things that be necessarie to saluation Secondly that in Ceremonies and externall discipline hée hath not in Scripture particularly determined any thyng but lefte the same to hys Churche to make or abrogate to alter or contynue to adde or take awaye as shall be thoughte from tyme to tyme moste conuenient for the presente state of the Churche so that nothing be doone againste that generall rule of Saincte Paule 1. Cor. 14. Lette all things be doone decently and in order Thirdly that it is the dutie of a Christian man withoute superstition willingly to obey such constitutions not to contemne them not to neglect them muche lesse stubbornly and arrogantly to breake them Fourthly that the obseruyng of them taketh not libertie from the conscience bicause they be not made to be perpetuall and inuiolable but to be altered as tyme occasion and necessitie requireth Fifthely that all oughte to obeye suche ordinaunces for charitie sake thoughe all stande not in néede of them Sixthly that if a man do violate them by ignoraunce or forgetfulnesse he doth not offende if by contempte or stubbornesse he doth greatly offende Seuenthly that confusion which is to suffer euery man to doe what he list is the séede of contention and brauling Last of all that the true Ministers of God be not contentious neither yet the Churches of God. These things among other I thought good to note out of master Caluines words which if they were diligently considered such contentions might soone be ended Of the same iudgement in this matter is master Bucer as it apeareth in his Epistle to master Alasco These be his words If you vvill not admitte suche libertie and vse of vesture to this pure and holy Churche bicause they haue no commaundement of the Lorde nor example of it I do not see hovve you can graunt to any Churche that it may celebrate the Lordes Supper in the morning and in an open Churche especially consecrated to the Lorde that the Sacrament may be distributed to men kneeling or standing yea to vvomen asvvel as to men For vve haue receyued of these things neither commaundement of the Lorde nor any example yea rather the Lorde gaue a contrarie example For in the euening and in a priuate house he did make his Supper and distributed the Sacramentes and that to men onely and sitting at the table Hac Bucâ—rus But to ende this matter is it not as lawfull for a godly Prince with the aduise and consent of godly and learned Byshoppes and other of the wysest to make orders in the Churche and lawes Ecclesiasticall as it is for euery priuate man to vse what maner and forme of seruice he liste and other order and discipline in hys owne parishe which these men séeke and striue to do An examination of the places of Scripture alleaged in this portion of the admonition TO proue that nothing in this mortall life is more diligently to be sought for carefully to be looked vnto than the restitution of true religion and reformation of Gods Churche there is noted 2. Reg. 23. 2. Chron. 17. 2. Chron. 29.30.31 Psalm 132. Math. 21. Iohn 2. In the first place it is declared howe Iosiah after he had founde the booke of the Lawe reformed the Churche In the seconde place Iehosaphat tooke away the high places and groues out of Iuda c. In the. 29.30.31 of the. 2. Chron. is described the dooings of Ezechias in repayring the temple and reforming Religion c. In the. 132. Psalme it is declared with what care Dauid went about to build the temple of God after that he was once established in his kingdome In the. 21. of Math. Iesus went into the temple and caste out all them that solde and boughte in the temple c. the like he did in the seconde of Iohn All this is
or callyng so that those qualities be founde in him which in that office are to be required I maruel to what purpose the twelfth chapiter of the first booke of Kings is here quoted for Ieroboam is there reproued bicause he toke the préesthood from the tribe of Leui to the whiche onely it did apperteyne The Papists neuer toke so great occasion of sâ—andring the gospel at the ignoraÌ„ce of the ministers for they haue of them selues those that be as ignorant and inore as they do at your schismes and fonde opinions wherewith you disquiet the peace of the Churche and lay stumbling blockes before the weake for the whiche God wil surely call you to accompte The second chapter to the Romaines is here quoted only to paynt the margent The second In those days no idolatrous sacrificers of Heathenish priests were appoynted to be preachers of the Gospell but we allowe and lyke well of Popish masse mongers men for al seasons King Henries priests King Edwards preestes Queene Maries preests who of a truth if Gods word wer precisely folowed shold froÌ„ the â—ame be vtterly remoued The place in the fifth chapter of the Hebrues quoted in the Margent speaketh nothing of Idolatrous sacrificers or Heathenish priests but only by the example of Aaron proueth that no man ought to intrude himselfe into the office of a Bishop or Préeâ—t except he be called of god Lord how dare these men thus wring the scriptures In the .23 of the Prophete Hieremie there is muche spoken againste false Prophetes but not one woorde for any thing that I sée to proue that idolatrous sacrificers maye not be admitted to preache the Gospell The places of the .44 of Ezechiell haue some shewe in them for there the Lorde commaundeth the Leuites whiche had committed Idolatrye to bée put from theyr dygnitie and not to bée receyued into the Preestes office but to serue in inferioure mynisteryes I thinke you wyll not make thys a generall rule to debarce such from preaching of the gospel as haue through infirmitie fallen and be nowe with hartie repentance retourned Wée haue many examples to the contrarie Peter forswore his maister Chryste whyche was as euill as sacrifising to idolles and yet hée was not put from hys Apostleshippe Wée haue dyuerse examples in the Primitiue Churche of suche as by feare béeyng compelled to sacrifise to straunge gods after repented and kepte still the office of preaching the Gospell and did moste constantly dye in the same I pray you what say you to maister Luther Buâ—er Cranmer Latimer Ridley c. were not all these somtymes Massemongers yet singuler notable instrumeÌ„ts of promoting the Gospel and preaching the same wherof many haue giuen testimonie by sheding their bloud And by whose Ministerie especially hathe the Gospell bene publyshed and is as yet in thys Churche of Englande but by suche as haue ben Massemongers and nowe zealous godlie and learned preachers God in that place of the Prophet Ezechiel sheweth how gréeuous a sin idolatry is especially in the préests but he prescribeth no generall rule of secluding them from theyr ministerie if they falling afterwarde repent Besides this there is a great difference betwixt the seueritie of the lawe and the lenitie of the Gospell betwixte the externall regimente of the Churche before Christe and the Churche after Chryste neyther can you make the one in all poyntes correspondent to the other Lykewise betwixt the declining of those Préests which was wholly from God to Gentilitie and the falling of ours to Papistrie which confesseth the same articles of fayth that wée doe althoughe not syncerely It is one thing wholly to worshippe false gods an other thing to worship the true God falsly and superstitiously But among all other things I woulde gladly knowe wherein king Edwards préestes haue offended you It is happie you let Quéene Elizabeths préestes alone I maruell whose Préests you are The thirde Then they taught others now they must be instructed them selues and therfore lyke yong children they muste learne Catechismes God be thanked there is a great number of ministers that can teache others and may be your schoolemasters in all kinde of learnyng excepte you haue more than you vtter in these treatises If they that fynde some want of learning in themselues or that be crepte into the ministerie vnlearned eyther of theyr owne accorde or by commaundemente of their ordinarie reade and learne godlie and learned Cathechismes they are to be commended and so is he that prouoketh them therevnto That Catechisme whiche you in derision quote in the margent is a booké fit for you to learn also and I know no man so wel learned but it may become him to reade and learne that learned and necessarie booke But some arrogant spirites there be that thinke them selues of all men best learned and disdayne to learne of any That place of the fourth chapter of the first to Timothie dothe not forbid a man to learne He that is a good and modest preacher wil not disdayn as well to be taught as to teache The fourthe Then election was made by the common consent of the whole Churche nowe euery one picketh out for himselfe some notable good benefice he obteyneth the nexte aduouson by money or by fauour and so thinketh himselfe sufficiently chosen To proue that the election was then made by the coÌ„mon consent of the whole Churche you quote the fyrst of the Acts. I tolde you before maister Caluines iudgement of that place There is no mention of electing by any common consante And in the place by you quoted whiche is the. 26. verse it is declared howe they gaue foorth their lottes and that the lot fell on Mathias and that he was by a common consent compted with the eleuen Apostles here is no mention of any election But when he was extraordinarily through Gods prouidence by lot appoynted then they all compted him and estemed him as one of the Apostles where as before some of them would haue had Barsabas I thinke your meaning is not to haue always two at once to be presented to the ministerie and then one of them to be chosen by lot I knowe none of that opinion Wherfore this example is singular and extraordinarie and therfore no generall rule to be folowed If any man seeketh a benefice extraordinarily or vnlaufully If any man desire honorem the honor not onus the burthen opes the ryches not opus the vvoorke hée hathe to aunswere for it but I truste you will not accuse all though perhaps you knowe some I meane of youre selues and peraduenture your owne selfe The fifth Then the coÌ„gregation had authoritie to call ministers in steede therof now they runne they ride and by vnlawful sute and buying preuente other suters also To proue that the congregation had then authoritie to call ministers you alledge the sixte of the Acts which place of the Acts I touched before It speaketh not of ministers of the worde
and prouoke the Queenes maiestie and bring many faithfull ministers in such daunger as they cānot ridde themselues out of againe Hitherto Bullinger I haue the rather set downe these mens sayings at large bycause they be both pithie learned and wholy to the cōfutatiō of your assertion Wherefore I cōclude that a Christian magistrate may retayne any ciuill politique or Ecclesiasticall orders and rites of whomesoeuer they were inuēted or howsoeuer they haue bin abused so that First they be not against the word of god Secondly that iustification and remission of sinnes be not attributed vnto them Thirdly that the Churche be not troubled wyth the multitude of them Fourthly that they be not decréede as necessarie and not to be chaunged And last of all that men be not so tyed vnto them but that by occasion they maye bée omitted so that it be withoute offence and contempte Yet one thing I must admonish you of that there is a difference to be made betwixte those things which were wholy dedicated to false gods and to be vsed in the worshipping of them and those things which were vsed in the false worshipping of the true God for the Papists herein differ from the Gentiles that they acknowledge and confesse the true God and beleue the same articles of faith that we do but yet worship him not arighte nor beleue on him in all points as the word of God prescribeth And therefore if things abused of the Gentiles and inuented by them may be vsed of Christians much more may things inuēted and abused by Papists But of thys matter I minde also to speake something in the seconde parte of this Admonition The tenth Then as God gaue vtterance they preached the word only Nowe they reade homylyes articles Iniunctions c. Here you quote in the margent the sixte of Iohn vers 38. where Christ saith That he came dovvne from heauen not to do his ovvne vvill but the vvill of his father that sent him Likewise the 12. of Iohn vers 49. where also he saith that he hath not spoken so himselfe but the father that sent him gaue him commaundement vvhat he should say and vvhat he should speake And the first to the Corinthians 11. Chapter vers 23. where Saincte Paule sayeth that he receiued of the Lorde that vvhich he deliuered vnto them No man denieth but that the worde of God only ought to be preached and that as god giueth vtterāce but do you meane that we may not studie for our sermons or that we may speake nothing but the verie texte of Scripture without amplifying or expoundidg the same When I knowe your meaning herein you shall vnderstande more of my mynde In the meane time this I am sure of that the Homilies appointed to be reade in the Churche are learned godly agreable to Gods word and more effectuall to edification than a number of your sermons which consiste in wordes only and entreate of little else but of cap surplesse c. Archbishop Lorde Byshop c. the ende whereof is not edification but contention Homilies readde in the Churche haue alwayes bin commendable and vsuall euen from the beginning looke Augustine Chrysostome and others and why may not articles and Iniunctions béeing collected to the setting foorth of true religion and good orders in the Churche be read there also as in a most méete place but I perceyue you are enimies to reading bycause you loue so well to heare your selues talking I will say no worse The thirtenth and fourtenth Then it was painfull nowe gainfull Then poore and ignominious nowe rich and glorious And therefore titles liuings and offices by Antichrist deuised are giuen to them as Metropolitane Archbyshop Lords grace Lord Bishop Suffragane Deane Archedeacon Prelate of the garter Earle Coūtie Palatine honor high Commissioners Iustices of peace and quorum c. All which togither with their offices as they are strāge vnherd of in Christs church nay plainly in Christs word forbidden So are they vtterly with speed out of the same to be remoued It was then as it vseth to be vnder the crosse And ii is nowe as it vseth to be when God doth blesse it with peace quietnesse and godlie magistrates And yet surely euen nowe it is more painefull than gaynefull more ignominious than ryche and glorious and that doe those knowe that beare the heate of the daye But it is the more paynefull and ignominious for you who ceasse not with rayling and spitefull wordes in pulpits and at tables to depraue and backbite your brethrē and to trouble the whole state with your factiōs and daylie inuented newe opinions the persecution of the sword ceaseth but the persecution of the tung is extreame hot and we who gaine so muche and be so glorious are molested aswell by you as by the Papist and Atheist And therefore not verie glorious You ad and say That therefore titles liuinges and offices by Antichriste deuised are giuen to them as Metropolitane Archbishop lordes grace lorde bishop suffragane Deane Archdeacon prelate of the garter Earle Countie Palatine Iustice of peace and quorum c. All which togither with their offices as they are straunge and vnhearde of in Christes churche nay plainly in Gods worde forbidden So are they vtterlie with speede out of the same to be remoued Here you are in youre ruffe but you shewe your ignoraunce and contemptuous stomacke you haue giuen sentence that the names of Metropolitane Archbishop c. and their offices were deuised by Antichrist Likewise that they are strange and vnheard of in Christes church Also that they be plainelie in gods worde forbidden and last that they are vtterlie with spéede to be remoued If you can proue all these points it is time the churche were transformed and the whole kinde of gouernement of this Realme altered But if you cannot proue them then is it high time that such insolencie should be repressed and perturbers of Churches and common weales reformed Well I must do the best I can to improue all these poyntes whiche I might do sufficiently if I should as barely denie them as you haue affirmed them But I will not deale so nakedly in so great a matter First therfore I proue that the names of Metropolitan Archbishop c. be not Antichristian names that is names inuented by Antichrist but most auncient yea that they were in the Churche long before the Gospell was publiquely embraced by any Prince or in any kingdom Polydore Vergile lib. 4. de inuento rerum cap. 12. sayth that Clement in his booke entituled Compendiarium christiana religionis testifieth that the Apostle Peter did in euery Prouince appointe one Archbishoppe whome all other bishoppes of the same prouince shoulde obey he sayeth also that the same Archebishop was called Primas Patriarcha and Metropolitanus Peter was not Antichryst Ergo the name of an Archebyshop is no Antichrystian name Volusianus Bishop of Carthage who liued Anno domini 865. In one of his
be subiect to Deacons Deacons to Prestes prestes to Bishops the Bishop to Christ. And again Let no man do any thing vvhiche perteyneth to the Churche vvithout the consente of the Bishop And againe He that attempteth to do any thing vvithout the Bishop breaketh peace and confoundeth good order The like saying he hath in his epistle ad Magnesianos These thre epistles doth Eusebius make mentioÌ„ of Li. 3. ca. 35. .36 and hiero de viris illustribus Iustinus Martir one of the most aunciente writers of the Grékes in his second Apologie ad Anthonium Pium alloweth this superioritie and calleth him that bare rule ouer the other ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrillus calleth hym 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoretus li. 5. ca. 28. writeth that Chrisostome béeing the Bishop of Constantinople did not only rule that Church but the Churches also in Thracia in Asia and in Pontus Theodoretus Episcopus Ciri in an epistle that he writ to Leo saith of him selfe that he had gouernement ouer 800. Churches But what shall I néede to vse such proues in a matter so plaine and euident to all such as haue redde any thyng of antiquitie The best learned men of our dayes and diligentest preferrers of the Gospell of Christ do with one consente one or two of the latest writers excepted acknowledge and confesse that this distinction of degrées and superioritie in the gouernement of the Church is a thing most conuenient and necessarie Caluine in his institutions saith on this sorte That euerie prouince had among their Bishops an Archbishop and that the councell of Nice did appointe Patriarches vvhiche should be in order and dignitie aboue Archbishops it was for the preseruation of discipline Therefore for this cause especially vvere those degrees appointed that if any thyng shoulde happen in any particuler Churche vvhich coulde not there be decided it might be remoued to a prouinciall Synode If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause required greater consultation then vvas there added Patriarches togither vvith the synodes from vvhome there vvas no appeale but vnto a generall counsell This kinde of gouernement some called Hierarchiam an improper name and not vsed in the Scriptures For the spirite of God vvill not haue vs to dreame of dominion and rule in the gouernement of the Church But if omitting the name vve shall consider the thing it selfe vve shall finde that these old Bishops dyd not frame any other kinde of gouernmente in the Church from that vvhich the Lorde hath prescribed in his vvorde Caluine here misliketh this name Hierarchia but he alloweth the names authoritie of Patriarks and Archbishops and thinketh the gouernement of the Church then vsed not to differ from that which God in hys word prescribeth Hemingius in his Enchirid. sheweth that these degrées in the Church be necessarie and that discipline cannot be kepte without them And he addeth that their Churche kepeth this forme nec mouetur saith he anabaptist ar â—m ac libertinorum effrenilibidine qui ecclesiam Christi barbaricum quendam hominum coetum sine ordine fingunt cum habeat nostra ecclesia non solum exemplum Apostolicae purioris ecclesiae verum etiam mandatum spiritus sancti omnia ordinatè decenter ad aedificationem faciendi Neither is our Church moued vvith the licentious libertie of Anabaptists and Libertines vvhich faine the Church of Christe to be a barbarous confused societie vvithout order seing that our Church hath not only the example of the Apostolicall and most pure Church but also the commaundemente of the spirite of God to do all things orderly and decently to edifie Wherefore thus I conclude with the very words of that worthy man who hath so well deserued of thys Church of Englande master Foxe In the ecclesiasticall estate vve take not avvay the distinction of ordinarie degrees such as by the scripture be appointed or by the Primitiue Churche allovved as Patriarches or Archbishops Bishops Ministers DeacoÌ„s for of these foure we especially read as chiefe In vvhich foure degrees as vve grauÌ„t diuersitie of office so vve admitte in the same also diuersitie of dignitie neither denyeng that vvhich is due to each degre neyther yet mainteining the ambition of any singuler person For as we giue to the minister place aboue the Deacon to the Bishop aboue the Minister to the Archbishop aboue the Bishop so vve see no cause of inequalitie vvhy one minister shold be aboue another minister one Byshop in his degree aboue another Bishop to deale in his dioces or one Archbishop aboue another Archbishop And this is to keepe an order duely truly in the Churche according to the true nature and definition of order by the authoritie of Augustine libro de ciui Ordo est parium dispariumque rerum sua cuique loca tribueÌ„s dispositio Hitherto master Foxe Now let the indiffereÌ„t reader iudge whether these offices be strange vnherd of in the church of Christ or no. Concerning the offices of an high commissioner Iustice of peace how necessarily they be committed to some of the best and wisest of the Clergye what vice by them is brideled what inconuenience met with what necessarie discipline vsed those knowe that be wise and haue experience in publique affaires and gouernement There is no worde of God to proue why these offices may not concurre in one man But it is the commisson that troubleth these men as for peace they are at defiance with it To be shorte they say that all these offices be playnly in Gods word forbiddeÌ„ and they alledge Mat. 23. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Pet. 5. The places of Mathewe and Luke be aunswered before Christe beateth downe ambition and pride and desire of bearing rule as he did before when he saide be ye not called Rabbi and call no man father be not called doctors he doth not condemne the names but the ambition of the minde In the 1. Cor. 4. it is thus written Let a man thus thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ. c. The ministers of the worde in déed are not to be estéemed as Gods but as the ministers of god Some among the Corinthians gloried in their ministers and attributed to much vnto them hereof came these factioÌ„s I holde of Paule I of Apollo c. This teacheth your adhereÌ„ts and disciples not to attribute to much to you and such as you are or any other minister of Gods worde It maketh nothing against the names or authorities either of Archbishop Lord Bishop or any other that you haue named who be the ministers of Christ and ought so to be estéemed The place of S. Peter ca. 5. is thys Feede the flocke of god c. not as though you vvere lords ouer the flocke c. Peter here condemneth hautinesse contempt and tyrannie of pastours towards their flockes he doth not take away lawfull gouernment The pastor hath rule and superioritie ouer his flocke but it must not be tyrannicall These
be but very sclender proofes that the names and offices of Archebishops Lord Bishops c. be plainly forbidden by the word of God. Surelie you had thought that no man wold euer haue taken paines to examine your margent I am of Hemingius opinion in this pointe that I thinke this your assertiō smelleth of plaine Anabaptisme and surely if you had once made an equalitie such as you phansie among the Clergie it would not be long or you attempted the same amōg the laytie let thē take héede Tūc tua res agitur c. The fouretenth Then ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayers inuented by man but as the spirit moued them so they poured forth hartye supplications to the Lorde Now they are bounde of necessitie to a prescripte order of seruice and boke of common prayer in whiche a great number of things contrarie to gods word are conteined as baptisme by women priuate communiōs iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogether yet the greatest pece out of the popes portuis To proue that ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayer inuented by man but that as the spirite moued them c. you quote Rom. 8. and the 1. Timo. 1. In the eight to the Romaines the words be these Likevvise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for vve knovve not vvhat to pray as we ought but the spirite it self maketh request for vs vvith sighes vvhiche cannot be expressed This place speaketh nothing against any prescripte forme of prayer for then it shoulde dissalowe the Lords prayer but it teacheth vs that it is the spirite of God that sturreth vs vp to pray and maketh vs earnestly poure out our supplications vnto god And this the spirite worketh aswell by prescripte prayers as by prayers sodenly inuented The wordes to Timo. Epist. 1 ca. 1. vers 2. are farre fetched and nothing to the purpose the words be these vnto Timothie my naturall sonne in the faith grace ▪ mercy and peace from God our father and from Christ Iesu our lord What maketh these words against any prescripte forme of prayers peraduenture you would haue alledged the firste to Timo. 2. I exhorte therefore that first of all supplications c. which maketh directly against you If you meane by prayers inuented by man such prayers as man inuenteth against the word of God as prayer for the dead prayer vnto saincts and such like then it is true that you say But if you meane suche prayers as by godly men be framed according to the holy scriptures whether they be for matters perteyning to the life to come or to this life then you shewe your ignoraunce for it is manifest that there hath bene always in the Church of Christ a prescripte forme of publique praier as it appeareth in Iustinus Martir Apolo 2. pro christianis and other auncient fathers neither did euer any learned or godly man or reformed Church finde faulte herewith or not greatly commend the same excepte only the secte of Anabaptists Damasus was a good Byshop and therefore no good thing by him appointed to be disalowed but he did not first ordeyne a prescripte forme of publike prayers he only added something therevnto as Gloria patri c to the ende of euerie psalme And decréed that psalmes shoulde be song aswell in the night time as in the day time in euerie Churche but they were song in the Church before and as I haue said there was a prescript forme of prayer in Iustinus Martirs time who was long before Damasus Gregorie added the Letanie onley I muse what you meane to write so manifest vntruthes You note not here neither ar you able any prayer in the whole Communion booke wherin there is any thing not agréeable to gods word We may say as Sainct Augustin sayth in his 121. epistle writtē ad Probam viduam Et siper omnia precationum sanctarū verba discurras quātū existimo nihilmuenies quod nō ista Dominica cōtineat cōcludat oratio Vnde liberū est alijs atque alijs verbis eadem tamen in orando dicere sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere And if thou runnest thorough all the vvordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalte finde nothing vvhiche the Lordes prayer doth not conteine and comprehende therefore vve may in other vvords speake the same things in our prayers but vve may not speake contrarie things But you say A number of things cōtrary vnto gods worde are conteyned in this boke as baptisme by women priuate communions Iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogither yet the greatest peece out of the Popes portuis Here is not one prayer in all the whole cōmuniō booke found fault with and yet your quarrell is against a prescripte forme of prayers inuented by man. You maruellously forget your selfe and confusedly go from matter to matter without any consideration Digressing therefore from prayers conteyned in the communion booke you come to other matters in the same against gods word as you say and first you alledge baptising by women I deny baptising by womē to be expressed in that booke and whē you haue proued it to be necessarilye gathered out of the same then shal you heare my iudgemente thereof Your places of scripture alledged against it are not of sufficiente force to proue your purpose Christe in the 28. of Mathewe saide to his Disciples goe and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father c. Ergo women may not baptise I say this argumente followeth not no more than this doth Ergo pastors may not baptise for it is manifest that an Apostle is distinct from a pastor The second place you doe alledge is .1 Cor. 14. where Paule sayeth it is a shame for women to speake in the congregation Paule sayeth not that it is a shame for womē to speake at home in priuate houses for women may instructe their families yea and they may speake also in the congregation in time of necessitie if there be none els there that can or will preach Christ and hereof we haue examples If women do baptise they baptise in priuate houses not in the congregation Surely you are able to marre a good matter for lacke of skilfull handling You say in your margent that Victor An. 198. did first appoint that women might baptise By this ye adde more credite to the cause than you are aware of For Victor was a godly bishop and a martir and the Church at that time was in great puritie not being long after the Apostles time But truly I can finde no such thing in all his decrées only this he saith that such as be cōuerted of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ in time of necessitie or at the pointe of death may be baptised at any time in any place whether it be in the Sea or in a riuer or in a pond or in a well so
interprete it We reade in the eight of the Actes that Philip béeing a Deacon did baptize we reade also that Moses wyfe did cirumcise But where dothe this Churche of England allow any woman to baptise or deacon to celebrate the Lords supper and if it did the dignitie of the Sacraments doe not depende vpon the man be he minister or not minister be he good or euill Let euery one take héede that they do not vsurpe that authoritie wherevnto they be not called Those be your general reasons which in déede bée no reasons but bare words Your particuler reasons wherby you séeme to proue that neither of the sacraments be sincerely ministred be these that followe And first concerning the Lordes supper you reason on this sort Admonition They had no introite for Celestinus a Pope broughte it in about the yere .430 But we haue borrowed a péece of one out of the Masse booke Answere What you vnderstand here by the introite certaynlie I knowe not The first thing that we say at the Communion is the Lords prayer which Celestinus did not inuente but Chryste Mathew 6. nor first vse in the celebration of the Lordes Supper but the Apostles as we reade in good Chronicles nexte vnto that is a very godly and necessarie prayer worthy to bée sayde in the celebration of suche a mysterie and therfore no matter at all who inuented it or brought it in And yet Celestinus was a godly Byshoppe and the Churche of Rome at that time had the substaunce of the Sacraments according to Gods word neither was there any superstition mixed with them notwithstanding I know not any introite of Celestinus inuention that we haue in our order of the Communion for the introite that he appointed was one of the Psalmes as Volateranus Gratianus and Polydorus Virgilius doe testifie And we have not any Psalme in the celebration of the supper if we had it were not to be reproued This I am sure of that it is not euill bycause it is in the Masse booke excepte it be repugnaunt to the worde of God For the Lordes prayer some of the Psalmes the Gospels and Epistles the Nicene creede c. be in the Masse book and yet good so is there some other good prayers in it also Admonition They read no fragments of the Epistle and Gospell we vse both Answere And what faulte can you finde in that Is not the whole Scripture and euery péece of it profiâ—able 〈◊〉 edifie can the Scripture at any tyme in the open câ—â—gregation be read oute of season béeing in a knowne toung but I thinke your quarell is at reading not agaynst the Epistle and the Gospell Alwayes in the Churche there hath bene read the scriptures in the celebration of the mysteries and I am sure the Gospell was not wont to be read from the one ende to the other at one time Well it is but your opinion without reason that the Epistle and Gospel ought not to be read at that time for you bring no proole and I thinke the contrarie First bicause they be scripture and tend to edifie secondly bicause it hath bene the maner of long time euen since Alexanders time Anno. 111. The third The Nicene creede was not read in their communion we haue it in ours The Nicene Creede and euery parte of it is grounded vppon the worde of God it was collected by that famous Councell of Nyce to confounde that deteâ—table heresie of the Arrians and therefore méete to bée read in all Christian congregations neither â—an any mislike it but Arrians and suche lyke of the which secte you giue iuste suspitions that you bee fautours Thys Créede in this forme was not framed in the Apostles tyme bycause the heresie of Arrius was not then hatched And therfore no good reason to say it was not read in the Apostles tyme at the Communion Ergo it ought not to bée read nowe But this argument is intollerable the Nicene Créede is read at the Communion therefore the Communion is not sincerely ministred All these thrée reasons bée taken ab authoritate negatiuâ— and therefore of no force excepte we will also graunte these to bée true and suche like scilicet â–ª Then they had no â—hristian Princes and therefore we may haue no christian Princes Then they had no ciuill or politike lawes Ergo we ought to haue none Then the Churche had no externall peace but was vnder persecution Ergo it should haue no peace now Then Christians had proprietie in nothing but all things were common Ergo no man may haue any thing of his owns but common to other we doe not reade expressely that children were then baptised therefore they oughte not to be baptised nowe for so do the Anabaptistes reason neither do we reade that women dyd then receyue the Supper therfore they ought not to do it nowe with infinite other as absurde as these The fourth There was then accustomed to be an examination of the communicaÌ„ts which nowe is neglected Howe proue you that there was then any examination of communicants If there had bene either commaundement or example for it in scriptures I am sure you woulde not haue lefte it vnquoted in the margent S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 11. Probet homo scipfum Let a man examine him selfe c. But be speaketh of no other examination wherefore this reason of yours is altogither friuolous and without reason And yet I do not disalowe the examination of communicants so there be a discrete respect had of the persons places and other circumstaunces neither it is neglected in this Churche of Englande but by learned and discrete ministers with bearning and discretion vsed But note I pray you the force of his argument some ministers neglect to examine the communicants Ergo the Communion is not rightly and sincerely ministred as though the examination of the communicants were of the substance of the sacrament If you woulde reason after your accustomed manner you should rather coÌ„clude thus the Apostles were not examined when they receyued the Communion neither is it expressed in scriptures that they examined others therefore there oughte to bée no such examination this is your vsuall manner of reasoning but it is childish vnlesse it were to conclude damnation or saluation The fifth Then they ministred with common and vsuall bread nowe with wafer cakes brought in by Pope Alexander being in forme fashion substance like their God of the alter The place you alledge Act. 2. which is this And they coÌ„tinued dayly vvith one accorde in the Temple and breaking bread at home did eate their meate togither vvyth gladnesse and singlenesse of harte maketh as muche for your purpose as it maketh for the Papists halfe communion for they alledge it to proue that the supper may be ministred with bread onely But learned interpreters and especially Master Caluyne denie this place to bée mente of the ministration of the supper howsoeuer it is vnderstanded it doth not necessarily
proue that the sacrament was then ministred in common and vsuall bread for there is no mention made of the kinde of bread The place alledged out of the twentith of the Actes speaketh of bread but not of any one certaine kinde of bread The truth is that it skills not what kinde of bread is vsed leuened or vnleuened so it be breade although it were to be wished for the auoyding of superstition that common and vsuall bread were vsed and also that the forme were altered and the quantitie encreased But these things are not de substantia sacramenti and therefore not sufficiente to proue that the supper is not sincerely ministred If any thinke better of one kinde of bread than of another in the ministration of the sacrament it is their error and derogateth nothing from the order of administratiō Master Caluine in his Institutions cap. 19. sect 72. touching this matter writeth on this sorte Caeterum in manū accipiant fideles necne inter se diuidant an singuli quod sibi datum fuerit edant calicem in Diaconi manu reponant an proximo tradāt panis sit fermentatus an azymus vinum rubrum an album nihil refert haec indifferentia sunt in ecclesia libertate posita But whether the faithfull take it in their hands or no whether they deuide it among them selues or euerie one eate that whiche is giuen vnto them whether they giue the cup to the deacon or deliuer it to him that is nexte whether the bread be leuened or vnleuened the wine red or white it makes no matter These be indifferent things and put in the libertie of the Church Master Bucer likewise in his censure vppon the booke of common prayers is of the same iudgement his wordes be these The thirde chapter is of the substance forme and breaking of bread which all do vvell ynough agree vvith the institution of Christ vvhome it is manifest to haue vsed vnleuened bread and easie to be broken for he brake it and gaue to his disciples peeces of the bread broken Touching the forme and figure vvhether it vvere rounde or square there is nothing declared of the Euangelistes And bycause thys bread is vsed only for a signe and not for corporall norishmente I see not what can be reprehended in this description of the bread vvhiche is in this booke excepte some would peraduenture haue it thicker that it may the more fully represent the forme of true bread Alexander liued Anno. 111. and was a good and godlie Byshop It is reported in some writers that he appointed vnleauened breade to be vsed in the Eucharist bycause that Christ himselfe vsed the same according to the lawe written Exod. 12. Deute 16. But that he brought in wafer cakes or appointed any certayne forme of bread you cannot proue neyther doth any credible authour write it These words that you vse like the God of the alter be slaunderous and false we are as far frō thinking the bread to be our God as you and teache as sounde doctrine touching this sacramente And therefore you shew of what spirit you be The sixth They receyued it sitting we kneeling according to Honorius decree The places of Scripture that you quote in the margēt to proue sitting at the Communion declare that Christe and his disciples sat at the table but that proueth nothing For you might aswell haue sayde they receiued after supper we before dinner they at night we in the morning they after meate we before meate they in a priuate house we in the open Church they being al men in number .xii. we togither with women not strictly obseruing the number of twelue or any other number aboue thrée or foure This your argument toucheth them as well as it doth vs whiche receyue it standing or walking But to sitte stand knéele or walke be not of the substaunce of the sacrament and therefore no impediments why it may not be sincerely ministred It behoueth humble and méeke spirits in such indifferente matters to submitte them selues to the order of the Church appointed by lawfull authoritie and not to make schismes and contentions in the Church for the satisfying of their owne fansies Touching knéeling at the Communion it forceth not who did first appointe it although I can finde no suche decrée made by Honorius it is the méetest manner of receiuing this sacrament in mine opinion being commōly vsed in praying and gyuing of thanks both which are annexed to this sacramente and are to be required in the Communicants therfore I think this to be a good reason the méetest gesture for praying and thanks gyuing is knéeling but those that receiue the Eucharist pray and giue thāks Ergo the metest gesture for them is knéeling The onely perill is adoration whiche may aswell bée committed sitting or standing But wherefore then serueth preaching there is as muche daunger of contempte the one way as there is of adoration the other waye In such matters Christian magistrates haue authoritie to appointe what they thinke most cōuenient and the same must be obserued of those that be pacifici and not contentiosi But of sitting and knéeling at the Communiō more is to be spoken hereafter in the seconde parte The seuenth Then it was deliuered generally and indefinitely Take ye and eate ye we perticulerly and singulerly take thou eate thou Here is a high matter in a lowe house he that saith take ye and eate ye doth he not also say in effecte take thou and eate thou Doth not the plurall number include the singuler Christ Matth. 6. saith ad hunc igitur modum orate vos praye ye on this manner May we not therefore say pray thou on thys manner if we speake to one singuler person So speaking to all his Apostles he saith Ite in vniuer sum mundum Goe ye into all the vvorlde We vse the plurall number when we speake to many ioyntly we vse the singuler number when we speake to one seuerally and forasmuche as euerie one that receiueth this sacramente hath to applie vnto hym selfe the benefits of Christes death and passion therefore it is cōuenient to be sayd to euery one Take thou eate thou But this obiection is so ridiculous that it is more worthy to be hissed at than to be confuted The eight They vsed no other words but such as Christ lefte we borrowe from Papists the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche was giuen for thee c. From whencesoeuer these words were borrowed they were well borrowed for it is a godly prayer and an apte applycation of that sacrament and putteth the communicants in minde of the effecte of Christes passion exhibited vnto them by that sacrament and sealed with the same if it be worthily receiued It maketh no matter from whome we receiue any thing so it be godly profitable and consonant to the scriptures But I pray you tell vs what Pope inuented these words The body of our Lorde Iesus Christ. c. The
not wasted vpon loyterers and idle vagabounds Nowe it is the first steppe to the ministerie nay rather a mere order of priesthoode Answere In the whole .xij. chapiter of the Epistle to the Romanes there is not one worde to proue the office of a Deacon to consist in gathering almes and distributing the same neither yet dothe he speake there of the office of a Deacon no more dothe he in the thirde Chapiter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalo Lorde God what meane you thus to play with the scriptures It is true that in the primatiue Churche the office of a Deacon was to collecte and prouide for the poore but not onely for it was also their office to preache and to baptise for Stephen and Philippe béeing Deacons dyd preache the Gospell Act. 6.7.8 And Philip dyd baptyse the Eunuche Act. 8. Iustinus Martyr one of the moste auncient writers in his seconde Apologie sayth that in the administration of the Supper deacons did distribute the bread and the wine to the people The same doth master Caluine affirme of deacons in his Instit. ca. 19. It may well be compted the first steppe to the ministerie as it hath bene from the Apostles time and S. Paule ioyneth them togither 1. Tim. 3. Admonition For they may baptise in the presence of a Bishop or priest or in their absence if necessitie so require minister the other sacrament likewise reade the holy scriptures and homilies in the congregation instruct the youth in the Cathechisme and also preache if he be commaunded by the Byshop Answere I know not what you meane by your Ponti tit in the margent of your booke but if you meane the booke entituled the forme and maner of making and consecrating Byshops c. now allowed in this Church of Englande then do you vntruely reporte it for there is no mention of baptising in the presence of a Byshop or Priest neither yet of ministring the other sacrament in their absence if necessitie require onely the booke sayth that a deacon may baptise or preach if he be thervnto admitted by the Byshop and that he may so do by the worde of God I haue proued before As for reading the holy scriptures and Homilies in the congregation also for instructing the youth in the Cathechisme who doubteth but that a deacon may do them Admonition Agayne in the olde Churche euery congregation had their Deacons Answere O how aptely you haue alledged the Scriptures to proue that euery congregation had their deacons In the first to the Philip. these be the words Paule and Timotheus c. to all the Saincts which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Paule and Timotheus salute the Byshops Deacons which were at Philippi Therfore in those dayes euery congregation had their Deacons a straunge kind of reasoning you might well haue thus concluded Ergo at Philippi there was Deacons But surely this argument is too muche out of square there was Deacons at Philippi therfore euery congregation had their Deacons In the .13 of S. Iohn verse .27 these be the wordes And after the soppe Sathan entred into him then sayde Iesus vnto him that thou doste do quickly After supper Sathan entred into Iudas and Iesus sayde vnto him that thou doste do quickly Therefore euery congregation had their Deacons No maruell though your margent be pestred with Scriptures when you take libertie to make ex quolibet quidlibet Peraduēture you meane that Iudas was a Deacon as he was not but an Apostle bicause he carried the bagge and that some of the Apostles thought that Christ had bid him giue somwhat to the poore belike whosoeuer giueth a peny to the poore at his masters commaundement is with you a Deacon In the sixt of the Acts we learne that there were chosen seauen Deacons but there is not one worde to proue that euery congregation had their Deacons In the third of the first to Timothie S. Paule sheweth what qualities and conditions a Deacon ought to haue but not one worde of deacons béeing in euery congregation This is great audacitie thus manifestly to wring the scriptures without all colour or shew of reason Admonition Now they are tyed to Cathedrall Churches only what do they there gather the almes and distribute it to the poore nay that is the least peece or rather no parte of their function What then to sing a Gospell when the Bishop ministreth the Communion If this be not a peruerting of this office and charge let euery one iudge Answere I am sure you are not offended that there be Deacons in Cathedrall Churches For if they ought to be in euery congregatiō they ought to be there also and yet I know no such order now in Cathedrall Churches that they be more bounde to Deacons in the respecte of reading the Gospell thā other Churches be But admitte they were it is no peruerting of the office of a Deacon being incident to his office aswell to reade the Scriptures in the congregation and to exhorte as to giue almes and distribute to the poore For the state of the Churche is not nowe as it was in the Apostles tyme neyther is that parte of the office of a Deacon so necessary nowe as it was then being lawes and orders otherwise to prouide for the poore than there either was then or coulde haue bene Admonition And yet least the reformers of our time shold seeme vtterly to take out of gods Church thys necessarie function they appointe something to it concerning the pore and that is to search for the sicke needy and impotent people of the parrish and to intimate their estates names and places where they dwell to the Curate that by his exhortation they may be releeued by the parrish or other conuenient almes And thys you see is the nighest parte of his office and yet you must vnderstande it to be in suche places where there is a Curate and Deacō euery parrishe cannot be at that cost to haue both nay no parrish so farre as can be gathered at thys present hath Answere And what faulte can you finde herewith is not thys greatly to be commended If euery parrishs cannot be at the cost to haue both Curate and Deacon why do you require them both in euery parrish Why do you not thinke well of suche lawes as appoint collectours for the poore which may aswell prouide for them and better too than could the Deacon who must be susteyned himselfe with that which the poore should haue Admonition Now then ▪ if you will restore the Churche to his ancient officers this you must do In stead of an Archbyshop or Lorde Byshop you must make equalitie of ministers Answere I haue proued before that aswell the name as office of an Archbishop is both most auncient and also most necessarie in the Church of Christ and that this equalitie of ministers which you require is both flatly against the scriptures and all aunciente authoritie of councells and learned
men and the example of all Churches euen from Christes time as more plainly apereth by these words of Master Bucer in his book de regno Christi Iam ex perpetua ecclesiaruÌ„ obseruatione ab ipsis iam Apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritui sancto vt inter presbiteros quibus ecclesiaruÌ„ procuratio potissimum est commissa vnâ—â— ecclesiarum totius sacri ministerij curam gerat singularem eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeeat alijs Qua de causa Episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum câ—ratoribus est peculiariter attributum c. Nowe we see by the perpetuall obseruation of the Churches euen from the Apostles them selues that it hath pleased the holy ghost that amongst the ministers to whome the gouernement of the Churche especially is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the Churches and of the whole ministerie and that he should go before all other in that care and diligence for the which cause the name of a Bishop is peculiarly giuen to suche chiefe gouernours of Churches c. Furthermore I haue declared that it engendreth schismes factioÌ„s and contentions in the Churche and bringeth in a méere confusion and is a braunch of Anabaptisme And now I adde that you desire this equalitie not bycause you would not rule for it is manifest that you séeke it most ambitiously in your manner but bycause you contemne and disdayne to be ruled and to be in subiection In déede your meaning is as I saide before to rule and not to be ruled to do what you liste in your seuerall cures wythoute controlemente of Prince Byshoppe or any other And therefore pretending equalitie most disorderly you séeke dominion I speake that I know by experience in some of you Your places quoted in the margent to proue that there ought to be an equalitie of ministers sounde nothing that way 2. Cor. 10. vers 7. These be the words of the Aposâ—le Looke ye on things after the appearaunce If any trust in him selfe that he is Christes let him consider this agayne of him selfe that as he is Christes euen so are we Christes How conclude you of these words your equalitie I promise you it passeth my cunning to wring out of them any such sense rather the contrarie may be gathered out of the words following which be these For though I shoulde boast somewhat more of our authoritie which the Lorde c. I should haue no shame Master Caluin expounding these words saith on this sorte It vvas for modestie that he ioyned himselfe to their number vvhome he did farre excell and yet he vvold not be so modest but that he would kepe his authoritie safe therefore he addeth that he spake lesse than of right he might haue done For he vvas not of the commoÌ„ sorte of ministers but one of the chefe among the Apostles And therefore he saith if I bost more I neede not be ashamed for I haue good cause And a litle after Quamuis enim commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus Although the selfe same office be common to all the ministers of the vvorde yet there is degrees of honor Thus you sée Caluine farre otherwise to gather of this place than you do The place in the first to the Coloss. vers 1. is this Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the vvill of God and Timotheus our brother Surely your mynd was not of equalitie I thinke when you quoted these places to proue it But it is your vsuall manner without all discretion and iudgement to dally and play with the scriptures For what sequele is there in this reason Paule calleth Timothie brother Ergo in all respects there must be equalitie as though there were not distinction of degrées euen among brethren Admonition In stead of Chauncelors Archdeacons Officialles Commissaries Proctors Doctors Summoners Churchwardens and such like you haue to place in euery congregation a lawfull and godly Seigniorie Answere That is in stead of learned wise and discréete men you must place to gouerne the Churche in euerie congregation vnlearned ignoraunte and men most vnapte to gouerne for suche of necessitie you must haue in most coÌ„gregations But I pray you do thus much for me firste proue that there was in euery congregation such as you call seniors When you haue done that then shewe me that that office and kinde of regiment ought to be perpetuall and not rather to be altered according to the state and condition of the Church Last of all that these seniors were lay men as we call them and not rather ministers of the worde and Bishops When you haue satisfied my request in these thrée points then will I procéede further in this matter In the meane time I do not defende any Chaunceller Archdeacon c. which abuse their office I wish such reformed with all my harte But wherein haue Churchewardens offended you I perceiue nothing that is nowe in the Church can please you Admonition The deaconship must not be confouÌ„ded with the ministerie nor the Collectours for the pore may not vsurpe the Deacons office but he that hath an office must loke to his office and euery man must kepe him selfe within the bonds and limits of his owne vocation Answere Neyther do we confounde them and yet Paule in the place by you quoted in the margente speaketh not one worde of confounding or not confounding these offices So the poore be prouided for it forceth not whether prouision be made by Deacons or by collectours by the one it may be well done by the other it cannot be done in all places as the state is nowe But shewe any scripture to proue that the poore must only be prouided for by Deacons else not Admonition And to these three ioyntly that is the ministers seniors and Deacons is the whole regiment of the Church to be committed Answere This is only by you set downe without proofe therefore I will heare your reasons before I make you aunswere In the meane time I pray you what authoritie in these matters do you giue to the ciuill magistrate me thinke I heare you whisper that the Prince hath no authoritie in ecclesiasticall matters I know it is a receiued opinion among some of you and therin you shake hands also with the Papists and Anabaptists Admonition This regiment consisteth especially in ecclesiasticall discipline whiche is an order lefte by God vnto his Church whereby men learne to frame their willes and doings according to the lawe of God by instructing and admonishing one another yea and by correcting and puinshing all wilfull persons and contemners of the same Of thys discipline there is two kinds one priuate wherwith we wil not deale bycause it is impertinent to our purpose â–ª another publike which although it hath ben long banished yet if it might now at the length bee restored wold be very necessary and profitable for the building vp of Gods
lacke of experience in such matters and therefore I can say little in them Let them answere for themselues they be of age sufficient Admonition Not that wee meane to take awaye the authoritie of the ciuile magistrate and chiefe gouernour to whome we wishe all blessednesse for the increase of whose godlinesse we dayly pray but that Christe being restored into his kingdome to rule in the same by the scepter of his worde and seuere discipline the prince may be better obeyed the realme more flourishe in godlynesse and the Lorde him selfe more syncerely and purely accordynge to his reuealed will serued than heretofore he hath ben or yet at this present is Answere I will not speake what I thinke your former assertions agrée not with this protestation Christ ruleth in hys Churche by the godlie Magistrate whom he hath placed ouer his Churche and to whom he hath committed hys Churche touching externall policie and gouernemente and whosoeuer therewith is not content or setteth hym selfe against it playeth the parts of Corah Dathan and Abiram and be occasions why neyther the Prince is obeyed as she ought to be nor God so truly serued c. Admonition Amende therefore these horrible abuses and reforme Gods Church the Lorde is on your right hande you shall not be remoued for euer For he wil deliuer and defend you from all your enimies eyther at home or abroade as he did faithfull Iacob and good Iehosaphat Let these things alone God is a righteous iudge he will one day call you to your reckening Answere The greatest abuse that I knowe in this Churche is that you and such as you are be suffred to do as you doe and with your schismes to trouble the peace of the church and to contemne those that be in authoritie other abuses that be in the same I doubt not but that they shall by due order be reformed Admonition Is a reformation good for Fraunce and can it be euill for England Is discipline meete for Scotlande and is it vnprofitable for this realme Surely God hath sette these examples before your eyes to encourage you to goe forewarde to a thorowe and a speedie reformation You may not doe as heretofore you haue done patche and peece nay rather goe backewarde and neuer labour or contend to perfection But altogither remoue whole Antichrist both head bodie and braunche and perfectely plante that puritie of the word that simplicitie of the Sacramentes that seueritie of discipline which Christe hath commaunded and commended to his Churche Answere Hath there bene no reformation in this Churche of Englande since the Quéenes maiesties reigne what say you to the abolishing of the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome what saye you to the banishing of the Masse Nay what say you to the puritie of doctrine in al points perteining to saluation is this no reformation with you O intollerable vnthankfulnesse England is not bound to the example eyther of France or Scotlande I would they bothe were if it pleased God touching religion in that state and condition that England is I would Antichrist were as farre from them remoued The Lorde make vs thankefull and continue this reformation wée haue and graunte peace to his Churche and eyther conuerte the hartes of those that be enimies vnto it or remoue them Admonition And here to ende we desire al to suppose that we haue not attempted this enterprise for vain glory gaine preferment or any other wordly respecte Answere I would to God you were as frée frō vaine glory ambition malice and other sinister affections as you would séeme to be But no indifferente man reading your booke will so thinke of you for besids the opprobrious vnsemely termes you vse towards your superiours your admonition smelleth altogether of popularitie and vayne glory Admonition Neyther yet iudging our selues so exactly to haue set out the state of a Churche reformed as that nothing more coulde be added or a more perfect forme and order drawne for that were greate presumption to arrogate so muche vnto our selues seing that as we are but weake and simple soules so God hath raised vp men of profound iudgement and notable learning Answere And yet in the beginning of youre booke you call it a true platforme of a Churche reformed and I dare saye you thinke it to be as perfect a forme of a Church as all the best learned godliest men in the world could frame For it is wel known that men of your disposition think commonly as well of themselues as they do of any man else and better too But we graunt vnto you that you are so farre from setting downe a perfect state of a Churche reformed that you maye rather be called confounders and deformers than buylders and reformers Admonition But therby to declare our good wils toward the setting forth of Gods glorie and the buylding vp of his Church accompting this as it were but an entrāce into further matter hoping that our God who hathe in vs begonne thys good worke wil not only in tyme hereafter make vs strong and able to go forward therin but also moue other vpon whom he hath bestowed greter measure of his gifts and graces to labour more thorowly and fully in the same Answere God graunte you maye become buylders and not destroyers I thinke in déede you haue but begon I know there is other opinions among you which be not yet cōmonly knowne and truly I doubte that you will neuer ende but from tyme to tyme coyne new deuises to trouble the Church vntil you haue brought that heauie plage of GOD vppon vs whiche the lyke kynde of men thorough their schismes and heresies haue brought vpon all those places almoste where any of the Apostles preached and where the Gospell was first planted and commonly before ruine and destruction commeth inwarde discorde and domesticall dissention The Lorde make vs thankefull for the puritie of his Gospell that wée by his mercie enioy The Lorde roote out schismes and factions from among vs and either conuert or confounde the authors of them The Lorde of his singular goodnesse continue our gracious Quéene Elizabeth vnto vs and giue vs faithfull and obediente heartes to his worde and to hir Maiestie Amen AFter I had ended this confutation of the Admonition there comes to my hande a newe edition of the same wherin some things be added some detracted and some altered which I thought good here breefly to set downe and to examine that it may be séene what these men haue learned since they published their first booke Additions detractions and alterations in the first part of the Admonition In the preface to Archbishops Bishops Suffragans Deanes c. they haue added Uniuersitie doctors and bachelers of diuinitie It should seme that they would haue a confusion of degrées which they cal equalitie aswell in Uniuersities as in Parishes and other their imagined congregations marke whether this geare tende not to the ouerthrowe of
Uniuersities and of all good learning In the margent for the .15 of Mathewe vse 23. they haue quoted the .15 of Mathew vse 13. to proue that tyrannous Lordship can not stande with Chrystes kingdome the words be these But he answered and sayd euery plant which my father hath not plaÌ„ted shall be rooted vp meaning that suche as be not by frée adoption and grace grafted in Iesus Chryst shal be rooted vp But this proueth not their proposition I do not allowe tyrannous Lordship but I disallow such vnapt reasons In the same preface speaking of byshops c. they haue added these words they were once of our minde but since their consecration they be so transubstaÌ„tiated that they are become such as you see It may be that coÌ„sideration of the time place state condition other circumstances hath altered some of them in some points as wise not wilful men in such matters by such circumstances be ofteÌ„times altered but that any one of them were euer of your minde in moste things vttered in those two treatises I can not be persuaded In the Admonition the .1 leaâ—â— For the .1 Acts. vse 12. is noted Acts. 2. vse 21. to proue that in the olde Church there was a tryall had bothe of the ministers abilitie to instruct of their godly conuersatioÌ„ also The text is this And it shal be that whosoeuer shal call on the name of the Lord shal be saued Which is farther froÌ„ the purpose a gret deale than the other place is There is also in the same leafe lefte out king Edwards priests which argueth with how little discretion and lesse aduise the first admonition was penned Speaking of learning master Nowels Cathechisme these words be added and so first they consecrate them and make them ministers theÌ„ they set theÌ„ to schole This scoffe is answered before might very wel haue bene left out And a little after where it was before then election was made by the common consent of the whole church now it is thus corrected then election was made by the elders with the common consent of the whole church which altereth the matter something but yet is not proued by the texte alledged out of the .1 of the Actes and by me answered before For Act. 14. vse 13. is quoted Act. 14. vse 23. which ouer-fight I my selfe haue corrected in my answer to the place There is also left out an albe which before was sayd to be required by the pontifical in the ordring of ministers As I said before so I say agayn that in the booke of ordring mnisters now vsed printed since An. do 1559. there is nether required albe surples vestimeÌ„t nor pastoral staff This line is also added these are required by their pontificall meaning surplesse vestiment c. which is vntrue as I haue sayd before For the .1 Ti. 1. vse 14. now it is .1 Ti. 1. vse 19. but it is not to proue any matter in controuersie onely it is vncharitably and vniustly applied For .1 Sam. 9. vse 28. is placed .1 Sam. 9. vse 18. the self same place that I haue answered before Where before it was thus written then ministers were not so tied to any forme of prayers inuented by man now these words inuented by man be left out there is added as necessitie of time required so they might poure c. I know not their meaning except they wold neither haue vs bouÌ„d to the lords prayer nor any other It was before remoue Homilies articles iniunctions a prescript order now it is that prescript order Wherby it should séeme that they haue learned to allow of a prescript order of praiers but not of that prescript order which is in the booke of publike prayers This is no dallying neither yet inconstancie For the .3 of Mat. vse 12. is placed .3 of Mat. vse 1. to proue that in the old time the worde was preached before the sacraments were ministred The place now alledged is this In those dayes Iohn the Baptist came preached in the wildernesse of Iudea This proueth that Iohn preached but it proueth not that wheÌ„soeuer Iohn did baptise thaÌ„ he did preach Oueragainst these words the Nicene crede was not read in their coÌ„munion is written in the margent note that we condeÌ„ne not the doctrine coÌ„teined therin If you condeÌ„ne not the doctrine therin what do you theÌ„ coÌ„demne or why mislike you the coÌ„munioÌ„ bicause that créede conteining true doctrine is read at the celebratioÌ„ therof It is wel that you make this protestatioÌ„ if you meane good faith Here is also added the .42 vse Act. 2. to proue that theÌ„ the sacrament was ministred with coÌ„mon vsual bread which place I haue answered before in answering to the .46 vse of that cha Wheras before it was thus interrogatories ministred to the infant godfathers and godmothers brought in by Higinus now godfathers and godmothers brought in by Higinus is left out It is happie that you are so sone persuaded to allow of godfathers godmothers I perceiue you tooke vpon you to set downe a platforme of a Church before you had well considered of it Fol. 4. For some one of the congregation is now some of the congregation wherby they séeme to allow mo godfathers than one which they did not before For the .14 of the Acts. vse 4. is noted the .15 of the Acts vse 4. to proue that the office of Seniors was to gouerne the Churche with the rest of the ministers but without reason For it is onely there written that at Ierusalem there was Apostles and Elders and that Paule and Barnabas declared vnto them what things God had done by them I denie not the thing it selfe wherof I haue sufficiently spoken before but the argument These seniors then bicause their charge was not ouermuche did execute their office in their own persoÌ„s Now these words bicause their charge was not ouermuche be left out Wherfore they haue left them out I knowe not Fol. 5. They haue left out doctors thrée times in this leafe which before they recited with Chauncelors Archedeacons officials commissaries proctors Be like they haue remembred that this word Doctor is founde in the newe Testament and especially Doctor of lawe To proue equalitie of ministers they haue added Phil. 1. vse 1. 1. Thes. 1.1 The first place is this Paule and Timotheus the seruaunts of Iesus Chryst to all Saincts in christes Iesus that are at Philippi with the Byshops and Deacons The second is this Paule and Syluanus and Timotheus vnto the church of the Thessalonians c. Truly I know not how to conclude of those places an equalitie of all ministers I would to God you would set downe your places and frame your arguments your selues Fol. 6. They haue forgotten to quote Heb. 6.1 haue lefte out the body braunch of Antichrist and for the same haue put in the tayle But these are but trifles and very slender corrections ¶
and Martirs at their end for eyther all or the most parte of them haue sealed this boke with their bloud But by the way this is to be noted that you confesse your selues to haue allowed that by vsing of it which you say is against the worde of God. The vnperfectnesse of this booke 〈◊〉 suche things in the same as be culled and picked out of that popish dunghill the masse booke wyth the contents therin that be against the worde of God shal apeare I am sure in your seuerall reasons for it is not sufficiente for you barely to say so withoute wit learning or reason This you know right well that in so saying you make the Papists leape for ioy bycause they haue gotten suche companions to assault this booke whilest they rest them and lye as it were in slepe O that the wise men of thys Realme suche I meane as be in authoritie sée not thys Popish practise and séeke not with more earnestnesse to preuent it Will ye suffer the Papists to gather strength and to multiplie by tollerating suche libellers vnder the pretence of reformation to discredit so muche as lyeth in them yea to ouerthrowe the whole state and substance of religion in this Church be not secure but watche and remēber the beginning and encrease of the Anabaptists of late in Germany which I haue described in my preface to this booke You saye that you can not but muche maruell at the craftye wylynesse of those menne whose partes it had bene firste to haue proued eache and euery contente therein to bee agreeable to Gods woorde c. Nay surely but it were youre partes rather to proue that there is some thing therein contrary or not agréeable to Gods worde For suche as bée learned and knowe the manner of reasoning saye that the Opponente muste proue or improue and not the Aunswerer They stande to the defence and mayntenaunce of the Booke you séeke to ouerthrowe it it is youre partes therefore to iustifie youre assertions by reasons and argumentes Nowe to your reasons Admonition The first is this They shoulde firste proue by the worde of God that a readyng Seruice going before and with the administration of the Sacraments is according to the worde of God that priuate communiō priuate baptisme baptisme ministred by women holydaies ascribed to saints prescript seruices for them kneeling at Communion wafer cakes for their bread whē they minister it surplesse and cope to do it in churching of women comming in vayles abusing the Psalme to hir I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hilles c. and suche other foolish thinges are agreable to the written worde of the almightie Answere I do not well vnderstand your meaning woulde you haue vs to proue that to reade prayers before and with the administration of the sacraments is according to the word of god In déede in the booke of seruice there is first appointed to be read some one or two profitable sentences mouing either to prayer or to repentance after followeth a generall confession then the Lords prayer and certaine Psalmes nexte certaine Chapiters out of the olde and newe testamente c. Last of all the administration of the Sacramente If you aske me of the sentences they be Scripture If of the Lords prayer Psalmes and chapiters they be scripture also If of the Sacrament of the supper it is according to Scripture Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. If of the other prayers annexed they be likewise according to the scripture for they be made to God in Christes name for suche things as we néede or as we desire according to that saying of christ Quicquid petieritis c. VVhatsoeuer you aske my father in my name c. And again Petite dabitur vobu Aske and it shal be giuen vnto you Math. 7. and. Iacob 1. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it c. 1. Ti. 2. with other infinite places besides If you would haue vs to proue that to reade prayers or scripture in the Churche is according to the worde of God whiche you séeme to denie then we say vnto you that if there were any pietie in you any religiō any learning you would make no such vaine and godlesse doubts Was there euer any from the beginning of the worlde to thys daye the Zwinfildians onely excepted that mysliked reading of prayers and Scriptures in the Church but you But touching reading in the Churche I haue spoken before in the former treatise and minde to speake something of it hereafter as occcasion shal be ministred If you meane by priuate communion the communion ministred to one alone there is no suche allowed in the booke of common prayers but if you call it priuate bycause it is ministred sometime in priuate houses to sicke persons Then haue we the example of Christ who ministred the supper in a priuate house and inner parlor Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Math. 26. We haue also the example of the Apostles them selues who did minister the Supper in priuate houses especially if that place bée vnderstanded of the supper whiche is in the seconde of the Actes and before alleadged of you to proue that common and vsuall bread oughte to be in the supper Likewise of the primatiue Churche as appeareth in the seconde Apologie of Iustinus Martyr Tertul. de corona militis and others If you meane by priuate baptisme baptisme ministred in priuate houses and families you haue therof example in the Scriptures Acts. 10. other priuate baptisme allowed in the church of Englande I know none Master Bucer in his censure vppon the Communion booke speaking of the order appoynted in the same for priuate baptisme writeth thus In this constitution all things are godly appoynted I would to God they were so obserued and especially this that the baptisme of Infants be not deferred for therby is a doore opened vnto the diuell to bring in a contempt of baptisme and so of oure whole redemption and Communion of Chryste which through the sect of Anabaptists hath too muche preuayled with many For women to baptise we haue no rule that I knowe in the whole Communion booke but in scripture we haue an example of Moses wife that did circumcise and circumcision is correspondent to baptisme But I know no generall doctrine can be grounded of a singuler example and therfore most of your arguments be very féeble Holy dayes ascribed to Sainctes wherein not the Saincts but God is honored and the people edified by reading and hearing suche stories and places of scripture as pertayne to the martyrdome calling and function of suche Saincts or any other thing mentioned of them in scripture muste néedes be according to Gods worde For to honor God to worship him to be edifyed by the stories and examples of Saincts out of the scripture can not be but consonant to the scripture The proscript seruice for them is all taken out of Gods word and not one péece thereof but it
vpon the .2 to the Coloss. But some will say that we as yet haue some kind of obseruing dayes I answere that we obserue them not as though there were any religion in them or as thoughe it were not then lawfull to labour but we haue a respect of pollicie and orders not of dayes And in his institutions vpon the fourth commaundement Neither do I so speake of the seuenth day that I would binde the Church onely vnto it for I do not condemne those Churches which haue other solemne dayes to meete in so that they be voide of superstition which shal be if they be ordeyned onely for the obseruing of discipline and order Master Bucer in his Epistle to master Alasco speking of holy dayes sayth that in the Scriptures there is no expresse commaundement of them it is gathered notwithstanding sayth he from the example of the olde people that they are profitable for vs to the encrease of godlynesse which thing also experience proueth To be short Illiricus writing vppon the fourth to the Gala. maketh this diuision of obseruing dayes times The first is natural as of sōmer spring time ▪ winter ▪ c. time of planting time of sowing time of reaping c. The seconde is ciuill The thirde Ecclesiasticall as the sabboth day and other dayes wherein is celebrated the memorie of the chiefe histories or acts of Christ which be profitable for the instruction of the simple that they may the better remēber when the Lorde was borne when he suffred when he asscended vp into heauen be further taught in the same The fourth superstitious when we put a necessitie worshipping merite or righteousnesse in the obseruing of time and this kinde of obseruing dayes and times is onely forbydden in this place Thus you sée by the iudgements of all these learned men that days ascribed to saincts is no such matter as ought to make men seperate them selues from the Church and abstayne from allowing by subscription so worthy godly a booke as the booke of common praier is much lesse to make a schisme in the Church for the same Touching fasting on the euens of suche feastes or rather absteyning from flesh you know it is not for religion but for pollicie and as I thinke the same is protested in that Acte where suche kinde of absteyning is established and therfore these be but slender quarels picked to disalowe suche a booke Admonition The fourth reason In this booke we are enioyned to receyue the Communion kneeling whiche beside that it hath in it a shewe of Papistrie dothe not so well expresse the mysterie of this holy Supper For as in the olde Testamente eating the Pascall Lambe standing signified a readinesse to passe euen so in the receyuing of it nowe sitting according to the example of Chryste we signifie reste that is a full fynishing thorough Chryste of all the ceremoniall Lawe and a perfecte worke of redemption wroughte that giueth reste for euer And so we auoyde also the daunger of Idolatrie whiche was in tymes paste too common and yet is in the heartes of many who haue not as yet forgotten their breaden God so slenderly haue they ben instructed Agaynst whiche wee may sette the commaundemente Thou shalte not bowe downe to it nor worship it Answere Surely this is a sore reason the booke of Common prayers requireth kneeling at the Communion Ergo it is not to be allowed That knéeling is not to be vsed you proue on this sort Kneeling is a shewe of papistrie and dothe not so well expresse the misterie of the Lords supper therefore not to be vsed Of knéeling at the Communion I haue spoken before now therfore I will onely note in one worde or two the slendernesse of this argument You say knéeling is a shewe of euill and for proofe thereof you alledge 1. Thessa. 5. Absteyne from all apparance of euyll Howe followeth this the Apostle willeth vs to abstayne from all apparaunce of euill Therefore knéeling at the Communion is a shew of euill But your meaninge is that bicause the Papistes knéeled at the sacring of the Masse as they called it therefore we may not knéele at the receiuing of the Communion you may as well say they prayed to images and saincts knéeling therfore we may not pray knéeling There is no such perill in knéeling at the Communion as you surmise for the gospeller is better instructed than so grossely to erre And as for the learned Papiste he is so farre from worshipping that he disdayneth that holy Communion iesteth at it and either altogither absteyneth from comming vnto it or else commeth onely for feare of punishement or pro forma tantum for fashion sake and the moste ignoraunt and simplest Papist that is knoweth that the Communion is not the Masse neither do they sée it lifted vp ouer the Priestes heade with suche great solemnitie as they did when they tooke it to be their god No truely the contempt of that misterie is more to be feared in them than worshipping and to be short if they be disposed to worship they will aswel worship sitting as knéeling But they are farre from suche an opinion of the bread and wine in the blessed Communion for they make no accompt at all of it You say sitting is the moste meetest gesture bycause it signifieth rest that is a full finishing thorowe Christ of all the ceremoniall lawe c. What are ye nowe come to allegories and to significations Surely this is a very papisticall reason Nay then we can giue you a great deale better significations of the Surplesse of crossing of the ring in mariage and many other ceremonies than this is of sitting I praye you in the whole Scripture where dothe sitting sygnifie a full finishing of the ceremoniall lawe and a perfect worke of redemption that giueth rest for euer If allegories please you so well let vs haue eyther standing which signifieth a readinesse to passe vsed also in the eating of the Passeouer or knéeling whiche is the proper gesture for prayer and thankes giuing and signifieth the submission and humblenesse of the mynde But you say Christ sat at his Supper therfore we must sitte at the receyuing of the Supper You may as well say Christ did celebrate his Supper at night after Supper to twelue onely men and no women in a parlour within a priuate house the thursday at night before Easter therfore we ought to receyue the Cōmunion at night after supper being twelue in number and onely men in a parlor within a priuate house the Thursday at nighte before Easter But who séeth not the non sequitur of this argument The places written in youre margent to proue that Christ did sitte at Supper be néedlesse and were vsed for the same purpose before where I haue also spoken my opinion of kneeling If you cite the Gal. 4. and 5. and the Epistle to the Hebrues in many places to proue that sitting signifieth rest that is a full
be not present Well men may sée whervnto this geare tendeth if they be not blinde Benedictus also Nuns dimittis and Magnificat be great motes in your eyes but you shewe no reason worthy to be answered onely in derision you say except some of them were ready to dye or would celebrate the memorie of the Uirgin or Iohn Baptist. As thoughe these Hymmes or Psalmes were not profitable for all men as the rest of the holy Scripture is but these especially bicause they conteyne the mysterie of our saluation and the prayse of God for the same By this your reason we may not vse any of the Psalmes vntil we be in like case as Dauid was or other when they were first made But I thinke nowe the time is come when those shall correct magnificat qui nesciunt quid significat Truely this your dooing is a méere prophanation of holy scriptures Admonition The thirtenth In all their order of seruice there is no edification according to the rule of the Apostle but confusion They tosse the Psalmes in most places like tennise balles the people some standing some walking some talking some reading some praying by theÌ„selues attende not to the minister He againe posteth it ouer as faste as he can gallop for either he hath two places to serue or else there are some games to be played in the after noone as lying for the Whetstone heathenishe dauncing for the ring a Beare or a Bull to be bayted or else Iacke an apes to ryde on horse backe or an Enterlude to bee playde and if no place else can bee gotten it muste bee doone in the church c. Now the people sit now they stand vp wheÌ„ the old testameÌ„t is read or the lessons they make no reuerence but when the Gospell commeth then they all stande vp For why they think that to be of greatest authoritie and are ignorant that the scriptures came from one spirite When Iesus is named then off goeth the cappe and downe goeth the knees with suche a scraping on the grounde that they can not heare a good while after so that the word is hindred but when any other names of God are mentioned they make no curtesie at all as though the names of God were not equall or as though all reuerence oughte to be giuen to the sillables We speake not of ringing when Mattens is done and other abuses incident bicause we shal be answered that by the booke they are not mainteined only we desire to haue a booke to refourme it As for Organes and curious singing though they be proper to popishe dennes I meane to Cathedral churches yet some others also muste haue them The Queenes Chappell and these Churches must be paternes and presidents to the people of all superstitions Answere This is a slaunderous vntruth And the .1 Cor. 14. abused to confirme it Whatsoeuer S. Paule requireth in that place is vsed in that booke of Seruice for first the whole seruice is in a tong knowne as S. Paule there requireth that the people may vnderstande and say Amen Then are the Scriptures read the Sacramentes ministred according to Christes owne institution those that be godly disposed persons knowe what a manifeste vntruth this is that you here vtter But madde men women and children must haue their wordes If by tossing of Psalmes you meane the singing of them alternatim then doe you disallowe that whiche is both commendable and of great antiquitie as it appereth in an Epistle that Basilius Magnus did write to the ministers in Neocesaria where he sheweth the selfe same order of singing Psalmes to be then vsed in the churche that we vse at this day If by tossing of Psalmes lyke tennyse balles you meane the ouer hastie reading or singing of them it is in déede to be mislyked but it is no parte of the booke and therfore no cause why you should absteyn from subscribing to it Walking talking reading priuate praying of the people in time of Common prayers seruing of two cures games played in the afternoone on the Sabboth daye as lying for the whetstone c. be faults worthy of punishment where they be vsed but they are not within the contentes of the boke they are here recited out of place to no purpose This is very malicious and vndiscrete dealing to burden the common order with suche faultes whiche by the malice of men are growen in vse and are of all good men mislyked So you might haue burdened Saint Paule and other preachers with the faults of the Churches of Corinth and Galathians and the residue of the Apostles with the superstitions of the Iewes conuerted in the primitiue Churche and all good rulers with such faultes as corruption of time breedeth Standing or sitting at this time or that time is indifferent and therfore may both be well vsed and abused also Kneeling at the name of Iesus is of the lyke nature ringing when matâ—ins is doone as you tearme it curious singing organs â–ª c. All these be without the booke and therfore without discretion alledged as a reason why you wil not subscribe to the book Here it pleaseth you to call Cathedrall Churches Popish dennes As hap is your words ar no slander But this brag I will make of Cathedral Churches and such as be now in them I wil offer vnto you a doze in cathedral Churches in EnglaÌ„d which I my selfe do know the worst wherof in learning shal encounter with al Papists Puritans Anabaptists and what other sects soeuer in England for the defence of religion now professed eyther by worde or writing Without arrogancie be it spoken I thinke there was neuer time wherein these churches were better furnished with wyse learned and godly men than they be at this day I speake not this bostingly but to Gods glorie the honour of the Prince the comfort of the godly and the shame of slandrous Papists and disdainful schismatiks Your slaÌ„drous spéech of the Quéenes Maiesties chappel which you also say to be a pattern and president to the people of all superstitions is rather seuerely to be punished than with wordes to be confuted Admonition The fouretéenth Their pontificall whiche is annexed to the booke of Common prayer and whervnto subscribing to the Articles we must subscribe also wherby they consecrate Bishops make ministers and Deacons is nothing else but a thing worde for worde drawne out of the Popes pontificall wherin he sheweth himselfe to be Antichrist most liuely And as the names of Archebishops Archdeacons lorde Bishops Chancelours c. are drawen out of the Popes shop together with their offices So the gouernement whiche they vse by the lyfe of the Pope which is the Canon law is Antichristian and diuellish and contrarye to the Scriptures And as safely may we by the warrante of Gods word subscribe to allow the dominion of the Pope vniuersally to raigne ouer the Churche of God as of an Archbishop ouer an whole prouince or a Lordbishop
like manner well gouerne twentie parishes Surely an Archbishop may well gouerne one prouince but the Pope can neuer well gouerne the whole church And yet an Archbishop hath not the the charge of gouernement ouer the whole prouince generally but onely in certain cases exempted therfore may do it more easily You borowed these arguments from the very Papists who by the selfe same reasons go about to proue the Popes supremacie for thus they argue Among the Israelites ther was one high Priest whiche had authoritie ouer the rest therfore ther must be one high Priest which is the Pope ouer the whole Churche of christ Master Caluin in his Institutions chap. 8. doth answere this reason on this sort Quod in vna natione fuit vtile id in vniuersum orbem extendere nulla ratio cogit imo gentis vnius totius orbis longe diuersa erit ratio That whiche is profitable in one nation can not by any reason bee extended to the whole worlde for there is great difference betwixt the whole worlde and one nation And a little after Perinde enim est ac si quis contendat totum mundum à praefecto vno debere regi quia ager vnus non plur◠praefectos habeat It is euen as though a man should affirme that the whole worlde may be gouerned of one kyng bicause one fielde or towne hath but one ruler or maister An other of their reasons is this Peter was the chiefe among the Apostles therfore there ought to be one chief ouer the whole Churche The same maister Caluine in the book and chapter before rehersed maketh this one answere to that Argumente Vnus inter Apostolos summus fuit nempe quia pauci erant numero Si vnus duodecim hominibus praefuit an propterea sequetur vnum debere centum milibus hominum praefici There was one chief among the Apostles bicause they were but few in number but if one man rule ouer twelue shall it therefore followe that one maye rule ouer a hundred thousande And a little after Quod inter paucos valet non protinus traehendum est ad vniuersum orbem terrarum ad quem regendum nemo vnus sufficit That which is of force among few maye not by and by bee drawen to the whole worlde the whiche no one man can gouerne ▪ Euery hyue of Bées hath one chéefe master Bée euery companie of Cranes hath one principall guyde must there be therfore but one Bée one Crane to direct al the Bées and the cranes that be in the whole worlde you see therfore how weake this reason is The rest of this reason I haue answered before Admonition The fiftéenth Agayne in that they are honoured with the titles of kings and great rulers as Lorde Lordes grace Metropolitane primate of all England Honor. c. it is agaynste the worde of god Moreouer in that they haue ciuile offices ioyned to the Ecclesiasticall it is agaynst the worde of god As for an Archbishop to be a Lorde president a Lord Bishop to be a Countie Palatine a prelate of the Garter who hath much to doe at Saint Georges feast when the Bible is caried before the Procession in the Crosses place a Iustice of peace or Iustice of Quorum an high Cōmissioner c. And therfore they haue their prisones as Clinkes Gatehouses Colehouses towres and Castles which is also against the Scriptures This is not to haue keyes but swordes and playn tokens they ar that they exercise that which they would so fayne seeme to want I meane dominion ouer their brethren Answere All this is without the booke and therfore I néede not to answere it no more than you néede to absteyn frō subscribing to the booke for things not cōteyned in the booke But I meane a little to examine your places of scripture to sée if you haue any better lucke in applying of them than hitherto you haue had in others To proue that it is agaynst the worde of God to honor Byshops with titles of great rulers as Lorde Lords grace Metropolitane primate of all Englande honor c. for I doe not remember that we call them kings you first quote Math. 23. which place is very ofte by you iterated and sufficiently by me answered before In the .13 of Iohn which you vse also for the same purpose Chryst after he had washed his disciples feete tooke an occasion thervpon to exhorte them to humilitie which vertue is very necessarie in all degrées of men aswell in rulers and Magistrates as in inferiours And therefore that place requireth humilitie in all especially in the ministers of the worde but it disaloweth superioritie in none When Chryst addeth and sayth the seruaunt is not greater than his master c. he armeth them agaynst persecutions and willeth them to looke for afflictions for in the .15 chapter he addeth to the same words If they haue persecuted me they vvill persecute you also And to this are Archbyshops and Lordbyshops aswell subiect as other men examples whereof we haue of our owne as Cranmer Ridley Hooper c. That in the .5 chapter of S. Iohn is not spoken to the Apostles but to the whole company of Iewes in reproofe of their vayne glory for so is that place to be vnderstoode else it were altogither vnlawfull for any man to receyue honor yea euen for Princes them selues To the like purpose tende the words of the Apostle 2. Cor. 10. vse 16.17.18 Surely bothe the names of Archbyshops Lordebyshops c. and their offices may aswell stande with these places of the scripture as the names offices of kings nobles and any other persons in estimation or dignitie In déede the mother of all heresies and sectes that is vayne glory and arrogancie in all these places is vtterly condemned But I pray you dothe Christ condemne superioritie in all those whom he exhorteth to humilitie is not humilitie aswell required in Princes and great rulers as it is in meaner persons yes surely and a great deale more Wherfore Christ in suppressing ambition pride arrogancie and exhorting to humilitie doth not condemne superioritie neither yet titles of reuerence but requireth humblenesse of spirite lowlinesse of mynd in al degrées of persons especially in superiors whō this vertue dothe moste adorne the mightiest and noblest Prince in the worlde may come nearer this admonition of Christ than the poorest slaue It is therfore the affection of the minde that Christ here condemneth not superioritie not titles of honor and dignitie yea he reproueth in this place such hautie proude stomakes as yours be which contemne and disdayne those whom they ought both in words and déedes both in titles and subiections to reuerence To proue that ciuill offices ioyned to the ecclesiasticall is agaynst the worde of God first you note Luke 9. v. 60.61 where it is thus written And Iesus sayde vnto him let the dead bury their dead but goe thou and preache the kingdome of
readers parish preests stipendaries and riding chaplaines that vnder the authoritie of theyr masters spoyle their flocks of the foode of their soules such seeke not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies cloudes that are without rayne trees without frute painted sepulchers full of dead bones fatted in all abundance of iniquitie and leane locusts in all feeling knowledge and sinceritie Answere It is true that couetous patrones of benefices be a great plage to this church and one of the principall causes of rude and ignorante ministers God graunte some spéedy reformation in that point Neither can I excuse al persons vicars c. But al this is spoken without the booke and therefore not fiâ—ly of you alledged against the booke Admonition The nineteenth What shoulde we speake of the Archbishops Courte sith all men know it and your wisdome can not but see what it is As all other Courts are subiecte to this by the Popes prerogatiue yea and by statute of this Realme yet vnrepealed so is it the filthy quauemire and poysoned plashe of all the abominations that do infecte the whole Realme We speake not of licences graunted out of this Courte to marrie in forbidden tymes as in lente in aduente in the gang weeke when banners and belles with the preest in his surplesse singing Gospells and making crosses raungeth aboute in many places vppon the ember dayes and to forbidden persons and in exempte places We make no mention of licences to eate white meate and flesh in Lente and that wyth a safe conscience for rich men that can buy them with money nor we saye nothing howe dearely men pay for them As for dispensations with beneficed boyes tollerations for non resideÌ„ts bulles to haue two benefices to haue three to haue more and as many as they lift or can get these are so common that all Godly and good men are compelled with griefe of harte to crie out vpon such abhominations We omitte excommunication for money absolution for the same and that by absoluing one man for another which how contrarie it is to the scriptures the complaints of many learned men by propositions in open schooles proposed by writings in printed bookes set out and by preaching in opeÌ„ pulpits haue ben sufficiently witnessed To coÌ„clude this filthy Courte hath full power togither with the authoritie of this pettie Pope Metropolitane and primate of all England to dispence in all causes wherein the Pope was wont to dispence vnder whiche are conteyned more cases and causes than wee are able to recken As for my Lordes grace of Yorke we deale not with hym We referre him to that learned Epistle whiche Beza wrote vnto hym about these matters Answere I thinke this Court to be necessarie for the state of this Churche and Realme and if there be abuses in it eyther in the lawe it selfe or in the persons I wish it were reformed But the whole order of the Courte is not therefore to be condemned no more than it is of other Courts which cannot be missed and yet haue abuses in them I confesse my selfe to haue little experieÌ„ce in such matters and therefore I will speake the lesse thereof As I do mislike that there should be any time forbiddeÌ„ to marrie in for that can haue no good meaning or any dispensations for boyes to kéep benefices or excommunications and absolutions for money or one man to be absolued for another and if there be any other suche like abuse so do I vtterly condemne your vnsemely and vnchristian termes as filthy quauemire poysoned plashe of all abominations filthy Courte especially considering wherof they be spoken to whome and by whome they argue a scolding nature and a stomacke boyling with contempt of lawes and superiours Neither can I suffer you to slaunder not that Courte but thys Churche with manifest vntruthes as you do when you saye that banners bells and making of crosses be allowed to bee vsed in the gang weeke and that the Archebishops Courte hath full power to dispence in all causes wherin the Pope was wont to dispeÌ„ce which both be most vntrue I thinke in dispensations this Courte goeth no further than the lawes of the Realme do permitte Agreable to this spirite is your contemptuous speach vsed to both the Archbishops men to be reuerenced not only in the respecte of their yeares and authoritie but of their singuler wisdome grauitie learning and sounde religion also Howbeit you reuerence them as you do all other that be in authoritie except some whome you do but séeke to vse to bring your intents to passe I will saye no more I thinke you haue abused master Beza with your false reports which hath caused him to write otherwise than he woulde do if he knewe the whole state of the controuersie So you haue also abused other notable learned men and caused them to write according to your phansie which since that time being truly enformed haue by their letters which are to be séene both condemned your contentiousnesse and their owne to much credulitie But our faith and Churche dependes neyther vppon Master Beza nor any other man neyther do they looke for any such prerogatiue But still you are without the booke You bid vs in the margent to proue that the regiment of the Church should be spirituall reade Ephe. 1. verse 23. 1. Thessa. 5. vers 13.1 Timo. 5. vers 2. Hebr. 10. vers 30. In the place to the Ephe. the Apostle saith that God hath appointed Christ to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Here we learne that Christ is the head of the church But how proues this that the gouernement of the church is only spirituall will you hereby take away ciuill magistrates and other gouernours that God hath placed in his Church It is subtilly done of you to quote the places only and not to apply them nor to conclude of them For surely if you had layde downe the words and applied theÌ„ to your purpose not wise and learned only but very children would haue laughed you to scorne In the .1 Thess. 5. The Apostle beseecheth them to loue suche for their vvorkes sake as laboure among them are ouer them in the Lorde and admonish them What argument call you this S. Paule moues the Thessalonians to loue their pastours Ergo the gouernement of the Church is only spirituall In the first Timothie 5. vers 2. he willeth Timothie to exhorte the elder vvomen as mothers the yonger as sisters whereuppon you conclude thus elder women must be exhorted as mothers the yonger as sisters wyth all purenesse Ergo the gouernement of the Church must be spirituall In the .10 Hebr. vers 30. it is thus written For we know him that hath saide vengeance belongeth vnto me I vvill recompence saith the Lorde And againe the Lorde shall iudge his people Uengeaunce belongeth to God and he shall iudge hys people Ergo the gouernemente
of the Churche muste be spirituall I am ashamed of these reasons and so will you be likewise if you be not past shame If you meane that the gouernement of the Churche is spirituall bycause God by his spirite gifts and ministerie of his word doth gouerne it you say truly although these places be vnaptly alledged but if you meane that therefore there néede no ciuill magistrates no ciuill and politique lawes no externall discipline no outwarde ceremonies and orders you are greatly deceiued and ioyne with the Anabaptists whose erroure in that pointe is sufficiently by diuers learned men confuted And therefore I will not as yet intermeddle therewith vntill I vnderstande further of your meaning Admonition The twentith And as for the Commissaries Courte that is but a pettie little stinking ditch that floweth out of that former great puddle robbing Christes Church of lawfull pastors of watchfull seniors and elders and carefull Deacons in thys Court as in the other one alone doth excommunicate one alone sitteth in iudgemente and when he will can drawe backe the iudgement whiche he hath pronounced hauing called vppon the name of God and that for money whiche is called by chaunging of pennaunce In this Courte for non payment of two pens a man shal be excōmunicated if he appeare not when he is sente for if he do not as his ordinarie woulde from whome he had his Popish induction and institution to whome he hath sworne canonicam obedientiam canonicall obedience if he learne not his catechisme like a good boy without booke when it were more meete he should be able to teach others To conclude if he be not obediente to all these Lorde Bishops officers by and by he must be cut of by excōmunication and as it is lightly graunted and gyuen forth so if the money be payed the Court discharged it is as quickly called in agayne This Court poulleth parishes scourgeth the poore hedge preests ladeth Churche wardens with manifest periuries punisheth whordoms and adulteries with toyish censures remitteth without satisfying the congregation and that in secrete places giueth out dispensations for vnlawfull marriages and committeth a thousand such like abominations God deliuer all Christians out of this Antichristian tyrannie where the Iudges aduocates and proctours for the moste parte are Papists and as for the scribes and notaries as greedy as cormorants and if they al should perhaps see this writing they would be as angry as waspes and sting like hornets three of them would be ynough to sting a man to death for why they are high Commissioners All this we say springeth out of this Pontificall whiche we must allowe by subscription setting downe our hands that it is not repugnant or against the worde of god Wee meane this Antichristian hierarchie and popishe ordering of ministers straunge from the worde of God and the vse of all well reformed Churches in the worlde Answere To this I answere as before I will neyther iustifye that which is amisse nor cōdemn that which I know not only this I say that this taunting spirit of yours séeketh rather diffamation than reformation vttereth spytefulnesse of stomacke rather than godly zeale ▪ for what a deriding of authoritie disdaine towards the same is this three of them would be inowe to sting a man to death for why they are high Commissioners What example haue you of any godlie man that vsed thus to deride and floute magistrates You say al this springeth out of that pōtifical which you must allow by subscription c. But it had bene wel if you had told vs out of what part of that pontificall they spring and how they be thereof gathered Of this Antichristian hierarchie and Popishe ordering of ministers as it pleaseth you to say I haue spoken before sufficiently and proued it neyther to be Antichristian nor Popishe but profitable and conuenient and both according to the worde of God and vse of auncient godly and wel ordered Churches especially where the reformation is generall and in a kingdome For you must not looke to haue the same gouernement of one whole kingdome and of one little village or citie In suche matters you must haue consideration to the tyme place persons and other such circumstances The lack of this discretion maketh you wander you knowe not whither Admonition The one and twentith We haue almost let passe one thing worthie the remembraunce whiche is that they take vppon them blasphemously hauing neyther promise nor commaundement to say to their new creatures receyue the holie ghost As though the holy Ghost were in their power to giue withoute warraunt at their owne pleasure Answere I haue aunswered to this before and you haue in the former treatise set it downe in the same wordes Admonition And thus muche be spoken as touching this booke agaynst whiche to stande is a wonder to two sorts of men the one ignorāt the other obstinate The Lord giue those that be his vnderstanding in all things that they may haue iudgement as for the other whom the God of this worlde hath blynded least they should see and confesse the truth and so be saued and that doe in the full growth of wickednesse maliciously resist the truthe God confounde them that his peace may bee vppon Israell and hys sauing health vpon this nation Amen Answere Nay surely it is a wonder to wyse learned and godly men to sée this booke so paynfully penned with suche aduyse perused and by so long practise allowed nowe to be defaced as it were with friuolous vnlearned and vnapte reasons and that by foure sortes of men Atheistes Papists Anabaptists and as you woulde be compted Puritanes God of his infinite mercie giue you charitable quiet and thankfull myndes and eyther conuerte your heartes or roote all suche disturbers oute of this Church that we may with one hearte and mynde serue our Lorde God. The seconde article That the maner and order appoynted by publique authoritie aboute the administration of the sacraments and cōmon prayers that the apparell by sufficient authoritie appointed for the ministers within the Church of Englande be not wicked nor against the word of God but tollerable and being commaūded for order and obedience sake are to be vsed Admonition For the order of administratiō of sacraments and common prayer inough is sayde before all the seruice and administration is tyed to a surplesse in Cathedrall churches they must haue a Cope they receiue the cōmunion kneeling they vse not for the most part common bread according to the woorde of God and the statute but starch bread according to the Iniunction They commonly minister the sacramentes withoute preaching the worde Answere And I haue before sufficiently aunswered to all that is here obiected Admonition And as for the apparel though we haue bene long borne in hande and yet are that it is for order and decencie commaunded yet we know and haue proued that there is neither order nor comlynesse nor
but thereuppon to conclude that the ciuill magistrate is secluded from the gouernement of the Churche or that there néedeth no externall regiment is dangerous and sauoreth Anabaptisme In the same leafe and .19 reason these wordes be lefte out baÌ„ners and belles whiche argueth that they were before vntruly sayde to be vsed in gang wéeke But to lye is a small matter with these men Fol. 8. For Lords grace of Yorke there is the Archebishop of Yorke The cause of thys alteration I know not In the margent ouer against the 21. reason there is this note It conteyneth manifest blasphemy as may appeare Eâ—â—e 1.17 meaning this saying of the Byshop to those that are admitted ministers Receiue the holy Ghost The place in that Chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians proueth no suche thing these be the wordes I cease not to giue thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory mighte giue vnto you the spirite of vvisedome and reuelation thorough the knovvledge of hym What sequele is there in this argument Saincte Paule prayed that God would giue to the Ephesians the spirite of wisedome and reuelation thorough the knowledge of him Ergo this saying of the Bishop Receiue the holy Ghost to those that are admitted into the ministerie conteyneth manifest blasphemy Such is your vsuall maÌ„ner of reasoning Fol. 9. and second article All this is added Neither is the controuersie betwixte them and vs as they woulde beare the worlde in hand as for a cap a tippet or a surplesse but for greater matters concerning a true ministerie and regimeÌ„t of the Church according to the word Which things once established the other melte away of them selues and yet consider I pray you whether their owne argumente doth not choke themselues for euen the very name of triftes doth playnly declare that they ought not to be mainteyned in Christes church and what shall our Bishops win by it Forsoth that they bee mainteyners of triftes and trifling Bishops consuming the greatest parte of theyr time in those trifles whereas they shoulde bee better occupied We striue for true religion and gouernement of the Churche and shew you the righte way to throw out Antichrist both head and taile and that we will not so much as communicate with the taile of the beast But they after they haue thrust out Antichriste by the head goe aboute to pull hym in againe by the tayle cunningly coulouring it least any manne should espye his foot steps as Cacus did when he stole the oxen What other men haue done I knowe not but for my parte I alwayes suspected and partely knewe that some of you had greater matters in hand and of more importance than cappe tippet and surplesse whiche surely was one of the first causes that moued me to be more earnest agaynst you than I was accustomed For I did vnderstand that you wer hatching opinions tending not only to Anabaptisme but to the ouerthrowe of the Gospel and disturbing the quiet state of this Churche And yet who knoweth not that you haue made the cap and Surplesse your pretence hitherto vntill nowe of late when you sée almost all men condemne your follie You say we choake our selues with our owne argumente for euen the very name of trifles doth playnly declare that they ought not to be maynteyned in Christes Church Surely of them selues they be but trifles as all other externall ceremonies and indifferent things bée It is the circumstaunces that maketh them no trifles but matters of weight For things indifferent béeing commaunded thus or so to bée vsed by the Magistrate not as necessarie to saluation iustificatioÌ„ but as conuenient and necessarie for order decencie bée not nowe trifles And who soeuer without a lawfull vrgente cause or in a case of necessitie dothe breake the law made of theÌ„ sheweth himselfe a disordered person disobediente a contemner of lawfull authoritie and a wounder of his weake brothers conscience And if any man shall saye 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 awaye of Christian libertie for the Christian libertie is not a licence to doe what thou list but to serue God in newnesse of mynde and that for loue not for seruile feare Of them selues therefore they vs but trifles but béeing commaunded by the Magistrate to be vsed or not to be vsed they are no trifles no more than it was for women to come into the Churche bareheaded or a man to praye hauing his cappe on his heade after that Saint Paule had made an order to the contrarie And therfore these scoffes and stoutes and what shall oute Bishoppes win by it forsoth that they bée maynteyners of trifles and triâ—ling Bishops consuming the greatest part of their tyme in these trifles where as they shoulde be better occupied myght with more commendation of youre modestie haue bene well forborne They see your doings tend not only to contention but to confusion not only to disobedience towardes the lawes of the Prince but also to daungerous errours yea to the ouerthrowe of religion and therfore they are neyther maynteyners of tryfles nor trifling Bishops but wyse discréete vigilant and learned fathers whyche séeke to mayntayne peace preserue good order defende the authoritie of lawfull lawes and in tyme suppresse erronious doctrine You rather spend the tyme in trifles when you might be better occupied for you omitting al other necessary pointes of doctrine and profitable exhortations to good lyfe stuffe your sermons and furnishe your table talke with nothing else but with bitter inuectiues agaynst those rytes as though they were matters of damnation and agaynst those learned and discréete ministers of the word who according to their dutie vsing of them séeke in déed to beate downe Antichriste to plante necessarie poyntes of religion in mennes heartes and to teache repentance with newnesse of life which your vnfrutefull froward and coÌ„tentious dealing reioyceth the Papist discrediteth the sound and lerned preacher offendeth the godlie wouÌ„deth the weake worketh contempte of Magistrates and superiors in the hearts of the hearers destroyeth that which other men buylde finally doth good to none For what frute can there come to the hearers by inueying continually against cappe tippet surplesse ring in mariage womens white kerchers bagpypes funerall sermons mourning apparel c. Bishops Preachers Magistrates Prince These and suche lyke be only the common places you entreate of When you saye that you stryue for true Religion and gouernemente of the Churche c. You saye â–ª that you dooe that â–ª whyche is to bée wyshed you shoulde doo But youre doings tende to the defacing of true Religion and ouerthrowe of the righte gouernement of the Churche and although you be not the head of Antichrist yet are you his taile
before in the confutation of the first Admonition spoken sufficiently of al these matters therfore I will only note one or two things in this parte to let you vnderstand that these platformers builde not vppon that foundation that they woulde haue others so strictly bounde vnto For let them tell me vppon what scripture this is grouÌ„ded Let no one minister medle in any cure saue his owne but as he is appointed by common consente of the nexte conference or counsells prouinciall or nationall or further if it may fall out so generall of all Churches reformed Or this That the ministers muste be equall and that some must be gouerned by all and not al by some Or that the pastor or teacher in euery congregation ought to be the principall of the consistorie of their congregation Or that Many parishes may be ioyned in one and haue one pastor and yet that it is vnlawfull for one pastor to haue many parishes Or that In the meane whyle till preachers increase to furnishe the places vnfurnished vpon coÌ„ference among the learned some discrete man be appoynted to make some entiet prayer c. Or that it is euill so ofte to repeate Glory be to the father c. Lorde haue mercy vpon vs c. or the Lordes prayer For the text which they alledge for the same Math. 6. is wickedly wrested and corruptly alledged for the words of Christe be not as they translate them When you pray 〈…〉 that is many words without fayth and the inwarde affection of the minde is forbidden Paule 1. Thessa. 5. saith Pray continually And Christ Math. 6. sayth Pray on this maner Our father c. So that of necessitie we muste oftentimes repeate the Lordes prayer if we will beléeue Christe and his Apostle Paule But Lorde what strange doctrine is this to call Glory bee to the father c. Lorde haue mercy vpon vs c. Our father c popishe Surely these men as I suppose be not well in their wittes These and a number of other phansies they haue in this booke which they can not grounde vpon any scripâ—ures but by wringing and wresting of them and in déede their séeeking is to haue all thinges framed according to their fansies that they may be accompted planters and platformers of Churches I omitte this that the Author boasteth that he and many others will set them selues agaynst vs as the professed enimies of the church of Christ For the matter is not great neither shall theâ— in that poynt deale any otherwise with vs than 〈◊〉 Anabaptistes Arrianâ— and other Heretikes haue 〈◊〉 with other Churches This shall be sufficient for an answere to that booke bicause all other matters of substaunce are by me answered before in the former confutation Articles collected out of the former Admonition and vntruely sayd of the fautors of that Admonition to be falsified TO the end of the second AdmonitioÌ„ there is ioyned A reprofe of certen Articles collected as it is thought by the byshops for so they say out of a little booke entituled An admonition to the Parliament c. But as I think it may rather be termed a recantation or if you will a reformatioÌ„ or mitigation of certen articles in that first admonition rashly set downe and without learning or discretion printed 1. Fol. 3. li. 1. pa. 2. First they holde and affirme that we in EnglaÌ„d are not yet come to the outward face of a Church agreable to gods word Here you find fault that this word scarce is left out In déede this worde scarce was written in the margent of diuers copies of the first admonition whether it were so in al or no I know not no more do I whether any suche collection as you pretend was made But what néed you so much sticke in words when the thing is manyfest For in effect they denie as much as that propositioÌ„ importeth they wholly coÌ„demne the ministerie the ceremonies and the gouernement of this Church They say the sacrameÌ„ts be ful of corruptioÌ„s and in their second AdmonitioÌ„ fol. 42. they say that the sacraments are wickedly mangled prophaned they vtterly condemne our order maner of coÌ„mon prayer yea in effect our doctrine also for in their secoÌ„d AdmonitioÌ„ fol. 7. they say that although some truth be taught by some preachers yet no precher may with out daÌ„ger of the lawes vtter all truth coÌ„prised in the booke of god What can be spoken more sleÌ„derly of the doctrine preached in this church A man may truly speake as much of the Romish church for some truthe is taught by some Papistes yea some truth is taught by some Iew and Turke When therfore you say that in this Churche neither the worde is truely preached nor the Sacraments sincerely ministred nor yet Ecclesiasticall discipline which thrée in the first Admonition Fol. 3. is sayde to be the outwarde markes wherby a true christian Churche is knowne and also condemne our ministerie as Popish and vnlawfull with the whole gouernement of our Church as you do in playne termes may it not be truely sayde that you affirme vs in Englande as yet not to be come to the outwarde face of a Churche agreable to Gods worde Furthermore what doth this word scarce helpe the matter doth it not import as muche It is a rule in Philosophie quod vix fit non fit that vvhich is scarâ—e done is not done 2 They will haue the ministers to be called allowed and placed by the people You say that this article is falsified and yet their words in that place of their admonitioÌ„ be these Then election was made by the common consent of the whole Churche And a little after Then no minister placed in any congregation without the coÌ„sent of the people Wherfore the collection is very true and they belike ashamed of their doings and therfore they haue corrected these assertions in their second edition of their first admonitioÌ„ on this sort Then election was made by the elders with the common consent of the whole Churche Surely these men be past shame else would they not denie their owne written assertions 4. Lin. 9. They holde that a byshop at no hand hath authoritie to ordeyne ministers This article you confesse to be truely gathered but now you make this glose not alone and yet in their Admonition it is in flat termes that the ordering of ministers doth at no hande appertaine to bishops 6. Lin. 28. They wil haue the ministers at their owne pleasure to preache without licence This is true by your owne coÌ„fession for you will haue no other licence but your calling to the ministerie which must bee as you say by the congregation Here you shut out both the Princes licence and the Bishops 7. Lin. 13 fol. 17. lin 6. pa. 1. Whatsoeuer is set downe in this article is manyfestly affirmed in the Admonition and your Answere to it is friuolous and nothing to the purpose For in the first parte of the Admonition fol. 2.
pag. 1. These be the words In those days knowne by voyce learning and doctrine now they must be discerned from other by Popishe and Antichristian apparel as cap gowne tippet c. And in the second part speaking of the apparell prescribed to ministers they say on this sorte There is no order in it but confusion no comlynesse but deformitie no obedience but disobedience both against God and the Prince Are you not then ashamed to say that this article they will haue the minister discerned from others by no kynde of apparell and the apparell appoynted they terme Antichristian and the apparell appoynted by the Prince disobedience against the Prince is falsifyed Fol. 4. lin â— pag. 2. They will haue all Archebishops Bishops Archdecons c. together with their offices iurisdictions Courts and liuings cleane taken awaye and with speede remoued You say that this is falsifyed in part bicause there is left out Lords grace Iustice of peace QuoruÌ„ c. Surely the article is truly collected in euery poynte and playnly affirmed in the .2 leaf of the first part of that Admonition As for your giuing words that follow they bée but wynd I warrant you the confutation will abide the light and the author will shew his face whyche you are ashamed to doe 9. Lin. 9. The article is truly collected Looke in the first part of that Admonition fol. 2. pag. 2. fol. 3. And in the second part of that Admo fol. 1. pag. 2. fol. 5. pag. 1. 17. Lin. 12. The collection is true for their wordes bée these They simply as they receyued it from the Lord we sinfully mixed with mans inuentioÌ„s deuises And therfore you vntruly say that it is falsified 19. Lin. 16. They will haue no godfathers nor godmothers You say that this article is also vtterly falsified what meane you so to forget your selfe Is it not thus written in the first part of the first Admonition fol. 3. pag. 2. and as for baptisme it was inough with them if they had water and the partie to be baptised fayth the minister to preach the worde and minister the sacraments Now we muste haue surplesse deuised by Pope Adrian Interrogatories ministred to the infant godfathers and godmothers brought in by Higinus c. Howe say you Are not godfathers and godmothrs here disallowed Wherfore be they else in this place recited or why are they here ascribed to Pope Higinus Wil you nowe allow any thing in the Churche inuented by the Pope â— In déede in the seconde edition of this firste Admonition these words godfathers godmothers broughte in by Higinus be cleane left out as I haue before noted Wherfore either you haue not read the diuersitie of their editions or else you are very impudent 22. Fol. 8. in fine I maruell why you say that this collection is falsified Looke fol. vlt. pag. 2. of the firste parte of the Admonition Out of the second treatise called A view of Popishe abuses remayning Fol. 10.10 pa. 1. lin 33. Reading of seruice or homilies in the Churche is as euill as playing on a stage and worse too You saye that this is falsified Lord God what meane you In the seconde leafe of that booke these be their direct words Reading is not feeding but it is as euill as playing vpon a stage and worse too To the same effecte they speake diuers times and so do the Authours of the seconde Admonition Surely eyther they are ashamed of their doings or else you haue not with diligence read their bookes Thus breefly to haue answered to your vniust accusation of falsly collecting certaine articles out of the Booke entituled An admonition c. shal be sufficient Other articles which you say be gathered out of the same booke and confesse to be true I haue omitted bicause they bée sufficiently answered by me in the confutation and your confirmation of them is vsuall and childishe I woulde wishe that suche as be wyse men and in authoritie would diligently consider that whiche you aunswere to the article Fol. 14. as you quote it touching the gouernement of the Churche and the authoritie of Princes and their lawes and likewyse that which is written concerning the same matters in the second Admonition I wil make them neyther better nor worse but wish the magistrates well to marke your iudgements opinions in these matters and to foresée the worst The Lord blesse this realme of Englande with the continuance of his Gospel long life of the Quéenes maiestie peace bothe foreyne and domesticall Amen Bulling aduers Anabap fol. 1. Idem fol. 1.11.18.87.102.244 Fol. 9 18. Fol. 9.18.77 Fol. 1. Fol. 10. Fol. 11.17 Fol. 11. Fol 10.214 Fol 19. Fol. 19.95.242 Fol 178. Fol. 11.242 Fol. 11. Fol. 17.77 Fol. 18. Fo. 78.244 Fol. 78. Fol. 79. Fol 85. Fol. 88. Fol. 95. Fol. 11. Fol. 11. a â— Thess 5.21 Iam. 1.19 20. Iam. 2 1. b Math. 15.23 Luc. 16.15 c Math. 20.25.26 Math. 23.8.9.10 Marc. 10.42.43 Luc 22.15 c. d Math. 24.48.49 e Math. 9.37.38 Ephesi 4.11.12 f Mat. 18.15.16.17 g pro. 29 18. Amoâ— 8.11.12 c. Ma. 21.23 c 1. Cor. 11.30 h Mat. 10.16.26 i Esai 59.1 k Exod. 23.1.2 Math. 7.1.2 Iam. 4.11.12 l 1. Cor. 5.20 1. Cor. 7.27 m Psalm 50.15 Math. 7.7 1. Tim. 2.1.2 a 2. Reg. 23. 2. Chro. 17. 2. Chro. 29.30.31 Psal. 132.2.3.4 Mat. 21.12 Iohan. 2.15 b Deute 4.2 Deut. 12.32 c Psal. 37.27 Rom. 12.9 d 1. Cor. 2.14 e Psalm 31.6 Psal. 13 9.22 f Iohan. 15.21 g 1. Tim 3.8 h Math. 7.6 i Math. 11.31 1. Corin. 11. l Acts. 1.12 Acts. 6.3 1. Tim. 3.2.7.8 Tit. 1.6 m 1. Reg. 12.31 n Rom. 2.14 o Hebr. 5.4 Ezech. 44.10 12.13 Ierem. 23. p 1. Tim. 4.11 q Ministers of London enioyned to learne maister Novvels Catechisme r Act. 1.26 s Act. 6.2.3 t Act. 14.13 2. Cor. 8.19 u Acts. 1.25 w 1. Tim 4.14 x Act 20.28 Ephe. 4.11 Tit. 1.5 1. â—â—t 5.2 y 14.23 z Esaie 5.8 〈…〉 * Philip. 2.20 25. Colos. 1.7 Luke 9.2 a 1. Samuel 9.28 Mat 26.48 Mat. 26.73 b Iohan 6.38 Iohan. 12.49 1 Cor. 11.23 c 1. Timo. 3.1 d Philip. 4.11 2 Cor. 6.4.8.10 f Mat. 23.11.12 Luc 22.25 1. Cor 4.14 1. Petr. 5.2.3 g Rom. 8.26 1. Timo. 1.2 h Damasus the first inuenter of this stuffe well furthered by Gregorie the seuenth i Math. 28.19 1. Cor. 14.35 The first appointer herof was Victor 1. Anno. 198. k 1. Cor. 11 18. l Act. 15.10 m Exod. 20.9 n 1. Pet. 5.2 o 1. Tim. 4.2 p Phili. 2.20.21 q Act 1.26 6.2.3.14.13 r 1. Pâ—t 5.2 s Act. 20.28 t Math. 3.12 u Marc. 1.5 1 Cor. 11.18 w 28.19 1. Cor. 4.1 a Act. 2.46 Act. 20.7 c Mat. 26 20. Mar 14.18 Luc 22 14. Iohn 13.28 e Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14.22 1. Co. 11.24 f Telesphorus in Anno. 130. g 1 Corin. 5 11. h 1. Cor. 11.23 i Act. 8.35.36.37 Act. 10.47
god Then another sayde I vvill follovv thee Lord but let me first go bid theÌ„ farevvel vvhich are at my house How conclude you any thing of these places agaynst ciuill offices in Ecclesiasticall persons Christes meaning in this place is to teache vs I meane al Christians that when he calleth vs we ought not to be hindered from following and that foorthwith by any excuse of dooing duetie towards our friends or respect of worldly commoditie or for feare of any payne or trouble and this is spoken generally to all Christians and not alone to any one kinde of men Secondly for the same purpose you vse Luk. 12. vse 14. where Christe speaking to him that sayde vnto hym master bid my brother deuide the inheritaunce with me answereth on this sorte man who made me a iudge or a deuider ouer you Christe came in déede to be iudged and not to iudge he came to worke the work of our redemption not to decide controuersies touching lands and possessions But will you therfore take from Christian men authoritie to iudge for this example of Chryste can no more be applied to Byshops than it may be to kings bicause the doings of Christ is a patterne for al christians and yet christians may iudge matters decide controuersies amongst their brethren Looke .1 Cor. 6. The Anabaptistes vse this text for one of their reasons to condemne magistracie among Christians and therefore a very learned and late writer in his exposition of this place writeth thus Hinc colligitur quantopere insaniant qui ex hoc loco magistratum inter Christianos damnaÌ„t nam Christus non argumentatur à re ipsa tanquam profana sit sed à vocatione sua quod missus sit in alium finem tamet si res erat per se satis sancta pia Hereof it may be gathered how greatly they dote which condemne magistrates amongest Christians by this place for Christ doth not reason of the thing it selfe as though it were prophane but of his owne vocation bicause he was sent to another ende although the thing of it selfe is holy and good In the third place you alledge Rom. 12. vse 7. He that hath an office let him wayte on his office or he that teacheth on teaching What is this to the purpose He that hath an office must attende vpon his office he that teacheth on teaching therfore Byshops may not haue ciuill offices The office of a Byshop is as well to gouerne by discipline as by preaching this is a very simple argumeÌ„t Fourthly you cite the .1 Timo. 6. vse 11. But thou O man of God flee these things and follovv after righteousnesse godlynesse faith loue pacience and mekenesse Truly I thinke you dote or else dreame your applications of scripture be so straunge What speaketh Paule here agaynst ciuill offices in Ecclesiasticall persons be onely willeth them in the person of Timothie to flée couetousnesse and to follow righteousnesse c. The last text here quoted is the seconde to Timoth. 2. vse 3.4 Thou therefore suffer affliction as a good souldier of Iesus Chryst no man that vvarreth entangleth him selfe vvith the affayres of this lyfe bicause he vvoulde please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier This latter sentence is generall and perteyneth to all men The meaning is this whosoeuer would be a souldier vnder Chryst must leaue all worldly things and followe him It speaketh nothing either of ciuill or ecclesiasticall offices For if you will knowe what he there meaneth by the affayres of this life heare what master Caluine sayth writing vpon that place Per negotia vita intelâ—igit famâ—liae administrandae curam ordinarias occupationes By the affayres of this life he vnderstandeth the care of gouerning his familie and other ordinarie businesse If you will learne how this place is to be applied the same master Caluine teacheth you lykewise in these words following Nunc applicanda est comparatio ad rem praesentem quod quisquis vult sub Christo militare debet relictis omnibus muÌ„ditricis auocamentis se illi totum suaque studia addicere Novv this comparison is to be applied to the present purpose that vvhosoeuer vvill play the vvarrier vnder Chryst leauing all vvorldly matters and impediments muste giue him selfe vvholly vnto him This therefore is generall and perteyneth to all Christians but chiefly and especially to the ministers of the worde who may not occupie them selues in worldly businesse as other men do that is they must not be marchantes husbandmen craftes men or hinder their vocation with suche like worldly affayres As for suche ciuill offices as be committed to them they be rather helpes to their vocation than impedimentes for the office of a Iustice of peace of an high Commissioner and suche like is to punishe vice and iniquitie to sée good order kept in the common wealth aswell in matters touching religion as other coÌ„mon and publike businesse Wherefore as these offices be not méere ciuill but partly ecclesiasticall and be for discipline and correction of sinnes so in my opinion they be moste méete to be committed to some of the wisest and best of the Clergy to the ende that suche as by the worde will not by conuenient discipline may be compelled to do their dueties Neither are suche offices to be accompted worldly affayres but rather heauenly and spiritual for as muche as they serue to the mayntenance of religion and godlinesse and to the suppressing of sin wickednesse If it be true that Augustine sayth Seruiunt Reges Christo leges ferendo pro Christo. It is also true Seruiunt Episcopi Christo leges exequendo pro Christo. What say you to Elie and Samuell were they not bothe Priests and Iudges what office did the Prophet Helias execute when he killed the false Prophetes of Baal 1. Reg. 18. or Christ when he whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple What office did Paule commit to Timothie when he sayd aduersuâ— PresbyteruÌ„ c. I would not haue a minister to be a warriour or a farmer or a marchaunt or haue any suche like office which consisteth in gayne or bodily laboure onely But why he may not haue suche an office as is profitable to encrease godlynesse and punishe vngodlynesse I heare as yet no reason As for the office of an high CoÌ„missioner it is Ecclesiasticall for they haue to doe onely in causes Ecclesiasticall It pleaseth you to say that it is agaynst Gods wordâ— for Byshops to haue prisons but your margent is very barren of proofes for you haue not quoted one place of Scripture to proue it onely you say that Popishe Eugenius dyd first bring them in â–ª which is a very slender argument to proue them to be agaynst the word of god Dyd not Peter punishe Ananias and Saphira very streightly for their dissimulation Surely farre more gréeuously than if he had put them in prison and yet their offence was not agaynst any ordinary lawe made