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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20031	A true, modest, and iust defence of the petition for reformation, exhibited to the Kings most excellent Maiestie Containing an answere to the confutation published under the names of some of the Vniuersitie of Oxford. Together vvith a full declaration out of the Scriptures, and practise of the primitiue Church, of the severall points of the said petition.	Sprint, John, d. 1623. Anatomy of the controversed ceremonies of the church of England.	1618 (1618)	STC 6469; ESTC S119326	135,310	312

A TRVE MODEST AND IVST DEFENCE OF THE PETITION FOR REFORMATION EXHIBITED TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE CONTAINING AN ANswere to the Confutation published under the names of some of the Vniversitie of OXFORD Together vvith a full declaration out of the Scriptures and practise of the Primitiue Church of the severall points of the said Petition 2. COR. 13. 8. Wee can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth Hierom. dial advers Pelag. Veritas laborare potest vinci non potest The truth may bee contradicted but it cannot bee conquered Imprinted 1618. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER IF ever Impar congressus gentle Reader were between Combatters iust cause of exceptiue complaint then certainly it is between the Saints and Antichrist in respect of outward worldly helpes and that as well in the lesser skirmishes as in the greater battels For in both the Saints do enter the lists and hold out the conflict upon very many no small disadvantages as may most easily appeare to any that with indifferent iudgement shall to omit all others weigh but even these particulars ensuing 1 Our adversaries that striue for the defence of the Romish trash which the Divell and that Man of Sinne hath left yet among us haue the countenance of worldly authority whereas it fareth with us as with the maine of the Gospell in the dayes of our Lord himselfe Ioh. 7. 48. Haue any of the Rulers beleeved on him 2 Their cause being received by tradition from our Forefathers that lived in blindnesse hath the applause generally of all naturall men Ours because it is so hardly discerned is scarcely received by the children of Wisedom and is every where spoken against Act. 28. 22. 3 They abound in outward wealth We poore 4 They haue great store of witty and learned men to defend their cause we are in number few and of those few very many timorous and fearefull of ensuing dangers 5 The Authours of their pleadings richly rewarded with some Bishopricke Deanerie or other fat Benefice Wee deprived and cast out of our livings and liuelihoods if wee bee discovered yea clapped up into prison if the Prelates lay hold on us 6 They men of glorious state and pompe in the world wee are esteemed as were the Apostles 1. Corinth 4. 13. Even the off-scouring of all things 7 They haue leasure enough to invent and publish what they think meet to say for their defence Wee must first labour for food and rayment for our selues and ours and then take some stollen houres now and then to do what we do this way 8 To them the Presses are alwayes open and free But to us they are more then shut For it is not safe for us once so much as to suffer the Printers to know that wee haue any such Coppy to bee printed 9 The Stationers at home are ready to giue them large moneyes for their copies and so undertake the printing and publsihing thereof We must at our great charge and hazard hire the printing of ours in some other Land 10 Open sale in every Booke-sellers shop is free for them Ours if they be taken by the Bishops are burnt or otherwise utterly suppressed 11. They haue sundry lothsome prisons at their command whereinto they shut us up even untill we dye sometimes when by arguments they are not able to confute us We haue onely bodies so to be afflicted by them and sure arguments unanswered 12 They are in their owne causes both parties and Iudges and we without helpe by any appeale to any other then the Lord Iesus must at their pleasures abide their censures 13 Their threed-bare Allegations of mans writings is accounted deep and ancient learning but our avouching the most cleare evidence of the written word of the Ancient of dayes is reckoned ignorant noveltie 14 We challenge them to try it out in the open field by dint of the sword of the Spirit witnesse the Modest offer of Cōference the Humble Motion c. and yet are blamed they are praised though they utterly refuse this way of triall and warre against us onely with carnall weapons as Suspensions Deprivations Imprisonments c. 15 Threatned dangers make men afraid to read our bookes though never so secretly conveyed unto them Theirs all may most freely read openly and that with thanks and commendations Now by reason of these and sundry such like disadvantaging hinderances this ensuing Treatise hath lien hid as many other the like still doe never like to see the light for want of meanes of publishing them about 14. yeares For in the yeare of our Lord 1608. certaine Oxford men having gotten into their hands a Copy of a dutfull and pious supplication prepared to be exhibited to his Maiesty for Reformation of certain corruptions crept into our Churches or rather left in them by Antichrist at his extrusion forthwith published the same in print together with an answer thereto such as it is defending and maintaining all or most of the sayd corruptions so intended to bee petitioned against and that in the name of the Vice-chancellor the Doctors both the Proctors and other the Heads of houses in the Vniversitie of Oxford avouching it to bee agreeable undoubtedly to the ioynt and uniforme opinion of all the Deanes and Chapiters and all other the learned and obedient Cleargie in the Church of England and to bee confirmed by the expresse consent of the Vniversitie of Cambridge although many of them both Doctors and Heads of Houses in either Vniversity and members of Chapiters otherwhere in the Land and also many more of the obedient Clergie were openly knowne to be of contrary iudgement unto them in the particulars mentioned in the Petition and by these men defended and most of the residue never saw nor once heard of the answer untill it was published in print Such was their boldnesse Not long after some of the chiefest Ministers that were interessed in the same Petition penned this discourse following in defence of the said Petition and reply to the aboue mentioned Answer which hath been obscured from that time till now partly for the reasons aboue rehearsed and partly because such is the woefull coldnesse of these back-sliding dayes that even those which seemed heretofore most forward for Church-reformation are so declined that they like not so much as to heare of that that may in any sort once seeme to threaten the least hinderance of their worldly profit or disquiet to their carnall peace be it never so healthfull to their soules Insomuch that they are so farre from being aiding and assisting to Christ in this his cause either by labour or cost that when bookes are printed in defence thereof for their information and instruction they either neglect to buy the same or having bought them cast them aside into some hole or corner never vouchsafing to peruse them yet Wisedom is iustified of her children and some enter the gate of life be it never so straight and walk in the Lords way be

thing 2. To bring in a new sacrament besyde those two which Iesus Christ hath ordayned is utterly vnlawfull But confirmation as it is prescribed by the booke is made a new sacrament beside those two which Iesus Christ ordained therefore confirmation as it is prescribed by the booke is utterlie unlawfull The assumption or second proposition is proued thus That which is made an outward signe and seale to assure of Gods loue and favour that is made a sacrament in most proper sense as both the scriptures shew and our own articles of religion defining Rom. 4. 11. Arti. relig 25. the sacraments to be sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and of Gods goodwill to us but the imposition of BB. hands is made a signe to assure us of Common booke c. of confirm Gods favour and gracious goodnesse to us so be the words of the book therefore it is made a sacrament in most proper sense But this is unlawfull and therefore this kind of confirmation is unlawfull yet the poore ministers of Christ were urged and enioyned under most greevous penalties to subscribe to all 3 That which is the generall duty of all the ministers of the Gospell ought not to be made the particular duty of some few of them But to confirme Christians in the faith of Christ is the generall duty of all the 2. Thess 3. 2 Ezek 34. 4 Eph. 4. 12. 13. Hier. ad luci ministers of the Gospell as appeareth by the Scriptures Therfore it ought not to be made the particular duty of some few of them Hierome saith plainly of confirmation by BB. disce hanc obseruationem potius ad honorem esse sacerdocij quam ad legis necessiatē Know that this order is rather for the honor of priesthood then necessity of Law Object 1. It can not be amisse that BB. pray over the children Answ 1. To thinke the BB. prayers be more holy then any other mans is superstitious the scriptures tell vs that if any man be a worshipper of God the Lord heareth Act. 9. 31 him be he BB. or preacher 2. they do not onely pray ouer them but impose hands upon them that by means therof they may com book c. of Confir receiue strength against all the tentations of sinne which is to take that power to them which the Lord neuer gaue them contrarie to that which is written No Io. 3. 27. man can receiue any thing unlesse it bee given him from aboue Obj. It is meete that such as bee baptized make open profession of their faith that it may appeare how they haue profited and that they may be further confirmed therein Ans All this may be done without any such ceremonie by diligent catechizing 1. Pet. 22. Act. 20. 32. and teaching in every congregation and if there needed any confirmation who are more fit to do it then the pastor of every congregation who best knoweth the profiting of his sheep 4. Against baptizing by women HEre we both agree in the doctrine that women ought not to baptize Our brethren say fieri non debuit women should not haue taken upon them Answ to the petition p. 11. s 2. to baptize but yet exception is taken to our speach Exception The book of common prayer doth not prescribe that baptisme should be administred Answ ibid. by women Answ Yea but if the booke permit it though it do not prescribe it it is more then true divinitie will warrant Now whether the booke seeme not to encline that way let it be considered by these reasons 1. By the booke the Priests and Curats are commanded to warne the people that without great necessity they baptize not children at home in their houses and when great need shall compell them so to doe that then they minister it on this fashion 2. This same they they that minister it is a relatiue therfore if they look back to to find the antecedent what will meete us but they whom the Priests and Curats warned not to baptize their children at home but they whom the Priests and Curats warned not to baptize their children at home were the people yea the vulgar people not ministers and therefore they that be permitted by the booke to baptize bee the people yea the vulgar people 3. If the chyld liue it is to be brought to the church by order of the booke and there the minister is to examine who baptized it which were a folly if the minister had done it himselfe and further with what words it was baptized which were as fond if it were baptized by an ordinary minister of our Church 4. The booke prescribeth no more but that they that be present call uppon God and use the right forme N. I baptize thee c. so that these two things bee observed by the midwife or whosoeuer present the minister is to certifie them by order of the booke that they haue done well and according to due order 5. The child is supposed by the booke to be baptized by such as happily knew not what they did in that great feare and trouble of mind but such as be so greatly feared and troubled at such times be not the ministers who haue nothing to do in those actions but the wiues and such as be present at such times therefore they bee not ministers but the people yea the very women that bee permitted to baptise in such times of necessity VVherefore most noble king Seeing the booke seemeth to carry this sense and Math. 28. 9. to warrant that which the word of Christ never approved VVe most humbly entreat that it may bee either quite remooved or better explained 5. Against the Cap and Surplice 1. THE Massing garments in poperie bee no fit garments for the ministers of the Gospell according to that charge of the Lord you shall pollute Is 30. 22. the coverings of the images and the rich ornaments c. and say unto it get thee hence and againe hate even the garment spotted by the Iude. 21. flesh Hence it was that Iacob when hee reformed the idolatrie of his houshould Gen. 35. 2 he made them also to change their garments But the surplice is one of the massing garments in poperie as both the Protestants Fox martir p. 501. 853 and popish writers shew M. Fox for the Protestants who declares that when a Popish Priest was to bee degraded they took away the surplice from him as one of his priestly garments For the Papists Innocentius and Durandus who bring in the popish Priest so apparelled to his Innoc. myst miss lib. 1. c. 10. Duran lib. 3. c. 1. in rationall Masse therefore it is no fit garment for the ministers of the Gospell Tertullian confirmes this reason shewing that Christians ought not in outward things to conforme themselues unto Idolaters no not in wearing a garland of flowres Nihil saith he dandum est Idolo sic nec sumendum ab

then severity cohortation then commination charity then authority but they which seeke their own not Iesus Christs doe swarue from this Law which seek rather to rule then counsell their subiects for while honour pleaseth pride puffeth up that which was provided for a remedy to a malady Leo epist 82. distinct 45. 6. In the urging of subscription they forget Christian compassion stripping Ministers and some of them aged of their livings to the undoing of themselues their wiues and children Iosias shewed more compassion to the Chemarims that were idolatrous Priests who though they were not permitted to come up to the altar yet did not eate unleavened bread among their brethren 2. Reg. 23. 9. they had their maintenance from the temple The Popes Canons herein were more equall that pittied old age as Gregory thus decreeth sed quia simplicitatem tuam cum senectute novimus interim tacemus the penall sentence was ready to be inflicted but because wee know your simplicity ioyned with old age we hold our peace Caus 1. q. 7. can 11. 7. This forcing of subscription to Ceremonies not warranted by the word is contrary to the Scriptures and practise of the Church In Nehemiahs time Subscription was required and an oath of the chiefe of the people but it was onely to walk in Gods Law Neh. 10. 29. not to keepe any traditions not written VVhen Victor would haue forced the East Churches to keep Easter as the Latine Churches did and was resolved to excommunicate them certaine Christian Bishops and Irenaeus among Euseb lib. c. 22. the rest did reproue him tanquam inutiliter Ecclesiae commodis consulentem as unprofitably regarding the Churches good There arose in Gregory the first his time a Tolet. 4. c. 5 great difference in Spaine about the thrice dipping in baptisme some doing it but once Leander a Spanish Bishop sent to Gregory about it who determineth that the Infant was baptized sive trina sive simpla mersione whether with thrice or once dipped hee would haue no contention about that ceremony But his successours more rigorous then charitable one decreed that it was Evangelicum praeceptum Part. 3. dist 4. c. 82. an Evangelicall precept to dip thrice Another that hee was not a perfect Christian that was not thrice dipped Lastly Pelagius it was decreed in the 8. generall Councell at Constantinople that whereas Photius the Can. 8. 9. concil general Constantinop usurper of that sea did extorquere chyrographas c. extort from clergie handwritings promising thereby to cleaue unto him and he againe gaue them by his hand writing faculties to preach And certaine Catholicke Bishops had taken up the like custome to urge subscription The contrary was decreed by that Councell ut Episcopi nullus chyrographas c. that Bishops should no more exact such subscription sed tantummodo fierent solennitates de more but to be content with the old use they should enforce no new subscriptions but keepe the old customes solennities The Bishops then in urging new subscriptions to combine the Clergy to cleaue unto them not otherwise to grant them licenses to preach did reviue the corrupt use of Photius the pseudo-Patriark condemned in this Councell 8. To require absolute subscription to the booke is to make it almost equall to the Scripture as freed from all errour but this properly the holy writings onely haue viz. to bee perfect right pure Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect the statuts of the Lord are right VVhat could be required more then to subscribe absolutely to the word of God as pure perfect and without any errour Augustine well distinguisheth between divine and humane writing de Scripturis canonicis non licet dicere c. of the Canonicall Scriptures it is not lawfull to say the Author was deceived but in other books which are written by us not with authority of precept but exercise to profit though there be found the same verity yet are they not of the same authority which kind of writing must be read not with necessity of beleefe but liberty of iudgement Aug. cont Faust l. 11. 5. But there is now no liberty of iudgmēt left but necessity of beliefe imposed in this absolute subscriptiō 9. Beside this violent course of subscription hath bred a great scandale in the Church disturbed the peace thereof that whereas quietly before Ministers ioyned together in building the Lords house after the same began to be urged then suspensions imprisoning silencing depriving of many profitable ministers followed Saint Paul saith Would to God they were cut off that disquiet you Gal. 5. 12. They were disquieters of the Church that urged the ceremonies not they that refused them Conscience forced not the one to urge subscription for they themselues hold these Ceremonies not to bee necessary but conscience moved the other in not subscribing unto them VVho were then disturbers they which urged those things which with a good conscience might be left or they which refused those which with a good conscience they thought they could not use There is a rule in the law In rebus dubijs pars tutior sequenda In doubtfull matters the safer way is to be followed Not to use such rites and ceremonies is no sin but to yeeld unto them in him that is not resolved is sinne The law resolveth that the lesse doubted course should be taken not to use them at all Cyrillus thus writeth to Gemadius Sicut ij qui mare navigant c. As they which saile in the Sea when a tempest ariseth and the ship is in danger doe disburden it of some things to saue the rest so seeing it is not in our power to saue all despicimus ex ijs quaedam ne cunctorum patiamur dispendia Wee seeme to neglect or winke at some things lest wee should leese all So it had been better to haue cast out such burthenous ceremonies then to put the ship of the Church in hazard and disturbe the peace thereof 10. The forme of subscription is contrary Subscription contrary to law to the law of the land as may appeare by these reasons 1. The Law requireth subscription onely to the Articles of Religion in these words He shall declare Anno 13. Eliz. c. 12. his assent and subscribe to all the articles of Religion which onely concerne the confession of the true christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacraments But to subscribe to the booke of common praier doth not onely concerne the confession of true Christian faith Ergo by the lawe it is not to be subscribed unto 2. That which Ministers doe subscribe unto by law must appeare under the seal testimoniall of the Bishop and bee publikely declared in the Church within two moneths of induction but neither doth the testimoniall make mention of subscription to the booke neither is the Minister bound to declare his assent thereto in the Church Ergo it is not agreeable to the law 3. The