yet such as would seem in zeale to the present state to desire a resolution in some points that might otherwise giue offence It may be peraduenture the worke of some one who desirous to gaine an opinion amongst his followers vndertaketh to speake as from the minds of many hoping those demaunds how idle soeuer will gaine answer being to satisfie a multitude which no doubt M. Hooker in his wisdome patience and grauity would easily haue contemned if they had but beene the priuate cauils and obiections of some one For there is no man but thinketh manie how light so euer in themselues being vnited may haue that weight to chalenge euen by a ciuill right a direct answer from one euerie way farre better then had beene fitting for their modestie weaknesse to prouoke Well whosoeuer they are as I cannot easily coniecture so I am not curious to knowe this age hath affoorded an infinite number whom superstitious feare for want of true vnderstanding and an ignorant zeale not directed with discretion haue made violent in matters of Religion vsing the razor in steed of a knife and for hatred of tares oftentimes pulling vp good corne But with these we will deale with that temperate moderation as may serue to giue true worthinesse a iust defence and impatient and furious spirits vnlesse desperately violent no iust cause to find themselues to be grieued with vs. This which wee are to answer is tearmed by them A Christian letter of certaine English Protestants vnfained fauorers of the present state of religion authorised and professed in England vnto that reuerend and learned man M. Richard Hooker Thus the humilitie and mild temper of their superscription may peraduenture gaine the reading at some mens hands through an opinion that Protestants and manie and in a Christian letter would hardly be caried with violence so far to make demaunds seasoned with so little modestie learning or vnderstanding These men they may be as we take the word largely Protestants for anie thing that I know that is men outwardly of the Christian religion who liue and professe a doctrine for the most part opposite to the Church of Rome but I can hardly be perswaded that the Letter being wholy an vnciuill Ironie is either Christian or that themselues are vnfained fauourers of the present state of religion or that they thinke M. Hooker to be either reuerend or learned in their opinions For whatsoeuer they may pretend in vrging the reuerend Bishops of our Church against his assertions as though they ascribed much vnto them yet their desire is to make an opposition appeare and in that shewe of contradiction to make themselues sport in the end proudly and maliciously to contemne both But Saint Iames telleth these that if anie man seeme religious and refraine not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans religion is vain And in this I appeale to the censure of the most modest and discreet amongst themselues by what shew of reason they could tearme that Letter to bee Christian wherein were contained so many vnseasoned and intemperate speeches or that man to be either reuerend or learned whom they haue vsed with so little respect and accused of so manie defects But doubtlesse as they neuer thought him to be either reuerend or learned whom all that knew him whilest he liued knew to be both so they little desired that their Letter should be such a one as might worthily be accounted Christian. Else what meane these accusations to account his goodly promises meere formall and great offers to serue only to hoodwink such as mean wel as though by excellency of words and intising speeches of mans wisedome he ment as they say to beguile and bewitch the Church of God A little after they call him a goodly Champion and by the sweet sound of your melodious stile almost cast into a dreaming sleepe which stile notwithstanding afterwards they account not vsual but long and tedious far differing from the simplicity of holy scripture and a hard and harsh stile for the manner of the stile we shall make our defence when we answere that Article But in that you scoffingly account him a goodly Champion giue me leaue to tell you that if our Church were throughly furnished with such men the holy function of our calling had not growne in contempt by ignorant and vnlearned ministers our peace had not bin troubled with furious and violent spirits worldly men had not seazed vpon the Church with such eagernes through an opinion of the vnworthines of the clergie they of the Church of Rome had not thus long remained obstinate through the violent proceedings of vndiscreet men whose remedies were worse then the disease it selfe nor last of all the generall amendment of life the fruite of our preaching had not bin so small if these turbulent heads had not more desired to make Hypocrits then truely religious It is much safer to praise the dead then the liuing hauing seene the period of their dayes expired when neither he that is praised can be puffed vp nor he that doth praise can be thought to flatter hee was as Saint Austine sayd of Saint Cyprian of such desert of such a courage of such a grace of such a vertue that as Theodosius sayd of S. Ambrose I haue known Ambrose who alone is worthy to be called a Bishop of whom I dare giue that iudgement though he were in true estimation great already which Antigoras gaue of Pirrhus that he would haue bin a very great man if he had bin old Great in his own vertues of great vse in the Church in al appâ—rance though these times be vnthankefull of great authoritie I let passe those other tearmes which shew your letter to bee vnchristian vntill we come to their particular answers and thus much for the title It hath bin no new thing in all ages that reprehension hath waited vpon those books which zeale from a vertuous minde hath written to support the truth for the nature of man is much apter to reproue others then reforme it selfe seeing to see faults in others is an act of the vnderstanding if they bee and of a frowardnes of the will if they be not but to rectifie them in ourselues must be the worke of a cleare vnderstanding and a reformed will therfore vsually men practise themselues what they punish in others so that no man can directly conclude that all men hate what they do accuse Therefore Saint Hierom of whome saith S. Austin no man knew that whereof S. Hierom was ignorant oftentimes complaineth of the detractions slaunders and vntrue accusations of euill men These for the most part are vnstaid violently caried with the current of the present time sometimes bitterly either vpon discontentments or to please others inueighing against those whom themselues before out of flattery not iudgement haue highly praised Thus Libanius the sophister who was eloquent against
profession they be Christians then are they of the visible Church of Christ and Christians by externall profession they are all whose marke of recognisance hath in it those things which we haue mentioned Yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked hereticks persons excommunicable such as we deny not to be euen the lims of Satan as long as they continue such Is it then possible say you that the selfesame men should belong both to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Christ Vnto that Church which is his mystical bodie not possible because that bodie consisteth of none but only true Israelits true sonnes of Abraham true seruants and Saints of God Howbeit of the visible body and Church of Christ those may be and oftentimes are in respect of the maine parts of their outward profession who in regard of their inward disposition of minde yea of externall conuersation yea euen of some parts of their very profession are most worthily both hatefull in the sight of God himselfe and in the eies of the sounder parts of the visible Church most execrable From hence haue proceeded those bitter speeches wherewith many of our reuerend Fathers haue censured the Church of Rome as also those violent courses and vnseemely which they haue hitherto vsed against vs. Therefore our Sauiour compareth the kingdome of heauen to a net whereunto al that commeth neither is nor seemeth fishe his Church he compareth to afield where tares manifestly knowne and seene by all men doe grow intermingled with good corne and so shall continue til the final consummation of the world God hath had euer and euer shall haue some Church visible vpon earth But for lack of diligent obseruing the difference first betwixt the church of God mystical and visible then betweene the visible sound and corrupted sometimes more sometimes lesse the ouersights are neither few nor light that haue bin committed This deceiueth them and nothing else who thinke that in the time of the first world the family of Noah did containe al that were of the visible church of God From hence it grew and from no other cause in the world that the Affrican Bishops in the councel of Carthage knowing how the administration of Baptisme belongeth only to the church of Christ and supposing that hereticks which were apparantly seuered from the sound beleeuing church could not possiblie be of the church of Iesus Christ thought it vtterly against reason that baptisme administred by men of corrupt beleefe should be accounted as a Sacrament Some of the Fathers were earnest especially Saint Cyprian in this point but I hope you haue not yet proceeded so farre This opinion was afterwards both coÌ„demned by a better aduised councel and also reuoked by the chiefest of the Authors therof themselues And therfore as it is straÌ„ge for any man to denie them of Rome to be of the church so I cannot but wonder that they will aske where our church was before the birth of Martin Luther as if any were of opinion that Luther did erect a new church of Christ. No the church of Christ which was from the beginning is and continueth in substance the same vnto the end of which al parts haue not bin alwaies equally sincere and sound In the daies of Abiha it plainly appeareth that Iuda was by many degrees more free from pollution then Israel In Saint Paules time the integrity of Rome was famous Corinth many waies reproued they of Galathia much more out of square in Iohns time Ephesus and Sâ—yrna in better state then Thiatyra and Pergamus were and yet all of them no doubt parts of the visible church so standeth the cause betwixt Rome and vs so farre as lawfully we may we haue held and do hold fellowship with them we acknowledge theÌ„ to be of the family of Iesus Christ and our heartie prayer vnto God Almightie is that being conioyned so farre forth with them they may at length if it be his will so yeeld to frame and reforme themselues that no distraction remaine in anie thing but that we all may with one heart and one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord and Sauiour whose church we are As there are which make the church of Rome no church at all vtterly so we haue them amongst vs who vnder pretence of imagined corruptions in our discipline do giue euen as hard a iudgement of the church of England it selfe But whatsoeuer either the one sort or the other teach we must acknowledge euen heretikes themselues to bee though a maimed part yet a part of the visible church For as to baptize is a proper action belonging vnto none but the church of Christ which is true in the church of Rome howsoeuer some Anabaptists account it but a mockerie so if an infidell should pursue to death an heretike professing christianitie onely for christian profession sake could the church denie him the honour of Martyrdome Yet this honour all men know to be proper vnto the church and therefore where the Fathers make opposition betwixt the visible church and hereticall companies as often times they doe they are to bee construed as separating heretikes not altogether from the companie of beleeuers but from the fellowship of sound beleeuers for where profest vnbeleefe is there can be no visible church of Christ there may be where sound beleefe wanteth Infidels being cleane without the church denie directly and vtterly reiect the very principles of Christianity which heretikes imbrace and erre onely in misconstruction And therefore it is strange that you dare affirme the Turke to hold any part of the christian faith or to bee in that respect comparable to the church of Rome For that which separateth vtterly that which cutteth off cleane from the visible church of Christ is as Maister Hooker saith plaine Apostasie direct deniall vtter reiection of the whole christian faith as farre as the same is professedly different from infidelitie Heretikes as touching those points of doctrine wherein they faile Schismatikes as touching the quarrels for which or the duties wherein they diuide themselues from their brethren loose licentious and wicked persons as touching their seuerall offences or crimes haue all forsaken the true church of God the church which is sound and sincere in the doctrine that they corrupt The church that keepeth the bond of vnitie which they violate the church that walketh in the lawes of righteousnesse which they transgresse This verie true church of Christ they haue left howbeit not altogether left nor forsaken simply the Church vpon the maine foundations whereof they continue built notwithstanding these breaches whereby they are rent at the top asunder But peraduenture you will say why then doe wee refuse to communicate with the church of Rome more then Zacharie Elizabeth Anna and others did with the high priests corruptions being in both and both remaining parts of the church of God I answer that in the time of our Sauiour Christ the synagogue
that the Sacraments by the worke done actiuely doe not affoord grace though rightly vnderstood passiuely they may by the worke done for in that iustification and meanes of righteousnesse whereof man is made partaker by the Sacraments manie things concurre First in Gods behalfe a will that we should vse those sensible elements in Christs behalfe his passion from which the sacraments haue their vertue in the Ministers behalfe his power his will in the receiuers behalfe will faith repentance in respect of the Sacrament it selfe the externall action which ariseth out of the fit application of the matter the form of the Sacraments Now that which in all this actiuely and instrumentally bringeth grace is the externall action which is commonly called the Sacrament This hauing his vertue from his institution and not from anie merit either in the Minister or in him that receiueth For the wil of God which vseth the Sacramēts as that meanes of grace which it hath ordained concurreth actiuely but as a principall cause the passion of Christ concurreth as a cause meritorious the power and the will of the Minister necessarily concurre but as causes further remoued hauing their vse only in effecting the sacramentall action in whose due circumstances of administring he is vnwilling to faile Will faith and repentance are necessarily required in the receiuer that is of yeares not as actiue causes but as fit dispositions for the subiect for faith and repentance make not the sacramentall grace nor giue power to the Sacrament but onely remoue those lets which are hindrances that the Sacraments exercise not that vertue that is annexed to them So that in infants in whom no such disposition is required the sacrament of Baptisme is auaileable without these And therefore to satisfie your demaunds in this Article wee conclude that a man dying without faith and receiuing the sacramentall signes for sacraments he cannot receiue shall not be saued and not receiuing them if his want bee not either negligence or contempt may be saued Yet the latter to vs is fearefull and ordinarily impossible whereas the former is an euidence of our hope and giueth most iust reason charitably to iudge So that we say with Saint Austin he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation but he that contemneth to eate hath not life and therefore shall not come to eternall life And yet those things that hurt the vnworthy receiuer do much profit him who receiueth them as he ought ARTICLE XV. Of Christs Institution IT is not an apprehension equally incident vnto the iudgments of all wise men rightly to conceiue the true dependance of things for those who allow and confesse actions to haue much vertue oftentimes do mistake from whence that vertue commeth this as it happeneth in causes of more vsuall and knowne nature so it is sometimes euen in those things where the authour is but one and he incomparably the best Because he vouchsafeth to admit instruments of a lower conditiō to be agents in the performance of things of so great an vse This maketh men in the sacraments those holy institutions of God left vnto the Church often to faile in a due estimation of them And when they do graunt their vse to be singular yet euen then to doubt whereupon this dependeth because the same things performed by diuers are not the same and those which admit no difference in respect of substance yet are subiect in regard of some circumstance to an alteration either more or lesse From hence hath proceeded the difference in this article which ouer violently you vrge to be betwixt Maister Hooker and our Church of whom as vsually you do you carie too iealous a suspition of too great agreement with the Church of Rome That sacraments haue a vertue euen more then to be onely signes is already proued but whether this vertue be lesse where the Minister hath moe faults or none at all where his intention is not to administer a sacrament that commeth now to be discussed in this place To make the Sacraments depend for their grace vpon the integritie of men were to denie the benefit to a great number without cause and to punish men for a fault that were none of theirs The first of these is denied by fewe nay some are so farre from opinion that sin in the Minister is anie let to the sacrament that they are not affraid to affirme that Sacraments are effectuall though administred by Satan himselfe Doubtlesse few sauing onelie some Anabaptists denie the efficacie of the Sacraments for the defects of life in the lawfull dispensers of them They are inestimable fauours vnto Gods Church not to be measured by the hand from whom immediately wee receiue them but by that Almightie power the fountaine of all goodnesse from whence they do first come For as amongst men it were want either of iudgement or ciuilitie or both lesse to esteeme of the benefit for the meannesse of the messenger where we are vndoubtedly assured that it is the princes seale so in the Sacraments we must esteem them as the seales fauours of God himselfe whatsoeuer the imperfections are in those Ministers from whom we haue them For the defects of men being in the Church and lawfully called to those functions no way touch the efficacie of the Sacraments whose vertue dependeth vpon a higher power And therefore we denie all reiteration of Baptisme whatsoeuer the defects for manners are in those that do first giue it For we are equally baptized into the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost what vnworthines or inequality soeuer remaine in the persons that do baptize For the holinesse of the Sacraments is no way polluted by the vncleannesse of the handes that giue them For those Sacraments which vnreuerently being handled as Saint Austin saith doe hurt the giuer yet euen by their hands profit those that receiue them worthily It was both in Asia and Africk an error longe since that the Sacraments were not firme which were administred by Heretickes or Schismatickes separated from the vnity of the Church The first author of this was Agrippinus Bishop of Carthage whom Saint Cyprian succeeded as Saint Austine writeth and was a little infected with the same errour After these were the Donatists but we wil not labour for confirmation of this point because you obiect nothing against Master Hooker in it And it is no controuersie at all betwixt vs and the Church of Rome and therfore we say with the auncient Fathers Stephanus Siricius Innocentius the first Leo Anastasius the second in his epistle to Anastasius the Emperour with the councels first the generall councell of Nice often alledged by Saint Austin to this ende the first councell of Carthage the last assembly at Trent with the testimonies of Fathers and Doctors and according to the articles of our Church by you alledged That by the malice of wicked men which are ouer the administration
the Christians to please Iulian was noted with this marke of leuity for writing Panegyricks or orations of praise to commend Constantius while he liued against whome afterward he wrote most bitter inuectiues when he was dead Thus some small discontentment serued to turne the heart and open the mouth of Porphyry against the Christians what cause of griefe these zealous professours haue I know not but in my opinion the whole tenor of that vncharitable and vnchristian letter argueth some inward discontent either enuious that other men should be excellent or that themselues being excellent are not more regarded Wherein though they dislike the dim eie of gouernment that loketh not cleerely into mens vertues and the niggardly hand that doth not bountifully reward such as deserue well yet they mighte out of patience and charity worthily haue forborne to haue inueied against his honour which consisted in no other wealth but in his religious contentment and in that true commendation which was the due merit of his own vertues For the world had not much to take from him because hee had not taken much from the world for he neuer affected flatteringly to please her nor she neuer cared fauninglie to please him For as all that Scipio brought from Africa after his danger and trauell to be called his was only a Surname so the greatest recompense that his labours had was the iust commendation that he was a very reuerend learned and graue man For his iudgement taught him out of a Christian patience the resolution of Cato if I haue anie thing to vse I vse it if not I know who I am And seeking to profit in knowledge and that this knowledge might profit the Church he shewed that hee was borne for the good of many and few to bee borne for the good of him For as S. Hierom speaketh of Nepotian despising gold he followed learning the greatest riches But peraduenture his learning had puft him vp and his pride had made his writings impatient and full of bitternes and this moued you to vndertake this vncharitable and vnchristian letter for you say if we beleeue them meaning the Bishops we must thinke that Master Hooker is verie arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe the onely Rabbi That you had no cause to prouoke him in these tearmes all men know that do reade his writings for dealing in an argument of that kinde with aduersaries of that nature and in a time growne insolent by sufferance hee hath written with that temperat moderation rather like a graue father to reforme the vnstayed errors of hot young violent spirits then seuerelie correcting them with the vntemperat bitternes of their owne stile and sighing at the scurrilous and more then satyricall immodesty of Martinisme he feared with a true sorrow least that honourable calling of Priesthood which was ruinated by slaunder amongst ourselues could not long continue firme in the opinion of others Well for all this the gouernment of his passions was in his owne power as Saint Bernard speaketh of Malachie the Bishop And he was able to rule them for he was truly of a milde spirit and an humble hart and abounding in all other vertues yet he specially excelled in the grace of meekenes for the grauity of his lookes as Saint Bernard speaketh of Humbers was cleered by those that did sit or conuerse with him least he should be burdensome vnto them but a ful laughter few euer discerned in him Some such our Church hath had in all ages a few now aliue which are her ornament if shee can vse them well but moe that are dead whome she ought to praise For all those were honourable men in their generations and were well reported of in their times there are of them that haue left a name behind them so that their praise shall be spoken of for whose posterity a good inheritance is reserued and their seede is conteined in the couenant their bodise are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore the people speake of their wisedome and the congregation talke of their praise In this number vertue hath placed him whom you accuse and are not afraid being now awaked out of a dreame to account a deceiuer As though in his labours he had meant by intising speech to deceiue the Church or as though by a colourable defēce of the Church discipline he purposed as you say to make questionable and to bring in contempt the doctrine and faith it selfe beating against the heart of all true Christian doctrine professed by her Maiestie and the whole state of this realme Therfore you haue made choice of the principall things conteined in his bookes wishing him to free himselfe from all suspicion of falshoode and trechery accounting your selues to rest contented if he will shew himselfe either all one in iudgement with the Church of England or else freely and ingenuously acknowledge his vnwilling ouersight or at the least shew plainely by good demonstratiō that al our reuerend Fathers haue hitherto bin deceiued To this you craue a charitable direct plaine sincere and speedy answeare this is the summe of the preface to your Christian letter It is too true that al ages haue had deceiuers and that the most dangerous deceiuers haue strongly preuailed vnder pretence of Religion and therefore whereas all bodies are subiect to dissolution there are vndoubtedly mo estates ouerthrown through diseases within themselues which familiarly do steale vpon them then through violence from abroade Because the maner is alwaies to cast a doubtfull and a more suspicious eie towards that ouer which men know they haue least power therfore the feare of apparant dangers causeth their forces to be more vnited it is to all sorts a kind of bridle it maketh vertuous minds watchful it holdeth contrary dispositions in suspence and imployeth the power of all wits and the wits of all men with a greater care Whereas deceits couered with good pretenses are so willingly interteyned so little feared so long suffered vntill their cruelty burst forth when it is too late to cure them vice hath not a better meanes to disperse it selfe nor to gaine intartainment and fauour then by borrowing the counterfeit name and habit of seeming vertue Thus that rebellious Sandracot vnder pretence of liberty mooued the Indians against the officers of Alexander the Great which when they had slaine he that was the author of their liberty turned that into a more cruell bondage oppressing the people whom he had freed from strangers vnder the cruell tyranny of his owne gouernment But of all deceits there is none more dangerous then when the name of God or religion is pretended to countenance out heinous crimes And howsoeuer euen in this kinde this age hath not wāted examples who beeing dangerous vnder holy pretenses the hand of Iustice hath cut off yet the imputation of this fault can in no reason cleaue to him who hath so
a deepe point letting them vnderstand that yee are able not onely to aduise sobrietie to such rash presumers as in your opinions M. Hooker is but also to direct them in those points wherein in your iudgements they are much deceiued That there is no man how excellent soeuer but without humilitie may easily erre I can as willingly confesse it as I commend such whom I see carefull to giue aduise vnto those that haue gone astray The one being the punishment of pride to teach sobrietie the other the power of their learning to shew humility but that either he hath done the one or you the other in this Article it is more then as yet I see any iust inducements to beleeue And I am sorie that things of principall excellencie should bee thus bitten at by men whom it is like God hath indued with graces both of wit and learning to better vses For if all men had that indifferencie of mind that the greatest part of their forces were imployed for the inlarging of that kingdome whereof all of vs desire to bee subiects we should easily discerne that a curious searching into that will which is not reuealed serueth but to breed a contempt of that which is reuealed vnto vs. Man desireth rather to know then to doe nay to know euen those things which do not concerne him rather then to do that for the neglect whereof he must giue an account From hence commeth it to passe that what the Schooles haue curiously sought out concerning the nature of Gods wil the Pulpits nay the stalles of Artificers haue vndertaken to decide them all So that those things which once were but the deep amazemeÌ„t of some few are now become the vsuall doctrine and the vulgar consideration of many where that is not so much to be lameÌ„ted which we search cannot comprehend as that which we might comprehend but do not search Following euen that first euil exchange for eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill to depriue our selues of the tasting of the tree of life So that which nature once made a disease the continuance of that disease hath made it nature for euen that light which man whilest he wanteth liueth in perpetuall darkenesse is a light by our weakenesse not possible to bee attained vnto and those paths which in our blindnesse we grope after with so much desire they are wayes not possible by mans weaknesse to bee found out For there is a cloud and darkenesse which are round about him and thicke misâ—es to couer him for we are without proportion inferiour to that power that hath first made vs not equall not like This being the iust recompence of him that searcheth out that Maiestie in the end to be ouerwhelmed with the same glory Our greatest knowledge in this saith Saint Cyprian is to confesse our ignorance for those acts that are of this nature there is greater holinesse to beleeue them then to know them Truth lieth in the bottome as Democritus speaketh and as Pindarus saith about our minds there hang innumerable errours therefore the counsell of the son of Sirach is to be followed Seeke not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things rashly which are too mightie for thee but what God hath commanded thee thinke vpon that with reuerence and bee not curious in manie of his workes for it is not needfull for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are secret be not curious in superfluous things for many things are shewed vnto thee aboue the capacitie of men the medling with such hath beguiled maâ—ie and an euill opinion hath deceiued their iudgment thou canst not see without eyes Yet for all this to bee absolutely either ignorant or carelesse of those things that concerne vs are no warrants for humilitie but euidences of our slouth The world at this day hath two sorts of men whom though we need not to respect much yet we are willing euen to giue them a reason of what wee do which though peraduenture they challenge at our hands yet wee demaund not of them a reason of what they surmise The first sort are sensuall and carelesse neither respecting the will of God of vs or towards vs these for the most part vnderstand nothing but earthly things whom if you remoue to matters of a higher reach you onely arme them against yourselfe awake them to shew an vnsufferable contempt of all vertue For that which they thinke painefull to themselues being idolaters to the bellie that they suppose partly impossible to others and that which for their owne dulnesse they cannot easily learne that they imagine but falsly that others can as hardly teach The second sort wiser then these thinke that we ought to search what God will haue vs to do but what he will do with vs or what he hath decreed or determined of vs that they thinke ought wholy to be neglected by vs. In these two errours there is this difference that the dangers being equall the reasons are not equall that do moue both seeing man hath mo reasons to perswade him to know too little then to know too much Therefore the Church of England calleth Predestination vnto life the eternall purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he constantly decreed by his counsel vnto vs vnknown to deliuer from the curse and destruction them whom he chose in Christ out of mankind and as vessels made vnto honour through Christ to bring them to eternall saluation whereupon they who are indowed with so excellent a benefit of God are called according to his purpose and that by his Spirit working in a fit time wherein if any thing in his generall wil be opposite to that which secretly he hath determined of vs it is neither a contrarietie in that essence which is but one neither anie warrant for vs to bee defectiue in our charitie which must imitate his general inclination to saue all And howsoeuer he graunt not those prayers which we make for those who are not predestinate because there is a more secret will that hath determined the contrarie yet notwithstanding euen these prayers conformable to his general inclination are in themselues without sin they are our duties acceptable to God For in God there is a wil reueiled which not to do is sin not reueiled which we may do yet sin And therfore it must needs seeme strange that it is made a question by any how God eternally predestinateth by a constant decree them whom hee calleth and saueth and yet hath a generall inclination to saue all A matter easily answered if we doe but remember a twofold will It is not then a foresight of any thing that occasioned his will otherwise It is not any generall election altered vpon a speciall cause It is nothing either in vs or in himselfe that maketh this decree either to be at all
all tending to one ende for which God hath made his visible church to be that congregation of faithfull people wherein the pure word of God is preached so that in this respect we refuse not to make the preaching of the word taking the word preaching for all manner of teaching to be an essentiall note of the church For doubtles in that parable of the sower by you alledged we mislike not much the interpretation of that Reuerend Bishop which you bring forth as opposite to Maister Hooker saying God is the husbandman the Preachers of the word are the seed sowers the seede is the word of God the ground is the harts of men and yet Saint Austin differeth a little from this exposition where he saith the sower is God and I because he soweth what am I but the seedmans basket Which euen the meanest Christian no doubt is though neuer called to the office of preaching if he can by priuate conference exhort and instruct out of holy Scripture which as it is an acte of lesse honor and profit then the preaching of those that are worthily called to that office so euen in their sermons that are called there is no man but must acknowledge a manifold and apparant difference For seeing speech as Maister Hooker saith which you mislike is the very image whereby the mind and soule of the speaker conueyeth itselfe into the bosome of him that heareth we cannot chuse but see great reason wherfore the word that proceedeth from God who is in him selfe very truth and life should be as the Apostle to the Hebrues noteth liuely and mighty in operation sharper then any two edged sword Now to make our sermons that strong forcible word is to impart the most peculiar glory of the word of God vnto that which is not his word For touching our sermons that which giueth them their very being is the will of man and therefore they oftentimes accordingly tast too much of that ouer-corrupt fountaine from which they come For euen the best of our Sermons and in Sermons there is an infinite difference howsoeuer they oftentimes haue a singular blessing and that the scripture the pure word of God is the text and the ground of the speech yet the rest of the discourse which is sometimes two or three houres long a time too long for most preachers to speake pertinently is but the paraphrasticall inlarging of the same text together with those fit exhortations and applications which the learning of the preacher is able to furnish himselfe withall and his discretion shall thinke fit for that auditory to which he speaketh And therfore as to equalize euery declamation or oration in schooles to them is to wrong sermons so to make euen the best sermons equall to the scripture must be in apparant reason a great wrong to that which is immediately Gods own word wherunto though the best preach agreeably yet the sermons of none since the Apostles time are or ought to be esteemed of equall authority with the holy scripture and yet we are not afraide to ascribe vnto them that blessing from aboue to conuert reforme and strengthen which no eloquence Wisedome Learning Policie and Power of the world is able to match Neither is there contrariety in this that we that are the Preachers are sent as the Apostles were in respect of our calling from God and yet that the learning and wit of man giueth the very beeing vnto that wee teach Vnlesse which some ouerboldly doe you thinke it vnlawfull to vse either learning or wit in making of sermons As though all other helpes purchased with great cost and infinite labour together with a naturall ability all perfected in those excellent fountaines of all learning the Vniuersities were to be reiected as wholy vnprofitable in this busines Neither doth Master Hooker or any other of iudgement say which you seeme to infer that a man by natural witte without a supernaturall light from the scripture is able to vtter those mysteries as he ought which doubtlesse being a great fault is rather the error of those who preach most and yet vse least helps of learning or wit for that they vtter Wherein it must needs seeme strange that they euer vnderstanding by the word the worde preached whereunto they ascribe vitall operation yet they performe this with such negligence that they come rashly vnfurnished to so great a businesse and scarce attentiuely weigh the dangerous sequell of this construction Doubtlesse our sermons euen the best either for sound knowledge or pure zeale are not Gods word in the same manner that the sermoÌ„s of the Prophets were no they are but ambiguously tearmed his word because his word is commonly the subiect wherof they treate and must be the rule whereby they are framed Yet sermons haue sundrie peculiar and proper vertues such as no other way of teaching besides hath aptnesse to follow particular occasions presently growing to put life into words by countenance voice and gesture to preuaile mightily in the sodaine affections of men these and such like are those excellent prerogatiues which some few may challeÌ„g who worthily deserue the name to be called preachers We reiect not as of no vse at all in the Church euen the vertuous labours of meaner men who come far short of the perfection of these few but earnestly wish the gouernours of our Church for fitte imployment and maintenance to respect both And they laying aside all comparisons equally to labour to further that worke which by a blessing from aboue knoweth how to profit by the labours of all It seemeth by that which you allege that only such sermons haue their beeing from the wit of man which curiously bring into the pulpit Poets Philosophers Rhetoricians Phisitions Schoolemen and other humaine learning which the reuerend Fathers say you and more staid diuines are warâ—e to auoid In this speech of yours in my opinion there are two faults The first a particular vniust censure of the Fathers whether you meane the holy Fathers of the Church as Saint Austine Saint Ambrose Saint Gregorie Saint Bernard and the rest or those reuerend Fathers which doe liue at this day all which whilest you seeke to commend directly you dispraise accounting them to auoid all humane learning and that their sermons haue not their being from the wit of man which doubtlesse is false seeing they excell by infinite degrees the sermons of manie others which are framed by neither The second fault is a generall taxation of all those who anie way furnish their sermons with humane learning You may peraduenture be able to giue good direction in other points but surely in framing of a Preacher or making of a sermon you are much deceiued for I can neuer perswade my selfe that the exactest industrie that man can vse is vnlawfull or vnnecessarie in this worke for sometimes we are to deale with those whose opinions are not easily confuted without humane learning nor their
attention gained without wit nor their affections perswaded without eloquence where to come vnfurnisht and leaue the workings without meanes to him who giueth a power and a blessing to the meanes we vse is all one to appoint him what meanes are fittest or to inioyne him to worke without meanes at all which though that Almightie power can do yet then to refuse theÌ„ when they are prouided or not to furnish vs with as much as we can of the best that he hath prouided it argueth our vnthankfulnesse and our want of choise This made when Celsus Iulian and Porphyry had written against vs the holy Fathers to confute them with all varietie of humane learning that thus the enemies of that truth which we teach may say with Iulian We are strooke through with our owne weapons This was the happines of Epiphanius whiâ—â— I wish were common to all preachers that his writings were read of the learned for the matter of the simple for the words Thus we should not doubt but to win an attention from all nay euen for the true discharging of this businesse there is a necessarie vse of Grammar to teach the originall proprietie of words of Logicke to discerne ambiguities of Rhetoricke for ornament a good tale being much better when it is well told of Philosophie for the vnfolding the true nature of causes the ignorance whereof hath brought much error in expounding the holy Scriptures of Historie for the computation of times in one word of all humane learning which like the spoiles of Egypt we haue recouered from the vniust owners accounting it no more disgrace to be accused of eloquence wit or humane learning then S. Austin did by Petilian to be termed Tertullus the Orator There be that account Inciuilitie of maners and Rusticitie of speech as Saint Hierome speaketh true holinesse But it is not fit that those that are toothlesse should enuie the teeth of others or those that are Moules repine that others see as the same Father admonisheth Calphurnius It hath beene a trouble of some of our best and most excellent preachers that they haue beene inforced after their wearisome â—oiling and vnregarded paines to giue a reason and make a defence as though they had committed a fault for the vse of that for which in true estimation they ought to haue reaped much praise And therfore saith one whom I dare oppose for eloquence and iudgement against the best in that great city of the contrarie faction I am not of opinion with those men who thinke that all secular and prophane learning should be abandoned from the lips of the preacher and that whether hee teach or exhort he is of necessitie to tie himselfe to the sentence and phrase of only Scripture Good is good wheresoever I find it vpon a withered and fruitlesse stalke saith S. Austin a grape sometimes may hang shall I refuse the grape because the stalk is fruitlesse and withered There is not any knowledg of learning to be despised seeing that all science whatsoeuer is in the nature kind of good things rather those that despise it we must repute rude vnprofitable altogether who would bee glad that all men were ignorant that their owne ignorance lying in the common heape might not be espied And S. Austin in in another place saith Eloquence is not euill but a sophisticall malignant profession proposing to it selfe not as it meaneth but either of contention or for commodity sake to speake for all things against all things What were more profitable then the eloquence of Donatus Parmenian others of your sect if it ran with as free a streame for the peace vnity truth and loue of Christ as it floweth against it for els it is a venimous eloquence as Saint Cyprian wrote of the eloquence of Nouatus I know there is much amisse both in matter and in the vse of prophane learning but this we are sure if we bring it to the Scripture if it bee faultie it is condemned if wholsome it is there confirmed And I see no reason that any man should be bold to offer his owne inuentions and conceits to the world when hee findeth such in the Fathers and others as cannot be amended I am sorie that the learned of any sort as my Author saith that hath but born a book should dispraise learning she hath enemies enough abroad though she bee iustified by her children It is fitter that wisedome bee beaten by fooles then by those who ought to be esteemed wise aboue all other places a blow giuen in the pulpit against learning a fault too common leaueth a scarre in the face of knowledge which cannot easily be cured It calleth in question the reaching of others as if they fed the people with acorns husks not bread or because they gather the truth out of humane Authours they contemned the authority of the holy Scriptures Doubtlesse it is somtime vanity in those that preach itching in those that heare a thing not tolerable or allowable in either but where it is otherwise let not a rasâ— conclusion without proofe as though it were young mens faults bee admitted against good learning If Asclepiodorus will draw with a cole or chauke alone I iudge him not if others wil paint with colours neither let them be iudged for those that are wise and humble in the Church know how with discretion to make vse of all and yet not all of the like authoritie For doctrines deriued exhortations deducted interpretations agreeable are not the verie word of God but that onely which is in the originall text or truly translated and yet we call those sermons though improperly the word of God To conclude this point as our Church hath manie excellent Preachers which we wish by good incouragement may increase so it is too presumptuous a labour for any to prescribe one forme necessarie to all But I could wish that all were like him whom you accuse or like one Marianus Genazanensis whom Angelus Politianus doth excellently describe in my opinion an excellent patterne of a reuerend Diuine ARTICLE XIII Of the Ministers office IN the actions of this life whether spirituall or temporal God and man giue their approbation in a diuers maner the one looketh onely at the thing done the other at the mind disposition of the doer And therefore the same things from diuers parties are not of the same nor of like value nay that which is from sinceritie a worship is from hypocrisie a sin and the defects which outwardly the maner of doing disproueth the sinceritie oftentimes in the mind of the doer acquiteth In the eye of man it is sometimes a fault which is no sin in the eye of God a sin which in the eye of man was no fault So that according to lawes which principally respect the heart of man works of religion being not religiously performed caÌ„not morally be perfect Baptisme as an
no sermon and yet a prayer read to be a prayer require that the Spirit of grace and prayer bee not wanting in the partie reading and the hearers how can we thinke those actions to be sacramentall where in the Minister there is not so much as an intention that they should be sacraments And therefore saith Hugo in the place before alleaged Alexander the Bishop held the Baptisme that Athanafius ministred to other boyes in play to be true Baptisme because he did it with an intention of true Baptisme In those that are but instruments as the minister is no more the vertues of faith hope and charitie are not requisite and yet because they are reasonable instruments their actions must proceede from election and intention Therefore we conclude that this intention of the Church is no ground of vncertaintie seeing she tendeth but one thing that is to performe them as Sacraments nor giueth any power to the vertue of the Sacrament and that the Church cannot make a Sacrament but to distinguish betwixt actions religious and the same not religious there is required the intention of the Church ARTICLE XVI Of the necessitie of Baptisme WHere many things are doubted of without reason it is neither easie nor vsually expedient to answer all Wisdome esteemeth it much fitter to passe by without yeelding satisfaction to some apparant truths called in question rather then by answering to let the simple vnderstand that men haue doubted of those points For the first calling in question of vnfallible truths gaue strength to euill minds to find out all shewes of reason for maintaining of those things which their owne weaknesse at first made them simply to mistake So that whosoeuer maketh euerie doubt to bee a contention or laboureth to confute errours of long continuance in the first kindleth but that sparke which without some breath would easily die and in the latter must arme himselfe to encounter an obstinate resolution The consideration of this made me not willing either to dispute the newe borne doubts of your owne in this Article which being discussed in time might grow to be old errours or to bestowe labour for the assisting of that truth which out of great iudgement and learning hath often beene defended by other mens paines But seeing it is an vsuall false conclusion as to argue a lawfulnesse from what we doe so a want of abilitie from what we doe not I thought it fitter euen following their steps that haue gone before me rather to resolue others what you haue doubted of in this point thē that any should conclude out of silence an impossibilitie that you could be answered For the willingnes that some men haue to do more then they are able maketh others suspected to want abilitie in whom there appeareth not the same willingnesse If al men rightly considered in those actions that concerne mans saluation how farre we are tied not onely in obedience but for vse to those things that are meanes to effect the same few would haue beene so carelesly resolute to contemne good works through an opinion of an eternall election or so negligently haue despised the onely doore of entrance into the Church Baptisme through an opinion that God doth saue euen where this is wanting We do all confesse that Baptisme is a sacrament of regeneration or new birth by water in the word of life that it is a signe nay a meanes of initiation whereby we are coopted into the societie of the Church Thus by this being ingraffed into Christ we may be taken for the sonnes of God and so receiue newe names to bee called Christians And therefore learned men haue thought it to bee the doore of our actuall entrance into Gods house the first apparant being of life as Saint Basil calleth it the first step of our sanctification as Master Hooker saith For as we are not naturally men without birth so neither are we Christian men in the eye of the Church without new birth we say in the eye of the Church for we take not vpon vs to see as God doth who knoweth without all meanes both to make and without visible tokens is able to discerne who belong vnto him And yet in our eye Baptisme is that which both declareth and maketh vs to be Christians Therefore it is a strange opinion of them who say that he which is not a Christian before baptisme cannot be made a Christian by baptisme which is onely the seale of the grace of God before receiued These as it seemeth you doe eleuate too much the ordinarie and immediate meanes of life relying wholy vpon the bare conceit of that eternall election which notwithstanding includeth a subordination of meanes without which we are not actually brought to inioy what God secretly did intend And therefore to build vpon Gods election if we keepe not our selues to the wayes which he hath appointed for men to walke in is but a selfe deceiuing vanitie for all men notwithstanding their preordination vnto life which none can know but God only are in the Apostles opinion till they haue imbraced the truth but the children of wrath as well as others And howsoeuer the children of the faithfull are borne holy as you alleage out of y t reuerend Bishop the Elect are adopted to be the sons of God in their predestination 〈◊〉 afterwards whē they beleeue then they are said more properly to be the sons of God indeed for although it be true as Saint Paul saith that your sonnes are holy namely when they are borne by reason of the promise yet he saith that we are sanctified by faith meaning actually and indeed For as kings in those kingdomes that are by election are first chosen then designed then crowned which last action is that which maketh them ful and compleate kings so whatsoeuer we were in that secret election to vs vnknowne yet then when we are baptized and not before we are properly publikely solemnly ioyned vnto God and admitted into his Church Yet we exclude not neither doth any that I know these benefits thus bestowed ordinarily in and with Baptisme but that extraordinarily sometimes before as in Paul and Cornelius sometimes after as in many baptized by heretikes sometimes without as in those who preuent their baptisme by martyrdome and some others these benefits may be bestowed For it were a fearefull doctrine iniurious to many thousands soules and blasphemous against the bottomles mercie of a most louing father to exclude all those from eternall life whom not negligence or contēpt but some other occasion hath hindred to be baptized And therefore it is strange that you would make M. Hooker to speake for so absolute a necessitie which indeed he doth not but maketh it limited or that yourself would dislike a necessity wheras you confesse this to be the conditiō of baptisme if it cannot be had as it ought The matter then principally called in question in this Article