are glad to see them now so earnest intreaters for reading the Scriptures in the Church seeing heretofore the most of them haue beene content for a Sermon of small edification but of great length to omit the reading of many Chapters which might haue beene done at that time so that in true vnderstanding the silencing of the Scripture was rather to be feared at their hands who desired to haue it indifferent and left free for to read it at all APOLOGY AS for the corrupt Apocripha appointed in the Calender it made to me no scruple of subscribing to the Booke with reference to the Churches intention and doctrine for besides that our doctrine was and is pure touching the dignities of the Canon the reformers of the booke professing to haue ordered that nothing should be read but eyther the pure word or that which is euidently grounded vpon the same gaue me reason to thinke that howsoeuer some vnmeet Chapters kept their old standing in the Calender yet our Churchment not to vrge the reading of them in which I was the more confirmed by that prouision which vnder the Queenes authority was published with the Homelies that the minister might exchaÌ„ge any one or other lesse profitable Chap. of the old TestameÌ„t for any of the new testament more profitable if as Doctor Abbots saith of the CanoÌ„ much more of the Apocripha But now I perceiue by the Rubrick that the tale of Susanna must be read to the last verse which helps to manifest the falshood of the whole fable as Ierom calles it and I see by the order of the Canons our former liberty of exchange all â—iberty of ceÌ„sure to be repealed Now how can I suâ—scribe to the reading of an vncertain tale in stead of the more sure word of the Prophets which Peter biddeth vs attend and not to Iewish fables such as is that of Iudith for which no time can be found out to father it vpon And that of Tobit both which Luther as I haue heard thought to be plaâ—es at the first and after made stâ—râ—es How can 〈◊〉 for instruction of Gods people read these fictions better then the popish Legends or so well as Holinsheds or Eusebius Chronicles for what ground is there for conscience to build vpon when nothing can be certainly obserued for doctrine where nothing is certainely knowne for truth Finally in the 13 of Daniell as it is vnfitly called is a repugnancy to the true story of Daniels age and beginnings of honour In the ninth of Iudith a commendation of Simeon and Leuies bloody act as ordered and blessed of God vndertaken with praier yea euen of that most outragious cruelty in which for the offeÌ„ce of one they executed many innoceÌ„t harmeles persons And this womaÌ„ blessed that zeale which Iacob cursed and God plagued as a rage And this exception our men tooke against Campian in the Tower So in the 7. of Tobit 3. the Angell maketh himselfe of the tribe of Nepthaly in the 12. one of the seuen Angels that offer vp the prayers of the Saints to God in both a lyar And in the latter a lying vsurper vpon that office which none but the Angell of the couenant may meddle with Now knowing that God hath no need of lyes I dare not read as a part of diuine seruice these tales in his presence and the presence of his Angels and people much lesse allow the appointing of them to be read especially obseruing how idlely wee shall tell the common people of their basenesse while yet we read them out of the Bible ANSVVER WE are glad to heare you confesse that the intention of our Church was and is pure and I hope euer shall be touching the dignitie of the Canon which in my opinion ought to haue been a strong motiue both to you and others neyther to haue dissented from the practise of the Church in reading things ancient profitable and such as were called by the fathers Scripture though not Canonicall nor to haue quarrelled with these bookes as if all that were in them were thought by vs to be of an infallible vndoubted truth we say theÌ„ first coÌ„cerning all these bookes that neither doe wee nor any in our Church retaine them as Canonical truthes for doctrine nor of equall authoritie with the other Scriptures yet peraduenture we may giue some reasons why these things misliked by you are not of that moment that thereby they ought to be accouÌ„ted of no better authority theÌ„ Hollinsheads or Eusebius Cronicles We confes that we read by apointmeÌ„t the Historie of Susanna to the last verse but the last verse which is the greatest exceptioÌ„ to the History we read not and the Church of Rome confesseth that it ought to belong to the beginning of the foureteenth Chapter It is knowne that Africanus wrot to Saint Origen coÌ„cerning the truth of this book but what hee wrote wee haue yet no warrant neither can Origen or S. Hierom be iustly proued to bee aduersaries to our opinion in this case for hee that is most earnest against them which was Saint Hierom affirmeth as Doctor Whitakers collecteth that this storie of Susanna of Bell and the Dragon the Hymne of the three children was commonly read in the Church of God which is al for which we desire your allowaÌ„ce as a thing not new or lately inuented but auncient warraÌ„table so practised by our Church I could willingly enter into a defence of the trueth of this History if our aduersaries of the Church of Rome were not ouer-apt to make this conclusion which is not sound that whatsoeuer was aunciently read in the Church and is true ought to bee esteemed as the Canonicall Scripture so that they froÌ„ truth coÌ„cluding scripture we are forced against them to accuse them of some faults Whereas if confessing them to bee no canonicall Scriptures they or others would haue giuen vs leaue to read theÌ„ in the Church as profitable to manners wee could without violence haue afforded them the reconcilement of other Scriptures and vndoubtedly haue proued them to be most true But howsoeuer the Church of England requireth not the Subscription of you or of any other to warraÌ„t the falshood and vntruth of any Iewish fable but to approoue the forme of our Liturgy so farre that those books which anciently were read in the Church or at least those parts which containe nothing contrary to faith may still retaine their auncient place in the Church for edifying of manners which was giuen them in the first and the purest times In which doubtlesse the liberty of exchange formerly left to the discretion of the minister might haue continued stil if men would haue tempered themselues from indiscret causelesse neglect of publicke order for as Saint Austin well noteth That surely he hateth his country who thinketh himself neuer well except he trauell So little obedience or loue appeareth in those men
for information of manners yet seeing in those ancient times some of the fathers did inhibit the reading of them some say they were vsed by the Catechistes as wee permitted base coyne to the Irish some euen Councels forbad the reading of them and seeing by their first more innocent then prudent admission of them to be read in assemblies they wonne as appeareth in the third Councell of Carthage the stile first of Canonicall Scriptures and afterward the full dignity and haue since iustled with the Canon as Ismael did with Isack for precedeÌ„ce and hauing wonne it by this stratagem do maintaine their stile from the sâ—me reason of being read and that euen amongst vs me thinks there was neuer so great cause of aduancing them so neare the Chayr of estate as is now of teaching them to know their distances eyther by sylencing their voyces in the assemblies as most of the reformed Churches do or else by teaching them to speake in a different time as doe those Churches that read them while the coÌ„gregation is gathering not as parts to diuine seruice or at least that euery Minister were ioyned to giue them their note of difference that the people might know and discerne the voice of God from the voice of good men And if Hierom translating some of them did giue them a brand of difference why should not we in the reading Or if the elder brother suffer not the yonger to giue the armes of his house without a Crescent to distinguish them how will God that is so Iealous of his Honour put it vp that wee put no sensible difference betwixt the children of his spirit and the baser sonnes of men though good men In which cause my Lord I am the more earnest because I finde at the Conference Hierom taxed for calling them Apocripha and there though not truely for Cyril did it before him saide to bee the first that so termed them and his exceptions called the old euils of the Iewes and I find theÌ„ also tearmed Canonicall ad mores as if any writing but Gods could be properly Canonical which is co ipso canonica quo authentica as D. Whitaker well saith which make one feare that which I am loth to feare or speake must make me by so much the more afraid of allowing their admission by how much they incroch vpon the prerogatiues royoll of the Scriptures eyther in titles or in vsage ANSVVER THe custome of accusing the lawfull ordinances of this Church hath imboldened some men aboue both dutie and reason to continue still vehement in their first opposition which peraduenture at the beginning was vndertaken without cause this land as it neyther doth nor I hope euer shall professe any other doctrine but that which is sincere and true Our home aduersaries confessing that for the substance of Religion it maintayneth the true and the holy faith so for our publike Lyturgye which now is misliked by you wee will first take the censure of one as strickt as any that liued eyther since or before him and after if wee be further vrged enter into the particular defence of all that iustly can bee misliked in our Church not that wee are willing to giue any strength to this last errour or to flatter for aduancement the eye or the hand of this time an infirmitie which we hope shall not cleaue vnto vs but because wee are perswaded in conscience that the holy Spirit hath directed the consultations of the fathers of our Church euen then when first they banished superstition to frame by the assistance of a Diuine power a publike seruice of God in this land purer for the matter more effectuall for vse more chast for ceremonie more powerfull to procure deuotion then any Lyturgye publicklye established since the defection from the primitiue Church Of which as I promised I must tell you what Maister Deering said Looke if any line be blameable in our seruice take holde of your aduantage I thinke Maister Iewell will accept it for an article our seruice is good and godly euerie title grounded vpon holy Scriptures and with what face doe you call it darknesse But men are ashamed to seeme guiltie who alwaies haue beene Iudges or at least accusers That then which you mislike in this place for the rest wee shall indeuour to defend when wee come vnto them is the reseruation euen of the parcels of those Chapters some parts whereof we reiect as drosse that is to summe vp your whole accusation in few words that no Apocripha is publikely to be read in diuine seruice The Church of Christ according to her authoritie receiued from him hath warrant to approoue the Scriptures to acknowledge to receiue to publish and to commaund vnto her children so then that the Scriptures are true to vs wee haue it from the Church but that we beleeue them as true in themselues we haue it from the holy Ghost By this power the Church hath severed those parcels of Scripture by the name of Apocripha from those which vndoubtedly were penned from Gods Spirit In this diuision neyther hath the light nor the approbation beene all one seeing euen some partes penned by the holy Ghost and so now generally approued both by the Church of Rome and vs haue had some difficulty not without great examination to be admitted into the Catalogue of Gods Canon As the Epistle to the Hebrewes of S. Iames the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn the Epistle of Iude and the Reuelation And howsoeuer those that were neuer doubted of may seeme to haue in some sort greater authoritie then those that were yet wee giue them saith M. Zanchy equall credit with the rest and to the Apocripha the next place of all other to the holy Scripture The Canonical only wee allow for probation of the doctrine of Faith but the other being proued for the confirmation therof Nay the Church of Rome confesseth howsoeuer they and wee differ which are Canonicall that the Apocripha in the Canon are to haue no place Saint Austin calleth by a larger acceptation of the word Canonicall euen those which though they had not perfect and certaine authority yet accustomably were read in the Church to edefie the people a custome as it seemeth neither now nor differing from the practise of our Church Athanasius allowed them to some men The third CouÌ„sel of Carthage not at al. Cyrill Bishoppe of Ierusalem reiectes them from beeing read in the Church of whome Doctor Whitakers whome you alledge giueth this censure in this Cyrill peradueÌ„ture was ouer vehement which forbad these bookes to be read at all For other Fathers although they accounted them Apocripha yet they permitted them to be read And Saint Hierome speaketh of the booke of wisdome and of Ecclesiasticus out of which two is more read in our seruice then out of al the Apocripha besides that they may be reade to the edification
may add the testimonie of others as of Pellican Chenitius and Kymedencius all not ouer great fauourers of vs and whom our aduersaries may not refuse in this case all consent in this Sciendum maioribus placuisse vt preter libros vere Canonicos ex quibus fidei nostrae assertiones constant Ecclesiastici quoque ad plebis aedificationem publicè legerentur vt sunt liber Sapientiae Ecclesiastici libellus Tobiae c. From all antiquitie it then appearing many thinges profitable to edification to be read in the Church both in the time of the Iewes before Christ as also since which the Church did not esteeme Canonicall how can it be a silencing of the Scripture in vs who onely after the example of all antiquitie read some writings which were called Ecclesiasticall and more profitable to edification then some Scriptures although not of equall authoritie for doctrine of faith as the rest of the Scriptures are neither was this custome euer thought vntill now of late vnlawfull and idle but lawfull and of much vse nor as one well noteth can it be reasonably thought because vpon certaine solemne occasions some Lessons are chosen out of those bookes and of Scripture it selfe some Chapters not appointed to be read at all that we therby do offer disgrace to the word of God or lift vp the writings of men aboue it For in such choise considering the intent of the Church we do not thinke but that fitnes of speech may be more respected then worthines And therfore although for the peoples more plain instruction as the ancient vse hath bin we read in our Churches some Apocripha besides the Scripture yet as the scripture we read them not all men know the differēce that the Church of England maketh in this point But men shall easily fall into error when they once oppose their priuate iudgement against the Reuerend authority of their owne Church neither is their conclusion altogether sound that seeing Moses amongst the Iewes was read euery Sabbath day in their Synagogues that therefore such Scripture should be onely read which had the same authority that the writings of Moses had vnlesse they be able to proue that it was not lawfull for any bookes to be read of them but the bookes of Moses which if it were true as all men know it is not then eyther there was no Scripture but the bookes of Moses or elfe all partes of the Scripture was not read in the Iewish Synagogues If they vrge vs further with the councell of Laodicea which forbiddeth any thing to be read that is not Canonicall we must tell them that the same councell accounteth that Canonicall which is not Further we must craue leaue of those who vrge so strictly the reading of the whole Scripture in Churches in what part of the world or in what tōgue the new testamēt was read in the purest times Besides if the authority of Saint Hierome which you vrge against vs may be accepted as sufficient in this case against you he will tel you that some part of the beginning of Genesis the Canticles the beginning of Ezechiel were not amongst the Iewes permitted to be read of any vnlesse they were comne to the age of priesthood which was thirtye from whence paraduenture the gouernors of our Church haue restrayned their voyces frō speaking by bare reading to the comon people who either vnderstand them not at all being so read or else peruert them to their owne harme this is not to sylence them as you say but rather to reserue them to a better and safer vse that those who for soundnes of Iudgment knowledge are able maye reade and expound them at seasons which are more conuenient This if it weare not by lawes strictly commaunded to be obserued of all but should giue liberty as you seeme to desire to some able ministers to doe otherwise Ignorance which is euer boldest would take aduantage continually to be reading the obscurest chapters whereby the church of necessity could not chuse but receiue greate harme therfore the desires of a few peraduenture by reason of their sufficiency not hurtfull ought to be no motiue why lawes should not be made or executed which preuent that the worst disposed may not haue libertye to doe harme or the weakest to receiue The Chronicles some part the Canticles the Apocalipse the chapters of some Genealogyes things wherin ignorant men haue beene euer most forward to deale contain in the iudgment of wise men many things not so requisit for silly people to know because they are not bound to giue an account of those things their imployment therein doth not onely distract them but make them vnable to know such Scriptures as are of more vse and nearenesse to their owne saluation I may say as Salomon doth in another case It is modest humilitie to abstayne from these but euerie foole will be medling so that what safely peraduenture might be admitted to able ministers such as it may be you are ought not to be a reason either why lawes should not be made at all or why libertie for not vsage should bee granted to those that are able seeing experience telleth vs that euerie man will be a Iudge to account himselfe able and so exemptions perhaps reasonable from the strict obseruation of some Canons granted to a few shall become warrants for the intollerable boldnesse of others and in the end bring a contempt to all vniformitie in order from whence must needes follow a ruine and desolution to the gouernment of the whole Church And surely if men well considered eyther the generall weakenesse of many that take vpon them to expound or the common ignorance of silly people mixt with a pronnesse to euill when such Scripture is read hee must needes thinke the wisedome of our forefathers in this choyce of Scripture to be great and esteeme the instruction of the people to be the principall end that was propounded by them this made the Vniuersitie of Cambridge to giue permission onely to such to interpret Saint Paules Epistles as were thought in diuinitie fit to be admitted to the degree of Bachelers because Saint Peter saith that in them are many things hard to be vnderstood which they that are vnlearned and vnstable wrest as they doe all other Scriptures vnto their owne destruction and for the Canticles which euery man now vndertaketh to expound Aquinus being requested by the example of Saint Bernard to write something vpon them he gaue this answere giue me the Spirit of Saint Bernard and I will doe it yet our Church goeth not so farre to forbid any that is licenced to preach to expound these but only for reading vnto the people admit in their roome with out stopping their voyces in due season other writings euer accounted Ecclesiastical to be read not as better but as better seruing for reformation of manners Yet howsoeuer they haue wrongfully accused our Church in this point we
of the people not to confirme the authoritye of Ecclesiastical opinions or decrees this peraduenture was not vnfit seeing antiquity thought as the counsel of Trent hath set downe that by a kinde of similitude they might seeme to bee Salomons Wherein notwithstanding because there are thought to bee some errors according to the graue moderation of our dread Soueraigne whose wisdome appeared in this like the wisdome of Salomon wee reiect such parcels as are faultie and retaine the rest And yet those which according to the example of the most reformed Churches for you rule vs in all things by the tyranny of example are retained amongst vs are neither read nor esteemed as the rest of the holy scriptures seing liberty is left to all men in their seuerall charges to informe their people in the different valuation of these writings which though the Canon forbid in the Lyturgy both because our additions are vnseemly and often vnsafe yet it is lawfull in your Sermon to instruct your paâ—ish what respect and authority is to bee giuen vnto these bookes and therefore your feare in my opinion is needlesse seeing the very naming of the booke from whence the lesson is taken to the most of your hearers will bee difference enough Let me aduise you therefore according to the counsell of Saint Hierom not to contemne those things as smal without which things that are greater cannot well stand And therfore it is wisdom to leaue both the reading and the often reading of these bookes to the wisdome and direction of those that doe rule ouer vs and I hope humility will conquer you in this case if neither vertue nor reason could ouercome onely I must tell you before I end this point that if Saint Hierom were taxed at the conference as the first that gaue them the name of Apocripha there wanted both duery and thankfulnesse in you to interpose that clause though not truely for Cyrill did it before him Seeing all men knowe that Hierom was the first that of all other did openly tearme them by that name without all exception amoÌ„gst the Latine Fathers for any thing that I knowe was the first neither was Cyrill his opinion equally sound to S. Hieroms in this case seeing all men knowe that by him Bâ—ruch was accounted Canonicall which worthyly is refused by our Church And therefore if you acknowledge the benfit you haue receiued discharge your debt and hauing receiued fauour as at his hands returne loue as Hugo speaketh For as S. Austin saith none that is sober will striue against reason None that is a christian against the Scripture and none that loueth peace will thinke contrary to that which the Church doth And if beyond this you will needes feare it may argue your loue but not your knowledge Besides what wisdome euen in the greatest safety can make a freedom from feare in the mindes of some melancholy humours APOLOGY AGaine though we beare and with the best rather then likliest expositioÌ„s admit som speeches as we find in some Rubricks Collects or translations in the booke being in shew daÌ„gerous or in sence idle or perhaps false yet my good Lord who can with a good conscience allow your part I meane the reuerend fathers therin that in so many Impressions of the booke could correct none of them but rather still leaue them vpon improbable defences then remooue them with ease as who can Commend in your Lordshipps still to call those peeces of Scripture Epistles which are taken out of Ieremye â—sayes the Acts and Reuelation when the verye counsell of Trent that absurditâ— in the Mâ—sse booke And though the eagernesse of some spirits to innouate to many things maye somewhat excuse your tenâ—citye of them yet in yeilding to nothing you seeme to haue forgotten Augustus Leuell of hating equallye morositie and noueltie as equall faults yea to forget how easie it may be in time for the papisâ—s to ingrosse our own speeches as by name that of confirmation That it giueth strength against temptations to sinn c. As the Gothes made the laws of the Romans to become theirs by a Gothish interpretation And in all this stiffnes what is more manifâ—st then the difficultye of denying our selues and of ayming simplie at the glorie of God when wee are once ingaged and het in the quarrells of our owne ANSVVER SEeing it pleaseth you to repeat the same things as new which often heretofore haue beene answered both by vs and others It shall not bee I hope offensiue to any If we say againe what else where wee haue vttered which peraduenture hath not come vnto your vew That because men are easily wearied in those duties that are best and prayer making vs apt to fall into speculations concerning God both that our wearines may be lesse and our thoughts more sound and more agreable to the present busines those wise men that haue beene before vs haue chosen lessoÌ„s for the church fitting seuerall occasions that as prayer make vs fitter to hear so the hearing of these may make vs fitter to pray To read scriptures in the time of diuine seruice wee hope being auncient and of such vse their wisdom will not much mislike if the name of epistle doe offend you cannot but know that the originall of this both for the name and the thing was from Paule himselfe commanding the same Epistle which he sent vnto the Collossians to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans and of that to the Thessalonians he saith I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle be read vnto all the brethren the Saints from which custome the Church hauing appoynted that portion of scripture whether out of the prophets Acts of the Apostle or Reuelation which circumstances considered was thought then fittest to be read vnto the people as if it were sent directlye vnto them thereby procuring their attention is not vnfitly tearmed by the name of Epistle to these as Saint Chrisostome noteth the minister stood vp and cryed with a loude voyce Let vs attend this practise hath resemblance to the practise of the Iewes euen vntill this daye amongst whome some thing is read euerye Sabboth out of Moses or the prophets besides these if any thing offend through the seueritye of some expositions as what scripture so holye that some expositions will not corrupt wee desire more charitye at their hands seing the cause wee defend is the Honour of our church the wisdome of our forefathers the worship of God and not our owne wils for which onlye if our Reuerend fathers had been ingaged they would I doubt not long since rather haue relinquished their owne right then with so much preiudice haue hazarded the Churches peace as for the Church of Rome we are so farre from being vnwilling that they should ingrosse our speeches as that wee daily and heartily pray that they would in all thinges both thinke and speake