receyued with this special commendation I certifie you that you haue done well and according to due order c. But nowe we speake in good earâ—est when they answer this let theÌ„ tel vs how this geare agreeth with the scriptures and whether it be not repugnant or against the worde of God Answere Of priuate Baptisme I haue spoken before here is nothing alledged agaynst it but the. 28. of Math. Go ye and teache baptizing them c. which texte dothe proue that it was a portion of the Apostles office to baptise but in what place at what tyme howe many at once is not there prescribed and therfore priuate Baptisme may abide this touchestone for any thing that I sée to the contrarie You say vntruly when you do affirme that teaching in this Churche is diuorced from communions and sacraments but such forged slaunderous spéeches be vsuall to you Of this matter also I haue spoken in the former parte You say women that may not speake in a congregation may yet in tyme of necessitie minister the sacramente of Baptisme and that in a priuate house And to proue that womeÌ„ may not speak in a coÌ„gregation you quote 1. Co. 14. 1. Tim. 2. wheras you should rather haue proued that women may not in time of necessitie minister baptisme for that is the question and not the other But hereof I haue also spoken my opinion before Women may speake in the congregation if necessarie occasion doe require as maister Caluine teacheth in his Institutions chap. 13. secti 32. And yet you say this is not to tye necessitie of saluation to the Sacramentes nor to nousell men vp in that opinion no surely no more than it is to teach that children ought to be baptized and not to tarye vntill such tyme as they be able to answere for them selues You shoulde haue proued this to be repugnant to the Scriptures bicause you saye it is and therefore you refuse to subscribe When you set downe the Scriptures to the whiche it repugneth if it fall oute so in déede you shall haue me a conformable aduersarie I will say with Saint Augustine Errare possum haereticus esse nolo and I would to God you coulde learne that lesson Admonition The eyght The publique Baptisme that also is full of childishe and superstitious toyes First in their prayer they say that God by the Baptisme of his sonne Iesus Christe didde sanctifye the floude Iordane and all other waters to the mysticall washyng awaye of syn attributing that to the signe which is proper to the worke of God in the bloud of Christ as thoughe vertue were in water to washe awaye synnes Secondlye they requyre a promyse of the Godfathers and godmothers as they terme them whyche is not in theyr powers to perfourme Thyrdely they prophane holie Baptisme in toying foolishly for that they aske questions of an infant whiche can not aunswâ—re and speake vnto them as was wonte to bee spoken vnto men and vnto suche as beeing conuerted answered for them selues and were baptised Whyche is but a mockerie of God and therefore agaynste the holie Scriptures Fourthly they doe superstitiously and wickedly institute a newe Sacrament whiche is proper to Christe onely marking the chylde in the forehead with a Crosse in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confesse the fayth of christ We haue made mention before of that wycked diuorse of the worde and Sacramentes We saye nothing of those that are admitted to be witnesses what yll choyce there is made of them howe coÌ„uenient it were seing the children of the faithful only are to be baptised that the father should and mighte if conueniently offer and presente his childe to be baptised making an open confession of that faith wherin he would haue his childe baptised and howe this is vsed in well ordered Churches Answere The superstitious toyes you fynde in publique Baptisme be these First that in our prayer we say that God by the baptisme of his sonne Iesus Chryste did sanctifie the floud Iordan and al other waters to the misticall washing away of sinne The seconde is that we require a promise of the godfathers and godmothers which is not in their powers to perfourme The thirde that we aske questions of Infants which can not answere and speake c. The fourth that we marke the chylde in the forehead with a crosse making thereby a newe sacrament c. The fifth that we make an euill choyse of those that are to be admitted witnesses c. By the first you say that wee attribute to the signe that which is proper to the worke of god in the bloud of Chryst as though vertue were in water to washe away sinne You know very wel that we teache farre otherwise and that it is a certayne and true doctrine of all suche as do professe the Gospell that the outwarde signes of the sacramente doe not conteyne in them grace neither yet that the grace of God is of necessitie tyed vnto them but onely that they be seales of Gods promises notes of Christianitie testimonies and effectuall signes of the grace of God and of our redemption in Chryste Iesus by the which the spirite of God dothe inuisibly worke in vs not onely the increase of fayth but confirmation also You vnderstand likewise that this difference there is betwixt these externall elements béeing selected to be sacramental signes that is betwixt water in baptisme and common water bread and wine in the Eucharist and vsuall bread and wine that these nowe be sacraments sanctified to an other vse to a spirituall vse to the norishing of fayth and féeding of the soule to be instruments of the holy ghost by the which as by instruments we be fed to eternall life Furthermore you can not be ignorante that whosoeuer contemneth these external signes and refuseth them can not be a member of Chryst neither yet saued Last of all you haue learned that there is suche a similitude betwixte the signes and the thing signified that they are not onely in Scripture vsually called by the names of those things whereof they be Sacraments as breade the body of Chryst and water regeneration but also that the contumelie or contempt done to the one dothe redounde to the other that is the contempt of the signes is the contempt of the things signified and therfore S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Non dijudicans corpus domini And Christ Iohn 3. Except a man be borne of water and the spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of heauen These things béeing considered it is no superstitious toy but a godly and true saying that Chryste hath sanctified all waters vsed in baptising to the mysticall washing away of sinne not ascribing or attributing washing away of sinne to the externall element any otherwise than instrumentally or in any other respecte than for the similitude that Sacraments haue with the things wherof
punished and that sharpely Youre Eldership is not for this tyme and state as it is before declared and yet maye menne bée compelled to render a reason of their faythe if any be doubted of althoughe youre places quoted for that purpose proue no suche thing For Paule the .1 to the Corinth 11. vse 28. willeth a man to examine himselfe before he eate of that breade c. and not to be examined of any other Peter 1. Epist. cha 3 vs. 15. willeth euery christian man to be redy without fear in time of persecution to render a reason or defence for the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his fayth not at all tymes to euery man as maister Caluine him selfe noteth vppon that place Of the authoritie of statutes and Iniunctions it perteyneth not to my facultie to determine I leaue that to suche as list to contende with the Prince for hir authoritie in suche cases This only I saye that if it be breade whether it be wafer cake or loafe breade the matter is not great as it is before declared Of sitting and knéeling at the Communion I haue spoken before knéeling is no shewe of euill but of an humble reuerent and deuoute mynde Of excommunication you haue spoken nothing hitherto and therfore it commeth in here out of place we shall haue afterwarde more occasion to speake of it Surely the Papistes haue to thanke you that you woulde not haue them constrayned to come to the Communion Thys one lesson of libertie hathe made all the stubborne and stiffenecked Papistes in Englande great patrons and fautours of your booke you myghte as well haue sayd that you woulde haue euery man fréely professe what religion hée list without controlemente and so set all at libertie which is your séeking The Sacraments are ministred in as great puritie simplicitie as euer they were since ther was any Church established neyther are you able to proue the contrarie I muse what you meane to saye on this sorte The parties to be baptized if they bee of the yeares of discretion c. You knowe that in this Churche of England none tarrie for Baptisme so long except it bée in some secrete congregation of Anabaptists The place alledged out of the thirde of Matthew telleth howe they that were baptized confessed their sinnes it speaketh nothing of any confession of fayth It is well that you admitte some to answere for the Infant in the absence of the parente and why not in hys presence too what Scripture haue you that the parente at the baptizyng of hys chylde shoulde make a rehersall of his fayth and desyre that his chyld should bée therein baptyzed Thys I desyre to knowe for myne owne learnyng for I neyther remember anye suche thyng in Scripture neyther yet in any auncient wryter I doe herein but desyre to bée enstructed I knowe not what you meane when you saye That in the absence of the parentes some one of the congregation knowing the good behauiour and sounde faith of the parentes may both make a rehersall of their faith and also if their fayth be sounde and agreeable to holie Scriptures desyre in the same to be baptised What if the parentes be of euill behauiour What if it be the chylde of a drunkarde or of an harlot What if the parentes bée Papists What if they be heretikes what if they erre in some poynte or other in matters of faythe shall not their children be baptized herein you haue a further meaning than I can vnderstande And I feare fewe doe perceyue the poyson that lyeth hydde vnder these woordes Maye not a wycked father haue a good chylde Maye not a Papiste or heretike haue a beléeuing sonnes Wil you seclude for the parents sake béeing himself baptized his séede from baptisme Surely your fansies nay your daungerous errours wil burst out one day in more playne maner This reformation you séeke for and desire were rather a deformation naye a confusion and whilest you will nothing to bée doone but that for the whiche there is expresse warrant in Gods worde you your selues prescribe that whiche is not to be found in all Gods worde Admonition Let vs come nowe to the thirde part whiche concerneth ecclesiasticall discipline the officers that haue to deale in this charge are chiefely three Ministers Preachers or Pastours of whome before Seniors or elders Deacons Concernyng Seniors not onely their office but their name also is out of this english Churche vtterly remoued Their office was to gouerne the Churche with the reste of the ministers to consult to admonishe to correcte and to order all things apperteyning to the state of the congregation Answere What Scripture haue you to proue that suche Seniors as you meane and Deacons had any thing to doe in Ecclesiasticall discipline I thinke the onely discipline that wée haue in the whole new Testament except you wil make admonition and exhortation a parte of it is excommunication and the execution of that is onely committed to the ministers of the worde Math. 16. Iohn 20. Examples hereof we haue .1 Cor. 5. 1. Tim. 1. ad Titum 3. Basilius Magnus in his seconde Booke De officijs Cap. 27. testifyeth the same Theodoretus bishop of Laodicêa did by himselfe alone excommunicate both Apollinaries for kéeping companie with that wicked Sophister Epiphanius as Sozomenus writeth Lib. 6. cap. 25. So did Ambrose excommunicate Theodosius the Emperour and is therfore in all stories greatly commended I reade in the fifth Chapter of the first to the Corinthians that the incestuous Corinthian was excōmunicated publiquely in the presence of the whole congregation But I reade neyther of Senior nor Deacon called as officers to the same Sainct Paule himselfe sayth Ego quidem vt absens corpore praesens spiritu iam decreui tanquam praesens vt is c. I truly as absent in the bodie but present in spirite haue determined as present that he c. Whiche manifestly argueth that Ius excommunicandi was in Paule and not in the rest But all is Scripture that you speake howe farre soeuer it is from the true meaning and sense of the Scripture To proue that the office of Seniors was to gouerne the Churche with the rest of the Ministers to consult to admonishe to correct and to order all thinges apperteyning to the state of the congregation you alledge Actes 14. and the first Corin. 12. In the .14 of the Acts it is written that Paule and Barnabas ordeyned elders at Antioche in euery Churche but there is not one woord spoken of their office and therefore that texte serueth not youre purpose You haue alledged this selfe same place twice béefore to proue that no minister of the worde oughte to bée placed in anye Congregation but by consente of the people and that the election of mynisters oughte to bée by the congregation Nowe you alledge it to proue the office of your Seniors can it bothe be ment of Seniors and of the ministers of the
required as necessarie to the administration thereof but as comely and decent Interrogatories to be ministred to the infant be not strange neither lately inuented but of great antiquitie For Dionysius Areopagita in his booke entituled de coelest hierar and seuenth chapter speaking of the baptising of infants and of their sureties or godfathers answering to certen prophane deriders as he termeth them which said that one was baptised for an other bicause the godfather did promise answere for the childe speaketh thus in the name of the godfather Neque enim hoc ille ait Ego pro puero abrenunciationes facio aut fidei Sacramenta profiteor sed ita puer renuntiat profitetur id est spondeo puerum inducturū cum ad sacram intelligentiā venerit sedulis adhortationibus meis vt abrenūtiet contrarijs omnino profiteaturque peragat diuina quae pollicetur Neither doth he say this I renounce for the chylde or professe the sacraments of fayth but in this sorte the childe doth renounce or professe that is to say I promise so to enstructe the childe when he commeth to the yeres of discretion with dayly exhortations that he shall renounce all contrarie things and professe and performe those heauenly things which he doth promise Augustine also in his Epistle written ad Bonifaciū answering this question why séeing we dare promise nothing of the infants behauior maners when he commeth to mans state yet when he is brought to baptisme and the question is asked of those that offer him to be baptised whether the infant beléeue or no they answere that he doth beléeue sayth on this sorte Nisi sacramenta quandam haberent similitudinem c. Except Sacraments had a certen similitude likenesse of those things wherof they be sacraments they were no sacraments at all and by reason of this same similitude oftētimes they are called by the names of the things themselues therfore as after a certē maner of speking the sacramēt of the body of christ is the body of christ the sacrament of the bloud of christ is the bloud of christ so the sacrament of the faith is faith neither is it any thing else to beleeue than to haue faith and therfore when answere is made that the infant doth beleeue not hauing as yet faith in deed it is answered that he doth beleeue for the sacrament of fayth and that he doth conuert himself vnto God for the sacramēt of conuersion bicause the answere it selfe doth perteine to the celebration of the sacrament And a little after he sayth Itaque paruulū si nondum fides illa quae in credentiū voluntate consistit iam tamen ipsius fidei sacramentū fidelem facit Nam sicut credere respondetur ita etiam fidelis vocatur non rē ipsa mente annuendo sed ipsius rei sacramentū percipiēdo Therfore although that fayth which consisteth in the wil of the beleeuers doth not make the childe faythfull yet doth the sacrament of that fayth make him faythfull for euen as it is answered that he doth beleeue so is he also called faythfull not by signifying the thing it selfe in his mynde but by receyuing the sacrament of the thing By these two authorities it is manifest that Interrogatories were ministred to infants at the time of their baptisme that they had sureties which we call godfathers that answered for them and in their name It is also manyfest by these authorities that godfathers or sureties were required at the baptising of Infants which Tertullian also signifieth in his booke de baptismo But you your selfe confesse godfathers to be of great antiquitie in the church of Chryst for you say that Higinus brought them in and Higinus was the nynth Byshop of Rome and liued Anno. 141. You may aswell finde faulte with Pulpit and church as with the fontes and the reason is all one In the tyme of the Apostles they dyd not baptyse in basons as you do now but in riuers and other common waters neither was there in the Apostles time any Churches for Christians or pulpits to preache in and therfore you had best to plucke downe Churches and pulpits and to baptise in common riuers and waters Touching crossing in baptisme I wil onely recite vnto you the opinion of master Bucer which is this Signum hoc non tam quod est vsus in Ecclesus antiquissimi quam quod est admodum simplex praesentis admonitionis crucis Christi adhiberi nec indecens nec inutile existimo si adhibeatur modo purè intellectum religiose excipiatur nulla nec superstitione adiuncta nec elementi seruitute nec leuitate aut vulgari consuetudine I thinke it neither vncomely nor vnprofitable to vse the signe of the crosse not onely bicause the vse thereof is very auncient but also bicause it hath an expresse signification of the passion of Chryst so that it be purely vnderstoode and religiously receyued vvithout any superstition or seruitude of the element or leuitie or common custome Admonition To redresse these your wisdomes haue to remoue as before ignoraunt ministers to take away priuate communions and baptismes to enioyne deacons and midwiues not to meddle in ministers matters if they do to see them sharpely punished To ioyne assistaunce of elders and other officers that seeing men wyll not examine them selues they may be examined and brought to render a reason of their hope That the statute agaynst wafer cakes may more preuayle than an Iniunction That people be appoynted to receyue the sacrament rather sitting for auoyding of superstition than kneeling hauing in it the outwarde shew of euill from which we must abstayne That excommunication be restored to his old former force That papists nor other neyther constrainedly nor customably communicate in the mysteries of saluation That bothe the sacrament of the Lords Supper and Baptisme also may be ministred according to the aunciente puritie and simplicitie That the parties to bee baptized if they bee of the yeares of discretion by themselues and in their own persons or if they be infantes by their parents in whose roome if vpon necessarie occasion they be absent some one of the congregation knowing the good behauiour and sounde fayth of the parents may both make rehersall of their faythe and also if theyr faythe be sounde and agreeable to holye Scriptures desyre to be in the same baptysed And fynally that nothyng be done in this or any other thyng but that whiche you haue the expresse warrant of Gods worde for Answere In déede it is to be wished that ignoraunt ministers were remoued if there were a sufficient number of such as be learned to place in theyr roomes As for priuate Communions I know none allowed in this Churche Priuate baptismes are allowable by Gods worde and there is neyther precepte nor example to the contrarie in Scripture If Deacons or Midwyues meddle further than they ought to doe good reason it is they shoulde bée
and Martirs at their end for eyther all or the most parte of them haue sealed this boke with their bloud But by the way this is to be noted that you confesse your selues to haue allowed that by vsing of it which you say is against the worde of God. The vnperfectnesse of this booke 〈◊〉 suche things in the same as be culled and picked out of that popish dunghill the masse booke wyth the contents therin that be against the worde of God shal apeare I am sure in your seuerall reasons for it is not sufficiente for you barely to say so withoute wit learning or reason This you know right well that in so saying you make the Papists leape for ioy bycause they haue gotten suche companions to assault this booke whilest they rest them and lye as it were in slepe O that the wise men of thys Realme suche I meane as be in authoritie sée not thys Popish practise and séeke not with more earnestnesse to preuent it Will ye suffer the Papists to gather strength and to multiplie by tollerating suche libellers vnder the pretence of reformation to discredit so muche as lyeth in them yea to ouerthrowe the whole state and substance of religion in this Church be not secure but watche and remēber the beginning and encrease of the Anabaptists of late in Germany which I haue described in my preface to this booke You saye that you can not but muche maruell at the craftye wylynesse of those menne whose partes it had bene firste to haue proued eache and euery contente therein to bee agreeable to Gods woorde c. Nay surely but it were youre partes rather to proue that there is some thing therein contrary or not agréeable to Gods worde For suche as bée learned and knowe the manner of reasoning saye that the Opponente muste proue or improue and not the Aunswerer They stande to the defence and mayntenaunce of the Booke you séeke to ouerthrowe it it is youre partes therefore to iustifie youre assertions by reasons and argumentes Nowe to your reasons Admonition The first is this They shoulde firste proue by the worde of God that a readyng Seruice going before and with the administration of the Sacraments is according to the worde of God that priuate communiō priuate baptisme baptisme ministred by women holydaies ascribed to saints prescript seruices for them kneeling at Communion wafer cakes for their bread whē they minister it surplesse and cope to do it in churching of women comming in vayles abusing the Psalme to hir I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hilles c. and suche other foolish thinges are agreable to the written worde of the almightie Answere I do not well vnderstand your meaning woulde you haue vs to proue that to reade prayers before and with the administration of the sacraments is according to the word of god In déede in the booke of seruice there is first appointed to be read some one or two profitable sentences mouing either to prayer or to repentance after followeth a generall confession then the Lords prayer and certaine Psalmes nexte certaine Chapiters out of the olde and newe testamente c. Last of all the administration of the Sacramente If you aske me of the sentences they be Scripture If of the Lords prayer Psalmes and chapiters they be scripture also If of the Sacrament of the supper it is according to Scripture Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. If of the other prayers annexed they be likewise according to the scripture for they be made to God in Christes name for suche things as we néede or as we desire according to that saying of christ Quicquid petieritis c. VVhatsoeuer you aske my father in my name c. And again Petite dabitur vobu Aske and it shal be giuen vnto you Math. 7. and. Iacob 1. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it c. 1. Ti. 2. with other infinite places besides If you would haue vs to proue that to reade prayers or scripture in the Churche is according to the worde of God whiche you séeme to denie then we say vnto you that if there were any pietie in you any religiō any learning you would make no such vaine and godlesse doubts Was there euer any from the beginning of the worlde to thys daye the Zwinfildians onely excepted that mysliked reading of prayers and Scriptures in the Church but you But touching reading in the Churche I haue spoken before in the former treatise and minde to speake something of it hereafter as occcasion shal be ministred If you meane by priuate communion the communion ministred to one alone there is no suche allowed in the booke of common prayers but if you call it priuate bycause it is ministred sometime in priuate houses to sicke persons Then haue we the example of Christ who ministred the supper in a priuate house and inner parlor Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Math. 26. We haue also the example of the Apostles them selues who did minister the Supper in priuate houses especially if that place bée vnderstanded of the supper whiche is in the seconde of the Actes and before alleadged of you to proue that common and vsuall bread oughte to be in the supper Likewise of the primatiue Churche as appeareth in the seconde Apologie of Iustinus Martyr Tertul. de corona militis and others If you meane by priuate baptisme baptisme ministred in priuate houses and families you haue therof example in the Scriptures Acts. 10. other priuate baptisme allowed in the church of Englande I know none Master Bucer in his censure vppon the Communion booke speaking of the order appoynted in the same for priuate baptisme writeth thus In this constitution all things are godly appoynted I would to God they were so obserued and especially this that the baptisme of Infants be not deferred for therby is a doore opened vnto the diuell to bring in a contempt of baptisme and so of oure whole redemption and Communion of Chryste which through the sect of Anabaptists hath too muche preuayled with many For women to baptise we haue no rule that I knowe in the whole Communion booke but in scripture we haue an example of Moses wife that did circumcise and circumcision is correspondent to baptisme But I know no generall doctrine can be grounded of a singuler example and therfore most of your arguments be very féeble Holy dayes ascribed to Sainctes wherein not the Saincts but God is honored and the people edified by reading and hearing suche stories and places of scripture as pertayne to the martyrdome calling and function of suche Saincts or any other thing mentioned of them in scripture muste néedes be according to Gods worde For to honor God to worship him to be edifyed by the stories and examples of Saincts out of the scripture can not be but consonant to the scripture The proscript seruice for them is all taken out of Gods word and not one péece thereof but it
finishing of the ceremoniall law you do but delude the readers and abuse the Scriptures for there is no suche matter to be founde in them If you alledge them to proue that Christe is the full finishing of the Ceremoniall lawe you take vpon you to proue that which no man deâ—teth of is very far froÌ„ your purpose You note also the .20 of Exodus Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them to proue that we may not knéele at the Communion but how fitly euery child may iudge for what sequele is there in this argument God in the second commaundement forbiddeth worshipping of Images therfore we may not receyue the Communion knéeling Admonition The fift As for the halfe communion whiche is yet appointed like to the commemoration of the Masse we saye little of it sauing that wee may note howe neare the translatour bounde him selfe to the massebooke that woulde not omit it Wee speake not of the name of Prieste wherwith he defaceth the minister of Christe bicause the priest that translated it would perhaps fayne haue the minister of Christ to be ioyned with him seing the office of priesthoode is ended christ being the last priest that euer was To call vs therfore priests as touching our office is eyther to call back agayn the olde priesthode of the lawe whiche is to denie Christe to be comen or else to keepe a memorie of the Popish priesthod of abhomination stil amongst vs As for the first it is by â–ª Christe abolished and for the seconde it is of Antichriste and therefore wee haue nothyng to doe with it Suche ought to haue no place in our Church neyther are they ministers of Christe sente to preach his Gospell but priestes of the Pope to sacrifice for the quicke and the dead that is to tread vnder their feete the bloud of Christe Suche oughte not to haue place amongest vs as the scriptures manifestly teache Besides that we neuer reade in the newe Testament that thys worde Priest as touching office is vsed in the good parte Answere I know not what you meane by the halfe communion I finde no such worde in the CoÌ„munion booke If you meane the communion in one kinde you speake vntruely and slaunderously of the booke and of this whole Church If you meane the scriptures and prayers appoinpointed to be read when there is no communion then do you vniustly liken them to the coÌ„memoration of the Masse being most fruteful scriptures godly prayers The name of Priest néede not be so odious vnto you as you would séeme to make it I suppose it commeth of this worde Presbyter and not of Sacerdos and then the matter is not great The Priest or priests that translated this book be not so scornefully to be taunted I thinke some of them haue ended their lyues in the fyre and all of them singuler both in lyfe religion and learning Speake not so contemptuously of so worthie men vtter not youre hautie stomackes with so spitefull wordes towardes youre superiours and betters least you proue your selues to be in the number of those of whome Saincte Paule speaketh 2. Tim. 3. vse 2.3.4.5 and Iudas in his epistle vse 8. It is true that the presthod of the old law is abolished but the place of Scripture noted in your margent proueth it not For Hebrues 5. Paule doth shew why the highe Prieste was ordeyned and what were his offices But hée speaketh nothing of the abolishing of the Priesthoode I muse what you meane thus vnnecessarily to paynte youre margent and that with so little iudgemente and lesse discretion The ninth to the Hebrues is some thing to the purpose but néedlesse Touching popish Priests as you call them whether they ought to haue any place in our Church or no I haue spoken before where I haue also answered your marginall notes concerning that matter You farre ouershotte your selfe in my opinion when you set it downe that you neuer read in the newe Testament this worde Priest touching office to be vsed in good parte What say you to the fourth to the Hebrues vse 14. Seeing then that we haue a greate high priest which is entred into heauen Iesus Christe c. And vse 15. For we haue not a hye priest whiche can not be touched with the feeling of oure infirmities but. c. And chap. 5. vse 6. Thou art a priest for euer c. And Apocalips 5. 1. Peter 2. But what shoulde I trouble you with a tedious heaping vp of Scriptures Shew me one place in this Epistle yea in the whole newe Testament where this worde priest is taken in euill parte touching office Truly eyther you are farre deceyued or else my vnderstanding fayleth mée I condemne that office and institution of sacrificing for the quicke and the deade with you and I knowe it is condemned in the scriptures manyfestely and namely in the ninthe and tenthe to the Hebrues Admonition Sixthly in this booke three or foure are allowed for a fit number to receyue the Communion and the Prieste alone together with one more or with the sicke man alone may in tyme of necessitie that is when there is any common plague or in tyme of other visitation minister it to the sicke man and if he require it it may not bee denyed This is not I am sure lyke in effecte to a priuate Masse that Scripture drinke ye all of this maketh not against this and priuate Communion is not agaynst the Scriptures Answere How vntruly these meÌ„ charge the church wyth priuate coÌ„munions I haue shewed before The place of scripture here alledged to proue the thrée or foure be not a sufficient number to coÌ„municate is this drinke ye all of this Matth. 26. Mark. 14. Which may as well be applyed to proue that ten twentie fortie is no sufficient number I know not what your meaning is except you thinke no number sufficient vnlesse all do communicate together bicause Chryst sayde Drinke ye all This texte proueth that all ought to be partakers of the Lordes cup but it dothe not determine any certaine number of communicantes I knowe there be some of the olde fathers as Basilius Magnus whiche woulde not haue fewer communicants than twelue But of the number of Communicantes there is nothing determined in Scripture neyther is it materiall so that there be a number that it may be a communion Admonition The seuenth And as for priuate baptisme that will abyde the touchstone Go ye sayth Christ and teache baptizing them c. Now teaching is diuorced from communions and sacraments They may go alone without doctrine Women that may not speake in a congregation maye yet in tyme of necessitie minister the sacrament of Baptisme and that in a priuate house And yet this is not to tye necessitie of saluation to the sacramentes nor to nousell men vp in that opinion This is agreable with the scriptures and therfore when they bring the baptised child they are