plainely set foorth by any man Prooue the necessitie of the matter and we will not greatly stick vpon your Methode And would to God that which you say here of yâ— Methode ye would say it or rather obserue it of the plaine truthe it selfe and for the matter of the regiment concerning these offices that except yee can hereafter shewe which is yet not done that we are bounde by any commaundement of Christ or his Apostles vnto this your regiment of all and onely these 4. offices ye would say likewise with vs for the Gouernement established in the Church of Englande that as wee controll not other mens gouernement by ours so we would not that other mens manner of gouerning should be preiudiciall vnto ours But if ye will not haue vs controll your Methode vtter the same also in plaine wordes Our controuersie is all of the gouernement of the Church and you tell vs what Methode ye will obserue in describing the ministerie of the Churche as by which both the distinction and communication of all offices and seruices in the Church might most plainly appeare What doe ye make all offices and seruices in the Church to be of ministers Or al the offices seruices to be of gouernors How the distinction or communication of these may plainely appeare woulde haue béene somewhat more distinctly and plainely spoken As touching the reason of your request why ye would not haue your Methode controlled nor other mens methodes preiudiciall to yours I thinke it reasonable if there were no further difference then in the sorme and order of teaching of diuerse men when in matter of substance they all agree Anâ— yet in such matters as these are and so precisely vrged an vniformitie not onely of matter but also of the Order and Methode in teaching of them might perhaps haue made the matter lesse offensiue Howbeit if they all agree in matter of substance and the matter of substaunce bee true be good be necessarie which they all agree vpon so that they séeke the truthe indéede and plainnesse in their Teaching then is as they say it is but either for lacke of wit or through too much wilfulnesse if any exclaime there is no vnitie and therefore no truthe among them But when in matter and substance they differ not onely one from an-other but from themselues also then blame not men nor impute it to them that either for lacke of wit or that through too much wilfulnesse they say there is not so much vnitie and truthe among them as in matters so earnestly vrged there ought to be But now to the particuler viewe of these 4. offices Let vs then proceede in our purpose The office of Teaching is the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church By that we are taught to knowe God and howe to serue him and what benefits to looke for at his hande without which knowledge there can be no felicitie but only destruction looked for according to the saying of the wise man where prophecying faileth there the people perish Albeit the office of teaching in these respectes as to know God and how to serue him and what benefites to looke for at his handes as the ordinary cause sine qua non without which there is no knowledge and without knowledge there can be no felicity but c. may wel be said to be the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church yet in respecte of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment which is the title of all this Learned discourse vnderstanding the same truly and plainly for the gouernment in of or ouer al Ecclesiastical causes how they should be ordeined directed or disposed I take it that this office of teachers admitting it were such a distinct office by it selfe from the office of Pastors as they woulde haue it is not the chiefe and principall office in the Church In Christe him selfe are the offices of a King of a Prieste and of a Prophete And in that he was a Prophete he was a Teacher also or Doctor Which office was so necessary to reueale the will of his heauenly father that both God the father said from heauen This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Mat 17 And Christ of himselfe Luc. 4. did reade this sentence The spirite of the Lord is vppon mee because he hath anointed mee that I shoulde preach the Gospell to the poore c. So that where no man saw God at any time except the onely begotâ—en Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father had declared him Io 1 As he saith also Io. 17. I haue giueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receaued them and beleeued them c. without the which teaching there can be no felicitie but only destruction looked for as he said before in the same prayer This is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ yet not-with-standing the chiefe and principall office of gouerning the Churche of God was neither this high and necessary office of his teaching nor yet that of his Priesthoode which was as necessary yea and higher in the actions of the office then the other But his royall and kingly office was and is the chiefe and principall office in him And much morâ— is it in the outward regiment of the Church in Ecclesiasticall causes wherein Moses was aboue Aaron Iosue Dauid Solomon c. were aboue the high-priestes them-selues And so remaines it still except ye can shew the order of these offices of the church inuerted Of which the Papistes would be glad and vrge it harde especially from Peter wrestling there-to the thréefold saying of Christ to him Ioan. 21. Feede my Lambâ—s feede my sheepe feede my sheepe Meaning not only his gouerning but his office of Teaching which was his especial feeding of them and they driue it all to gouerning aduauncing them-selues before all Christian Princes And yet we graunt that in the action of their seuerall Ecclesiasticall function or Church ministery they are aboue all Christian Princes representing God vnto them teaching and admonishing them and all other But not aboue them in gouernment of all Ecclesiasticall causes Which is the question in controuersie now betwixt vs on the one parte and the Papists and these our owne Learned discoursing Brethren seuering them-selues from vs and adhering though not to them yet to their errour by a new deuise on the other parte The Ministery is deuided into two functions they that exercise the firste are called Pastors the other are called Doctors or Teachers I pray you my Learned discoursing Maisters for my learning héere againe let me aske this When ye desired not to bee controlled for your methode differing from others did ye include this not to be controlled though ye differ from your selues also and speake yee care not what contradictions both one against an-other and against your
Tit. De gubernatione ecclesiae Sect. 12. Hée descendeth further vnto the particular Titles and degrees which these our brethren especially doe forbidde saying Moreouer sithe that the Kingdome of Christe is gouerned by the worde and spirite of Christe the Monark there are therein two kindes of men that is to witte the setters forth of the worde and the hearers of them who no otherwise than the Fathers and the Sonnes reuerence and worship the one the other And although the spirituall iurisdiction of these setters foorth of the worde of which iurisdiction wee shall speake afterwarde bee all one notwithstandinge the Degrees of dignitie bee not equall and that partly by the Lawe of GOD and partly by the approbation of the Churche For as Christe ascendinge from on high gaue Gyftes to men Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Doctours and Pastors So gaue hee vnto his Churche power to edification By this power the Church ordeyneth Ministers for her profite that all thinges might bee doone orderly to the encreasing of the bodie of Christ. Hereupon the pure Churche following the times of the Apostles did ordeyne some Patriarches some Bishops some Bishops Coadiutors whō Iustine the Martyr calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we call Prepositors some Pastors and Catechisers The reformed Churches after the darkenesse driuen awaie which the Pope brought into the Churche are content with fewer degrees least by little little the matter might passe into a tyrannie They haue Bishops Doctors Pastors and Ministers inferiour vnto Pastors whom by a fonde terme they call Chapleyns Among these he that excelleth in the excellencie of giftes in the greatnesse of labours and in the degree of calling is preferred before other in dignitie Not indeed that he should exercise a dominion vpon other but that he should rule other in wisedome and Counsell so be that he shall shewe the reason of his Counsell drawen out of the word of God and out of the lawfull ordinance of the Churche For when Christe onely in his kingdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free from rendring anie account it is fitte that they which be subiectes to him should render a reckoning of their doings Thus reuerently writeth this Reuerende and learned man Hemingius on these titles and difference of dignities in the offices promotions of the pure and primitiue Church succéeding the time of the Apostles and of the reformed Churches in these dayes Vnto whom also accordeth Herbrandus a famous Protestant writer nowe liuing though differing frō vs in the controuersie of the sacrament who in Compendio Theologiae loco de ministerio Vpon this question whether there are or ought to be degrees among the Ministers of the Church Yea sayth he for God himselfe made and ordeined these degrees with different giftes Ephes. 4. Hee gaue some Apostles but some Prophets but some Euangelistes but some Pastors and Doctors to the filling vp of the Sayntes into the woorke of the Ministerie to the building of the body of Christe Also Paule nameth Bishops Priests or Elders and Deacons Moreouer by reason of order for good order or discipline sake and to preserue consent concorde and vnanimitie let some be superiour vnto other Least there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dissolute state without gouernement in the Church orders were ordeyned among the ministers by a profitable Counsell As among vs meaning the Germaine reformed Churches are Subdeacons Deacons Pastors Super-intendentes speciall ouer whome doe rule Super-intendentes generall as we vse the names of Bishops and Arch-bishops after the olde and vsuall name Vnto these other chiefe and choise men as wel Ecclesiasticall as Polyticall adioyned do make the chiefe Senate of the Church But this primacie is not of power that for his higher degree a greater authoritie licence and power should be graunted to anie man of decreeing anye thing or of commaunding in the Church or of ordeyning at his pleasure or of determining in the controuersies of Religion for heere as much preuayleth and ought to preuaile the sentence of the lowest as of the highest which resteth on better and firmer testimonies of the holie Scripture and of argumentes brought from thence in what place or degree soeuer any man bee placed But it is a Primacie of order in the residue of the gouernement and polycie of the Church Thus sayth Herebrande of the Germaine Churches But if now for admitting a bishop and distinguishing him from Priest or Elder for allowing Sub-deacons which we do not for hauing Super-intendents speciall and generall and for making this distinction for primacie of power and order in this sense that this power of order is of a standing and continuing degree of dignitie superiour to Elder or Pastor if for these pointes Herebrande and all those reformed Churches in this matter be reiected let vs then come euen to Caluine himselfe who doth yet more reuerently write of these titles and dignities of order where they are not reteyned then these our Brethren do among vs be they neuer so godly vsed For Caluine in his Institutions cap. 8. de Fide sect 51. Hetherto sayth he we haue treated of the order of gouerning the Churche as out of the pure woorde of God it is deliuered vnto vs and of the ministeries as they are ordeyned of Christe Nowe to the ende that all thinges may bee made manifest more clearely and more familiarlye and may also be better fixed in our mindes it shall be profitable to recognize the forme of the auncient Churche in those thinges which shall represent vnto vs before our eyes a certaine Image of the equall diuine Institution For although the Bishops of those times haue sette foorth manie Canons wherein they might seeme to expresse more then were expressed in the holie-scriptures they composed notwithstanding all their whole domesticall administration with such heedefulnesse to that onely leuell of the woorde of God that you may easily see they had in this parte almost nothing varying from Gods worde Yea if anie thing might be wished for in their ordinaunces not-with-standing because they endeuoured with a syncere studie to conserue the institution of the Lorde and swarued not much from the same it shall very much auayle here briefely to collecte what manner of obseruation they had According as we haue declared three kindes of Ministers to be commended vnto vs in the scripture so whatsoeuer Ministers the auncient Church of God had she distinguished thē into three orders For out of the orders of Priests or Elders partly were chosen Pastors Doctors the other part gouerned the censure or controlement of manners and corrections The care of the poore and dispensation of the Almes was cōmitted to the Deacons as for the readers and Acolytes were no names of offices that were certaine But those whō they called Clerkes they acquainted thē with certaine exercises to serue the Church whereby they might better vnderstande whereunto they were appointed and in time might come the more
alwayes but because of the people that stande by I said it that they may beleeue that thou hast sent me Moreouer when he rode vnto the Temple with a great assemblie of people about him that certaine Grecians desired to see him anon after Iohn 12. ver 27. he prayed sayth Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but therefore came I vnto this houre Father glorifie thy name Yea the whole 17. Chapter following what is it else but that seuerall and most singuler prayer that Christe maketh vnto his father in the assemblie of his Disciples partely for himselfe though most especially for them and all his elected Last of all his seuerall prayer euen on the crosse not only praying for his enemies Father forgiue theÌ„ they knowe not what they doe Luke 23.34 but also when he cried with a loud voyce saying Eli Eli Lama sabachthani that is my God my God why had thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 and Luke 23.46 when also he cryed with a loud voice and sayde Father into thy handes I commende my spirit And as Stephen did consummate his Martyrdom imitating his Master Christ with the like seuerall prayer so the Apostles frequented the Temple the synagogues and other places where the people were assembled to make these their seuerall publike prayers and to heare the law read taking often occasion thereby to preach the gospell vnto them And by S. Paules often protestations of making his prayers Rom. 1. ver 9. God is my witnesse whom I serue in spirite in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers c. and to the Phil. cap. 1.3 I thanke my God hauing you in perfecte memorye alwayes in my prayers for all you praying with gladnesse and to the Colloss cap. 1. ver 3. We giue thankes to God euen the father of our L. Iesus Christ alwayes praying for you and to the Thess. 1. Epist. cap. 1. ver 2. We giue God thankes alwayes for you making mention â—f you in our prayers without ceasing c. Now S. Paul frequenting wheresoeuer he came the publike assemblies of the faithfull it argueth that eyther in all places he made some solemne mention of all these seuerall Churches which hath no likelihoode or else that in those publike assemblies of publike prayers he made some secrete and seuerall prayers in his mind or memorie for them Eusebius out of Clements sermons recordeth of Iames the brother of the Lorde that he gaue himselfe to such continuall prayer in the Temple that his knees with kneeling grew to be as harde as Camels knees Eccl. Hist. Lib. 2. cap. 23. which were it true it plainely argueth that for all the often and publike assemblies there made he ceased not as before we hearde of the holy widdowe Anna to continue often his seuerall prayers in the publike assemblies All which premisses well considered wee can not iustlie call it confusion and vncomelinesse if seuerall prayers bee nowe and then made of some though not of euerie man in the time and place of the publike assemblies If our Brethren hadde sayde that they may not bee made at or during the time of vttering the publique prayers by all those that may well heare them this saying had béene allowable And yet to make no short and earnest secrete and seuerall prayers petitions or wishes of the heart or thankes giuing to God at all while pawses fall out betwéene the making open confessions the powring foorth publike prayers the reading of the Psalmes the hearing of the Lessons the rendring of thankes and prayses the marking of the sermons and the celebrating of the sacramentes that betwéene these distincte actions the people may make no seuerall prayers nor any priuate motions of their heartes secretely to God all onely because of the publike assemblie then present were to binde the peoples conscience too too strictly without any prohibition of the Lorde yea rather hauing all these examples as a warrant in such cases to the contrarie where neither the publike prayers nor the publike hearing of the worde nor the publike assemblies nor any mans seuerall or publike edification is disturbed any wayes or hindred These thrée points being thus farre forth and not otherwise to be graunted vnto our Brethren let vs now procéede to the other matters that they finde fault withall Wherin say they there is great abuse in our Churches For as though it were not inough to keepe out preaching by long prescribed formes of prayers these prayers are so pronounced by the Minister that a great number and some not of the worst disposed people thinke it pertayneth not to them to giue eare or consent of minde vnto them Wee speake not heere of such insensible readers whose voyce eyther can not be heard or else can not be vnderstoode whereof there be great numbers nor of the vnfitte place prescribed for the Ministers standing at prayers in the east ende of the house when the simple people shall stand often times 40. or 50. yeardes off in the west ende or of the confusion of voyces whilest all speake at once besides screenes of Roode loftes Organ loftes Idoll cages otherwise called Chauntrie chappelles and high pewes betweene them Which although they doe manifestly hinder edification yet may they not be remoued in many places for defacing the beautie of the materiall houses whereas S. Paule so much esteemeth the building of Gods spirituall house that he commaundeth the glorious gifts of the holy Ghost to cease in the congregation when they doe not help to edification But we speake of this that a great multitude thinke they haue well serued God if they haue beene present at coÌ„mon prayers or any part of them as they were woont to thinke in Poperie although they be neuer so vainely occupied in the Church some in walking some in talking in gathering of money not onely for the poore but for other contributions c. And they that thinke they do best are occupied in their priuate prayers or in reading of bookes while their minister pronounceth publike prayers Our Brethren doe here sharpely chalenge the Churche of Englande for many great abuses by reason of our diuine seruice and publ prayers Howbeit thankes be to God first and in generall for all these great abuses here reckoned vp we may safely affirme that there is no not one of them which can iustly and directly be ascribed to the order in the communion booke for the forme of publik prayer prescribed but may wel inough be helped and redressed both the Eccl. state of gouernement and the appointed order of the diuine seruice remaining still in force anie thing here founde fault with to the contrarie notwithstanding They pretende first that we keepe out preaching by long prescribed formes of prayer For the auowing of prescribing formes of prayer
the man and of the woman praying or prophecying vse his heade which was S. Paules principall conclusion If he be couered that is not aunswerable to the comelinesse of the man If he be vncouered that is lesse aunswerable if not more vnfit for the comelinesse of the woman What shall we here doe yea though we imagined this third were an Hermaphrodites that is of both genders Man and woman except the same party also had two heades the one to bee vncouered and the other to be couered What a straunge deuise therefore is this and what a number of impossible vnnaturall and monstrous absurdities do arise if a man woulde stande in examining this interpretation I speake not this for the dishonor of them whome I honour with good heart as singuler ornaments of Gods Church in our age And yet Luther so excellent an instrument of Gods trueth and glory when hee writhed some textes of Scripture by affection more then by considerate and indifferent weighing of them into what vnnecessary misconstructions and oppositions to the plaine and easy trueth and to his owne self did he fall and caused many by his too great estimation to fall with him And therefore we must take héede howe we depend too much on Men. And if wee will holde vs alwayes to Gods worde so take it that we cary not that also away after our owne construing If it be playne and easie not to lap it in ambiguities If it be harde and doubfull to way it with other places and consider all the circumstaunces groundes and occasions And if nothing be against the faith to go with the best with the mo the better in the sense that séemeth most probable Which Beza here doth not who though in many places he deserue singuler prayse yet in some places he is too singuler which deserueth so little praise that now and then he himselfe forsakes his former translation and either on better aduice comes to other mens or chaungeth his former translation with another of his owne euen where no necessitie nor sufficiēt cause doth enforce him as euen vpon this place 1. Cor. 14.34 cited by our Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the common translation is there true and playne ynough Mulieres vestrae in ecclesiis taceant Let your Women keepe silence in the Churches Where not onely Erasmus but Caluine also reteineth the vsuall deriued word euen from the very Gréeke in Ecclesiis whome all the commentaries of the newe writers that I haue looked vpon do follow And all our translations yea euen the Geneua translation also And yet doth Beza forsake it and translate it in Coetibus in companies or assemblies and he altereth this againe in conuentibus in meetinges together sayth that the vulgar translation in the Churches is not apt ynough in this place also in the vers following Because that a woman also is in the church that is of the number of the faithfull when she is at home Neither yet is she biddē to bee silent but in the publike assembly of the church And is this a sufficient reason to alter this word in the churches Who knoweth not that knoweth ought the this word church as it is commonly taken signifieth here not only the place where the sacred assemblies of the faithfull are made but also the faithfull persons so assembled was Beza in doubt least if this interpretation shold haue stood that women shold not speak in the Churches they shold haue bin thought to haue bin forbiddē to speak any where but to be continually in euery place silent because wheresoeuer they be yea though at home they be stil in the church that is of the number of the faithful What a néedlesse fear was this yet if he would haue mended the translation to stop this néedles fear shold he haue mended it to call it a cōpany or assembly or meeting together which though it séem to giue women some licence to speak wher no assembly or cōpany or meeting together is yet doth this indéed restrain them no further than the occasiō that Paul did speak on driues vnto True it is he afterward expoūds himself saying they are not biddē to hold their peace but in the publike cōpany of the church but these words the publike cōpany of the church are in neither of his translations For there is only said in companies or meetings together And yet what he meaneth by the publike companies of the church taking the church as heere he calleth it may not a woman speak in many companies or meetinges together of the faithful if the housholds of the faithful be called churches also may she not speake in her house neither nor to the assemblie of her houshold for fere she shold transgres this precept if they say that is but a priuate church Paul meaneth of the publike assemblies of the church although women then shall gain a great deal more liberty by this glosse then by this hard translatiō of the text yet how much better had it bin both for Bezaes estimation our edification especially for the matter trueth it self for Beza to haue left these nice poynts to haue yéelded to his M. Caluine that as necessity might require this precept of the ordinary course maketh no absolute debar to al manner of women but that nowe and then some may speake lawfully yea and their voyce is requisite euen in the most sacred publike and greatest assemblies or meetings together of the Churches I confesse as I sayd that other excellent men also vse this interpretation but they are more naked thereon then Beza is nor I accoumpt them comparable to him But neither he nor they do so satisfy the simplicitie of the text herein as Musc. and Peter Martyr do Musc. vpon these wordes euery woman praying and prophecying sayth they aske here howe a Woman shameth her heade if she prophecy bare headed when about the end of the 14. Chapter hee commaundeth them to holde their peace in the Church because it is a shame for a Woman to speake in the Churche and 1. Tim. 2. he sayth but I permit not a woman to teache What neede is there say they to bid a Woman not to prophecy bare-headed when shee may not doe it no not couered I aunswere he restraineth a Womans rashnesse that they shoulde not as often-times they are bablatiue leape foorthe to teache and prophecy beeing forgetfull of their sexe Neuerthelesse in the meane season hee doth not extinguish the spirite with the which some beeing inspired did prophecy by foretelling thinges to come Such as were Philip the Deacons daughters and many others which did prophecy according to the foretelling of Ioel Chapter 2. where wee reade this And after these thinges I will poure my spirite vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shal prophecy For such he pronounceth that they shall shame their head if they pray or prophecy bareheaded Of other he wold giue
another sentence if they had broken forth into the office of teaching yea with their heads couered Thus clearely and simply doth Musculus interpret the place although he say that other answere this question otherwise and so reckoneth vp that which was Caluines first answere After the like obiection Peter Martyr maketh the like conclusion saying we aunswere in this place that vice is onely reprehended whereby Women dealth publikely being bare headed But afterward and to Tim. that shal be commanded that they shal also holde their peace because all things are not deliuered in one place As though the womeÌ„ of Corinth had offended in a double fault Both that they went bare-headed that they spake publikely The one of these is now condemned the other shal afterward be cut off But Pet. Mar. séeing that this answereth not the matter for if they sinned in these 2. faults their publik spéech were the greater of the 2. as vnlawful which the other is not wold he coÌ„demn the lesse séem to allow that that is vtterly il or refer them to ameÌ„d their fault at leisure by that he wold afterward speake to another not then but far from theÌ„ loÌ„g after ther is no likelihood of this reason which is that that we hard before in Calu. And therfore saith Pet. Mar. further Other say that these things are to be taken of women when they pray or prophesie priuately which is not forbidden them But sith this also satisfieth not the place he maketh this conclusion We may also expound another way this commandemeÌ„t of thapostle that it was ordeined that women shold hold their peace in the order accustomed Wherupon no publike function was committed vnto theÌ„ in the church which shold be ordinary perpetuall NotwithstaÌ„ding if the spirit of the L. inspired them it was not altogether forbidden but that they might speak somthing We know that the prophetesse Anna spake of our sauiour in the temple when the blessed virgin was purified Debora also sang publikely praises to God Mary Moses sister that women now then prophecied in the olde time many places witnesse Holda a prophetesse was asked counsel of king Iosias Hanna the Mother of Samuel set foorth a moste godly Hymne Mary also the Virgin and Mother of Christ sang an hymne Philip also in the Actes of the Apostles had many daughters that did prophecy And the Lorde commaunded Magdalene that she shoulde declare his resurrection to the Apostles And it is read in the prophet Ioel Of my spirite wil I powre forth on you your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecy Thus sayth Peter Martyr which done he coÌ„meth in also with Bezaes Bullingers Hyperius Hemingius and our Brethrens interpretation aforesaid saying they also slip out of this place more reddily or nimbly that thinke these thinges perteined not to them onely that did prophecy or pray publikely but also to their hearers that the men shoulde be bare headed and the womens heades couered But howe doth Peter Matyr like of this last interpretation Doth he allowe it no hee counteth it no better then a ready or nimble slip and no sounde aunswere And so hee concludes against it saying But the wordes of Paule seeme not to make with their sentence when as hee auoucheth it expressely of a woman praying or prophecying Thus substancially doth peter Martyr aunswere the matter All which proofes and examples doth Marlorate also after his collections of Caluin and others word for worde set downe and approoue as the true and simple interpretation And notable are euery one of these examples if wee shall examine and discusse them seuerally Besides other examples both in the olde and in the New Testament whose spéeches though partlie they were of other matters and not all concerning eyther prayer or prophecy yet were they spoken in the publike assembly of the faithfull without note of any reproche vnto them Yea the Lawe prouided in what cases the woman may claime before the Elders in the Gates of the City which was the place of the moste publike assemblies of the faithful her kinseman to be her Husbande Deut. 25. verse 7. 9. Abigails spéech and wise Oration made to Dauid before all his troupes is of Dauid highly commended 1. Sam. 25. verse 24 c. The wise woman in Abel saued the City from destruction by her wise speeches and eloquent persuasion 2. Sa. 20.18 The Quéene of Saba though an heathen Woman yet not onely is approoued of Solomon whose wisdome she tried with diuers Questions and so highly extolled 2. Reg. 10.6 c. but Christe also giueth an honorable testimony of her so doing The wife of Esay was a prophetesse so well as he a prophet Esay 8.3 Neyther are the testimonies of the Apocryphall Scriptures in this matter of comelinesse or for such pointes as concerne good manners to be reiected and they are goodly testimonies also As the publike prayer of Susanna the godly mother publikely preaching to the seuen Children to be constant Martyrs for the Law of God 2 Macha 7. The notable sermon that Iudith made euen to the high priest and to all the elders of Bethulia But if our Brethren regard not this as some of them haue reiected the factes and spéeches of Iudith euen with contumelies Let vs come also vnto other examples not improued in the new Testament What shal we saie for that womans fact that euen while Christ was preaching as Luke saith Chap. 11. ver 27. And it came to passe as he said these things a certaine woman of the companie lift vp her voice and said vnto him Blessed is the wombe that did beare thee and the paps that gaue thee sucke Did Christ rebuke her for that she spake thus boldlie in the open assemblie of the people No Luke saith not so But he said saith Luke yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wherevpon sayth the Geneua note Christ gaue her a priuie taunt for that shee omitted the chiefe praise which was due vnto him that was that they are blessed indeede to whom he communicateth himselfe by his word So that if she had giuen the chiefe praise to Christ she had done well and so farre forth her speech is not reprehended but the more commendable in the greater congregation that it was spoken And in a sorte Caluine confesseth her wordes to redound not a little to the coÌ„mendation of Christ also By which praise saith â—e the woman would extoll the excellencie of Christ. For she respected not Marie whom perhaps she neuer sawe But this amplifieth the glorie of Christ not a little that shee ennobleth maketh blessed the wombe in which he was borne Neither is this blessing of God absurdie but according to the maner of the Scripture celebrated For neither can it be denied but that God choosing and destinating Marie to be the mother vnto his sonne vouchsafed highlie to honour her So
seconde instance which is as they say For explication of the clause in the article of predestination where it is sayde that the elect may fall from grace and such like matters Whether it bee negligence or willfull peruerting that I knowe not but I conster it rather to the gentler faulte notwithstanding for those that professe themselues to be faythfull Ministers and to sette foorth a learned discourse and thus grosselye to burthen the articles yea one of the chiefest articles in doctrine agreed vppon by all the learned Clergye of the Realme and aprooued by all the authoritye and states of the realme with grosse and palpable errour and to charge the Article with an euident vntruth if this discourse maye vaunt of learning yet I woulde with that the learned discoursers were a little more faythfull Ministers leaste this parte thereof might of any be termed not a learned but a lewde and vndiscreete discoursing Where it is sayde in the article of predestination which is the seuenteenth article that the elect may fall from grace or any such lyke matter in that article the wordes of the article are these Predestination to lyfe is the euerlasting purpose of GOD whereby before the foundations of the worlde were layde hee hath constantlye decreede by his Counsaile secrete to vs to deliuer from cursse and damnation those whome hee hath chosen in Christe of mankinde and to bring them by Christ to euerlasting saluation as vessels made to honour Wherefore they which bee endewed with so excellent a benefite of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirite woorking in due season they through grace obeye the calling they bee iustified freely they bee made sonnes of GOD by adoption they bee made like the Image of his onelye begotten sonne Iesus Christe the walke religiouslye in good woorkes and at length by Gods mercie they atteyne to euerlasting felicitye As the Godlye consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweete pleasan◠and vnspeakeable comforte to godlye persons and such as feele in themselues the woorking of the spirite of Christ mortifying the workes of the fleshe their earthly members drawing vp their minde to high and heauenly thinges aswell because it doth greately establish and confirme their fayth of eternall saluation to bee enioyed through Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towardes God so for curious and carnall Pastors lacking the spirite of Christ to haue continually before their eies the sentence of gods predestination is a most daungerous downefall wherby the diuell doth thrust them eyther into desperation or into rechlesnes of most vncleane liuing no lesse perilous than desperation Furthermore we must receaue gods promises in such wise as they be generally set foorth to vs in holy scripture and in our doinges that will of God is to be followed which we haue expressly declared vnto vs in the word of God This againe is the whole article of predestination and election worde by word set downe as it is in the booke And now what one sentence or but one worde is here that our brethren can prooue to bee erroneous not grosse and palpable as they say but to haue any spice neuer so couertly conueyed of any the least errour in the worlde if our bretheren be of sounde iudgement in this article as I hope they be Or what doubtfull spéeches are there in this article that néede explication for feare they might be vnderstoode erroneously But where are heere these words that our bretherē haue by name burdened this article of predestination withall saying for explication of the clause in the article of predestination where it is sayde that the elect may fall from grace and such like matters May not our bretheren be ashamed so grossely and palpablie to fall from this grace of telling the truth so oftentimes before but specially heere in so great a matter challenging one of the principall articles of our religion for grosse and palpable errours or vntruths and their selues to fall intoso open so vntrue and foule a sclaunder But to helpe our brethren as much as we may with the true cleering of our selues from so great and dangerous a sclaunder for our brethren harpe here about some thing they meane be like in the 16 article which is not as they saye of predestination but of sin after baptisme where it is sayde thus Not euery deadly sin willingly committed after baptisme is sin against the holy ghost and vnpardonable Wherefore the graunt of repentance is not to bee denyed to such as fall into sin after baptisme After wee haue receaued the holy ghoste we maye departe from grace giuen and fall into sin and by the grace of God we may arise againe and amende our liues and therefore they are to bee condemned which say they can no more sinne as long as they liue heere or denye the place of forgiuenesse to such as truely repent Héere indéede this article sayth that after we haue receaued the holy ghoste wee maye departe from grace giuen and fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee maye arise agayne and amende our liues And is there any errour or anye darkenesse or doubtfulnesse or suspicion or inclination to errour in these woordes for although they speake here generally and mention not the elect of whome they speake in the article following which wée haue alreadye perused yet neyther speake they of falling from grace which woorde falling might perhaps bée construed of them in the harder sence as though they were destitute of all grace and cleane voyde of the spirite of God neyther the woordes nor the sence tendeth to any suche matter but are onely these that after weehaue receaued the holy ghost we may depart from grace giuē fal into sin c. Nowe whether this bee vnderstoode of the Elect or not maye not such as are not of the number of the Elected bée truely sayde also to haue receaued the holye Ghoste in the giftes of some graces of the holye Ghoste giuen vnto them The Apostle saythe 1. Cor. 12. No man can say Iesus is the Lorde but by the holye Ghoste And yet sayth Christ. Matthew 7.21 c. Not euerye one that sayth vnto mee lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen but hee that doth the will of my Father that is in Heauen and manye will saye to me in that day Lorde Lord haue wee not by thy name prophecied and by thy name caste out Deuilles and by thy name done manye greate woorkes And then I will professe to them I neuer knewe you departe from mee yee that woorke iniquitye And yet those that receaued these giftes of working miracles c. They were graces giuen thē of the holy Ghoste And Sainct Paule calleth them Charismata and spirituall giftes the administration operation and manifestation of the spyrite the diuersities of whose giftes he reckoneth vp as wée haue seene 1. Cor. 12. And did
not diuers of the Corinthians departe or fall from the true vse of these graces of the holye Ghoste As wee maye also say of Demas and others And euen of the apparant reprobate sayth Sainct Paule Hebrewes 6. vers 4. For it is impossible that they which were once lighttened and haue tasted of the heaueâ—lye gifte and were made pertakers of the holye Ghoste and haue tasted of the good woorde of God and of the powers of the worlde to come if they shoulde fall awaye shoulde bee renewed agayne by repentance seeing that they crucifie agayne to themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him So then vnderstanding these woordes euen for those that are not of the number of Gods elected neuertheles they may be such as God hath imparted great graces of the holy ghoste vnto and yet they departe and fall from grace But now which is the better and playner sence because the Article mencioneth rysing againe vnderstanding these wordes for the Elect of God so far as man can gather by outwarde tokens yet may the Elect departe from grace though not wholly and finnally as doe the reprobate For example Dauid and Peter departed from grace and fell into grieuous sinnes yet not so but that some sparkes of grace though ouerwhelmed for the time still remaine in Gods elected till God by his spirite reclaime them to repentance Sainct Paule writing to the Gallathians to whom as to gods elected chap. 1.3 he wisheth grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus christ saith vnto them vers 6. I maruel that ye are so soone remoued away vnto another Gospel froÌ„ him that had called you into the grace of christe and chap. 3.1 c. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that yee shoulde not obey the truth to whome Iesus christ before was described in your sight and among you crucified This onely would I learne of you receaued ye the spirite by the workes of the lawe or by the hearing of faith Preached are ye so foolish that after yee haue begun in the spirite ye would now be made perfect by the flesh haue ye suffred so many thinges in vaine c. Had not these lost the grace of God and S. Paule reclaimed them to repentance And so christ saith to the Angell or B. of the church of Ephesus apoc 2. I know thy workes thy labour thy patience and how thou canst not forbeare them which are euil hast examined them which say they are apostles are not and hast found them lyers thou hast suffred hast patience and for my name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Héere are the great graces reckoned vp But what followeth Neuertheles I haue somwhat against thee bicause thou hast left thy first loue remember therfore from whence thou art fallen repent do the first works or else I will come against thee shortly wil remoue thy candlestick out of his place except thou repeÌ„t And is not this euen as much as here is said in this article after we haue receaued the holy ghost wee maye depart from grace giuen and fall into sin and by the grace of God we may arise againe and amend our liues And therfore there is no error nor anye suspicion of error in this saying nor as though it were doubtfully spoken any néede of further explication except our Bre. would euen seke to pick quarrels at words to make theÌ„ séeme suspitious that are sound plaine enough or except they be of a contrary opinion to this article thinking that if they once haue receaued the holy ghost his grace they be so pure sure euer after that they can neuer sin at least they can neuer fal into any notorious sin But although I pray both for them vs that we may not depart from grace by falling into any such grieuous notorious sin yet much more that we fall not into that presumptuous sin that we should be so puffed vp in coâ—â—â—it of our puritie as to think we cannot depart froÌ„ grace fall into sin notorious sin also For so our Bre. should themselues maintaine a most grosse and palpable yea a most dangerous error condeÌ„ned heresie For although we must not wauer in doubt betwixt feare hope distrust faith for our saluatioÌ„ but haue a firme hope ful confideÌ„ce in yeâ—ternal good purpose promises mercies of god in christ as the very first words of the article of predestination election witnesseth that we are of thâ— nuÌ„ber of his Elected to saluation whereof god hath vouchsafed vs good tokeÌ„s besides the pledge of his spirite certifieng our spirit that we are the sons of God and if sonnes heyres c. yet except the spirite helpe our infirmityes we should quickly fall into great temptations and enormities And therfore we are willed for our parte to woorke our saluation with feare and trembling to pray that we enter not into temptation and euer to checke our presumption with these such like sentences If we shal say we haue no sins we deceaue our selues and there is no truth in vs yea that the iuste falleth seuen times a day and yet riseth againe c. But I hope our brethreÌ„ are not sotted in this grosse error of the anabaptists neyther wee God be praysed do allowe of the other grosse errours oâ—â—he papists that the elected can finally vtterly depart froÌ„ grace But firmum stat fundamentum deus nouit qui sunt sui Neyther is there any error in any of these our articles nor any of the other articles of the booke And therefore I meruaile that they say diuers godlye and learned Preachers offered to speake against diuers grosse and palpable errours that had escaped the Bishops decrees If there were anye so grosse that they were palpable and so many too that there were diuers of them and that naming for example these two matters they conclude with this generalitie saying and such like matters though we haue cléered our selues sufficiently heerein and are by the grace of God ready to enter eyther into the apologie of our selues or to make the acknowledgement of all those diuers errors and disclaime them when they shal be specified and so proued yet is not this well done of our bretheren to burthen vs with any especially with grosse and palpable errors and those diuers and not so much as name them that we might see them and forsake theÌ„ For this leaueth in the readers mind a shrewde suspition of further errours in these articles But we craue in the feare of God and in the testimony of a good conscience all mens good opinion in this behalfe towardes vs till our bretheren or any other be he Papist Anabaptist or whosoeuer shall burthen vs expresly with this or that error by name and then if we cannot throughlye cleere our selues let them condemne vs but till then christian charity ought to hold vs