now him and others in the defence of the Gospell against all the learned Papists in England For the which hee was driuen into banishment and there continued for the space of fiue or sixe yeeres visiting almost all Vniuersities in Italie and Germanie hauing great conference with the most and best learned men 〈◊〉 the last being stayed at Iany an vniuersitie erected by the dukes of Saxonie and shoulde if he had not come away had the Hebrewe lecture which Snepphinus had intertained by them to reade in their sayd vniuersitie both Greeke Latin in the company and with the good loue and liking of those famous men Flaccus Illyricus Victorius Strigellus D. Snepphinus called alter Luther vvith diuers others where belike he was not dumbe And after comming home was appoynted among the famous learned men to dispute againe with the enemies of the religion the papisticall bishops and like that if the disputations had continued to shew him not ignorant in all the three tongues as he will yet if Martin Malapert prouoke him too farre not to be dumb Is he dumbe because he vvas the onely Preacher in Leicestershire for a space as the noble Earle of Huntington can vvitnesse and by their tvvo meanes that shire God be blessed was conuerted brought to that state that it is now in which in true religion is aboue any other place because they retaine the Gospell without contention which fewe other places doe And in Lincolneshire did he nothing did he not first purge the Cathedrall Church being at that time a nest of vncleane birdes and so by preaching and executing the Commission so preuailed in the countrey God blessing his labours that not one recusant was left in the countrey at his comming away to this sea of London Is this to be dumbe howe many Sermons hath he preached at Paules crosse sometime three in a yeere yea sometime two or three together being an olde man to supply some yonger mens negligence It is omitted that Episcopomastix had a fling at the Bishoppe of London for swearing by his faith wherefore he termeth him a Swag. What he meaneth by that I will not diuine but as all the rest is lewd so surely herein he hath a lewde meaning It is to be thought that the Bishop will take profite hereby being a man that hath diligently read Plutarke De vtilitate capienda ad inimico If it bee an othe as this gentleman hath censured it it is not to be doubted but that he will amend it but if it were lawful as it may be for any thing Martin can say to aske his brotherhood what Amen signifieth or whether it be an othe then in his wicked and malicious wishes for the ouerthrow of the Clergie how oft is he to be found to say Amen for in the phrase of our speech by my faith signifieth no more but in very trueth bona fide in trueth assuredly id est Amen It is to be thought that Martin misliketh to say by his faith because a railing and slanderous spirite can haue no faith for where Charitie is away the soule of all good workes there can be no faith Read that of Paul Charitas non inuidet non est suspicax c. The contraries whereof swell in Martin as venemous humours in an infectious sore Among other their reproches they affirme of the Bishop of Rochester that hee presented him selfe to a benefice I doe not thinke it to be true for that I know it can not be good in Lawe If he hath procured a benefice in way of Commendam as they call it it is by lawe allowed and hath bene done by other The bishop of Lincolne is knowen to bee learned and zealous in religion There are few men toward her Maiestie that haue preached in the court either oftner times or with more commendation or better liking as well before he was bishop as since It is therefore maruaile that none in all this time coulde espie his inclination vnto corrupt and Papisticall doctrine vntill the chickens of the scratching kite yong Martinists got wings to flee abroad cric out vntrueths against euery man that displeaseth them If the Bishoppe of Lincolne had not euen of late shevved himselfe in the Commission Court at the examination of some of them hee had now escaped this scratch of the lewde lying kite Martin Marprelate What his words were I haue forgotten yet I heard them deliuered by a learned man that vvas present For I did not then meane to deale in this cause but they were nothing soūding to that which the Libell layeth downe And the person considered at whose funerall hee preached hee could not with comelinesse speake lesse in her commendation then hee did vnlesse they vvoulde haue had him as rash and furious as themselues and to enter into Gods secrete iudgement and openly to condemne her as a reprobate God may vvorke great matters in a moment THE bishop of Winchester is charged vvith certaine vvordes vttered in two Sermons the last Lent the one in the Queenes Chappell the other at S. Marie Oueries in Southwarke The wordes of the challeng are these Like a flattering hypocrite hee protested before God and the congregation that there was not in the worlde at this day nay there had not beene since the Apostles time such a flourishing state of a Church as nowe wee haue in Englande Surely if hee had vttered these wordes for the state of the Church appoynted by lawe and order not respecting the faultes of particular persons it might in Christian duetie bee well defended But it was not vttered in this manner nor for the matter nor for the time The first part of those wordes hee doth not acknowledge at all for they are purposely inserted to stirre enuie Thus in deede it vvas deliuered As for the trueth of doctrine according to the worde of God for the right administration of the Sacramēts for the true worship of God in our prayer laide downe in the booke of seruice since the Apostles age vnto this present age of the restoring of the gospell there was neuer Church vpon the face of the earth so nigh the sinceritie of Gods trueth as the Church of England is at this day These vvords vvith Gods helpe he vvil iustifie to be true vpon the daunger not of his liuing only but of his life also against any man that vvil withstand it and yet therein shall not shew him selfe either desperate Dicke or shamelesse impudent or wainscot faced Bishop as it pleaseth the Libeller to rayle Neither doth he thinke that any learned man that fauoureth the Gospell though he mislike some things and persons novv in present vse vvill reproue it The Papists I knovv in deede doe detest the Assertion and thinke their Synagogue blasphemed by it No refourmed Church can iustly take offence at it Where the bishop is burdened by this speeche to excuse the multitude of Thieues Drunkards Murtherers Adulterers c. that bee in our Church neither did his
trueth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie founde in his lippes he walked with me in peace and in equitie and hee turned many from their iniquitie but yee haue gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the Lawe ye haue corrupted the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of hosts therefore haue I made you despised and vile before the people These wordes of the prophet doe so touch our Bishops and clergie men if they be so euill as they are made as all sentences wherein the Prophets blame the Priests of their time doe touch euill ministers of the Church but howe they eyther specially nippe our bishoppes as it is thought or any thing pertaine to the proofe of the principall matter or reproouing of Preachers liuings by Landes I see not In deede this sentence of Malachy might bee rightly vsed against the pope his prelates which neglecting the whole dutie of Gods ministers both in preaching and liuing stayed themselues vpon the authoritie of Saint Peter and of succession as though the Spirite of God had beene bounde to their succession though they taught and liued neuer so corruptly For so indeede did these priestes whome Malachie reprooueth they neglected the true worshippe of God and yet woulde they bee accompted his good and true priestes because they were of the tribe of Leui with whom God had made his couenant that hee and his seede shoulde haue the office of the high priesthood for euer But Malachie sayth they haue broken the couenaunt on their part That our bishoppes and ministers doe not challenge to holde by succession it is most euident their whole doctrine and preaching is contrarie they vnderstād and teach that neither they nor any other can haue Gods fauour so annexed and tyed to them but that if they leaue their dueties by Gods worde prescribed they must in his sight leese the preheminence of his ministers and bee subiect to his wrath and punishment They knowe and declare to all men that the couenaunt on the behalfe of Leui that is on the behalfe of the ministers of God to be perfourmed consisteth in these three branches by preaching to teach the right way of saluation and to sette foorth the true worship of God to keepe peace and quietnesse in the Church of God and thirdly by honest life to bee example vnto others These branches of the couenant if our bishops and preachers haue corrupted and broken they haue to answere for it before God and their punishment will be exceeding grieuous As for their doctrine I am right sure and in the feare of GOD I speake it will hazard my life to trye it that all their enemies shall neuer bee able so to prooue it but that it shall bee founde sincere and true so that I doubt not but God him selfe will beare witnesse with them as hee did with Leui that Trueth is in their mouth and as touching their doctrine no iniquitie founde in their lippes For they doe both teach the trueth according to the Scriptures sincerely and confounde the errours of the Antichristian Church learnedly and truely They therfore that speake so much against them may seeme lesse to regarde this part of their obseruing the couenant of Leui then the duetie of Christians requireth But I trust our mercifull God will fauourably consider it and beare with some other their imperfections in them I pray God wee bee not lighted into that time that men haue itching eares and can like no preachers but such as clawe their affections and feede their fantasies in vanities and newe deuises The couenaunt of peace they keepe also liuing in vnitie and peace among them-selues and studying so much as they can by teaching and by good order to keepe it among other And that is no small cause of their misliking at this time because they being in some place of gouernment according to their dueties striue to represse those which by vntemperate zeale seeke to disturbe the Church and to giue cause of faction and disorder by altering things externall in a setled and refourmed state As touching their liues and conuersations according to the Lawe of God as before I haue said if I must iudge according to that I knowe I must thinke the best because I know no ill Though there bee imperfections in some things if men woulde charitablie consider in what time wee liue and whose Messengers they are and somewhat withall descend into their owne bosomes and lay their owne dueties before their eyes I thinke surely they woulde iudge of them more christianly then many doe Obiection But they will say that according to the wordes of Malachie God sheweth his iudgement against thē for their wickednesse because hee hath made them so contemptible so vile and despised before all the people for say they wee may see how all men loath and disdaine them Answere It must needes be true I confesse that Malachie spake of the Priests of his time but I doe not take it to be alwayes an vnfallible token of euil Priests and Ministers or a certaine signe of Gods displeasure towarde them when the people do hate disdaine and contemne them I see more commonly in the Scriptures that it is a token of vnthankefull stubborne and hard-hearted people which smally regarde the worde of God and therefore also mislike his ministers Elias Micheas Amos and other Prophets were smally esteemed you knowe among the Israelites Esay Ieremie Ezechiel were euen of as small credite and estimation among the lewes It may appeare so to bee seeing Esay signified that they lilled out their tongues in mocking of him and other of his time And I am sure you knowe the fauour and entertainement that the Apostles had also among the same people I trust then you will not say it was a token of naughtie and corrupt Ministers or of Gods iust iudgement against them for they were the right and true Prophetes Apostles and Messengers of God and yet were in great hatred and misliking of them that thought themselues to be the people of God It may be surely and in deede I thinke it to be very true that God hath touched our bishops Preachers with this scourge of ignominie and reproch for their slackenesse and negligence in their office And I pray God they may take this mercifull warning and shunne his greater plagues But I must say withall as Christ sayeth of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifice and of them vpon whome the Tower of Siloe fell Doe you thinke that they onely are sinners nay I say vnto you if you do not repent you shall all taste of the same sharpe iustice If God punish his Ministers he will not suffer the other vntouched Now the time is come that the iudgemēt beginneth at the house of God and if God punish those that he sent with his worde what will hee doe to them that vnthankfully receiue his worde THAT this matter of Ecclesiasticall mens liuings
kingdome of errour and wickednesse to decay and the glorie of God to increase then hee bestirreth him by all meanes hee can And if by Gods good prouidence the Princes and Magistrates bee such as by sword and fire he cannot either ouerthrowe it or worke some mischiefe against it then seeketh hee by lying and slander to discredit and deface the messengers that GOD sendeth with his worde and instruments that he vseth to aduance and sette foorth his trueth by this meanes to worke hinderance to the trueth it selfe When Ieremie preached the will of God earnestly and truely vnto the Iewes were there not false Prophets and other very neere the Prince which perswaded him and other rulers that hee was a naughtie man not worthie to liue that hee was an enemie to his Countrey that hee conspired with the Babylonians and was with money or otherwise corrupted by them to perswade the people of Iuda not to refuse their subiection When God by the Ievves in captiuitie and by the fauour of the Queene Hester began to spread his knovvledge among the Gentiles so that their heathenish idolatrie vvas somewhat blemished the deuil raised vp a fit instrument by such meanes as before is mentioned to vvork their confusion For Haman came to king Assuerus and said There is a people dispersed throughout all the prouinces of thine Empire not agreeing among themselues vsing newe lawes and contemning thy ordinances and thou knowest it is not expedient for thy kingdome that they should bee suffered to waxe so insolent And if it shall please thee to appoint that they may be all put to death I will bring in tenne thousand talents into the kings treasure It vvas a shrevvd tale to persvvade a Prince For he tempered his hateful and slaunderous lying with the sweete savvce of gaine and commoditie The subtile Sathan did see that sometime they which othervvise are good Princes vvhen hope of great benefite is offered vvill be more easily persvvaded to some kinde of hard dealing vvhich othervvise they themselues vvould not like When Iohn Baptist was sent to prepare the vvay for the comming of Christ though hee vvere a man of very austere liuing did not the Pharisees persvvade the people and chiefe rulers that hee was but an hypocrite that he vvas possed vvith a deuill and therfore that his doctrine should not be beleeued When Christ himselfe came a perfect patterne of all temperance and godly vertue did they not say that he was a glutton and a wine bibber a Samaritane a friend of Publicanes and sinners a worker with deuils a seducer of the people c. and by this means in the hearts of many wrought the discredite both of his doctrine and of his myracles In like manner dealt Sathan with his instruments against the Apostles and godlie professors of Christian religion in the Primitiue Church as it appeareth in the Ecclesiasticall Histories and auncient Fathers For malitious tongues and pennes did spreade abroade of them that they murdered their children and did eate them that vsually at their assemblies they committed incest that they worshipped the sunne that they worshipped an asse head that they were traitours to the Empire that they were generall enemies of all mankinde with an infinite number of other like false and slaunderous crimes and by this meanes the wicked enemies of Christ raised those grieuous and terrible persecutions wherewith the Church was vexed the space of three hundred yeeres vnder the Emperours Yea and this craft of the deuill ceased not vnder the Christian Emperours For then stirred hee vp schismes and factions errours and heresies almost in number infinite and still by backebiters and slaunderous instrumentes defaced and brought out of credite the godly and learned bishops which were as the pillars of Christian trueth against the enemies of God and his Church Constantine that woorthie and godlie prince at the beginning fauoured and furthered all those reuerend and learned Bishops that did mainteine the doctrine of Nicene Councell against the Arians but after that Eusebius of Nicomedia the great patrone of that heresie had procured friendes in the court and therby crept in some credite with the Emperour he and the residue of his sort deuised shamefull slaunders against Athanasius and other that in the ende with great displeasure of the Emperour he was banished into Fraunce and there continued all the reigne of the saide Constantine His enemies with great impudencie had charged him with shamefull vntruths as that he cruelly and vniustly had excommunicated diuers persons that as a couetous extortioner he had oppressed the countrey of Egypt with exactions that he had committed adultery with a strumpet who was brought before his face to auouch it to be true that he had murthered Arsenius vsed his arme to worke sorcery that he sent money to one that went about treason against the Emperour that hee had affirmed in threatning wordes that he would cause the citie of Alexandria to send no more tribute-corne to Constantinople for the Emperors prouision as before time it had vsed to doe As they dealt with Athanasius so did they in like manner with Eustathius Macarius and al other godly Fathers which defended the true faith of Christ and set themselues against the indeuours of heretikes and other seditious and factious spirites And in like maner were other vsed after that time as Ambrose Cyrill and Chrysostome It were a matter almost infinite to recite the examples thereof and to shewe how like they are to the attempts of some in these dayes And although it pleased GOD by strange meanes at that time to reprooue sundrie of those shamefull vntrueths deuised against manie yet by stoute affirmation and colourable proofe thorow friendship many of them tooke suche effect that sundrie woorthy and good men were put out of their bishoprikes driuen into banishment and put to death to the great trouble of the Church and exceeding hinderaunce of christian faith for the space of many yeeres We reade in histories that Philip king of Macedony a subtile and politique prince who is thought to haue conquered more by craft and cunning then by force of warre dint of sworde minding to bring the Graecians vnder his subiection in concluding an agreement with them conditioned that they shoulde deliuer vnto him their Orators as the very firebrands of discord among them and the onely occasioners of that displeasure and misliking that was betweene him and them At which time Demosthenes one of the Orators speaking for himselfe admonished the Athenians to call to their remembraunce the parable betweene the shepheardes and the wolues The wolues pretending desire of agreement between them and the shepheards perswaded them that all the cause of their displeasure was the vnseasonable barking of the dogges and promised great amitie so that they woulde put away their ill-fauoured curres and mastiues But when the dogs were remooued the wolues tooke their pleasure in spoyling the flocke more cruelly then euer they did
thought conceiue nor his wordes include any such matter But what doeth not malice enuie and spite vtter against the most innocent person that is The bishop of Winchester hath openly more impugned the vices of this age heere in the Church of Englande then the vvhole broode of them that are of the Anabaptisticall Conuenticles and the residue of these Libellers Woe bee to them saith Esay the Prophet that speake euil of good and good of euill and put light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light sweete for sowre and sowre for sweete Dauid had great cause to crie domine libera animam meam à labijs iniquis à lingua dolosa And Salomon cogitatio stulti peccatum est abominatio hominum Detractor The deuise of a foole is sinne and all men abhorre the backbiter or Slaunderer If any man vvill reprooue the Assertion before written God vvilling he shall be ansvvered so that he rayle not This may be a sufficient answere to the vntrueth fathered vpon the B. of Winchesters words that hee is not for the same iustly tearmed Monstrous and flattering hypocrite speaking against his owne conscience But I see in these wordes the reproch not only of the bishop but much more amalicious spite against this Church of England and that so deepely setled in their hearts that their eares cannot without griefe he are any good spoken of it Therefore I thinke my selfe in Christian dutie bound somevvhat farther to follovve this matter and with some signification of thankefulnesse to acknowledge and confesse those excellēt blessings which it hath pleased God of his great mercies to bestowe vpon the same as vvell in King Edward the sixts dayes as much more in her Maiesties reigne that now is and first to beginne with that which is the principall that is the sinceritie of doctrine and all branches of true religion receiued professed taught and established in this Realme In which point I thinke it very superfluous needles for me to recite the particular branches and to make a nevv catechisme or to pen a new confession of the Church of England seeing they both are so sufficiently performed that vvithout enuy be it spoken there is none better in any refourmed Church in Europe For a Catechisme I refer them to that which was made by the learned and godly man Master Nowel Deane of Paules receiued and allovved by the Church of England and very fully grounded and established vpon the vvorde of God There may you see all the parts of true Religion receiued the difficulties expounded the trueth declared the corruptions of the Church of Rome reiected But this I like not in our Church that it is lawful to euery man to set foorth a nevve Catechisme at his pleasure I read that in the Primitiue Church that thing did great harme and corrupted the mindes of many simple persons with soule errours and heresies I see the like at this day for thereby many honest meaning hearts are caried avvay to the misliking of our manner of prayer and administration of Sacraments and other orders vvhereby it is made a principall instrument to maintaine and increase discorde and dissention in the Church For a sound and true confession acknowledged by this our church I refer them to that notable Apologie of the English Church written not many yeeres since by that Iewel of England late Bishop of Sarifburie Wherein they shal finde all parts of Christian religion confessed proued both by the testimony of the canonicall scriptures and also by the consent of all learned and godly antiquitie for the space of certain hundred yeres after Christ For the integrity and soundnes for the learning and eloquence shewed in the same Apologie they that contemne that notable learned man because hee was a Bishoppe may haue very good testimonie in a litle Epistle vvritten by Peter Martir vnto the said bishop and nowe printed and in the latter edition set before the same Apologie where they shall finde that hee speaketh not for himselfe onely but for many other learned men of the church of Tygure and other places Nowe as this learned Bishop doeth acknowledge and confesse for this Church all trueth of doctrine so doeth hee reprooue condemne and detest all corruptions brought into the same either by the church of Rome or by any other ancient or newe heretikes whome he there particularly nameth yea and to the great comfort of all them that are members of the same church and acknowledge the same confession hee prooueth and euidently sheweth that the testimonies of the Scriptures whereon that confession is grounded for the true interpretation of them haue the witnesse consent of all the learned antiquitie as I haue saide for certaine hundred yeeres Which I take to bee a very good comfort and confirmation to all honest consciences in these captious and quarelling dayes That which I meane I will declare by some particulars What is more euident certaine and firme for the article of the person of Christ in his Godhead manhood then those things that the ancient Fathers decreed out of the canonicall scriptures in the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon some others against Arius Samosatenus Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches and those heretikes that were termed Monotholetes c Therefore whosoeuer do teach contrary to the determination of those councels as some do in these dayes they do not iustly hold that principal article and foundation of Christian religion Moreouer as touching the grace and benefite of Christ the beginning whereof riseth from the eternall loue of God toward vs and from the free election to redemption and eternall saluation and proceedeth to our vse and benefite by the dispensation of Christ once offred vpon the Crosse by effectual calling wrought by the holy Ghost in preaching of the Gospell by our iustification sanctification and the gift of perseuerance and continuance in the faith thereby in the end to obtaine resurrection and eternall life touching I say this free grace of God another principall ground of Christian religion what coulde be or can bee more certainly or abundantly layde downe out of the holy Scriptures then was determined in the Councels of Carthage Mileuitane Aurasicane c. against the Pelagians and other enemies of the free grace of God in Christ Iesu our Sauiour Especially if you adde the writings of August and other ancient Fathers for defence of the same As to that which is necessarie to be knowen touching the true Catholique Church a matter of great importaunce euen at this day vvhat can be more copiously or with more perspicuitie declared then is by that learned father Augustine as well in other places as principally in his bookes against the Donatists Likewise for the matter of the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper if simple trueth coulde content men what is more euident then that doctrine which hath bene laid downe by the ancient Fathers Iustine Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Theodorete and a number
not be saued by shame might haue his saluation wrought by reproch For a great thing it is to one that hath any feare of God to haue reproch in the face of the Church And to this interpretation the most of the ancient writers agree Obiection They will reply that at that time there were manie Presidents as it were and gouernours of the Church together with the chiefe Ministers in euery Congregation Answere I grant it was so But it doth not follow thereupon that it is a commaundement that for euer in all places and times it should be so I am not of that opinion nor euer was any of the auncient Writers no more are sundry learned men of great credite at this time Quòd vna semper debet esse oeconomia Ecclesiae that is that the externall gouernement of the Church should alwayes in all places be one and specially by a college or company of Elders When Christ said Tel the Church there was as yet no Christian church established but Christ took his speech according to the state of the Iewes Church that then was as in another place he â—aith If thy brother trespasse against thee leaue thine offering before the altar If they will gather by the former speech Tell the Church that of necessity they must haue a company of Elders as then was in the Iewes church why let them make like collection of the latter that of necessitie there must be altars in the church of Christ the absurditie whereof will bee greater then any good christian man will easily receiue Obiection They will say the Apostles afterward and the Primitiue Church did practise the same Answere That is not yet proued but let theÌ„ struggle while they lust theysh al neuer find a commandement in the scriptures charging that it shuld for euer be so It were to great a bridle of christiaÌ„ liberty in things external to cast vpoÌ„ the church of Christ So loÌ„g as the church of God was in persecutioÌ„ vnder tyrants might well seeme to be the best and fittest order of Gouernment But when God blessed his Churche with Christian Princes the Scriptures doe not take away that libertie that with the consent of their godlie magistrates they may haue that outwarde forme of iurisdiction deciding of Ecclesiasticall causes as to the state of the Countrey and people shall be most conuenient And that libertie haue diuers reformed churches since the restoring of the Gospell vsed Now as when other churches in their externall order of gouernment differ froÌ„ ours we neither do nor ought to mislike with them so if ours differ froÌ„ theirs retaining still the sinceritie of the gospel and trueth of doctrine I trust they will euen as charitably thinke of vs. If any desire further aunswere in this controuersie of church gouernment I refer them to the reply of D. Bridges vntill they haue with modestie and grauitie answered his booke It is obiected also against Bishops that they abuse Ecclesiasticall Discipline I take Ecclesiasticall Discipline to consist in reprouing correcting and excommunicating such as be offendors in the Church And I thinke their meaning is here that bishops their officers abuse Excommunication in punishing therewith those persons which obstinately with contempt refuse either to appeare when they bee called to aunswere their offences or when they appeare disobey those orders and decrees by Ecclesiasticall officers appoynted Howe this part of Church Discipline was abused by the Pope it is well knowen and that hee made Excommunication an instrument to bring the neckes of Emperors and Princes ynder his girdle and to make the whole world subiect to him For this was almost the onely meane whereby he became so dreadfull to all men and got to himself so great autoritie The perpetual course of the histories euen such as were written by his owne Parasites and chiefly of this Realme of England declare this to be most true For triall hereof reade the historie of Thomas Becket But I thinke no man is so caried with the misliking of our Bishops that he wil accuse them in this sort to abuse Excommunication seeing by their preaching they haue binprincipall instruments to ouerthrow the same in the Church of Rome They cannot say that any Bishop of this church euer since the restoring of the Gospell indeuoured to excommunicate the Prince and gouernours of purpose to make them subiect to their authoritie in the Church And happily that may bee a fault yea and a great fault that is founde with them in these daies that they do not so and constraine the prince and Rulers to doe that which by perswasion they will not doe But howe expedient this maner of Excommunication is for this time I leaue to the wise and godly to consider Sure I am that some of the most zealous churches reformed haue it not nor thinke it tollerable And yet such a maner of Excommunication it is that many striue at this day to haue brought into the Church vnder the name of Discipline But how easily it would grow to abuse and what danger it might bring in this state of time I thinke there is no wise man that doth not foresee vnlesse it be such as to bring their purpose to passe and to settle their deuise in the Church thinke no danger to be shunned As for the Excommunication practised in our Ecclesiasticall Courtes for contumacie in not appearing or not satisfying the iudgement of the Court if it had pleased the Prince and them that had autoritie to make Lawes for the gouernment to haue altered the same at the beginning and set some other order of processe in place thereof I am perswaded the Bishops and Clergy of this Realme woulde haue bin very wel contented therewith Gualter a learned man of the Church of Tygure writing vpon the first to the Corinthians hauing shewed the danger of this other Excommunication speaketh of a maner of ciuile discommuning vsed in that Church Which or the like good order deuised by some godlie persons if it might bee by authoritie placed in this Churche without danger of further innouation I thinke it woulde be gladly reciued to shunne the offence that is taken at the other and yet surely vnder correction the Law of alteration woulde breede some inconuenience But the perpetuall crying of many to haue a mutation of the whole state of the Clergie and a number of other thinges in the Church beside which must needes draw with it a great alteration in the state of the Realme also maketh the Prince and other Gouernours to bee afraide of any mutation For they knowe what daunger may come in these perillous dayes by innouations And if they shoulde once beginne things are so infinite shat they can see no ende of alterations Therefore eeing wee haue a Church setled in a tollerable maner of reformation and all trueth of doctrine freely taught and allowed by the authority of this realme yea and the aduersaries of trueth by lawe
AN ADMONITION TO THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND VVHEREIN ARE ANSVVERED NOT ONELY THE slaunderous vntruethes reprochfully vttered by Martin the Libeller but also many other Crimes by some of his broode obiected generally against all Bishops and the chiefe of the Cleargie purposely to deface and discredite the present state of the Church Detractor libens auditor vterque Diabolum portat in lingua Seene and allowed by authoritie Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1589. TO THE READER I Am not ignoraunt Gentle Reader what daunger I drawe vpon my selfe by this attempt to answere the quarrels and slaunders of late time published in certaine Libelles against the Bishops and other chiefe of the Clergy of the Church of England We see the eagernesse boldenesse of their spirit that bee the authors of them we taste alreadie the bitternes of their tongues and pennes The raging furie of their reuenge vpon all which they mislike themselues dissemble not but lay it downe in words of great threatnings I must needs therfore looke for any hurt that venemous scoffing and vnbridled tongues can worke toward me And how should I hope to escape that when the Saints of God in Heauen doe feele it In the course of their whole Libell when they speake of Peter Paul or the Blessed Virgin Marie c whome other iustly call Saintes their phrase in derision is Sir Peter Sir Paule Sir Marie Surely it had becommed right well the same vnmodest Spirite to haue saide also Sir Christ and so throughly to haue bewrayed himself Seeing they haue sharpned their tongues and heartes against heauen we poore creatures on earth must bee content in our weaknesse to beare them The dartes I confesse of deceitefull and slaunderous tongues are verye sharpe and the burning of the woundes made by them will as hardly in the hearts of many bee quenched as the coales of Iuniper But I thanke God I feare them not though they bring mee greater harme eyther in credite liuing or life then I trust that God that seeth knoweth and defendeth the trueth will suffer them Ambrose beeing in case somewhat like sayeth thus Non tanti est vnius vita quanti est dignitas omnium Sacerdotum If I therefore shoulde hazarde the one for the defence of the other I trust the godlye woulde iudge that I did that duetie which I owe to the Church of God and to my brethren of the same function and calling What is the cause why wee bee with such spight and malice discredited Surely because as the duty of faythfull Subiectes dooth binde vs liuing in the state of a Church refourmed we doo indeuour to preserue those Lawes which her Maiesties authoritie and the whole state of the Realme hath allowed and established and doe not admitte a newe platforme of gouernment deuised I knowe not by whome The reasons that mooue vs so to doe are these two First wee see no proofe brought out of the word of God that of necessitie such forme of Gouernement ought to be Secondly that by the placing of the same it woulde bring so many alterations and inconueniences as in our opinion woulde bee dangerous to the Prince and to the Realme Some of those inconueniences I haue in this treatise laid downe and leaue them to the consideration of them whom God hath set in place of gouernment It may be some will iudge that I am wordly affected because I shewe my selfe so much grieued with losse of our credite and hinderance of good name among the people In trueth although a godly Minister shoulde haue no wordly thing so deere vnto him as his credite yet if the hurt went no further then to our selues wee should make lesse account of it But seeing by our reproche and infamie the doctrine which wee teache is greatly hindered we ought by all lawfull meanes to defend it Christ himselfe in this respect answered such reproches as the enemies obiected against him As that hee vvas a friende vnto Publicanes and sinners That hee vvrought his miracles by the power of Beelsebub That hee broke the Sabbaoth day That hee was a Samaritane That hee had a deuill c. Saint Paul also to the Corinthians against his Aduersaries sheweth that hee was not a vaine Promiser That hee was not light and vnconstant and a wauering Teacher That hee did not teache craftily or corruptly dispensing the worde of God That hee did not teach ambitiously as seeking his owne glorie c. The like did a nomber of learned Fathers of the Primitiue Church at large answering those vile and reprochefull Slaunders raysed against the Christians in those dayes Augustine in a whole woorke answered Assertions falsly fathered vpon him and so did many other Wee seeke not therein our owne prayse and commendation If I doe insert particular prayses and commendations I must say vnto the Libellers as S. Paul sayde to the Corinthians Si insipiens fui in laudando vos me coegistis If I haue bene foolish in ouermuch praising your immodest reproches vntrueths and slaunders do driue me to it In this mine answere I seeke not to fatisfie all kinde of men but onely the moderate and godly For the malicious Back-biter Rayler will neuer be satisfied but the more he is answered the worse he will be If my defence may take moderate place with the better sort I shall be glad if not I may not be excessiuely grieued with sorowe but I must say with Paul Gloria nostra haec est testimonium conscientiae nostrae And with Iob Ecce in caelis testis meus This witnesse in heauen and the witnesse of our owne heart and conscience is sufficient to comfort vs. And for our further helpe we must pray with Dauid who was lamentably beaten and bitten with viperous tongues Leade vs O Lorde in thy righteousnesse because of our enemies make thy way plaine before vs. This God I trust will deliuer vs from the daunger of euill tongues and open their eyes and hearts that they may see and vnderstande what hinderance they bring to the Gospel of Christ which they will seeme to professe so earnestly Amen T. C. The Contents of this Treatise AN Admonition to beware of the contempt of the Bishops and other Preachers Page 1. The ende which the enemy of the Church of God respecteth in woorking their discredite pag. 23. Answeres to the vntrucths and slaunders vttered in Martins late Libell pag. 33. Against my Lord of Canterburie pag. 37. Against my Lord of London pag. 51. Against the Bishop of Rochester Lincolne and Winchester pag. 62. 63. c. The causes why the Bishops desire to maintaine the present state of the gouernment of the Church and what inconucniences they feare vpon the alteration thereof will come to the state of the Realme pag. 79. c. Answeres to certaine generall Crimes obiected to all the Bishops without exception as first The Crime of Simonie and Couetousnesse pag. 66.
The dispensing with Banes for money pag. 100. The Sale of Christian libertie in Marriages pag. 103. That they make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for money pag. 108. That they maintaine an vnlearned Ministery therby be occasion of Reuoltings many other mischiefs to the Prince and the Common weale But it is declared that there is no such vnlearned Ministery as they pretend and therefore can not bee an occasion of Reuolting or any other like mischiefes but that there bee other true and right causes to redresse of which it behoueth them that God hath set in place in time to haue speciall regarde for feare lest those mischiefes that be pretended doe increase pag. 109. c. The Crime of mainteyning Pilling and powling Courts pag. 135. The Crime of abusing Ecclesiasticall discipline pag. 141. The Crime of ambition and griedie seeking after Liuings and promotion pag. 144. That Bishops are carnally disposed which they shewe by hoarding vp great summes of money by purchasing Landes for their wiues and children by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded Cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable Fines and Incomes pag. 148. That the Prince ought to take away their great Lands and Liuings and set them to meane Pensions that in pouertie they may be answerable to the Apostles pag. 157. which they take vpon them to prooue by the whole course of the Scriptures pag. 162. The Lawe pag. 166. The Prophets pag. 177. The example of Christ pag. 190. and the doctrine of his Apostles pag. 221. Answere to the prescription of the old Lawe vvith the true meaning thereof pag. 166. Ansvvere to the Allegations out of the Prophets noting hovve absurdly and affectionately they be abused pag. 177. c. Answere to the example of Christ and the true doctrine that is to be taken of the same pag. 191. c. Answere to the doctrine of the Apostles declating hovv the same is rightly to be vnderstanded pag. 221. A Declaration how Ministers haue bene maintained from the beginning wherein is shevved that they haue had both Lands Houses Rents and Reuenues pag. 231. c. A Declaration that the wealthie state of the Church vvas not y e chiefe cause of setting vp Antichrist in his Throne as it is pretended but that the Histories of that time do declare other causes of more importance which also beginne to growe among vs and therefore good heede to be taken in time pag. 238. c. ¶ AN ADMONITION to the Church and people of England to take heede of the contempt of those Bishops and Preachers which God hath sent to them as messengers to bring vnto them the doctrine of their saluation WHen I call to my remembrance the loathsome contempt hatred and disdaine that the most part of men in these dayes beare and in the face of the vvorld declare tovvarde the Ministers of the Church of God asvvel Bishops as other among vs here in Englande my heart can not but greatly feare tremble at the consideration thereof It hath pleased God novv a long time most plentifully to povvre dovvne vpon vs his manifold great benefits of vvealth riches peace and quietnesse euen in the middest of the flames of discord dissention and miserie round about vs yea and that more is by the space of these thirtie yeeres by the continual preaching of the Gospel hath called vs vnto him as before time he called his chosē people of the Ievves by his Prophets and yet do vve not only not shevv any sound token either of our returning to him that called vs or of our thankefull receiuing his worde which he hath sent vs or of conforming our liues thereunto as hee willeth vs but also euidently to the eyes and eares of all men shew our hatred and misliking of those reuerend persons whome it hath pleased God to vse as his messengers to call vs vnto him and as his instruments to bring vnto vs the glad tidings of the Gospel which before with sworde and fire was taken from vs. For who seeth not in these dayes that hee who can most bitterly inueigh against Bishops and Preachers that can most boldely blaze their discredites that can most vncharitably slaunder their liues and doings thinketh of himselfe and is esteemed of other as the most zealous earnest furtherer of the Gospel Yea they thinke it almost the best way most ready to bring themselues in credite and estimation with many A lamentable state of time it is wherein such vntemperate boldnesse is permitted without any bridle at all What man therefore that feareth God that loueth his Church that hath care of his Prince and countrey can remember this thing and not dread in his heart the sequele thereof When the Israelites derided and contemned the Prophets which God had sent among them his wrath was so kindled that hee brought the Assyrians vpon them to their confusion When the tribe of Iuda did the like to Ieremie and other messengers of God they were cast into the captiuitie of Babylon When the Iewes reprochefully vsed Christ and with vvicked slaunder persecuted his Apostles that brought to them the light of saluation their Citie and Temple vvas burned their people slaine and as Christ threatned their countrey made desolate and giuen ouer to the spoyle And shall wee thinke that God vvill not remaine the same God tovvard vs Is his minde changed is his iustice slaked is his hand shortned that either he wil not or cannot reuenge as he hath bin wont to doe No good Christians let vs neuer deceiue our selues with such vaine and godlesse cogitations God remaineth alwayes one and is not mutable His benefits to the Israelites and Iewes were neuer greater then they novv these many yeeres haue bene toward vs they were neuer more earnestly eyther by Gods blessings allured or by preaching called to repentance then vve haue bene And yet our vnthankefulnesse in some respectes is greater then theirs and our vncourteous vsing of his messengers not much inferiour yea if the willes of many were not brideled by Gods singular grace in our Prince and gouernours it is to bee feared it woulde shewe it selfe as outragious as theirs did We haue iust cause therefore to feare the like plague which they in like case sustained And surely it cannot bee but that it hasteneth fast vpon vs. Obiection But some will say I knowe That I doe great iniury to the Prophets the Apostles and other messengers of God to compare them with such wicked men such blinde guides such couetous hypocrites such antichristian Prelates such symonicall Preachers as our Cleargie men now are Answere I doe not compare them good Reader in worthines of grace and vertue but in likenesse of office and ministerie These haue brought vnto this realme the same light of the Gospell the same trueth of doctrine the same way of saluation that the Apostles brought to the people of God in their time They are the mouth of God whereby hee speaketh to
and the light of his holie worde as in deede you haue the cogitation of this benefite shoulde moue your mindes more fauourably to thinke of them and more charitably to iudge of their doinges Or if you doe not looke that you leaue not great occasion to men to thinke of you that you make light accompt of that doctrine of the Gospell which aswell their predecessours as they haue and doe daily preach vnto you and so that you bee not those men that you would pretende to bee For men will thinke this If these persons did fauour the Gospell they woulde rather seeke meanes to hide the blemishes and imperfections of their Prelates and Preachers then thus odiously to amplifie and paint foorth their discredite to their vtter shame and reproche in the worlde For as much as in them lyeth through their sides in the hearts and mindes of manie they giue a mortall wound to the doctrine which by them hath now these manie yeeres beene taught in this Realme For will men iudge trowe you that after so great darkenesse and ignoraunce of Gods woorde as the Churche of Christ is reported by vs to haue beene wrapped in that God woulde restore and sende vnto the same the light of his trueth by so wicked and naughtie instruments as these men be imagined to be For they condemne not onelie those Bishops and ministers that be now in place but their predecessors also whose place these men occupie and whose doctrine they confirme Men will thinke surely either that that doctrine which we call darknesse and errour was the true light or that these Preachers can not be so euill persons as malice doth make them Christ would not suffer that the deuill shoulde vtter any thing to the glorie of God and will he suffer deuillish and Antichristian persons to bee the chiefe Preachers and restorers of his Gospell GOD alwaies hath appointed godlie men to be the teachers and reuiuers of his trueth as Abraham with the other Patriarches Moses Aaron Dauid the Prophets the Apostles And in our dayes Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Cranmer Ridley Iewell c. For God is neuer destitute of his godly captaines to gouerne his Church and to set foorth his word Obiection Oh but our Bishops and preachers bee couetous they giue not to the poore they imbesill the goodes of the Church they bee woorkers and clokers of Simonie they hinder reformation of the Church c. Answere But how know you that It were safe for your consciences first to trie and knowe the trueth before you rashly to condemnation iudge your brother Common speeches and coniecturall collections doe oftentimes prooue false Doe you think that al is true which is spoken of your selues I appeale to your owne consciences Surely hee must bee a very happie man in these dayes of whome some euill is not spoken which in his owne conscience hee knoweth not to bee true Nowe if this may and doeth happen to most priuate persons howe is it not likely that it happeneth also to Bishops and ecclesiasticall Ministers Yea of all other it is most like that they shoulde feelethe bitternesse of false and backbiting speeches The Ministers of God haue beene alwayes subiect to that crosse And in these dayes they haue to doe with so manie and diuers kindes of enemies as it is not possible for them to escape the daunger thereof On the one side is the Papist whose errours they confute whose obstinacie they punish On the other side are the phantasticall spirites of Anabaptists Of the families of the loue and sundry others of the like sort whose wickednesse and corrupting of the church is by our ecclesiastical gouernors drawen into the light reproued repressed Yea beside these there are an infinit number of Epicures and Atheistes which hate the Bishops and speake euil of them and wish them to be taken away partly because they are as bridles to their loose and wicked life partlie because they staye from them that spoyle and praye which nowe for a fewe yeeres with great hope they haue gaped after and with much adoe is holden out of their iawes Moreouer who knoweth not that they which haue the office of iudging correcting and reproouing other bee their doinges neuer so sincere shall often light into the displeasure and misliking of manie and thereby gette misreport Therefore seeing Bishoppes and other chiefe of the Clergie are besette with so manie difficulties and lie in daunger ofso manie aduersaries no maruaile though their blemishes bee amplified and as the prouerbe is of euery moul-hill made a great mountaine Yea no maruaile though their best doinges and sincerest meaninges by mislikers are depraued and with hard and vncharitable interpretations wrested to their reproofe Wherfore al Christians that haue the feare of God loue his trueth but principally the chief gouernours that haue authoritie to deale with the Clergie ought to take great heed that by such deprauing reports they bee not carried to mislike or discredite them which neuer iustly deserued so great reproofe Let them diligently consider what may fall vnto themselues also beeyng in place subiect to like obloquie What meant Saint Paul when he saide Against an elder receiue no accusation vnder two or three witnesses Surely he did see that the office of teachers and reproouers iudges and gouernors lieth in great daunger of euill speech and false accusations and therefore would not haue them rashly condemned either in priuate or publike iudgement much lesse to bee defaced and contemned to be disobeyed and resisted yea though they were more grieuous offenders then standeth with the worthinesse of their offices Aaron had grieuously offended and greatly distayned his calling when hee was the Minister to make the golden Calfe and to further the peoples horrible and shamefull idolatrie I trust all the enemies that the Bishops and Cleargie men of England haue shall neuer bee able to prooue that in this time of the Gospell anie one of them did euer commit an offence either so horrible and displeasant in the sight of God or so hurtfull and offensiue to the Church And yet after that when Corah Dathan and other did call him proude Prelate and saide that hee and his brother vsed tyrannie ouer the people of God howe grieuously God did take it and howe dreadfull punishment came vpon them for misusing the Ministers of GOD the historie doeth sufficiently declare yea though many of the offenders were of the highest state birth and linage among the people Obiection But it is a common Obiection many thinke they sufficiently excuse their contempt when they say That our Bishops Preachers speake well and teach other to doe well but they followe not the same themselues and therefore men doe not beleeue them nor be any thing mooued with their preaching Answere But I say vnto you if you followe any doctrine in respect of the person that speaketh it you doe not like good Christians yea if Paul speake any thing of
himselfe you doe not well if in that respect you beleeue him but you shoulde embrace his doctrine and followe his teaching because he is the Apostle and messenger of God sent to deliuer his holy will out of the scriptures and as it were from the mouth of God himselfe Obiection It will be sayd that Bishops should be The light of the world the salt of the earth patternes and examples to the flocke of Christ Answere I graunt they should be so and if they be not the daunger is theirs but Christ is the iudge whose office thou mayest not presume without danger to take vpon thee in iudging his Minister If they be not such as they shoulde be wilt thou headlong therefore runne to thine owne perdition and cast thy selfe into the danger of Gods wrath and displeasure aswell by reiecting the trueth of his doctrine as also by rashly iudging and condemning his Minister Doest thou not remember that Christ sayeth That men shall make an accompt of euery idle worde that they speake And shall they not make a streight account thinke you for their vncurteous and vnsauorie speeches for their vncharitable and bitter raylings against them by whose meanes they haue receiued the doctrine of saluation Who can bee worse then a Publicane And yet the Pharisey is greatly reproued for that he spake so contemptuously of the Publicane and so arrogantly preferred himselfe before him The Pharisey sayth Chrisostome by his euill speech did hurt the Publican nothing but rather did him good yea though the thinges were true that hee spake of him Wee also drawe vnto our selues extreame euill by our euill speeches euen as the Pharisey as it were did thrust a sworde into himselfe and receiuing a sore wounde departed Let vs therefore rule our vntamed tongues least wee also haue a like rewarde for if hee that spake euill of a Publican escaped not punishment what defence shall we haue that are wont to raile against our fathers If Marie which once blasphemed her brother was so sore punished what hope of health shall we haue which dayly ouerwhelme our superiors with railing speeches and taunts They that haue the right feare of God looke first into their owne bosomes they bee inquisitiue of their owne liues they sitte as iudges and examiners of their owne consciences but nowe a dayes the more it is to bee lamented men forget them-selues they looke not into their owne doings they cast that end of the wallet behinde them wherein their owne faultes are wrapped and be alwayes curiously prying into the liues and doinges of other and specially of Gouernours Bishops and Ecclesiasticall Ministers In them if they see neuer so light a blemish if in their face they can finde neuer so small a warte or espie in their eye neuer so little a moate they are esteemed by and by misshapen Bishoppes blinde guides Monsters of Antichrist not meete for any roome in Christes churche not to bee suffered in any christian common weale Yea they loath their doctrine Counsell and instruction be it neuer so true and good they wil not take anie aduise at their hands yea they saye their teaching can doe no man good Thus doe they make those men stumbling stockes for themselues to perdition whome God of his singular grace and prouidence hath sent with his worde among them as Ministers of their saluation Thinke of Bishops Preachers how basely vncharitably soeuer it shall please you they are not onely the Surgeons of your soules but your spirituall fathers also A naturall childe though he suffer griefe and iniuries at his fathers hande will not be in a rage against him but will take the hurts patiently and mildely so long as any way they may be borne Although hee see faultes in his father as that hee is euill of sight or doateth for age or that he bee weake and staggereth as he goeth yea and sometime falleth to the grounde he wil not therefore vndutifully chide his father but by such meanes as he can will helpe and with his best indeuour wipe away the filth that he gathereth by his oft falling hee will bee mindfull of that good lesson Noli gloriari in ignominia Patris tui neque enim tibi tam gloria quà m probrum est So surely those good and kindly children that loue God their great father wil vse themselues toward their spiritual fathers in his Church If Noah happen in his sleepe to lye somewhat vncomely and leaue open his nakednesse they vvill not follovv the example of cursed Cham and with derision fetch not their brethren only but their fathers enemies also to beholde it that hee may bee for euer shamed and the aduersaries mouthes opened against him They will rather with blessed and obedient Sem and Iaphet take the garment of christian charity and going backvvarde hide their fathers nakednesse yea and happily with the rusling of their feet or by casting on of the garment purposely wake him out of his sleepe that he may vnderstand hovve vncomely he doeth lie in the derision not onely of their vnkind brother but of other also that seeke his reproche and by that meanes be taught to take heed that he doe not fal on sleepe againe in such vncomely maner Chrysostome complaineth at this vnkindnesse What coulde be more happy then they What more miserable then wee for they gaue their blood and their life for their Maisters but wee will not vouchsafe to vtter so much as a few wordes for our common fathers when 〈…〉 them reproched backebited slaundered both of their owne and of others for wee neither reproue or represse such cursed speakers yea I woulde to God we our selues were not the first accusers Surely wee heare not such opprobrious rebukes at the mouthes of Infidels as wee see powred out against our superiours by them that are of the same religion Thus much haue I spoken and the longer stoode vppon this matter the Lord knoweth not so much to helpe the credite of them that bee blamed as if it may be possible to turne away from vs Englishmen the great daunger of our vnkindenesse in abusing them by whome God hath deliuered vnto vs so great and inestimable benefites Obiection Some perchance will aske me whether I entend by this meanes to cloake and hide the corrupt and naughtie life of the chiefe ministers of the Church whereby they slaunder the Gospel deface their calling and be an open offence to a great number of godly Answere I answere God forbid I should haue any such meaning Their great offences I greatly reproue and thinke them woorthy vpon triall of trueth not only of blame but also of more sharpe punishment then any other for that the offence giuen by them is greater And we haue a Prince and Magistrate who by Gods lawe if there be so iust cause both may and ought to deale with them neither can their authoritie bee refused they claime not exemption But as for their smaller
of other For proofe whereof I referre you to B. Iewell in his worthy booke wherein he answereth Hardings reply against his 27. questions proposed at Pauls Crosse c. I remēber touching this matter of the Sacrament Occolampadius a man of great reading godlines saith of S. August Is primus mihi vellicauit aurem He did first put me in minde of the true vnderstanding of this Sacrament These foure principal Articles I haue laid downe for example that the Christian Reader may the more easily perceiue vvhat comfort it is to any Church to haue the grounds of their faith and religion so established vpon the holy Scriptures that for the interpretation of the same they haue the testimonie consent of the Primitiue Church the ancient learned Fathers From which Consent they should not depart either in doctrine or other matter of weight vnlesse it so fall out in them that we be forced thereto either by the plaine wordes of the Scriptures or by euident and necessary conclusions following vpon the same or the Analogie of our faith Which thing if we shall perceiue we ought safely may take that liberty that themselues especially Augustine hath vsed requireth other to vse Nec Catholicis Episcopis c. Wee must not consent saith Augustine so much as to Catholike Bishops if they be deceiued and be of opinion contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures Againe I am not tied with the authoritie of this Epistle For I haue not the writings of Cyprian in like estimation as I haue the Canonicall Scriptures but I measure them by the rule of the holy Scriptures If I finde any thing in his writings agreeing to the Scriptures I receiue it with commendation and reuerence if otherwise with his good leaue I refuse it The like you haue Epist 48. 111. 112. In Prooemio li. 3. de Trinitate and many other places Otherwise to reiect the testimonie of the ancient Fathers rashly is a token of too much confidence in our owne wits It was noted as a great fault in Nestorius and a chief cause of his heresie that contemning the Fathers hee rested too much vpon his owne iudgement The like confidence drew many learned men and of great gifts to be Patrons of sundry foule and shamefull errours How came it to passe that after that notable Councell of Nice so many detestable heresies arose against the Deitie the Humanitie of Christ against the vniting of both natures and the distinction of the properties of them c. but onely out of this roote that they contemned the graue sentences interpretations determinations of those famous Confessors and great learned Fathers as were in the same assembled and had too much liking in their owne wits learning But woe be vnto them saith Esay that are ouerwise in their owne conceite Vigilius in his first booke against Eutyches saith thus These cloudes of fond and vaine accusations are powred out by them chiefly which are diseased either with the sickenesse of ignorance and of a contentious appetite and while they being puffed vp with confidence of a proud stomacke for this only cause they reiect the rules of faith laide downe by the ancient fathers that they may thrust into the Church their owne wauering deuises which they haue ouerthwartly conceiued This sentence I would our vncharitable accusers troublers of the Church would well weigh and consider with them-selues Therfore good reader I protest for my selfe and for the residue of this church that we dare not in conscience nor thinke it tollerable with contempt to reiect the testimonies of antiquitie in establishing any matter of weight in the Church We leaue that to our hasty Diuines that in three yeeres study thinke themselues able to controll all men to haue more learning then all the Bishops in England And for this cause vvil they giue no credit to ancient writers against their new found equality For with them it is a foule fault once in a sermon to name an ancient father or to alledge any testimonie out of his workes Novve good Christian Reader seeing by the good blessing of God vve haue all parts of Christian fayth and Religion professed and taught in this Church and the same grounded vpon the canonicall Scriptures vvith the consent and exposition of the Primitiue Church and ancient Fathers What a vaunting pride is it as Cyprian speaketh vvhat an vnthankefulnesse to God vvhat vncharitable affection toward the Church of their naturall Countrey that they cannot abide any good to be spoken of it pretending nothing but the priuate faultes and vices of some men or the disagreeing from them in some orders and partes of Gouernement which they vvill neuer be able to proue by the word of GOD to bee of necessitie In other reformed Churches vvhome they so greatly extolle and vvould make paterne to vs haue they not imperfections Haue they not foule faults and great vices among all sortes of men as well Ministers as others Surely their worthiest writers grauest Preachers doe note that they haue And if they woulde denie it the world doth see it and many good men among them doe bevvaile it I vvill not stay in the other blessings of God vvhere with he hath adorned this Church I shall haue occasion to speake somewhat more of it hereafter and God send vs grace that we may vvith true thankefulnesse acknovvledge it But this I may not omitte vvithout great note of vnthankefulnesse towarde our mercifull God vvhich hath not onely preserued maintained and defended the State but also appoynted this Church to be as a Sanctuarie or place of refuge for the Saints of God afflicted and persecuted in other Countries for the profession of the Gospell for whome I am persvvaded vvee doe fare the better at Gods hande And I doubt not but in that respect al reformed Churches in other places feeling the blessing of God by vs thinke reuerently of our State and pray to God for vs as all good men vvith vs ought to doe for them that the true linke of Christian charitie may soundly knitte vs together in one body of right faith and Religion If some fevve persons thinke amisse of our Church I impute the cause thereof only to the malicious vntrue reports made by some of our owne Countreymen vnto them Which persons if they did vnderstande the true State of this our Realme would thinke farre othervvise as diuers of the most graue learned writers haue already euidently declared This also is not the least blessing of God as well in the time of K. Edward as in the reigne of our gracious Soueraigne that this Church hath had as ample ornamēts of learned men Rumpantur vt Ilia Momo as the most reformed Churches in Europe farre more plentifully then some place whose state they seeke to frame vs vnto Only I except those excellēt men whō God had prepared in the beginning to be the restorers of his Trueth doctrine of
bishopricks in England be worth For Mat. Paris vvriteth that in the time of king Henry the 3. the Pope had yeerely out of this Lande 60000 markes vnto which if you doe adde his like dealing in Germanie and other countreys you shall perceiue the value to be inestimable And surely I am of that hope and in my conscience I think it to be most true that all the Bishops in this land by Simoniacal practise and couetous oppression doe not gaine the hundred part thereof And if it doe rise to that value it is a great deale too much yea if it be one peny it is wicked and by no good man ought to be defended much lesse by them to bee practised I hope well of all although I wil not take vpon me to excuse all But for some I assuredly know in my conscience dare depose that since they were made Bishops they haue not wittingly gained that way one twenty shillings Therefore in equalling the bishops of Englande in the practise of Simonie vvith the Pope of Rome there must needs be great oddes in the comparison and the whole speech may well be called Hyperbole that is an vncharitable amplification surmounting all likelihood of honest and Christian trueth Obiection But somewhat to giue countenance to an euill slaunder it will be sayde that the Bishop of Rome practized Simonie by al meanes that he had our bishops by as many as they haue Answere Oh a worthie reason Is this to iustifie so shameful a slaūder of the church of God vnder a christian Princes gouernment Is that Christian Preacher and Bishop if any such be that vseth Simoniacall practise in two or three points of smal importance and litle value in grieuousnesse of offence before God and the vvorlde to be equalled to the head of Antichrist and the principall enemy of the Gospel practizing the same in a thousande of great weight and vnestimable value I cannot but wish more charitable hearts to them that will take vpon them the zeale and profession of the Gospel Let sinne be blamed euen in them that fauour the word and chiefly the Clergie but yet so as trueth will beare and modestie with Christian charitie doeth require lest in much amplifying of small offences you become instruments not onely to discredit the parties blamed but also to ouerthrowe the doctrine that they teach There ought to be great difference betweene Christian Preachers writers inueighing against Antichrist and his members enemies of the Gospell and zealous professors blaming reprouing the faults of their owne Bishop and Clergie in the estate of a Church by authoritie setled The one part is kindled with an earnest zeale detestation of the obstinate patrones of errour and idolatrie the other shoulde bee mooued onely with a charitable sorowe and griefe to see Preachers of the trueth not to declare in life that which they vtter to other in doctrine They that by humane frailtie offende in blemish of life onely are not with like bitternesse to bee hated harried rated and defaced as they that with obstinate and vnrepentant hearts offend both in life and doctrine and to the face of the worlde shewe them-selues aduersaries of the truth Christ after one maner blameth the Scribes pharises after another he reprooueth the ignorance the dulnesse the ambition and carnal affection of his owne Disciples that followed him But I pray you let vs consider the particular proofe of this generall accusation and odious comparison Surely they are so trifling that I am ashamed to stay vpon them and yet I must needes speake a word or two of them The Church of England retaineth a good and necessarie order that before the celebration of marriage the Banes should be asked three seuerall Sabboth dayes Obiection This order saith the aduersarie and accuser is by Dispensation abused and by our Bishops solde for money Answere The order I thinke very good and meete to bee obserued in a Christian Church and not without good cause to be altered and yet doth it not beare any necessitie in Religion and holinesse whereby mens consciences should be wrung or wrested But I will demaund of the accuser whether there be not some cases wherein the circumstances being considered this matter may bee dispensed withall among Christians And if there bee as no reasonable man can deny then I aske further whether there bee any lawe in this Church of Englande whereby with the authoritie of the Prince it is granted that a Bishoppe may in such conuenient cases dispense with this order And if there bee such lawe of the Church and of the Realme I marueile howe it can be counted Simonie or couetous selling of the libertie of the Gospell to dispense with it Obiection Yea but if the order be good why is it not kept vnuiolably if it be euill why is it solde for money Answere The order is good no man can deny it or without good cause alter it but there is no externall order so necessary but that authoritie may in some considerations lawfully dispense therewith It was a good order and cōmandement of God that none but the Priests should eat of the shew bread and yet in a case of necessitie Abimelech the hie Priest did dispense with Dauid his company in eating the same bread The external obseruation of the Sabboth day was a good order and a commandement streightly giuen by God and yet we read that the Iewes in necessitie did breake it and fought on the Sabboth day And Christ himselfe defended his Disciples that on that day did bruise Corne and eate it Therefore by lawfull authoritie such orders may bee dispensed with and not deserue iust reproofe much lesse the crime of Couetousnesse and Simonie Obiection Yea but the dispensations are solde for money for some haue for writing and other for sealing and my Lord so granting c. Answere By as good reason may they excuse any Iudge or chiefe officer in this Land of extortion and bribery because his Clearkes and vnder officers take money for the writing dispatch of Processes Writs and other like matters where of happily some small portion commeth to the Iudge or chiefe officer himselfe and the same also warranted and made good by the lawes of this Realme If either Ecclesiasticall Ministers or other officers and Magistrates shall by extortion wrest more then by order is due there lieth lawfull remedie and sharpe punishment for the same And in all societies and common weales that euer haue bene aswell among Christians as other it hath bene counted lawfull that the Ministers to higher officers aswell Ecclesiasticall as other should haue lawfull portions and fees allowed them for such things where in they trauell Therefore how this may be imputed to Bishops as Simonie and sale of Christian libertie I see not Obiection They will say Dispensations for Banes for greedinesse of money are granted more commonly then they should be Answere If that
hath not ceased from time to time out of his scholes and Nurceries to sende into this Realme fit instruments for that purpose Iesuites Massing-priests and Seminarie men such other of our owne nation as haue bene purposely by them corrupted which being armed with some shew of learning but specially with readines of tongue boldnesse of speech with some outward shew of holinesse in words haue mightily preuailed against the subiects of this Realme taking cōmonly reasons of perswasion frō the discord that is among our selues as by particular dealings with thē I haue learned The indeuours of these men haue taken the greater effect by one perswasiō which they principally haue vsed which is that they haue put into their minds a certain expectatiō of a speedy alteration change to be not only in religion but also in the state of the realme Their reasons haue bin that al the Princes Catholike in Christendom were entred into league by al means that might be to depose our gracious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and to set vp in her place the Queene of Scots when shee liued and then woe be to them that should be found in this lande to remaine in the fauour and liking of the Gospell of Christ which they blasphemously call horrible schisme and heresie which woulde bee reuenged to the vttermost To worke this deuise they were let to vnderstand what plots and meanes were made howe easie howe likely how certaine to come to passe within few yeeres yea moneths yea dayes For they confirmed the hearts of all them that bende to their perswasion with all hope that might be In so much that I knowe some that within these two yeeres were very forwarde in religion and not onely heard Sermons diligently but also were at sundrie conferences for their better confirmation yet within fewe Moneths with the certaine perswasion of this expectation were cleane caried away and so remaine peruerse and obstinate Recusants with the example thereof shaking the consciences of many other In these their wicked and deuilish practises against God and his trueth and against the state of this lande they were not a little imboldened by slacke and remisse dealing toward them The lawes were not executed the aduauntage was giuen to some that did fauourably compound with them Hereby I knowe by good experience that much harme hath bene done in diuers places They haue also comforted and imboldened themselues in this that mercie and fauour shoulde bee shewed them For this they can say that Christian Princes and Magistrates especially such as be Protestants by their owne doctrine shoulde shewe mercie and clemencie chiefly in matters of conscience But what a malicious hypocrisie is this to call vpon Christian Magistrates for mercie and fauour and they themselues in the meane time breath nothing but crueltie and blood in their hearts I graunt mercie becommeth a Christian Gouernour but not without seueritie of Iustice For seueritie stayeth a greater nomber then mercie and fauour allureth as August saith Sicut meliores sunt quos dirigit amor ita plures sunt quos corrigit Timor The greater part is alwayes the worst therefore Magistrates must take heede that mercie bee not turned into crueltie For as August saith there is Misericordia puniens Crudelitas parcens Obiection Faith say they is the gift of God it cannot be forced by any punishment by hardnesse and extreme dealing men may be made hypocrites but not religious yea they adde further that the Apostles vsed no such helpe of Princes power to bring men to the faith or to pull them away from errour Answere But these and such other like their Allegations are contrary to the word of GOD and iudgement of all the auncient learned Fathers and specially Saint Augustine who chiefly dealt against the Donatists in this and other opinions Reade the thirteenth and seuenteenth of Deuteronomie and see howe straightly God giueth charge for the punishment of them that seduce other from the true worshippe of God In Exodus hee sayeth Qui immolat Dijs alienis praeterquam Domino soli exterminetur Hee that offereth vnto any other gods saue vnto the Lord c. In the Nombers he that brake the Sabboth day was stoned to death that his example might not seduce other Paul in the Act. of the Apostles by the power of God strooke blind Elymas the magitian withstanding the trueth of God August in the 11. Tract vpon Iohn disputing against the Donatists by the example of Nabuchodonosor exhorteth Christian Princes to vse sharpe punishment against such persons as contemne Christ his doctrine If king Nabuchodonosor faith he gaue glorie to God because he had deliuered the 3. yong men from the fire and gaue vnto him so great glorie that he made a decree throughout all his empire which comprehended so many kingdomes how should not our kings be mooued which knowe not onely three yong men to be deliuered out of the fire but them-selues and all other faithful persons deliuered from the eternal fire of hell especially when they see Christ thrust out of the minds of Christians and when they heare it said to a Christian Say thou art no Christian Such offences wil they commit but yet such punishments will they not suffer For vnderstand you what they doe and what they suffer They kill mens soules but they are afflicted but in body They worke to other eternall death and they complaine that they suffer temporal death c. Againe the same Aug. De vi coercend Haereticis ad Vincent Epist 48. writeth in this sort My opinion was at the beginning that none should be forced to the vnitie of the Church but that we should endeuour to deale by the word of GOD by disputation by reasoning and perswading least happily of those which we knew to bee open Heretikes wee shoulde make counterfaite Christians but this mine opinion was not ouercome with the wordes of them that reasoned against mee but by the experience of them which shewed mee examples to the contrarie For first mine owne Citie of Hippo was obiected against mee which was wholly carried away with the opinion of the Donatistes and yet through feare of the Emperours lawes was turned to the Catholike vnitie Which Citie we now see so to detest that pernitious errour as if it had neuer bene among them And likewise diuers other cities were namely rehearsed vnto mee so that by experience I learned that my former iudgement was not right The first Christian Emperour Constantine vvriting to his Lieutenant Taurus It hath pleased mee sayth hee that in all the places and Cities all the Temples of the idoles should presently be shut vp and all wicked persons forbidden to haue accesse vnto them Our pleasure further is that all men shoulde forbeare their sacrifices If any such wickednesse shalbe committed let them be beaten downe with the reuengement of the sworde and their substance to bee seised vpon and brought into my Treasurie And in like maner the
the patrones haue bene more chargeable in one yeere then they haue gained by all the benefices that they haue bestowed since they were bishoppes or I thinke will doe while they bee bishoppes They haue iniurie therefore to bee so openly slaundered in the face of the worlde If there bee any bishoppe that corruptly bestoweth his liuinges by sute of Maister Chauncellor or Maister Steward or any other looke what punishment I woulde haue any lay-man in that case to sustaine I woulde wish to a bishoppe double or triple Obiection But now I must come to that which toucheth bishops most nighly that is that they be carnally disposed and not euangelically and this their affection and corruption they shew to the world by hoarding of great summes of money by purchasing lands for their wiues and children by marrying their sonnes and daughters with thousands by increasing their liuings with flockes and heards of grased cattell by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable fines and incomes c. Answere Wee heare in this place an heape of grieuous offences indeed if they be true wel worthy such lamentable outcries as are made against theÌ„ But the godly must consider that where lauishing tongues and pennes be at libertie to lay forth reproch without feare of correction or punishment that the best men in the worlde may be slandered and brought in danger especially where through enuie and malice men haue conceiued displeasure against any State Eustathius a godly and chaste Bishop by conspiracie and false suggestion of certaine Heretikes and Schismatikes was not accused onely but vniustly also condemned of adultery and by the Emperour Constantine cast into banishment into a citie of Sclauonie Cyrillus a good and learned father Bishop of Hierusalem and an earnest patrone of the true faith of Christ was by the heretike Acasius his friends in the Court accused to the Emperor Constantinus that he had imbezeled the church goodes and had solde to a player of Enterludes a rich garment giuen to the Church by his father This false accusation so much preuailed that the good bishop was for it deposed c. I noted you the like before of that blessed man Athanasius and other and might bring a great number of examples out of the Ecclesiastiall histories writers For it was the vsuall practise of all such as did endeuour to further any heresie or Schismaticall faction were they of the Cleargie or Laitie by all meanes they could through infamie and discredite to pull downe such as did withstand their euil troublesome attempts in the Church not onely to raile at them to deface them with false and vniust reports but also to draw to their reproch their best and most Christian â—oings as the charitable dealing of Cyrill was so wrested that it brought him to great daunger And surely I cannot but feare that the deuill is euen now in hatching of some notable heresies or some other hid mischiefes which hee woulde bring foorth and thrust into the Church of England therfore prepareth the way for the same by defacing discrediting the best learned of the church that both would and should resist them This wee see alreadie in that peeuish faction of the families of the loue which haue bin breeding in this Realme the space of these thirty yeeres and now vpon confidence of the disgracing of the state of Bishoppes and other Ecclesiasticall Gouernours haue put their heades out of the shel and of late yeeres haue shewed themselues euen in the Princes Court The like I might say of the Anabaptists and other Sectaries as bad as they As touching this present point of the accusation of Bishops I haue to admonish the godlie Reader that in Christian charitie and wisedome they consider aswell what diuers of those persons which now bee Bishoppes haue beene before time as also in what state they are nowe in this Realme and howe they are beset on euery side with aduersaries and euill speakers of diuers sortes and then to weigh with themselues whether it bee likely that all is true which is vttered against them or rather that for despite and displeasure many things are spoken falsly and slanderously and manie other meane and small blemishes amplified and exaggerated to the worst more then trueth That those which now bee or of late haue beene Bishops in this Church shoulde be so carnally and grosly giuen ouer to the world and the cares therof as they are by some defamed my heart abhorreth to thinke neither will the feare of God suffer me to iudge it to be true I see what they are presently in all truth of doctrine I see how earnestly and zealously they teach and defend the same in their preachings I see howe carefully they beate downe the grosse superstition of Antichrist and his ministers I call to remembraunce that of late yeeres in the time of persecution when the most of them were in state wel able to liue that they were contented for the freedome of their consciences and that they might enioy the doctrine and liberty of the Gospel to forsake their liuinges to leaue their friendes to hazard their liues to be accompted Traitours and to sustaine all those miseries troubles that might followe vpon banishment and casting out of their Countrey And I see nothing in them if God as wee by our vnthankfulnesse daily deserue should cast the like scourge vpon this Realme againe but that they would be most readie to do the same although happily prosperitie in the meane time may drawe them to some offences May any christian heart then conceiue of them although there be faults in them moe then the worthinesse of their office requireth that they be so carnally fleshly giueÌ„ ouer to the world as the immodest accusations of many their aduersaries do make them Mans nature is corrupt fraile and therfore may fal to much euil but that so many learned men trained in the schoole of the Crosse continuing in teaching preaching of the trueth should bee so vtterly caried away from God I can not beleeue I trust God shall giue some enident token of the coÌ„trary If there now be or before time haue bene such as haue giuen iust occasion in such things as they are accused of I cannot but blame them and wishe to the residue more feare of God and care of their calling I neuer entred into other mens hearts to see their consciences I neuer looked into their Cofers to see their treasures I neuer was desirous to be priuie of their secrete doinges I must therfore by that I see heare know iudge the best Hee that shall charitably consider the state of Bishops as they are by the authoritie of the Prince and lawes of this Realme will not thinke it impiety in them against the time of necessary seruice of their countrey to haue some reasonable summe of money before hande gathered in
vs and calleth vs to his knowledge as hee did his chosen by other in the Primitiue Church And howsoeuer by the libertie of this time it pleaseth men in the heate of their spirite to boyle out with reprochfull choler against them yet I am sure they are not able to vse more bitter and vncourteous speech then the like affection vttered against the Prophets against Christ himself and his Apostles as after more euidently shall appeare I knowe they being but fraile and sinfull men in comparison of those blessed Saintes of God beforetime may giue more iust cause of reproche and minister more matter to euill tongues then they did And yet I doubt not but the tenth part of that euil that vnthankefull mindes vtter against them shall neuer be found to be true They that haue the feare of God will not rashly iudge of other and christian charitie will hide the blemishes and faultes of their brethren and specially of the preachers of the gospell sincerely teaching Gods trueth Charitie woulde consider that the times are dangerous and that wee are lighted into these corrupt and perillous last daies whereof Christ prophecied in the Euangelists and therfore may thinke our selues thrise happy if wee haue tollerable Ministers though they bee farre from that rule that Christian perfection requireth These dayes bee like the times Nazianzen writeth of When they heare any thing spoken of a Minister or Priest they by and by conceiue that of all which is reported of one And wee are become a Theater not to Angels and men as that Champion Saint Paul saith But wee are become a Stage to the most vile and abiect men at all times and in all places in the Streetes in Shoppes at Tables at feasts at Councels euen to the very playing scaffoldes which I speake with teares and are scoffed at euen of the vile and contemptible players c. The time was saith Caluine when no man durst open his mouth against the Ministers or Preachers of the worde But nowe there is no speech more plausible None of these base persons would speake a word if they did not see themselues backed by men of great authoritie and receiue reward for so dealing Such vntrueths woulde soone vanish and bee forgotten vnlesse they were nourished by them for whose pleasure they were deuised It may be hardly thought that the true zeale of God and loue of his Gospell is in that heart that can easily breake out to the discrediting of the ministers and teachers therof They woulde rather sigh in their hearts and groane in their consciences and pray vnto God in the spirit of mildenes to take away such blemishes from the face of his Church and to amende the faults thereof if not all at once yet by little and little as to his gratious prouidence might seem best For surely where hatred and contempt of the ministers is there all goodnes must needes growe to confusion And that maketh mee to feare that to our great euil the ruine of the gospell is at hand among vs. For where God is loued and feared there his word is imbraced and his ministers reuerenced This is the cause of all euil sayth Chrysostome that the authoritie of spirituall gouernours is decayed no reuerēce no honor no feare is vsed toward them Obey your gouernours saith Paul and be subiect to them But now al things are ouerthrowen cleane confounded Neither speake I this for the gouernours sake but for your owne And a little after He that honoureth the Priest honoureth God and hee that despiseth the Priest by little and little falleth to this also that he will vse reproch against God himself He that receiueth you sayth Christ receiueth me And in another place sayth the Scripture Haue his Priestes in honour Hence commeth it sayth Cyprian that the bonde of the Lordes peace is broken Hence is it that brotherly loue is violated Of this cause is it that trueth is corrupted vnitie is broken that men leane to Schismes because Priestes are slaundered Bishops are enuied and euery man either complaineth that hee is not ordeined rather then another or else disdaineth to haue another aboue him c. The Iewes were esteemed to despise God because they made so small account of his seruant Moses And to Samuel saith the Lord They haue not despised thee but me Yea if it be an euill Minister sayth Chrysostome yet God marketh that for his sake thou doest reuerence and obey him that is not worthie honour of himselfe and therefore will he pay thee thy rewarde If he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet receiue the rewarde of a Prophet it cannot be that he that reuerenceth and obeyeth his ordinarie Minister shall want his reward Christians should remember that Bishops and Preachers are the Angels of God the Ambassadours of Christ the Ministers of our saluation and therefore that they can not be slaundered or abused but the reproche must touch God himselfe Esay sheweth when the vnthankeful disobedient Iewes did mocke the Prophets did put out their lips and lell out their tongues in disdaine of them that God was dishonoured with the reproch there of Happily it will be doubted whether our Bishops Preachers bee the ministers and messengers of God or no. Yea some dare affirme boldly that indeede they be not But good Christians beware of such cogitations as displeasant and misliking affections may raise in you If they be not the ministers and messengers of God if they bee not sent of him then it is not the message of God that they haue brought vs it is not his worde that they haue taught vs they be not Gods Sacramentes that they deliuered vnto vs and so doe a great nomber of vs remaine as no Christians Though they were such vnworthy persons as the vnthankfull mindes of many doe imagine them or as the vncharitable tongues and pennes of some of late time haue blazed them yet bringing nothing vnto you but Gods will out of his holy Scriptures for in deede they haue not done otherwise howsoeuer their doctrine be defaced you shoulde assuredly bee perswaded that they are the instruments of Gods blessing vnto you Although they that be superiours saieth Chrysostome and Gouernours were euill and spotted with manye faultes yet shoulde not the Disciples withdrawe them from their instruction For if Christ speaking of the Doctours of the Iewes that because they sate in Moyses Chaire they were worthie to bee hearde of their Disciples although their woorkes were not commendable what fauour are they woorthie of which contemne and trample vnder foote as it were the Prelates of the Churche which by Gods goodnesse liue moderately If it bee a foule matter for one to iudge an other howe much more is it vnlawful to iudge their Maisters and instructers Baalam was a couetous prophet and yet by him GOD blessed his people Nowe surely if you haue receiued at their handes the blessing of Gods trueth
repressed they thinke it better to beare with some imperfections then by attempting great alterations in so dangerous a time to hazard the state both of the Church and of the Realme And the like toleration in some meane things I vnderstand vpon like consideration hath bin vsed in other churches reformed beyond the Seas Obiection An other crime is obiected not onely against ishops but against all other of the Clergie that is Ambition and greedie seeking after liuings and promotions If a benefice fall voyde say they then rideth hee then writeth hee then laboureth hee then inquireth he who can doe most with the Patrone And if hee be a Lay-man then at the least a reasonable composition will serue And if the Bishop haue the gift then Master Chancellor or Master Steward or my Lords Secretarie or my Mistresse his wife must helpe to worke the maâ—ter Answere Doe you not see how this malicious spirite passeth ouer all the good giftes that God hath in these dayes bestowed on a number of learned men to the great ornament of this land and of purpose onely to deface the Church taketh holde of those imperfections and blemishes which the corruption of mans nature specially in so perillous times and so large a Church must needes worke in a number Well writeth Basile Quemadmodum vultures c. As vultures or carren Rauens flie away to stinking carcasses and passe ouer many sweet medowes and many sweete sauouring places And as the flies shun the whole and sounde places of the body and rest only vpon scabs and soares out of which they suck matter to norish them euen so the enuious malitious and backbiting spirite passeth ouer all the ornaments worthy commendations of the liues of meÌ„ carpeth biteth at those things that he findeth worthy blame This Realme of England neuer had so many learned men nor of so excellent gift in deliuering the word of God It is the greatest ornament that euer this church had For my part surely I do reuerence and maruell at the singular gifts of God that I see in many But these things bee wincked at and passed with silence and the ambitious doings of some few brought in as matter to discredite the whole number of Preachers Diogenes seeing the cleanly furniture of Plato his house got vp vpon his bed and trampled on it with his dirtie feete saying Calco fastum Platonis that is I contemne tread vnder my feet the pride of Plato True it is quoth Plato sed alio fastu with another pride worse then mine So these men in rebuking ambitioÌ„ reach at an higher authoritie and power then any bishop in England hath or will vse Ambition I knowe and confesse is very wicked hath euer beene a perillous instrument of the deuil to make mischief By this he drew our first pareÌ„ts to the disobedience of the commandement of God perswading them not to be conteÌ„t with that happy state that God had placed them in By this he incensed Corah Dathan and Abiram with other to rebel against Moses and Aaron By this he thought to ouercome Christ when hee sawe he could not preuaile by other meanes By this he hath always raysed discorde dissention rebellion warre and tumult not onely to the troubling and disquieting but to the shaking and ouerthrowing almost of all common weales that euer haue beene and thereby also hath wrought the murther and destruction of an infinite number of the creatures of God By this he hath froÌ„ time to time raised many schismes heresies in the Church of Christ By this vndoubtedly I thinke he worketh no small euill nowe at this day in this our Church of England But what then Doe they thinke that if the bishoppes landes and the rich liuings of the Cleargie be taken away that they shall extinguish Ambition in the heartes of the ministers Was there no Ambition in the Church before that bishops had lands or before preachers had so large liuings No man can so thinke but they that are ignorant of the ecclesiasticall histories What was the first root of the troublesome schisme of the Donatists Whereof sprang first the heresies of the Nouatians at Rome What gaue the first occasion of the pestilent heresie of the Arians What maintayned and continued it was it not Ambition and seeking of preheminence But what shoulde I number vp any more examples Fewe schismes and heresies in the Church but had their beginning out of this roote And many knowe that a repulse of a dignitie desired was the first cause that our schisme brake forth hath so eagerly continued Surely though I confesse that I see and knowe in our church more corruption that way then I am gladde to beholde and so much especially in some kinde of Ministers as I praie GOD by some sharpe order may bee diminished yet this I dare stande to iustifie that all the enemies of the bishoppes and better sorte of the cleargie shall neuer be able to proue notwithstanding the daunger of this corrupt time that there is at this day in this Realme such heauing and shoouing such canuasing and working for bishoprikes and other Ecclesiasticall liuings as I will declare vnto them to haue beene in the ancient time aboue a thousand yeeres since in the best state that euer was in the church from the Apostles age vnto this time That there is no Ambition vsed among vs as I haue saide I dare not affirme but surely if there bee any there can be no Ambition on the one part but there must bee corruption on the other therfore let them looke vnto themselues that haue authoritie to bestow the liuings The best sorte of the ecclesiastical liuings are in the disposition of the princes authoritie And those honorable that haue to doe therein and are counsailers to her Maiestie be not so vnwise but they can espy Ambition in him that sueth and laboureth for them And if they do perceiue it they are very greatly to blame if they suffer it to escape without open shame or other notable punishment and thereby bring suspition eyther vpon themselues or vpon those that be about them As for the corruption in bestowing other meaner liuings the chiefe fault thereof is in patrones themselues For it is the vsuall manner of the most part of theÌ„ I speake of too good experieÌ„ce though they may haue good store of able meÌ„ in the Vniuersities yet if an ambitious or greedie minister come not vnto them to sue for the benefice if there bee an vnsufficient man or a corrupt person within two shires of them whom they thinke they can draw to any composition for their owne benefit they wil by one meanes or other finde him out And if the bishop shall make curtesie to admitte him some such shift shall be found by the lawe either by Quare impedit or otherwise that whether the bishop will or no he shalbe shifted into the benefice I know some bishops vnto whom such sutes against