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
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
the Gospel in those parts Namely we haue had B. Cranmer Ridley Latimer Couerdale Hooper diuers other vvhich were no Bishops as M. Bradford M. Sanders M. Rogers M. Philpot D. Haddon c. Most of vvhich as they haue left good proofe of their learning in vvriting so did they confirme the same vvith their blood in the ende The like I may iustly say of them vvhome God hath sent to restore his Trueth since the beginning of her Maiesties reigne hovvsoeuer it pleaseth the Broode of the Martinists to deface them as Bishoppe Coxe Pilkington Grindall Sands Horne Iewell c. vvhich haue good testimonie of their learning giuen them by as graue learned and zealous men as any haue liued in this age among vvhome for certaine yeeres they liued A nomber of other haue proceeded out of both our Vniuersities vvhich though Martin Momus will say the contrary deserue singular commēdation for their learning and haue declared the same to the vvorlde in ansvvering and confuting the opprobrious writings of the common Aduersaries In vvhich their ansvveres without enuie and displeasure be it spoken there appeareth as sufficient learning as doeth in the most workes at this time published by the vvriters of forreine Countreies If Englishmen at this time so greatly dispraysed vvere giuen vvith like paynes to set foorth the exercises of their studie and learning as in other places they doe they vvoulde dravve as good commendation of learning to their Countrey as most other Churches doe To vvhich nomber of ours I adde also some of thē vvhom certaine occasions haue caried away to the misliking of the present state of this Church vvhich I knowe haue receiued of God singular good giftes which I pray earnestly they may vse to his glory and the procuring the vnity peace of the Church vvhich our Hastie Diuines of M. M. his brood seeke to breake and disturbe This testimonie I thought my selfe bounde in conscience to yeelde to that Church of my naturall Countrey in vvhich and by vvhich through the mercie of our gracious God I am that I am The godly I trust vvill interprete all to the best the residue I looke not to please The B. of Winchester is further charged in this maner He said that men might find fault if they were disposed to quarrell aswel with the Scriptures as with the booke of common prayer Who could heare this comparison without trembling Let the Libellers whatsoeuer they are remēber Os quodmentitur occidit animam At that time in S. Mary Oueries church in a large discourse he did answere the obiections that many make at this day against the booke of common praier towarde the end vttered these words If it could be without blasphemie they might picke as many as great quarrels against the holy scriptures thēselues For euen the best writings are subiect to the slanderous malice of wicked men This assertion was found fault with all by a Iesuite or Massing priest at that time in the Marshalsey therfore the B. the next Sunday following expounded his meaning and at large shevved that that might be done which beforetime was done by a great number and that he was not so far beside himselfe as to compare the booke of common prayer vvith the holy scriptures in dignity trueth or maiestie He leaueth such blasphemous dealing to the Papists the Family of Loue some other Sectaries but he compared them in this as it is before saide that the Scriptures themselues vvere subiect also to slaunderous and deprauing tongues and yet not therfore to be reiected wherof he recited sundry examples Celsus that heathenish Epicure against whom Origen writeth in his booke called Verax doth powre out many railing slaunderous reproches not onely against the holy Scriptures but also against the course of Christian Religion as that they receiued their religion doctrine of the barbarous Iewes that is out of the bookes of Moses and the Prophets The like did Porphyrius an other Philosopher and in his bookes reprooued the Scriptures in many places for hee wrote thirtie bookes against Christian religion That scoffing sophister Libanius and his scholler Iulian the Apostata vsed the like blasphemies against the Christian faith and the Scriptures out of which it was prooued as appeareth in sundrie auncient Writers Who knoweth not that some Heretikes reiected the most part of the olde Testament as false and fabulous The Valentiniane Heretike sayeth Tertullian Quaedam legis Prophetarum improbat quaedam probat id est Omnia improbat dum quaedam reprobat The Marcionists receiue onely the Gospell of Matthewe the other they reiect And likewise they admitte but two Epistles of Saint Paul that is to Timothie and Titus and as Hierome sayeth to Philemon Tatian also depraueth the Scriptures reiecteth the Actes of the Apostles and picketh sundrie other quarrels against them There was neuer any Heretike but that to giue countenance to his opinion hee would seeme to ground it vpon the Scriptures And what is that but wickedly to father lies vpon the Scriptures And for this cause you know the Papists thinke it no sure ground to rest vpon the scriptures onely affirming blasphemously that the Scriptures are darke vnperfect and doubtfull because they may bee wrested cuery way like a nose of waxe or like a leaden Rule Wherefore Christian charitie and modestie woulde not thus maliciously and slanderously wrest and wring the words of the Bishop tending to a good and godly meaning Of like trueth it is that he burtheneth the Bishop of Winchester to affirme that it was heresie to say The preaching of the worde was the onely ordinarie way to saluation which he neuer thought or spake either thē or at any other time of his life But in handling of that controuersie Penrie spake things so strangely obscurely that he seemed to attribute that effect to the preaching of the word only not otherwise vsed by reading And being vrged with that question by occasion of reading the Scriptures in Churches his answere was such as hee euidently shewed himselfe to meane that that effect of saluatiō could not be wrought by hearing the worde of God read with some other wordes giuing suspition of worse matter And then indeede the B. rose not out of his place as these honest men doe carpe nor spake in such cholerike maner as they pretend but quietly said My Lord this is not farre from heresie What were the words that Penry vsed especially moued the B. to speake hee doeth not at this time remember but sure he is they were as far from that which is laide downe in the Libel as falshoode can be from truth I wonder that mē which professe God yea or that beleeue there is a God can with open mouth so boldely powre foorth such heapes of vntrueths Detractor abominabilis est Deo The counsell of the Prophet is good He that would gladly see good dayes let him refraine his tongue from euill and
priestes of God but of Antichrist Is there no more reuerence and feare of the maiestie of Gods Prince and sacred minister then by such grosse absurdities to seeke to seduce her If this be a conclusion of such necessitie then let them go further for by as good reason they may God sayeth to Aaron Thou shalt not drinke wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy sonnes that are with thee when ye goe into the Tabernacle of the Congregation least ye die Letit be a Lawe for euer throughout your generations In an other place commaundement is giuen to the Priestes That they may not eate of that which is rent of wilde beasts And in the same chapter If the Priestes daughter bee married to any of the common people shee may not eate of the hallowed offerings but if shee be a Widowe or diuorced from her husbande and haue no childe and is returned into her fathers house againe shee may eate of her fathers meate as she did in her youth but there shall no stranger eate thereof In the 21. of Leuiticus it is sayde Speake vnto the Priests the sonnes of Aaron and say Let none bee defiled by the dead among their people And a little after Let them not make baldnes vpon their head nor shaue off the lockes of their beard And againe Let him take a Virgine to wife but a widowe a diuorced woman or a polluted c. shall he not marry Now if the obseruation of the orders appoynted by God to the Priests and Leuites of the olde Law be a thing so necessary in the church of God Why then the Ministers of the Gospell may not drinke wine or strong drinke they may not suffer their daughters married forth if they come vnto their houses to eate any of the tenths and oblations whereby they liue they may not come nigh a dead body nor bury it they may marry no widowes but maydes onely And so likewise shall you bring in by as good authoritie infinite numbers mo of Leuiticall orders into the Church and make it rather like a superstitious Synagogue as the popes church was then like a sincere vndefiled Church of God as you would pretend to do But let vs descende further into this allegation and see howe they ouerthrowe themselues in their owne purpose If vpon this proofe it be so necessarie that bishops and other ministers shoulde not liue by landes then as the negatiue is necessarie in the one branch so is the affirmatiue in the other When God hath sayd Thou shalt haue no inheritance in their land he addeth Beholde I haue giuen the children of Leui all the tenth of Israel to inherite for the seruice which they doe c. Then it is of necessitie by the Lawe of God that bishops and preachers shoulde liue vpon tenths and offerings neither may this order be altered by any authoritie And here is an other errour of the Papists that tenths and offerings are in the Church Iure diuino by the lawe of God and not by any positiue Law of the Church Thus we see that these men are not able to stand to their positions but they must ioyne arme in arme with the Papists in their greatest and grossest errors And if it be of necessitie that ministers must liue by oblations and tithes and no otherwise howe can the prince by Gods Lawe take away their Landes and set them to meere pensions in money Or if princes haue libertie by the Lawe of God according to their discretions to appoynt the liuings of ministers by pensions of money contrary to the order that God hath prescribed to his priests in his Law why haue they not like authoritie by the same worde of God if they see it conuenient for the state to allot vnto them some portion of temporall Landes and much more to suffer and beare with that order being alreadie setled in the Church By this it appeareth that the assertion of the aduersaries doeth not hang together in it selfe but that the one part impugneth and ouerthroweth the other But mee thinkes these men deale not directly but seeme to hide and conceale that which maketh against them For in the same place of Iosua by which they will prooue that bishoppes and ministers may not haue any possession of Landes because hee saith To the Leuites he gaue no inheritance among them Immediatly hee addeth Sauing Cities to dwell in and the fieldes about the Cities for their beastes and cattell And in like manner The Lorde sayde to Moyses Commaunde the children of Israel that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritaunce of their possession Cities to dwell in And yee shall giue also vnto the Cities Suburbes hard by their Cities rounde about them the Cities they shall haue to dwell in and the Suburbes or fieldes about their cities for their cattell and all manner beastes of theirs And the Suburbes of the Cities which you shall giue to the Leuites shall reach from the wall of the Citie rounde about outward a thousande cubites c. And you shall measure on the East side two thousande cubites and on the West side two thousande cubites c. In the twentie one Chapter of Iosua The number of these Cities is mentioned And the lotte came out of the kinred of the Caathites the children of Aaron the Priest which were of the Leuites and giuen them by lot out of the tribe of Iudae Simeon and Beniamin thirteene Cities And the rest of the children of Caath had by lot of the kinreds of the tribe of Ephraim Dan and halfe the tribe of Manasses tenne cities And the children of Gerson had by lotte out of the kinred of the Cities of Isachar Aser Nepthaly and the other halfe of the tribe of Manasses in Basan thirteene cities And the children of Merari by their kinreds had out of the Tribes of Ruben Gad and Zabulon twelue cities The whole number therfore of the cities assigned to the Leuites in the lande of Iurie amounted to fortie eight Nowe I woulde demaund of indifferent Christians that vvere not obstinately set to maintaine an euill purpose Whether the state of inheritance without rent of fortie eight Cities in one Region no bigger then England with the fieldes almost a mile compasse may bee thought in trueth to bee temporall possessions or no Surely I thinke there is no man so wayward that will denie it to be most true Wherefore eyther the worde of God must bee found vntrue which is blasphemie to thinke or els that boulde assertion that is made of the contrary is found vaine and the argument to prooue it false and deceitful They that had to their portions fortie eight Cities with the fields thereof did not liue by tithes and oblations onely You see therefore good Christians howe they vnderstand the Scriptures that in such immodest and confident maner take vpon them to be masters and controllers of other and by how fleight allegations absurde arguments they seeke to
the abuse of their wealth signification giuen that whatsoeuer is aboue the sufficient maintenance of their own state is due vnto the poore they also as rashly enter into iudgement condemne all rich men as couetous as griedy gatherers as thieues extortioners cruel detainers of that which by Gods law is due to others Some there be also that thinke all vse and administration of riches to be dangerous to bring no smal hinderance to the saluation of mens soules Vnto vvhich perswasion the phanaticall spirits of the Anabaptists adde more difficultie not onely taking away all possession property and allowing a Platonicall community of al things but also denying superioritie and Lordship and dominion and bringing in a general equality most dangerous to the societie of man Wherefore it behooueth me so to speake of riches and possessions that so neere as I can none of these offences may be iustly taken First therefore to begin vve may not thinke that Christ in them that be his condemneth eyther the possession or the right vse of Lordship dominion lāds riches mony such like for they are the good gifts of God wherwith he blesseth his people as the whole course of the scriptures declare The blessing of the Lord saith Salomon maketh rich and bringeth no sorowe of heart with it Blessed is the man saith Dauid that feareth the Lord c. his seede shall be mightie vpon earth the generation of the faithfull shall bee blessed riches and plenteousnesse shall bee in his house c. And againe His horne shall bee exalted with honour the vngodly shall see it and it shall grieue them Therefore we see many of the good Saints of God that haue bene indued with great riches possessions as Abraham the Father of the faithful Iob Ioseph Dauid Salomon Daniel And in the new Testament Nicodemus Ioseph of Arimathea Lazarus of Bethania Mary Magdalene Sergius Paulus Proconsul of Cypres the Centurion and many other Wee may not thinke therefore that Christ condemneth the giftes and blessings of God or the vse of them in his seruants And that the trueth taken out of the Scriptures may be of more authoritie vvith you I wil let you vnderstand it by the words of the ancient learned Fathers so shal you perceiue it is not my interpretation but theirs And first Hieroms Ioseph which both in pouertie and riches gaue triall of his vertues and was both a seruant and a master teacheth vs the freedome of the minde Was hee not next vnto Pharao adorned in royal furniture yet was he so beloued of God that aboue all the Patriarkes he was a Father of two Tribes Daniel and the three young men had such rule ouer the power and riches of Babylon that in apparell they serued Nabuchodonosor but in minde they serued God Mardocheus and Hester in the middest of their purple silke and precious iewels ouercame pride with humilitie and were of such worthinesse that they being Captiues bare rule ouer Conquerours My speech tendeth to this ende that I may declare that this yong man that I speake of had kinred of royall blood aboundance of riches and ornaments of honour and power as matter and instruments of vertue vnto him S. Augustine disputeth this question writing to Hillarius Thou writest vnto me sayeth he that some say that a rich man remaining in his wealth cannot enter into the kingdome of God vnlesse that hee sell all that he hath and that it shal not profit though in his wealth he keepe the cōmandements of God Our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iaacob vnderstood not this reasoning for they all had no small riches as the holy Scriptures witnesse c. And least that some might say that those holy men were vnder the old Testament and vnderstood not the perfect lawe that Christ giueth when he sayeth Goe sell all that thou hast and giue it vnto the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen the same Augustine addeth If they will say so they may speake with some reason but let them heare the whole let them marke the whole they may not in one part open their eares and in an other part stoppe them Hee spake that to one that asked him What shall I doe to obtaine euerlasting life and Christes answere is not If thou wilt obtaine euerlasting life sell all that thou hast but if thou wilt haue euerlasting life keepe the Commandemements c. And a little after our good Maister doeth make a distinction betweene the keeping of the Cōmandements and that other rule of perfectnesse For in the one part he sayde If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements And in the other he sayde If thou wilt bee perfect sell all thou hast and come and followe me Howe therefore can we denie that rich men although they haue not the perfection shall come into euerlasting life if they keepe the commandements and giue that it may be giuen vnto them And in the ende he concludeth his reason in this manner after hee hath spoken of the vncharitable minde of the rich glutton This pride sayeth hee wherewith this rich man did contemne the poore Lazarus lying before his gates and that trust that he did put in his riches whereby he thought himselfe a blessed man because of his purple silke and sumptuous feastes did bring him to the torments of hell and not his riches By which wordes of Augustine it may appeare it is not riches Landes and possessions that GOD condemneth in his seruantes but the euill vse of them Wherefore the same Augustine sayeth When the Lorde had sayde It is easier for a Camell to passe thorowe the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God and the Apostles maruailing thereat answered Who then can bee saued What respected they I pray you surely non facultates sed cupiditates not great substance but greedie desire of them Immediately hee sheweth that rich Abraham had preheminence in heauen before poore Lazarus Reade the Scriptures saieth he and thoushalt finde rich Abraham that thou mayest knowe it is not riches that is punished Abraham had great store of golde siluer cattell and housholde Hee was rich and yet was poore Lazarus brought into his bosome the poore man in the bosome of the rich or rather both rich before God and both poore in spirite c. Marke this that you do not commonly blame rich men or put trust in poore estate For if a man should not put his trust in riches much lesse in pouertie To the like effect speaketh Hierome Is it euill to haue riches iustly gotten so that a man giue thankes to God that gaue them No but euill it is to put a mans trust in riches For in another Psalme it is sayde Ifriches come vnto thee set not thine heart vpon them A man may haue riches for his necessitie but hee may not possesse them to delight in them Well
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