Bees the Cranes that be in the world You see therfore how weake this reason is The rest of this reason I haue answered before T. C. Pag. 102. Sect. 1. To the Papists obiecting for the supremacie y e S. Peter was the prince chief of the Apostles M. Caluin answereth first by denying y t Peter was so bringeth many places to proue y t he was equal to y e other Apostles afterward he saith although it be graunted y t Peter was chiefe yet foloweth it not bicause one may bear rule ouer twelue being but a few in number that therfore one may rule ouer an hundreth thousand that it followeth not that that which is good amongst a few is foorthwith good in ll the worlde Nowe let all men iudge with what conscience and truste M. Doctor citcth M. Calnine for to proue the office of the Archbishop Io. Whitgifte M. Caluine in the same place hathe these wordes It is not to be maruelled that Cal. inst ca. 8. the twelue had one amongst them that might gouerne the rest For this thing doth nature allow the disposition of man require that in euery societie though all be equal in power yet som should be as it were moderator of the rest vpon whō the other might depend Ther is no court without a Consull no session of iudges without a Pretor or iustice no Colledge without a gouernour no societie without a maister so should it not be any absurditie if wee should confesse that the Apostles gaue such preheminēce vnto Peter Now let the Reader iudge whether it be Caluines meaning in good earnest or no y t there was one chief among the Apostles which being true as it is M. Doctor may with good conscience vse this answere of M. Caluine both against the Papistes and the authours of the Admonition also reasoning not much vnlyke vnto them Chap. 6. the. 18. Diuision T. C. Page 102. Sect. 1. But I maruel y t he could not also see that which M. Caluine writeth in y e next sentence almost where he sayth y t Christ is only the head of the church that the church doth cleaue vnto another vnder his 〈◊〉 but by what meanes According saith he to y e order forme of policie which he hath prescribed but he hath prescribed no such forme of policie y t one Bishop should be ouer all y e ministers Churches in a whole dioces or one Archbishop ouer al the ministers and churches in a whole prouince therfore this form of policie which is by Archbishops such Bishops as we haue is not y e meanes to knit vs one to an other in vnitie vnder the dominion of Christ. Touching y e titles names of honor which are giuen to the Ecclesiastical persons with vs how that princes 〈◊〉 Magistrates may and ought to haue the title which cannot be giuen to the ministers I haue spoken before therfore of Archbishops Archdeaco s and the Lord bishops thus farre Io. Whitgifte M. Caluine in the nexte section after that he hath answered to other arguments of Cal. insti ca 8. the Papists saith thus But let it be as they would haue it that it is good profitable that the whole world should be conteined in one monarchie which notwithstanding is most absurd but let it be so yet I wil not therfore graunt that it doth likewise hold in the gouernmēt of the churche For the church hath Christ her only head vnder whose gouernment we are knit together acording to that order and forme of policie which he himself hath prescribed VVherfore they do Christ notable 〈◊〉 which vnder this pretence will haue one man to rule ouer the whole church bicause she can not want a head for Christ is the head wherby the whole bodie being compacted and coupled by euery ioynt of gouernment dothe according to the operation in the measure of euery member iucrease to a perfect bodie Al whiche I agrée vnto as moste true but nothing at all perteyniug to youre purpose 〈◊〉 sayth that vnder the gouernment of Christe we cleaue together among our selues according to that order and that forme of pollicie whiche he hath himselfe prescribed And who denyeth this But Quorsùm This he speaketh of the spiritual regiment and policie not of the externall and yet that externall regiment and policie is also 〈◊〉 by him whiche is profitable for his Churche according to tyme place and pers ns though it be not particularly expressed in his word as partly hath bin declared before and shall be hereafter more at large vpon particular occasion Thus haue you after so many yeares trauel in this controuersie vttered all your skil against the Archbishop poured out alyour malice exercised your gibes and iests whetted your slaunderous tong and yet besides corrupt and false allegati ns of wryters fonde and toyish distinctions of your owne contrary to al practise and learning vnchristian speaches and heathenish floutes and frumpes you haue vttered nothing And I protest vnto the whole Church before God y t your vnfaithfulnesse in handeling the matter your vaine and friuolous reasons haue muche more animated me to the defense of those auncient reuerend profitable and necessarie offices I speake of the offices as they be vsed in this church And I shal most heartily desire the Reader to weigh and consider the authorities and reasons on both parties indifferently and to iudge therof according to the truth ¶ A briefe collection of suche authorities as are vsed in this defense of the authoritie of Archbishops and Bishops Ca. 7. Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus Chrysostome saith in 1. Ti. 5. y t gens ferè tota Testimonies of the Apostles tymes thervnto adioyning Asiatica almost the whole countrey of Asia was cōmitted to him And vpon the. 2. to Timo chap. 4. he saith that Paul had cōmitted to Timothie gubernacula ecclesiae gentis totiu the gouernment ouer the church of the whole nation meaning Asia Titus was Bishop of Creta not of one citie only but of the whole Is e. So sayeth Chrysostome in his cōmentaries vpon the fyrst to Titus And Lyra Erasmns Pellican and others write that S. Paule made him Archbishop of Creta And Illyricus calleth him and Timothie multarum Ecclesiarū Episcopos Bishops of many churches S. Iohn as Eusebius reporteth lib. 3. cap. 23. after his returne from Pathm s did gouerne the Churches in Asia and ordeyned Ministers and Bishops Iames was made by the Apostles Bishop of Ierusalem and the gouernment of that churche was cōmitted to him Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 23. The. 33. or as some counte 34. of the Canons attributed to the Apostles apointeth one head and chiefe Bishop to be in euery nation or countrey to whom all other Byshops of the same nation must be subiecte Dionysius Areopagita was Archbishop of Athens appoynted thervnto by S. Paul as Volusianus a godlie and learned writer testifieth Polycarpus was by S. Iohn made
y ◠same also was vnder the Bishop of the citie Quod si amplior erat ager qui sub eius episcopatu erat quà m vt sufficere omnibus episcopi munijs vbique possit per ipsum agrum designabantur certis locis presbyteri qui in minoribùs negotijs eius vices obirent eos vocabant borepiscopos quòd per ipsam prouinciam episcopum representabant M. Beza lib. conf cap. 7 calleth the names of Archbishops Bishops c. Holie names for thus he sayth That Pastors in proces of tyme were distinct into Metropolitanes Bishops and those whome they nowe call Curates that is such as be appoynted to euery Parishe was not in the respect of the ministerie of the worde but rather in respecte of iurisdiction and discipline Therfore concerning the office of preaching the word and administring the Sacramentes there is no difference betwixte Archebishops Bishops and Curates for all are bounde to feede their flocke with the same breade and therefore by one common name in the Scriptures they bee called Pastours and Bishops But what impudencie is there in those men meaning the Papistes to vse those holie names and therfore to glorie of the succession of the Apostles and true Bishops In the same chapter he maketh two kynds of degrées vsed in the Papistical Churche the one vnknowne to the Apostles to the primitine church the other taken out of the word of God and from the primitiue Church In this second order he placeth Archebishops Curates Can ns Seniors or Ministers Archedeacons Deanes Subdeacons Clearkes But what should I stand longer in this matter There is not one writer of credit y t denieth this superioritie to haue bin always among the clergie and these degrées to come euen from the best tyme of the Church since the Apostles and so be both most auncient and generall Wherfore I can not but compt suche as denie so manifest a truthe eyther vnlearned and vnskilful persons or else verie wranglers and men desirous of contention A briefe comparison betvvixt the Bishops of our tyme and the Bishops of the primitiue Churche Chap. 8 I Knowe that comparisons be odious neither would I vse them at this tyme but that I am thervnto as it wer compelled by the vncharitable dealing of T. C. who by comparing the Bishops of our time with the Bishops in the olde Churche hath soughte by that meanes to disgrace them if it were possible I may peraduenture in this point sée me to some to flatter but the true iudgement therof I leaue to him that knoweth the secretes of the heart In the meane tyme I will affirme nothing which is not euident to all those that be learned diuines and not ouer ruled with affection My compar ion shal consist in these thrée points Truthe of doctrine Honestie of lise and right vse of externall things Touching the fyrst that is truth of doctrine I shall not néed much to labour For I think T. C. and his adherents wil not denie but that the doctrin taught professed by our Bishops at this day is much more perfect and sounder than it commonly was in any age after the Apostles time For the most part of the auncientest Bishops were deceyued with that grosse opinion of a thousande yeares after the resurrection wherein Euse. lib. 3. cap. 39. 35. the kingdome of Christe should here remaine vpon earth The fautors whereof were called M llenarij Papias who liued in Polycarpus and Ignatius his tyme béeing Bishop of erusalem was the first author of this errour and almost all the moste auncient fat ers were infected with the same Cyprian and the whole Councel of Carthage erred in rebaptisatiō Cyprian himself To. con 1. Lib. epi. 2. ep 3. also was greatly ouerseene in making it a matter so necessarie in the celebration of the Lords Supper to haue water mingled with wyne which was no doubt at y ◠tyme cōmon to moe than to him but the other opinion which he confuteth of vsyng water only is more absurd and yet it had at that tyme patrones among the Bishops Howe greatly were almost all the Bishops learned writers of the greke church yea and the Latines also for the most part spotted with doctrines of freewill of merites of inuocation of Sainctes suche lyke Surely you are not able to recken in any age since the Apostles tyme any companie of Bishops that taught helde so sound perfect doctrine in all poynts as the Bishops of England do at this tyme. If you speake of Ceremonies of the syncere administration of the sacraments you shall finde the like difference for compare the cerenionies that Tertullian sapet lib. decoro mil. then to be vsed in the Churche about the Sacraments and otherwise or those that Basile reherseth Lib. de Sancto spi. or suche as we may reade to haue bin in S. Augustins tyme with those that we nowe reteine in this Churche and you can not but acknowledge that therin we are come to a far greater perfection I meane not to stande in particulars I thinke T. C. and his companions wil not contende with me in this poynt for if they doe it is but to maynteyncontention Seing then that in the truthe of doctrine which is the chief and principall point oure Bishops be not only comparable with the olde Bishops but in many degrées to be preferred before them we thinke there is tootoo great iniurie done vnto them and to this doctrine whiche they professe when as they are so odiously compared and so contemptuously intreated by T. C. and his Colleags 2 Touching honestie of life which is the second point I wil not say much I do not think but that therin they may be compared with the old Bishops also and in some points preferred euery age hath some imperfectiōs in it and the best men are most subiect to the slanderous tong Great contention ther was among the Bishops in the Councell of Nice insomuch that euen in the presence of the Emperour they ceased not to libell one against an other What bitternesse and cursing was there betwixt Epiphanius and Chrysostome what affectionate dealyng of Theophilus agaynste the same Chrysostome what iarring betwixt Hierome and Augustine But I wil not prosecute this Men be they neuer so godly yet they be men the cōm n sorte of people when they waxe wearie of the worde of God truely preached then doe they begin to depraue the true and chiefe ministers of the same 3 For the third poynt that is the vse of external things if the ishops nowe haue more land liuing than Bishops had then it is the blessing of God vpon his church and it is commodious for the state and time If any man abuse himself therin let him be reformed let not his fault be made a pretence to cloke a minde desirous to spoyle I sée not how those lands and liuings can be imployed to more bene ite of y e churche cōmoditie of the
men in the time of necessitie maye baptise whiche bothe are denyed by you without any kinde of proofe I haue also showed howe that the necessitie of baptising Infants is vehemently defended of those that be not of S. Augustines iudgement touching their damnation if they he not baptized and I haue set downe their wordes whiche conteyne their reasons Last of all I haue put you to proue that Priuate baptisme in time of necessitie is agaynst any comma dement or institution of Christs for I denie it So that notwithstanding I suspende my iudgement for baptizing by women yet I am oute o doubt for priuate baptisme ¶ Of priuate Communion wherwith the Admonition chargeth the booke of Common prayer Chap. 6. the. 1. Diuision Admonition Nowe they are bounde to the booke of Common prayer in which a great number of thinges contrary to the worde of God are conteyeed c. as (k) 1. Cor. 11. 18. priuate Communion c. Ansvvere to the Admonition Pag. 81. Sect. 1. 2. I knowe not what you meane by priuate Communion if you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meane the receyuing of one alone there is none suche allowed in the booke if you meane bicause it is ministred sometime vpon occasion in priuate houses I see not howe you can call it priuate in respect of the place if the number of Communicants be sufficient You must explicate your selfe before I can tell what you meane There is nothing in the communion booke touching the Communion contrarie to the place of S. Paule by you quoted to my 1. Cor. 11. knowledge T. C. Page 105. Sect. 1. There followeth the priuate Communion whiche is founde faulte with bothe for the place wherein it is ministred and for the small number of Communicants whiche are admitted by the booke of seruice Touching the place before is spoken sufficiently it resteth to consider of the number But before I come to that I wil speake something of the causes and beginning of receyuing in houses and of the ministring of the Communion vnto sicke folkes It is not to be denyed but that this abuse is very ancient and was in Iustine Martyrs time in Tertullians and Cyprians tyme euen as also there were other abuses crepte into the Supper of the Lorde and that very grosse as the mingling of water wyth wyne and therein also a necessitie and great mysterie placed as it may appeare bothe by Iustine Martyr and Cyprian whyche I therfore by the waye doe admonishe the Reader of that the antiquitie of this abuse of priuate Communion be not preiudiciall to the truthe no more than the mingling of water with that opinion of necessitie that those fathers had of it is or ought to be preiudiciall to that that we vse in ministring the cuppe wyth pure wyne according to the institution Io. Whitgifte This is your accustomed maner but it is besides all good maners to wype away The vsuall answering of T. C. auncient and learned authoritie by obiecting vnto the authors some imperfection in their writings or errours in their times Is this a good reason water was of necessitie required in Cypryans time in the administration of the supper and that was an errour therefore the communion at that tyme and long before ministred vnto the sicke and carried to priuate persons béeing absent was vnlawfull Suche be your arguments and this is your kinde of answering which maye be plausible to the ignorant people but nothing pleasaunt to suche as be learned This one thing More sinceritie in the mi nistratiō now than in the auncient Churche I will desire the Reader to consider that séeing our sacraments nowe be more sincerely ministred than they were in Iustines Tertullians and Cyprians tyme béeing so neare the Apostles what cause there should be for you so bitterly to inu ygh agaynst this Church in that respect Chap. 6. the. 2. Diuision T. C. Pag. 115. tovvardes the ende I say therfore that this abuse was auncient and rose vpon these causes First of all in the primitiue Churche the discipline of the Churche was so seuere and so extreme that if any whiche professed the truthe and were of the body of the Churche dyd through infyrmitie denic the truthe and ioyned hymselfe vnto the Idolatrous seruice althoughe he repenting came agayne vnto the Church yet was he not receyued to the cōmunion of the Lords supper any more And yet lying in extremitie of sicknesse and ready to depart this lyfe if they dyd require the Communion in token that the Church had forgiuen the fault and was reconciled altogither vnto that person that had so fallen they graunted that he might be partaker of it as may appeare by the (*) Euscb. li. 6. cap. 4 story of Serapton Io. Whitgifte All this is true for sometime they had thrée sixe or ten yeres space of repentance before they were admitted to the sacrament and after that tyme was expired they came as other dyd to the Communion if they liued to it if not they receyued it on their death bedde This is for my purpose for it manifestly declareth that then the Communion was ministred vnto the sicke whiche is our question it can by no meanes be drawne agaynst me Chap. 6. the. 3. Diuision T. C. Page 116. Lin. 2. An other cause was that whyche was before alleaged which is the false opinion whych they had conceyued that all those were condemned that receyued not the supper of the Lorde and therfore when as those that were as they called them Cathecumeni whych is yong Nouices in religion neuer admitted to the supper or yong chyldren fell sicke daungerously they ministred the supper of the Lord vnto them least they should want their voyage victuall as they termed it which abuse notwithstanding was neyther so auncient as the other nor so generall Io. Whitgifte This was the cause that moued some so to doe howbeit neyther was it the onely cause neyther the generall and vsuall cause but the generall and vsuall cause was the institution of Christe and the fruites and effectes of that Supper the whiche whosoeuer dothe consider accordingly will neyther cease from requiring it in tyme of extremitie neyther withholde it from suche as faythfully and earnestly desire the same and it is an easie matter to shewe that this manner of communicating in priuate families is of very great antiquitie euen in Iustinus Martyrs time as appeareth in his seconde Apologie and is by you confessed Chap. 6. the. 4. Diuision T. C. Pag. 116. Lin. 8. And there wanted not good men whiche declared their misliking and dyd decree agaynst both the abuses and agaynst all manner communicating in priuate houses As in the Councell of (*) Tom. 1. n. 58. Laodicea it was ordeyned that neyther Byshop nor Elder shoulde make any oblation that was minister any Communion in houses Io. Whitgifte This Councell dothe speake agaynst the vsuall manner of celebrating the Communion in priuate houses without any respect of necessitie whiche
no such weight then can you not excuse eyther your selfe or them In déed the Papists haue no iust matter of reioycing for they disagrée both in me also in far greater matters thā these be euen in y e chiefest points of their religion but this is no sufficient excuse for vs we may not disagrée in truth bicause they disagrée in error Neither ought the weak to be offended bicause such cōtentions haue bin vsual in the Church as I haue also shewed in myne Epistle dedicatorie to the Churche of England But yet wo be vnto those by whome suche offences come T. C. And it is to be remembred that these controuersies for the most part are not betwene many For sundry of those things which are cōprehended in the answer to the Admonition haue as I am persuaded few fauorers of those especially which are of any stayed or soūder iudgement in y e scriptures and haue sene or red of the gouernment and order of other Churches so that in deed the father of that answere excepted we haue this controuersie oftentimes rather with the Papistes than with those whiche professe the Gospell as we doe Io. Whitgifte Certainly I do not willingly defend any thing against the word of God or of mine own priuate persuasion but I haue either sufficient warrant of the worde of God or some godly lerned zelous authors iudgement for the same If I haue done otherwise I trust I shal heare of it in this booke but I am fully persuaded that all men of stayed and sound iudgement ioyne with me in these matters such especially as haue had the beste experience of the order and gouernment of other reformed Churches for proofe whereof I referre you to the wisest godlyest and best learned among the clergie in this lande T. C. And where as last of all it is sayde that this precedeth of enuie of singularitie and of popularitie although these be no sufficient reasons agaynst the truth of the cause whiche is neither enuious singular nor popular and although they be such as might be seuerally by greate likelyhodes probabilities refuted yet bicause the knowledge of these things pertaineth only to God which is the searcher of the heart raynes and for auoyding of to much tediousnesse we will reste in his iudgement tary for the day wherin the secretes of hearts shal be made manifest And yet all men doe see how vniustly we be accused of singularitie * Notable vntruths as wil fal out in triall which propound nothing that the Scriptures doe not teache the writers both olde and newe for the moste parte affirme the examples of the Primitiue Churches and of those which are at these dayes confirme Io. Whitgifte Whether if procéede of enuie or no lette the manner bothe of their and your writings declare Popularitie you can not auoyde séeing you séeke so greate an equalitie committe so many thyngs to the voyces of the people and in sundrye places so greately magnifye and extoll them than the whyche thrée what can bée more popular Singularitie and the properties therof It is Singularitie to deuyde youre selfe from that Churche whyche bothe professe the woorde of God truely and is not to bée touched in any poynte of doctrine necessarie to saluation It is true that a godly learned writer sayth Charitie Musc. in 〈◊〉 Mat. knittes together and reconcileth singularitie cutteth in peeces and diuideth it is the beginning and roote of all heresie to hate contemne the cōmunion of the church And a little after There be some contentious persons whom no church can please always hauing some thing to blame in other but nothing in themselues which is a manifest signe of singularitie But bicause the mindes and affections of men are certainly knowne only to God the determinate iudgement hereof I also referre vnto him As for this bolde assertion that you propeund nothing that the scriptures doe not teach c. howe true it is must hereafter by examination appeare The Epist. of T. C. Sect. 13. All these accusations as wel against the cause as the fauourers therof albeit they be many and diuers yet are they no other thā which haue bin long sithens in the Prophets apostles our sauior Christs now of late in our times obiected against the truth the professors therof And therefore as y e sunne of the truth then appered brake through al those clouds which rose against it to stop the light of it so no doubt this cause being of the same nature will haue the same effect And as all those sclanders could not bring the truth in disgrace with those y t loued it so the children of y e truth through these vntrue reports wil neither leaue the loue of this cause which they haue alredy cōceiued nor yet ceasse to enquire diligently to iudge indifferētly of those surmises which are put vp aagaynst it Io. Whitgifte These be but words of course which men of any sect though not truly wil apply vnto thēselues if they be otherwise delt with than they can wel beare The truth certainly can not be kept vnder by any meanes and yet sometime error ouershadoweth the truth euen as the cloudes do the Sunn My hope also is that men will not be caried away with slaunderous reportes ▪ for if they shoulde then musre you néedes preuayle but with sounde reasons and the truth of the cause The Epistle of T. C. Sect. 14. Moreouer seing that we haue once ouercōmed al these lets climed ouer them when they wer cast in our way to hinder vs from cōming frō the grosse darknesse of Poperie vnto y e glorious light of the Gospel there is no cause why now they shuld stay our course to further perfection cōsidering that neither the stile is higher now thā it was before being the very selfe same obiections in all this time we ought so to haue grown in knowledge of the truth that in stead of being then able to leape ouer a hedge we should now haue our feete so prepared by the Gospell that they shoulde be as the feete of a hynde able to surmount euen a wall if neede were Io. Whitgifte There is but one truth that is certain whē we haue obteined if we must therin remain constant without altering whosoeuer shal ouerleap or ouerrun this wall must of necessitie procure vnto himself great danger and therfore according to the olde prouerbe Looke before thou leape We must grow in faith knowledge always be growing going forward but it doth not therfore follow y t we must dayly inuent new opinions or broach new dectrines alter in iudgement we must grow in strength of faith we must increace in practise and loue of vertue we must studie to encrease our knowledge that we may be the more confirmed in the truthe that we haue learned out of the worde of God This is an euill collection we must grow in the knowledge of
to do with non residence Authoritie is scarse when his helpe is Aristotle not rightly allea ged required But what saith he forsoth that that which was cared for of all men was neglected of all I thinke that you report not Aristotles wordes truely for as farre as I remember he sayth that that which is common to all is neglected of all The other can not be true for that which is cared for of all men can not be neglected of all for to care for and to neglect be contraries but must of necessitie be well prouided for and looked vnto But to what purpose do you alleage this Bycause I saye that no man must so loke to his priuate A mā hauyng a priuate charge ▪ ought to care for the whole charge that he neglect the other partes of the Church do I therefore say that there is no priuate charge but all things are in common It is the duetie of euery member in the common wealth so to loke to his owne priuate affaires and businesse that he neglect not the common state of his country are all things therfore common neither did Aristotle euer teach that a man should so care for his certaine possession that he preferred not the common vtilitie before it and so likewise Christ hath deuided to euery man a portion of hie Church to care for but yet not so that he should thinke himself no longer bound to the whole or that he must now cease from profiting the whole Chap. 1. the. 11. Diuision T C. Page 49. Sect. 1. Now if any man will say that in such great scarcitie of Pastors it is good that when a man hath trauailed in one place remoued them from superstition brought them to beleeue in God through Christ to go to another place and assay also to draw them from Idolatrie first I vrge that which I did before which is the calling wherein euery man must abide and without the which no man ought to attempt any thing Then I say that it is as hard a prouince and as painefull a thing vnto the pastor as acceptable and precious a worke vnto the Lorde to kepe those which are gotten as to get those which are not gotten and that that saying is fulfilled here if in any thing else Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri Io. Whitgifte This obiection is of greater force than you are able to withstande For the same God that hath called him to the one place to plant his true Religion there hath also called him to the other that he may doe the like euen as he did the Apostles Prophets and Euangelistes and pastors also who haue béen euen immediatly after the Apostles time transferred from one place to another for the greater commoditie of the Church Neither can it be proued that any man should be so tyed to one place that he may not be transferred to another to profit more It is true that the deuill most greuously assaulteth those which haue embraced the truth bicause now they are become his professed enimyes openly withstand hym But they are sufficiently armed with faith and with y e word of God so that although they be tempted yet can they not be ouercome The other that remaine in ignorance he wholy possesseth and bicause they haue yéelded themselues vnto him he doth suffer them to be quiet therfore to deliuer such out of his seruitude and bondage and so to arme instruct them that they are not only able to withstand but to put to flight the deuill also must of necessitie be both the hardest and the most acceptable worke vnto God except you will say that it is more commendable to helpe him who is sufficiently armed and able to resist than him that is altogether vnarmed and as it were vnder the foote of his enimy Certainly the most acceptable worke vnto God is to conuert sinners vnto repentance and to heale such as be sicke therfore Christ himselfe sayd that he Luke 19. came to seeke that which was lost and the parable of the lost grote and of the Prodigall Luke 15. sonne doth with might maine ouerthrow your sayings so do the whole dealings of the Apostles and the whole course of the Scriptures Chap. 1. the. 12. Diuision T. C. Pag. 49. Sect. 2. For we knowe that after that the Deuill perceyueth that men are pulled oute of the power of darknesse into the glorious light of the Gospel he sweateth and laboureth by a thousand meanes to destroy them and bestirreth himselfe more then than in the time of their ignorance and in steade of that one chayne of ignorance and want of the knowledge of God he layeth a thousande trappes for them to snare them with So that the continuall daunger that the Churche is in dothe as it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were speake vnto the pastor in the cōmon prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is looke diligently to that charge whiche thou hast receyued For if the watcheman should forsake the citie where vnto he is appoynted and go and watche in another where he is not called although he saue that if he loose the other he shall not therfore escape the punishment of betraying the other citie ▪ where he was placed watchman Io Whitgifte So it is but all the diuels in hell can not preuayle agaynst them therefore sayde S. Paule to the Ephe. cap. 6. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to Eph. 6. resist the euill day c. euery Christian is in this case yea the pastor himselfe but wote you what Christ sayth Ioh. 10. My sheepe heare by voyce and no man shall take them Ioh. 10. Chrysost. in 3. Colos. Colos. 3. out of my handes The Scriptures as Chrysostome sayth be continuall scholemasters and he that hath vnderstanding may therein learne howe to withstande Sathan and all his assaultes And therefore sayde the Apostle to the Coll. 3. Let the worde of God dwell in you abundantly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes c. If the watcheman hathe sufficiently admonished the citie and hathe ministred weapons vnto them brought them out of the bondage of their enimie and leaue some other behinde him to supply the rest and then go to another citie to deliuer it also from the like slauery if in the meane time the former citie be lost or reuolted which is not like their bloud be vpon themselues the watchman hath done his dutie When Io s had tolde Niniuie hir offences shewed his message for the which he was sent The preacher is called thither where he may doe most good ▪ was there any more required of him Moreouer I am persuaded that wheresoeuer the preacher may do most good thither is he called of God neyther is this to forsake his station but to followe his calling and to do good Chap. 1. the. 13. Diuision T. C. Page 49.
doth not only nourish fayth but gēdreth also as I haue proued in my Answere to the Admonition both by the scriptures and other learned writers If it were otherwyse then were the power of persuasion to be ascribed to the preacher and manner of teaching not to the worde which is against that saying of Christe Scrutamini scripturas c. searche the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life c. and of the Apostle The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of Iohn 5. 2. Tim. 3 God and is profitable to teache to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute c. I denie not but that preaching is the most ordinary and vsuall meanes that God vseth to worke by in the heartes of the hearers bicause the people be for the most Preaching y e most ordinary meanes and why part ignorant and dull of vnderstanding and therfore haue néede of scholemaisters teachers to open and declare the scriptures vnto them and to deale with them according to their capacitie but this doth nothing derogate from the might and power of the woord of God being read of them or to them that vnderstande it set their heart vpon it If reading were so simple a thing and so little profitable as you would make it why was the Gospell committed to writing why is it thought so expedient to haue it in a toung knowen to the people why do men printe their sermons which they haue preached why did God by Moses commaunde the lawe to be read why did the Prophete Ieremy wyll Baruch to wryte out his sermons and to reade them o the people Do you thinke that there commeth no more knowledge or profit by reading the scriptures than doth by beholding of Gods creatures Then let vs haue Images againe that they may be lay mens bookes as the Papistes call them no doubt attributing as much to the externall and visible creature as they did to the reading of the eternall worde of God wherein you ioyne with them for any thing that I yet sée Chap. 1. the. 5. Diuision T. C. Pag. 126. Lin. 20. And to know that the word of God preached hath more force and is more effecuall than when it is read it is to be obserued wherunto the preaching is compared It is called a lifting or heauing Iohn 3. vp of our Sauiour Christ. Like vnto the displaying of a banner as the Serpent was lift vp in the wildernesse As therefore that which is lifted vp on high is better and easilyer seene of a greater companie than when it standeth or lyeth vpon the grounde or in some valley or some low place so the preaching of the gospell doth offer sooner and easilyer the truth thereof vnto the fayth which is the eye of the hearer than when it is read Io. Whitgifte Where is there any such comparison in that third Chapter of Iohn If you meane these wordes Et nem ascendit in caelum c. Et sicut Moses exaltauit Serpentem c. As Moses Iobn 3. lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse c. as you can meane no other then I think you were not well aduised or little cared for your credite when you abused them for this purpose to proue that the worde of God is more effectuall when it is preached than when it is read Surely if you fetch your similitudes so farre and imagine that which was neuer ment and make the scripture a nose of ware as the Papists do you may conclude what you list For how hangeth this togither No man ascendeth vp into heauen but he that discended downe from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen Ergo sayth commeth by preaching of the worde of God and not by reading of it Or this As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the desert so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that all that beleeue in him c Therefore the worde of God hath more force when it is preached than when it is read This geare is to profound for me I cānot vnderstand it except I wil imagine that which is not and it may be that you were in some other déepe meditation when you wrote it and so applied this text to a wrong matter for in that place Christ foretelleth of his death and passion whereof the lifting vp of the Serpent Num. 21. in the wildernesse was a figure And although I am not ignorant that some do allegorie vpon this place saying that Christ is lifted vp by the preaching of the Gospell yet that maketh nothing agaynst me who no where denie this effect of preaching And it is a verie harde collection to say Christ is lifted vp by preaching therefore reading letteth him lye on the grounde as though by reading the Gospell Christ is not also lifted vp and made manifest vnto the eyes of the faythfull Chap. 1. the. 6. Diuision T. C. Pag. 126. in the middest It is called also a sweete Sauour and therefore as the spyces being brayed and 〈◊〉 smell 2. Cor. 2 sweeter and stronger than when they be whole and vnbroken so the worde by interpretation being broken and bruysed caryeth a sweeter sauour vnto the vnderstanding than when it is by reading giuen grosse and whole the same also may be sayde in that the preaching is called a cutting of the worde of God for as when the meate is cut and shred it nourisheth more than when it is not 2. Tim. 2. so so likewise it is in preaching and reading Io. Whitgifte Saint Paule speaking of himselfe and of the ministers of the worde sayth thus For we are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued c. and 2. Tim. 2. Cor. 2. 2. Tim. 2. he admonisheth Timothie to cut the worde of truth rightly that is prudently and according to the capacitie of the hearers What conclude you of this Or what one worde is there in eyther of those places that derogateth any thing from reading Do you thinke that the prayse of preaching is the disprayse of reading As though they were one contrarie to an other and not rather both of them most profitable Is not the worde of God when it is read a sweete sauour Is there not prudencie and discretion required in reading the Scriptures Surely I am sorie that the Papists shall haue so iust cause to iest at your so vnapt alledging of the Scriptures and that they shall be animated in their ridiculous applications of the same by these and such like vntowarde allegations of yours Chap. 1. the. 7. Diuision T. C. Pag. 126. somevvhat past the midst And that which is brought by the Authours of the Admonition and so scornefully hurled away of M. doctor that Saint Paule compareth the preaching vnto pianting and watering is a 1. Cor. 3. very (*) Surely you will make a notable conclusion notable place to proue that there is no saluation