AN ANSVVERE TO A SERMON PREACHED THE 17 OF APRIL ANNO D. 1608 BY GEORGE DOWNAME DOCTOVR OF DIVINITIE AND INTITVLED A sermon defendinge the honorable function of Bishops wherein All his reasons brought to prove the honorable function of our L. Bishops to be of divine institution are answered and refuted Prov. 8.6.7 Giue eare for I vvill speake of excellent things the openinge of my lippes shall teach things that be right For my mouth shall speak the truthe my lippes abhorre wickednes Imprinted anno 1609. To the Christian reader CHRISTIAN reader when I had perused this sermon made by M. Downame in defence of the honorable function of Bbs as he saith sawe that it tended directly to prove that the Caling of our L. Bbs. as they now exercise it in the Church of England is not onely lavvfull good but also to be holden jure diuino not as an humane ordinance their ancient wonted tenure but by devine right as the verie ymediate ordinance of Christ I deemed it as needfull to be answered as any book our Opposites have at any time sett forth For how ever M. D. affirmeth the doctrine therein conteined to be not onely true but a profitable necessarie truth and that in the judgment of all men which are not partiall full of preiudice it is evident that it is a doctrine vtterlie false verie hurtfull obnoxius necessarie in deed to be confuted at no hand to be beleeued doctrine repugnant to the truth the word of the truth scripture of truth contrarie to the judgment and practyce of the prime Churches next after Christ his Apostles of all reformed Churches since the restablishinge of the gospell by the worthyes in these later (a) Wickliff Husse Luther Zuinglius c. times Against the doctrine of our ymediate forefathers some of whom were worthy Martyrs (b) Latimer Cramner c who in their submission to K. H. the 8. at the abolishing of the Popes authoritie out of England acknowledge with subscription (c) See the whole story in the acts monuments in the book called the Bbs. kook that the disparitie of Ministers and Lordly premacie of Bbs was but a politik device of the Fathers not any ordinance of Christ Iesus Reformat legum Ecclesiasticarum tit de divi nis officijs ca. 10. 11. and that the government of the Churche by the Minister and certeine Seniours or Eldes in everie parishe was the ancient discipline a doctrine I saie cleane contrary to the professed judgment of all our worthy writers (d) Whitakers Fulk c. who in their answeres to the papists that plead for their hierarchie with the same reasons that M. D. doth for his doe determine that the government our Bbs. exercise ouer other Ministers is iure humano by the positiue lawe of man onely the which if M. D. saith true is false and soe the Papists are lefte vnanswered yea a doctrine contrariant to the lawes of our land (e) S Edw. Cooke de jure Regis ecclesiastico fol. 8. which make it one parte of the Kinges jurisdiction to graunt to our Bbs. that ecclesiasticall povver they novv exercise ouer us also to tak it from them at his pleasure the which his Highnes taketh to himself giueth to all Kinges where he professeth (f) in his premonitiō before one of his last bookes that God hath lefte it to the libertie freewill of princes to alter the Church-gouerment at their pleasure Lastly it is a doctrine contrarying the doctrine of the Church of England professed even by the Bbs. themselues (g) Bb Iewell in his Apolog. defence Arch. Bb. whitegifte ag M. Cart. till of late daies when as men wearie to holde any longer in Capite of the Kinge they began to change their tenure into soccage and desyred to be free even from Knights service The newnes and strangnes of which doctrine notwithstandinge to use the words of Socrates (h) Plato in Apolog. Socratis against his accusers M. D. hath told his tale soe handsomely carried the matter so smothely likely confidently that every word he speaketh hath an appearance promis of truth though in truth he hath scarce uttered one word of truth By reason whereof I sawe much hurt was lik to come to the Church of God The papists would be much advantaged seing that Antichristian doctrine even after the renewing and revivinge of their ceremonies amongst us soe freely preached and published tending to the upholding of their hyerarchie from the Pope to the Apparitor aswell as ours his reasons being in deed the verie same with theirs as in the answere to them it shall appeare Others would be much scandalized those that were in love with their owne ease would easily crouch downe lik Isachars Asse and seeing that reste is good would readily without examination imbrace his doctrine soe pleasing to the fleshe as for others it would remoras obijcere ardentioribus cast blocks in their waie whose hearts were upright with God and ran well soe mak themst and at the gaze like the Corpses of Asael Amasa or retardare zelum make thē slack their pace at leste sanctorum spiritus in quietare disquiet the mindes of al the saincts to see a sermon of that consequence preached and published by a man of that nam note in the Church These things considered my hearts desyre and praier to God was that he would raise up some man like Moses to stand in the gapp by some short sound answere to make up the breach he had made and waytinge for the performance of it the newes was that work was vndertaken and in hand but answere and presse printer and concealer of the author were taken and imprissonned as dealers against the state Thus was my soule caste downe within me to see a truth soe profitable necessarie a truth suppressed I thought with my self but shall the cause lie there hath no man that courage for the truth as to sett upon that worke a freshe I sawe by experience that nothing but bands afflictions abode him especially who after this forewarninge should tak up the gant lett M. D. had throwne downe but knowing of none that was resolued of it I cast my counts and summed up my reckonings found that my life was not deare to me in this case nothing dismaied I sett downe my rest not to be bound onely but to die also for the name of the Lord the giving testimoney to this parte of the word of his grace With this resolution I sett upon this answere through the blessing of God who will mainteine his ovvne cause against all opposition of man vvhatsoeuer have here brought it to thy vievve in much weaknes with many wants I confesse my self being the leaste able of thousands in this land to manage this busynes yet with evidence sufficient to make it
floorish is here as if Dioscorus were aliue againe lifting up his voice in the Calcedon Councell Ego defendo dogmatasanctorum patrum ego illorum habeo testimonia nec obiter in transcursu sed in ipsorum libris posita ego cum patribus eijcior c. That vvhich I mainteine is the doctrine of the holy Fathers I have there vvittnesses at larg not stragling here their gathred up by chance but takē out of their ovvne bookes I am cast out vvith the Fathers c. A florish in deed as if all learning soūd honest dealing had bin in himself non in the Councell vvhen in truth he had nether truth nor antiquity on his syde no more then there is in these vaine glorious speaches of M. D. The answere follovving shall make it manifest that he himself the mē that gaue him so good satisfaction with the reste of their syd are they who vvrest scriptures even vvorse then papists alleadg Counterfeits in stead of Fathers vvherrie in others as it vvere vvith oares against the full streame of their ovvne meanings and that there best soundest grounds are carnall policies fleshly persvvasions bitter reproches sharp censures suspencions excommunications deprivations imprisonments by all vvhich they dispute conclude almost all their matters The scriptures Fathers vve alleadge are rightly vnderstood accordinge to the Circumstances of the places themselues the judgement of the best moste learned vvriters in the vvourld For the evincing vvhereof our opposites are driven to such shifts as is strange to see even to devyse diue se strange sense of one and the same place some extending some restreyninge euery one dryving to a diuerse sense either manifestly absurd or soe obscure as if the true meaninge could not be atteyned to One instance vvher of to passe by the rest lett the Reader veivve vvell in their handling of 1 tim 5.17 Ambrose upon 1 tim 5.1 But to goe on the cheefbook from vvhich M. D. receyved good satisfaction vvas as he saith the learned treatisse c. to vvitt Bb. Bil sons vve vvill beleeve him for he hath little or nothing in all hisermon vvhich is not in that treatise but seing he that vvill parte vvith his frend as the vvyseman saith vvill fynd an occasion to doe it vvhen good causes vvant pretences shall serue the turne I vvish him to look to it that other inducements best knovvne to himself vvere not more persvvasyve and forcible vvith him then these he here sett dovvne And vvhere he presumeth soe farre upon other mens judgments affections that they must needs turne round by the same svvaie or poyze stande fall as it vvere by the same staffe vvith him if they sett prejudice a syd for he saith he knoweth nothing to the contrary but the same arguments that perswaded him will preveile with others vvhat doth he else but follovve the presumption of error vvhose propertie is as Austin saith (h) de gene cout Mauich ut quod cuique displicet id alijsquoque oportere existimet disi licere to think that that which pleaseth or displeaseth it self must needsplease or displease others also but as Tertullian to the Valentinians soe maie I saie to M. D. artificium habent quo prius persuadent quam doceant veritas autem docendo suadet non suadendo docet M. D. hath great skill to persvvad before he teach but the truth persvvadeth by teaching teacheth not by persvvadinge the judicious reader I doubt not vvill hearken to his reasons lett goe such persvvasions Thus much for his first head lett us novv enter upon his second vvherein he shevv eth us vvhat exceding good he hopeth to see that quickly in case mē vvould be persvvaded vvith him namely an ende of this pernitious division against us vvhy soe because though some other particulars be controuerted yet this of the Church-gouerment is the chiefe the rest as he hath sometimes thought are but cōtrouersies in pretēce to avoyde the envy of this For he doubteth not but if men syncerely affected were right ly perswaded of the gouerment either they would not so stand upon matters of ceremonie such like of small importance c. or if any out of ten dernes of conscience should make scruple that they would favourably be respected Here first I charge upon him the vvronging that verie vnchristianly of manie godly Ministers in thus judging of them can it enter into a Christian heart so to think that they have opposed to the ceremonies yea suffred for them not in synceritie as being persvvaded of their vnlavvefullnes according to their profession but onely in pretence hypocrisy to avoyd the envy of this of the hierarchy vvhat is this else but to calumniate can he be ignorant that as the ceremonies have bin oppugned by the Godly before novv in our neighbour Churches vvho could not make this controversy their pretence soe there be diverse amonge our selues of judgment for the lavvfullnes of the hierarchy jure positiuo vvho yet suffer are ready to suffer more then hath yet bin inflicted on them rather then they will conforme to the allowance or practy ce of the ceremonies no no it cannot be hidd from him that diverse of the Ministers at the time of their depriuation were of this judgment what ever they now are or will be herafter whē they further cōsider the matter Secondly lett it be observed hovv he counteth all mattersnovv in question for vvhich so manie Ministers have suffered but tristes this of the Church gouerment onely excepted matters of small importance and as he sayd before even knotts in rushes and seely gnatts as light accounet doe all the rest of that syd make of them even so did Harding tell Iuell the things were small where with he charged their Church Wherefore their plea being the same vvith his vvell maie that vvorthy ruells ansvvere to Harding then serue M. D. turne novve How great or small these matters are saith he (i) desence of artic ag Hardings preface it forceth not In deed they are avouched with verie small proofes as small as you would have them it appeareth you keep no small seriue about them nothing ought to be counted small where with soe manie of Gods people are deceived and scandatized c. Robberie is no lesse in a small matter then in a great saith Plato A little leaven so wreth the whole lumpe saith the A postle Alia sunt frivola innoxia alia frivola noxia saith Gregorie though these matters be small yet the evills that rise of them are not small yf they be small there is the lesse hurt in leaving them the more wilfullnes in defending them Christ saith qui in modico iniquus in maiori iniquus he that is vnfaithfull in a little will be vnfaithfull in much verely the greatest parte of the land is wearie of them Thus farre that blessed Iuell
learning nothing shal be more wellcome that to avouch make it good that the sayd episcopall calling is vnlavvfull were a labour worthy the traveil much desyred of the Bbs. All vvhich is done if not by the appointment commandment of the Bbs. themselues yet by their consent vvith their good allovvance their bookes being seene allovved some of them commended commanded to be published as they printe themselues in their first pages Wherein lett it be considered hovv injuriously vve are dealt vvith first they deny us all meanes to publish our answers taking from us the liberty of the presse punishing printer those whom they suspect for authors not sparing thē that will not bettaie thē whosoeuer considereth these dealings maie justly suspect the Bbs their Chapleines are combyned togither the one to sett snares drawe us into them the other to catch and crushe us maie I not saie to them as Ierom (e) Hieron August Tom. 2. once sayd why are we blamed for writinge is the fault in us or in your selues that provoke us are we not compelled to defend our selues in our just proceedings you have brought us to a fayre passe yf we holde our peace you holde us guilty yf we answere we are judged enemyes as Ierom was punished for answering as Ietō was not A hard condition of each syd but of the two we will choose the easyer rather then by silence to betraye the truth by juste apologie what euer it coste us to mainteine it yf you will have us to desiste from answeringe doe not you propound against us laye you asyde your swords we will soone laie by our targetts otherwise yf though you first provok us to speak and then punish us know you it is not the feare of punishment that shall fright us the truth which is the life of our life is more deare vnto us Thus much for his desyre or challenge his conditions followe and they are two In the first he requireth that we distinctly apply our answeres to euery of his arguments in order with proofs pregnant and demonstratyve Which I acknowledge but reason and had he dealt soe with us in his sermon we should have giuen him no answere but his carrying awaie the matter in tryvmph with discourses guesses fancies counterfeit writers wittnesses borne out of oue time not old enough by 2 or 3 hundred yeares some of them to giue wittnes to his cause his forced interpretations of scriptures and Fathers devysed of purpos and vvith great streme of vvit to putt by the truth his equiuocations frivolous and loose collections vvherof vve have good store in his sermon as their answere shall shevve none of vvhich vvill beare a syllogisme nor abyd the hammering vpon the right anvyle these courses I saye can vve not allovv for proofes pregnant and demonstratyve As for this ansvvere I referre it to the Reader to judge vvhether the demonstrations therein be not sound the proofes pregnant and the arguments strongely grounded upon the scripture vvith plaine interpretations such as have consent not of some fevve olde and nevve vvriters onely but almost of all divines sound and orthodoxall in all substanciall points of religion yea admirable for their vvritings in questions tvvixt us and the papists Diuerse of vvhose ansvveres are applyed to M. D reasons vvhich he borrovved of the papists and therefore not easely to be replyed to by him nor departed from by us In his second Condition he requireth more Christian and modest dealing thē in that book called the Christian modest offer which faith he notwithstanding that title is full of odious Censures proud scornefull speaches vnchristiā immodest provocations great bitternes gall c. Yf it should be soe which nether hath he shewed nor can I acknowledge yet lett the Christian reader compare that their book with this his preface and I dout not but he will saie turpe est doctori c. it is a foul fault in a teacher to be deeplier guilty of the fault him self then the partie he blameth I for my parte when I read it thought of the Philosophers (f) Diog. Laert in Diogene censuring and checking of such as offred sacrifyce for health and at their very sacrifycing did banquet riotously against health of our regrators who have double waites balances some for buying some for selling The Lord giue us more charitie in our hearts then onely to upbrayd others with the want of it not feel our owne want in the practyce Thus are we come to his promisse that he will acknowledge his error the which if it be aswell performed as promysed we maie saie to him as Cyprian to Cornelius though he missed of the first degree of happines which is not to offend yet it shal be well with him that he hath mett with the second vz. having don-amisse to acknowledge it And shal be gladd to acknowledge him for none of those who convinced of error blush not to saye haud scio an ista verasunt fortassis non multum absunt a veris sed tamen libet ire contra It maie be it is not vntrue that you saie but yet I lik not to follovv it I must goe against it And to take M. D. by the hand yf this answere satisfy him not but shall seeme too light in comparison of his sermon lett him laye open the vanitie bring the insufficiencie therof to light I dare promis in the name of the reste we will as Ierom sayd to Ctesiphon rather revoak our errors then persiste in a wronge sentence And thus are we come to his 4. laste head to wit the conclusion with protestation which is that what he hath deliuered either in his preface or sermon is that which in his conscience he is verely perswaded to be the truth Wherevnto what shall I saie I would rather have thought he had this once done that which many others have often done before him from the doing whereof the Fathers as Ierom (g) Jerō Apol pro lib. contra Iovin Cap 4. noteth thēselues in the heate of their contentions were not alwaise free non quod sentiunt sed quod necesse est dicunt aduersus ea quae dicunt gentiles that he had spoken not what in his conscience he thought to be the truth but quod necesse est dicere contra fratres that which the cause he vndertooke necessarily drew him to speake against his brethren but seing in charitie which beleeueth all things I must herein credit him I have no more to saye but that his conscience is blind or was a sleep when he wrote this sermon vvherein are contradictories both which cannot be true And soe with the lik protestation commendation of him to the grace of God I end with the words of Cypriā to Florentius (h) lib. 4 epist 9. habes tu literas meas ego tuas in die judicij ante tribunal Christi vtraeque recitabuntur I have your vvritings both sermon preface you have my answeres both according to the perswasion of our consciences both to be recited before the tribunall of Christe The Lord grant that knowing that terror of the Lord we soe perswad men as we maie approve our selues to God the consciences of his Children Amen FINIS Errata in the Preface p. 3. l. 19 read a doctrine p 4. in marg book p. 11. l. 29. good that ibid. l. 30. the middest p. 12. l. 17. way then p 13 l. 15 that we p. 17. l. 22. after controuersy adde then yong Divines for studieng that controversy p. 20. l. 19 if he p 28. l 10. upon any other occasion ibid. l. 14. very case p. 29. l. 26. mā p. 30. l. 2. deprivations degradations p. 31. l. 10. amongst us p. 32 l. 22. angustas rimulas p. 36. l. 20 loadeth p. 37. l. 9 put Lindwood in marg ibid. l. 20. heavier p. 39 l. 6. knew not p. 43. l. 20 fall p 45. l. 2 velle ibid. l in marg Baronius p. 46. l. 26. at p. 48. l. 4. first branch p 49. l 28. assertions p. 50. l. 28 confidence p. 51. l. ult not M D. p. 52. l. ult Drones p. 54. l. 25. in case In the rest of the book p. 3 l. 16 great p. 20 l. 19 because p. 35 l 12 presbyters ibid. 29 Elders p 65 l. 20 here cited p. 66 l 4.4.5.6 or ibid. 10 great cities p. 67 l. 7 testimony of writers ibid. l. 33 Thirdly D Fulck p 68 l. 1 Heron. ibid l. 20 of the M p 69 l 23 5 Sections ibid. 27 draining it p. 70 l. 1 holds ibid. l. 4 overweening p. 71 l. 22 could the p ibid. l. 32 I mistake ibid. l 34 in the end p. 72 l 32 I say ibid 34 I confes ib l. 35 I say p 75 l. 12 M. D. giveth p. 76 l 13 ouer Cities and D. p. 78 l. 3 if I ibid. l. 9 I trouble ib. l. 23 Apostles p. 79 l. 1 I may ib. l. 19 policy ib l. 24 primitive p. 80 l. 3 towards ib. l. 33 therefore which p 86 10 but to p 88 16 strongly p 97 l. 32 are 2 l nes to much p. 106 l 2 being lost p 111 l 27 diocesan p 115 l. 22 not to the ib. l. 28 so ordered p 117 l 7 93 p 119 l 12 95 p 124 l 1 Sedulius ib l 2 Episcopus ib l 5 Medina ib l 9 presbyters p 125 l ult in all the p 133 l 19 more cleanly p 135 l 13 this to the p 146 19 we heard p. 14 8 l 27 that word p 149 l 2 in office p 153 l 5 so it was p 15 ◠l 29 concluded p 160 l 21 consecration p 161 l 29 Basil where he was p. 16 21 23 shee ever