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
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
kingdome of errour and wickednesse to decay and the glorie of God to increase then hee bestirreth him by all meanes hee can And if by Gods good prouidence the Princes and Magistrates bee such as by sword and fire he cannot either ouerthrowe it or worke some mischiefe against it then seeketh hee by lying and slander to discredit and deface the messengers that GOD sendeth with his worde and instruments that he vseth to aduance and sette foorth his trueth by this meanes to worke hinderance to the trueth it selfe When Ieremie preached the will of God earnestly and truely vnto the Iewes were there not false Prophets and other very neere the Prince which perswaded him and other rulers that hee was a naughtie man not worthie to liue that hee was an enemie to his Countrey that hee conspired with the Babylonians and was with money or otherwise corrupted by them to perswade the people of Iuda not to refuse their subiection When God by the Ievves in captiuitie and by the fauour of the Queene Hester began to spread his knovvledge among the Gentiles so that their heathenish idolatrie vvas somewhat blemished the deuil raised vp a fit instrument by such meanes as before is mentioned to vvork their confusion For Haman came to king Assuerus and said There is a people dispersed throughout all the prouinces of thine Empire not agreeing among themselues vsing newe lawes and contemning thy ordinances and thou knowest it is not expedient for thy kingdome that they should bee suffered to waxe so insolent And if it shall please thee to appoint that they may be all put to death I will bring in tenne thousand talents into the kings treasure It vvas a shrevvd tale to persvvade a Prince For he tempered his hateful and slaunderous lying with the sweete savvce of gaine and commoditie The subtile Sathan did see that sometime they which othervvise are good Princes vvhen hope of great benefite is offered vvill be more easily persvvaded to some kinde of hard dealing vvhich othervvise they themselues vvould not like When Iohn Baptist was sent to prepare the vvay for the comming of Christ though hee vvere a man of very austere liuing did not the Pharisees persvvade the people and chiefe rulers that hee was but an hypocrite that he vvas possed vvith a deuill and therfore that his doctrine should not be beleeued When Christ himselfe came a perfect patterne of all temperance and godly vertue did they not say that he was a glutton and a wine bibber a Samaritane a friend of Publicanes and sinners a worker with deuils a seducer of the people c. and by this means in the hearts of many wrought the discredite both of his doctrine and of his myracles In like manner dealt Sathan with his instruments against the Apostles and godlie professors of Christian religion in the Primitiue Church as it appeareth in the Ecclesiasticall Histories and auncient Fathers For malitious tongues and pennes did spreade abroade of them that they murdered their children and did eate them that vsually at their assemblies they committed incest that they worshipped the sunne that they worshipped an asse head that they were traitours to the Empire that they were generall enemies of all mankinde with an infinite number of other like false and slaunderous crimes and by this meanes the wicked enemies of Christ raised those grieuous and terrible persecutions wherewith the Church was vexed the space of three hundred yeeres vnder the Emperours Yea and this craft of the deuill ceased not vnder the Christian Emperours For then stirred hee vp schismes and factions errours and heresies almost in number infinite and still by backebiters and slaunderous instrumentes defaced and brought out of credite the godly and learned bishops which were as the pillars of Christian trueth against the enemies of God and his Church Constantine that woorthie and godlie prince at the beginning fauoured and furthered all those reuerend and learned Bishops that did mainteine the doctrine of Nicene Councell against the Arians but after that Eusebius of Nicomedia the great patrone of that heresie had procured friendes in the court and therby crept in some credite with the Emperour he and the residue of his sort deuised shamefull slaunders against Athanasius and other that in the ende with great displeasure of the Emperour he was banished into Fraunce and there continued all the reigne of the saide Constantine His enemies with great impudencie had charged him with shamefull vntruths as that he cruelly and vniustly had excommunicated diuers persons that as a couetous extortioner he had oppressed the countrey of Egypt with exactions that he had committed adultery with a strumpet who was brought before his face to auouch it to be true that he had murthered Arsenius vsed his arme to worke sorcery that he sent money to one that went about treason against the Emperour that hee had affirmed in threatning wordes that he would cause the citie of Alexandria to send no more tribute-corne to Constantinople for the Emperors prouision as before time it had vsed to doe As they dealt with Athanasius so did they in like manner with Eustathius Macarius and al other godly Fathers which defended the true faith of Christ and set themselues against the indeuours of heretikes and other seditious and factious spirites And in like maner were other vsed after that time as Ambrose Cyrill and Chrysostome It were a matter almost infinite to recite the examples thereof and to shewe how like they are to the attempts of some in these dayes And although it pleased GOD by strange meanes at that time to reprooue sundrie of those shamefull vntrueths deuised against manie yet by stoute affirmation and colourable proofe thorow friendship many of them tooke suche effect that sundrie woorthy and good men were put out of their bishoprikes driuen into banishment and put to death to the great trouble of the Church and exceeding hinderaunce of christian faith for the space of many yeeres We reade in histories that Philip king of Macedony a subtile and politique prince who is thought to haue conquered more by craft and cunning then by force of warre dint of sworde minding to bring the Graecians vnder his subiection in concluding an agreement with them conditioned that they shoulde deliuer vnto him their Orators as the very firebrands of discord among them and the onely occasioners of that displeasure and misliking that was betweene him and them At which time Demosthenes one of the Orators speaking for himselfe admonished the Athenians to call to their remembraunce the parable betweene the shepheardes and the wolues The wolues pretending desire of agreement between them and the shepheards perswaded them that all the cause of their displeasure was the vnseasonable barking of the dogges and promised great amitie so that they woulde put away their ill-fauoured curres and mastiues But when the dogs were remooued the wolues tooke their pleasure in spoyling the flocke more cruelly then euer they did
bishopricks in England be worth For Mat. Paris vvriteth that in the time of king Henry the 3. the Pope had yeerely out of this Lande 60000 markes vnto which if you doe adde his like dealing in Germanie and other countreys you shall perceiue the value to be inestimable And surely I am of that hope and in my conscience I think it to be most true that all the Bishops in this land by Simoniacal practise and couetous oppression doe not gaine the hundred part thereof And if it doe rise to that value it is a great deale too much yea if it be one peny it is wicked and by no good man ought to be defended much lesse by them to bee practised I hope well of all although I wil not take vpon me to excuse all But for some I assuredly know in my conscience dare depose that since they were made Bishops they haue not wittingly gained that way one twenty shillings Therefore in equalling the bishops of Englande in the practise of Simonie vvith the Pope of Rome there must needs be great oddes in the comparison and the whole speech may well be called Hyperbole that is an vncharitable amplification surmounting all likelihood of honest and Christian trueth Obiection But somewhat to giue countenance to an euill slaunder it will be sayde that the Bishop of Rome practized Simonie by al meanes that he had our bishops by as many as they haue Answere Oh a worthie reason Is this to iustifie so shameful a slaūder of the church of God vnder a christian Princes gouernment Is that Christian Preacher and Bishop if any such be that vseth Simoniacall practise in two or three points of smal importance and litle value in grieuousnesse of offence before God and the vvorlde to be equalled to the head of Antichrist and the principall enemy of the Gospel practizing the same in a thousande of great weight and vnestimable value I cannot but wish more charitable hearts to them that will take vpon them the zeale and profession of the Gospel Let sinne be blamed euen in them that fauour the word and chiefly the Clergie but yet so as trueth will beare and modestie with Christian charitie doeth require lest in much amplifying of small offences you become instruments not onely to discredit the parties blamed but also to ouerthrowe the doctrine that they teach There ought to be great difference betweene Christian Preachers writers inueighing against Antichrist and his members enemies of the Gospell and zealous professors blaming reprouing the faults of their owne Bishop and Clergie in the estate of a Church by authoritie setled The one part is kindled with an earnest zeale detestation of the obstinate patrones of errour and idolatrie the other shoulde bee mooued onely with a charitable sorowe and griefe to see Preachers of the trueth not to declare in life that which they vtter to other in doctrine They that by humane frailtie offende in blemish of life onely are not with like bitternesse to bee hated harried rated and defaced as they that with obstinate and vnrepentant hearts offend both in life and doctrine and to the face of the worlde shewe them-selues aduersaries of the truth Christ after one maner blameth the Scribes pharises after another he reprooueth the ignorance the dulnesse the ambition and carnal affection of his owne Disciples that followed him But I pray you let vs consider the particular proofe of this generall accusation and odious comparison Surely they are so trifling that I am ashamed to stay vpon them and yet I must needes speake a word or two of them The Church of England retaineth a good and necessarie order that before the celebration of marriage the Banes should be asked three seuerall Sabboth dayes Obiection This order saith the aduersarie and accuser is by Dispensation abused and by our Bishops solde for money Answere The order I thinke very good and meete to bee obserued in a Christian Church and not without good cause to be altered and yet doth it not beare any necessitie in Religion and holinesse whereby mens consciences should be wrung or wrested But I will demaund of the accuser whether there be not some cases wherein the circumstances being considered this matter may bee dispensed withall among Christians And if there bee as no reasonable man can deny then I aske further whether there bee any lawe in this Church of Englande whereby with the authoritie of the Prince it is granted that a Bishoppe may in such conuenient cases dispense with this order And if there bee such lawe of the Church and of the Realme I marueile howe it can be counted Simonie or couetous selling of the libertie of the Gospell to dispense with it Obiection Yea but if the order be good why is it not kept vnuiolably if it be euill why is it solde for money Answere The order is good no man can deny it or without good cause alter it but there is no externall order so necessary but that authoritie may in some considerations lawfully dispense therewith It was a good order and cōmandement of God that none but the Priests should eat of the shew bread and yet in a case of necessitie Abimelech the hie Priest did dispense with Dauid his company in eating the same bread The external obseruation of the Sabboth day was a good order and a commandement streightly giuen by God and yet we read that the Iewes in necessitie did breake it and fought on the Sabboth day And Christ himselfe defended his Disciples that on that day did bruise Corne and eate it Therefore by lawfull authoritie such orders may bee dispensed with and not deserue iust reproofe much lesse the crime of Couetousnesse and Simonie Obiection Yea but the dispensations are solde for money for some haue for writing and other for sealing and my Lord so granting c. Answere By as good reason may they excuse any Iudge or chiefe officer in this Land of extortion and bribery because his Clearkes and vnder officers take money for the writing dispatch of Processes Writs and other like matters where of happily some small portion commeth to the Iudge or chiefe officer himselfe and the same also warranted and made good by the lawes of this Realme If either Ecclesiasticall Ministers or other officers and Magistrates shall by extortion wrest more then by order is due there lieth lawfull remedie and sharpe punishment for the same And in all societies and common weales that euer haue bene aswell among Christians as other it hath bene counted lawfull that the Ministers to higher officers aswell Ecclesiasticall as other should haue lawfull portions and fees allowed them for such things where in they trauell Therefore how this may be imputed to Bishops as Simonie and sale of Christian libertie I see not Obiection They will say Dispensations for Banes for greedinesse of money are granted more commonly then they should be Answere If that
not be saued by shame might haue his saluation wrought by reproch For a great thing it is to one that hath any feare of God to haue reproch in the face of the Church And to this interpretation the most of the ancient writers agree Obiection They will reply that at that time there were manie Presidents as it were and gouernours of the Church together with the chiefe Ministers in euery Congregation Answere I grant it was so But it doth not follow thereupon that it is a commaundement that for euer in all places and times it should be so I am not of that opinion nor euer was any of the auncient Writers no more are sundry learned men of great credite at this time Quòd vna semper debet esse oeconomia Ecclesiae that is that the externall gouernement of the Church should alwayes in all places be one and specially by a college or company of Elders When Christ said Tel the Church there was as yet no Christian church established but Christ took his speech according to the state of the Iewes Church that then was as in another place he â—aith If thy brother trespasse against thee leaue thine offering before the altar If they will gather by the former speech Tell the Church that of necessity they must haue a company of Elders as then was in the Iewes church why let them make like collection of the latter that of necessitie there must be altars in the church of Christ the absurditie whereof will bee greater then any good christian man will easily receiue Obiection They will say the Apostles afterward and the Primitiue Church did practise the same Answere That is not yet proued but let theÌ„ struggle while they lust theysh al neuer find a commandement in the scriptures charging that it shuld for euer be so It were to great a bridle of christiaÌ„ liberty in things external to cast vpoÌ„ the church of Christ So loÌ„g as the church of God was in persecutioÌ„ vnder tyrants might well seeme to be the best and fittest order of Gouernment But when God blessed his Churche with Christian Princes the Scriptures doe not take away that libertie that with the consent of their godlie magistrates they may haue that outwarde forme of iurisdiction deciding of Ecclesiasticall causes as to the state of the Countrey and people shall be most conuenient And that libertie haue diuers reformed churches since the restoring of the Gospell vsed Now as when other churches in their externall order of gouernment differ froÌ„ ours we neither do nor ought to mislike with them so if ours differ froÌ„ theirs retaining still the sinceritie of the gospel and trueth of doctrine I trust they will euen as charitably thinke of vs. If any desire further aunswere in this controuersie of church gouernment I refer them to the reply of D. Bridges vntill they haue with modestie and grauitie answered his booke It is obiected also against Bishops that they abuse Ecclesiasticall Discipline I take Ecclesiasticall Discipline to consist in reprouing correcting and excommunicating such as be offendors in the Church And I thinke their meaning is here that bishops their officers abuse Excommunication in punishing therewith those persons which obstinately with contempt refuse either to appeare when they bee called to aunswere their offences or when they appeare disobey those orders and decrees by Ecclesiasticall officers appoynted Howe this part of Church Discipline was abused by the Pope it is well knowen and that hee made Excommunication an instrument to bring the neckes of Emperors and Princes ynder his girdle and to make the whole world subiect to him For this was almost the onely meane whereby he became so dreadfull to all men and got to himself so great autoritie The perpetual course of the histories euen such as were written by his owne Parasites and chiefly of this Realme of England declare this to be most true For triall hereof reade the historie of Thomas Becket But I thinke no man is so caried with the misliking of our Bishops that he wil accuse them in this sort to abuse Excommunication seeing by their preaching they haue binprincipall instruments to ouerthrow the same in the Church of Rome They cannot say that any Bishop of this church euer since the restoring of the Gospell indeuoured to excommunicate the Prince and gouernours of purpose to make them subiect to their authoritie in the Church And happily that may bee a fault yea and a great fault that is founde with them in these daies that they do not so and constraine the prince and Rulers to doe that which by perswasion they will not doe But howe expedient this maner of Excommunication is for this time I leaue to the wise and godly to consider Sure I am that some of the most zealous churches reformed haue it not nor thinke it tollerable And yet such a maner of Excommunication it is that many striue at this day to haue brought into the Church vnder the name of Discipline But how easily it would grow to abuse and what danger it might bring in this state of time I thinke there is no wise man that doth not foresee vnlesse it be such as to bring their purpose to passe and to settle their deuise in the Church thinke no danger to be shunned As for the Excommunication practised in our Ecclesiasticall Courtes for contumacie in not appearing or not satisfying the iudgement of the Court if it had pleased the Prince and them that had autoritie to make Lawes for the gouernment to haue altered the same at the beginning and set some other order of processe in place thereof I am perswaded the Bishops and Clergy of this Realme woulde haue bin very wel contented therewith Gualter a learned man of the Church of Tygure writing vpon the first to the Corinthians hauing shewed the danger of this other Excommunication speaketh of a maner of ciuile discommuning vsed in that Church Which or the like good order deuised by some godlie persons if it might bee by authoritie placed in this Churche without danger of further innouation I thinke it woulde be gladly reciued to shunne the offence that is taken at the other and yet surely vnder correction the Law of alteration woulde breede some inconuenience But the perpetuall crying of many to haue a mutation of the whole state of the Clergie and a number of other thinges in the Church beside which must needes draw with it a great alteration in the state of the Realme also maketh the Prince and other Gouernours to bee afraide of any mutation For they knowe what daunger may come in these perillous dayes by innouations And if they shoulde once beginne things are so infinite shat they can see no ende of alterations Therefore eeing wee haue a Church setled in a tollerable maner of reformation and all trueth of doctrine freely taught and allowed by the authority of this realme yea and the aduersaries of trueth by lawe
the patrones haue bene more chargeable in one yeere then they haue gained by all the benefices that they haue bestowed since they were bishoppes or I thinke will doe while they bee bishoppes They haue iniurie therefore to bee so openly slaundered in the face of the worlde If there bee any bishoppe that corruptly bestoweth his liuinges by sute of Maister Chauncellor or Maister Steward or any other looke what punishment I woulde haue any lay-man in that case to sustaine I woulde wish to a bishoppe double or triple Obiection But now I must come to that which toucheth bishops most nighly that is that they be carnally disposed and not euangelically and this their affection and corruption they shew to the world by hoarding of great summes of money by purchasing lands for their wiues and children by marrying their sonnes and daughters with thousands by increasing their liuings with flockes and heards of grased cattell by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable fines and incomes c. Answere Wee heare in this place an heape of grieuous offences indeed if they be true wel worthy such lamentable outcries as are made against theÌ„ But the godly must consider that where lauishing tongues and pennes be at libertie to lay forth reproch without feare of correction or punishment that the best men in the worlde may be slandered and brought in danger especially where through enuie and malice men haue conceiued displeasure against any State Eustathius a godly and chaste Bishop by conspiracie and false suggestion of certaine Heretikes and Schismatikes was not accused onely but vniustly also condemned of adultery and by the Emperour Constantine cast into banishment into a citie of Sclauonie Cyrillus a good and learned father Bishop of Hierusalem and an earnest patrone of the true faith of Christ was by the heretike Acasius his friends in the Court accused to the Emperor Constantinus that he had imbezeled the church goodes and had solde to a player of Enterludes a rich garment giuen to the Church by his father This false accusation so much preuailed that the good bishop was for it deposed c. I noted you the like before of that blessed man Athanasius and other and might bring a great number of examples out of the Ecclesiastiall histories writers For it was the vsuall practise of all such as did endeuour to further any heresie or Schismaticall faction were they of the Cleargie or Laitie by all meanes they could through infamie and discredite to pull downe such as did withstand their euil troublesome attempts in the Church not onely to raile at them to deface them with false and vniust reports but also to draw to their reproch their best and most Christian â—oings as the charitable dealing of Cyrill was so wrested that it brought him to great daunger And surely I cannot but feare that the deuill is euen now in hatching of some notable heresies or some other hid mischiefes which hee woulde bring foorth and thrust into the Church of England therfore prepareth the way for the same by defacing discrediting the best learned of the church that both would and should resist them This wee see alreadie in that peeuish faction of the families of the loue which haue bin breeding in this Realme the space of these thirty yeeres and now vpon confidence of the disgracing of the state of Bishoppes and other Ecclesiasticall Gouernours haue put their heades out of the shel and of late yeeres haue shewed themselues euen in the Princes Court The like I might say of the Anabaptists and other Sectaries as bad as they As touching this present point of the accusation of Bishops I haue to admonish the godlie Reader that in Christian charitie and wisedome they consider aswell what diuers of those persons which now bee Bishoppes haue beene before time as also in what state they are nowe in this Realme and howe they are beset on euery side with aduersaries and euill speakers of diuers sortes and then to weigh with themselues whether it bee likely that all is true which is vttered against them or rather that for despite and displeasure many things are spoken falsly and slanderously and manie other meane and small blemishes amplified and exaggerated to the worst more then trueth That those which now bee or of late haue beene Bishops in this Church shoulde be so carnally and grosly giuen ouer to the world and the cares therof as they are by some defamed my heart abhorreth to thinke neither will the feare of God suffer me to iudge it to be true I see what they are presently in all truth of doctrine I see how earnestly and zealously they teach and defend the same in their preachings I see howe carefully they beate downe the grosse superstition of Antichrist and his ministers I call to remembraunce that of late yeeres in the time of persecution when the most of them were in state wel able to liue that they were contented for the freedome of their consciences and that they might enioy the doctrine and liberty of the Gospel to forsake their liuinges to leaue their friendes to hazard their liues to be accompted Traitours and to sustaine all those miseries troubles that might followe vpon banishment and casting out of their Countrey And I see nothing in them if God as wee by our vnthankfulnesse daily deserue should cast the like scourge vpon this Realme againe but that they would be most readie to do the same although happily prosperitie in the meane time may drawe them to some offences May any christian heart then conceiue of them although there be faults in them moe then the worthinesse of their office requireth that they be so carnally fleshly giueÌ„ ouer to the world as the immodest accusations of many their aduersaries do make them Mans nature is corrupt fraile and therfore may fal to much euil but that so many learned men trained in the schoole of the Crosse continuing in teaching preaching of the trueth should bee so vtterly caried away from God I can not beleeue I trust God shall giue some enident token of the coÌ„trary If there now be or before time haue bene such as haue giuen iust occasion in such things as they are accused of I cannot but blame them and wishe to the residue more feare of God and care of their calling I neuer entred into other mens hearts to see their consciences I neuer looked into their Cofers to see their treasures I neuer was desirous to be priuie of their secrete doinges I must therfore by that I see heare know iudge the best Hee that shall charitably consider the state of Bishops as they are by the authoritie of the Prince and lawes of this Realme will not thinke it impiety in them against the time of necessary seruice of their countrey to haue some reasonable summe of money before hande gathered in
Libeller to set out his Pasquil raketh all things by all reportes from all the Sycophants in the vvorld and maketh no choise of man or matter so that it may serue his turne And for any Letter vvritten by the maister of Requests so iestingly as the Libeller reporteth Maddockes hath deceiued him for there vvas no such matter nor the man for vvhom the Bishop vvrote vvas none of his seruant nor is Novve commeth in Dame Lawson to frumpe the Bishoppe vvith impudent and vnwomanly speech and vnfit for that sexe vvhom Paul vtterly forbiddeth to speake in the congregation But considering the circumstances of time place and persons it is to bee thought that Dame Lawson came at no time to the bishoppe in that brauerie for if shee had the bishop is not so soft but shee shoulde haue felt of Discipline and of the Queenes authoritie Surely the Bishop and such other of the Reuerend fathers that are so bitten by this Libeller may comfort themselues by the exāple of Athanasius and others as I before haue said which vvere most shamefully accused by the heretikes of murder robbery enchantment whoredome and other most detestable crimes to deface them to the worlde to the ende that their heresies might be the better liked of But Martin remember that saying Vae homini per quem scandalum venit and that Iude saith that Michael when he disputed with the Deuill about the body of Moses the Angel gaue no rayling sentence against him but said the Lord rebuke thee Satā And if it pleased you to remēber that booke that is fathered vpon Ignatius in Greeke which attributeth so much to the bishops you would be good master to bishops against whom so vnreuerently you cast out your stomacke And for your iesting at the Bishop for bovvling vpon the Sabboth you must vnderstande that the best expositor of the Sabboth which is Christ hath saide that the Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth and man may haue his meate dressed for his health vpon the Sabboth and vvhy may he not then haue some conuenient exercise of the body for the health of the body You vvill take small occasion to raile before you will hold your tongue If you can charge the Bishop that euer he withdrew himself from Sermon or seruice by any such exercise you might bee the bolder with him but contrariwise it is wel knowen that he and his whole familie doeth euery day in the weeke twise say the whole seruice calling vpon God for them selues the State and the Queenes Maiestie praying for her highnesse by that meanes deuoutly and heartily many times I pray God you do the like But oratio animae maleuolae non placet Deo The prayer of a malicious heart neuer pleaseth God Martin vvith his bitter stile of malicious Momus dipt in the gall of vngodlinesse proceedeth in a shamelesse vntrueth touching the Bishops ansvvere to the executors of Allein the Grocer as though he shoulde flatly denie the payment of a certaine debt due to the sayde Allein vvhich is as true as all the rest of Martins vvritings is honest and sober For bee it that at the first demaunde the Bishoppe vvas somevvhat mooued to heare his name to bee in the Merchants bookes vvhich hee euer so precisely auoyded that commonly he sendeth to them vvhom hee hath to doe with vvarning them to deliuer nothing in his name without his ovvne hand or ready money vsed peraduenture some sharpe vvordes in a matter that was so sudaine and so strange to him Yet most certaine it is that though not at that time yet very shortly after the debt was discharged as shall be prooued long before Martins railing booke vvas heard of or seene ten pound excepted which the sayde executors for a time respited But this fellovve vvill trauaile farre before he will lacke matter to furnish a lye Another mountaine that he maketh of molehils for such is all his blasphemous buildings is that one Benison a poore man vvas kept in the Clincke I cannot tell howe long vniustly vvithout cause c. The trueth is this Benison comming from Geneua full fraught with studie of Innouations and vtterly emptie of obedience vvhich Beza that learned Father had or might haue taught him as by his Epistles appeareah both to the Queene and the gouernors of the Church set vp in London his shop of disobedience being maried in a contrary order to the booke and vsage of the Church of England abusing good M. Foxe as hee himselfe in griefe of heart after confessed After that the said Benison gathering conuenticles and refusing to goe to his owne parish church seeking to set al in combustion with schisme in the Citie was long before the B. heard any thing of him called before Sir Nicholas Woodroofe a graue Citizen the Recorder who found him in such an humour that they meant to haue sent him to prison But because hee was of the Clergie they thought good to commit him to his Ordinarie who trauailing with him most earnestly to bring him to the Church and become orderly when he coulde profite nothing with him sent him againe to the Sessions to the Lord Maior and the Iudges After they had dealt with him and could finde at his hands nothing but railing they sent him againe to the Bishop and he finding him in vnspeakeable disobedience to her Maiestie and her Lawes offered him the oath which he contemptuously and spitefully refused Which being certified according to order he was sent to the Queenes bench was condemned and thereupon sent to prison And this is that wonderfull tragedie wherin this fellow so greatly triumpheth wishing belike as his whole Libell seemeth to desire that no malicious schismatike shoulde be punished for moouing sedition in the lande But to this vnbrideled tongue it may be sayd as the Psalme sayth Quid gloriaris in malitia tua c. Where hee courseth the Bishop of London with the lewde lying Epithete of Dumbe Iohn fetched I cannot tell from what grosse conceite either as willingly stumbling vpon Dumbe for Don or for that he preacheth not so oft as hee and other of his crewe babbling in their verball sermons vse to doe or from whence else I knowe not vnlesse it please his wisedome to play with his owne conceite and minister matter to the Prentises and Women of London to sport himselfe in that pretie deuised and newe founde name If the Bishop shoulde ansvvere for himselfe I knowe he might say somevvhat after this sort Good charitable Martin hovv olde are you how long haue you knowen the man what reports in the booke of Martyrs in Master Askams booke of his Schoolemaster and in some learned men that haue vvritten from beyond the Seas haue you heard of him Master Foxe saith of him that hee vvas one of the fiue and novve onely aliue that stoode in the solemne disputations in the first of Quene Mary with a hundred hauberdes about his eares the like whereof you threaten
thought conceiue nor his wordes include any such matter But what doeth not malice enuie and spite vtter against the most innocent person that is The bishop of Winchester hath openly more impugned the vices of this age heere in the Church of Englande then the vvhole broode of them that are of the Anabaptisticall Conuenticles and the residue of these Libellers Woe bee to them saith Esay the Prophet that speake euil of good and good of euill and put light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light sweete for sowre and sowre for sweete Dauid had great cause to crie domine libera animam meam à labijs iniquis à lingua dolosa And Salomon cogitatio stulti peccatum est abominatio hominum Detractor The deuise of a foole is sinne and all men abhorre the backbiter or Slaunderer If any man vvill reprooue the Assertion before written God vvilling he shall be ansvvered so that he rayle not This may be a sufficient answere to the vntrueth fathered vpon the B. of Winchesters words that hee is not for the same iustly tearmed Monstrous and flattering hypocrite speaking against his owne conscience But I see in these wordes the reproch not only of the bishop but much more amalicious spite against this Church of England and that so deepely setled in their hearts that their eares cannot without griefe he are any good spoken of it Therefore I thinke my selfe in Christian dutie bound somevvhat farther to follovve this matter and with some signification of thankefulnesse to acknowledge and confesse those excellēt blessings which it hath pleased God of his great mercies to bestowe vpon the same as vvell in King Edward the sixts dayes as much more in her Maiesties reigne that now is and first to beginne with that which is the principall that is the sinceritie of doctrine and all branches of true religion receiued professed taught and established in this Realme In which point I thinke it very superfluous needles for me to recite the particular branches and to make a nevv catechisme or to pen a new confession of the Church of England seeing they both are so sufficiently performed that vvithout enuy be it spoken there is none better in any refourmed Church in Europe For a Catechisme I refer them to that which was made by the learned and godly man Master Nowel Deane of Paules receiued and allovved by the Church of England and very fully grounded and established vpon the vvorde of God There may you see all the parts of true Religion receiued the difficulties expounded the trueth declared the corruptions of the Church of Rome reiected But this I like not in our Church that it is lawful to euery man to set foorth a nevve Catechisme at his pleasure I read that in the Primitiue Church that thing did great harme and corrupted the mindes of many simple persons with soule errours and heresies I see the like at this day for thereby many honest meaning hearts are caried avvay to the misliking of our manner of prayer and administration of Sacraments and other orders vvhereby it is made a principall instrument to maintaine and increase discorde and dissention in the Church For a sound and true confession acknowledged by this our church I refer them to that notable Apologie of the English Church written not many yeeres since by that Iewel of England late Bishop of Sarifburie Wherein they shal finde all parts of Christian religion confessed proued both by the testimony of the canonicall scriptures and also by the consent of all learned and godly antiquitie for the space of certain hundred yeres after Christ For the integrity and soundnes for the learning and eloquence shewed in the same Apologie they that contemne that notable learned man because hee was a Bishoppe may haue very good testimonie in a litle Epistle vvritten by Peter Martir vnto the said bishop and nowe printed and in the latter edition set before the same Apologie where they shall finde that hee speaketh not for himselfe onely but for many other learned men of the church of Tygure and other places Nowe as this learned Bishop doeth acknowledge and confesse for this Church all trueth of doctrine so doeth hee reprooue condemne and detest all corruptions brought into the same either by the church of Rome or by any other ancient or newe heretikes whome he there particularly nameth yea and to the great comfort of all them that are members of the same church and acknowledge the same confession hee prooueth and euidently sheweth that the testimonies of the Scriptures whereon that confession is grounded for the true interpretation of them haue the witnesse consent of all the learned antiquitie as I haue saide for certaine hundred yeeres Which I take to bee a very good comfort and confirmation to all honest consciences in these captious and quarelling dayes That which I meane I will declare by some particulars What is more euident certaine and firme for the article of the person of Christ in his Godhead manhood then those things that the ancient Fathers decreed out of the canonicall scriptures in the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon some others against Arius Samosatenus Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches and those heretikes that were termed Monotholetes c Therefore whosoeuer do teach contrary to the determination of those councels as some do in these dayes they do not iustly hold that principal article and foundation of Christian religion Moreouer as touching the grace and benefite of Christ the beginning whereof riseth from the eternall loue of God toward vs and from the free election to redemption and eternall saluation and proceedeth to our vse and benefite by the dispensation of Christ once offred vpon the Crosse by effectual calling wrought by the holy Ghost in preaching of the Gospell by our iustification sanctification and the gift of perseuerance and continuance in the faith thereby in the end to obtaine resurrection and eternall life touching I say this free grace of God another principall ground of Christian religion what coulde be or can bee more certainly or abundantly layde downe out of the holy Scriptures then was determined in the Councels of Carthage Mileuitane Aurasicane c. against the Pelagians and other enemies of the free grace of God in Christ Iesu our Sauiour Especially if you adde the writings of August and other ancient Fathers for defence of the same As to that which is necessarie to be knowen touching the true Catholique Church a matter of great importaunce euen at this day vvhat can be more copiously or with more perspicuitie declared then is by that learned father Augustine as well in other places as principally in his bookes against the Donatists Likewise for the matter of the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper if simple trueth coulde content men what is more euident then that doctrine which hath bene laid downe by the ancient Fathers Iustine Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Theodorete and a number
his lippes that they speake no guile The mouth of a malicious man saith Ambrose is a deepe or bottomlesse pit The innocent that is too easie of credit doth quickly fall but he riseth againe But the backebiting railer is by his owne craft cast downe headlong to confusion in such sort as he shall neuer recouer himselfe againe And Bernard Let not my soule be in companie of backebiting tongues because God doth hate them when the Apostle saith Backbiters are odious to God Euery one that backbiteth sheweth himselfe voyd of charitie Moreouer what other thing seeketh hee by deprauing but that he whome he backebiteth may come in hatred and contempt with them among whom he is depraued Wherefore the backebiter woundeth charitie in all that heare him and somuch as in him lyeth doth vtterly destroy him whome he striketh with his tongue As for the reproch of want of learning he will not striue much with them The Bishop hath not vsed God bee thanked to vaunt himselfe of great learning Neither doth he disdaine to be accounted vnlearned of these men which many yeeres since contemned Bishoppe Iewell as a man of no deepe learning and euen of late dayes coulde say that Erasmus was no Diuine His prayer is that the small measure of knowledge which it pleased God to giue him in the continuance of fiftie yeeres studie may be imployed to the glorie of God and the benefite of his Countrey It is knowen fiue and fourtie yeres since that he was Master of Art and Student of Diuinitie and disputed in that facultie since which time hee was neuer drawen from that exercise of good learning This is his greatest comfort that since he was a yong man in Magdalene Colledge in Oxford he hath bene brought vp in the loue of the Gospel and was reasonablie able to confirme his conscience to represse the aduersary not only by the holy scriptures but also by the writings of the anciēt Fathers and the best authours of this age since the renewing of the Gospell as hee hath many honest and learned men witnesses yet aliue M. Trauers whome they prefere before him he knoweth not what he is He neuer sawe him to his remembrance but once and that was at my Lord of Canterburies in the presence of some honourable persons at which time the man shewed no great learning Doctor Sparke is so well knowen to the Bishoppe of Winchester and the Bishoppe to him that hee cannot be perswaded that Doctor Sparke will affirme that he did put the Bishop at that time or any other as they terme it to a non plus But vvhatsoeuer hee vvill doe if the one or the other or they both doe make any bragge of a victorie then gotten as I haue before sayde surely they doe greatly forget themselues and declare that Ladie Philautie did bleare their eyes and made that they coulde not see the right rules of modestie especially considering what the witnesses were and what report they haue made thereof to the best of this Lande which hath not bene made vnknowen to the worlde It is true that Gregorie saith Superbia lumen intelligentiae abscondit Pride daseleth the eyes of a mans vnderstanding And againe Superbi c. Proud men when they thinke them selues despised fall by and by to railing Cyprian that reuerend and learned father sayth notably An high and swelling heart arrogant and proude bragging is not of Christ that teacheth humilitie but springeth of the spirit of Antichrist I pray GOD these men may remember these lessons AS touching the Gouernment of the Church of England now defended by the bishops this I say When God restored the doctrine of the Gospel more sincerely and more aboundantly then euer before vnder that good yong Prince King Edward 6. at vvhich time not the gouernours onely of this Realme vnder him but a number of other Noblemen Gentlemen were well knovven to be zealous in the fauor of the trueth by consent of all the States of this Land this maner of gouernment that now is vsed was by law confirmed as good and godly The bishops other of the clergy that gaue their aduise and consent to the same vvere learned zealous bishop Cranmer Ridley Latimer and many other vvhich after sealed their doctrine vvith their blood all learned graue and vvise in comparison of these yong Sectaries which greatly please themselues M. Couerdale M. Hooper neuer thought to be superstitious or inclining to Antichristian corruption were contented to vse the office authority and iurisdiction of bishops the one at Exeter the other at Glocester Peter Martyr Bucer and Iohn de Alasco graue men and of great knovvledge and godlinesse did liue in that state vnder the Archbishops and bishops that then vvere and vvrote to them most reuerendly not refusing to giue them those Titles that novv bee accompted Antichristian The like they did to other of late time Reade the Preface of Peter Martyr set before his Dialogues against Vbiquity see what honourable testimonie hee giueth to bishop Iewell and what titles he affoordeth him To condemne all these as Reprobate and Pety Antichrists were great rashnesse and such impudencie as ought not in any Christian Church or common weale to bee borne without punishment When God had marueilously preserued for vs our gracious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth set her in her Fathers seat being brought vp from her tender yeres in the instruction of Gods trueth shee tooke aduise of her most honourable Counsell Nobles and learned of the Realme and especially such as were most forward in religion and with consent of all the States of this Realme by law receiued confirmed and established the manner of Gouernment and other orders of the Church now obserued The learned men that yeelded their aduise and consent to the same were those reuerend godly persons that came lately out of banishment from the schoole of affliction could not so soone forget their Lorde God and the zeale of his trueth namely Master Cox Grindall Sands Horne Pilkington Iewell Parkhurst and a number of other vvho vvere after chosen to be bishops and executed those offices without grudging or repining of any vntill about the tenth yeere of her Maiesties raigne the curious deuises beganne to be more common Since vvhich time by the countenauncing of some they haue greatly increased in strange assertions now be come almost to the highest The reproches therefore that are giuen to this State by these Libellers touch not onely the Bishoppes but the Prince the Counsell and the honorable woishipfull wise and learned of the Realme As for this question of Church-gouernment I meane not at this time to stand much on it For let them say what they lust for any thing that hath beene written hitherto touching it it is sufficiently answered Onely this I desire That they will lay downe out of the worde of God some iust proofes and a direct commandement that there shoulde be in all ages
doubt of their consciences which neuer doubted before Many strange Assertions either plainly false or as Paradoxes true in some rare and extraordinarie sense haue beene by sundry persons and some of them well learned vttered and taught to the troubling of many mens mindes and specially such as were not able to reach to the depth of them As for example that it is a grieuous offence to kneele at the receiuing of the Communion A gentleman of good countenaunce hath affirmed to my selfe that hee woulde rather hazard all the land hee had then bee drawen to kneele at the Communion An heauie burthen to lay vpon a mans conscience for an externall gesture The doctrine of the Lords Supper hath bene so slenderly taught by some that a number haue cōceiued with themselues that they receiue nothing but the externall elements in remembrance that Christ died for them And these their cogitatiōs haue they vttered to other to their great misliking Priuat baptism yea publike also if it be ministred by one that is no preacher hath bin so impugned as if it were no sacrament at all whereby questiōs haue bin raised by sundry persons what is become of them that were neuer baptized otherwise Or whether it were not necessary that all such persons as are certainly knovven not to haue receiued any other baptisme thē that was priuatly done ought not to bee baptised againe because the other is esteemed as no Sacrament The article of the common Creed touching Christes descension into hell contrary to the sense of all ancient writers hath bin strangely interpreted and by some with vnreuerent speeches flatly reiected These and a number of such other haue vndoubtedly bred great offence and wounded the hearts of an infinite number causing them partly to reuolt to Papistry partly to Atheisme and neglecting of all Religion as is seene by the liues of many to the exceeding griefe of all them that feare God and loue his trueth As I haue talked with many Recusants so did I neuer confer with any that would vse any speech but that he hath alleadged some of these offences to bee cause of his reuolting And some haue affirmed flatly vnto me that in seeking to presse thē to come to our Church and seruice we do against our owne consciences seeing our most zealous preachers as they be taken openly speake and vvrite that as well our seruice as the administration of the sacraments are contrary to the word of God I beseech Almightie God of his great mercie that he vvill open the eyes of them vvhich thus eagerly haue striuen against the present state of this Church to see vvhat hurt and hinderance hath come to the profession of the Gospell by these vncharitable and needelesse contentions And vndoubtedly if God moue not the heartes of the chiefe Rulers and Gouernours to seeke some ende of this Schisme and faction vvhich nowe renteth in pieces this Church of England it cannot bee but in short time for one Recusant that now is wee shall haue three if the increase of that number which I mention be not greater For I doe heare and see those things that it grieueth my heart to consider What hurt and trouble Satan hath at all times raised in the Church of God by occasion of dissention and discorde mooued not only by heretikes false teachers but also by them vvhich othervvise haue bene good and godly Christians the Ecclesiasticall Histories doe euidently declare What should I recite the Schisme between the East and West Churches for the obseruation of the feast of Easter vvhich continued a great number of yeeres and grevv to such bitternesse that the one excommunicated the other What shal I say of the Schismes and grieuous contentions in the East Church and especially at Antiochia and Alexandria betweene Paulinus and Flauianus Lucifer and Eusebius the Meletians and Eustathians all at the beginning good Christians and imbracing true doctrine And yet did they vvith great troubles eschevve one the others communion as you may reade in Epiphanius lib. 2. Theodor. lib. 1. cap 8. c. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 23. Sozom lib. 2. cap. 18. for the space of 80. yeres and aboue I omit the great strife betweene Chrysost of the one part and Theophilus Cyrill and Epiphanius on the other for the burning of Origens bookes They vvere all good and learned bishops and vve doe worthily reuerence their memory yet fel this matter so foule among them that because Chrysost vvould not consent to the burning of Origens bookes Theophilus and Cyrill vvould scantly euer acknovvledge him to be a lavvfull Bishop I mention not a great number of other like factiōs vvhich grew in the same age to the trouble and hinderance of true Christianitie as many godly and learned men did then complaine And sundry graue authours vvhich haue written in this our time and before iudge that these wayward contentions in the East Church vvere the chiefe causes that brought vpon them afterward the heauie wrath of God that tooke his Gospel from them and cast them into the tyrannie of Saracens Turkes as we haue seene novv these many yeeres A notable example to vs good Christian Readers to take heede in time and earnestly to pray vnto God that he will so blesse vs with his holy Spirite that wee may be all like minded hauing the selfe same loue being of one minde and of one iudgement that nothing bee done among vs through strife and vaine glory but that in humblenesse of minde euery one will thinke of other better then of himselfe that vve may growe together in one heart and minde against the common aduersarie to the glory of God and the promoting of his Gospel the safetie of our gracious Prince naturall countrey Of such discord in the church S. Basile grieuously cōplaineth When I was growen saith he into mans age often going into strange Countries fel into troubles I obserued and found that in other Artes there was great concord agreement betweene them that were the chiefe of those Artes and Sciences Onely in the Church of God for which Christ died and vpon which he had plentifully powred downe his holy spirit I saw great vehement discord aswell among themselues particularly as in things contrarie to the holie Scriptures And that which is most horrible I sawe them that are the chiefe of the Church so drawen asunder in diuersitie and contrarietie of opinions that without all pitie they did most cruelly teare in pieces the flocke of Christ so that if euer nowe it is verified that the Apostle speaketh From among your selues shall rise men speaking peruerse things that they may drawe Disciples to followe them The third cause and the principall of all other is that the ramping roaring Lion that goeth about seeking whome he may deuoure and watching all occasions to doe mischiefe in the Church of God hath taken the opportunitie of this Schisme diuision among our selues And therefore euer since that began he
hath not ceased from time to time out of his scholes and Nurceries to sende into this Realme fit instruments for that purpose Iesuites Massing-priests and Seminarie men such other of our owne nation as haue bene purposely by them corrupted which being armed with some shew of learning but specially with readines of tongue boldnesse of speech with some outward shew of holinesse in words haue mightily preuailed against the subiects of this Realme taking cōmonly reasons of perswasion frō the discord that is among our selues as by particular dealings with thē I haue learned The indeuours of these men haue taken the greater effect by one perswasiō which they principally haue vsed which is that they haue put into their minds a certain expectatiō of a speedy alteration change to be not only in religion but also in the state of the realme Their reasons haue bin that al the Princes Catholike in Christendom were entred into league by al means that might be to depose our gracious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and to set vp in her place the Queene of Scots when shee liued and then woe be to them that should be found in this lande to remaine in the fauour and liking of the Gospell of Christ which they blasphemously call horrible schisme and heresie which woulde bee reuenged to the vttermost To worke this deuise they were let to vnderstand what plots and meanes were made howe easie howe likely how certaine to come to passe within few yeeres yea moneths yea dayes For they confirmed the hearts of all them that bende to their perswasion with all hope that might be In so much that I knowe some that within these two yeeres were very forwarde in religion and not onely heard Sermons diligently but also were at sundrie conferences for their better confirmation yet within fewe Moneths with the certaine perswasion of this expectation were cleane caried away and so remaine peruerse and obstinate Recusants with the example thereof shaking the consciences of many other In these their wicked and deuilish practises against God and his trueth and against the state of this lande they were not a little imboldened by slacke and remisse dealing toward them The lawes were not executed the aduauntage was giuen to some that did fauourably compound with them Hereby I knowe by good experience that much harme hath bene done in diuers places They haue also comforted and imboldened themselues in this that mercie and fauour shoulde bee shewed them For this they can say that Christian Princes and Magistrates especially such as be Protestants by their owne doctrine shoulde shewe mercie and clemencie chiefly in matters of conscience But what a malicious hypocrisie is this to call vpon Christian Magistrates for mercie and fauour and they themselues in the meane time breath nothing but crueltie and blood in their hearts I graunt mercie becommeth a Christian Gouernour but not without seueritie of Iustice For seueritie stayeth a greater nomber then mercie and fauour allureth as August saith Sicut meliores sunt quos dirigit amor ita plures sunt quos corrigit Timor The greater part is alwayes the worst therefore Magistrates must take heede that mercie bee not turned into crueltie For as August saith there is Misericordia puniens Crudelitas parcens Obiection Faith say they is the gift of God it cannot be forced by any punishment by hardnesse and extreme dealing men may be made hypocrites but not religious yea they adde further that the Apostles vsed no such helpe of Princes power to bring men to the faith or to pull them away from errour Answere But these and such other like their Allegations are contrary to the word of GOD and iudgement of all the auncient learned Fathers and specially Saint Augustine who chiefly dealt against the Donatists in this and other opinions Reade the thirteenth and seuenteenth of Deuteronomie and see howe straightly God giueth charge for the punishment of them that seduce other from the true worshippe of God In Exodus hee sayeth Qui immolat Dijs alienis praeterquam Domino soli exterminetur Hee that offereth vnto any other gods saue vnto the Lord c. In the Nombers he that brake the Sabboth day was stoned to death that his example might not seduce other Paul in the Act. of the Apostles by the power of God strooke blind Elymas the magitian withstanding the trueth of God August in the 11. Tract vpon Iohn disputing against the Donatists by the example of Nabuchodonosor exhorteth Christian Princes to vse sharpe punishment against such persons as contemne Christ his doctrine If king Nabuchodonosor faith he gaue glorie to God because he had deliuered the 3. yong men from the fire and gaue vnto him so great glorie that he made a decree throughout all his empire which comprehended so many kingdomes how should not our kings be mooued which knowe not onely three yong men to be deliuered out of the fire but them-selues and all other faithful persons deliuered from the eternal fire of hell especially when they see Christ thrust out of the minds of Christians and when they heare it said to a Christian Say thou art no Christian Such offences wil they commit but yet such punishments will they not suffer For vnderstand you what they doe and what they suffer They kill mens soules but they are afflicted but in body They worke to other eternall death and they complaine that they suffer temporal death c. Againe the same Aug. De vi coercend Haereticis ad Vincent Epist 48. writeth in this sort My opinion was at the beginning that none should be forced to the vnitie of the Church but that we should endeuour to deale by the word of GOD by disputation by reasoning and perswading least happily of those which we knew to bee open Heretikes wee shoulde make counterfaite Christians but this mine opinion was not ouercome with the wordes of them that reasoned against mee but by the experience of them which shewed mee examples to the contrarie For first mine owne Citie of Hippo was obiected against mee which was wholly carried away with the opinion of the Donatistes and yet through feare of the Emperours lawes was turned to the Catholike vnitie Which Citie we now see so to detest that pernitious errour as if it had neuer bene among them And likewise diuers other cities were namely rehearsed vnto mee so that by experience I learned that my former iudgement was not right The first Christian Emperour Constantine vvriting to his Lieutenant Taurus It hath pleased mee sayth hee that in all the places and Cities all the Temples of the idoles should presently be shut vp and all wicked persons forbidden to haue accesse vnto them Our pleasure further is that all men shoulde forbeare their sacrifices If any such wickednesse shalbe committed let them be beaten downe with the reuengement of the sworde and their substance to bee seised vpon and brought into my Treasurie And in like maner the
trueth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie founde in his lippes he walked with me in peace and in equitie and hee turned many from their iniquitie but yee haue gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the Lawe ye haue corrupted the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of hosts therefore haue I made you despised and vile before the people These wordes of the prophet doe so touch our Bishops and clergie men if they be so euill as they are made as all sentences wherein the Prophets blame the Priests of their time doe touch euill ministers of the Church but howe they eyther specially nippe our bishoppes as it is thought or any thing pertaine to the proofe of the principall matter or reproouing of Preachers liuings by Landes I see not In deede this sentence of Malachy might bee rightly vsed against the pope his prelates which neglecting the whole dutie of Gods ministers both in preaching and liuing stayed themselues vpon the authoritie of Saint Peter and of succession as though the Spirite of God had beene bounde to their succession though they taught and liued neuer so corruptly For so indeede did these priestes whome Malachie reprooueth they neglected the true worshippe of God and yet woulde they bee accompted his good and true priestes because they were of the tribe of Leui with whom God had made his couenant that hee and his seede shoulde haue the office of the high priesthood for euer But Malachie sayth they haue broken the couenaunt on their part That our bishoppes and ministers doe not challenge to holde by succession it is most euident their whole doctrine and preaching is contrarie they vnderstād and teach that neither they nor any other can haue Gods fauour so annexed and tyed to them but that if they leaue their dueties by Gods worde prescribed they must in his sight leese the preheminence of his ministers and bee subiect to his wrath and punishment They knowe and declare to all men that the couenaunt on the behalfe of Leui that is on the behalfe of the ministers of God to be perfourmed consisteth in these three branches by preaching to teach the right way of saluation and to sette foorth the true worship of God to keepe peace and quietnesse in the Church of God and thirdly by honest life to bee example vnto others These branches of the couenant if our bishops and preachers haue corrupted and broken they haue to answere for it before God and their punishment will be exceeding grieuous As for their doctrine I am right sure and in the feare of GOD I speake it will hazard my life to trye it that all their enemies shall neuer bee able so to prooue it but that it shall bee founde sincere and true so that I doubt not but God him selfe will beare witnesse with them as hee did with Leui that Trueth is in their mouth and as touching their doctrine no iniquitie founde in their lippes For they doe both teach the trueth according to the Scriptures sincerely and confounde the errours of the Antichristian Church learnedly and truely They therfore that speake so much against them may seeme lesse to regarde this part of their obseruing the couenant of Leui then the duetie of Christians requireth But I trust our mercifull God will fauourably consider it and beare with some other their imperfections in them I pray God wee bee not lighted into that time that men haue itching eares and can like no preachers but such as clawe their affections and feede their fantasies in vanities and newe deuises The couenaunt of peace they keepe also liuing in vnitie and peace among them-selues and studying so much as they can by teaching and by good order to keepe it among other And that is no small cause of their misliking at this time because they being in some place of gouernment according to their dueties striue to represse those which by vntemperate zeale seeke to disturbe the Church and to giue cause of faction and disorder by altering things externall in a setled and refourmed state As touching their liues and conuersations according to the Lawe of God as before I haue said if I must iudge according to that I knowe I must thinke the best because I know no ill Though there bee imperfections in some things if men woulde charitablie consider in what time wee liue and whose Messengers they are and somewhat withall descend into their owne bosomes and lay their owne dueties before their eyes I thinke surely they woulde iudge of them more christianly then many doe Obiection But they will say that according to the wordes of Malachie God sheweth his iudgement against thē for their wickednesse because hee hath made them so contemptible so vile and despised before all the people for say they wee may see how all men loath and disdaine them Answere It must needes be true I confesse that Malachie spake of the Priests of his time but I doe not take it to be alwayes an vnfallible token of euil Priests and Ministers or a certaine signe of Gods displeasure towarde them when the people do hate disdaine and contemne them I see more commonly in the Scriptures that it is a token of vnthankefull stubborne and hard-hearted people which smally regarde the worde of God and therefore also mislike his ministers Elias Micheas Amos and other Prophets were smally esteemed you knowe among the Israelites Esay Ieremie Ezechiel were euen of as small credite and estimation among the lewes It may appeare so to bee seeing Esay signified that they lilled out their tongues in mocking of him and other of his time And I am sure you knowe the fauour and entertainement that the Apostles had also among the same people I trust then you will not say it was a token of naughtie and corrupt Ministers or of Gods iust iudgement against them for they were the right and true Prophetes Apostles and Messengers of God and yet were in great hatred and misliking of them that thought themselues to be the people of God It may be surely and in deede I thinke it to be very true that God hath touched our bishops Preachers with this scourge of ignominie and reproch for their slackenesse and negligence in their office And I pray God they may take this mercifull warning and shunne his greater plagues But I must say withall as Christ sayeth of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifice and of them vpon whome the Tower of Siloe fell Doe you thinke that they onely are sinners nay I say vnto you if you do not repent you shall all taste of the same sharpe iustice If God punish his Ministers he will not suffer the other vntouched Now the time is come that the iudgemēt beginneth at the house of God and if God punish those that he sent with his worde what will hee doe to them that vnthankfully receiue his worde THAT this matter of Ecclesiasticall mens liuings
The dispensing with Banes for money pag. 100. The Sale of Christian libertie in Marriages pag. 103. That they make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for money pag. 108. That they maintaine an vnlearned Ministery therby be occasion of Reuoltings many other mischiefs to the Prince and the Common weale But it is declared that there is no such vnlearned Ministery as they pretend and therefore can not bee an occasion of Reuolting or any other like mischiefes but that there bee other true and right causes to redresse of which it behoueth them that God hath set in place in time to haue speciall regarde for feare lest those mischiefes that be pretended doe increase pag. 109. c. The Crime of mainteyning Pilling and powling Courts pag. 135. The Crime of abusing Ecclesiasticall discipline pag. 141. The Crime of ambition and griedie seeking after Liuings and promotion pag. 144. That Bishops are carnally disposed which they shewe by hoarding vp great summes of money by purchasing Landes for their wiues and children by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded Cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable Fines and Incomes pag. 148. That the Prince ought to take away their great Lands and Liuings and set them to meane Pensions that in pouertie they may be answerable to the Apostles pag. 157. which they take vpon them to prooue by the whole course of the Scriptures pag. 162. The Lawe pag. 166. The Prophets pag. 177. The example of Christ pag. 190. and the doctrine of his Apostles pag. 221. Answere to the prescription of the old Lawe vvith the true meaning thereof pag. 166. Ansvvere to the Allegations out of the Prophets noting hovve absurdly and affectionately they be abused pag. 177. c. Answere to the example of Christ and the true doctrine that is to be taken of the same pag. 191. c. Answere to the doctrine of the Apostles declating hovv the same is rightly to be vnderstanded pag. 221. A Declaration how Ministers haue bene maintained from the beginning wherein is shevved that they haue had both Lands Houses Rents and Reuenues pag. 231. c. A Declaration that the wealthie state of the Church vvas not y e chiefe cause of setting vp Antichrist in his Throne as it is pretended but that the Histories of that time do declare other causes of more importance which also beginne to growe among vs and therefore good heede to be taken in time pag. 238. c. ¶ AN ADMONITION to the Church and people of England to take heede of the contempt of those Bishops and Preachers which God hath sent to them as messengers to bring vnto them the doctrine of their saluation WHen I call to my remembrance the loathsome contempt hatred and disdaine that the most part of men in these dayes beare and in the face of the vvorld declare tovvarde the Ministers of the Church of God asvvel Bishops as other among vs here in Englande my heart can not but greatly feare tremble at the consideration thereof It hath pleased God novv a long time most plentifully to povvre dovvne vpon vs his manifold great benefits of vvealth riches peace and quietnesse euen in the middest of the flames of discord dissention and miserie round about vs yea and that more is by the space of these thirtie yeeres by the continual preaching of the Gospel hath called vs vnto him as before time he called his chosē people of the Ievves by his Prophets and yet do vve not only not shevv any sound token either of our returning to him that called vs or of our thankefull receiuing his worde which he hath sent vs or of conforming our liues thereunto as hee willeth vs but also euidently to the eyes and eares of all men shew our hatred and misliking of those reuerend persons whome it hath pleased God to vse as his messengers to call vs vnto him and as his instruments to bring vnto vs the glad tidings of the Gospel which before with sworde and fire was taken from vs. For who seeth not in these dayes that hee who can most bitterly inueigh against Bishops and Preachers that can most boldely blaze their discredites that can most vncharitably slaunder their liues and doings thinketh of himselfe and is esteemed of other as the most zealous earnest furtherer of the Gospel Yea they thinke it almost the best way most ready to bring themselues in credite and estimation with many A lamentable state of time it is wherein such vntemperate boldnesse is permitted without any bridle at all What man therefore that feareth God that loueth his Church that hath care of his Prince and countrey can remember this thing and not dread in his heart the sequele thereof When the Israelites derided and contemned the Prophets which God had sent among them his wrath was so kindled that hee brought the Assyrians vpon them to their confusion When the tribe of Iuda did the like to Ieremie and other messengers of God they were cast into the captiuitie of Babylon When the Iewes reprochefully vsed Christ and with vvicked slaunder persecuted his Apostles that brought to them the light of saluation their Citie and Temple vvas burned their people slaine and as Christ threatned their countrey made desolate and giuen ouer to the spoyle And shall wee thinke that God vvill not remaine the same God tovvard vs Is his minde changed is his iustice slaked is his hand shortned that either he wil not or cannot reuenge as he hath bin wont to doe No good Christians let vs neuer deceiue our selues with such vaine and godlesse cogitations God remaineth alwayes one and is not mutable His benefits to the Israelites and Iewes were neuer greater then they novv these many yeeres haue bene toward vs they were neuer more earnestly eyther by Gods blessings allured or by preaching called to repentance then vve haue bene And yet our vnthankefulnesse in some respectes is greater then theirs and our vncourteous vsing of his messengers not much inferiour yea if the willes of many were not brideled by Gods singular grace in our Prince and gouernours it is to bee feared it woulde shewe it selfe as outragious as theirs did We haue iust cause therefore to feare the like plague which they in like case sustained And surely it cannot bee but that it hasteneth fast vpon vs. Obiection But some will say I knowe That I doe great iniury to the Prophets the Apostles and other messengers of God to compare them with such wicked men such blinde guides such couetous hypocrites such antichristian Prelates such symonicall Preachers as our Cleargie men now are Answere I doe not compare them good Reader in worthines of grace and vertue but in likenesse of office and ministerie These haue brought vnto this realme the same light of the Gospell the same trueth of doctrine the same way of saluation that the Apostles brought to the people of God in their time They are the mouth of God whereby hee speaketh to
vs and calleth vs to his knowledge as hee did his chosen by other in the Primitiue Church And howsoeuer by the libertie of this time it pleaseth men in the heate of their spirite to boyle out with reprochfull choler against them yet I am sure they are not able to vse more bitter and vncourteous speech then the like affection vttered against the Prophets against Christ himself and his Apostles as after more euidently shall appeare I knowe they being but fraile and sinfull men in comparison of those blessed Saintes of God beforetime may giue more iust cause of reproche and minister more matter to euill tongues then they did And yet I doubt not but the tenth part of that euil that vnthankefull mindes vtter against them shall neuer be found to be true They that haue the feare of God will not rashly iudge of other and christian charitie will hide the blemishes and faultes of their brethren and specially of the preachers of the gospell sincerely teaching Gods trueth Charitie woulde consider that the times are dangerous and that wee are lighted into these corrupt and perillous last daies whereof Christ prophecied in the Euangelists and therfore may thinke our selues thrise happy if wee haue tollerable Ministers though they bee farre from that rule that Christian perfection requireth These dayes bee like the times Nazianzen writeth of When they heare any thing spoken of a Minister or Priest they by and by conceiue that of all which is reported of one And wee are become a Theater not to Angels and men as that Champion Saint Paul saith But wee are become a Stage to the most vile and abiect men at all times and in all places in the Streetes in Shoppes at Tables at feasts at Councels euen to the very playing scaffoldes which I speake with teares and are scoffed at euen of the vile and contemptible players c. The time was saith Caluine when no man durst open his mouth against the Ministers or Preachers of the worde But nowe there is no speech more plausible None of these base persons would speake a word if they did not see themselues backed by men of great authoritie and receiue reward for so dealing Such vntrueths woulde soone vanish and bee forgotten vnlesse they were nourished by them for whose pleasure they were deuised It may be hardly thought that the true zeale of God and loue of his Gospell is in that heart that can easily breake out to the discrediting of the ministers and teachers therof They woulde rather sigh in their hearts and groane in their consciences and pray vnto God in the spirit of mildenes to take away such blemishes from the face of his Church and to amende the faults thereof if not all at once yet by little and little as to his gratious prouidence might seem best For surely where hatred and contempt of the ministers is there all goodnes must needes growe to confusion And that maketh mee to feare that to our great euil the ruine of the gospell is at hand among vs. For where God is loued and feared there his word is imbraced and his ministers reuerenced This is the cause of all euil sayth Chrysostome that the authoritie of spirituall gouernours is decayed no reuerēce no honor no feare is vsed toward them Obey your gouernours saith Paul and be subiect to them But now al things are ouerthrowen cleane confounded Neither speake I this for the gouernours sake but for your owne And a little after He that honoureth the Priest honoureth God and hee that despiseth the Priest by little and little falleth to this also that he will vse reproch against God himself He that receiueth you sayth Christ receiueth me And in another place sayth the Scripture Haue his Priestes in honour Hence commeth it sayth Cyprian that the bonde of the Lordes peace is broken Hence is it that brotherly loue is violated Of this cause is it that trueth is corrupted vnitie is broken that men leane to Schismes because Priestes are slaundered Bishops are enuied and euery man either complaineth that hee is not ordeined rather then another or else disdaineth to haue another aboue him c. The Iewes were esteemed to despise God because they made so small account of his seruant Moses And to Samuel saith the Lord They haue not despised thee but me Yea if it be an euill Minister sayth Chrysostome yet God marketh that for his sake thou doest reuerence and obey him that is not worthie honour of himselfe and therefore will he pay thee thy rewarde If he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet receiue the rewarde of a Prophet it cannot be that he that reuerenceth and obeyeth his ordinarie Minister shall want his reward Christians should remember that Bishops and Preachers are the Angels of God the Ambassadours of Christ the Ministers of our saluation and therefore that they can not be slaundered or abused but the reproche must touch God himselfe Esay sheweth when the vnthankeful disobedient Iewes did mocke the Prophets did put out their lips and lell out their tongues in disdaine of them that God was dishonoured with the reproch there of Happily it will be doubted whether our Bishops Preachers bee the ministers and messengers of God or no. Yea some dare affirme boldly that indeede they be not But good Christians beware of such cogitations as displeasant and misliking affections may raise in you If they be not the ministers and messengers of God if they bee not sent of him then it is not the message of God that they haue brought vs it is not his worde that they haue taught vs they be not Gods Sacramentes that they deliuered vnto vs and so doe a great nomber of vs remaine as no Christians Though they were such vnworthy persons as the vnthankfull mindes of many doe imagine them or as the vncharitable tongues and pennes of some of late time haue blazed them yet bringing nothing vnto you but Gods will out of his holy Scriptures for in deede they haue not done otherwise howsoeuer their doctrine be defaced you shoulde assuredly bee perswaded that they are the instruments of Gods blessing vnto you Although they that be superiours saieth Chrysostome and Gouernours were euill and spotted with manye faultes yet shoulde not the Disciples withdrawe them from their instruction For if Christ speaking of the Doctours of the Iewes that because they sate in Moyses Chaire they were worthie to bee hearde of their Disciples although their woorkes were not commendable what fauour are they woorthie of which contemne and trample vnder foote as it were the Prelates of the Churche which by Gods goodnesse liue moderately If it bee a foule matter for one to iudge an other howe much more is it vnlawful to iudge their Maisters and instructers Baalam was a couetous prophet and yet by him GOD blessed his people Nowe surely if you haue receiued at their handes the blessing of Gods trueth
repressed they thinke it better to beare with some imperfections then by attempting great alterations in so dangerous a time to hazard the state both of the Church and of the Realme And the like toleration in some meane things I vnderstand vpon like consideration hath bin vsed in other churches reformed beyond the Seas Obiection An other crime is obiected not onely against ishops but against all other of the Clergie that is Ambition and greedie seeking after liuings and promotions If a benefice fall voyde say they then rideth hee then writeth hee then laboureth hee then inquireth he who can doe most with the Patrone And if hee be a Lay-man then at the least a reasonable composition will serue And if the Bishop haue the gift then Master Chancellor or Master Steward or my Lords Secretarie or my Mistresse his wife must helpe to worke the maâ—ter Answere Doe you not see how this malicious spirite passeth ouer all the good giftes that God hath in these dayes bestowed on a number of learned men to the great ornament of this land and of purpose onely to deface the Church taketh holde of those imperfections and blemishes which the corruption of mans nature specially in so perillous times and so large a Church must needes worke in a number Well writeth Basile Quemadmodum vultures c. As vultures or carren Rauens flie away to stinking carcasses and passe ouer many sweet medowes and many sweete sauouring places And as the flies shun the whole and sounde places of the body and rest only vpon scabs and soares out of which they suck matter to norish them euen so the enuious malitious and backbiting spirite passeth ouer all the ornaments worthy commendations of the liues of meÌ„ carpeth biteth at those things that he findeth worthy blame This Realme of England neuer had so many learned men nor of so excellent gift in deliuering the word of God It is the greatest ornament that euer this church had For my part surely I do reuerence and maruell at the singular gifts of God that I see in many But these things bee wincked at and passed with silence and the ambitious doings of some few brought in as matter to discredite the whole number of Preachers Diogenes seeing the cleanly furniture of Plato his house got vp vpon his bed and trampled on it with his dirtie feete saying Calco fastum Platonis that is I contemne tread vnder my feet the pride of Plato True it is quoth Plato sed alio fastu with another pride worse then mine So these men in rebuking ambitioÌ„ reach at an higher authoritie and power then any bishop in England hath or will vse Ambition I knowe and confesse is very wicked hath euer beene a perillous instrument of the deuil to make mischief By this he drew our first pareÌ„ts to the disobedience of the commandement of God perswading them not to be conteÌ„t with that happy state that God had placed them in By this he incensed Corah Dathan and Abiram with other to rebel against Moses and Aaron By this he thought to ouercome Christ when hee sawe he could not preuaile by other meanes By this he hath always raysed discorde dissention rebellion warre and tumult not onely to the troubling and disquieting but to the shaking and ouerthrowing almost of all common weales that euer haue beene and thereby also hath wrought the murther and destruction of an infinite number of the creatures of God By this he hath froÌ„ time to time raised many schismes heresies in the Church of Christ By this vndoubtedly I thinke he worketh no small euill nowe at this day in this our Church of England But what then Doe they thinke that if the bishoppes landes and the rich liuings of the Cleargie be taken away that they shall extinguish Ambition in the heartes of the ministers Was there no Ambition in the Church before that bishops had lands or before preachers had so large liuings No man can so thinke but they that are ignorant of the ecclesiasticall histories What was the first root of the troublesome schisme of the Donatists Whereof sprang first the heresies of the Nouatians at Rome What gaue the first occasion of the pestilent heresie of the Arians What maintayned and continued it was it not Ambition and seeking of preheminence But what shoulde I number vp any more examples Fewe schismes and heresies in the Church but had their beginning out of this roote And many knowe that a repulse of a dignitie desired was the first cause that our schisme brake forth hath so eagerly continued Surely though I confesse that I see and knowe in our church more corruption that way then I am gladde to beholde and so much especially in some kinde of Ministers as I praie GOD by some sharpe order may bee diminished yet this I dare stande to iustifie that all the enemies of the bishoppes and better sorte of the cleargie shall neuer be able to proue notwithstanding the daunger of this corrupt time that there is at this day in this Realme such heauing and shoouing such canuasing and working for bishoprikes and other Ecclesiasticall liuings as I will declare vnto them to haue beene in the ancient time aboue a thousand yeeres since in the best state that euer was in the church from the Apostles age vnto this time That there is no Ambition vsed among vs as I haue saide I dare not affirme but surely if there bee any there can be no Ambition on the one part but there must bee corruption on the other therfore let them looke vnto themselues that haue authoritie to bestow the liuings The best sorte of the ecclesiastical liuings are in the disposition of the princes authoritie And those honorable that haue to doe therein and are counsailers to her Maiestie be not so vnwise but they can espy Ambition in him that sueth and laboureth for them And if they do perceiue it they are very greatly to blame if they suffer it to escape without open shame or other notable punishment and thereby bring suspition eyther vpon themselues or vpon those that be about them As for the corruption in bestowing other meaner liuings the chiefe fault thereof is in patrones themselues For it is the vsuall manner of the most part of theÌ„ I speake of too good experieÌ„ce though they may haue good store of able meÌ„ in the Vniuersities yet if an ambitious or greedie minister come not vnto them to sue for the benefice if there bee an vnsufficient man or a corrupt person within two shires of them whom they thinke they can draw to any composition for their owne benefit they wil by one meanes or other finde him out And if the bishop shall make curtesie to admitte him some such shift shall be found by the lawe either by Quare impedit or otherwise that whether the bishop will or no he shalbe shifted into the benefice I know some bishops vnto whom such sutes against