Maiestie their honors and the Bishops may be assured hereof Or will they promise this on the worde of a faithfull minister that they will exercise their ministerie no otherwise But why then do they it not For there is no other thing required of them and it is their dutie so to doe it But what especiall regard of the peace of the Church publike orders if they had libertie to exercise their ministery according to their consciences is it likelie that our brethren would haue wheÌ„ as they were restrayned only for the abuse hereof being restrayned do thus disturbâ— the peace of the Church the publike orders of the same Yea all their especiall regarde and drift is against the publike orders And if nowe they should thus be with fauour allowed to exercise their ministery according to their coÌ„sciences what would our brethreÌ„ then spare to do against these publike orders I maruel therfore how they can thus coÌ„fidently say it is impossible but that they shall exercise their ministerie c. Whereas it is both against all sense and reason yea plaine impossible to bee graunted to them without we would with all graunt vnto them all their desires and deuises in these controuersies For the residue of this conclusion we say in part with our bretheren also Wherefore most Christian reader when thou shalt by these fewe take knowledge of these things which are contayned in this preface and in this Learned discourse praye vnto God for vs and as thy place is and so farre foorth as accordeth with thy dutie therein sollicite and furder so iust a cause as that the peace of the Church the publike orders gouernment established be not preiudiced to this end only that Christs kingdome may be perfectly established the consciences of all the godly quieted the happy regimeÌ„t of her Ma. honored with much peace ioy and quietnes both at home among vs and that it may ouerflowe to thâ— reliefe comfort and good example of other parts of Christes Church that are distressed in forraine countries To the which effects good Christian Reader cal vpon God our heauenly Father in the name of his sonne ouâ— Sauiour Christ for the illumining of his holie spirit that thy iudgement being not foreâ—talled in these matters and yet being desirous to sée the trueth and to search out the bothom of these doubtes thou mayest bee able to discerne the spirites aright to resolue and staye thy selfe on the very grounde of trueth in all these questions And so a Gods name enter nowe into the perusall and considering of this learned discourse The first booke of this defence against the learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment The argument of the first Booke THE first booke is of the principles of this learned discourses platforme of the Churches gouernment of their partition thereof into a Tetrarchie of 4. estates Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons and of their necessitie and perpetuitie of the perswasion to leaue our own Estate and embrace the Estate of our neighbors and of their putting back the treatise of the Christian Princes supreame Gouernment in Eccl. causes and their reasons why they will not first treate there-on vntill they haue before assigned vnto all and euerie of these 4. Estates all their places with their seuerall and ioynt offices and authorities wherein is shewed not only what daunger and iniurie is offred vnto Christian Princes but also with what vnworthie contumelies and sclaunders they are reiected to the ende of this Learned discourse A learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernement prooued by the worde of God THis is the Title commendatorie of this booke besides the other title which they set before it A brief or plaine declaration concerning the desires of al those faithfull ministers c. But because this later title liked them better our brethren take the former part of this title prefixe ouer euerie leafe of all their treatise this commendation A learned discourse of eccl gouernment I referre the iudgement of the learning to the learned Me thinketh our brethren should haue done better to let the discourse commende it selfe whether it be learned or vnlearned vino vendibili non â—pus haedera But what soeuer the reader can iudge of learning let him stil haue his ayme to this point that is here auouched but not likewise set vp ouer euery leafe proued by the word of God For beit learned or vnlearned proue that we yéelde And if our brethren proue it not by the word of God then we craue of them that they will cease these contentious discourses and not stande so much vpon their learning But both their learned discoursing of Eccl. gouernment and their prouing the same by the word of God shall appeare God willing to the Reader by the discoursing The Church of God is the house of God therefore ought to be directed in al things according to the order prescribed by the housholder himselfe which order is not to be learned else-where but in his holie word The first of these principles or propositions is the very worde of the holy Ghost vttered by Paul The second followeth necessarily of the first The third is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes On these thrée principles our brethren lay their ground of al their learned discourse Which being rightly vnderstoode and building well vpon them are verie good principles or rather propositions as they terme theÌ„ Of this first is saide ynough alreadie concerning Dauids comparing him selfe to the stone in the corner of this mysticall houses building And most gladly we admit this our brethrens testimonie for the same as the verie worde of the holy Ghost vttered by Paule and that this house of God which is the Church of the liuing God is the piller and ground of truth Because it alwayes vpholdeth and maintaineth the trueth both in this matter of eccl gouernment and in all other so farre as is necessarie to saluation Albeit Christe in principall properly and absolutely is the onely ground and foundation of this house And heere by the way sith by this testimonie of S. Paul the Church which is the house of God is thus the piller and ground of the truthe If this gouernment that our brethren vrge be so necessarie and of so great moment to the house or church of God then is it likely the the Church of God though it hath not alwaies and in all places yet for the most part of time places or at leastwise in some ages and places had this gouernment maintained kept it or striued for it or else belike it was not thought so necessarie The second principle they say followeth necessarily of the first And so it doth which seconde was this and therefore this Church
successe that in steede of true doctrine followed all maner of corruptions of the same At leastwise this is a readie way to make it to haue folowed For we must here againe temper mollifie this peremptorie spéech Sithe God be praysed it hath not so folowed in the whole Church euerie part therof neither in the whole corps of doctrine and euerie part thereof as ignoraunce heresies Idolatrie superstition c. For then the faith of Christe had vtterly sayled contrarie to the promise of Christ Matth. 16. and the gates of hell had preuayled against his Church these Good intentes I graunt hauing doone much hurt euen in all places at leastwise in one thing or another And likewise I graunt that on this occasion among others the Discipline degenerated into intollerable tyrannie and externall domination Whereof ensued all vnbridled licence of vngodlie liuing Howbeit wheras you conclude saying To be short the exchange of the ordinance of God and Christ brouâ—â—t in nothing but the Deuill and Antichrist This is somewhat too short a conclusion on this matter and too sharpe also to impute all this to the exchange of the ordinance of God and Christe Yee spake before of good intentes of men contrarie to the good pleasure of Gods will expressed in his holie woorde And if yée meane such exchange of the ordinaunce of God and Christe you say something but to vs or to this present question betwéene vs nothing But if you thinke that the Churche of God is so necessarilie and perpetuallie tyed to all those Offices which eyther God meaning the Father or Iesus Christe his sonne our Lorde being God also did eyther himselfe ordayne or the Apostles or the Churche in their dayes ordayned that shée can-not let goe some of those offices and bring in other some still retayning those that are by Christe and his Apostles ordayned to be perpetuall in his Churche this is a great errour in you For God himselfe ordained all the Leuiticall and sacrificing Priesthood and other offices no we cleane ceassed And Christe whom ye will confesse to be God also did his owne selfâ— ordayne Apostles and Euangelistes c. And these were the principall offices that were established and yet euen these are ceassed and gone also So that here we sée the manifest exchange of the ordinance of God and Christ. And wil you conclude straight waies hereupon Is there a change of the ordinance of God and Christ Then to be short it brought nothing but the Deuill and Antichrist Yea but will you say you take vs now too shorte for we meane not such changes as God and Christ made but such changes as men make of good ententes contrarie to the good pleasure of Gods will expressed in his holie worde Well if that be your meaning what is that to vs Or else how doth your argument followe For God be blessed none of all these vnhappie successes are hapned yet to vs and I hope and pray that God will blesse vs still from them Haue not we the onely and whole doctrine of Gods trueth Doe wée maintaine anie errors No themselues can not denie it I report mee to these Learned discoursers owne testimonie in their Preface that we differ not in matter or in the substance of Religion which hath in diuerse assemblies abroade and at home beene disputed resolued and nowe publikely maintayned for our true and holy faith If then we mainetaine the true and holy faith and differ not from themselues as they say in substance of Religion can these spéeches be charitablie or truely applied vnto vs that we bring in or maintaine nothing but the Diuell and Antichriste Or doe we bring in or maintaine the Deuill and Antichrist So hardly vnder the name of the olde Fathers these spéeches runne against vs their Brethren whom they confesse to agrée with them selues in doctrine and who is this Antichrist that they meane If it bee the Pope haue not we driuen him out and all his errorâ— and professe and Teach the only truthe of God And if we teach the truthe haue we the Deuill Or rather may we not say with our Sauiour Iesus Christ both in our defence we haue no Deuill and demaunde of you If wee speake the truth whie doe ye not beleeue vs O Brethren take héede of such bitter spéeches as prepostorous and eager zeale howbeit grounded on good entent made the Iewes breake foorth against Iesus Christe with such reprochfull tearmes as these are And although these Discourses quotation here 2. Thess. 2.12 be both impertinent to the matter in hande and also to the proouing of the bringing in the Deuill and Antichrist and least of all as we trust in God shall any whit touch vs yet sée here with howe sharpe a censure they be alleaged against vs which wordes are these that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truthe but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse But sithe by their owne confession wee are so farre from pleasure in vnrighteousnesse that we both beleeue and professe the truthe so well as they or any other doe we more repose our selues vpon the mercie and righteousnesse of God then that we feare to be damned for these thinges or for the rash iudgementes of our Bretheren For whie to those that be in Iesus Christ there is no condemnation And if God iustifie vs who can condemne vs But what is now the conclusion of all this drift Wherefore if we minde such a reformation as shall be acceptable to God and profitable to his Church we must throughlie be resolued to set vp no newe kinde of ministerie of our owne inuention neither for teaching nor for discipline in the Eccles. state but bring all thinges to that most perfect and absolute order which God himselfe hath established by his worde We haue indéede minded such a reformation And God be praysed for it who gaue vs the minde that he hath giuen vs the meanes also to doe the thing we minded And we beléeue the Church of Englande for the publike state thereof hath such a reformation as is acceptable to God and profitable to his Churche And would be yet more acceptable vnto God more profitable to his Church if it were not for such vnnecessary schismes and hindraunces of our Brethren And if among vs beeing reformed from the Popish errors and abuses there remaine any particuler defectes or personall faultes they also being conuinced so to be may be reformed in such good order as shall not be preiudiciall to the gouernement and reformation that is established And if we must as these discoursers say be throughly resolued to set vp no new kinde of ministerie of our owne inuention neither for teaching neither for discipline in the Ecclesiasticall state Surely then for any thing I sée we must be throughly resolued not to set vp either the officers for teaching whom these men call Doctors or the officers for
and enricheth the word wherby the word becoÌ„meth effectual to animate enrich the element without ascribing vertue to the bare word Is it not theÌ„ of sufficient vertue to baptize clense the infant wheÌ„ besides the element of water these words In the name of the father of the sonne of the holy Ghost that Christ hath coÌ„maÌ„ded those to vse which are his ministers appointed therunto besids the promise there declared of washing away our sinnes of newnes of life and that we shal be saued which promise where Gods spirite worketh by his worde is annexed to the element is not all this sufficient and effectuall to baptise an infant except a sermon also heereof be made at his baptisme Nay though he that were to be baptized were of ripe yeares to heare vnderstand and beleeue all these thinges yet sithe that he is not to be on a suddaine baptized before he be catechized in a sufficient vnderstanding and beleeuing both of all the mysteries of that sacrament and of all the necessary articles of our Christian faith shall wee say that euen then when such a one should come to be baptized hee must haue also a sermon made vnto him at the celebrating of this sacrament or else the element of water is but a worldly a dead a beggerly element and the word neuer so plainely pronounced is but a magicall murmuring And what if there be yet besides al this a godly and learned forme also most plainely expressing all the pointes conteyned in that mysterie and that all the couenant betwixt God and vs be so fully expressed that the best preacher in the worlde cannot in effect say more and all this so clereset out that all of vnderstanding may vnderstande it shall it yet be saide that the element is héere dead and beggerly and separated from his life and spirituall riches And all this haue we besides godly learned homilies and many other sermons set out for that purpose yet all this will not serue our Breth without a sermon preached at that instant And for the supper of the L. haue not wee likewise most pithie godly exhortations before we approch vnto it with prayers and thankesgiuing and publike confessions the whole institution also layd foorth before vs when we come thereto And the wordes of Christ not vsed with a magicall murmuring nor any such vertue ascribed to the wordes but all to Christ the instituter and to the vertue of his death and passion whom and whose passion we recorde and take the elements with the word in remeÌ„brance of him of his body giuen for vs of his bloud shed for vs shew foorth his death by this action feeding by faith in our harts on his flesh and bloud as effectually truly in spirituall manner as our bodies féede on those bodily elements and that hereunto these elements are coÌ„secrated as holy liuely signes pledges to confirme our faith relyin at 〈◊〉 the promise of the same our Sauiour that by eating his fleshe drinâ—â—ng his bloud we shal haue life euerlasting And all this is clearely set out eueÌ„ as it is conteyned in the scripture gathered together in so excellent disposed a forme as all the world cannot amende nor is inferiour to any of our Brethrens formes Yea all thinges considered our forme is farre more conuenient for vs than is any of theirs to enflame confirm our faithes in our Sauiour Christ in the merites of his passion to make vs repentant of our sins to comfort vs in the forgiuenes of them to knit vs in loue and charitie all to God in a communion with Christ our head in the communion of saintes one to another to prouoke vs to leade a new life to offer vp to God a spirituall sacrifice of our soules and bodies besides that of our lips by praysing glorifying God for all these benefits sealed vp thus vnto vs in these mysteries of our Sauiour Christ and withall vnfolded vnto vs by this so cleare setting out of all these thinges that euery coÌ„municant may vnderstande them and be moued by them And can now our Breth say if they wil say the truth that here wants the promise and worde of God and that it is separated and not set forth that heere is but a dead beggerly element that here is but a part and that but the outwarde part of the sacrament and so no sacrament as the bodie of a man without the soule which animateth and giueth life to the body is not a man but a dead corps And dare our Brethren beyonde all this be thus bolde to demand what can it be better than sacrilege For if it be no better than sacrilege then is it no sacrament at all We dare not burden the Papists so farre for their baptizing notwithstanding all their incantations superstitious toyes and materiall additions to the element of water besides their daungerous errours about baptisme that the baptisme which their Popish and Idolatrous sacrificers ministred no what heretike soeuer he were so long as he and they obserue the forme and matter of baptisme by our Sauiour Christ prescribed we dare not say they are not baptized at all and take vpon vs to baptize them againe nor I thinke our Brethr. dare attempt it or auouch it And can they auow these spéeches then of our baptizing now that kéepeth the méere and simple institution of Christ without any of those corruptions Howe farre more modestly writeth Caluine in his 265. Epistle Rogant quidam c. There are certaine that inquire if it were lawefull for the Apostles at the houre of prayer to ascende into the temple and moreouer for Paule to performe the solemne rite of sanctificatioÌ„ why may not we also intermingle prayers with the Papistes We must first holde this that the prayers which were in vse among the Iewes were pure formed to the lawes prescription Neither yet if the Papistes did conceaue a pure forme of praying would I make any religion to enter with theÌ„ into the â—eÌ„ple But nder became not them to ioyne theÌ„selues vnto their assembly that had â—deâ—â—fied Christ I answere a godly holy action is not corrupted by the vice of the men As I am wont to say that If all the Angels were present at the Masse they are not able with their holynes to clense the filthinesse therof Nor yet again are al the deuils able with their presence to bring to passe that the holy supper when it is celebrated according to the institution of Christ should not reteyne the puritie thereof Since therfore we haue the very institution of Christ both in his supper and in our baptisme so clearly set forth as we haue séene shall the ministers insufficiency to preach the things the he after so good a forme prescribed both to him vs declareth be such a pollution that these holy sacramentes should be defiled
for we receiue not Philip for a Christian Emperour and long time after there were Christian Emperours euen as long as any puritie continued in Religion vntill both Emperours and Synodes were thrust out of all lawfull authoritie which they ought to haue in the Church by the tyranny of Antichriste I graunt the Synodall authoritie to bee graunted to the church by our Sauiour Christe to be practized by his Apostles and to bee continued by their successors three hundred yeares not before there were any Christian Emperours but before there were any such Christian Emperors as onelie proclaimed the maintenaunce and profession of the Christian faith as Constantine his successors did For Constantius Chlorus the Father of this Constantine the great is commended by Eusebius lib. 8. cap. 14. in these wordes Not long after Constantius the Emperor passing all others throughout his life in clemencie and goodnesse towardes his subiectes singularly affected towardes Gods worde ended according to the Lawe of nature the common race of his mortall life Leauing behinde him his naturall sonne Constantinus Emperour and Caesar to supplie his room And was first related of them meaning the Heathen into the number of the Gods Enioying after his death all imperiall honor and dignitie due to his person In his life hee was moste benigne and of most bountifull soueraignty among all the Emperours who alone of all the Emperors in our time gouerned most gratiously and honourablie during the whole tearme of his reigne shewing humanity and bountifulnesse vnto all men no partaker by anie meanes with any presumptuous sedition raysed agaynst vs hee garded the Godly about him in securitie without sentence of gilt and without all contumelye hee destroyed no Churches hee practized no impietye that mighte bee preiudiciall to oure Religion He obtayned a blessed life and an end thrise happy He being Emperour alone ended this life both gloriously and peaceably in the presence of his naturall sonne and successour who also was moste prudent and Religious His Sonne Constantinus beeing proclaymed full Emperour and Caesar by the armie and long before by God him selfe the vniuersall King became a follower of his Fathers pietie in Christian religion All this his commendation writeth Eusebius who was also liuing in his dayes And to confirme this he telleth also lib. 1. De vita Constantini cap. 11 Howe he fayned that he woulde put all the Christians which would professe their religion out of their offices and preferre the Paganes But when they which were Godlie Christians gaue vp their offices and chose rather to leaue their honors then to leaue their profession of the Christian fayth hee embrased them and those which offered to deny Christe to kéepe their dignities hee vtterly remooued from his person affirming that they woulde neuer be faithfull to the Prince which were vnfaithfull to God Whereby it appeareth that he was a true and Godly Christian Emperor Whereupon Eusebius concludeth that not onely he himself but his subiects also did enioy by him a pleasaunt conuersation in holinesse and deuotion towardes God Hee banished out of his Court Idolaters and dissemblers in religion and hee receiued and iudged those moste worthie to bee about an Emperour which confessed Gods trueth commaunding such to haue the guard both of his person and Dominion Hee serued and worshipped the onely true God Hee condemned the multitude of the Gods that the wicked had Hee fortified his house with the prayers of holy and faythfull men and hee did so consecrate his pallace to the seruice of God that his housholde was a congregation within his pallace hauing Gods Ministers and whatsoeuer is requisite for a Christian Congregation And although our Brethren peremptorily doe say wee receyue not Philip for a Christian Emperour yet wee haue hearde howe Eusebius telleth that though at the first hee was not of the Church of Christe so receyued by reason of his notorious sinnes neuerthelesse on his repentaunce and confession hee was at length receyued into the assemblie of the Christians at Rome euen as a Christian and of consequent as a Christian Emperour except the Christians woulde haue denied him to bee Emperour because hee was become a Christian. In-déede hée coulde not such was the iniquitie of the time then make open profession of his Christianitie or if he began it he was too soone cut off But this impediment was no debarre vnto his right if hee had had such time and occasion as had Constantine But had there bene no Christian Emperors before Constantine the great yet were there in other Countries mo Christian Princes besides those that were the Emperours of Rome yea to goe no further than this our owne Countrie was not here King Lucius a Christian besides other Christian Princes after him To which Lucius also as wee finde in aunciâ—nt recordâ— thereof a letter was written by Eleutherius Bishop of Rome anno Dom. 202. in these wordes following You required that we should sende you the Romane and Emperiall lawes that you might vse them in your kingdome of Brytannie But those lawes we may disprooue and not the lawes of God You haue of late through the goodnesse of GOD receaued in your kingdome the fayth and lawe of Christe you haue there in your kingdome both the Testamentes out of them by the grace of God and the aduice of your Realme take you a lawe and thereby Gouerne patiently your kingdome You are in your kingdome the Vicar of God according to the saying of the kingly Prophet The earth is the Lordes and his fulnesse is the whole worlde and all the dwellers therein And againe thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherefore GOD euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse abâ—ue thy fellowes They are the kinges children Christian Nations and people of your kingdome that liue and consist vnder your protection peace and kingdome according to the scripture euâ—n as the Henne gathereth her chickensvnder her winges The people and Nations of the kingdome of Brytannie is yours Such as are deuided you shoulde gather them together vnto the lawes of Christe vnto his holie â—hurch vnto peace and concorde And you should cherish mayntaine protect gouerne and defend them from the iniurious from the malitious and from the enemies of them VVoe to that kingdome whose king as a chilâ—e and the Princes eaâ—e early in the mourning I do not call the king a child for his youth and minoritie but for his follie iniquitie and madnesse according to the kingly Prophet the bloudthirstie and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes By eating we shall vnderstande gluttonie by gluttonie luxurie by luxurie all silth wickednesse and mischiefe as sayth king Salomon wisdome will not enter into a malitious soule nor inhabite in a bodie thrall to sinne A King hath his name of gouerning and not of his kingdome So long shall you be a King as you rule well Otherwise you shall not so be
the present age when they conclude thus that they either desire this or the like forme to be receiued Can this present age or doo theirselues in this preset discourse see the vttermost of these indefinit desires of the like till they shall further open it or till experieÌ„ce the mistresse of fooles shall reueale it They saie that the reformation which they desire hitherto for lacke of such a publike testimoniall meaning as this learned discourse hath beene subiect to infinit sclanders deuised by the aduersaries of Gods truth and hinderance of godlie proceedings vnto reformation If our brethren haue cause to take offense for sclanders as they say deuised against their reformation doo they not see here what a foule and intollerable sclander they cast vpon all the professors of the Gospell that are not of their opinion in this their deuised reformation to terme vs the aduersaries of Gods truth that fauor the truth of God as much by the grace of God euen for their liues as they Are we not their brethren in the profession of the Gospell Haue they not confessed that in substance of religion we agree and it is resolued publikelie mainteined for our true and holie faith Were we thus professors of Gods truth in the preface of this learned discourse andare we now in the peroration of the same the aduersaries of gods truth Indéed in the verie first title to the booke of this forme discoursed vpon they began roughlie and set it out to serue for a iust apologie as they said against the false accusations sclanders of their aduersaries there also they mentioned sclanders and false accusations and called vs aduersaries All which were heauie words and a rough beginning of such as are or should be brethren It was but malum omen to stumble on such foule terms at the verie threshold it did prognosticat we should haue some storms and so we haue had indéed in passing through this learned discourse and yet this is but a mild booke in comparison of manie other of theirs albeit our brethren haue not béene verie meale mouthed but haue vsed verie brode language God wot and all the world maie see too vnséemelie for ministers faithfull ministers learned discourses against their brethren in Christ for no greater matters than these are But we haue borne them off with head and shoulders as well and with as much pacience forbearance as we mought saue that we haue turned againe now and then for our necessarie defense and laid I trust in modestie before our bretheren onelie how ill they haue doone therein and how the most of the same sclanders were such stones cast as could rebound But now when we haue got out of the whole plotforme and building of this learned discourse bearing off all the blowes taunts in the seuerall lodgings of all these new Eccl. officers and thought now on the backside of this building all had béene past and doone naie soft we shall haue like farewell to our hansell yea where we were called before but their aduersaries we shall now be driuen out with another maner of peale as not onlie hinderances of their proceedings to reformation but to all the present age that the posteritie maie know it too as a perpetuall blot of infamie we are now hissed out cried out vpoâ— not for their aduersaries onlie but for the aduersaries of gods truth they complaine of our false accusations and infinit sclanders to let go all their other complaints on vs this one is vnum prâ—mille To whom shall we complaine of this so apparant vntrue and withall so hainous an accusation made on vs It deserueth indéede for the indignitie thereof to haue shaken our garment with silence as cléere therefrom to haue gone our way But because it toucheth God his truth in which case we maie yet at least returne saie with Christ our sauiour ego daemonium non habeo we are not the aduersaries of Gods truth It is vntrulie and vnbrotherlie spoken neither toucheth it vs alone but all the holie and ancient fathers in the primitiue church whom we haue plainlie shewed to be of the same opinion in all or the greatest of these coÌ„trouersies that we defend in our own daies present age it spotteth the fresh memorie of our late godlie fathers Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper Ferrar Philpot c. all blessed martyrs and all that consented vnto them and diuers reuerend godlie Confessors of later memorie as Bishop Iuell Horne Pilkinton Grindall Cox Bentham Parkhurst and others which were all notablie known both on this side and beyond the seas to be great professors of gods truth and no lesse earnest impugners of the aduersaries of the truth of God And albeit they liked not these desires and deuises of our brethreÌ„s forms of reformation yet for their great learning and sinceritie in the gospell the most notable men of late in the reformed churches beyond the seas doe highlie honor them and thinke and speake well of them giuing full testimonie of their liking Yea both Bucer and Peter Martir two chéefe lights and pillers of Gods church in these our last daies forsooke their owne countries and all other reformed churches liued vnder the forme of reformation of this our English church with all due reuerence both to the state than being to the bishops then liuing without any impugning or defacing of theÌ„ Yea Caluine himselfe as we haue shewed alloweth well both of the ancient bishops and Archbishops before the tyrannie and eâ—rors of the pope began and of the bishops of these daies to continue still in their bishopriks so they be professors of Gods truth and not aduersaries to it How vnaduisedlie then is this spoken of our brethren and how reprochfullie to call our Bishops and all vs that ioine with them the aduersaries of Gods truth Could they bestow any fouler terme vpon the rankest of al the Papists or vpon the Pope himselfe For they indéed are the aduersaries of Gods truth And so S. Paule saith 2. Thes. 2. of that man of sin son of perdition which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God And this terme as a parting blow for a token of remembrance our bretheren vouchsafe to giue our bishops vs to be the aduersaries of Gods truth this is too too bitter zeale Mors in olla there is Coloquintida in this pot that boils ouer such froth Gods truth is not in this accusation no brootherhood of Christ no linke of loue no bond of peace no bowels of mercie no affection of compassion but all of passion in this too blacke Rhethorike But it sufficeth vs to cleare our selues GOD forgiue it our bretheren and wée doe And whereas withall they burthen our Bishops and vs that we are an hinderance of godlie proceedings vnto reformation this is another great vntruth and sclander These procéedings indéed of our bretheren our Bishops and
could haue so neglected For who were these godly fathers And how long haue they neglected this forme of our Brethren if at least they euer knewe or heard or dreamed of this or any such forme like to this Verily euen all the godly fathers that haue beene in any age from the time of Christes being here on the earth euen downe till our time are these our godly Fathers And this is no smal preiudice to these sonnes that woulde nowe thrust these thinges vpon vs and accuse all our godly Fathers in neglecting their duetie rather than they woulde leaue their contradiction against eyther vs their Brethren or against their prince and Magistrates or against their and our godly Fathers of any ages passed heeretofore that they might leaue behinde them as a perpetuall publike testimoniall to their and our children and to all posterity an example of their contradictions and contentions And thus with this good report of our godly Fathers and with this good publike testimoniall to the posterity of the age present and with this carefull example for our children to bee nourished vp in his contradiction and to deliuer it as their inheritaunce to their children and childrens children while the worlde continueth after them they breake off and ende all this Learned Discourse and with this charitable affection and quiet mind to vs and to our forme of Ecclesiasticall gouernment established they conclude yet a greate deale better with a finall wish and as it were a prayer to God Wherein so farre as the same tendeth to the glorie of God to the more manifest reuealing of his trueth heerein to the acknowledgement of our sinnes and imperfections to the humble and heartie begging of his mercie grace consolation and vnitie of his holy spirite not to the confirming of the forme that they haue here prescribed nor to the defacing of the forme of Eccl. gouernment alreadie in this his Church established we ioyntly say with them and craue of them also to repete their owne wordes and to say with vs and all of vs altogether with heart and voice The Lorde graunt for Christes sake that wee beeing all of vs so farre from anie perfection in this moâ—tall life but rather as the holie Apostle sayth 6. Hebr. being ledde forwardes towardes that according to the commaundement of our Master Iesus Christ we may be perfect as our heauenly father is perfect God may open all our eyes to see the same and not be blinded in our owne conceits and bend our harts earnestly to labour to attaine thereunto by all such godly and lawefull meanes as is aunswerable to our vocations And in the meane time so farre as wee haue attayned to be thankefull to God for the same and vnder him to all them whome hee hath made the instrumentes whereby wee haue attayned thereunto And not to bee weariâ— thereof and seeke innouations but with all constant alacritie of going forwarde both in synceritie of true religion and in sanctification of our liues and in due obedience to our most gratious Soueraigne and vnder her Maiestie to all our Ecclesiast ouerseers and ciuill Magistrates and to all the godly lawes Eccl. or politicall of this our Church and Realme of Englande that we may proceede all by one rule that we may be all like affectioned to seeke the glorie of God and the peace of his Church and to builde vp the ruines of his temple and not to hinder the building by controlling or defacing the builders thereof by vnnecessarie contradictions and by deuising of newe platformes but that with one heart and with one voice we may prayse the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe in his holie temple which is the congregation of Saintes in the holy Ghoste and prayse the sonne also which is the same our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ and together with the Father and the sonne praie the holy ghost the comforter to leade vs into all truth and to sanctifie both our soules and bodies with all holinesse and righteousnesse according to the rich and plentifull measure of his grace in this life transitorie and to glorifie vs in his life eternall All which and all those other thinges whatsoeuer his blessed will and heauenly wisedome seeth most requisite for his glory for our saluation and for the ceasing of these contradictions that wee may be all truly vnited vnto him and in him be reunited one to another he of his infinite mercie vouchsafe to graunt To whom thrée persons and one Almightie God the king euerlasting immortall inuisible and God wise onely be all honour and glorie all dominion and power all prayse and thankesgiuing both nowe for euer and for euermore And so vnto this our Brethrens prayer thus a little and I hope without offence augmented I beseech them and all our other Brethren and sisters in Iesus Christe let vs all take withall vppon vs the good Clerkes parte and ioyne in the closure by vnfeynedly pronouncing the Amen Amen good Lorde according to thy good will Amen So be it Faultes escaped Pagina 19 line 17 Read these 158 l. 14 to 163 l. 42 them â—98 l. 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 227 l. 26 of 239 l. 11 sacrificer 244 l. 38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 243 l. 2 vnlearned 256 l. 38 is 258 l. 12 imposed 268 l. 11 your 276 in margin antiquitie 277 l 41 praefectum 284 l. 13 likely â—0 l. 31 represse ib. is it 293 l 36 ingendred 305 in marg dele of Ieromes 323 l. 41 returned to 332 in marg not Euangelistes 341 l. 5 it 346 l. 20 dele not 347 l. 16 not 348 l. 3 no long 364 l. 37 greater 368 l. 7 ordaine 378 l. 27 so foorth 389 l. 13 sith 405 l 37◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 40â— in marg forbiddeth not ib. l. 39 dele from 419 l. 6 confused 427 l. 29 Theoctistus l. 31 dele Bishop l. 33 twentith 428 l. 36 yea 432 in marg praefatus est 433 l. 27 28 superintendents 441 l. 2 pontifex are yet he 444 l. 6 dele the. 451 marg Math. â—3 454 l. 16 17 If there had beene no primacie there had beene no loue of it for Ignoti nullâ— cupidopunc 457 l. 3 Collegues 467 l. 18 member 473 l. 11 as farre ib. l. 36 that he 505 l. 40 haled 526 l. 22 expell 534 l. 21 suffice 541 l. 36 seale 568 l. 15 as 569 l. 15 that 571 l. 16 or 575 l. 42 principles 610 l. 12 so 611 l. 27. concent 612 l. 24 the. 633 l. 34 wee 665 l. 25 no. 681 l. 32 representeth 694 l. 21 that 703 l. 13 shee 704 l. 10 is not 711 l. 30 Batilidis 721 l. 15 with 726 l. 8 no superiour 728 l. 40 of his 732 l. 2 virilis 740 l. 36 the. 742 l. 5 Alexandra 749 l. 41 powers 759 l. 19 he 784 l. 39 which is 797 l. 28 or 812 l. 32 eâ—conuerso 820 l. 29 with 826 l. 37 dele not 827 l. 6 confusion 829