thē by crosse carriage towards them And then no maruaile they cast out a dart for the least creatures haue their splen and their gall And this I will tell you further if shee can draw her sting back againe thē all is well enough with her howsoeuer she haue tickled her molestor But if she leaue it quite behind then through want of choser to inflame her vnto duty she becommeth a drone and loiterer liuing vpon the spoile of others All which may put vs in mind First that a Christian is to be zealous in a good cause but so as he ouershoot not the compasse of his owne good Secondly that a man ouerlashing in zeale doth finally grow to be as cold as a clocke a plaine loiterer liuing vpon the vndeserued paines of others For extremity of zeale ordinarily is turned into extreame security We are therefore to spend our zeale to day as wee may be feruent in the Churches quarrell to morrow Malcon A wise obseruation and godly Medioc Now sir when such a one becomes a plaine loiterer they want not discipline and that a sharp one for procéeding with such a party marke these two bées you shall haue a present instance sée you how that blacker bee is got vpon the iacke of the other sée how she tugs her forward now she tūbles down with her from the stone now she flies vp againe hauing left the other for dead Malcon Surely she is dead indeed Medioc Whia this was an idle bée and seeing shee would not worke as the Apostle vrgeth she shall not eate amongst them May not both Church and common wealth learne from hence that it is shame to suffer loiterers to the consumption of their labours Now sir marke againe how some come forth to fly about for more prouision Others againe see how they come with their thighes laden with matter for effecting of hony And in the third place obserue how some others help to beare in their burthen From hence may wee not learne that as euery Christian is to haue his calling and therein to bee painfull so the stronger are to support the weaker one bearing anothers burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ Malcon How dull haue I beene in contemplating the workes of God! Medioc Now sir all these maintaine Vnity in the bonds of peace and so their small beginnings increase to a mightie lump whereas on the other side the greatest things by discord and dariance do come vnto nothing Furthermore as they haue a gouernor to goe in and out before them so they do camp round about his person as willing to be slaine before y◠their anointed be touched And may not the obseruation hereof bring confusion of face vnto such as not only make away but also themselues ioyne in traiterous violences against the Lords annointed our dread Soueraigne king Iames Besides how may it plainly demonstrate the leaud spirits of some Zeloists who being called to inuiron the Church as the Tribes with their tents in the wildernes inuironed the Sanctuary are not onely not such but in deede and in word and in writings incompasse her with firebrands setting all on fire Though the Lord had his holy fire in the Temple yet it was the Diuels wild-fire by Nabuchadnetsar that set the Temple on fire Malcon Wel now I perceiue that the smallest creatures do go before me in obedience to their Creator Reuerend sir as I heartily thanke GOD for the good I haue this way already receiued so I beseech you to giue me patient hearing while I propound my soules sorrow vnto you and that shal be in so fewe words as I can I haue sinned against our Church mightily I am afraid in hauing bin vnto her not a Bee but a spider in drawing all into the euill part for nourishing my poisonfull iudgement My humble desire is that in propounding some doubts which yet as stumps remaine behind vnpulled vp you would vouchsafe vnto mee some reasonable resolution Medioc With all my heart and the Father of Christ Iesus exhibite a plenteous blessing Malcon Amen I beseech him The first question is how may I be assured that the ministrie of our Church is one with that ministry which Christ left vnto the ministration of the new Testament that is of the Gospel or glad tidings through Faith in Christ opposite in respect of the forme of iustification to the workes of the Law The doubt ariseth First from their diuersity of titles the one called Bishops and Deacons the other called Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops Priests Parsōs Vicars Secondly our Bishops seemto haue greater dignities prero gatiues in the world thē the other had Medioc To the first I answer The house of Ioseph made no separation from their master nor the Iewes from Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah howsoeuer Pharaoh altered the first and Nebuchadnetsar gaue bad ones to the second Names are not of the essence or being of things otherwise false Christs should bee true Christs and false Prophets true Prophets because they be inuested with y◠commendable titles of Christ and Prophet And yet no such euill in our names for what is Archbishop but chiefe ouerseer Lord Bishop a ruling ouerséer Priest the corrupt word of Presbyter as Bishop of Episcopos signifieth onely an Elder which phrases of Bishop and Elder were giuen to the Apostles also The first in respect of ouerseeing Church or Churches the second in respect of their yeares sufficiencie before they entred into the worke of the ministry As for the terme Parson you may call him Pastor if you will the Law giues you leaue the terme Parson arguing rather the nature of his Maintenance then of his Office The same may be said of Vicar also and therefore hee that in Lancashire said God hath giuen me a liuing and the diuell hath giuen me a name argued therein more precipitate zeale then sadnes of learning I wonder why Phanatique spirits so well as at this do not brabble with their Parents for giuing and with themselues for bearing such names as Richard Robert Roger Hercules Diana Mar-prelate for so one was baptized and these thousands moe be not onely not in the Bible but many of them rapt from heathen Poets what not But they haue litle to do that will contend with their owne shadow Secondly for the greater dignities prerogatiues which our Bishops haue in the world I answer the Apostles had right to far greater dignities then ours be possessed of the Apostle had right to euery vineyard hée planted to euery flocke hee had fed and that is right to maintenance from multitudes of Churches and countries If it be replied y◠Apostles had it not no not y◠Arch-apostle S. Paul I answere y◠was not because it was not their right but because the people would not giue vnto thē their right If here it be obiected but our Bishops haue not so laboured and conuerted y◠people from whom they haue such dignities I answer the first
neuer enter into the Apostles true meaning which now after these fewe words of yours are so plainly euident as the Sunne at Noone-daies God haue the praise for it I beseech your patience sir a little longer for my further assurance in the faith In the next place somewhat touching the forme of the Letany Phrases and Clauses I know there besūdry which some except against but hee that brings Charity with him I doubt not may with the Bee gather honey where the Spider conuerteth all into poison The like may bee said of exceptions against some other praiers But that which seemes to bring with it some equall exception is the many repetitions of one and the same thing as Good Lord deliuer vt c. wee beseech thee to heare vs good Lord c. Medioc I know that some doe call this often Repetition by the name of vain-babling as if our Sauiour in Math. 6. had condemned it Our Sauiour there doth not cōdemne Repetitions simply but Respectiuely that is as himselfe there expoundeth when mē thinke that for their so doing they deserue to be heard of God Otherwise doing it not with perswasion of merit but with a simplicity of heart to God ward wee doe but as our M Christ himselfe did in the Garden who three times ouer repeated the selfe same praier to his father Or as the Prophet doth in Psalme 136 whose burden of his song is For his mercie endureth for euer and this 26 times together euen so oft as there be veries Malcon Stay good sir. The point is plaine enough but I haue beene as an horse and mule void of vnderstanding and to the blind Suns light is but darknes till scales fall from Pauls eies by the Ministery of Ananias There is one question sir which is as Goliah not able to be remoued Medioc And yet little Dauid with a small pebble-stone may knock downe the monster Bring him forth of the cāp of the Philistins and see if his owne sword cut not off his owne head Malcon GOD giue the truth to preuaile timelily with me and all his people Then this it is How shall we subscribe to our translation of the scriptures namely that it containeth nothing Repugnant to the word Medioc I answere something in the translation may bee diuers to the Originall and yet not Repugnant to the word Nam diuersa non sunt opposita vnderstand you that Malcon Very well and most true it is Medioc Secondly I answere by another Question can there be any subscription in this life made vnto any one Churches translation Malcon Surely that must needes bee else there will neuer be any vniformity or orderly communion where euery one shall be left to their owne priuate interpretation and meaning Medioc What should let then that there cannot bee a subscription to our Church Malcon Because some learned in the tōgues doe find some wants in it Medioc By that reason there can bee no subscription to any Translation Greeke Latine English or any For what trāslation that I say no more euer was there is there or euer shall be which shall not sauour of mans weaknes Tell me is there any Church so priuiledged in this life as she shall not erre Malcon Doubtles no. And therefore the whole Congregation of Israel had her sacrifice appointed for sin done of Ignorance Leuit. 4. 13. Medioc Then it vnauoidably followeth y◠either subscription is due to euery true Churches translation or else to none at all And if to none at all then much lesse to the Pastors sermons or to the churches constitutions or Articles seeing all these doe depend vpon the iudgement of men also which haue their wants and Ignorances Malcon It must needs be so Medeoc This puts mee in minde of one who within these fewe yeares said thus vnto mee what if I poue that there is no true bible c God tooke him soone after away I hope for his owne good but sure I am for the Churches good Good friend our mother church knowes what shee doth herein but these excepters are blinde in their manner of exception leading the high-way vnto Atheisme For thus they must argumentate No lawfull subscription in such sort as our Church vrgeth can bee made to any Translation in any thing dissenting from the Originall But euery Translation in some things dissenteth from the Originall Therefore no Translation to be subscribed to as our Church vrgeth Then hereupon will followe 1 No such subscription is due to any Bible sauing to the Hebrew for the Old testament the Greeke for the newe 2 These Not-subscriptors besides may ioyne with some Romanists séem to haue as lawfull exception against the said Hebrue and Greeke also If they know what I meane in this thē let them be ashamed of their ignorāt péeuishnes If they know not then with the Apostle I say Let the ignorant be ignorant 3 Not to say any thing of our Sauiour some others of his Disciples Then they will bring the credit of S. Luke into question who introduceth S. Stephen saying that 75 soules went downe into Aegypt whereas Moses mentioneth only 70 soules Nor can Beza deny but that all Greeke copies hee met with doe read 75. As also the Syrian and Arabian and the Latine with Ierome and Augustine And herein indéede to speake only what is probable S. Stephen followed the Greeke translation of the old Testament called the Septuagint of the 70 or 72 Rabbines that translated it so at the request of the Egyptian King Ptolemy Philadelph which translation in our Sauiours time was most vulgar best knowne to the Iewes thēselues And therfore followed of S. Stephen that I speake nothing of others nor yet here what the Septuagint might intend by 75 nor how in very many places they differ from the Hebrue 4 Then neither may there be such Subscription to any Sermons Articles of faith Ecclesiastique constitutions Leitourgie or the like For mā failing in his worke vppon the Canon or Rule of faith then likewise if not much more he is like to faile in his maner of building vpon that rule of Faith yea not only in maner but in the matter also 5 Then necessarily followeth that no such subscription is at all to bee made but euerie mole is left to dig in the earth as pleaseth his owne blindnes And in such libertie they may go shake hands with Segnior Li bertino and of Libertines become Atheists and of Atheists Diuels incarnate This is not M. Perkins his golden chaine but the black chaine that leadeth and draweth vnto perdition And thus is it not euident that men then begin to be phrenetike when they begin to be fantastique and the despising of the mothers counsell is of God punished with extream blindnes Malcon Oh Lord how haue I been mislead by Sathan All seemed faire that I followed But now to thy praise O God I more and more see that it was but Sathan transformed
had to do with meere Infidels without the Church but ours with Christians within the visible face of the Church and therefore no such cause nor néed But as the Apostles hauing ordained Presbyters or Priests to euery Church for yâ— néere ouer sight thereof did notwithstanding care for all the Churches and visite them as opportunity was offred so it is yâ— duty of ours and their maine duty If any one faile herein Est quidem error personalis non legalis the fault is in the person not in the function confirmed by Law As for their Prerogariues what haue they wherein the Apostles exceeded not If they incarcerate persons by authority deriued lawfully from our Prince a thing which Infidelious Princes would not coÌ„mit to yâ— Apostles nor yet to any ChristiaÌ„ is therfore yâ— sword vnlawful to a ChristiaÌ„ in the roome therof the King of kings collated a farre greater power vpon them In so much as thereby S. Paulâ—mot â—mot Elymas the sorcerer with blindnes and S Peter smote Anamas and Sapphira with present sodaine death When the times begun to be ordinarily Christian then the Lord tooke away that extraordinary prerogatiue and conferred vppon his Church the ordinary meanes for protection and correction of bodies A weake despised Church they would haue her who being destitute of extraordinary power would haue her robbed of that which is ordinary also The Prophets could foretell that Kings of the earth should bring their honour and glory vnto it and these cannot abide it Yes they will say we would haue the Church not her ministry to haue it I beleeue it they would haue themselues and their lay children euected and the ministry deiected Euen as they expound that precept Tell the Church to bee tell Tom Tynker tell Dick Cullion tell Ione the oyster-wench with all the rest of their Ignorants such a Sanhedrim the Iewes neuer had so yâ— bringing of glory and honour vnto the Church must not be at all or almost not at all to the ministerie for they be but vassalls but to her Laicall members as being the only vessels capable of glory honour They would haue all power and dignity in their owne hands that so the ministery standing both in Need Awe of them they might be topped and ouertopped at their pleasure not daring once in their Sermons to touch their corruptions as they wold not haue their good Masters and good Dames to withdraw their Almes from them So indeede it would come to passe as it did in Ezechiels time wee should be glad to preach for a crust of bread and an handful of barley Malcon Indeede sir I must needes say it would come to no better Experience euery where will giue testimony vnto it But I beseech you sir another question how shall wee cleare that the Surplice is not an Idolothyte Medioc By the definition of an Idolothyte for an Idolothyte is whatsoeuer is dedicate or consecrate to an Idoll by way of deuotion But none of our Surplices haue been so deuoted therfore none of them Idolothytes If any can fetch out a Surplice that hath beene by the Papists consecrated to their Idol-idle masse such a one may be termed an Idolothyte and it skils not though it were burnt As for ours they be not such though like to such no more then the Animal-offerings of Israel vnder the lawe were Idolothytes howsoeuer like to the oblatioÌ„s of Aegypt out of which they made their exode and passage But that which is more if the idolatour had abused it may I not vse it The Apostle teacheth otherwise vnto the Corinthians he layes downe the case thus Of cattle offered vp to the Idols some part comes to the offerers and from them sometimes that part comes to the flesh market Some infidell buyes of it dresseth it and sets it before thee Let thy coÌ„science make no scruple to eate of it how soeuer it was Idolatrized for as the earth is the Lords not the Diuels so the fulnes thereof is his and created for the vse of his Yet this prouiso withall If any one at table with thée doe pointe at it and say certainly this is an Idolothyte I like it not then because of his conscieÌ„ce not because of thine let it alone for the Lord hath things know besides in the earth for thee to feede vpon Otherwise thou eating of it and giuing thankes to God for it why should another speake end of thee Hence it is plains that the children of God may lawfully vse any creature in the earth howsoeuer it haue beene by others prophaned Only in case of anothers weaknes he is to forbeare euen from his owne right This Prouiso I know is the maine of all their speech who kéepe such a stir about the poore garmeÌ„t but in pressing this prouiso they must take with them this they must confesse themselues to bee but as yet very yong Christians and not fitted to be Pastors ouer flocks of people no more then they were fit for ministeriall function which were but Neophyts newly come from heatheÌ„ Idolatry vnto Christianity for such were they of whom the Apostle speaketh And then it will followe first that they haue sinned in medling with the strongest function in the congregation being but as yet nouices in the faith Secondly that they deserue to be sharply censured for making their people weaker then they â—ound them who at first could brooke the Garment well but now must 〈…〉 as if it were an Idolothyte And if they say they knowe their owne Christian liberty therein but many about them will be offended I answere there be none about them that can as the former Neophyts plead tollerable infirmity All about them be Christians borne of Christian parents in the profession of Christianity for some thousand yeares and vpward Let them sée to it then if such their exception doe not growe not from infirmity but from wilful péeuishnes as willing to stick rather in their owne preiudged opinion then to â—eeled forward vnto Christ. With the Apostlo to the Colossians I say thus If they be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though they liued in the world are they burdened with traditions as touch not taste not haÌ„dle not wee say to shew the liberty wherewith Christ hath made theÌ„ free they ought to weare it They answere that they may not We say besides the former reason the Christian Princes commandement propounding it but as a garment for seemelines and order it ought to moue their conscience to the vse of it They answere it doth not PropouÌ„d what we shall they still with the superstitious Colossians doe returne vs a not as if their only study were to crosse Christ to crosse a Christian King and to crosse the Churches affirmatiue with their Ethelothreskia their Negatiue Not. Malcon I wonder how reading that place to the Corinths so often as I haue so well as this last to the Colossians I could