that crue nor yet of rouing preachers which preach quarter sermons nor of stipendarie curates that vnbrideled vntituled cleargye I shoulde say but that the liuings of the former might be â—estowed vpon the maintenance of the righte ministerie and the latter to be no longer an vnprofitable burden to the churche And further such prouision being made there shal be no nede of such dignities as they call them nor of qualifications for many beneficeÌ„s as pluralities trialities totquors and I wot not what conferring of benefices or prebends vpon bishops to amende their liuings forsothe All thys good commeth of the erecting of a right ministerye besides the faithfull discharging of so greate a charge as the feedyng of Chrystes flocke is And also thys I say it is so farre of that anye can take vyon him the charge whych our Lord Bishops do as they say one of them to be parson pastor they seme to meane of a whole diocesse moste diocesses containing diuers shires yea and some one of a prouince containing many diocesses that in deâ—de it is in manner too much for one to take charge of one only parish and to say truth if euery parysh were able as it wold be prouided for by restoring impropriations by augmenting of the liuings by ioyning moe paryshes in one if euerye paryshe I say were by some suche meanes made able it were meete euery paryshe had two pastors at least bothe for the common charge that lyeth vpon the shoulders of the pastors and for sondry vses that theyr congregations haue to employ them vpon or cheefely bicause in the sycknesse of the one the other myght supplye And the pastor or pastors being ryghtly called maye not be put away but for such causes and in such sort as was sayd before nor he or they maye not leaue their charge for he or they haue a necessyty * of tarying on theyr charge laide vpon them with their charge except by the good order oâ— the churches it be thought expedieÌ„t or when the shepe are wolues so they dryueÌ„ to flie froÌ„ them so y our resignatioÌ„s wil not staÌ„d with y word of god mâ—ch lesse wil our non resideÌ„ts abide y triall both seruing the couerousnesse of gredy bellied wolues the one to fleece wythout care of feedyng excepte it be themselues eyther in some chaplams roume or in some other stye to spare theyr labor where they should entende The other serueth hym that euer gapeth for a greater pray or to make mony when other shyftes sayle And further I wyll not excuse all those that eyther resygne or suffer them selues to be depryued to auoyde further trouble wythout consyderation of theyr flocke if the same conspire not generally against them seeing they oughte to giue theyr lyues for their flocke But thys is not thought to be so needefull nor in deede were so nedefull if to reade the scryptures the homilyes and the course of oure booke of common prayers were mough for then a boy of ten yeares olde may do the ministers office for the substance of their offyce is not in the yeares but in the reading And in deede boyes and sencelesse asses are oure common minysters for the moste parte for but common reason may serue thys turne and doe thys feat well mough It is in deede lesâ—â— busye then popyshe priestes seruyce bycause the kalender and the rubrikes of the booke are fewer and playner then his portuise and pie were so that lesse clarkes then popyshe priestes whych had but some blinde Latin in their bâ—lly may serue for our store therfore in deede the blindest bussarde of them if hee wyll keepe hys conscience to hymselfe nay he is not so narowly loked vnto if he wyll subscribe to our Articles of Christian religyon before hys ordinarye and blindely reade them at hys benefyces he shall not onely be seruing priest I vse their owne termes but he may haue one Benefyce or moe and nothyng shall nor may be sayde against hym and so he prouiâ—â— hys quarter sermons or pay his Ordinarie for that default and suche lyke he is as good a Pastor as the â—â—st And yet I thynke verely the laste Parliament saue thys meant very well in this respecte by a statute prouided in this case so that many a leud Priest of them if the Ordinarie had bene good not being corrupted by bribes or by their bribed offycers and seruaunts would haue bene remoued and the benefyces readye for better pastors but I can heare of none of few so badde but he is where he was and my Lorde Byshoppe hys great frende commonly for it seemeth by some of them that they sinâ—ll my Lords the Byshoppes meanyng is to make their hande nowe and to money themselues nowe and prouide for their wyfe and children somewhat honestly I will not say pompously for fear of after claps against a rainye day whatsoeuer tyme or change come and thys humoure these Priestes and all other Time seruers fâ—eâ—â— full handsomely and it serueth their purposes in deede fullye No no thys is not that mynisterie whych we haue neâ—â—e of and whych God erected in hys churche reading an Homilie is Popishe and sâ—nd whether they â—â—â—edes homilies or anye other auncient wryters homilies whych in tymes past vpon the lyke erroure were 〈…〉 sed so supplie the lyke lacke of preaching aâ— thoughe afterward they red them or sung them in an vn 〈…〉 tongue or they â—â— our bishoppes homilies in oure owne tongue for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing not by homilies but by the * worde of God in deede readyng of the word is as good and better preaching then readyng of homilies but the ministerie of faythe is the preaching of the same oute of the woorde of God by them that are sent of god How caÌ„ they preach except they be * sent as it is wrytten howe beautifull are the feete of them whych bryng good tidings of peace they must be sent of God endued wyth the gyftes of God furnyshed wyth hys graces vnto that ministerie that they may be able to bring the good tidings of peace and good thyngs to their congregations that their feete may be beautifull to them that they may knowe that they are iewels of God bestowed vpon hys churche that euerye churche may be assured they haue a treasure of their minister or ministers Thys is the ryghte way to bryng y ministerie into credyte and estimation their giftes giuen them of God theyr paynfulnesse and honest lyfe amongst their congregations not to make some of them Lordes Graces Earles Prelate and Register of the Garter Barons Suffraganes some of them ryche Deanes Archdeacons masters of Colledges Chauncellors Preâ—â—ndes rych persons and vicares and thoughe some of them be poore inoughe to gette them credite by their rochets hoodes cappes clokes tippets and gownes or suche lyke implements vsed by the * Phariseis whyche claimed hyghe roumes and made large borders
the seas as Geneua Fraunce c. And the only cause why our church differeth from the churches reformed of the straūgers or amongs our selues or they amongs themselues is because one church suffereth not it selfe so to be directed by the course of the scriptures as an other doth except it be in those things of order wherin one parishe may many times differ from an other wythout offence folowing the generall rules of the scripture for order as in appoynting tyme and place for prayers and so forth So that we are so farre off from singularitie wherwyth we are commonly charged that we desire to drawe by one line with the primitiue churche and the churches best reformed at thys day for we say there is but one * line throughout all coūtreis and at all times as the scripture speaketh there is one * body one spirite one hope one Lorde one fayth one baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through al and in vs all The persons and causes that are to deale and to be dealt with in the church are certayne and expressed in the scriptures The lyfe of the worde is the ministerie of the same howe shall they heare wythout a * preacher sayth the Apostle The former tretises therfore haue rightly spoken against the bastard idol and vnpreaching ministerie of thys church And therefore thys I say that first you must prouide a suffycient mayntenance for the ministerie that in euery parishe they may haue a preaching pastor one or moe that may only entend that charge Is not the scripture plaine Thou shalt not * mousel the mouth of the Oxe ▪ that treadeth out the corne for our sakes no doubt thys is wrytten that he that careth should care in hope that they whych sowe you spirituall things myght reape of you temporall things whych is no bad exchaunge for you Nowe to your handes oure auncestors haue raised a maintenance which is not so embeseled away nor the propertie so altered but that though mennes deuotion be colde to the ministers the state may easely by law restore the same prouision againe without losse in manner to any partie If none other way may be founde then haue the bishops and cathedrall churches temporalties inough to redeme those liuings that be impropriated or otherwyse out and to better those liuings whych are too small and as I thynke to be employed to other good vses of the church also But we will not stande wyth you so muche in the manner of the raisyng of theyr prouision for raise it as it shall please God to put you in minde so y you prouide sufficiently for your ministers that they maye be of abilitie to maintaine their charge and to bestowe vpon fitte furniture of bokes and honest hospitalitie But in the meane while vntill a sufficient prouision be made it is no better then sacrileage and spoyling of God to kepe backe any way the prouision which hath bene made in that respecte and the cursse of God threatned by Malachie to those that spoiled y * Leuites then of their prouision belongeth and wil light vpon our spoilers nowe vpon them in whose hands it is to redresse it if they doe it not Also there must be orders taken and looked vnto for the bestowing of the liuings prouided in the vniuersities now dennes of many theeuish non-residentes not to the greedy vse of many cormorant masters of colledges and at theyr wicked pleasure as they are but to the brynging vp for the moste parte of such as wil be content to be employed vpon the charge of the ministerie whē as the church shall haue nede of them and to take from them that haue moe liuings all saue one and that to except they will be resident and be able and willyng to discharge it hauing besides the allowāce which afterwards shal be spoken of by God hys grace And thys prouisiō must so sufficiently be established that it may be paide wythoute adoe and not to be sought for or worme by suspensions or * excommunication which are applied by y scriptures to a farre more proper and spirituall vse not at all to thys And also there are many charges going out of benefices wherof they shoulde be vnburdened Next you must repeale your statute or statutes whereby you haue authorised that ministerie that now is making your estate partly to consist of Lordes spiritual as you cal them and making one minister hygher then another appoynting also an order to ordayne ministers which order is cleane differing from the * scriptures wherefore you muste haue the order for these things drawne oute of the scriptures which order is this When any parishe is destitute of a pastor or of a teacher the same parish may haue recourse to the next conferēce and to them make it knowne that they maye procure cheefely from the one of the vniuersities or if otherwise a man learned of good report whome after triall of hys gyftes had in theyr conference they may present vnto the paryshe which before had bene wyth them aboute that matter but yet so that the same parishe haue him a certaine time amōgst them that they may be acquainted wyth his gifts and behauioure and geue their consentes for his stay amongste them if they can alleage no iust cause to the cōtrary for he may not be sent away again which is so sent to a parishe except a iust cause of misliking the cause alleaged being iustly proued against hym either amongst themselues in theyr owne consistorie so that he will appeale no further for hys triall or els in the next conference or counsell prouinciall or nationall vnto which from one to another he may appeale if he fynde hymselfe cleare and if he geue ouer they maye proceede as afore for another And when suche an one is founde to whome the parishe muste geue consent bicause there is no iust cause to be alleaged agaynste him the nexte conference by whose meanes he was procured shall be certified of the parishes liking wherupon they shall amongst themselues agree vpon one of the ministers which shall be sent by them to the same parishe and after a sermon made according to the occasion and earnest prayer to God wyth fasting according to the example of the scriptures made by that congregation to God the it would please him to direct them in theyr choise and to blesse that man whome they choose he shall require to know their consent which being graūted he the elders shall lay their hāds on him to signifie to him that he is lawfully called to that parishe to be pastor there or teacher Now for as much as I haue made mētion of a pastor and a teacher of a consistory in each parish of a cōference and of a counsell prouincial and national I wil as brefely as I can declare what eache of these meaneth and what the vse of them is
truthe and worde of god Theirs raiseth many douts and questions in religion breedeth many troubles and contentions and wyl haue nothyng examined that they doe but many must abâ—e for the pleasure of some one of them and all must abide the determination of one suche Lordshyp they claime ouer the faithe of their christian brethren The Apostle renouncing it and acknowledging hymselfe to be a helper If they say Lordshyppe of bishops is agreeable to the word of God who may say agaynst them wythout much trouble yea dare say against them yea what preuayleth it to say against them if they hold together to whom it is to swete to say say agaynst it or if my Lords grace Metropolitane of al England holde sticke fast in the matter for so it goeth many must to one so froÌ„ one to one til it come to the Pope of Lambeth as it was wont in the Poâ—ishe church cleane contrary to the course of the scriptures for there is no more ones but only one one to whome all the churche must obey and from him the whole church hath authoritie ouer the membres of the same for so goeth the scriptures you haue but one maister all you are brethren heare him and tell the church thys is the scripture Now except they will followe the Popes rule and bryng the vniuersal churche to be but a particulare place and a particulare man in that place as Rome is the place and the pope is y man or as Caunterbury or Lambeth might be the place and my Lorde hys grace the man the scriptures and their doings will not agree And hys Lordship shall be a Pope and his confederates the Popes vnderlings excepte they leaue their Lordlynesse and submit them selues to the church of God to be ordered by the same according to the woorde And take them for better who shall they are none other but a remnaunt of Antichristes broode and God amende them and forgeue them for else they bid battell to Christ and his church and it must bid the defiance to them all they yeelde And I protest before the eternall God I take them so and thereafter wil I vse my self in my vocation and many moe to no doubt which be careful of God his glory and the churches libertie wyll vse themselues agaynst them as the professed ennemies of the churche of Christ if they proceede in thys course and thus persecute as they doe What talke they of their being beyond y seas in Quene Maries dayes because of the persecution when they in Queene Elizabethes dayes are come home to rayse a persecution They bost they followe the steps of good maister Ridley the martir let them followe hym in the good and not in the badde What man Martyr or other is to be followed in all things why follow they not M. Hooper as well as him who is a martir also or Rogers or Bradforde who are martirs also They say all those good men in Quene Marres dayes died for the booke of common prayer but they slaunder them for they toke not so slender a quarel they dyed for god his boke and for a true faith grounded vpon the same Diuers of those martires would not in those dayes of king Edwarde abide all the orders in that booke but if they had had such a time beyonde the seas in the reformed churches to haue profited and encreased in knowledge of a right reformation as these men had it is not to be doubted but that they would haue done better then he promised y had rather all England were on a fishpoole then he would be brought to matters fâ—r lesse then now of hys owne accorde he wilfully thrusteth hym selfe vpon Why we they not followe the examples which they sawe beyonde y seas In which of the reformed churches saw they a Lord bishop allowed or the Canon lawe to direct church orders or will they translate the boke of common prayer into Latine and their pontilicall and vse the Latine of the popishe portuise manual and pontifical in those matters wherin they haue folowed those bokes and but translated them out of Latin and will they require abide y iudgements of the reformed churches concerning the matters If they be not singulare if they meane plainely lette them doe thus If it will abyde the triall then let them vse it still They shal not be disgraced but we for disquieting of theÌ„ They haue fâ—cendes that will saye for them they are a learned company and neâ—oe not the helpe of any other churches Then let them offer to defende their course by learning Let them neuer goe ouer sea for the matter and yet surely I woulde some toke that translation in hande toke some paynes in the matter to procure the iudgements of those reformed churches but lette them offer free confereÌ„ce heere at home Nay let them take our offer for conference by wryting to auoyde muche brabble if they will and shew themselues ready to the state wythoute cunning practise to stoppe it by their freendes and let vs ioyne in it freely and then we will thincke better of them and yeelde oure selues to haue beene deceiued in them if they deale plainly O Lord that we wer deceiued â—n them That they were not wickedly bent to maintaine that which they are entred into to the great disquieting of thys Churche of Christe in Englande vntill the Maister come which they thinke will deferre hys commyng and disquiet them whome he fynedeth like lordly Epicures eating drynking wyth y worldly drunkardes and beatyng their fellow seruauÌ„ts They that are poore men already beggered by them and which haue many wayes bâ—ne molested and imprysoned some in the Marshalsey some in the white Lion some in the Catchouse at Westmiâ—ster others in the counter or in the Clynke or in the Ficete or in Bridewell or in Newgate they whych haue these many wayes and times bene hampered ill handled by them they stil offer themselues to al their exercinities and therefore put for the their treatises because they passe not howe deare they bought it so they myght redeme our state out of this deforâ—ed reformation to a ryght platforme drawne oute of the scriptures They say such are men pleasers Surely if they soughâ—e aduauntage that way it were best for them to please my Lords They say they are desirous to be sayd to be in pryson that they profite by it they would not then kepe themselues out of the way nor wheÌ„ they are in be suche suters to come toorâ—he nor abide to be stifeled and choked with the stench of the prison but that is an old shift and cunning of he aduersary to say so No no God hys cause is the mater You pretend a reformation and followe not the worde of God nor will be led by that The summe of all therfore is thys that eyther you of the Parliament muste â—ake order to haue all reformed according to