the name of God as we should without an actuall intent to doe him in that particular some speciall obedience yet for any thing there is in this sentence alleaged to the contrarie God may be glorified by obedience and obeyed by performance of his will and his will be performed with an actuall intelligent desire to fulfill that lawe which maketh knowne what his will is although no speciall clause or sentence of scripture bee in euery such action set before mens eyes to warrant it For scripture is not the onely lawe whereby God hath opened his will touching all thinges that may be done but there are other kindes of lawes which notifie the will of God as in the former booke hath beene prooued at large Nor is there any law of God whereunto he doth not account our obedience his glory Doe therefore all thinges vnto the glory of God saith the Apostle be inoffensiue both to the Iewes and Graecians and the Church of God euen as I please all men in all thinges not seeking mine owne commoditie but manies that they may be saued In the least thing done disobediently towardes God or offensiuely against the good of men whose benefite wee ought to seeke for as for our owne we plainely shew that we doe not acknowledge God to be such as indeede he is and consequently that we glorifie him not This the blessed Apostle teacheth but doth any Apostle teach that we cannot glorifie God otherwise then onely in doing what wee finde that God in Scripture commaundeth vs to doe The Churches dispersed amongest the Heathen in the East part of the world are by the Apostle S. Peter exhorted to haue their conuersation honest amongest the Gentiles that they which spake euill of them as of euill doers might by the good workes which they should see glorifie God in the day of visitation As long as that which Christians did was good and no way subiect vnto iust reproofe their vertuous conuersation was a meane to worke the Heathens conuersion vnto Christ. Seeing therefore this had beene a thing altogether impossible but that Infidels themselues did discerne in matters of life and conuersation when beleeuers did well and when otherwise when they glorified their heauenly father and when not it followeth that some thinges wherein God is glorified may be some other way knowne then onely by the sacred Scripture of which Scripture the Gentiles being vtterly ignorant did notwithstanding iudge rightly of the qualitie of Christian mens actions Most certaine it is that nothing but onely sinne doth dishonour God So that to glorifie him in all things is to do nothing whereby the name of God may be blasphemed nothing whereby the saluation of Iew or Grecian or any in the Church of Christ may be let or hindered nothing wherby his law is transgrest But the question is whether onely Scripture do shewe whatsoeuer God is glorified in 3 And though meates and drinkes be said to be sanctified by the worde of God and by prayer yet neither is this a reason sufficient to prooue that by scripture wee must of necessitie be directed in euery light and common thing which is incident into any part of mans life Onely it sheweth that vnto vs the worde that is to say the Gospell of Christ hauing not deliuered any such difference of thinges cleane and vncleane as the law of Moses did vnto the Iewes there is no cause but that we may vse indifferently all thinges as long as wee doe not like swine take the benefite of them without a thankefull acknowledgement of his liberalitie and goodnesse by whose prouidence they are inioyed and therefore the Apostle gaue warning before hand to take heede of such as should inioyne to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with thankes-giuing by them which beleeue and know the truth For euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing because it is sanctified by the word of God and praier The Gospell by not making many thinges vncleane as the lawe did hath sanctified those thinges generally to all which particularly each man vnto himselfe must sanctifie by a reuerend and holy vse which will hardly be drawne so farre as to serue their purpose who haue imagined the word in such sort to sanctifie all thinges that neither foode can bee tasted nor rayment put on nor in the world any thing done but this deede must needes be sinne in them which do not first knowe it appointed vnto them by scripture before they do it 4 But to come vnto that which of all other things in scripture is most stood vpon that place of S. Paule they say is of all other most cleare where speaking of those thinges which are called indifferent in the ende he concludeth that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne But faith is not but in respect of the worde of God Therefore whatsoeuer is not done by the worde of God is sinne Whereunto wee aunswere that albeit the name of faith being properly and strictly taken it must needes haue reference vnto some vttered worde as the obiect of beliefe neuerthelesse sith the ground of credite is the credibilitie of thinges credited and things are made credible eyther by the knowne condition and qualitie of the vtterer or by the manifest likelihood of truth which they haue in thēselues hereupon it riseth that whatsoeuer we are perswaded of the same we are generally said to beleeue In which generalitie the obiect of faith may not so narrowly be restrained as if the same did extend no further then to the onely scriptures of God Though saith our Sauiour ye beleeue not me beleeue my workes that ye may know and beleeue that the father is in me and I in him The other Disciples said vnto Thomas we haue seene the Lord but his aunswere vnto them was Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into them I will not beleeue Can there be any thing more plaine then that which by these two sentences appeareth namely that there may be a certaine beliefe grounded vpon other assurance then Scripture any thing more cleare then that we are said not onely to beleeue the thinges which we knowe by anothers relation but euen whatsoeuer we are certainly perswaded of whether it be by reason or by sense For as much therefore as it is graunted that S. Paule doth meane nothing else by Fayth but onely a full perswasion that that which we doe is well done against which kinde of faith or perswasion as S. Paule doth count it sinne to enterprise any thing so likewise some of the very Heathen haue taught as Tully that nothing ought to be done whereof thou doubtest whether it be right or wrōg wherby it appeareth that euen those which had no knowledge of the word of God did see much of the equitie of this which the Apostle
They vnto whom we shall seeme tedious are in no wise iniuried by vs because it is in their owne hands to spare that labour which they are not willing to endure And if any complaine of obscuritie they must consider that in these matters it commeth no otherwise to passe then in sundry the workes both of art and also of nature where that which hath greatest force in the very things we see is notwithstanding it selfe oftentimes not seene The statelinesse of houses the goodlines of trees when we behold them delighteth the eye but that foundation which beareth vp the one that roote which ministreth vnto the other nourishment and life is in the bosome of the earth concealed if there be at any time occasion to search into it such labour is then more necessary then pleasant both to them which vndertake it and for the lookers on In like manner the vse and benefite of good lawes all that liue vnder them may enioy with delight and comfort albeit the groundes and first originall causes from whence they haue sprung be vnknowne as to the greatest part of men they are But when they who withdraw their obedience pretend that the lawes which they should obey are corrupt and vitious for better examination of their qualitie it behoueth the very foundation and roote the highest welspring and fountaine of them to be discouered Which because wee are not oftentimes accustomed to doe when wee doe it the paines wee take are more needefull a great deale then acceptable and the matters which wee handle seeme by reason of newnesse till the minde grow better acquainted with them darke intricate and vnfamiliar For as much helpe whereof as may be in this case I haue endeuoured throughout the body of this whole discourse that euery former part might giue strength vnto all that followe and euery later bring some light vnto all before So that if the iudgements of men doe but holde themselues in suspence as touching these first more generall meditations till in order they haue perused the rest that ensue what may seeme darke at the first will afterwardes be founde more plaine euen as the later particular decisions will appeare I doubt not more strong when the other haue beene read before The lawes of the Church whereby for so many ages together wee haue bene guided in the exercise of Christian religion and the seruice of the true God our rites customes and orders of Ecclesiasticall gouernment are called in question wee are accused as men that will not haue Christ Iesus to rule ouer them but haue wilfully cast his statutes behinde their backes hating to bee reformed and made subiect vnto the scepter of his discipline Behold therefore wee offer the lawes whereby wee liue vnto the generall triall and iudgement of the whole world hartily beseeching almightie God whome wee desire to serue according to his owne will that both wee and others all kinde of partiall affection being cleane laide aside may haue eyes to see and hearts to embrace the things that in his sight are most acceptable And because the point about which wee striue is the qualitie of our lawes our first entrance hereinto cannot better be made then with consideration of the nature of lawe in generall and of that lawe which giueth life vnto all the rest which are commendable iust and good nâ—mely the lawe whereby the Eternall himselfe doth worke Proceeding from hence to the lawe first of nature then of scripture we shall haue the easier accesse vnto those things which come after to be debated concerning the particular cause and question which wee haue in hand 2 All thinges that are haue some operation not violent or casuall Neither doth any thing euer begin to exercise the same without some foreconceiued ende for which it worketh And the ende which it worketh for is not obteined vnlesse the worke bee also fit to obteine it by For vnto euery ende euery operation will not serue That which doth assigne vnto each thing the kinde that which doth moderate the force and power that which doth appoint the forme and measure of working the same we tearme a Lawe So that no certaine ende could euer bee attained vnlesse the actions whereby it is attained were regular that is to say made suteable fit and correspondent vnto their ende by some Canon rule or lawe Which thing doth first take placâ— in the workes euen of God himselfe All thinges therefore doe worke after a sort according to lawe all other thinges according to a lawe whereof some superiours vnto whome they are subiect is author onely the workes and operations of God haue him both for their worker and for the lawe whereby they are wrought The being of God is a kinde of lawe to his working for that perfection which God is giueth perfection to that hee doth Those naturall necessary and internall operations of God the generation of the Sonne the proceeding of the Spirit are without the compasse of my present intent which is to touch onely such operations as haue their beginning and being by a voluntary purpose wherewith God hath eternally decreed when and how they should bee Which eternall decree is that wee tearme an eternall lawe Dangerous it were for the feeble braine of man to wade farre into the doings of the most High whome although to knowe bee life and ioy to make mention of his name yet our soundest knowledge is to know that wee know him not as indeede hee is neither can know him and our safest eloquence concerning him is our silence when we confesse without confession that his glory is inexplicable his greatnesse aboue our capacitie and reach Hee is aboue and wee vpon earth therefore it behoueth our wordes to bee warie and fewe Our God is one or rather very onenesse and meere vnitie hauing nothing but it selfe in it selfe and not consisting as all things doe besides God of many things In which essentiall vnitie of God a Trinitie personall neuerthelesse subsisteth after a maner far exceeding the possibilitie of mans conceipt The works which outwardly are of God they are in such sort of him being one that each person hath in them somewhat peculiar and proper For being three and they all subsisting in the essence of one deitie from the Father by the Sonne through the Spirit all things are That which the Sonne doth heare of the Father and which the Spirit doth receiue of the Father the Sonne the same we haue at the haÌ„ds of the Spirit as being the last and therfore the nearest vnto vs in order although in power the same with the second and the first The wise and learned among the very Heathens themselues haue all acknowledged some first cause whereupon originally the being of all things dependeth Neither haue they otherwise spoken of that cause then as an Agent which knowing what and why it worketh obserueth in working a most exact order or lawe Thus much is signified by that which Homer mentioneth
were very iniurious the purpose of his hart was religious and godly the act most worthy of honour and renowne neither could Nathan choose but admire his vertuous intent exhort him to go forward and beseech God to prosper him therein But God saw the endlesse troubles which Dauid should be subiect vnto during the whole time of his regiment and therefore gaue charge to differre so good a worke till the dayes of tranquilitie and peace wherein it might without interruption be performed Dauid supposed that it could not stand with the duty which he owed vnto God to set himselfe in an house of Cedar trees and to behold the Arke of the Lords Couenant vnsetled This opinion the Lord abateth by causing Nathan to shew him plainely that it should be no more imputed vnto him for a fault then it had bene vnto the Iudges of Israell before him his case being the same which theirs was their times not more vnquiet then his nor more vnfit for such an action Wherefore concerning the force of negatiue arguments so taken from the authority of Scripture as by vs they are denied there is in all this lesse then nothing And touching that which vnto this purpose is borrowed froÌ„ the controuersies sometime handled betweene M. Harding and the worthiest Diuine that Christendome hath bred for the space of some huÌ„dreds of yeres who being brought vp together in one Vniuersitie it fell out in them which was spoken of two others They learned in the same that which in contrary CaÌ„ps they did practise Of these two the one obiecting that with vs arguments taken from authority negatiuely are ouer common the Bishops answer hereunto is that This kind of argument is thought to be good whensoeuer proofe is taken of Gods word and is vsed not only by vs but also by Saint Paul and by many of the Catholique Fathers Saint Paule saith God said not vnto Abraham In thy seeds all the nations of the earth shall be blessed but in thy seed which is Christ and thereof he thought he made a good argument Likewise sayth Origen The bread which the Lord gaue vnto his disciples saying vnto them Take and eate he differred not nor commanded to be reserued till the next day Such arguments Origen and other learned Fathers thought to stand for good whatsoeuer misliking Maister Harding hath found in theÌ„ This kind of proofe is thought to hold in Gods commaundements for that they be full and perfect and God hath specially charged vs that we should neither put to them nor take fro them and therefore it seemeth good vnto them that haue learned of Christ Vnus est magister vester Christus haue heard the voyce of God the Father from heauen Ipsum auâ—ite But vnto them that adde to the word of God what them listeth and make Gods will subiect vnto their will and breake Gods commaundements for their owne traditions sake vnto them is seemeth not good Againe the English Apologie alleaging the example of the Greekes how they haue neither priuate Masses nor mangled Sacraments nor Purgatories nor pardons it pleaseth Maister Harding to iest out the matter to vse the helpe of his wits where strength of truth failed him to answer with scoffing at negatiues The Bishops defence in this case is The auncient learned Fathers hauing to deale with impudent heretiques that in defence of their errors auouched the iudgement of all the old Bishops and Doctors that had bene before them and the generall consent of the primitiue and whole vniuersall Church and that with as good regard of truth and as faithfully as you do now the better to discouer the shamelesse boldnes nakednes of their doctrine were oftentimes likewise forced to vse the negatiue so to driue the same heretiques as we do you to proue their affirmatiues which thing to do it was neuer possible The ancient father Irenaeus thus stayed himselfe as we do by the negatiue Hoc neque Prophetae praedicauerunt néque Dominus docuit néque Apostoli tradiderunt This thing neither did the Prophets publish nor our Lord teach nor the Apostles deliuer By a like negatiue Chrysostome saith This tree neither Paule planted nor Apollo watered nor God increased In like sort Leo saith What needeth it to beleeue that thing that neither the Lawe hath taught nor the Prophets haue spoken nor the Gospell hath preached nor the Apostles haue deliuered And againe How are the new deuises brought in that our Fathers neuer knew S. Augustine hauing reekoned vp a great number of the Bishops of Rome by a generall negatiue saith thus In all this order of succession of Bishops there is not one Bishop found that was a Donatist Saint Gregory being himselfe a Bishop of Rome and writing against the title of vniuersall Bishop saith thus None of all my predecessors euer consented to vse this vngodly title No Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him this name of Singularity By such negatiues M. Harding we reproue the vanity and nouelty of your religion we tell you none of the catholique ancient learned Fathers either Greeke or Latine euer vsed either your priuate Masse or your halfe communion or your barbarous vnknowne prayers Paule neuer planted them Apollo neuer watered them God neuer increased them they are of your selues they are not of God In all this there is not a syllable which any way crosseth vs. For coÌ„cerning arguments negatiue euen taken from humane authorityâ— they are here proued to be in some cases very strong and forcible They are not in our estimation idle reproofes when the authors of needlesse innouations are opposed with such negatiues as that of Leo How are these new deuises brought in which our fathers neuer knew When their graue and reuerend superiours do recken vp vnto them as Augustine did vnto the Donatists large Catalogues of Fathers wondered at for their wisdome piety and learning amongst whom for so many ages before vs no one did euer so thinke of the Churches affaires as now the world doth begin to be perswaded surely by vs they are not taught to take exception hereat because such arguments are negatiue Much lesse when the like are taken from the sacred authority of Scripture if the matter it selfe do beare them For in truth the question is not whether an argument from scripture negatiuely may be good but whether it be so generally good that in all actions men may vrge it The fathers I graunt do vse very generall and large tearmes euen as Hiero the King did in speaking of Archimedes From henceforward whatsoeuer Archimedes speaketh it must be belieued His meaning was not that Archimedes could simply in nothing be deceiued but that he had in such sort approued his skill that he seemed worthy of credit for euer after in matters appertaining vnto the science he was skilfull in In speaking thus largely it is presumed that mens speeches will be taken according to the
scandalous at certain times and in certaine places and to certaine men the open vse thereof neuerthelesse being otherwise without daunger The verie nature of some rites and Ceremonies therfore is scandalous as it was in a number of those which the Manichees did vse and is in all such as the law of God doth forbid Some are offensiue only through the agreement of men to vse them vnto euill and not else as the most of those thinges indifferent which the Heathens did to the seruice of their false Gods which an other in heart condemning their idolatrie could not doe with them in shew and token of approbation without being guiltie of scandall giuen Ceremonies of this kinde are either deuised at the first vnto euill as the Eunomian Heretiques in dishonour of the blessed Trinitie brought in the laying on of water but once to crosse the custom of the Church which in Baptisme did it thrise or else hauing had a profitable vse they are afterwards interpreted and wrested to the contrarie as those Heretiques which held the Trinitie to be three distinct not persons but natures abused the Ceremonie of three times laying on water in Baptisme vnto the strengthning of their heresie The element of water is in Baptisme necessarie once to lay it on or twice is indifferent For which cause Gregorie making mention thereof sayth To diue an infant either thrice or but once in Baptisme can be no way a thing reproueable seeing that both in three times washing the Trinitie of persons and in one the Vnitie of Godhead may be signified So that of these two Ceremonies neither being hurtfull in it selfe both may serue vnto good purpose yet one was deuised and the other conuerted vnto euill Now whereas in the Church of Rome certaine Ceremonies are said to haue bene shamefully abused vnto euill as the Ceremonie of Crossing at Baptisme of kneeling at the Eucharist of vsing Wafer-cakes and such like the question is whether for remedie of that euill wherein such Ceremonies haue bene scandalous and perhaps may be still vnto some euen amongst our selues whome the presence and sight of them may confirme in that former error whereto they serued in times past they are of necessitie to be remoued Are these or any other Ceremonies wee haue common with the Church of Rome scandalous and wicked in their verie nature This no man obiecteth Are any such as haue bene polluted from their verie birth and instituted euen at the first vnto that thing which is euill That which hath bene ordeyned impiously at the first may weare out that impietie in tract of time and then what doth let but that the vse thereof may stand without offence The names of our monethes and of our dayes wee are not ignorant from whence they came and with what dishonour vnto God they are said to haue bene deuised at the first What could be spoken against any thing more effectuall to stirre hatred then that which sometime the auncient Fathers in this case speake Yet those very names are at this day in vse throughout Christendome without hurt or scandall to any Cleare and manifest it is that thinges deuised by Heretiques yea deuised of a very hereticall purpose euen against religion and at their first deuising worthy to haue bene withstood may in time growe meete to be kept as that custome the inuentors wherof were the Eunomian Heretiques So that customes once established and confirmed by long vse being presently without harme are not in regard of their corrupt originall to be held scandalous But coÌ„cerning those our Ceremonies which they reckon for most Popish they are not able to auouch that any of them was otherwise instituted theÌ„ vnto good yea so vsed at the first It followeth then that they all are such as hauing serued to good purpose were afterward conuerted vnto the contrary And sith it is not so much as obiected against vs that we reteine together with them the euil wherwith they haue bin infected in the Church of Rome I would demand who they are whom we scandalize by vsing harmles things vnto that good end for which they were first instituted Amongst our selues that agree in the approbation of this kinde of good vse no man wil say that one of vs is offensiue and scandalous vnto another As for the fauorers of the church of Rome they know how far we herein differ dissent froÌ„ them which thing neither we conceale they by their publike writings also professe daily how much it grieueth them so that of theÌ„ there will not many rise vp against vs as witnesses vnto the inditement of scandal whereby we might be coÌ„demned cast as hauing strengthned theÌ„ in that euil wherwith they pollute themselues in the vse of the same Ceremonies And concerning such as withstaÌ„d the Church of England herein hate it because it doth not sufficiently seeme to hate Rome they I hope are far enough froÌ„ being by this meane drawne to any kind of popish error The multitude therfore of them vnto whom we are scaÌ„dalous through the vse of abused ceremonies is not so appareÌ„t that it can iustly be said in general of any one sort of meÌ„ or other we cause theÌ„ to offend If it be so that now or theÌ„ some few are espied who hauing bin accustomed heretofore to the rites ceremonies of the Church of Rome are not so scowred of their former rust as to forsake their auncient perswasioÌ„ which they haue had howsoeuer they frame theÌ„selues to outward obedience of laws orders because such may misconster the meaning of our ceremonies and so take theÌ„ as though they were in euery sort the same they haue bin shal this be thought a reason sufficieÌ„t wheron to coÌ„clude that some law must necessarily be made to abolish al such ceremonies They answer that there is no law of God which doth bind vs to reteine theÌ„ And S. Pauls rule is that in those things froÌ„ which without hurt we may lawfully absteine we should frame the vsage of our libertie with regard to the weakenes and imbecillitie of our brethren Wherefore vnto them which stood vpon their owne defence saying All things are lawfull vnto me he replyeth But all things are not expedient in regard of others All things are cleane all meates are lawfull but euill vnto that man that eateth offensiuely If for thy meates â—ake thy brother bee grieued thou walkest no longer according to charitie Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ dyed Dissolue not for foodes sake the worke of God Wee that are strong must beare the imbecillities of the impotent and not please our selues It was a weakenesse in the Christian Iewes and a maime of iudgement in them that they thought the Gentiles polluted by the eating of those meates which themselues were afraid to touch for feare of transgressing the lawe of Moses yea hereat their hearts did so much rise that the Apostle had iust cause to feare least