The Preamble, Chap. 1.

THough I must needs confesse (well beloued) that none that with any diligence haue read the Ecclesiasticall stories, and the monu­ments of the ancient councels and fathers, but that therein they must needs see and find, that alwayes there haue bene diuersities of opinions in causes Ecclesiasticall, euen in the best times sinse the Apostles, and that amongst the best and most famous Chri­stians otherwise, especially about the outward orders and customes of the Church: yet no small griefe hath it bene vnto me, to see and behold now for these 34. yeares (that I haue bene in the ministerie) the originall, growth, and continuance, of these our domesticall con­trouersies amongst our selues, about the outward policie and rites of our Church. For whiles men haue spent their times and zeale in the pursuit thereof, as of both sides they haue very much, so much time, leasure and oportunitie hath Sathan got, to sow and water his tares of Atheisme, Papisme, and of sects and schismes amongst vs. Insomuch that the sight and consideration therereof, hath often made me to thinke and say, as occasion hath serued me, to men of both sides, as Moses did to the Israelits, Exod. 2. Why smitest thou thy fellow, being thy brother: and as Paul sayd to the Galathians: Gal. 5. If ye thus bite one another, take heed, yee be not consumed one of another. For alwayes it hath bene, and still is my opinion in such cases: Conferant fratres, sed non contendant: for doubtlesse in such matters as these especially, S. Paul hath told vs, if any list to be con­tētious that we haue no such custome, nor the Church of God, 1. Cor. 11.16. [Page 2]Foreseeing yet what further inconuenience might grow of these con­trouersies in the end, if it were not in time preuented, I haue long and much wished and prayed, that God would raise vs some one, that both for authoritie, skill and will, were fit to be a moderator therein, and so an effectuall composer thereof. Wherein (his name be blessed for it) at the last he hath graunted that my desire, in sending vs him to be our soueraigne Lord and king whom he hath, who accordingly vpon his first entrance into this his kingdome, most religiously, and christianly hath sought by a solemn conference to end and determine the same, by letting both parties therein see, wherein they had gone too farre, & what was the Medium in which they were both to meete and agree. Wherein his Maiestie so caried himself, that verily I thinke I may boldly speake it in the name of all that were then present there­at, that neuer any of his place before, in such varietie of questions and matters, shewed himselfe more worthie of admiration and ap­plause of all, either for his indifferency in deciding, or for his iudicious kind of examining of euerie thing that then came in question. Inso­much that without all doubt, if once whatsoeuer then and there, his Maiestie resolued of might take effect, and accordingly be put in exe­cution (witnesse but the report of the sayd conference alreadie with allowance published in print) great hope there would be, that the v­nitie that thereby his Highnesse aimed at, would quickly be attained and happily continued. For euen thereby it appeares, that an vniuer­sall learned and preaching Ministery through his dominions, and that also by all good meanes prouision should be made for the same as soone as might be, was then yeelded to be fit and verie necessarie: Pag. 52. 96. The carelesnesse and negligence of sundrie ministers in this Church also was therein by his Maiestie inueyed against and con­demned: Pag. 52. And that stricter order should be taken for the due sanctifying of the Sabaoth, was then vniuersally approued: Pag. 45. Likewise how and by whom hereafter the censures of the Church might be euerie way and in all Ecclesiasticall courts, most fruitfully and sincerly administred, then and there was so resolued of, as that if accordingly there be proceeding therein, we shall all therefore haue great cause to reioyce: Pag. 19. 78. 89. 94. And for the better main­tenance of the puritie of religion amongsts vs, then and there by his Highnesse order was taken (which since most carefully and religiously his Maiestie hath caused to be gone about) that as pure and perfect a translation should be made of all the scriptures as may be, & that then [Page 3]that onely (both to the ending of all quarrels touching translations, as much as possible might be, both amongst our selues, and also with our aduersaries) should after be publiquely vsed in our Churches. Page. 46. Then also it was to the same end agreed that our Catechisme should be perfected: Page. 43. which since thereupon as we see hath beene enlarged & amended. Thirdly to that end likewise it was yeel­ded vnto, that there should bee a straiter restraint, for the selling of Papists bookes then before had beene Page. 49. And lastly then also it was graunted, that the words in the sixteenth Article of the booke of articles touching falling from grace of regeneration, should be ex­playned, by addition of some such words, as wherby plainly it might appeare, that it taught not, that the regenerate and iustified either to­tally or finally fall at any time from the same. Page. 30. 41. Further concerning the communion booke, to make the vse and subscription thereunto the easier to be yeelded vnto, it was by his Maiestie, with the assent of the Bishops concluded, that to the title of absolutiō shold be added (for the better explanation of the meaning thereof) these words or remission of sins. Page. 13. And that to the title of confirma­tion should be annexed these, laying on of hands vpon children bap­tised, and able to render an accompt of their faith according to the Catechisme following. Page. 36. And that the Rubricks touching pri­uate babtisme should be so altered, as that thereby it might be eui­dent that the booke in no case of necessity, allowes any but a lawfull minister to baptise any childe. Page. 19. 86. And that those words his disciples shold twice be left out in the Gospells Page. 63. al which we see in our new communion bookes don. And then also certainly (as it is plainly set downe. Page. 61, of the said booke of the cōferēce) his Maiesties order was, that none of the Apocrypha should bee read at all, wherein there was any error, and therefore his highnes willed D Reynolds to note those chapters in the Apocrypha bookes, wherein such errors were, and to bring the note thereof to the Bishops, as it is further testified. Page. 62. besides thē & there it was alleadged by the author of the said booke, D Barlow thē dean of Chester now Lord B. of Rochester when the obiection taken from the reading of the Apo­crypha was in hand, as a sufficient answere thereunto, and not gainsaid of any that the preface prefixed to the second book of Homiles might haue made vs to see the needlesnesse thereof, for that thereby the minister is permitted, at his discretion for any chapter appointed (by the Communion booke) of the old testament to be red, to read a chapter of the new, which he thought more fit, for the edification [Page 4]of his people. And yet his Maiesty most wisely foreseeing that all these notwithstanding thus amended, it was likely inough that some things in the book, or within the compasse of the vrged subscription, would still seeme vnto some so harshly to remaine set downe, as that they would sticke and stay thereat, his Highnesse most graciously signi­fied vnto vs, that as it was our duties, so he wished euery one of vs, to construe and take euerything in the best sense that we could, and not in the hardest and worst: for so only his intent and pleasure was, that they should be vrged. And so much in the foresayd booke of Confe­rence also to this end is remembred, as that Pag. 47. it is set downe, that his maiestie would haue things indifferent, rather interpreted and helpt by a glose, then altered. All which things considered, if we could and would once learne to bend our wits as well to make the best con­struction of euerie thing hereafter, as some haue heretofore, to make the worst, both the practise of the book, & the subscription therunto, and to the rest, would now be doubtlesse far easier then heretofore it hath, or yet is, vnto many. Indeed the rites & ceremonies prescribed by that booke, by no meanes would either his Maiestie or the Bishops be drawne to alter, howsoeuer it was agreed and then consented vnto, that where they had in certaine places beene long disused, and the men there, otherwise were found peaceable, painfull, & fruitfull Mi­nisters, a conuenient time should be graunted them (which since accordingly hath beene) both to satisfie themselues and their people in that time, for the vsing of them againe. And certainly his Maies­ties answeres to the reasons that were then vsed to haue perswaded him to remoue them (which in effect were all that either before or since by any haue beene vrged to that purpose) were such, as also his owne reasons for the continuance thereof (being no otherwise vrged then they are) as that I am fully perswaded what his Maiestie resol­ueth therein, he doth it with an vpright and good conscience in the Lord. For his Highnesse answeres to the said obiections, I must needs confesse, then seemed vnto me not onely very apt, acute and suffici­ent, but also euen now in this treatise, most of the ground of all my answeres to the same obiections, or the like, growes thence. The rea­sons (as I remember) vrged by his Maiestie, for his resolution of their continuance, were these: that he found them here established by such a state which the Lord had long and wonderfully blest, that being vrged but as they were, they were of that nature of things, wherein both he lawfully might commaund, and wee also were bound wil­lingly [Page 5]to obey, and that change vnlesse very necessary, did (as Augus­tine saith Epist: 118) more hurt by the nouelty, then otherwise pro­fit: and that they were vsed by the primatiue and purest churches, & in the ages next the Apostles, and that by holy fathers and renow­med christians, before popery began, and so euer since haue beene continued, and that therefore he would not giue the Church of Rome that aduantage, as by his now reiecting of them, to say that we were so giuen to nouelty, as that no auncient thing could please vs, but ra­ther said he, by our retaining stil of them, they should wel vnderstand, that neither in doctrine, rite nor ceremonie, we despise true antiquitie and that indeed, they are they that in both these do so, and not wee. And doubtlesse it was euident that all that pains then his Maiestie tooke to knit vs altogether in vnitie, that so being ioyned together in one, in vniformity of Iudgment and practise in these things, as wee were otherwise in doctrine, we might all more strongly bend our forces together against our common aduersaries, & he be also there­by the stronger to draw them after to conformity of religion with vs. Giue me therfore leaue (good brethren) euen of vnfained loue also to you, and of an harty desire of the peace and good of this our Church, in the best manner that I can, by this my brotherly perswasi­on, to further his Highnes royall and holy desire herein. Many haue written I confesse to this end, both before I writ this and since, and that in good sort, and to very good purpose, & yet I trust there may be also good vse of this of mine, but indeed euen therfore in most things I haue beene so briefe as I may referring you for the rest that might haue beene said, to those others in print before this.

CHAP. 2. Containing the summe and diuision of the whole Treatise.

To enter therefore hereinto, though I must needs confesse, that so farre to iustifie by subscription as it is vrged, as we are content by our practise to allow, or at the least to tollerate, seemeth vnto me in effect all one: yet I cannot deny, but that there is great difference betwixt a ministers yealding onely so farre forth as concerns him and his ministry to conformity, and his yealding vniuersally and simplye to the subscription now vrged. For by the former, he yeelds onely a tolleration, or an allowance at the most, for the peace sake and good of the Church, to so much of the booke of Common Prayer, [Page 6]as by the rules thereof, he himselfe is bound to vse and practise and by the other he not onely so farre also iustifies the same, but all the rest thereof, as namely the tract of confirmation, the vse & prac­tise whereof onely belongs to Bishops, as also the booke of ordination the execution whereof appertains likewise onely to them, and the reading of Homilies then published and authorised, or to be then af­ter published and authorised, which long since (as I take it) so haue bene in the second volume of homilies 1563 which being a preacher and preaching alwaies when they should be read, by the order of the booke it selfe, he needs neuer do. As for the rest within the compasse of the said subscription, namely touching his Maiesties supremacie, & the Articles concerning faith & the sacraments, I mentiō not, because without gainsaying all of our religion are willing so farre to yeald it, howbeit for asmuch as he that hath once learned with a good conscience for the Churches good and his owne, to yeald to the former will also the easilier be brought in the same respects to yeeld to the other, and he that cannot bee brought to the former, will neuer be drawne to the latter: first let vs consider what may be said to induce men to the former, and then after likewise how best the obiections that stay men from the latter, may be answered and remoued in both which because I haue to deale with men of wisedome and learning I will study to be as briefe as I may.

CHAP. 3. Consisting of the maine proposition of the whole and of seauen grounds of the discourse following.

That we are bound to yeeld the former, the statute made Eliza i: first to authorise the booke & the vniforme practise & vse there­of, and since his Maiesties proclamation published therewith as it is now, to ratefie the same, and the Canons aucthorised by his highnes as they are in my opinion, make it so cleare and euident, that wee can iustly make no doubt thereof. All the question therefore I would thinke now is, whether being thus by lawfull acthority commaun­ded, the nature of the things within the compasse of the commaunde­ment and the maner of the vrging thereof considered, we be bound or no, to yeeld quietly our obedience therunto, wherin my opinion is were not the law that requires this at our hands so penall as it is, yet but commaunding it (the things commaunded, being neither in their [Page 7]owne nature, either against faith or good manners, and therefore but things indifferent, nor yet in the vse as they are vrged otherwise, by the cōmon rules of the word in that case set downe, touching the o­bedience of the inferiour, to the superior. Rom. 3.1. &c. 1 Pet. 2.13, &c. wee were quietly and willingly (euen to discharge our duety & conscience towards such, in respect of those rules, for our owne good and the Churches, and to maintaine good order & peace in the same) to yeeld our obedience & conformity thereunto: yea further seemed there to bee some inconuenience, and vnexpediency in some of the things commaunded, yet being by such lawfull authority, and vnder such penalty vrged as they are, so long as by any right and charitable construction of our Churches, and her gouernours intent & meaning therein, they may be so taken, as that there is nothing in the word of God set downe in the canonicall scriptures contrary thereunto, in my poore iudgment, it is the duety of euery modest and christian Mini­ster, to yeeld rather his conformity thereunto, then (hee cannot tell how much to the wrong and preiudice of the Church, himselfe, and his, vnto all which he stands so strictly bound as he doth) for his per­seuering still and refusing so to doe, to suffer himselfe by his ordinary, either to be kept from entring into the ministry, or to be depriued of place or ministry. Now yet before I can come to answere the obiect­ions against this required obedience and conformity, by your gentle patience, let vs a little consider of a few necessary grounds (I hope cō ­fessed of vs all) which notwithstanding duly weyed, may well serue, not onely to confirme these points, but also to open a way to answer all that is or can be obiected against the same.

1 First therefore (good brethren) I trust wee all are resolued, that things neither for their nature, nor vse commaunded nor forbid by the word of God in the canonicall scriptures of the old or new te­stament, expresly or by any sound deduction from thence, are & may lawfully be held for things indifferent. Of this mind I am sure Augu­stine shewes him selfe to haue beene Epist. 118. and Epist 86 ad Casu­lanum, and so it is noted in the Heluetian confession Sect. 17. of the harmony of the confessions of the reformed Churches: that Hierom writing to Augustine was also of the same iudgement: the same al­so appeares most flatly to haue beene Ambrose opinion in the fore­said Epistle of Augustine. And indeed in all ages, all learned writers a­mongst christians, for any thing that euer I could read to the contra­ry (and yet for this cause I may truly say I haue taken some paines to [Page 8]read and search as many of them as I could come by) are fully with vs in this point.

2 Now next we know that though christiā liberty especially con­sists in our freedom from the curse of the Law, from sin, & from the wrath of god for the same, & in our freedom from the seruice of sin, & from the rites & iudicialls of Moses, & frō being tyed in all cōmon wealths & churches, to the precise followng either of one outward ci­uill policy, or of one & selfe same forme of rites & ceremonies ecclesi­asticall, yet one parte therof lyeth vndoubtedly also, in our freedom & liberty in & cōcerning things indifferent. For of these things the Apo­stle spoke, saying I know & am perswaded, thorough the Lord Iesus, that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe, but to him that iudgeth any thing to be vnclean, to him it is vnclean. Rom. 14.14, & againe vnto the pure all things are pure. Tit. 1.15. And all things are lawfull for mee, though all things are not expedient. 1. Cor. 10.23. And therefore in re­spect of such things, it was no small part of his glory as he shewes. 1. Cor. 9.19. &c. to become all vnto all, so to win the more.

3 Thirdly therefore wee may not deny the christian supreme magistrate, who by Gods ordinance is to be Esai. 49.23 as a nurse fa­ther vnto his churches vnder him, nor to the Bishops and others of the Clergy by his authority lawfully assembled in a nationall Synod, au­thority in such matters as these, for the more orderly gouernment of the Church in their iudgments, to prescribe ordinances: alwaies prouided that the rites & ceremonies that thereby they impose vpon the Churches, be not contrary, but rather consonant to the generall rules left them in the word, to direct thē therein. For else to what purpose hath the Apostle left that generall rule in this case to al churches to the worlds end? 1. Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done honestly & by order, this therefore as their very due and right, is with one consent yeelded thē in the foresaid 17 section of the harmony of the confessi­ons, & Caluin vpon the 11 of the first to the Corinth. & Beza in his 8 e­pistle (as indeed generally alwaies the learned of all ages & the conti­nuall practise of Christs church also haue done) graunt thē the same: Indeed whiles as yet consultation is but by them held, what shall in this kind be ordayned or continued, or what shall not. I find that law­fully (so it be done orderly & in quiet sort) they that haue lawful cal­ling thereunto, may shew the best reasons they can, to direct them therein, to determine & conclude for the best: but when once vpon mature deliberation, the conclusion is made & published howsoeuer [Page 9]then we may not deny the rest of the church that fredome & liberty, because of those generall rules giuen all christians, try all things, and keepe that which is good. 1. Thess. 5.21. & try the spirits whether they are of god or no, 1. Iohn. 4.1. to examine cōclusions by the word, yet doubtles in things of this nature & kind, all must also remember, that Paul hath giuen rule, that neither the Apostles nor the churches of God, haue any custome to warrant any to be contentious. 1. Cor. 11.16. In case therefore any constitutions at any time by christian Princes, and there nationall Synods in such matters, shall chance to be made, which some priuate man or men examining by the word of God, are thereby able to proue the same to be contrary thereunto (which I cannot deny but may bee possible, for the trueth is, as our Church very soundly holdeth. Artic. 21. generall counsels may erre, & sometimes haue erred, euen in things appertaining vnto God) yet such are then, but in all peaceable and in dutifull manner, to make knowne those their reasons, for which they so thinke thereof to those that are in authority, & no way otherwise by presse or in pulpit, to seek to trouble or to deface, either thē or the church, in other respects cōmendable, for matters of no greater moment then an aberration or twoe can be, touching the outward orders only therof; so leauing in patience the successe thereof to God, & to more mature cōsideration in the next Synod, for so much I thinke the foresaid rule of the Apo­stle binds vs vnto, and certain it is, as Augustine teaches in his second booke against Parmenian, Toleranda quaedam sunt, quae non sunt tamen probanda: & therefore as he there saith Cap. 1. as a man of right may quaedam improbare, so & firmitate debet quaedam supportare.

4 Our fourth ground & principle therefore is, that the Soueraigne magistrate and the church, hauing in things indifferent lawfully once enacted their ecclesiasticall orders, and constitutions, howsoeuer be­fore therein men might vse their freedome and liberty to vse or not to vse them, as charity in not offending their weake brother there­by would best permit them, all men then are onely so to vse their liberty therein, as that they giue no scandale and offence to publike authority, nor shew any contempt thereof in wilful­ly not conforming them selues, according to the order thereby prescribed therein. For when the councell. Acts. 15. had once decreed that the gentiles should abstaine from things offered to Idolls, strangled, and bloode Ʋerse. 29, wee reade that Paule & Silas: Acts. 16. gaue the Churches of the gentiles the same to obserue [Page 10]and keepe after, as they trauelled. And hee him selfe hauing pre­scribed, and further prescribing certaine ordinances touching such matters to the Corinthians. Chap. 11. commends them for obseruing them verse. 2. and condemns those that contentiously refused so to do verse. 16. The frequent and vsuall practise of the Church, as it ap­peare both in all ecclesiasticall stories, and in the decrees of auncient famous councels, both in making of canons touching such matters, and in obaying the same pregnantly proue, that this is an auncient receiued truth. Yea euen thereby, for the further proofe hereof, it ap­peares, that it hath beene an vsuall thing in the Churches of Christ, aswell to censure them for Schismaticks, who for a rite or ceremony, not vnlawfull in it selfe, neither for nature nor vse, would make a rent therein, to the breach and disturbance of the communion & fellow­ship thereof, as those for heritikes, that would set abroach and wilfully defend errors in doctrine of faith or manners, to the disqui­eting and infecting of the same. And truly not without iust cause hath it thus done, for as Caluin writes Lib. 4. Inst. Cap. 10. Sect. 31. what a seed of braules and confusion of things would that bee, if e­uery one might be suffered, as he list to alter things appointed by publique order. The consideration whereof, as Beza to his commendati­on notes in his discourse of his life, caused him to submit himselfe to the order of Geneua touching their communion bread, when hee was admitted thither againe, though he then dissembled not, that he liked other bread better.

5 But then fiftly we are to take this with vs, that then rites and ceremonies by publique authority commaunded are such, as thus we are bound (though not in respect of the things themselues in parti­cular, yet in regard of gods ordinance set downe in his word in gene­rall, to binde vs in all things not contrary to his reuealed will in the scriptures, to obey our superiors) to yeeld vnto, when not onely in their owne nature they are things neither commaunded nor forbid by the word, as is aforesaid, but also are neither for multitude nor cost too burthensome to the Church nor are such in respect of the vse wherein they are vrged, wherein any part or peece of Gods proper and immediate worship, outward or inward, or any opinion of ho­linesse, merit or greater perfection, or necessitie to inthrall or insnare the conscience is lodged: And when they are imposed as such things ought to be, only for order, decency, and comlinesse, as mutable & changable vpon iust occasion by like authority, and therefore as e­difying [Page]onely as such things may, and not iustly tending to the of­fēce of any, for that they are vrged but to the lawful ends last named, and extra casum scandali and contemptus, lay not an Ineuitable neces­sity vpon the consciēce of the obseruer. For so long neither any thing set downe or ment in the second commaundement, nor any else­where in the Scriptures against adding thereto, or against the wor­shiping of God in vaine by the precepts and traditions of men (how­soeuer some seeme to think otherwise) can iustly & rightly be drawn against such ordinances: for the second commaundement only con­demnes any worshiping of God, otherwise then he hath appointed himselfe. And so likewise all the other places against additions, and vaine traditions, are onely against such wherein any opinion of faith, Gods worship, or seruice is laid. And the opinion touching the suf­ficiency of the Scriptures, by the godly learned in all ages held and maintained, hath beene and is this, that either expresly or by right in­ference, they are sufficient to determine all truth, concerning faith & gods worship necessarie to saluation: whereas still it hath beene also held and yet is, for outward accidentall and changeable rites and ce­remonies, that the Churches of Christ haue libertie to ordaine tou­ching them, as the gouernours thereof shall think fittest, and so nei­ther all, nor alwaies, that they are tyed to one precise forme there­in. Alwaies prouided that in their ordayning the same they crosse not but rather agree as neere as they can as is aforesaid, to the generall rules left them in the same Scriptures, touching the same: else how cā we iustifie Salomons seauen daies festiuity at the dedication of the temple 1. Kings 8. Hesters & Mardocheus yearly holy days Chap. 9 or of Iudas Machabaeus his brethren? Math. 4.59 All which yet we allow and all this is set downe as one of the points agreed on amōgst our selues in this Church. Act. 6.20 and 34, whereunto none refuse to sub­scribe: and Caluin vpon the eleuenth of the first to the Corinthians, & Beza in his foresaid eight Epistle, most plainly teach the same: yea e­uen Cartwright himselfe, as you may see in the 84 Page of the late Archbishops booke against him, confesses, that it is not necessary that euery rite and ceremony be expressed therein, but that it is sufficient to make the orders of the Church therein lawfull, if they be accor­ding to the generall rules set downe in the Scriptures, concerning such things. They therefore being so, if any yet will be offended, ei­ther at the commaunders or obeyers therein, it is an offence taken, & not giuen, and therefore at their owne perill onely, for both reason [Page 12]and religion teach, and therefore as an vndoubted truth it is held and alwayes hath bene, and namely of Caluin, 1. Cor. 11. Instit lib. 4. Chap. 10. Sect. 31.32. Chap. 16. of the harmonie of the confessions: by August. Epist. 118.119. & 86. by Bucer to Alasco, by Peter Mar­ter to Hooper, and by Bucer to Cranmer, that the Churches of Christ haue freedome and libertie according to these generall rules to pre­scribe orders, rites and ceremonies, and then they hauing so done, it is not for priuate men to refuse, for the maintenance of good order and peace therein, to conforme themselues thereunto, for that the publicke iudgement of the Church in such matters, is al­wayes to be preferred before the priuate opinion of this man or that, and the Church is not to stay from making any constitutions in such things, vntill she can be assured that all will be pleased therewith, for then hardly euer should she make any, and so also there would ne­uer be any end of brawles, iarres, discords, and dissentions there­about. He therefore that herein would neither giue offence nor take any, is according to the councell of Ambrose in this case, as Augustine hath reported in two of the former places, modestly and quietly alwayes to conforme himselfe according to the order of the Church wherein he liueth.

6. And yet though hee doe so, let not any man thinke, but for all that he may be fully in possession of his Christian libertie in such matters, and so according to the rule of the Apostle, stand fast in that libertie wherewith Christ hath made him free, not suffering him­selfe any whit to bee entangled againe with the yoke of bondage, Galathians 5.1. For we may sufficiently to that end bee possest there­of, within our consciences, though for not offending of a weake brother, much more for not offending the publicke estate of a fa­mous Church, wee neuer outwardly possesse our selues thereof: For the same Apostle that giues vs that rule, and as we haue heard of such things confidently sayd, that all things were lawfull for him: 1. Corinthians 10.23. yet sayth also, if meate did offend his bro­ther, hee would eate no flesh whiles the world stood, that hee might not offend his brother, 1. Corinthians 8.13. For Christian libertie in respect of such outward things, lies in our right iudge­ment thereof, in that we are alwayes perswaded that extra ca­sum scandali & contemptus, both of priuate persons, and the publicke state wherein wee liue, wee may without sinne, and hurt to our consciences vse our libertie therein. The igno­rance [Page 13]or forgetfulnesse but of which point, is the ground and cause of manie vnbrotherly quarrels and contentions in the Church, about things of this kind; let vs therefore take this for the sixt ge­nerall point needefull to bee resolued of, for the better direct­ing our selues and others, how to behaue our selues in matters of this nature. If any doubt whether extra casum scandali & contemp­tus, one may lawfully without sin or hurt of conscience in such com­manded rites and ceremonies, sometimes vpon due and iust consi­deration and circumstances, omit, or intermit the vsing of them, let him consider that the decree of abstaining from things offered to idols, strangled, & bloud, mentioned Act. 15. notwithstanding after, the Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinths (though he vtterly disalow the breach of that ordinance by any of the church in the idols temple to the offence of any weake brother, Chap. 8.10. &c.) yet when in respect of the circumstances, there is no such danger of of­fence, Chap 10.27. permits them freely to eat thereof, without any scruple of conscience. Neither ought this to seeme strange vnto any: for as there is a precise keeping of such lawes, and as flat a breaking thereof, so is there also a middle or meane betwixt both, which is to do prater legem, and yet not contralegem, because though then the let­ter of the law be not strictly obserued, yet neither the true meaning, nor end of the law is crossed, by doing otherwise then it appoints. Vpon which ground, though the foresaid decree of the Apostles and brethren in the councell of Hierusalem, was set downe, as it appeares there, without limitation of time or place, how long and where it should binde the christian gentiles to the obseruation therof, yet in due place & time, without sin or hurt of conscience, they grew to the disuse thereof, and now it is vniuersally held not to bind at all any, when there is no danger of offence to any weake brother by doing otherwise. Wherefore it is to be wished that the Church, and they that are in authoritie therein, would alwayes in the vrging, the obser­uation and execution of such their ordinances, not onely haue a care (as questionlesse this of ours hath had) first that by all good meanes they whom the obseruation thereof concernes, might be taught how with a good conscience they may, and ought to yeeld thereunto (for doubtlesse the rule of the Apostle, whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne, Rom. 14.23. holds not onely of things indifferent left at li­bertie, but also limited by authoritie, for their vse one onely way) then also that they bee but vrged according to the nature of the [Page 14]things themselues, that is, neither as perpetuall and vnchangeable vp­pon any occasion, nor as simply and absolutely alwayes to bind the conscience, as the things commanded by God himselfe do. Much lesse would they be vrged more earnestly then the ordinances and commandements of the Lord himselfe in his word, least so the repre­hension of the Scribes and Pharises should iustly be incurred, yee tythe mint and annisse, and leaue the greater things of the law vn­done, or ye make the commandements of God of none effect, for the obseruing of your owne traditions, Math. 23.22. and 15.3. for it is all that the verie lawes of God himselfe do, or can do, simply and ab­solutely to bind the conscience, and therefore human lawes and or­dinances doubtlesse bind not simply of themselues, but so farre forth onely, as they are made by lawfull authoritie, whereunto the word of God requires subiection and obedience, as long as the things com­manded thereby are not contrarie, but rather consonant to the same word of God. Maruellous well therefore saith the late Archbishop in his answer to the admonition (as it is to be seene Pag. 279. of his foresaid answer to M. Cartwright) that a christian magistrate may ordaine or retaine, any ciuill, politike, or Ecclesiesticall orders and rites, so that first they be not against the word of God, secondly, that iustification or remission of sinnes be not attributed vnto them, third­ly, that the Church be not troubled with the multitude of them, fourthly, that they be not decreed as necessarie and not to be chan­ged, and last of all that men be not so tied vnto them, but that by oc­casion, they may be omitted, so that it be without offence and con­tempt.

7. Hereunto I will adde onely one generall rule more, and that is this, the nature of charitie being as it is described, 1 Cor. 13.4. &c. Certainly where it is indeed, it will make the owner alwayes striue to hope and to iudge the best that he can of his priuate neighbours actions and deeds; how much more then ought it to bind all men to conceiue and to construe the best of the lawes and orders of the Church of Christ wherein they liue? contrarie therefore doubtlesse it is to Christian charitie (let men therein pretend neuer so much zeale) to stretch and bend their wits, to make the worst and hardest construction they can of the lawes and ordinances, set forth by law­full authoritie in the Church whereof they are. Thus questionlesse whiles men do, they giue not vnto Caesar that which is Caesars, as Christ hath commanded, Math. 22.22. neither do they yeeld vnto [Page 15]their superiours that honour and reuerence, that both Peter and Paul enioyne all Christians to giue them, 1 Pet. 2.17. Rom. 13.7. but ra­ther by thus doing, they make themselues like such as Pet. 2. Epist. 2.10. and Iude vers. 8. describe to be despisers of gouernement, pre­sumptuous, standing in their owne conceipts, and fearing not to speake euill of them that are in dignitie. For they cannot but see that so farre as they by their hard conceipt, and construction disgrace their lawes and ordinances, so farre also they deface and discredit them that made and vrge them. Remember we therefore that as it is an ancient saying, so it is also in this case a verie sound rule, the words of the lawe may not captiously be taken, nor the law it selfe slandered. For he that in wresting of the lawes would seeme to be [...], therein vses to prooue himselfe commonly to bee no better then a Sycophant. These things thus premised, and as I hope by vs all yeelded vnto, as certaine truths, I trust I shall be able to iustifie as much as I haue sayd, namely that with a safe and good conscience we may and ought to yeeld conformitie, so farre as by publike autho­ritie is now required at our hands. Howbeit whiles I go about thìs, vnderstand, my purpose is not to take vpon me particularly and ex­presly to seeke to satisfie euerie obiection, that I know hath bene or is made, but onely those that I iudge to be most materiall, and that also as briefly as I can, for that I hope I haue to deale with men of learning and iudgement, who therfore being satisfied in the greatest, will neuer sticke (I should thinke) at the rest.

CHAP. 4. Of Conformitie, and first in kneeling at the receipt of the Communion.

TO proceed therefore therein, the things of greatest moment for which I obserue this vrged conformitie is stucke at, are either certaine rites or ceremonies, prescribed the Cleargie to vse, by the ser­uice booke or Canons, or certain exceptions made against the things thereby appointed in the Churches seruice to be read. In the first ranke three rites or ceremonies are misliked, especially kneeling in the receit of the Communion, the prescribed apparell, and the ma­king the signe of the crosse after Baptisme: Their reasons of the dis­like of the first of these. I find especially to be three; that it was not vsed by Christ, nor his Apostles at the first institution of this Sacra­ment, [Page 16]that it came in and first was taken vp after the doctrine of reall presence by transubstantiation, and so thereupon adoration of the host crept into the Church of Rome; and now by the Canons it is vr­ged so strictly, as that neither the minister may administer it to any that refuse to take it kneeling, nor they otherwise receiue it without in­curring the censures of the Church. Touching the first reason, long ago it hath bene sufficiently answered, as you may see Pag. 596. &c. of the late Archbishops answer to M. Cartwright, where hee shewes the Authors of the admonition, that were the first vrgers of it, that as the Church of Christ without any wrong offered to Christ, or his in­stitution, haue since altered the time and the place, and diuerse other circumstances in the administring of this Sacrament, so may it also the gesture of sitting, (then vsed for that it was instituted after the receit of the passeouer, in eating whereof they vsed that gesture) into this of kneeling. And as for the second, it is grounded rather vpon an ima­gination, then vpon any sound ground, for though there I find the ad­monition saith it came in by the decree of Honorius, yet they quote no author to proue it, which they would not haue failed to do, if they had had any worth the citing: And therfore though they were answered by the foresayd author, that he could find no such decree of Hono­rius for it, yet neither they nor M. Cartwright their defender, once since go about to proue that euer Pope Honorius made any such de­cree. And there being foure of that name Bishops of Rome, and some of them before either transubstantiation or adoration, was heard of in the Church, in fathering such a decree vpon Honorius without any adition or proofe, argues the weaknesse and vncertaintie of their eui­dence. But howsoeuer the Papists since these grosse and idolatrous conceits of theirs touching this sacrament came in, haue vsed it super­stitiously in adoring their host in the eleuation thereof, I cannot find neither in their masse booke, or any where else, that either Priest or people with them, were bound to receiue it kneeling: and we by our publike doctrine hauing abandoned that eleuation and adoration of theirs as we haue, we vse it onely as in the foresayd place the sayd Archbishop shewes to no such end, but for that we thinke it a fit and seemely gesture, the Sacrament being as it is a Sacrament of thanks­giuing, and it being also by the order of our Church alwayes deli­uered and receiued with prayer, wherein that gesture is very come­ly, and for that we know that now amongst vs, there is as great dan­ger, if not more, of too base a conceit, and of too much contempt of [Page 17]so excellent a Sacrament, then of any too high an estimation there of. And therefore euen, to preuent that the better is it onely that the Ca­non so earnestly vrges the vse of this gesture of kneeling, as also by vrging it so seuerely, to put an ende to the offensiue diuersitie (if it were possible) in the receiuing of this sacrament of vnitie, some sit­ting, some standing, some walking, and but some keeeling: for that of all these kinds of gestures (these times considered) this of kneeling is iudged the fittest. For it was wisely foreseene that such multiplicitie and varietie of gestures, tending so much as they do, not onely to set the people forward in that whereunto they are too for­ward alreadie, namely in thinking too too irreuerently of so high a mysterie, but also to the no small occasioning of the Papists more and more to stumble both at our doctrine and doings, would not, nor could not, bee reduced to a needefull vniformitie in this case, without some moderate seueritie vsed to that end. Wherefore other­wise to gather thereupon, as though thereby our Church now meant to make it absolutely and simply necessarie to the complement of this sacrament, is but directly contrarie to our last premised rule, to make the worst construction of the Churches order therein that may be; and therefore thus is their third argument founded vpon so bad a ground answered also. Further yet to breed and continue in vs (for the reasons aforesayd) the better liking of the Churches order in this behalfe, none can say of this gesture of kneeling, as they say of the o­ther, that it is a meere humane inuention, for we find it often practi­sed with allowance and liking of the Scriptures of the godly in pray­ing, and thanksgiuing to God, and therefore howsoeuer idolaters haue, or do, and will still abuse it, in and about their idolatrie, I hope for all that we purging it of all such abuse, none will deny the vse thereof to be lawfull, and very fit also, for true Christians in hum­bling themselues before God in their prayers and thanksgiuing. Sure I am that the consideration of these things hath alwayes so pre­uailed with me, that without scruple of conscience, I haue euer vsed it my self in the receipt of the Sacrament: and rather am I incouraged to vse it still, for that I find that not our Church alone, but the refor­med Church of Boeme, as it appeares in the harmonie of confessions, Sect. the 14. also alloweth and vseth it. Let this therefore suffice touching this rite, and now let vs go on to consider what is sayd a­gainst, and what may be sayd for the prescribed apparell.

CHAP. 5. Of conformitie in the prescribed apparell.

ALl the rest of the prescribed apparell saue only the Surplisse, for vs ordinarie Ministers, as namely the Gowne, Cloake, Hood, Cap. and Tippet, are in all mens eyes rather ciuill, scholasticall, and acade­micall, then meere Ecclesiasticall, appointed rather only for a decent distinction and degree then otherwise; neither are they imposed by law vpon any such penalty as the Surplisse, and therefore they must needs be without the reach of most, if not of all the obiections made against the Surplisse: Yea the verie surplisse also, in that it is, by the or­der now appointed, not to be worne of any minister that is a graduat, without his hood answerable to his degree, so farre forth must needs cease to be meere Ecclesiasticall. Somewhat also to the same end it is that we see in Collegiate and Cathedrall Churches, the wearing of it, is not appropriate to ministers or deacons only, for that many there weare it, as well as these, which neither are such, nor neuer meane to be. And as for the Coape appointed by the 24 Canon, by the princi­pall minister to be worne, when he ministers the Communion in Col­legiat and Cathedrall churches, we need not here trouble our selues at all, for there is none that I know, or heare of in such places, that re­fuse therein to conforme themselues. The onely question therefore touching apparell prescribed vs ministers, is in effect about the sur­plisse, so that it being once proued, that we may and ought (it being vrged as it is) conforme our selues therein, I doubt not but with all it will be sufficiently cleared, that we may without scruple yeeld to the vse of the other, appointed vs for our ordinarie ciuill vse; out of the time of our administration. Many haue bin, and yet are the obiections against it, but they are also answered by the late reuerend Archbishop in his foresayd booke, Pag. 256. &c. that he that will take the paines but to read and marke what is there sayd therunto by him (partialitie of affection laid aside) cannot but be satisfied I would thinke. And there further shall you find proued, that distinction of apparell was appointed ministers and vsed by them, before the Popes tyrannie; and namely that this of wering a white linnen garment was in vse in Chry­sostome and Hieromes time. Pag. 291, 259. and that he defends it not (howsoeuer some other haue done) for any signification it hath, but for decencie, order, and comelinesse sake onely, nor as most fit and necessarie, but as tollerable and quietly to bee yeel­ded [Page 19]vnto, and vsed for obedience sake to lawfull authority, com­maunding it for the peace, and good of the Church; so proouing a­gaínst all their said against it, either by the admonition, or by Mai­ster Cartwright, as it is vrged, and vsed by our Church, not to be con­trary vnto any thing set downe in the word, but rather to be conso­nant euery way, to the rules thereof touching such matters. And doubtles it is but either the ignorance, or wilfull error of men, to re­fuse and shun it as they doe, for that either it was first deuised, and brought in by the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome, or for that it hath beene vsed, or yet is, idolatrously by the Romish Church. For first it is recorded by Polidor d [...]inuent rerum. Lib. 6. Cap. 12, and by Isidor writing de Stephano, that the said Stephanus (who was Bishop of Rome anno Chri. 256, which was long before euer popery was) first decreed the white lynnen garment, to be vsed of ministers in their ministration: and for further proofe of this point, let any man read Hieroms first booke against the Pelagians. Cap. 9. and vpon the 44 of Ezechiell, and Chrisost. hom. 6. ad populum Antiochaum, as al­so concil. 4. carthaginense. Cap. 41. and he shall find a white linnen gar­ment in those times also in vse amongst the ministers of the Church, as a distinct apparrell to administer in, yea that more is, who so reads Theodorets 2 booke Cap. 27. shall finde that Constantine gaue vnto Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem a pretious garment wrought with gold to administer baptisme in: all which was before popery that wee so much condemne. And as for the other reason drawne from the abuse of it in popery, not onely by the testimony of Augustine ad Publico­lam Epist. 154 but also by the most cleare testimony of sundry other writers, both ancient and moderne, and by sundry presidents and ex­amples out of the scripture, in the foresaid tract, in the defence of the appointed apparrell. Page. 272. &c. the said Archbishop plentifully prooueth, that the good creatures of God neuer so much abused by Idolaters, purged of that abuse, may be vsed and that very lawfully a­bout Gods worship and seruice, and so quite ouerthroweth the ground of this argument, for whereas to reuiue it againe, they wold shift off all these proofes, by saying, they hold onely when the things so abused, after purged and vsed, are things needfull and profitable; that cannot serue there turne: for many of the things, if not all men­tioned in those there alleadged testimonies, were not so needfull, but that Gods seruice might haue beene fully done without them, and it is not for priuate men to iudge, so well as the publike state, what is [Page 20]profitable and to be vsed to good end. And in very deed the very Latine word Superpelliceum vsed to signifie a surplisse (as some not vnprobably haue noted) doth shew that it was taken vp and vsed by the ministers in their administration, in the primatiue and purest times of the Church, when the ministers, and almost all that pro­fessed Christ, through the cruell persecutions raised in those times a­gainst all such, were faine to hide themselues in Caues, woods, and mountaines, and for very pouerty and want of better, to go clothed in pellibus, in beasts skynns, euen therefor for seemlinesse and comli­nesse when they were to execute their ministry, to hide & couer those there base garmēts of skyns. And many of the ministry now in these daies, either thorough pouerty, or by some other meanes, ordinarily going so raggedly and vndecently apparrelled as they doe, if it were but in that respect, there is and may be a profitable and ne­cessary vse in some sense of the same garment, to couer the deformi­ty of the other, and to preserue them, and their ministry, from cōtempt & derision, that too easily otherwise therefore with too ma­ny, they might runne into. But to take away quite all force of this their argument, which yet seemes to be the chief and principall that any now stand vpon in this case: first I say, suppose a surplisse for mat­ter & forme altogether like ours, were abused and yet is as they say in in the popish Church, yet ours that we now vse being not eadem nu­mero, but only eademspecie, they can no more make idolathites of ours then the Corinthians could of euery sheep, because such some amōgst them had beene. As therfore they without any scruple of conscience of their owne & others, might eat of any other sheepe that certainly was known neuer had beene offered to an Idol, though it were neuer so like that which had, so what reason is there, but that we for all this reason, of the abusing of a surplisse to Idolatry by the Papists, may vse an other surplisse made vs since the banishment of popery out of our churches, which we are sure they neuer abused nor yet vsed? secondly I further ad that in very deede, it can neuer soundly be proued that a surplisse, as it is prescribed to vs with long & large sleeues, hath been at all any of their idolatrous masse garments. An Albe I find was one of them, but that was with strait sleeues & diuersly otherwise in their wearing of it differed from ours, as many may see. Lib 3. Durandifol. 25. de rationali diuinorū officiorū In deed I cannot deny but that at the first by the statute. 1, Eliza. ministers were to vse in their ministratiō the same ornaments that were in vse in the raigne of Ed. the sixt, & in [Page 21]the second yeare of his raigne, amongst which this Albe was. But her Maiestie by vertue of the said statute, with the consent of the Archbi­shop, & the high comissioners, in the seuenth yeare of her raigne (as it appears by the booke of Aduertisemēts then by authority published) belike of purpose to remoue the scandall takē by the popish Albe ap­pointed the surplisse in this forme & manner that we weare it, to be-vsed in stead thereof, hoping that seeing forma dat esse rei, & so therby this differed from that popish linnen masse garment as it doth, that by this change of the forme, people wold also chāge their mislike therof for the former reason, into a liking of this, for that now it was not the same, neither numero nor specie, particulerly nor generally, that euer had beene vsed to or about the Idolatry of the masse; for though Ge­deons Ephod particularly abused, was therfore worthy to be defaced, yet that neither caused Samuell nor Dauid to shun the wearing of lin­nen ephods especially differing from his otherwise in forme, as they did also, yea (to conclude this point) seeing the Lord in the old testamēt prescribed such distinct apparrell for Aaron & his sonnes, and all their sons to minister in, as we read he did, Ex. 28. & that not onely to be ty­pical (wherin it stādeth not with the nature of the times of the new te­stament to imitate thē) but also as it is, there expresly set down) ve. 40. for glory & comlinesse: things lawfull to be respected euen now in the time of the new, what sound reason can be shewed vtterly to de­bar the Churches now since Christ, from imitating them at all, in appointing any comely apparrell to discerne, and distinguish their ministers by? To say it is an humane tradition, and therefore to be reiected, as long as it is vrged but as it is without any superstiti­ous opinion thereunto annexed, onely for comlinesse, order and de­cency, as we haue heard by the fift principle before set downe, it may lawfully be retayned and vsed. But if it be alleadged, that it is offen­siue to some eye, to many weake brethren, first answer is to be made thereunto, that indeed that were sufficient to stay men from the vse thereof, if lawfull authority, had set downe no order therein, but now that it hath, the case is altered, as that according to the fourth premised ground, the ordinance of he Church must bee the rule that we are to follow therein, for feare of offending the publike e­state thereof whose offence wee are rather to shunne then the o­ther; yea the case so standing with vs, that in respect of our mini­stry & place, wee haue all to say with the Apostle. 1. Cor. 9.16. wo be to vs if we preach not the Gospell, as Cartwright himself hath writtē [Page 22]in the second part of his reply page. 264 we are rather by continuance in our ministry, by yeelding to the vse hereof, to shun this rock of in­curring otherwise this woe, then the other. For in this case all we can do for such, is saith he, to seeke better to instruct them, and to pray for them, but we may not to preuent not offending of them, leaue vndon that which God hath not left free vnto vs, and to the same ef­fect, writeth. Beza Epist. 8. and 12. But indeed to many are the readiest to bee offended at our yeelding hereunto (though intruth it bee of conscience before God, euen for their good) not for that they are weake brethren, but for that they take vs to be weake in yeelding, & themselues to be strong in misliking: and generally whosoeuer they be, if they be at that point, that whatsoeuer is said to satisfie them, they yet are so farre from beeing willing so to be, that they seeke & search all the corners of their wits to the contrary, and refuse no paines by all meanes to nourish themselues still in their weaknesse or error, it surely so appearing, that they would yet rather haue vs leaue all to hu­mor them, what mischiefe soeuer grow vnto the Church, them and there neighbors, vs and ours thereby, then for the good of all these by vsing hereof, to continue in our places and ministery: verily in my o­pinion, we make a fond choise, if we so respect them, that we neglect all these. Whatsoeuer further is or can be said against this (because the obiections against it, and the signe of the crosse, therein are com­mon) I shall haue occasion to answere, in seeking to satisfie that which is obiected against that, and therefore for the surplisse in the mean time, I will say no more. And yet euen hereby it may sufficient­ly appear, that neither the christian Magistrate, nor the Church are so without all word of faith, as some think, for their appointing it, but as they doe with vs, for wee haue heard and seene that both, by Gods word haue lawfull authority to make lawes and ordinances, and that the same followes then for decency and good order, and so in gene­rall though not in particuler expreslie to those ends to prescribe this.

CHAP. 6. Of conformity in vsing the signe of the crosse in Baptisme.

BEing now come to the signe of the Crosse (howsoeuer some ig­norant persons thinke to the contrary) the vse of it euen in bap­tisme, is far ancienter then antichristian popery; for Origen that liued [Page 23]and dyed before the first three hundred yeares after Christ were en­ded hom. 8 in diuersos locos Euang: makes expresse mention of it, as thē vsed in Baptisme, and so doth Augustine in his time, in his one hun­dred & eighteenth tract vpon Iohn, and euident it is to all of any rea­ding in the ancient Fathers, that almost infinite are the places, as o­thers plentifully haue showed, that haue writ hereof, that might bee cited out of them that florished before 400 yeares after Christ were expired, to proue the frequent vse thereof, not onely in that sacrament but also otherwise. In deed I must needs confesse that very many of their speeches seeme to sound as though they too quickly grew to attribute to much vnto it. But Maister Perkins in his probleme late­ly published, writing of those their sayings, is of opinion, that in so speaking & thinking thereof as they did, they had alwaies an eye and reuerence therein, to Christ and his death vpon the crosse, & that they put no such affiance in the signe, but onely vsed it with reuerence to testifie thereby, boldly their faith in him that dyed vpon a crosse, & to be an admonitory signe vnto them, to stir thē vp so, still to belieue. But howsoeuer either some of thē to quickly, or the Church of Rome since, by mistaking their metaphoricall, and hyperbolicall speeches thereof, haue vsed it superstitiously, and Idolatrously, making it a signe of it selfe not onely significatiue, but also operatiue and effec­tiue of wonderfull things, we therein and therefore condemne them and retain the vse thereof onely that was most ancient & free, either from superstition or Idolatry, namely to be as a signe or token, nei­ther naturally of it selfe, nor supernaturally otherwise, either signify­ing any thing, or working or effecting any thing, in those vpon whome we confer it, but it is vsed indeed by vs, and that by the mi­nister in his owne name, and the congregations or Churches wher­of he is minister, after he hath baptised the child, that it together with his admittance therof, into the outward visible church, vpon the baptisme precedent and finished, may alwaies after be an admonitory token vnto it, neuer to be ashamed to professe the faith of Christ that dyed vpon a crosse, and manfully to fight vnder his banner against the world the flesh and the Diuell; for after it is fully baptised, & to manifest the same, Amen is said, then by the order of our booke, the minister saith, we receiue this child into the congregation of Christs flock, & signe it with the signe of the crosse, in token that hereafter it shall neuer be ashamed to cōfesse the faíth of Christ crucified &c. So that not it alone, but it together with the publike admittance there­of [Page 24]into the Church, is made the token vnto it, of that which followeth & further any man may se, that neither it alone, nor it togither with that admittance or receiuing therof, are made any otherwise to bee a signe or token therof vnto the child, then in our intention, & that on­ly it is conferred by the minister & the Church, & so withall they re­ceiue it into their fellowship & company, of hope they haue, that if it liue (as they trust it will) comming to age and discretion, and then seeing others baptised, it will remember, that likewise when it was baptised, it was so receiued into the Church therupon and so signed, and that therfore thereby it would take occasion (accordingly as they that baptised it, and so signed it, thereby seemed to hope and ex­pect) not to be ashamed to confesse the faith, wherin it was baptised, & to shew the fruits and effects therof in continuing Christs faithfull soldier, & seruant to the liues end. No signe therfore at all it is made betwixt God and the child, nor betwixt the child and him, but only as a token togither with the outward receipt therof, vpon his bap­tisme premised, betwixt the minister & the people and it, of the chri­stian hope & expectation they haue, that it will answere after in time both in beliefe, and life, that which they then hopd & promised in the name therof, as much as lay in them, it should. And it rather appears, that this indeed is the onely and true vse of it with vs, for that in pri­uate baptisme, which is only allowed, when the child is in more dan­ger to die then otherwise, the booke doth not prescribe the vse of it, for that belike they in that case, fearing rather the present death ther­of, thē hoping for the life, vntill it may thus cōfesse the faith of Christ crucified, it was not thought fit they should thus signe it in token of their hope and expectation, that it should & would thus, not be asha­med to confesse &c. for the reason aforesaid, well & iustly therefore it is protested in the thirtith canon, that as it is vsed with vs, it is no part of the substance of the sacrament, & that being after vsed, it doth nei­ther ad any thing to the vertue & perfection of baptisme, nor beeing omitted, doth detract any thing from the effect & substance of it, for doubtlesse the childe priuately baptised, by the order of the booke without it: though it immediately after die, is therby & by our church taken and held to be fully & effectually baptised the very name of the crosse, as it is said in the beginning of that canon, we find indeed so honored by the pen of the Apostle S. Paule, as that vnder that very word, often in his epistles, he comprehends the death of Christ with all the fruits & effects thereof, & therfore the signe after a sort bring­ing [Page 25]the name of the crosse to remembrance, and expressing it, by all likelyhood euen thereupon grew, as there it is further noted, very early, reuerently also to be vsed in the primitiue Church, to make thereby outward and open shew, to the astonishment both of Iew & Gentile, that Christians were not ashamed to belieue in Christ, that dyed vpon a crosse. For the vse thereof to that end is so ancient in­deed, as that the most diligent studier and searcher of ancient writers cannot shew the first originall and beginning there of, he may shew when first hee reads it was vsed, but that will not prooue that it was not vsed before, but rather shewes the contrary. Wherupon some thinke that it is so frequent with the ancient Fathers, as name­ly with Basil Cap. 27. de spiritu sancto to tearme it an Apostolike tradition, for that they thinke it came from them and their times, for that other originall sense, they cannot shew thereof. For that indeed as Saint Augustines rule de baptismo contra donatistas. Lib. 4. Cap. 24, namely that which is vniuersally obserued in the Church, and whose originall wee cannot shew by councells, and which hath alwaies therein beene vsed, that wee are to thinke certainly to bee an Apostolike tradition. I wonder therefore the author of the late booke published against the crosse, allowing the vse & practise here­of in the primitiue Church to the same ende and vse that is in vse a­mongst vs, should dissallow it in vs, he saith it was ciuill in them, but it is ecclesiasticall amongst vs, but what reason hath he to say so, seeing it was vsed by them in baptisme, at the first to the same end that it is amongst vs? neither will that serue that some say it was then ta­ken vpp, and vsed because christians then liued intermingled with vnbeleeuing Iewes and Gentiles, for let the testimonies of the Fathers bee examined where they mention the vse of it, and it will appeare, that they vsed it aswell when none such were by or neare, as when they were: and if their liuing amongst such was a warrant to them for the vse thereof; why is not ours likewise, li­uing amongst so many profane Atheists as wee doe? Wee vse it but (as it is said in the foresaid canon) as a lawfull outward ceremony, and as an honorable badge of our Christian profession: Whereunto Peter Martyr writeing vppon the second comman­dement, hauing an eye saith, if it bee lawfull for vs to weare the Cognizance of our owne house and family, licet etiam sig­no crucis Christianam nostram religionem profiteri: And this also was so cleare and manifest, that euen Beza though elswhere no great [Page 26]friend or patron hereof, in this answere to Baldwin, speaking of such Churches, that still thus to this end do vse it, writeth plainly, let such as it is meete, vse their liberty therein, Bucer also in his cen­sure vpon the first communion booke, doth most plainly allow it, and wee know Cranmer and Ridley, and sundry other learned and famous Martyrs, liued and dyed in the liking and allowance of it, It is not vrged, nor vsed, nor defended by vs, as simply necessary, or as immutable, For the late Archbishop, euen when and whiles hee sought most and best to maintaine and defend the vse of it, as it is with vs, writes plainly of it. Page. 617 of his foresaid booke: it was vsed of the primitiue Church, and still may bee vsed, and it may be left; but wee choose rather to retaine it, and to vse it as Paule did imposition of hands, and thereby as by an admoni­tory token to put the child in minde of the duety, as hereby the other moued Timothy to bee mindfull of his, 1. Tim. 4.14. All which laide togither may make it euident, that not onely it is a thing of the owne nature indifferent, because it is so, neither com­maunded nor forbid in the word of God, but also as it is vsed and vrged, for that neither so, any way is it contrary to faith or good manners, but may well stand with the generall rules of the word left the Church for her direction in such matters. Howbeit I know for all this, many both godly and learned, will hardly bee perswaded so of it: let vs therefor consider the reasons they seeme to haue yet further against it.

CHAP. 7. Containing answeres to certaine obiections against the same, some new, and some olde, generally stood vpon by the refusers to vse it.

FIrst some seeme now to mislike worse of it, since by the said third canon the vse of it hath beene explained as it is there, then they did before, and that for two reasons: for that it is there said to be retained for the remembrance of the crosse of Christ, whereof the sacrament of the bodie, and blood of Christ is a sufficient remem­brance, vntill his comming againe. 1. Cor. 11.26. and for that ther­in also it is first said that the christians in the primitiue Church sig­ned their children therewith, when they were christned, to dedicate them by that badge to his seruice, whose benefits bestowed vpon them in baptisme, the name of the crosse did represent and then afer [Page 27]that, we now following therein the primitiue and apostolicall chur­ches, and accounting it a lawfull outward ceremonie, thereby also as by an honorable badge dedicate our baptized infants to his seruice: For this now say they must needs be taken for the sense and meaning of our Church in the vse thereof, howsoeuer before we might haue taken it, as I before haue set downe. But if such would herein put in practise the last of the seuen rules layd downe for a preamble to this treatise, neither these reasons would proue so strong as otherwise they seeme, nor yet hereby would it follow, that they are one whit enfor­ced to take it in a worse, or harder sense then they might before: for first in reason and charitie, we are all bound to thinke, that whereas by that Canon, as it euidently appeares thereby, the reuerend Bishops and Prelates assembled seriously and carefully, went about by their explaining the meaning of our Church in the vse thereof, to draw men to like and allow thereof better then before, that they were not so vnconsiderate, as so directly to crosse their owne intent, in ma­king it harder and worse to be like of then it was before. Then se­condly it is certaine, if these their words might be so hardly taken, as thereupon now to build such an erronious and superstitious vse of this signe, as they (that thereupon now take occasion more to dislike it then before) perswade themselues they iustly may; then these reue­rend and learned fathers and brethren of ours, should most absurdly contrarie themselues, euen in the Canon it selfe; for growing towards the end therof, as before they had confessed, that alwayes our Church since the abolishing of poperie, hath vsed it with such sufficient cau­tions and exceptions against all popish superstition and error, as in like cases are fit and conuenient, so they conclude that by this their declaration and explanation of the vse thereof, they haue not onely purged it from all superstition and errour: but reduced it also in the Church of England to the primarie institution of it, vpon those true rules of doctrine, concerning things indifferent: and according to the iudgement of all the ancient fathers. With what probabilitie there­fore can any man thinke, that so many and such men, could in their foresayd words haue any such hard meaning, as thereby not only to make the signe of the crosse of it selfe to serue to the very same ende that the Supper of the Lord doth, as to keepe in our remembrance his death and passion, but also so plainly to encroach vpon a principall vse of the other Sacrament, as to be the meanes whereby the child is substantially and effectually dedicated to Christ and his seruice? [Page 28]Surely whatsoeuer other men say or thinke in this respect, christian charitie neither will nor shall euer (I hope) suffer me to admit of so absurd a conceit of all, or of any of their meanings, that either were the penners, makers, or allowers of that Canon: yea the same charity and the dutifull and reuerend estimation I haue of them all, leades, yea enforces me, euen by the consideration of their owne words v­sed within the same Canon, to be fully resolued, that that was ne­uer their meaning: but that indeed their meaning plainly and simply was onely, by the former to signifie, as the name of the crosse in the phrase of the Apostle did comprehend or represent, the death of Christ vvith all the fruits and effects thereof, so the signe thereof with the helpe of our intention and meditation in the vsing thereof, might be as a token or signe admonitorie to put vs in remembrance there­of: for by the name of the crosse they say expresly the Apostle in his speech comprehended as much, and that by that name or word was represented all the benefits of Christs death, and so that thereupon the making of the signe thereof was shortly after taken vp and vsed, thereby to make shew and profession of their faith in him that died on a crosse, which they could not doe; without taking occasion thereby in some sort (which is not vnlawfull) to remember his deaths and by the latter doubtlesse they meant only, (as these words, im­mediatly in the latter place added, shew, as by the words vsed in the booke of common prayer it may appeare) such a dedication of the child by that badge to the seruice of Christ, as formerly the booke onely meant and intended; which was no otherwise, then I haue shewed before: that is, a publike admittance thereof, with the conferring of that signe, into the congregation of Christs flocke, and so into his seruice by confession of faith in him, and manfully fighting vnder his banner against all the spirituall enemies: for immediatly before the act of the baptizing of it, the minister prayeth that whosoeuer there shall bee dedicated vnto God by his office and ministerie (mea­ning in baptizing them) may bee endued with heauenly vertues, and euerlastingly rewarded through his mercie: and then hauing baptized it or them, in faith and hope that this prayer is heard, and so that they are by, and in baptisme, substantially and effectually dedicated vnto God, Amen is sayd: after followes the ministers and peoples admittance of them, and signing of them as aforesayd: which is nothing but an approouing of the former dedication as [Page 29]much as lies in them, and a declaring of their hope and expectation by that which they do, that in time they will shew and manifest themselues to be dedicated to his seruice indeede, in faithfully ser­uing of him both in beleefe and life: so that euen the words and or­der of the booke, whereunto they haue expresse conference, in that Canon plainely shew, that by them is meant no other dedication of the baptized by that badge, then an approbation by them of the former dedication of them in and by baptisme, and so their de­claration thereof by that, and the admittance of the baptized, as the booke appointeth. Appobatiuè therefore, and declaratiué, and non effectiuè, are they and the Canon to be vnderstood: wherein there is no such daunger or alteration of the former good meaning, that might be of this signe.

2. Now therefore these new obiections thus answered, let vs go on to weigh what further either of olde or else of late is obie­cted against this signe of the Crosse, in answering whereof I shall, I hope; yet more lay foorth the weaknesse of these: [...]t is still, and long hath beene alledged against it, that it is made by vs as it is vsed significatiue (and that when wee haue made the best cons­truction thereof wee can) of that which is sufficiently signified by baptisme before, and that therefore in the vrged vse it is not indifferent, and so not to be yeelded vnto. To this argument it is aunswered first, that it is grounded of that which will not, nor neede not bee graunted, namely that it is not within the power and libertie of the Church of Christ, to ordaine rites and ceremonies with signification of spirituall things, especially of any thing sig­nified alreadie by either of the Sacraments, for that were, say they, to obscure them, and as it were to bring in new kinde of Sacraments without expresse warrant from Christ, which is vnlawfull. For where finde they in the word any warrant to debarre the Church of this freedome and libertie, to ordaine rites with any such spirituall signification? Sure I am Peter Mar­tyr a verie godly learned man in an Epistle of his to Hooper, plaine­ly shewes, that he had neuer found any such, for there hee saith, how shall we debar the Church of God of this libertie, that it cannot signi­fie some good thing in setting forth her rites & ceremonies? especially being so done that no maner of Gods honor is attributed vnto them, and that they be in sight comly, and in number few, and that christian [Page 30]people be not with them ouerburthened, and matters of greater im­portance be not omitted? But indeed though this and the rest of ours be otherwise, thus qualified, as Martir would haue all such to be, and are not darke and dumbe ceremonies, as the Popish ceremonies abolished were, but are so set forth (as is said in the tract of ceremo­nies prefixed before our Communion booke) that euery man may vnderstand what they meane and to what vse they serue, and so con­sequently (as there also is noted) are the freer from danger of abuse; yet indeed, that booke no where, nor any publike ordinance of our Church annexeth any signification vnto any of them, as I said before, either for that naturally of themselues, they signifie any such thing, or that supernaturally any such is tied thereunto: what vse soeuer therefore we make of any of them, by way of signification or re­semblance, it is either from our owne declared meaning and inten­tion in the vse thereof, as in this, or from our voluntarie meditation thereof, as in the rest, and therefore they neither darken the nature of the Sacraments, nor no way iustly can be sayd or thought to be as new Sacraments. For all Sacraments by Christs owne ordinance, not onely signifie the spirituall things whereof they are Sacraments, but also are Gods ordinarie meanes, whereby he doth offer, deliuer, and seale the deliuerie thereof, to all the worthie receiuers of the same, in all which these come short of them. And who knoweth not but the Sacraments haue significations, some principall and proper, and some lesse principall and common to them with other things, and that therefore, though the Church may not either in her intention or voluntarie meditation, in the vse of her owne rites and ceremonies, thereby encroach vpon the principall and proper vse of Christs Sa­craments, yet she may without wronging either of Christ or his Sa­craments, reach in her intention and meditation by occasion of her owne rites and ceremonies, to those that are lesse principall and com­mon. As for example, the Supper of the Lord hath two ends and vses, the one principall and proper, to be vnto the right receiuers the Com­munion of the body and bloud of Christ, as Paul sheweth 1. Cor. 10.16. and another lesse principall, set downe in the next verse, namely to knit vs in communion amongst our selues. Now though the Church, neuer that we read of, ventured by any of her rites and ceremonies to signifie the former, yet doubtlesse both by her loue feasts taken vp in the Apostles times, as it appeares euen in that Chapter, and by the vse of the holy kisse, mentioned Rom. 16.16. and 1. Cor. 16.20. yea euen im­mediatly [Page 31]before the receipt of the Sacrament, by Iustine Martirs time, as it appeares in his Apologie vnto Antoninus Pius, it was the Churches vse to resemble vnto themselues the latter, and thereby as by admonitorie signes and tokens the better to put and keepe them­selues in remembance thereof: what should let therefore, but that the sacrament of baptisme principally and properly signifying our remis­sion of sinnes in the bloud of Christ, and our regeneration through his spirit, in being thereby so ingrafted into his death and resurrecti­on, as that we are dead to sinne, and raised vp to righteousnesse, but that the Church of Christ may vse the signe of the Crosse as she doth with vs, as an admonitorie token of our christian hope and expecta­tion that the children of Christians baptized amongst vs, shall and will answer the lesse principall and common end thereof, which is to bring forth the fruits and effects of the former, thereby before besto­wed vpon them and sealed vnto them?

3. Hereby also we are led to answer another maine obiection which they make against it, for that whiles it is vsed as it is, it is charged to be an addition to Christs Sacrament and ordinance of baptisme, which is vtterly vnlawfull, or at least an arguing him in some sort of some imperfection in the ordaining the maner how it should be mi­nistred, in that wee neuer read, he or any of his Apostles made any mention of the vse hereof in the administration of this Sacrament. For euen hereby we see alreadie by the lawfull vse of the loue feasts, and the holy kisse, together with the receit of the other Sacrament in the primitiue and apostolike Churches, neither of which were any more mentioned by Christ in the institution of that Sacrament, then this was in this other, that euerie such rite and ceremonie taken vp by the Church and vsed, when and where the Sacraments are ministred, though they be also such as serue to betoken and signifie vnto the people some thing also signified by the Sacraments themselues, as these did, are not straight to be accounted either vnlawfull additions thereunto, or things arguing Christ of imperfection, in not remem­bring them in the first institution: They themselues that vrge this obiection most, do allow diuerse things in the administration here­of, and in the other Sacrament also, as here either of godfathers, or godmothers, or of the parents, or of some in their roome, and that to answer certaine questions, as also in the other of ministring it in the morning, in the publike assemblies and to women, none of which are expressed in the first institution of either, and yet they will not grant [Page 32]either of these things to folllow thereupon. But the full answere to this obiection is this, that the truth is indeede, that Christ hath left the institution of the Sacraments full and perfect for all the substan­tiall and vnchaungeable things thereunto appertaining, expresly set downe by the direction of his spirite in the Scriptures, wherein he is to bee followed without addition or detraction, yea or any altera­on thereof at all; and that he left vnto his Church the further orde­ring of the circumstances, and further what was fit according to va­rietie of times, persons and places, for the most orderly, decent, and comely administration thereof, prouided alwayes, that therein she keepe her selfe in a course not contrarie, but consonant to rules set downe in the same Scriptures for her direction herein: for thus the practise of his true Church euer since hath taught vs to vnderstand him therein. Vnlawfull addition to any of Christs Sacraments there­fore, is only that, that either participates therewith in all, or at the least in the chiefe and proper ends and vses thereof, or is added for complement thereof, as necessarie and so vnchangeable, whereas our Church in the last named tract of her ceremonies protesteth of this and of all the rest, that they are retained only for discipline and order, and may vpon iust causes be altered and changed, & therefore are not to be esteemed equall with Gods law, and we haue heard that the 30. Canon particularly of this protesteth, that the vsing of it is neither to adde any vertue or perfection to the Sacrament, nor the omitting of it detracts any thing from the effect and substance of it: And therfore not only priuate baptisme, as we haue heard, is by our seruice booke iudged perfect and effectuall without it, but we see that our Church accounteth many thousands that haue bin, and yet are baptized with­out it sufficiently baptized: so that euen thereby it is euident, that it is vsed not as a necessarie supply to perfect baptisme, though it be called the signe of the Crosse in baptisme, but that it is vrged, only vpon the minister, to vse it as is appointed, as a comly & decent rite in the admi­nistration thereof, & therfore he is only censured for his contempt or neglect of the churches authority in omitting it, but the sufficiency of the sacrament therfore, is neuer by authority for want therof once cal­led in question. To argue therfore that it is vnlawfully added to bap­tisme, because it is called the signe of the crosse in baptisme, in the title of the 30. Canon, is a grosse Paralogisme, for the words of the Canon expresly seuer it frō baptism, in shewing how the child by the book is perfectly baptized before it be vsed; & though the whole tract wherin [Page 33]the forme of baptisme is prescribed, is called the form of administra­tion of Baptisme, yet who knowes not that it is so, not for that euery thing therin, is to be reckoned as part of the essentiall forme of the administring therof, but for that the chiefe part therof sets downe that, & the rest appertains but to the circumstances, & to the comly & de­cent outward accidentall & changeable manner of administring of it.

4 But say some, yet it cannot be but vnlawfull in the vse, for that being but an humane needlesse tradition, it is placed so near bap­tisme, and is vrged as it is. But as long as it is so seuered from it, as it is, & is vrged & vsed with the cautions before mentioned, and so no way made either simply necessary, or any way, any part or point of Gods immediate and proper worship, and seruice, it is not, nor cannot be any forbid addition thereuto: Deuteronomie. 12. or els­where, or any vaine condemned tradition, in or by the scriptures any where, as is premised in the fift principle agreed on at the first. But they reply confidently as it is vrged, that it is made a parte of Gods seruice and worship, and therefore that it is no better then a verie Idoll, and a forbidden likenesse of some thing in the se­cond commandement condemned, and therefore by no meanes to bee yeelded vnto; yet as confident as they are herein this ante­cedent of theirs, wee vtterly and wholy deny, for neither make wee it, as the similitude of any thing to bee worshipped with a­ny diuine worshippe, inward or outward, either in it selfe, or in that whereof it is made a likenesse: the Papists doe both, and ther­fore as they vse it, it is with them in their concept a part of Gods di­uine worshippe, and a grosse Idoll they make of it, but in all these respects, we condemne them: and doubtlesse they themselues, how­soeuer they so esteeme of it, as it is vsed in their manner, & with their intent & mind, yet as it is made & vsed by vs, there is none of any iudgment & learning amongst them, that anything regard it, and so much the stranger it is, that any of our owne religion quite contrary to our publike protestation should beare vs, themselues or any other in hand, that wee lodge any peece of Gods worship in it, or make any Idoll of it. Sure I am our harts, our words, and deeds, cleare vs both before God and man hereof: and that so being our best armour to beare of the blow, that by this weapon they would giue vs, is to thinke & say with S. Paule. 1. Cor. 4. As touching our selue we passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgmēt. But seing they are so confident of the truth of this their antecedent, [Page 32] [...] [Page 33] [...] [Page 34]let vs see what they bring to prooue it withall: the effect and sūme of all their proofe is first, that wee vse it in the worshippe or seruice of God, therin that the Iewes worshiped & serued God, with diuine worship in the obseruing of their ceremonies prescribed by God, by the ministery of Moses, also for that therby in the publike worshippe of God religious dueties are taught, and lastly for that it is an outward forme deuised by man to some vse of religion: in that it teacheth him vpon whom it is conferred, some religious dutie, by the signification therof. To all this, first I briefly answere, that neither any of these, nor all these togither, prooue the antecedent before denied, then my reason thereof is this, things may be vsed in the worship or seruice of God, either as necessary, essentiall, and substantiall parts therof only, which are part of Gods worship indeed, or but as circumstances, or only as humane or ecclesiasticall orders appointed but for seemely­nesse & comlinesse about the same, of which sort this of ours is: and the Iewes obseruing their rites & ceremonies so prescribed with right vnderstanding, and with sound hearts to God, therin might & did immediatly serue and worship God, because they therfore had the expresse warrant and commandement of God in particular, and yet not wee in ours, because we want that, hauing only the general rule that he left vs for matters of this kind; and euery thing that any way teacheth religious dueties in the publike worship of God, is not therfore part of his seruice and worship, but that only is so indeed, that is of his own immediate ordinance, to that end, & when accordingly it is rightly vsed; of which nature we hold not this rite to bee and as for the last which is to proue it to be against the second commande­ment & so an idoll, it proueth it not so to be in this, for though it be an outward forme of some thing deuised by mā, yet that is not suffici­ent to proue it to be an idoll condemned in that commandement, for that it serues to some vse of religion, or for that also by our intenti­on, & meditation therof, it is giuen by the minister and people as a token betwixt them and the child, of the christian hope and expec­tation that they haue it will answere that which therewith all is ad­ded. For as we haue heard the loue feasts and kisse vsed, as they were with the supper, and to that ende they were also, were all this, and yet were neither condemned by the second commandement, not yet Idolls. And who can deny but that the altar, built by the a tribes and a halfe mentioned Iosua. 22. was an outward form deuised by them, & to a religious vse, namely to shew an other day to their [Page 53]children, that they belonged to the same God that the other Tribes did, and that therfore in respect of that end, vse and signification, it was allowed by their brethren, when they vnderstood thereof, how angry soeuer they were against them for it, before they vnderstood it, and so for all that, not condemned to be against the second com­mandement or an idoll? That altar in their intention and meditation, when they made it, was to be an admonitory signe vnto their poste­rity of that religious lesson in their hope and expectation, and therin there case and ours in this are like, but herein yet there is some diffe­rence that their inention and meaning therin was secret to thēselues, and therfore their building thereof, so subiect as it was, to offend the rest, and ours is plainly with all expressed and set downe in our book of euery bodie to be seene, and therfore the better to preuent all of­fence, or other construction of our meaning thereby: but indeede neither they, nor we hold; that the altar, or our signe of the Crosse of themselues; or any otherwise; then in our intention, signifie any such thing at all. And yet this puts me in remembrance of another diffe­rence betwixt that of thicks and this of ours, that that was visible and permanent, as the substantiall crosses vsed in poperie also are, whereas ours is but as an action transient, and by and by ceased and gone, and therefore neither so subiect to further abuse, nor yet to giue offence, as either that of theirs, or these of the Papists, which are vsed without any expresse notification with all, of the ende and vse thereof, much more of anie lawfull and warrantable mea­ning they haue therein, and therefore the more doubtlesse offensiue. Yet if wee should thereunto annexe the significa­tion imagined, why should that bee vnlawfull in our publicke e­state, when as the writers of the admonition thinke, that they lawfully may preferre sitting in the receipt of the Lords Supper, be­fore any other gesture, for that it best signifies rest thorough Christ from sinne, and the rites of Moses; yea that more is, read wee not Ioshua 24. that hee hauing pitched a stone vnder an Oake, told the people that that should be a witnesse against them, if they at any time after forsooke that God, whom they then had chosen to serue? But yet for further and more full answere to these prooffes of theirs, we are to vnderstand that Gods wor­ship or seruice, is taken eyther properly, as it is immediately tendered and done to himselfe, for that he hath so commaunded it: Or it is taken in a large and generall sense, for whatsoeuer [Page 36]is done so with warrant from any rules of his word, as that the doer may doe it in faith, without which in nothing he doeth he can please God. Rom. 14.23. as it seemeth to be taken. Coloss. 3.17. where the Apostle saith, whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or in deed, doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus. In which sense, seruants doing at the commaundement of their maisters according to the flesh, any ser­uile worke not forbidden by God, doing it willingly and cheerfully as they ought, for that God hath commaunded seruants to obey their Maisters in such things, the Apostle saith, they therein serue the Lord and not man. Ephes. 6.7. And therefore so also when subiects obey the lawful ordinances and lawes of their Princes and Superiours, be they ciuill or ecclesiasticall, because God hath com­maunded obedience and subiection to such, Rom. 13. and 1. Pet 2. as we haue heard, and Hebr. 13.17. and their commaundements haue warrant from generall rules left them in the word, though there they be not particularly specified, they may euen therein in this sense be said to serue God himselfe. But yet then any man may see, that there is great difference betwixt this kinde of seruing of him and the other, for the other, is so his proper and imme­diate seruice, as that men sinne, if they yeald him it not, be­cause of his owne onely commaunding it and requiring it at their handes. Whereas this growes to be but an inferiour kind of seruice of his, though rightly done verie accetable also, by the meanes of the lawfull commaund of the superiour, whom hee hath commaunded to bee obeyed.

And therefore the late Reuerend Archbishoppe in his fore­said booke. Page 269. writing and speaking there of the com­maunded rites & ceremonies amongst vs, and namely of the distinct apparrell appointed ministers, saith, that men know we could be without them, & that but for obedience sake, we do not much esteme them: which he neither could nor would haue said, of any thing ex­presly and immediatly commaunded by God, as a point of his per­petuall or necessarie seruice or worship. Now then who is so simple but he may easily conceiue, that things of this latter kinde, may be v­sed about religion and the seruice of God in the former sense, and yet for all that, made no part nor peece eyther of religion or of the worship and seruice of God in that kinde; which as long as they are not, but onely keepe their owne inferiour ranke and place, that which they say of their so being vsed, makes nothing to proue their [Page 37]antecedent, or any vnlawfulnesse in them. For the rules against all addition by man to Gods seruice and worship, prescribed by himselfe in his written word, and against worshipping and seruing of him by the precepts or traditions of men, are onely to be vnderstood (as it is euident euen by that which we heard Paul say of seruants ser­uing the Lord Christ in doing their maisters lawfull commaunds, in any thing that he hath not forbid) of his seruice and worship in the first sense: and therefore they are no better then wrested, when they are drawne against such rites and ceremonies, and conformitie there­in, as we spake of.

5 Neyther is that any reason of force against them, that they are said to be needlesse and vnprofitable traditions of men, nor that they are made meere ecclesiasticall, though they had some signification of some religious duety annexed vnto themselues: for the iudg­ment of the publike state of a Church, touching the needfulnesse and profitablenesse of such things; is to bee preferred before the iudgment of priuate men. For they that bee in place of authori­ty, and haue beene long exercised therein, beeing also Godly and learned, through their better acquaintance, with the mysteries of gouernment, must needs see and iudge better what is fit, and meete for order and comlinesse, then priuate men can. And as for their beeing made mere ecclesiasticall, by that which I said before of the surplisse, partly appeares to be false, and reason I can see none (as I haue said also) why the author of the booke against the crosse should account the vse of it in the primitiue Church, beeing the same for which we vse it, (namely to shew that we are not ashamed to professe faith in Christ crucified, &c.) to haue bene then ciuill, and therefore lawfull, and ours to be meere Ecclesiasticall, and therefore vtterly vnlawfull. If their reason be, because we vse it onely in the church & that by the minister, & they vsed it also elsewhere by any of them, surely that is a very weake one. For though mariage be, or were only to be solemnized in the church, and in the time of diuine seruice, and that onely by a minister, yet that would not proue it to be meere Ecclesiasticall, and the like may be sayd of the buriall of the dead: For notwitstanding burials are in some sort ciuill, humane, and politicke thinges, and therefore neither the vsing it onely in the Church; nor onely by the Minister, will prooue it so. And I wonder that any should euer imagine, that an Ecclesiasticall rite or ceremonie, should therefore bee thought to bee [Page 38]vnlawfull, because by the end and vse thereof it teacheth some good religious dutie. For none can be ignorant, that Paul ordered, that in the Church assemblies women should be couered, and men vncoue­red. 1. Cor. 11. and that, (as well Caluin notes) euen from ground suf­ficient in the words of the text there, thereby to signifie the subiec­tion of the one to the other, and the superioritie of the other ouer the other, which are good religious duties and lessons. And a man would thinke they were so much the more commendable, and the more tending to edification, by how much the more they occasioned men to learne thereby, and to remember good religious duties. But as I haue often said we neyther maintaine nor defend ours, for any signi­fication they haue, neyther doe we hold they signifie of themselues any such religious dutie onely by the helpe of our meditation, by oc­casion of them, and by our intention in the vse of this in particular, we retaine and vse it, adding withall as we doe, in hope of the childe learning and practising that after, so the better also (for that we liue amongst such who haue abused it otherwise, and would faine so doe againe) to keepe and preserue it from all such abuse, and in this auncient and lawfull vse; yet all other arguments failing, many thinke, that because it hath so superstitiously, yea idolatrous­ly beene abused of the Church of Rome, euen therefore as Ezechias for like abuse of the brasen Serpent commendably defaced and de­stroyed that, though once commaunded to be set vp by God himself. Num. 21. So much more should this, being but a mere humane ordinance haue beene abandoned, and that therefore it ought not thus to be vrged as it is, or so being, is yet not in any case for the v­sing thereof by vs to be yealded vnto. Whereunto I answere, first that there is more in the conclusion then the antecedent or premis­ses will beare, for though the idolatrous abuse thereof amongst the Papists, by that example of Ezechias carry neuer such shew of a suf­ficient reason, to haue moued our Ezechias accordingly rather to haue quite remoued it (as questionlesse none will or can deny but vpon that consideration and others, if it so had seemed good vnto his maiesty, he might) (for doubtlesse Princes may as well vse their authoritie to remoue such, as to continue them) yet the same reason and considerations whatsoeuer else, are not therefore streight of suf­ficient force, to binde vs rather to leaue ministerie and all, then (he chusing rather for other reasons that seemed stronger vnto his high­nesse, to retaine, & thus to vrge it, which otherwise I am fully perswa­ded [Page 39]he would not haue done) to yeeld our obedience in the vsing it accordingly. For it is generally held, that Ioab did lawfully at the last in obeying Dauids commaundement in numbring the people. 2. Sam. 24. hauing before in dutifull manner sufficiently shewed the king his reasons to diswade him therfrom, howsoeuer Dauid notwithstanding persisting in his purpose offended. And therefore euen Beza writing of these verie matters of ours that we haue in hand, saith that many things may be well obserued, that are not so well commaun­maunded, how much more therefore herein may we lawfully obey, seeing as yet there is not found any vnanswerable reason, but that law­fully we may also be commaunded as we are? And Maister Cart­wright after he had said all that hee could against the imposing of these rites and ceremonies vpon vs, yet concludes in his second part of his reply, Pag. 265. in these verie words, if the Prince vpon de­claration of the inconuenience of such ceremonies, and humble suit for the release of them, will loose nothing of the cord of this ser­uitude, for my part, I see no better way for the minister of God, then with a vn [...]onition of the weak that they be not offended, & prayer to God to strengthen them thereunto, to keepe on the course of fee­ding the flocke committed vnto him. But indeed (welbeloued) now the question is not that we haue in hand, what the state should haue done herein (though euen in that respect yet, we in dutie, as I haue said all are bound to thinke and iudge, that for that they which are in authoritie haue done, and doe in this case, they haue sufficient warrant and reasons to ground, and iustifie their consciences vpon, both before God and man, though sundrie priuate men, not so ac­quainted as they with the necessarie rules of gouernment conceiue them not straight) but the question that we are now to seeke to be resolued vpon onely is this, whether any of the things whereunto our conformitie vnder paine of depriuation is thus required as it is, be so intollerable for vnlawfulnesse or inconueniency, as that rather then, we will be drawne to yeeld obedience thereunto, wee are by our persisting in refusall thereof, to suffer that sentence of depriuation or but of suspention from our ministery to passe vpon vs. Touching therefore the rest of this obiection, (and so that notwith­standing to resolue vs, that we may and ought rather by yeelding to the vse of this, to hold on our ministery, and to keepe our places, then for absolute refusal so to do, to leese both,) Again, I would wish euery man to take the paines to read what the foresaid Archbishop [Page 40]hath set downe touching the lawfull retaining in the publicke seruice of God, things formerly vsed to idolatry, in his forenamed tract tou­ching apparell, beginning at Pag. 272, vnto 279. for there out of Aug. 154. Epistle ad publicolam, & out of Caluin vpon the 23. of Exod. v. 24. Peter Martirs Epist. to Hooper. Bucers to Iohn Alasco, and out of ano­ther of his to Cranmer, as also out of Bullinger and Gualters Epist. he shall find in all these mens iudgements that things both wickedly in­uented, and also grosly abused, may yet be so purged of that abuse, as that they may be vsed to good Ecclesiasticall vses. Yea who knows not that Gedeon was commanded to take his fathers bullocke which he had dedicated to Baal, & the wood which he had likewise appoin­ted to his seruice, [...] therwith to offer and burnt a sacrifice to the Lord? Iud. 6.25. that the vessels of the temple abuse, by Belthasar, Dan. 5.3. were restored by Cyrus Ezra. 1.7. and after againe without scruple vsed in the Temple about Gods seruice, by the people of Israel after their captiuity, and that sundrie things profaine before abused by the idolatrous inhabitants of Hiericho, were yet reserued, & consecra­ted with Gods owne liking and allowance to the vse of the tabernacle and sanctuary. Iosua. 6.23. Whereby, what exceptions soeuer other­wise they make against these examples as vnlike to the things with vs in question, thus much yet is got, that the grosse abusing of a thing to to idolatry, makes it not alwaies after so polluted, as that euē therfore simply, it can neuer be purged of that abuse, & so vsed againe about Gods seruice to a lawfull and good end and vse. But to vrge them with examples neerer & liker to our rites in question: Bells in popery haue been & yet be (witnes Durand writing of the vse of them, de rat. diuin. offic. Fol 7.) as much abused as any of these, and yet we remo­uing the abuse, lawfully I hope retaine them to a good vse, to call our people together to praiers and sermmons. Againe the commemora­tion of the Saints departed, vsed to good and holy ends onely at the first in the primitiue Church (as to the praising of God for them, and to the better incouraging of others to imitate them) grew in time grosly to be abused, in adoring & praying vnto them: and yet in the vniuersities in their Colledges, and at Saint Maries in Oxenford as also at Pauls Crosse, and else where, the abuse being remooued, the is a kind of commemoration of some departed vsed, and I think none will say vnlawfully. They cannot denie both these were first ta­ken vp by humane ordinance, that the vse of them is Ecclesiasticall, and that neither of them, are simply necessarie, and yet I trust [Page 41]they will not say, that the Church with vs doth amisse in retayning them as she doth to a good vse, notwithstanding their foresaid abuse by and in the Church of Rome. And kneeling who knoweth not hath beene a gesture and yet is, most grosly abused in and of that sy­nagogue; in saying their prayers, and doing their idolatrous deuo­tions to their stocks and stones, and yet who is there that will or may disalow it as an vnfit & vncomly gesture to be vsed in our religious & dutifull seruice of God I grant for kneeling we haue warrant by the commended examples of the godly in the scripture, yet thence it followes not that it is simply alwaies a necessarie gesture in praying, which is sufficient in this, for that point. But to presse them yet more neerely in this case, howsoeuer they may say, that some signing with the signe of the crosse and some making thereof hath beene, and yet is superstitiously and idolatrously abused of Papistes, how can they say in particular that euer this of ours hath so beene, or is. They knowe and wee know, that wee in the vse thereof haue and doe banish all their superstitiousnesse and idolatrie in the vse of it. As therefore wee vse it there neuer was nor is abuse in it: neither haue or doe they abuse the same that wee vse Numero & indiuiduo eodem: but the like onely in Genere aut specie: which makes no more to the condemnation of ours, then the abuse of some particular cattell, to the sacrificing of them to idols or diuels, could or did make vnlawfull the sacrifycing of any other in the time of the olde Testament like thereunto to the Lord, or as I said before, to debarre the Corinthians from eating without scruple of all like mutton or meat, to that which had beene f [...]red to Idolls. And as for the vrged example of Ezechias in demoli­shing, for the grosse abuse therof, of the brasen serpent, who seeth not that it reacheth no further but to the encouraging by that example of others of like authority, vpon like occasion, to do the like, to and with the very particular things so abused, and yet not to deale in like manner with all things that after shall bee like the other made and vsed onely to a lawfull and good ende? And after the vse of that particuler brasen serpent was ended, for the which GOD commaunded it to bee set vp, as wee read. Num. 21.8. the retaining of it so long after, euen without any warrant from God, and therfore there beeing no vse thereof, neither by diuine ordinance, nor by the churches, when it was so abused, it was the best so to deface it. [Page 34]And yet these things considered, that bindes not our King straight of necessity to abolish this, which he found here before imposed by the lawfull authority of a famous Church, to a lawfull end, [...] howsoeuer other abused the like. But why may wee not, to some such good ends as wee may imagine, then say some, aswell retaine the vse of some materiall crosses, and other images in our churches, as this? I answere that besides that there are many other reasons, why that should not be allowed, though this thus bee, there are two euident reasons taken euen from the nature of this, and the manner of the vse thereof, that put such a difference betweene this as it is vsed and them, that no way the tolleration of them followes vpon the allowance of this. For first as I said before, this is past and gone as soone as it is made, when as those stand and abide still, and this hath the vse and end express, and that lawfull with the making of it, and so haue not the other theirs, neither is their vse lawfull. And therefore this is, so freed from the danger of superstition and idolatry infinitly better then those.

CHAP. 8. Containing answers to obiections that concerne some men specially, touching these ceremonies or rites.

THus now their maine and chiefe obiections answered, touching the vnlawfulnes of the vrged vse of our ceremonies, because as I vnderstand there are some, who though they bee brought to con­fesse, that being in nature end vse, no otherwise then they are with vs, they may of some be yeelded lawfully vnto, yet for their parts in respect of some particular circumstances arising from their own persons and places, hold it still so vnconuenient for them so to doe, that they thinke they were better to suffer depriuation for refusing to yeeld conformity, herein something further I must adde, for the answering of the obiections of such: wherfore indeed I must needs confesse, that it is most true, that the same Apostle that said speaking of outward indifferent things, that all things were lawfull for him, ads straight that all things were not yet expedient for him, all things edify not, 1. Cor. 10.23. And therfore questionles wel may it be, that some that are perswaded of the lawfulnes of others yelding, yet may doubt of the expediency therof, both in them and in themselues. But we must withal remember (good brethren) that when Paule [Page 44]so spoke, hee spake of things indifferent left at liberty, and not as then for their vse one onely way limitted by the lawfull order of the Church, as now our case in this is, for then as wee heard in the fourth generall rule set downe in the beginning, the same Apostle vr­ges. Act. 16. & 1. Cor. 11. the obseruation of the Churches orders in such things. For thē in respect of their outward vse, such things haue much altred their nature: for before wheras charity was our rule to direct vs, how, where, and when to vse our libertie therin, now the publike order of the Church, is to be our director in that respect, & both we and others in charity and loue to maintaine peace, & good order in the Church, are to conforme our selues quietly to her ordi­nances therein.

1 But thou wilt say perhaps thou hast so long disused them, & by speaking against them, made them so odious vnto thy people, as that it cannot be but much to thy discredit, in that place especially, & to the no small offence of thy people, for thee to yeeld now vnto thē, though to keepe thy place and ministry, which otherwise thou hast small hope to doe. I graunt this may be, and is the case of some, and where it is so, I cannot deny, but it is the harder with such, by much, but yet I cannot think but in time, by vsing good meanes, if not by thy selfe, yet by others, these inconueniences, as great as they seeme to be, may be remoued. For first touching the disusing of them, or at least of most of them, it was and hath beene very common and or­dynarie a long time. But in most places, not for that the parties that so disused them, euer thought it vnlawfull to vse them, especially when they should be vrged as they are now, vnder such a penalty, for I am sure some that haue disused some of them as long well nigh as any, yet haue alwaies both priuately and publikely, when by their text they had iust occasion so to do, and otherwise also shewed plain­ly that that was their iudgment of them: and haply also would long agoe haue vsed the surplisse, if they could haue had any fit, or any at all to vse; And therfore in deed only forbore the vse of them, because they saw without danger, & without any publike offence they might so doe. In these therefore their former disusage of them, beeing but in his sort, it can be no iust cause of discredit, now to vse them: for not­withstanding, then & now, their iudgment seemes to be one and self­same of them, namely that they thought and thinke them such things, both for nature and vse, as that they could and can be content to for­beare them, when and as long, as the state will quietly permit them so [Page 46] [...] [Page 45] [...] [Page 46]to doe, and they can be content againe to vse them rather then any way they would scandalize that, or shew any contempt of lawfull au­thority. If any yet will condemne such of inconstancy or leuity, or that they do so of worldlinesse to saue their liuings, they do them the more wrong, and themselues directly in their so rash iudging, offend against the nature of true christian charity, 1. Cor. 13.5. and against the rules that flatly condemne all such iudging one another in & for things of this kind, as we heard in the beginning of this treatise. Such therfore are by good instruction, priuatly and publikly to preserue their peo­ple from these faults, but if that will not serue against all such rash cen­sures, they are with the Apostle, 1. Cor. 4. comfort themselues with the testimonie of a good conscience, that witnesses with them before God, that that which they do, they do first in faith, that so lawfully they may do; and then that euen for the good of their flocks, and for the best discharge of their conscience before God (as they think in that respect) they do as they do herein. And therfore to draw them frō rash iudging, it were to be wished, that they knew and would imitate the modestie of Iustinus Martir in his conference with Tripho, and of Cy­prian in his epistles to Quirinum and to Iubaiam [...]: where they may find, that the one wished that Christians might not be condemned in his time, for the bare vsing then some of the ceremonies of Moses; & that the other perswades that none should iudge another, or shunne communion one with another, for ther diuersity of iudgements about the thing then in controuersie, touching the baptizing againe or no of them that before had bin baptized of heretikes, which counsell as he gaue, he himselfe tooke; insomuch that Augustine, though therein, dis­senting from him in his third booke against the Donatists, greatly cō ­mends his moderation, & christian courage in that point, &c. Truly for my owne part, I must & may with a safe cōscience before the Lord say & protest, that I find my self in conscience so bound to attēd my flock, & to fulfil my ministerie therin, in feeding of it stil with knowledge & vnderstanding, that I cānot but say with the Apostle, 1. Cor. 9. Wo is to me if I preach not stil the gospel, such a necessity I find laid vpō me so to do & therfore I could neuer perswade my self (as I sayd before) that if for any or all these things, I shold willingly suffer my self to be put therfrō, it wold euer serue me at the last day, whē I shal appear before the iudge of quick & dead, to yeeld a reason & an account why I so did, then to make answer that I could not be suffred so to do any lōger, vnles I wold cōform my self herunto. And doubtles (my good brethrē) considering you haue the same outward calling of the church that I haue: & most [Page 45]of you as good, if not better gifts, & the Lord hath sealed vnto you his approbatiō of your ministry, b [...] many excellēt fruits & effects therof amōgst his peple, why shold you not al be of the same mind with me if [...] with me, yet with Maister Cartwright, who as you haue heard would not haue you to forgoe your ministery, for refusing to be cō ­formable in these, notwithstanding the offence of weak brethren, for where offences cannot be redeemed (saith he in that foresaid place) otherwise then by leauing that vndon which the Lord himselfe hath not left free vnto vs, but cast a yoke of necessary seruice vppon vs (meaning therby our continuance in our ministry to preach the Gos­pell) there the case is otherwise, then that we should for the not of­fending of weake brethren, suffer our selues to be put from that. In deed, when (as he saith a little before) the not offending of priuate men is laid but in the scales with any thing that God hath left free vn­to vs, as is the choise of meats, and drinks then it will wey that down, but in no case as he there adds, it will in the scales so counterway the preaching of the Gospell (which is so necessary for him that is called therunto, as that wo is his if he do it not) as that for the shun­ning of that, he should let go so necessarie a duty. But if neither of our words nor opinions be of sufficient waight, to draw all others to our mindes, yet I would think our reasons should.

2 As for that which is vrged in the second place, namely that thou hast preacht against them &c, though as I said that make thy case in yeelding harder, yet (good brother) both you & your people know I hope, that it is no newes to heare famous men, to haue their second cogitatiōs (witnesse but S. Aug. bookes of retractations in matters of a higher nature then these, and for which yet there is better & more cleare light in the word) wiser & better then their first. And alwaies it hath beene counted a glorious thing to yeeld vnto the truth, thogh men haue oppugned it neuer so long before. And what should any man so stand vpon his owne priuate credit, as in comparison thereof to forget the maintenance of the credit of so gratious and christian a King, and the publike credit of so famous an estate of a Church as this of ours is, that vrg vs hereunto? we deceiue our selues, if we think we offend men straight in the sense that it is forbid, when they are an­gry at that we doe, & therfore prate & talke their pleasures of vs: but thē only we so offend Gods children & others indeed, when we do or say any thing wherby iustly in truth we occasion thē either to fall into an error, or into any sin, neither of which we do in this case, in obeying for the good of thē, & Gods church the lawful ordināces of the same

3 O that euery one would as forcibly bend his wits to take a suruey [Page 46]aswell of the inconueniences of their refusall hereof, as it seemes they haue done of the contrarie. For then quickly they would and should find (in my opinion) that the inconueniences this way are farre the greater: For doubtlesse whiles they pretend conscience, as they do, for their so doing, and stand vpon so many reasons for that their re­fusall, as though the things whereunto they are vrged were in so ma­ny respects contrarie to Gods word, do they not thereby as farre as the credit of their persons, and those their reasons stretch, discredit both his Highnesse, and all the state of this Church, that ioyne with him in the vrging hereof, as vrgers of so many things against the word of God, to the weakning of them, [...] consequently so much, in their reducing to conformitie of religion, and the open practise thereof with vs, both Papist and Brownist? for so many reasons they haue by this meanes put into their heads and hands, why they should hold out as Recusants still. And though I must needs confesse their cause be ìnfinitly worse then this of these men, yet by this their ex­ample doubtlesse, they take the more encouragement to plead their blind and fond conscience, for the iustifying of their said stubbornnes and peuishnesse, and also to thinke that they may be yet aswell borne withall in their disobedience in greater matters (which as they thinke more deeply concerne their saluation or damnation) as th [...]s, in these things of lesser momēt. And say they in words neuer so much, that they yeeld his Maiestie his iust and full title of supremacie in all causes, and uer all persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill, yet as long as they re­fuse, as they do in things of this kind, to yeeld him obedience, hardly can they perswade his Highnesse (saith the libeller T. W. in his late augmented and printed libell against vs, that in earnest they doe meane so indeed. For in matters that God hath expresly, or by good consequent from his word commanded, first himselfe (say they) they would and should obey though hee sayd nothing, and if hee should commaund contrarie to that his word, then answer would and might be made, that they were rather to obey God then him, and therfore in such matters as this, which are neither commanded nor forbid by him, are they to shew they yeeld it, or wherein else can they? And by perseuering in this refusall, and so occasioning thereby the sen­tence of their ordinarie to passe against them to their depriuation, alas, to what inconueniences (besides the weakning of our selues and our whole cause) do they expose themselues, their wiues and chil­dren, and their flockes, whereunto they are so strictly bound as they [Page 33]are, by so many bonds, naturall, ciuill, and Ecclesiastical? Surely, surely (deare brethren in this yron and hard world, men had neede be sure that they suffer for an apparent righteous cause indeede, to beare them out cheerefully to endure the manifolde vnkindnesses thereof. O what a griefe can it not chuse but be, for many to see as it is much to be feared, it will come to passe by one meanes or other vpon this occasion, they leauing their places, that such shall creepe into their roomes, as not onely shall want the skill and will that they had to doe good in their flocks, but also that shall euen in their sightes, if not pull downe themselues, yet suffer by the common ad­uersary that to be ruinated that they with great labour before had built. But put case Law should not be executed so seuerely, yet who seeth not, whiles men openly by their refusall of this conformitie lay themselues open to the danger therof, that thereby they so wea­ken themselues in their places, that they shall no sooner go about to bridle by other lawes, any lewd persons in their charge, but that ther­by they shall prouoke them to vrge the execution of this law against them. It may be the mouths of some Papists & foolish protestants also will be opened against them that yeeld, & surely we se, they will not be stopt against them that refuse. Many will be offended at thy yeel­ding thou saist, but more and they that are more worthy to be respe­cted, will be offended at thy refusall; by thy yeelding thou strength­ens thy self, thy Prince, & the whole state so much, by thy vnity with thy brethren that do against their common enemie, and thine, to all your reioycing, by thy continuance in thy refusall, thou weakens all these, to the ioy of our common aduersaries.

4 To conclude therefore this point, the best aduise and councell further that I can giue is, that as heretofore thou hast sought to ga­ther all the reasons together thou couldest, to induce thy selfe still refuse so much thy owne harme, and perill, and the Churches, so thou wouldest henceforth study as seriously to satisfie the same, and seeke out as carefully, reasons to perswade thy selfe that with a good con­science thou both mayest and oughst to yeeld. For this I must needs tell thee, that thou but deceiuest thy selfe, and seekest also to beguile others, as long as thou pretendest that thou refusest only of weak­nesse or tendernesse of conscience, and yet wittingly and willingly thou holdest on the former course, and doest not follow this aduice. Forecast therefore in time, as well what is or may be sayd to streng­then thy conscience in the lawfull vse of these things, as euer thou [Page 47]hast, what tendeth to hold it in weaknesse still and therfore not to dare to vse them, and earnestly with thy selfe aswell forethink of the scruples and troubles, that thou maist haue in thy conscience, after that by thy standing to long in this refusall, depriuation bee pronounced vppon thee, for the inconueniences that many waies may grow thereby, as euer thou hast thought of those that may come by thy yeelding; least when it is too late, thou then cry, had I wist; Christ yeelded of his right to pay tribute to the officers of hea­then Caesar, least he should offend them. Math. 17.27. And so like­wise Paule, though he could truly say he was free from all men. 1. Cor. 9.19, yet withall, euen there, he glorieth in it, not as in an infir­mity of his, but as a commendable course of his, wherin hee was to bee imitated of others, that he made him selfe seruant vnto all, in such outwarde things that he might so win the more, in conforming him selfe both to Iew and Gentile, weak and strong (as there he sets downe at large) that so by all meanes, of all sorts he might saue some, yea thus he did, when there was no positiue law of the Church, to binde him so to doe, how much rather would hee haue so done, if there had beene any such to haue bound him thereunto, vnder pain of ceasing else from preaching of the Gospell, which to do he con­fesseth then such a necessity was laid vpon him, that woe was vnto him if hee preacht it not? None of all the Apostles more feruent­ly and frequently taught and vrged the doctrine of christian liber­ty in such things then hee, and namely from the rites and cere­monies of Moyses law, Christ beeing come, and hauing put an end therto; and yet wee see euen hee, many yeares after Christs ascension comming to Hierusalem, there at the persawsion of Iames and the brethren, to maintaine the peace of the Church, and so to winne an opportunity to do the more good amongst them, yeelded according to the ceremoniall law of Moises, to bee pu­rified the next day with foure men that had made a vow, and en­tred into the temple with them, declaring the daies of the purifi­cation, vntill that an offering should bee offered for euery one of them. Act. 21.23. And to the same end hee yeelded to the cir­cumcision of Timothie before that Act. 16.3. And yet he could not, nor was not ignorant what a supersticious opinion many of the Iewes then had of those things, & what a shew of a dangerous con­sequent the retaining of thē in vse, so long after the coming of Christ might seem to haue. Howbeit as long as he knew in his cōscience how [Page 48]rightly to vse them, and he knew that Iames and the brethren vrged him to yeeld to the vse of them, but to a good and lawfull end, he thought it his duty to that end to yeeld, as you haue heard. Wherein though the successe answered not their good meaning therein, yet that is no sufficient argument to condemne his so doing, as vnlaw­full, for wee know that most lawfull and commendable actions through the frowardnesse of the vngodly haue often as hard euents as that had; and we haue heard, 1. Cor. 9. how he glories in his so doing, and layes his example therein foorth at large to be imitated of others. Indeed when these things, and namely circumcision was vr­ged by the false Apostles, as necessarie to saluation, and as a thing to merit by, and to tender vnto God any part of his proper and im­mediat worship, then the same Apostle is most stoute in the refu­sall thereof, and therefore in that case by no meanes, as he writes Galathians 2.3.4. would he yeeld that Titus should be circumcised, and hee most confidently assures the Galathians, that whosoeuer (meaning with that opinion thereof) should be circumcised, Chap. 5.2. Christ should profit them nothing at all. Otherwise yet when it was vsed but as an indifferent thing, without any such super­stitious opinions tied thereunto, euen in the same Epistle twice, hee sayd thereof, that neither circumcision, nor vncircumcision was anie thing, but a new creature, or faith that wrought by loue, Chapter 5.6. and 6.15. for as he sayd in another place, the kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke, but righteousnesse, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost, Romans 14.17. And (God be thanked for it) vnlesse we would wilfully offer the Church of Eng­land manifest wrong, we cannot say that any such superstitious opinions are tied by the ordinance or meaning thereof, to any of the rites and ceremonies that it prescribes vs: but that they are imposed no otherwise then such things lawfully may bee, and there­fore I would thinke that this example of Saint Paule giues vs a plaine light how to carrie our selues therein, and accordingly to say, the wearing or not wearing of a Surplisse, the making or not making the signe of the Crosse, is not any thing. For the best and most honourable defender thereof that hath beene, and whose say­ings thereof for his learning and place, may worthily be taken for the true meaning of our Church therein: hath of the Surplisse said in plaine words, Pa. 258. of his foresaid book, that he thought none that would communicate with vs in the vse of the Sacraments, though either the [Page 50]better or the worse thereof for the externall habit of the minister, and of the other as much (as we haue heard before.) These things there­fore duely and without partiall or preiudicate opinion weyed and pondered, I hope will be sufficient to perswade that lawfully, & with a good conscience we are rather to conforme our selues to the order of our Church in these ceremonies, then for refusing so to do, to in­curre the sentence of depriuation of ministery and all. Hauing therfore thus sayd what I thought fit, and I hoped might serue the turne for this, let vs now proceed to the consideration of the other exceptions, that are made against conformitie required, taken from the things that by order ministers are enioyned, by the booke to read or vse.

CHAP. 9. Touching the practise of the orders in the booke of reading of the Scriptures Canonicall.

THough by a rubricke in the tract of the Communion, we be di­rected to read Homilies, yet seeing that concernes onely such as cannot or will not then preach: and none such (for any thing that I heare) refuse to yeeld the vrged conformitie, we may (whiles we are in hand only with this point) omit saying any thing of them, reseruing that which we haue to say thereof, vntill we come to the other point, touching subscription, within the compasse whereof the allowance of the reading of them indeed comes, not onely by meanes of that ru­bricke, but also by vertue of the 35 article in the book of articles. The things therefore that now only we haue to consider, are the excep­tions that the refusers of conformitie make against the order that the booke appoints, first for the reading of the Scriptures Canonicall or Apocrypha, and then against other things set downe in the same to be read, in the formall vse and practise thereof, in all which I will striue by how much I haue bene longer then I had thought I should, in the former, by so much to be the briefer. In the order appointed by the booke touching the reading of the Canonicall Scripture, three things are misliked, namely that thereby a great part thereof is not appointed to be read at all, that some portions therof are appointed to be read at such times as they are, as namely the Epistles and Gospels the first day and Sonday of Lent, the Epistle on Innocents day, and the Epistles on Easter eue and Michaels day, & lastly that the portions of scripture in­serted into the booke, and the Psalter annexed thereunto, are so pre­scribed [Page 51]thereby to be read as they are, wherein yet there are many knowne faults that by no meanes can stand with the same Scriptures in the originall tongues wherein they were first written. The first, whereof is prooued to be a great fault, for that it is a kinde or taking from the word, and forbid, Reuel. 22. and a depriuing the people of one good meanes the better to enable them to search them: and so is the second said to be, for that by the precise appointing them at those times, the people are occasioned to mistake and to misunder­stand them, and likewise is the third, for that so there is false witnesse borne both against the scriptures, and the spirit of God the authour thereof, as to haue said and meant that there, which they neuer did. But to the first of these, for any thing that I can gather out of the 14 Canon (for by the statute made at the first, Eliz. 1. to establish the booke, aswell all addition, detraction, or alteration thereof, in the vse and practise of it was forbid as it is now by that Canon) it may as well now as before, and indeed both before and now truely and iustly bee said that no such inconuenience neede arise by that order, for that no minister eyther by the booke, or by any other ordinance of our Church, is [...] forbid, ouer and aboue those that are appointed (being allowed to be a Preacher) to read any or all of those that are not, at such times as he shall thinke good, with exposition thereof, and sure I am, I myselfe haue so done, and in ful perswasion that therin I haue done nothing against order therin taken eyther before or now. For doubt lesse any man may iustly think that by our Churches order they were onley so left out as they are, in that they were not thought so lightsome and easie to be vnderstood as the other, that are appointed to be read, being but barely read without exposition and interpretation: and in the meane time none that can, are forbid to read, and studie them priuately: But if they were by the Kalender aswell appointed as the other orderly to bee read, yet in that in parish Churches the people com not together, but vpon few daies in the weeke, they might misse the hearing of most of them aswell then as now. And as for the second, the inconueni­ence imagined to arise therby, euery minister that makes scruple at conformity, being a Preacher as commonly and generally he is, that likewise he in reading of those Scriptures at those set times by soundly interpreting them, and preaching thereupon, which the booke no where nor any other Canon forbids him, may preuent. And touch­ing the last I hope shortly all occasion of that obiection will be re­moued [Page 51]when the new translation by his Maiesties most Christian and Princely order in hand, shall be finished, and authorised as the onely authenticall translation to be vsed in our Churches: and in the meane time I am perswaded that no Bishop in this land, will denie any minister (that can and will in peace and quietnesse vse that his liberty) to read all the foresaid Scriptures, in the booke according to the great Bible by order alreadie from themselues appointed to be in Churches, that we may read the Chapters out of it: for though we may find that the Booke appointes Epistles & Gospels, Chapters and Psalmes to be read, yet no where shall we finde there eyther that they are said to be any part of the Booke, (and therefore they were left out in the latine translation thereof) or that it ties or bindes vs to any one certaine translation for the same. But if it expressly did, may we iustly thinke that it is contrarie to the word, to read the Scrip­tures to the common people, in a translation that hath such faults, as the originalls thereof rightly vnderstood sometimes will not beare? Doubtlesse then I feare (in faith and assurance in our consciences that wee doe alwaies well therein) we shall neuer allow them to read, or to haue read vnto them the Scriptures in any translation at all: for when can we be certaine that any translation is free from all such faults? vnlesse therefore with the Papists we would debarre them from hauing and hearing the Scriptures at all in the vulgar tongues, we must be contented that they read and haue them read vnto them in translations that (happily when we haue all done) may haue some such faults. And this is it, that both they and we must con­tent our selues withall in this case, first that the faultes be such, which though they stand not full with the originall, yet they import not any errour against any necessarie truth elsewhere taught in the scrip­tures, of which kind (for any thing that I can remember) amongst all the faults noted in the foresaid inserted Scriptures, in the booke there is not one: and then that those faults are not so defended by our Church to be no faults, but that alwaies it hath beene permitted the godly learned ministers in preaching of any of the said Scriptures, in a wise and discreet manner, notwithstanding, to acquaint the people with the sense most agreeable with the original: yea we see most of the same faults corrected and amended alreadie in the foresaid great Bible, commonly called the Bishops Bible: and now againe, that that whole translation and others are to be examined and so all faults that haue past in any hertofore (as far as the learning and diligence of [Page 52]man can reach vnto) are to be reformed, all which duely considered I hope may serue to answere these obiections.

CHAP. 10. Touching the reading of the Apocrypha.

NOw the next is touching the bookes appointing the Apocrypha to be read as it doth, wherein many faults are found also, as that they are appointed publikely to be read at all, that they are appoin­ted to be read as Chapters of the holy Scripture of the olde Testa­ment, and as more edifying then the Canonicall omitted to giue roome for thē, and that often there is a speciall choyse of them, for certaine solemne feast daies or holy daies. All which obiections (as I sayd before) the Deane thē of Chester, now L. Bishop of Rochester, (no man then or there finding any fault with that his answer, in the conference before his Maiestie) shewed was needlesse, because by the preface set before the second volume of homilies (which is by order of our Church allowed & authorized aswell as the booke, and indeed published since the bookes first authorising in the yeare 1563. and therefore euen by that circumstance more likely and fit to serue in this point to explane the meaning of the booke,) the minister is ex­horted to wey and to read his Chapters priuatly before he come to read them publickly, and thereupon, if in his discretion he thinke it fitter and more to edification, to read a chapter of the new for any that is appointed of the old, then so to do. And indeed this being euen so (as any man may see it is in that place) in that thereby he is so left to his discretion to change any chapter appointed to be read of the old, and therefore thereby some times may so do with a ca­nonicall chapter, what reason hath any man to thinke, but that hee may so do also with the Apocrypha? or who can truly say that euer yet any minister was troubled for his quietly and peaceably taking and vsing his liberty herein? you heard also before, what the same reuerend man truly reported to haue been said by his Maiestie in the foresaide conference, touching the omitting the reading of any apocrypha chapter, that iustly might be charged with any fault, crossing the canonicall, Page. 63. of his report there­of, since in print. Further, certaine it is that Doctor Abbots Deane of Ʋ Ʋinchester, one called also to the foresaid conference [Page 54]and then vice chauncellor of Oxenford, in his answere of late publi­shed against Doctor Hill. Page. 317: vrgeth againe the direction of the said preface, to the second booke of Homilies, published by au­thoritie 1563, whereas the booke was authorised some foure yeares before, to proue that the minister by warrant from thence, may law­fully in stead of any of the Apocryphall Chapters appointed to be read on sundaies and holy dayes, and therefore much more as hee saith vpon the working dayes, as he in his wisedome and iudgmēt, shall think fit, vsing prudence and discretion in that behalfe, read o­ther canonicall lessons, and so likewise others in print, haue answe­red this obiection since (as it should seeme with the good liking and allowance of them that be in authority, which being so all the bran­ches of this obiection, are euen thereby quite cut of, as also all the hard consequents & imputations by reason therof imposed vpon the booke, or the order thereof, so farr as conformity is vse and practise therunto reach, are vtterly remoued, especially seeing also in the pre­face of the booke, it is said that nothing is therby appointed to bee read, out eyther the pure word of god, or that which is euidētly groū ­ded thereupon, and the late Archbishop, as plainly refuses to defend any thing allowed thereby, to be read, not grounded vpon the word of God: Page. 720. of his foresaid booke. But suppose the worst, nam­ly that it be not, or were not so, or if it had beene so, that now yet by better view of the Callender, for the order in this respect in August, and by the canons, it were taken away, as some alleadge (though loo­king thereinto, and as seriously considering therof as I can, I find no­thing to lead any man iustly to think, that in that regard the case is any thing altered, or otherwise then it was before) yet though by the booke we be tyed neuer so strictly to read them, yet we are not ther­by bound to iustifie them to be faultlesse, neither do we, for likewise by the said booke, by a certaine rubrick in the treatise of the commu­nion, wee allow sermons to be made, and if we read not a homily, wee should preach, & yet we therby do not iustifie all sermons made according to that order, alwaies to bee without all faults, but surely most, if not all the supposed faults against them, that by the book are appointed to be read, by fauourable construction, would bee much lessened, if not quite remoued. And in that by the very expresse or­der of our booke, wee are both before, & after we read them, to note out of what booke euery chapter thereby appointed to be read, is taken, and in the sixt article of the booke of articles published first & [Page 55]concluded on, in conuocation. 1562, which was three yeares after the booke was first authorised, all the Apocrypha bookes are appa­rently seuered from the canonicall, & there further it is said, that as Hi­erom faith, the Church doth read them for example, of life & instru­ction of manners, yet it doth not apply them to establish therby any doctrine, it is most euident, howsoeuer they are appointed to be read and some canonicall omitted, and on some solemne feast daies, and holy daies, and as chapters of the holy scriptures, or of the old Te­stament, that yet by none of these, or all these together may wee, or can wee gather, without doing the Church of England manifest wrong, that euer it was or is her meaning to equall them, much lesse to make them in dignity or in edifiing superiour to any of the ca­nonicall, but rather indeed all these notwithstanding, her mea­ning and desire is, that euerie one should know that they are but Apocrypha chapters, and therefore farre inferiour to any of the ca­conicall, especially wee hauing acquainted our people as we should which bee canonicall bookes, and which bee apocrypha, teaching them euen by their names to know and discerne them. In common charity therefore wee are bound whensoeuer either in the booke or in the Homilies, they are said either to be Chapters of the old Te­stament or holy Scripture, to conceiue (whereas holy scriptures, or old Testament, are taken either according to the vulgar and common speech, for all that commonly is wont to bee bound to­gither in Bibles with the holy scriptures of the old testament, or more properly and strictly, for those onely bookes therof, that we are sure were written by such direction of the holy spirit, that preserued the writers thereof, from all erring therein, which therefore onely wee count and call canonicall) in so speaking of them, that the said books speake, and therefore are to be vnderstood so to do, onely in the for­mer sense. And when therein there is comparison made betwixt chapters of the old testament of lesse, and more edifying, we can not, for the foresaid manifest difference acknowledged to be by our Church betwixt all the canonicall bookes of the old Testament, and all the Apocrypha euen in that respect, vnderstand it to be betwixt any cano­nicall appointed to be read or not read, and the Apocrypha set down to be read, but only betwixt the canonicall appointed thereby to be read, and those that are not. And looking into the Kallender for proper lessons for sundaies and holy daies, in that therby I find none but canonicall appointed for the sundaies, and Apocrypha often for [Page 56]Saints daies, I alwaies haue taken it, that euen thereby our church­es meaning was, plainly to giue vs all to vnderstand, that as shee in her regard and estimation preferres the Lords daie, before all o­ther holy daies, so she would haue vs euen by this order to see, that so she preferred the canonicall, before the Apocrypha, in worth, credit and dignity: but suppose the comparison shold by the booke be meant of certaine chapters of the Apocrypha; it is so, for that the same are wholy consonant with the canonicall, and are more now to our edification, then the canonicall, either for their hardnesse, or for that now they doe not so much concerne vs. these things therefore wayed indifferently, and with mindes rather seeking to be satis­fied, where iustly they may, then needlesly still to keepe stones, and blocks in their way to stumble at, I trust the force of this obie­ction is so remoued also, that henceforth it will stay none that duly considereth hereof, from peacably yeelding, this not­withstanding, to conforme themselues to the vse and practise of the booke.

CHAP. 11. Concerning the interrogatories in Baptisme.

THe next thing of any moment, that I find troubles and hin­ders men from yeelding to conformity, is the order of the booke for the interrogations and answeres in the tract of baptisme, wherat I the lesse must needs maruail, for that I find by the 23. Epistle of S. Au: that one Boniface a learned Bishop in his time, was also trou­bled therwith: but then I must needs say againe, that I find in the said Epistle, that it first appears, that they were euen then in vse in baptising of Infants, in effect as they are now, and that there the said S. Aug sets himselfe earnestly in the best manner that he could, to defend the vse of them, against all the obiections of the said Boniface; yea further certaine it is, let any man read Dionisius ecclesiasticall Hi­erarchy. Cap. 7. & he shall there find, that in that Authors time (who­soeuer & whatsoeuer he was) they were also in vse, and likewise of some misliked, and that therfore he to defend them, expounded then the promises there, that the godfathers make, as also our late Arch­bishop doth, defending the same Page. 611. as made onely to signifie that they will vndertake to doe asmuch as shall lye in them, that af­ter, the child liuing to yeares of discretion, it shall performe that which they promise and vow in the name thereof, which therefore in the first entrance into our Catechisme; euery one is taught to pro­fesse, [Page 57]that thereby he taketh himselfe bound to do, and therefore ac­cordingly that he will. And surely hereupon it is also that in the new addition to the Catechisme also it is sayd, that the child performes faith and repentance, in that they promised them both in the name therof, so speaking for that so they are both vowd and professed in the name thereof, and not as some hardly take it, as though now therein, it were the meaning of our booke, to teach either that both these are actually in euery child that is baptized, or that one may beleeue and repent by another, but only so to shew that their good hope was, in so promising in the name thereof, that in time it should and would. To this effect S. Austin in the latter end of his 105. Epistle, hauing an eye to the like vse in his time in answering for the child, most plainly writes, that truly the child so answers by their mouths, and beleeues by their hearts and mouths that so confesse for it; as it is there new borne, by the ministerie of the baptizer. See him also, to this purpose: de verbis Apost. ser. 10. And indeed who so only considers the words of the booke, not only in the questions and answers themselues, especi­ally as they are set downe in priuate baptisme, but also in the exhorta­tion, precedent, and consequent, in the tract of publike baptisme, as also what is set downe concerning the same in the entrance into the old part of the Catechisme, shall be enforced to see, that the said que­stions are proposed to the infants, and that the answers are made only by the godfathers and godmothers thereunto in their names, for & of the hope, which they in christian charity haue of them (which teacheth them to hope alwayes the best, 1. Cor. 13.7. of such as are so borne in the Church, & descended, & come of Christian parents, 1. Cor. 7.14) because they are not able then so to answer for themselues. The reason and ground of which custome is, that in the administration of this Sa­crament the Church alwayes hath thought, there is to passe a mutuall stipulation & couenant betwixt God & euery partie to be baptized; and therfore seeing children born or descended of parents, wherof but one is a christian, so far herby are sanctified, as that they are admittable to, and capable of baptisme, 1. Cor. 7.14. & yet not able either to of­fer themselues thereunto, or expresly thēselues to make the same, they that in the name of the parents & congregation present thē therunto, should in this sort and maner, as our booke appoints it, do it in their names; thereby not only shewing what they hope they after will do, but so binding thēselues also to be what means to them they can, that whē they come to age & to discretiō, they shal perform al which they [Page 58]promised for them, or in their names. Which as his Maiestie said in the foresayd conference, when question was about these, ought the lesse to seeme strange vnto vs, for that it is an vsuall thing for gar­dians to orphans and children, to aunswere and to promise sundry things in the names of their sayd pupils and wards, and that yet the foresayd pupils and wards, are after to thinke themselues bound as well to performe the same, as if they had their owne selues being of yeares of discretion so answered and promised. Whereof also another experience his Highnesse gaue vs in his owne selfe, and that when he was crowned king of Scotland, being then but an infant, yet then his nobles answered in his name, as he himselfe would and should haue done, if he had then bene a man, and therefore whereof he had euer since bene and would be hereafter as carefull to performe the same, as if he had himselfe made the sayd answers. It may be at the begin­ning this forme was prescribed to be vsed, onely as some thinke, to such as when they were baptized were of discretion and vnderstan­ding, thus to answer for themselues, and yet very likely is it also (that so the rather it might appeare that the Church would haue all men to vnderstand that the baptisme of such and of infants also was one and selfe same baptisme, and that they therein aswell as the other entred into couenant with the Lord) that it was thought fit and necessarie, that the same answer, should be made by some of the congregation alwayes in their names, that the other made themselues. Wherefore to conclude this point, in my opinion, well and iustly hath againe our late Archbishop, Pag. 602. of his answere to Maister Cartwright concerning this obiection sayd, why should it not be as lawfull for the Church of England by publike authoritie to appoint godfathers and godmothers, thus to answer in the name of the child, as for the writers of the admonition, to allow vpon their priuate fancies, that parents or some in their roomes in case of their necessarie absence, should in the childs name, make confession of the Christian faith and desire to be baptized therein? Thus therefore in the name of the child they professing and desiring, what is it but in the true meaning of the booke in Christian charitie, and hope so to do, for that they are perswaded, that if the child were of age, it would euen so do, pro­fesse & desire, & therfore that they in the mean time do so in the name therof, in full expectation, that when it shall, it will account that by them it selfe so did, that so the Couenant betwixt God, and it may in this Sacrament stand ratified therein. And yet in some sence [Page 59]according to Christs saying, Math. 18. it might well bee defended, that such little ones beleeue in him, as habitually they are reasonable, not actually.

CHAP. 12. Answering diuerse obiections against the booke touching bap­tisme and other things there ordained

ANd seeing by Christs baptisme, and his ordaining of this sacra­ment, water was alloted to be the outward part therein, why may we not according to the booke, both say and thinke that therby the water of the flood Iordan, wherin he and others were baptised, and all other water, was indeed sanctified (meaning as the outward element in a sacrament by the institution therof, was, and is thereby sanctified for that vse) to the mysticall washing away of sin! As for that which is further obiected against that which is set downe, in the foresaid parte of the Catechisme, touching two sacraments, only ge­nerally necessary to saluation, the meaning onely is, that there are on­ly 2 such, taking a sacrament properly, as thereafter it is defyned, and that they two are necessary so to saluation, as by no means without danger therof, they may be contemned or neglected, and that for all christians, first or last, yong or old, and then what iust exception can there be made at all against that? So also by the order that is now takē in the booke, that the lawfull minister only shall priuately baptise the child, the old obiection against the conditional baptising of it after in the case mentioned in the booke, is sufficiently taken away, for now that will neuer neede to be put in vse. And as for the ring vsed in ma­riage, the words with my bodie I the worship, or the resēblance that it is said there to haue of the spirituall marriage betwixt Christ, and his church; I finde not that any seeme greatly to stand at any or at all of these. And if they should, surely they could not therin finde any iust cause; for the ring is but giuen & taken as a ciuill token betwixt the parties that are maried, of the promise and couenant that therein they make one to the other: and the word worship there vsed, doth but import that worship or honor that growes vnto the woman by marriage, in that thereby man is so made her head that she hath in the phrase and sense of the Apostle, thereby also such a right of, ouer and in his bodie, that thenceforth it is not his owne, as it was before, which whiles by marying of her, he intitles her vnto, very truly hee [Page 60]may say in that sense, that with his bodie he doth her worship, and finding the holy ghost, so oft hath taken delight vnder the shadow of marriage betwixt man and woman, to set forth vnto vs the spiritu­all marriage betwixt Christ and his Church, the speech in the booke beeing to bee vnderstood no otherwise, but as hauing reference onely thereunto) as indeed iustly it cannot) no iust fault can be found thereat. Now as for all the rest of the obiections alledged against pre­cise conformity in the practise of the booke, from certaine words & phrases in sundry prayers and parts thereof, which seeme hardly and harshly to be set downe, yea so as without some alteration they can­not well be so vsed, to helpe vs in that, we are to call to mind againe his Maiesties pleasure (as I noted in the beginning of this treatise) most gratiously deliuered vs in the conclusion of the conference, that hee would haue vs to take euery thing in the best sense we could, for in that sense only he would haue vs to vnderstand that he vrged them to be vsed and yeelded vnto: for in this case, we but so doing, there is nothing so hardly set downe, but that taking it and explaining it as the very booke meanes it, and as the publikly professed and authori­sed doctrine of our Church doth lead vs, the offence thereat will be remoued.

2 Then secondly, howsoeuer some now (so the better to coun­tenance their refusall to yeeld this conformity (though in some sort they haue seemed better to like thereof heretofore) perswade them­selues, & would also perswade others, that now they are more strictly bound to follow in euery thing the precise letter of the Booke then before, by the new Canons, and the declared meaning therein of the Church in that respect, we are to vnderstand that both contrarie to his Maiesties foresaid declared pleasure in that point, and contrarie indeed both to the meaning of the booke and those Canons, it is so conceiued: for if that were so, that now vpon no circumstance or due consideration the precise letter thereof might be altered at any time, then we should neyther burie, baptize, nor visite any but males, and though there be but one to be baptised, we should yet alwaies vse the plurall number in speaking thereof, for so onely runs the letter of our booke: yea (that more is) if conformitie now vr­ged bound vs to such a precise and strict following the very letter of our booke in euery thing, then thereby we should be bound to breed the Bishops and the whole state, more trouble by our exact so doing then they breed any by the vrging of it. For by the last rubricke in [Page 61]marriage, euery married couple should receiue the Communion that day, and by an other, euen the last also in the tract of confirmation, it is flatly set downe, that none are to be admitted vnto the holy com­munion, vntill such time as they can say that Cathechisme, and bee confirmed, for all wise men will and may easily conceiue, that if our conformity bound vs so strictly to the letter of the book, that by force of these two Canons, no Papists or Brownists that refuse vtterly to communicate with vs, nor any else that cannot both say the whole Catechisme, and were not confirmed also, might by any minister of this Church lawfully be married, what inconueniences soeuer other­wise grew thereof, and likewise that all vnconfirmed, old and yong, man and woman, noble and ignoble, should be held from the com­munion, vntill they could all say the Catechisme, and were also con­firmed; there being therefore so few in comparison of the rest that are thus qualified, what a stirre would this breede? Ministers in most places should haue far lesse to doe, then they haue in marry­ing and in ministring of the Communion, and the Bishops would be driuen to spend all their time and liuing in confirming of the vncon­firmed, or the whole land would mightily be disquieted in running and seeking vnto them for no small space. The makers therefore of the Statute Eliz. 1. First to authorise the seruice Booke, though thereby as strict order is taken for the vniforme practise thereof, as euer was by any Canons since, without any alteration thereof, yet most wisely foreseeing, as well the mischiefe and inconuenience that might growe in time vpon some circumstances in following too to precisely the letter thereof, hath onely made penall the wil­full transgressing the order thereof, and obstinate standing therein And therefore also in the second Article, whereunto subscription is made touching the vse and practise of the Booke, he that there­vnto subscribeth, promiseth onely to vse the forme in the said Booke prescribed in publicke prayer and administration of the Sacraments and none other. Whereby it should seeme to mee, that the edge and force both of the statute law and Canon, is against Papists and Sectaries, that will vse new formes or rites quite differing from this Booke, or but little or none of this, and not against such as are care­full to vse the whole form & substance of this without any alteration thereof at all, but vpon due circumstances, & iust consideration, reason and occasion, and that in peace and silence also answering yet alwaies by that their alteration or explanation, the true end and sense therof, [Page 62]as much as any way conueniently may be, and therefore we may be sure that such alteration onely of some occurrents therein, is law­full and allowable. As for example, when reading the Collectes appointed to bee read on Christmasse daye, or Whitsonday, certaine daies follwing, the minister quietly and in good discretion, chuses rather to say, as about this time, then as the verie letter is, this day, because he knowes that Christ was borne but of one day, and the holy Ghost likewise in that extraordinarie manner came downe but vpon one: or when in the receit of the communion by himselfe, or in his owne person, he chaunges the words appointed to to be used in the deliuerie or receipt thereof; namely the words, gi­uen for thee, into these words giuen for mee: what Bishop or Ordi­narie in the land can or will dislike him for so doing? Likewise, in the foresaid cases, doubtlesse the meaning of those rubrickes onely is, that they shall communicate that day if there be a Communion then, & they be fit, & that none are to be held to be fit to be admitted thereunto, but they that are confirmed or which for knowledge, age and discretion might well haue beene. And so though the booke pre­scribing a common rule and order for the burying of all such as in such a Christian Church as this is, shall die (in Christian charity and hope that all would die like Christians) appoints the minister to say in committing his body to the earth, that he doth so, in sure and cer­taine hope of resurrection to eternall life: and therefore after also to pray, that they together with that their brother may haue their per­fect consummation and blisse in Gods eternall and euerlasting king­dome: yet now without any breach of that order, by the other Ca­non, Persons dying excommunicated, Maiore excommunicatione, for some grieuous and notorious crime, when no man is able to te­stifie of their repentance, the minister is not to burie at all, much lesse in the precise forme, and with those words. And otherwise it is well knowne, that murderers of themselues, and sundrie other no­torious offenders, dying in and for those their such crimes, mini­sters are not by that order, or by lawe, at all bound to bury: and therefore not in that very manner. Wherefore then, as the very rea­son giuen in the Canon in the foresaid case shewes, when both the minister and most of the parish knoweth (as the case in my know­ledge both hath beene, and therefore may be againe) that one comes to be buried, that liued and dyed most profanely, more like a verie Atheist, and a grosse infidell, then like any Christian at all: [Page 63]who doth not see, that the discreet minister (yet therein nothing crossing eyther the meaning of the booke, or the intent of the autho­risers thereof) may in wisedome and discretion, in such sort vse, and alter those words: as that neither he burie his bodie in sure and certaine hope of the resurrection thereof to eternall life, as the body of one that died like a Christian indeed, nor that he be inforced to say, that he and the rest there present, may haue their consummation with him in Gods euerlasting blisse & kingdome? For we may be sure that it was neither the meaning either of the book or of the authorisers therof, first or last, in those set and precise words and tearmes, to bind the ministers to bury any but such whom with a good conscience they so might. And yet who knoweth not that fit it is, that for the main­tenance of good order, the rule should be so generally see downe, because it is not fit (many amongst such a multitude of ministers as be in this kingdome, lacking due discretion) to leaue all or any in such a case simply at their owne liberty? And yet againe, who is so simple but he vnderstands, that hardly can any rule in such matters, be so ge­nerally set downe, but that euer the equity therof, & the true meaning of the prescribers therof, will & may admit of some instances to the contrary. Howbei Gods mercy being so infinite as it is, and we in Christian chariritie being bound but as we are, to hope and to iudge the best of all that die amongst vs, doubtles in this respect, the instances wil be but few, and very rare: and yet euen then to preuent all inconueniences that might grow by the rashnes & indiscretion of some mini­sters, I would wish none to take liberty of thēselues to alter this form, but by allowance of authority, vpon due information of the particu­lar occasion first obtaind: which when there is or shall be iust cause, I am fully perswaded, would easily be obtaind; and I wish it should. For it cannot stand with the rule, wherby the Church is bound in all her orders to haue especiall care that they tend to edification alwaies; to tye her ministers in the buriall of the dead, to equall such, in and by such words, with her best and liueliest members. As for that which is misliked in the booke, touching priuate absolution, in the tract of visiting the sicke, in my opinion there is no iust cause thereof: for doubtlesse in the case there mentioned, such priuate absolution is ve­ry necessary and comfortable: and the meaning thereof is no more, but that they so repenting and beleeuing as is there specified in the booke, we, as the ministers of God assure them, that he doth absolue them of their sinnes so repented of. And indeed there is no [Page 64]difference in the true sense and meaning, betweene this and the gene­rall absolution, or pronouncing of the sins of the penitent to be forgi­giuen, with good allowance vsed after the generall confession of sins in the beginning of morning and euening praier: but that there it is pronounced generally to all there present that are truly penitent, and beleeue in Christ according to the Gospell: and here particularly but to the sicke party, likewise so professing both faith and repentance. And why may we not in the Collect of Trinitie sonday pray as there the booke appoints to be deliuered from all aduersitie; as well as in the Lords prayer to be deliuered from all euill? For the Church and her members (at the least some particular Churches) sometime may haue rest therefrom; but if not, and she were sure thereof also, why may she not yet so pray, to shew her desire that she might; as Christ did, that the cup might passe from him, which he knew should not? These things duly considered, I remember nothing of any moment in the booke, to stay any man from yeelding to conformity in the vse and practise therof. For, as for the few supposed incommodious phra­ses in some other praiers, they will and may be easily remooued, but by taking them in the best and fairest sense, most standing with the substance of sound doctrine otherwise publikly professed, and autho­rised in this Church, which vntil euident cause be giuen mē to the con­trary, euery one in duty is bound to do. For, what reason hath any man to think, but that our professed & authorised doctrine, and our praiers and practise agree? Our Church therfore disalowing praier for the dead as it doth, and requiring alwaies stedfast faith in our praiers, we may be sure therby, we are only in the Letany so taught to pray that God would not remember the sinnes of our forefathers, as therfore to take vengeance of vs: and in the two collects, the fift after the offertory, & the second after Trinity, to feare, and to distrust, only in respect of our selues, but not in respect of Gods mercy in Christ at all. Wherfore, hauing now thus said, what I hope may be sufficient to moue my good brethren for the Churches peace & good, and also for their owne, and to preuent greater inconueniences, to stand forth no longer in their refusal to conforme themselues in their practise to the orders of our Church, required at their hands: let vs passe on to that which yet seemeth to be wanting, to perswade thē also, if and when need shalbe; in the same respects, rather to yeeld to the vrged form of subscription, then either therfore to shun to enter into the ministry, when otherwise they are fit and might, or for the refusal therof, to be debarred of the vse of their gifts therin.

CHAP. 13. Touching the yeelding to the now vrged subscription: and answering cer­taine obiections against the same.

BEing therefore now come to the question about this subscription howsoeuer heretofore it was doubted whether it had any express law or canon to warrant it or no, now wee are put out of doubte thereof by these last cannons, and namely by the 36, in that wee see and know them all to be so authorised by his Maiestie as they are, who hath full and sufficient authority by his highnesse tytle & pre­rogatiue confirmed vnto him by expresse law otherwise, so to doe. And therefore we cannot be now ignorant, but that our reuerend fathers the Bishops, haue thereby authority, to vrge such ministers thereunto, as bee vnder their iurisdictions, at such times, and in such cases, and vpon such occasions, and in such manner, as are expressed in the said canons, and also vnder the penalties to the re­fusers, then specified in the same. Wherefore as I said of the former so I must needs say of this, so farre as there is nothing within the compasse therof, either in the owne nature, or as it is meant by the order of our Church, and the gouernors thereof, contrary either to sound faith or good manners, taught in Gods word, conscience (in respect of them and this their authority which they haue now by law or canon, though not in regard of the bare nature of euery thing within the reach of the same) without all question doth bind vs, for the Churches good, and our owne, to yeeld thereunto. And this is certaine, the first Article touching his Maiesties iust Title and su­premacie therin set downe, & the last touching the booke of Articles (so far forth as they concern faith & the sacraments) all mē of our religion & profession that hold communion with vs, haue alwaies since subscription hath beene first required, beene willing and ready to yeeld the same, acknowledging, as by the lawes of the realme, so also by the lawes of God, for the plaine and manifest truth therin contai­ned, that they were bound in cōscience also, euen for the matter ther­of, so to do. The question therfore concerning this point lies in this, whether the rest contained in these thre articles mentioned in that 36 canon, & in the form there set down, may be yeelded vnto with a safe & good cōscience, wherūto first I say, that cōparing the Articles wher vnto now subscriptiō is required, with the 3 that formerly were wont [Page 66]to be vrged, touching either the whole, or the rest, now only in que­stion, I find no great difference; some words are added in the first somewhat more fully to expresse his Maiesties title and supremacy, wherof therefore I think euery one likes so much the better, and as for the second, it is word for word, the same it was, and that requires that by our subscription therunto, we only aduouch, that those twoe bookes therein named (the booke of common prayer, and the booke of ordering Bishops, Priests and Deacons) containe nothing contra­ry to the word of God, and in the last, as I finde these words added; (now to make it plaine how many articles the said booke of Articles containes) being in number 39 besides the ratification, so I obserue for the word beleeueth, vsed before touching all the Articles therein contained, as it there is expresly set downe, a softer word put, namely acknowledgeth, so that herein euen in the construction of those that most mislike and write against the former, it is most cleare, that this now vrged is in respect of the matter therof, the very same, if not better and easier, then it was before, especially considering also the things amended & explaned in the booke of common prayer of late, as was noted in the beginning.

2 If any say yet, now it is worse then it was, in respect of the forme, because now is added ex animo, where it was before but volens, that is such a difference, whereupon it will not follow that it is one iot worse then it was before: for who can indeed say or write that he doth a thing volens, and yet not ex animo? it also appearing by that which I haue said already of the former point, that our Church by these last canons, hath in nothing made the sense of any thing hard­er then it was before, it must neees follow that now to refuse thus to subscribe, for any that haue subscribed before, is rather an argument of inconstancy in them then otherwise. And this is well knowne, and doubtles the Bishop (I am perswaded, by publike re­cord vnder our hands (can proue, that very few or none of vs, that haue entred into the ministry, or haue beene instituted or admit­ted by them to any liuing since the thirteenth yeare of her Maiesties raigne that last was, but wee haue both for the one, and the other, how oft so euer that hath beene in the latter respect so oft sub­scribed vnto; the consideration whereof, one would thinke might bee some motiue vnto vs, the lesse to sticke at it now againe, if neede so require.

3 This also in my opinion may bee an other of some force the [Page 67]rather to draw vs thereunto, that we plainely see in the second article, the reuerend fathers and our brethren that first with them agreed in Conuocation, that this forme (to breed vnitie and vniformitie, as they hoped) of subscription should be vrged, thereby only concluded that we should aduouch nothing to bee contained in those two bookes mentioned in the second article, and about which indeed all the que­stion is, as I haue sayd, in this case, contrarie to the word of God. Which (as I, and many others haue heard some of the chiefe that then were) protest, they did of purpose therby to ease the consciences of the subscribers, as much as might be: for that as they knew sundry things within the compasse of the said bookes to be prater verbum & diuersa à verbo (which was lawfull enough in things of that nature that they were) so they knew also, that it was far les to say accordingly that they contained nothing contrarie to the word, then that all things contai­ned therein were agreeable to the word, as they require we should say touching the booke of Articles, containing the most substantiall grounds and points of the doctrine of faith and the Sacrament, wher­of the third article is: vnlesse therfore in their sense, we can shew some things that those bookes containe contrary to the word, we say no­thing against the forme of subscription thereby required.

4 To say or thinke that the booke of Common prayer containes some thing contrarie to the word of God, either because it appoints the Canonicall Scriptures but to be read as it doth, or the Apocrypha chapters mentioned in the Kalenders, I hope by that which I haue said before, at large of both those points, it wil or may appear, that therfore it is not so. For therby I haue shewed that in good construction, (and but yet in such as may well stand with any thing set downe in those kookes) in both those respects, it containes nothing but that which a man may lawfully accordingly practise & conforme himselfe vnto, & therfore nothing contrary to the word: and the like also I hope I may assume of all the rest contained therin, in the foresaid discourse cleared of the obiectiōs made against thē touching cōformity: & that therfore now againe, I shall not need to trouble the reader with any further re­hersall therof. For as I said in the beginning, so far as one may lawfully & with a good conscience go in his practise & vse, he may also go in this forme of subscribing therunto: and this is certaine also, that that which the authorised book containes not, nor binds vs to practise (ly­ing within the compasse of these things we shold practise, if the books meaning were indeed to bind vs thereuno) that, we need not thinke, [Page 68]that it containes at all, thus farre to be iustified by subscription: Let vs heare therfore what further particularly can be obiected against this subscription, either out of the book of comon prayer, or out of the o­ther. Some thing further I find to this end obiected, out of the tracts of the communion &, baptism, & something out of that of confirmation.

5 Out of the tract of the communion for the sicke that there in a certaine case, the communion is allowed to be administred to one a­lone, as namely when he is sicke of a contagious disease, and none can be got to communicate with him, and that it is there in the treatise of the publike communion also permitted vnto some of the communi­cants to make the generall confession of sinnes in his owne name, and of all the rest, as it is there set downe; both which are held to be con­trarie to the word, For that the minister by the institution is to say, eate ye and drinke yee all of this, which he cannot say to one alone, and that so to make confession of sinnes is held to be, by the word properly and onely belonging to the minister. Neither of these I al­ledged in the former discourse, because though they bee both in the communion booke, yet they are neither of them there so set downe, as that necessarily either of them need euer come into practise, and very seldome or neuer haue they, or are like to do: for in the former it is expresly set downe, that in that case onely vpon speciall request of the diseased, the minister may alone communicate with him, it saith not that either he must or ought; and therfore we may be sure, for feare of his owne perill, he will chuse rather not so to do, then so to administer it, especially seeing the preface to the communion for the sicke, and a rubricke after therein, seeme rather to wish that to be neuer ministred without a conuenient companie, and that the peo­ple by oft communicating, and by good instruction, shall be brought to that vnderstanding, that they should neuer need to desire it so in­conueniently to be administred, and the 67 Canon now binds not the minister to go so much as to visit the sick, in case his disease be known, or but probably suspected to be infectious: and the other is also so permitted to one of the receiuers (in the rubricke before the sayd con­fession) as that the said confession is to be made either by one of them, or by one of the ministers, or by the priest himselfe; and there­fore (being so set downe) that alwayes it shall lie in the ministers or priests choise, whether any of the other lay communicants shal say it or no, they haue, wil, & may, by the book so preuēt that incōuenience, that it shall need neuer (more then it hath done) come to be so vsed, [Page 69]And thus also indeed we see euen by the same reasons that neither of these are so contained in the booke, as that they need to trouble any in the subscribing thereunto. And therefore as the latter is not once re­membred, either by the writers of the admonition, or by M. Cart­wright, as worthy once to be obiected against the booke, so the other though it be obiected by both, is neither acknowledged nor once de­fended, by the late Archbishop in his answer vnto them (as you may see Pag. 528. & 229. of his booke) as at all contained or mentioned in the seruice booke; yea Pag. 525. (belike for the reasons aforesaid) he saith flatly that there is no receiuing of one alone alowed in the booke. But suppose the worst; if it should be held to be contrarie to the word, ei­ther to minister it in a priuat house, or that the minister in any case should minister it to one alone, we must then condemne all antiqui­ty, euen in Iustin Martyrs, Tertullians, and Cyprians times, in whose times Maister Cartwright is inforced to confesse it was ministred in priuate houses, in the foresaid page 525. & in Serapians time, who had it sent him lying sick on his death bed, to be receiued alone, as we read in Eusebius Lib. 6. Cap. 43. And though there be but two, the minister and the sick, yet in reference to them two, it may be said take ye, eat yee, and wee know that Christ hath promised that when two or three are gathered togeather in his name, hee will bee in the middest of them. Math. 18. And wee know that Bucer and Peter Martyr allowed our communion booke, euen in respect of the communion therein prescribed for the sick, in their iudgments that they gaue thereof, and likewise that Musculus: de coena Domini confesses that it is retained in diuerse reformed Churches, yea neither Beza nor Caluin, but in some case they allowed it, and Oecolampadius as it is written in his life, denied it not the sicke, but in this case we need none of these helps, because this thing in question is so mentio­ned in the communion booke as rather yet it is disalowed thereby then allowed, & cannot iustly be said to be contained therein, and is so shut out againe (as we haue heard) both by the drift of the same, & by the foresaid Canons explayning the meaning of the book touching the ministers duty in visiting of the sicke. And further of the other neede not be said, for it is so there permitted, as with all, streight (as we [...] haue heard) the vse of that permission is preuented. And yet if it shold be vrged as plainly yet permitted there, I think wel may it be Prater verbū, but hardly wil it be proued any more to be contrary to the word, thē the former, for wher hath the word so appropriated [Page 70]this to the minister, and denyed it vnto others, that it should be con­trary to the word, but [...] to permit it to another.

6 Further yet, in that (in a rubricke next the creed in that tract) it is said, if there be no sermon, shall follow one of me homilies al­ready set forth or to be set forth by common authority, especially the 35 article in the booke of Articles, adiudging both the former booke of Homilies set forth in King Edward the sixts time, and the second booke, the seuerall tytles wherof are there set downe, to be read in the Churches, by the ministers diligently & distinctly, as containing what doctrine is meete & necessary for these times, arise other obie­ctions, which they haue against this subscription: for say they in these already extant, some faults there are in certaine of them, which can­not stand with the word, and further what may be in the rest, that shall bee see forth, wee cannot tell, and therfore hard it is to sub­scribe; howsoeuer when that booke and rubrick was authorised first Eliza. I there were some to be set out, yet since they that were in­tended then, haue long agoe beene published, & so therefore in that respect as I said in the beginnig, this obiection is void. Touching those that then were extant, notwithstanding the obiected faults against some of them, very true it is, that there is much wholsome & need­full doctrine contained in them, & most of them they can not nor do touch with any faults at all, and those which they obiect against any of them, are not of any such momēt, but either with a fauourable con­structiō, they may be made none at all, or else (as they knowe) they are such as about which amongst the godly learned both of ancient time, & now also, there is & hath been great question whether they be to be counted any faults at all or no: and the same may as iustly bee said of all that since haue beene authorised. But touching those that by authority then should after be set out, why ought not men then in charity, aswell haue hoped that they in authority would haue a care, that they should containe nothing contrary to the word, as it seemeth they did of Sermons to be made? In that therefore they made no exception euer yet against the Booke in that respect, though then their Sermons be allowed to be made, by preachers euery where, which yet then they could not tell whether they would bee faultlesse or no [...] But in very deed, though subscribing to the Booke of Common Prayer, and Articles, we thus subscribe to the allow­ing of them to be read, yet in that by the preface before the second Booke of Homilies (which interprets the meaning of both these [Page 71]bookes, herein) it appeares the minister is not tied to read them all, but directed there only out of them all, prudently to chuse out such as be most fit for the time and for the instruction of the people, our late Archbishop in his foresaid booke, Pag. 715. and the next, had iust cause and ground to write (as he hath) fully to remoue this obiecti­on: if any homily (saith he) shall be appointed hereafter, wherein you mislike any thing, you need not to read it, for the book appoints you not to read this or that homily, but some one which you shall like best, and if you be disposed to preach, you need read none at all; and touching those which are to be set out, if you feare any such thing as you pretend, I thinke, saith he, in that case a modest protestation would not be refused. Yea as we haue heard before, Pag. 720. he re­fuseth in plaine and expresse words to defend any thing as appointed by the booke to be read, which is not grounded vpon the word of God. But in very deed I cannot see how iustly and truely the bookes can be said, to containe all which they appoint or allow in any sort to be read: such direction for the reading of them, they may well be sayd to containe, but yet not therfore the things themselues. Howso­euer in this case, in my conscience, there is great difference betwixt be­ing bound only by the booke to read the Scriptures in a translation that hath faults, the Apocrapha that hath faults, or homilies that hath faults, & the iustifying of them to be faultlesse: and plain it is (suppose in this that we were strictly thereby tied to read all these) that yet no where, by the bookes, or otherwise, are we charged, either by practise or subscription, to aduouch that all or any of these containe no faults, or that so doing, to auer that they are no faults: and therfore this ob­iection need trouble vs as litle as any.

CHAP. 14. Answering more obiections against subscription to the book of comon prayer.

NOw touching baptisme & the tract thereof, in that priuate bap­tisme is so vrged as it is therby, and by the 69. Canon, especially seeing both it and the other sacrament are said in the Catechisme to be necessarie to saluation, some thereupon gather that now it see­meth to be the meaning of the booke, and of our church also, to hold baptism so necessary to saluation, as that none can now be saued with­out it. But surely herein they wrong in my iudgement both the books and the meaning of our church. For hereby doubtlesse they do not mean to tie God so to this ordinary meanes, as that he neither can nor [Page 27]will exraordinarily saue any without it, though neuer so much pre­uented by death, before according to Gods ordinance they may haue it. For then the booke neuer should haue beene so explained in that point as now it is, that none but a lawfull minister should baptise the chld in what danger soeuer it be. But onely hereby would the state take order as much as might be, (which was very necessary) to pre­uent all contempt or neglect thereof, if it could in time be had, for as the one extreame is to be auoided, so doubtles was and is the other: and so for any thing our Church hath done in this point, the ancient doctrine that alwaies hath in this case bene held and receiued of and in the Churches of Christ, since the first institution of the sacraments, namely not the want therof simply, but the contempt or neglect therof to be damnable, is held here still, and therfore this of baptisme is to be counted so necessary to saluatiō, as that by all means when & wher (as is aforesaid) it may be had it is most carefully & diligētly to be sought for.

2 Now whereas I heare that some stumble at that, that the child dy­ing after baptisme before yet it can be confirmed, it is said in the book (immediatly before the Catechisme, in a rubricke there) that such a child hath all things necessary by the word of God to saluation, and is vndoubtedly saued, gathering thereupon that the meaning of our Church therin is absolutely and simply so to tie saluation to baptisme that whosoeuer once is outwardly baptised, cannot be saued: surely this is as hard a collection & construction of this as may be For first it is euident that there the speach is of baptised children onely dying before they be confirmed and that of purpose it is there so set down, to the cōfort of christian parents in that case, & plainly to teach vs all, howsoeuer our Church thinks it fit to retain the vse of confirmation in sundry good respects, yet (it holds it not to be of the same nature with the sacraments of baptism & the Lords Supper, nor so necessary to sal­uation. And what reason is there to the contrary, but that we may and ought in Christiā charity, so hope & perswade our selues of al christiā children so baptised, dying in their childhood, as that book speaketh?

3 For all this some yet draw an argument to stay them from thus sub­scribing as is required, for that by the booke as they alleage, so much is attributed to confirmation, that it is therby made as a third sacrament contrary to the 25 article of the book of articles, also subscribed vnto, for that say they, the Bishops imposition of his hands, is in the tract of confirmation expresly termed a signe, wherby they certify them whom they confirme of Gods gratious fauour and goodnes towads them, whereas the article saith that neyther confirmation nor any of the o­ther [Page 73]foure by the Papists held to be sacraments, can be sacraments iin­deed, because they haue not any visible signe or ceremony ordayned of God. But the contrariety that seemeth herein to be, betwixt these bookes, is easily to be remoued. For though the communion booke make imposition of hands a signe drawne from the example of the A­postles, yet it deriues it not from Gods ordinance and institution, as the outward signes in Sacraments are, and so that notwithanding, the words of the article may well enough stand therwith, which only de­nies it to haue any visible signe ordained by God. Againe, there is great ods betwixt materiall and substantial signes, such as water, bread, and wine are in the sacraments & this bare action of imposition of hands: & sacraments properly taken are not only signs of some spiritual grace but of sauing grace in Christ Iesus: & they are means also to offer, to deliuer, & to seale the deliuery of the same, to the right receiuers ther­of: all which this is not hereby made. But I maruell what reason men haue, to allow of imposition of hands, as a laudable rite and ceremo­nie, euen drawne also from the Apostles example, in the ordination of ministers, thereby as it were by that solemne ceremony and prayer withall, to set them apart from all others, for the worke of the mi­nisterie, and yet so much to mislike of this here: they thinke not that it makes ordination a sacrament, why should they thinke then that it makes so confirmation? it is vsed here with prayer, wherunto especi­ally the booke attributeth their confirmation, appointing the other but withall to be vsed as there by externally to certifie them, that to them particularly that strength is wished. Hierom, I am sure, against the Luciferians, acknowledges that it was in vse in churches in his time and before, and that only to be ministred by Bishops as it is with vs, propter honorem sacerdotii, non legis necessitatem. And Bucer vpon the fourth to the Eph. so allowes it, and so many other learned writers both ancient, and of these times, as you may see at large, Inst. Cal. l. 4. c. 19. sect. 4. & no reason it is why they shold not, because now with this imposiion of hands, extraordinary gifts of the spirit are not giuen; for those were but to follow therupon for a time, and sufficient it is now that further strength doth folow. And it is vsed & hath bin thus, by the bishops & not by the ministers, not as som hardly therupon gather ther­by to intimate, as though it were a higher thing then either baptisme or the supper, which they vse to minister, but onely for order and in good pollicy, thereby the better to draw both ministers and godfa­thers and godmothers the more carefully to see children so catechi­sed, as that being cald by the Bishops to this, they may therewith their owne mouthes professe and promise that which others before [Page 86]did for them. And verily being vsed to this end, in the good Pollicy of the Church, it would be a notable good meanes hereof, and there­fore I haue long wisht a more carefull and an vniuersall vse therof, & lament the neglect therof, for euen from thence the great negligence that hath beene both in ministers to Catechise, & in the people in se­king to haue their youth duly instructed, hath very much proceeded, & I hope the contrary good fruits in that behalfe, will grow by the wise and orderly reuiuing thereof.

What more of any moment, not formerly answered is now allea­ged out of the communion booke to stay men from subscription, I remember not, saue that some say the vrging of all prescribed therby now to be read without leauing out any part therof in respect of a sermon, or in any other regard (as it appeares Canon 14) shuts out preaching much. But my experience teacheth me the contrary, for though I read fully all that is appointed, and haue long vsed so to do, yet I praise God, beeing vpon the point now of 60 yeares of age, yet I finde both strength and time conuenient, euery Sabbath, both fore­noone and afternoone to do both. And they that finde not them­selues of strength so to doe, they are not by any law forbid to get thē Curats and helpers, which may ease them, commonly if not of all, yet of a great part of the burden of the tone; and if their liuing bee so small, and they are not able to haue that helpe, otherwise beeing conformeable, and doing what they can, their weaknesse or sickly e­state, will easily with their ordinaries excuse them. Sure any man may be, that reads the booke and the canons, there to find that the booke often directeth vs to pray that all ministers may be diligent preachers of the word, and that by the canons better order is taken, for often & diligent preaching of the word, then euer heretofore hath beene, and therefore this may goe amongst other too hard collections and constructions of our Churches meaning well enough, and therfore need not in truth stay any man from subscribing. I am not ignorant that yet many things more in this booke are obiected, but because I know onely a charitable construction will easily remooue them, I passe thē ouer wishing euery man therby, as he may & is bound, to sa­tisfie him selfe therein.

CHAP. 15. Answering certaine obiections, out of the booke of Ordination

THus then we are come at the last to the other booke of ordinatiō of Bishops, Priests, & Deacons, against which (as it is in vse with vs now & long hath been) I must cōfesse I see or find nothing euer al­leaged [Page 75]of any moment to this purpose, but I finde the same so fully answered by our late most reuerend Archbishop in his foresaid book against Cartwright, so oft before named, & since by the right reuerend and learned now Bishop of Winchester in his booke written long since of the perpetuall gouernment of Christs Church, as that I cannot but maruaile (especially seeing I could neuer see the latter of these books by any, once euer yet attempted to be answered) that any for all this should set a foot againe, any old obiections (and new I finde none of any moment) against the said booke, whereunto there they haue beene and are, and that also long ago, so throughly answerd. And therefore for this point (Christian Reader) both to spare thy fur­ther labour and mine, thereunto I referre thee. Onely this in the meane time I say for my owne part, that there I finde all that hath beene said of any waight against the said booke (in my iudgement) so satisfied, that in respect thereof onely, whosoeuer refuseth to sub­scribe, he doth so without any iust cause at all. For concerning the distinction of degrees by that booke (for the better ordering of the Church in her ecclesiasticall policy) allowed to be amongst vs the ministers of the Gospell, I must needs say and protest, though as se­riously and diligently as I could, I haue read and considered all that hath beene written to or from, with or against, of that question for these thirtie yeares and more, and also of purpose for the same, haue searched all antient writers, and all monuments of antiquity, that I could come by, yet I could neuer find any thing of any sound mo­ment or force brought against the same: yea (that more is) besides hatred to popery, & too great an admiration of some other Churches I neuer by all this could finde, that the impugners thereof, and the seekers in the steed thereof to bring in a gouernment of the Church by a parity of Ministers and their Presbiteries, haue indeed and truth any thing of sound moment, or of any waight at all to iustifie or to countenance their so doing. In so much that before the late reforma­tion of Geneua, for all the fore said points, and search that I haue vsed for this point, I could thereby yet neuer finde, any one Church of Christ, so big as that of Geneua and the appurtenances thereof, any where, or at any time for the space of one ten yeares possest of that their kinde of gouernment: whereas of the contrarie, through the whole course of the Scriptures euer since Moses, and through all Ec­clesiastical stories and monuments of antiquitie. I obserue it hath bin the lords pleasure in his good prouidence, alwaies to haue his church [Page 70]since it had but outward visibility in one nation, perpetually gouer­ned by distinct degrees of ministers, proportionable to this of ours, for through the old Testament from Moses to Christ, it had by Gods ordinance an high priest, Priests and Leuites to that end: and Christ enlarging the bounds therof, we find by the playne testimony of the new testament, he left for the orderly gouernment therof, vntill his se­cond comming. Ephes. 4. some Apostles, some Prophets, some Euange­lists, & some Pastors & Teachers In that therfore in that golden age of the Apostles, when the gifts of the spirit, both vpon the ordinary Pa­stours, & christian people, were as they were often extraordinary, we yet find when particular Churches were furnished & setled with all their ordinary necessary officers, they stood need besides the helpe they then had of Synods, the ouersight of euangelists & the visitation againe, and againe, both by their letters & personall presence, of the apostles, whiles they liued; what reason can any man haue to thinke, that in the times since, far worse then those, the churches of Christ should not likewise need some in the roome of those, to haue a superintendency ouer the particular ministers, to visit, and to keepe them in order from time to time? And therfore doubtlesse the Apostles Prophets & Euangelists, in that which they had extraordinaly, ceasing euer since we find, by the testimony of ecclesiasticall stories, by light & warrāt from these former proportions, & experience for the better ordering therof in peace and vnitie, the church of Christ possest of Bi­shops, ministers & Deacons. All which neither could nor would haue beene so, if this other fancyed forme of Church gouernmēt had been so essentiall thereunto, & this of ours so bad & vnfit for the same, as the admirers of that other would beare the world in hand, both this and the other hath been & is, for who can or wil be perswaded that God being of that powre that he is, & louing his church as he doth, that e­uer he could or would suffer her for 15 or 16 hundred yeares to be destituted & bereued of her proper and essentiall outward forme of church gouernment, or that he would haue continued & blessed the other, as he hath both in the ancient churches & since, if it had beene or were so displeasing vnto him, & antichristian, as they now charge it to be?

2 As for the preaching by deacons & ministring baptisme by such, who can read the story of the Acts, touching the Deacon Phillip and what after is storied there in both respects, as done lawfully by him, though we read there only of his calling to the office of a deacon, or what to like purpose, as the foresaid two learned fathers haue shew­ed [Page 71]out of the monuments of true antiquity, such haue don in the primitiue Church, but he will see he hath cause to cease frō obiecting that as a fault against that booke, in that our Deacons are said to bee called to their office according to apostolike example.

3 And as for the name Priest, it answering with vs as it doth in re­spect of our office, the word presbyter, & not the other Sacerdos, what iust offence can any take thereat?

4 And as long as we find Apostles directing and commaunding E­uangelists, as Paul did Timo. and Tytus, witnesse the epistles he wrote to them, & they therby directed to ouersee, & direct pastors, as therin & by the storie of the Acts, it appeares they did, & pastors charged to attend & feed their flocks, though we find not the precise names of Archbishops, Metropolitans or primats at the first, what should wee therfore striue? Strife about words, as long as wee find the matter and substance that in truth implyeth as much, becomes not the Church of God: but the ecclesiasticall stories, and the records of the ancient councells make it most manifest to them that read them, that it was not long after the age of the apostles, ere these very names were taken vp and for order sake giuen to the Bishops ouer other.

5 And as for that saying, receiue the holy Ghost, it beeing vn­derstood either of the holy Ghost it selfe, or of the gifts thereof, fit for the ministry, as some take it, it doubtlesse is vsed and meant as a pray­er, that so they may, not as a speech of one hauing power & authority to giue it, as when Christ vsed it, but taking it as very wel, also it may for the calling to the ministry wherof the holy Ghost is the author, they as the ordinary means wherby he calleth them thereunto, may say so: wherfore to grow to an end, I verily think no one thing more, either hath bred, or yet doth nourish more the ecclesiasticall con­trouersies of ours about rites and ceremonies, and the outward pollicy of our Church, as either not reading, or negligent studying of sound antiquity: & therfore I would wish, & do with all my heart, that all my good brethren of the in ministry, as far as their ability will serue thē would get them the writings of the ancient fathers, & especially the ecclesiasticall stories of Eusebius & his fellows: & the tomes of the an­cient councels, & then next after the study of the sacred scripture, that they would diligently read & consider of thē. For doubtles euen ther­by they would learn much to direct them how to cary themselues in their places, & in all occurrēts that otherwise for lack of so good pre­sidēts, to much troble many of thē, & are oftē cause also why they are more troublesome vnto others, for such matters thē otherwise they [Page]would be, if they were throughly acquainted with the ancient practise of Christs Church in such cases. There they should finde it in August. Epist. 86. to Casulan. & 118. to Ianuari: Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 23. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. Zozom. lib. 7. cap. 19. & in Greg. ad Leandrum: and that one Church is not bound in her outward rites & fashions to anothers and therfore that no one Church is preiudiced by anothers different fashions in such things: yea, that nihil officit in eadem fide con­spirantium Ecclesiarū consuetudo diuersa: yea that rather that so be­ing, they holding notwithstanding vnity of faith, they are the more commendable: for the bonds of the Churches vnitie were alwaies held to be one God, one faith, one baptisme, and not one rite, or one ceremony, and therefore there also shall they finde, how peacably & godly the learned in such times conformed themselues to the orders and fashions alwaies of the Church wherin they liued in such things; and so neither gaue offence to any nor tooke any, and how, the diffe­rent fashions or opinions in such things notwithstanding, they thought it vnfit to breake vnity with others. And to this end I wold euery one would but read the said 86. & 118 epistles of S. Augustine and his next also, the 119, for there they should find, both excellent councell, and examples to this purpose.

7 Alas how can any ioyne with the brownists in holding rhis kinde of gouernment by Archbishops, and Bishops to be antichristian and that of theirs to be Christs Churche, perpetuall & essentiall re­giment, but he must needs ioyne with them in their practise, rent, & separation from vs?

8 Or the premises considered, what sound reason hath any man to thinke though one of late an enemie thereunto hath vrged it in print that the holding of this gouernment of ours to haue warrant from the scriptures, should impeach the Kings supremacy as though that these degrees of ministers, in this sort allowed by the booke of ordi­nation of them, could not both stand together; wheras indeed therby, it is cōfirmed & strengthened as Solomons was, in that though the high Priesthood, was expresly from God, he yet rightly deposed Abiather and placed Sadok in his roome. 1. Kings. 3.35. For though in respect of that which they haue frō Prínces, they may be said to be theirs, & of humane constitution: yet in respect of their ministry & spiritual iurisdi­ctiō in the church, they wel may be said to be of Gods own ordinance.

9 Wherfore (to grow towards an end) remember we (my good brethren) this one thing more, that it standeth this our state and Church much vpon, hauing made so many seuere lawes as it hath a­gainst [Page 79] Papists, Schismaticks, Barowists or Brownists (cal thē as you wil) & hauing also so executed thē, as they haue, & minding as it semeth so to do stil (and we see it is most necessary for the peace of the church they should) let none of vs, that should ioyne with thē therin, & also euery way strengthen thē, what we could (they so multiplying as they do both on the right hand, & left) by any means weaken eyther our' selues, or thē, against them: which once againe I cānot but put you in mind we do, so long as eyther for conformity, or this subscribing, (by our refusal stil hereof) we not only make distraction, rent & breach a­mongst our selues, but also strengthen them with so many arguments as we stand vpon, wilfully to persist in their superstitious refusal or re­cusancy, on the one side, & in their like peuish shūning of ioining in cō ­muiō again with vs of the other. And therby as much doubtles as e­ther the weight of those reasons comes to, or the credit of their persōs is that stand therupon, are they & will they, be emboldened to think & say, in the opinion of so many of our own religion and fellowship that they haue had wrong, and shall haue still, in being punished as they haue beene, are, or shall be for refusing to ioyne with vs in vse of that seruice, and for submitting themselues to that forme of Ecclesiastical gouernment, which is in so many respects, contrary to the word. O therfore, it were to be wished (good brethren) in this case, that you would seriously remember that the Lord requires of all his, Zac, 8.19 that they should loue truth and peace, ioyning them both together, & therfore that the Apostle, Rom. 12.11. had no sooner wild vs to be feruēt in spirit, but he addeth streight, seruing the lord, & ver. 18. vrging vs al as much as is possible to haue pe [...] with al mē. For doubtles they are very much deceiued, that vnder pretence of zeale, think they may without offence disturbe the Churches peace. For who knoweth not that it is as dangerous erring on the right hand, as on the left, and that Christ iustly checked the sons of thunder. Luk. 9.55. though their wish of fire against the Samaritans, came from a fiery zeale, and loue towards himselfe? Surely euen the lamentable experiēce we haue had already by the original & growth of the opē schisme wherin to many of our brethren haue desperately run of late years, & wherin stil wo­fully and obstinately they continue (being as all men must needs see from no other ground & occasion, but from the too much vrging and amplifying vnder the shew & likenes of zeale of the same things that now still in this case of refusall of conformity and subscription are re­uiued) I would thinke should haue sounded such a loud retreat in all our eats from euer medling any more therewith, for feare of the like inconuenience to our selues, that ere this wee should haue [Page 80]beene sufficiently warned from running any more this course: for hardly can any be of the iudgment of the one, but he must like of the practise of the other. But Nunquam sera est ad bones mores via. Wher­fore let not studium partium, or any preiudicate opinion touching loue of our own priuat credit, or to much desire too please a few priuat men make any of vs so to forget our duty, either to God, our church, or our selues, and those that depend vpon vs, as for a few weake obiections (a thousand times so answered, that as Augustine speaketh, Epist. 118 might satisfie, though not a contentious person, yet any modest and peaceable minded man) to run our selues and ours any longer vpon these so dangerous rocks, so much to our owne harme, & so much al­so to the reioycing and strengthening of our common aduersaries. And yet this I haue not writ, or any thing therein, eyther to condemn any that of weaknesse and tendernesse of conscience indeed, (all this that I haue said notwithstanding) cannot in faith doe otherwise (for I haue learned of the Apostle, Rom. 14. (as I said in the beginning) that whatsoeuer is not done of faith is sinne, or any way to stay or to withold them that be in authority, eyther from shewing what fa­uour they will or may to such (else also being peaceable and fruitfull men) or when it shal seem good vnto thē is regard of thē to remoue, or better to smoth the controuerted changable things, they most take offence at, but onely in the meane time, whilest things stand as they do, hereby to perwade my good brethren in the best manner I could, how with a good conscience these things may be yeelded vn­to, for the peace of the Church without any iust offence, therby either giuen or taken, rather thē that for their not so yeelding they shold suf­fer themselues to be kept from entring the ministery, or to be depri­ued thereof againe, or but to be but suspended from the execution thereof, by the sentence of the Bishoppes. But in the meane time, whiles we can grow all to be thus minded, & to be at vnity amongst our selues, in these things, let no man thinke that therfore he hath a­ny iust cause giuen him, to call into question the truth of our religion otherwise, or the Papist at all therefore to insult ouer vs. For none of any reading of the monuments of antiquitie can be ignorant, that in the primitiue Church, and in the best times thereof since the A­postles, & that for a long time together, there hath beene amongst the ancient Christians, otherwise very sound, and at vnitie in the trueth, and substance of religion amongst themselues, as great diuersities of opinons, and as hot contentions as in these respects these of ours [Page 81]be about Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies. And all the world may know but by the confessed differences of opinions by Bellarmine a­mongst themselues, in his bookes of controuersies in matters of far higher nature: that the Papists of all men haue least vnitie euen in the chiefe grounds of their religion: and it is as famously knowne, that here in England whiles they bare the sway: for all their great brag of vnitie otherwise, that in their church seruice there was great diuersi­tie: some following the vse of Sarum; some Herford vse, some the vse of Bangor; some of Yorke, and some of Lincolne.

CHAP. 16. Containing the conclusion and exhortation to vnitie.

YEt to conclude (good brethren) seeing in euery particular natio­nall church, vniformitie in such things, is very requisit and com­mendable, for the better maintenance of peace and loue therein: e­uen of loue and compassion to our common mother the Church of England, which as I haue sayd, is troubled with so dangerous enemies, both on her right hand and left, and so to bury and extinguish for euer the odious name of Puritants, & to put an end to all shew of Schisme, distraction, and diuision amongst our selues, to the no small strength­ning of our selues, to our reioycing against our common aduersaries, and so to the great weakning and vndoubted griefe of our enemies, let vs, all of vs for euer hereafter, giue ouer contending any more thus amongst our selues, about these our mothers outward fashions, trim­mings, and deckings, and let vs both speedily and vnfainedly, euery one of vs, reunite our selues together in vnitie of iudgement, and vni­formitie of practise, as by these her outward orders, is by her authority required at our hands, that so we may bend all our forces as dutifull children together to the preseruation of the life and strength of our sayd mother, which we cannot but see otherwise to be in great perill and danger, so the better that she may strongly encounter, ouercome, and subdue all, both her aduersaries and ours. For Nestor perswading Agamemnon and Achilles to concord, said, that otherwise Priamus would laugh them both to scorne. And wisely sayd Metius Suffetius to Tullus Hostilius king of the Romans, when the Albans and his peo­ple were readie to ioyne battell the one with the other, vnderstand, O king, that the Hetrurians, a mightie people, enuie vs both, & only whiles we spoile one another, they exspect that so we both being [Page 82]once spent, may in the end both become a pray and spoile to them; And aduisedly also therupon, to end that controuersie, wheras the Ro­mans chose 3 Horatians, and the Albans 3 Curiatians to fight a com­bat, though therein the Curiatians had quickly slaine two of the Hora­tians, and also sore wounded the third, yet we read in that story, that he flying in pollicie, and so singling the 3 Curiatians being then all aliue, in the end, so, one after another, killed them all, which he could neuer haue done, if they had all held together: & so the Romans by the condi­tion agreed on in that cōbat, conquered the Albans; whereby we may plainly as in a glasse see, that though two parts of three of our Romish enemies, seeme to vs already slaine, & the third part also much woun­ded, yet if by any means, that one can single & seuer vs, he wil hope in the end to conquer vs all. For whiles Athens & Lacedemon iarred, both became a pray to the enemie, while Hanniball and Hanno enuied one another Carthage came to confusion; & whiles the two brethren Ethe­ocles and Polynices contended for the kingdome of Thebes, they both lost themselues and their kingdom. Likewise whiles Aristobulus and Hircanus two brethren stroue for the kingdome of Hierusalem, it be­came a bootie to the Romans. And when Amon and Moab, and they of Mount Seir fell out amongst themselues, and so slue one another, we know how the holy story sheweth, their huge army thereby easily be­came a rich spoile to Iehosophat, 2. Chr. 20. whereas of the contrary we read there, that the amitie of Abraham and Lot, was the very cause of Lots rescue, and of all his friends and neighbours, out of the hands of fiue kings that had taken them all prisoners and captiues, Gen. 14. And who knoweth not that by concord small things increase, & that by the contrary very great things come to nothing? and that a three­fold cord is not easily brokē, but yet, that vntwisted it easily fals a sun­der, and so though a sheafe of arrowes bound fast together will not quickly be burst, that yet loosed they are quickly knapt a sunder? Iustly therfore did Sparta count the concord that was in that city, the strongest and best wals that it could haue, and otherwise where that was wanting, that the strongest wals that any city could haue, were but as wals of paper. Learne we therefore (deare brethren) in time to sing with the Psalmist, O how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnity. Ps. 133. & therfore according both to his ad­uise, & the Apostles, let vs as much as is possible, & in vs lieth, seeke peace with all men, and ensue it, Psa. 34. & Rom. 12. And therfore also consider we one another, as we are wisht, He. 10. to prouoke one ano­ther [Page 83]only to loue & to good works not forsaking the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues as some do, and learne as we haue bene taught of Christ and his Apostles. Mat. 7.1. Ro. 14.13. especially of things of this kind, neither to be offēded at or with one another, or to iudge one another, but rather to say with Abraham euery one to ano­ther, let there be no strife betwixt vs, for we are brethren, Genes. 13. so yeelding rather with him of our own right, as he then and there did to his inferiour Loth, if neede bee to redeeme and purchase our owne peace and the churches, so long especially as we may so doe without breach of holines, as in this case of ours, I hope, I haue shewed we may. For if there be enuie, strife, and diuision amongst vs still, & that for things of no greater moment, Paul doth tell vs plainly, 1. Cor. 3.3. that we are carnall and walke as men. God therefore giue vs all once grace, so to make it appeare, that we haue mutuall consolation in Christ, Comfort of loue, and fellowship of the spirit, Compassion and mercie, that we may fulfill his ioy in being of one accord and iudge­ment, Phil. 2.2. not doing any thing of vainglory or of contention, but in meeknesse of mind, euery one esteeming another better then him­selfe, ver. 3. and in following the things that concerne peace, and wher­with one may edifie another, Ro. 14.19. and so striuing in giuing ho­nor who can giue most and first, Ro. 12.10. Now then saying with the Psalmist 122. Vnto all, pray for the peace of Hierusalem, Let them pros­per that loue her, peace be with in her wals, and prosperity within her pal­laces. I humbly beseech the Lord to direct vs all herein, and in all our other actions to his owne glory and to our own euerlasting comfort, and so I hartily bid thee farewell in the same Lord. 1606. February. 1.