AS you pretend in your preface, that feare lest the Ministers of Gods worde shoulde be brought into contempt, was the cause of the vnorderly publishing of these your small reasons: So it is well knowen, that the great care whiche the chiefe go­uernours of this Churche of Englande taketh, to preserue true and faythfull Ministers from dispite and reproche, moued them to retayne and set forth these or­ders, as whereby (theyr hope is) Gods dilligent seruauntes, accomplishing also other parties of their vocation, myght re­couer agayne the auncient dignitie of their forefathers, and that Gods holy worde & Sacramentes nowe (by the craft of Sathan) somethyng basely esteemed, myght also haue theyr due reuerence and honour. Herein they haue folowed the steppes of wyse Princes and good Fathers, who thought it theyr seruice not only to establyshe sounde doctrine in mat­ters of fayth: but also to redresse and ordeyne rytes for disci­pline and publike quiet, as in the godly counsels appeareth, Nicoene, Calcidon, and others. But in your considerations howe smally you haue regarded your duetie in this common wealth, on this maner to make the worlde wonder at your factions wylfulnes, before your superiours (yf you thynke herein you haue any) reade ouer your reasons, it is rather to be lamented, and prosecuted with teares, then to be blased a­brode in wordes, and vttered by penne. Surely it maye be true here: Nos talem consuetudinem non habemus nec eccle­siae i. Cor xi dei: We haue no such custome, nor the Churches of god. Leauing then to the iudgement of others, whether you run not headlong the ready waye to make your selues iustly, and the ministerie also euyll spoken of, by not seekyng the peace of the Countrey where you dwell, and by not obeyng and folowyng, but breakyng and forsakyng those variable Hie▪ xxix. orders and maners, whereby worldly quietnes at the least is gotten and mayntayned, which (as S. Augustine sayeth) is [Page] not the vsage of the Citie of God, touchyng maners, lawes, De ciuit. dei lib. 19. cap. 17 and ordinaunces, whereby the religion of the liuing God is not hurt: Leauing (I say) this, and your consideration to the iudgement of others, it shall be sufficient at this tyme to weygh the groundes and reasons, whiche you vse in refu­syng to weare apparell and garmentes, not nowe of the Popes Church, but of Christes Churche in Englande.

It shall not be vnnecessary to aduertise the Christian reader, that in the declaration there are much paynes be­stowed of these discoursours (where as very litle needeth) to the intent peraduenture, other to aduaunce them selues in theyr knowledge of Gods worde, or to nip and taunte theyr felowes and betters as vnlearned and fooles. For where as fewe or none are ignoraunt, that all thynges should be done to edifie, no offences shoulde iustly be geuen, and Christian libertie should alwayes be defended, & such lyke: Yet in con­firming of these vndoubted truthes many wordes are spent, when as lytle or nothyng is sayd of that which in this cause and many others contayneth the controuersie, that is of the Minor or next proposition: As whether these orders do edi­fie, do offende, or hurt Christian libertie?

Wherfore thinke not much, if dyuers sentences of scrip­ture tendyng to stablishe one trueth not denyed at this time, be briefely collected and aunswered together. For those thinges ought and shalbe expended, whiche make any thyng at all to the pithe of the matter.

The fyrst discourse here, is of edifiyng or buyldyng the Churche of Christ, which all faythfull Ministers do acknow­ledge to be theyr bounden duetie and seruice, accordyng to the graces of God bestowed vpon them, and neuer to hinder and plucke downe awhit: wherof much more myght be said then is here rehearsed, if it were nedefull to wade further in so worthy a matter.

Herewithall in textes and expositions, you woulde not greatly haue enlarged your booke, yf it had not ben to make al gods workemen sauing your selues suspected to the world, [Page] as pluckers downe and destroyers of Gods most holy Tem­ple, buylded vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Pro­phetes: Ephe. i [...]. when as through the grace of God workyng in them by true and sounde doctrine in this apparell and orders, ma­nye earnest labourers of the lordes, do trauayle to bryng his people to the full knowledge of Chryst, howsoeuer you haue Ephe. ii [...] ▪ entangeled and accombred the consciences of your hearers.

So then to the two fyrst places, that be out of the second and fourth Chapter to the Ephesians, no more needeth to be spoken, but that all the carefull buylders in this Churche of Chryst, whiche haue other commaunded or receyued these lawfull orders, fyrst (as they haue before time) so do still take paynes to amplifie and beautifie the spouse of Christ, with the precious iewels of spirituall wysedome: And secondly do vtterly forsake vayne, vngodly, and vnprofitable inuentions of man, whiche two thynges you seeme to require by your note in a true preacher, and can not denye them (yf you be not wylfull) to be in very many vsyng this apparell.

Upon this vniuersall sentence: That Christes Ministers must builde vp and not pull downe, you determine that Ui­cars, Curates, and paryshe Priestes ought to admit no or­ders whiche may not manyfestly appeare vnto them that they do edifie: Geuyng euery man in his paryshe an abso­lute aucthoritie, muche more then they had before the pro­phecie was fulfilled: Kynges shalbe thy Nursefathers, and Esai. x [...]x. Queenes thy Nurses.

Yet you fearyng the inconueniences that must nedes fo­lowe so an absurde an opinion, remember your selues in the next lynes and saye: That yf you myght but conceyue an hope, that the vse of these thynges myght helpe forwarde the Lordes buyldyng, you woulde not refuse them. So one tyme, all orders not manifestly edifiyng, must be condemp­ned, another tyme yf you may hope that they wyll do well, you will admit them. This your chaungeable opinion well weyed, differeth not muche from that straunge saying of the Donatistes, of whose number one Ticonius sayde: Quod Aug. Epi xlviii▪ [Page] volumus sanctum est. What we wyll is holy.

If you had ben in S. Augustines time, when the Church Epi. cxix. was burthened with humaine presumptions, so that the condition of the Jewes was more tollerable (as he wytnes­seth) then the state of Christes Church in those dayes: belike you would not haue continued preachyng and ministring as he and other did, because those burthens were not at the fyrst dashe cleane taken from your shoulders. But he learned and [...]bid. taught other that: Multa tolleranda, vbi facultus non datur resecandi: Many thynges muste be borne, when orderly meanes do not serue to cut them of. Yea, he tryed by expe­rience, that some tymes profitable alteryng of such thynges as were long accustomed, bread trouble in the Churche by newenes of chaunge, as these his wordes testifie. Ipsa quip­pe Epi. cxviii. mutatio consuetudinis etiam quae adiuuat vtilitate, noui­tate perturbat: For the very chaunge of custome, as it may do good for the profite thereof, so it may make much trouble for the newnes therof. Thus this learned father would haue men to expect in alteration, done by publike aucthoritie, con­uenient tyme and season, in matters that myght be tollera­ted without Gods heauy displeasure.

Here before you shewe what ruine and destruction of gods building these fewe orders lawfully enioyned do make: frankely you graunt, all these thynges refused nowe of you, to be of theyr owne nature indifferent, and that they may be vsed, or not vsed as occasion shall serue.

It is harde to say whether this be the mynde of all the Hebre. x. shrinking & refusing Ministers of London, who are knowen herein not to be of one iudgement: Yea it is affirmed of you a litle after in your declaration, that they be monumentes of Idolatry, and so to be vtterly destroyed: that they be contra­rye to Scripture, and so also not to be receyued, though Prynces commaunde them.

A man myght aske of you what vse that is whiche cau­seth these thynges nowe not to be indifferent? the vse that hath ben, or the vse that they are nowe appoynted vnto? If [Page] the indifferencie of these orders hange vpon the vse: then we must loke wherevnto they are ordeyned, and not wherein they were before abused.

Nowe are you come to the chiefe poynt of the first ar­gumēt, 1 which is as you say, that Christes Church is not edi­fied by these garmentes: Which assertion you go about to perswade two wayes. Fyrst, because the simple Christians are gre [...]ued, and are redy thereby to fall from Christ.

These whom you tearme simple Christians, are those, who (as may well appeare) perswade thēselues to haue deepe knowleage in Gods worde, to haue growen to so certayne a perfection, that they can and wyll sodeynlye iudge of all men, and of all doctrine, and they thynke them selues to be setteled and quieted in greater matters then these. They see weyghtyer thynges in the Church (yf they see any thyng at all) whereat they may be greeued, as other good men are, and yet must be contented, tyll God graunt fitte and orderly meanes to remoue them, with charitie to beare, lest the vni­tie of Christes Church shoulde be rent vpon euery lyght of­fence, and horrible scisme for trifles be brought in.

But the simple indeede, who are yet to be fedde with Hebr. v. mylke, who haue not through custome theyr wittes exerci­sed, are sore greeued, and that iustlye, seeyng you not re­ceyue indifferent and comely orders: Of whiche sort, thou­sandes are dryuen backe, by suche kynde of disobedience as yours is, whyles you wylfully withdrawe your selues from your dueties and charge of Gods beloued chyldren and the deare flocke of Christ: wherin if you haue taught your No­uices that these ordinaunces, & such other, are superfluous, idolatrious, and superstitious, when they are for decencie and order sake by lawfull aucthoritie thus left (vpon whiche teachyng their offence may arise): you ought nowe on gods behalfe otherwayes to infourme them. But yf they be taught to take these thynges as Gods worde doth prescribe, then your wearyng shall not be the woundyng of theyr con­sciences, neyther by Gods grace shal you neede to feare the [Page] heauy curse of God, wherof you write.

I pray God it be not (as at S. Augustines tyme) that Epist. cxviii▪ this troublyng of the weake, come not by the contentious obstinacie of some brethren, as is before sayde.

Secondly: You woulde haue vs thynke that the recey­uyng of these orders doth not edifie, because (as you imagine) the obstinate papiste shalbe confirmed in his opinion. This thyng is easyer and oftener saide of you, then proued as yet. For truely this may be a meanes rather to wynne the ad­uersaries from theyr errours, when they see vs without su­perstition or any necessitie, turne those thinges to good vses, which they fowly abused, and heare vs condemne in open preachyng, that which they set so much by. And vppon this cause it seemeth, the Apostles vsed long after Christes ascen­tion the Ceremonies of Moises, and that in the Temple, to 1. Cor. ix. wynne to Chryst the obstinate Jewes. The histories Eccle­siasticall also haue diuers experiences, howe much our aun­cient Note this place of Bed. eccl. lust. lib. 1. cap. 30. and expende his reasons. fathers increased Christes Churche by such godly pol­licie. Hence it was, that they plucked not downe all the Jewyshe Sinagoges and Heathenyshe Temples, but tur­ned them to the seruice of God: that they altered theyr feast dayes: that they chaunged their rites to Godlye purposes. And that this myght be done, it appeareth by S. Augustine to Publicola, saying: Cum vero ista vel in honorem veri dei conuertuntur, hoc de illis fit, quod de ipsis hominibus, cum Epist. cliiii. ex sacrilegis et impiis in veram religionem mutantur: When these thinges be conuerted vnto the honour of the true God, it is of them as it is of the parties them selues, whan they were before committyng sacrilege and impietie, nowe they be conuerted into true religious persons. These fathers thought not them selues in suche thynges vnder the com­maundement which God gaue his people to practise in the land of Canaan, & therfore durst not with an herotcal spirite destroy all that the Heathen had inuented before: But dyd, Vindicare tanquam ab iniustis possessoribus in vsum suum, De doctr. Christ. lib. 2. ca. 40. clayme to theyr owne ryght vse (as it were) from the iniust [Page] possessours, such lyke thynges as you talke of in this decla­ration. Neyther dyd almyghtie God wyll his people to o­uerthrowe the Cananites images and aulters, leste those Gentyles shoulde be made more obstinate in their false reli­gion Deut. (as you alleage the cause): but rather (as the text decla­reth) leste Gods seruauntes shoulde thereby fall vnto their idolatrie. For they were charged not to bryng that heathe­nyshe people to Gods true seruice: but to rote them cleane out of the land which they had so wickedly polluted. Wher­fore, you do wrye this place from his naturall sense.

Upon this text you adde a note in the margent: That al monumentes of Idolatrie must be destroyed, signifing what your auditours and readers shoulde iudge of these orders: which yet you your selues sometimes acknowledge to be in­different, and maye be vsed when occasion shall serue. If these thynges required at your handes, be preciselye vnder that commaundement of God to his people enteryng the lande of Canaan: then is all this controuersie at an ende. Proue that, and al is done.

It woulde helpe you very much in this matter, to con­sider that there is great difference betwixte those thynges that were meerly inuented of the Heathen, to the worshyp of Idols, and to maynteyne idolatrie: and those that haue ben abused of papistes, specially these fewe thynges, beyng first institute for no such intent.

From this argument of not edifiyng (wherein you 2 would haue vs rather yelde to your saying, then be perswa­ded by your reasons) you fall to speake against pollicie with­out the compasse of Gods word, vnder the which you would comprise these orders not impius & wicked. And for want of matter, thorow your spirite of ironie, you must (as you do to the Prince, the Counsayle, the Byshops, the learned men [...] wyse) geue also to the aduertisementes theyr gyrde and nip: whiche (very prudently) thinketh it well, yf Ministers recey­uyng these orders, teache and protest, for what ende and pur­pose they take and vse the same, wherby others may learne, [Page] what difference there is nowe when these thynges are set forth for decencie and order, and the tyme when suche lyke were inforced as the seruyce of God.

What fault you fynde with this rule, you declare not. Peraduenture you thinke those garmentes yet stayned with Idolatry, and therefore not to be receyued by any protestati­on: wherein you are contrary to your selues, to all learned men, and to the scriptures: Or els you thynke not this de­claration suffient in these thinges indifferent, that they be not vrged of necessitie, that they be onlye appoynted for de­cencie and order: wherevnto you maye adde more circum­staunces (yf you wyll) but they are contayned vnder those two: whiche yf the Minister both holde hym selfe, and dili­gently declare to other, he may with discharge of conscience obey his Prince, knowyng that comelynes and order, edifie the Churche of Chryst.

Well, the aduertisements must be defaced with the infa­mous title of the inuention of man, and such lyke. And vpon what reason shall this be done? Forsoth it is lyke the wys­dome of them, that woulde haue ymages (you say) in Chur­ches, to exercise theyr strength in refraynyng from the wor­ship of them, whiche thyng is agaynst the wysdome of God. Deut. 7.

You shoulde haue done the dueties of discrete preachers, yf you had vttered this your vnlykely lykelyhood, to them that stande in so fonde defence of ymages, whereof, what the doctrine of this Realme is, it is publykely declared. And as for these orders, all obedient men well vnderstande, that they are not geuen to trye any mans perfection: Neyther do they passe the wysdome of God, whiche in the Scriptures willeth all thynges to be done decently and orderly, whiche graun­teth i. Cor. xiiii. i. Pet. ii. Math. xvi. Actes. xv. the godly magistrate aucthoritie of makyng ecclesiasti­call lawes, whiche hath geuen also power to the Churche, whiche promiseth his spirite to Synodes, yea for ordeynyng rytes and maners.

But to beate downe this pollicie of mans brayne, you [Page] say (very lytle, nay nothyng at all to the purpose) that in thinges neyther commaunded, nor forbydden, we must not folowe our owne phantasies, lest we heare: In vayne do they Math. xv. worship me, teaching doctrines the preceptes of men.

These preceptes of men, wherewith the Prophete and the Apostle saye, God is not worshipped, were such (as Chri­sostome Hom. [...] in Ma [...]h. wryteth) whiche the seniours had made newe other wayes then Moyses commaunded, and preferred them in Gods seruice before the lawe of the Lord, and added them to Gods worde (as iudgeyng it otherwayes vnperfect) for the saluation of Gods people. On this maner no man at this tyme vrgeth these orders.

That holsome lawes of godly magistrates, whiche ser­uing Cōtra Ci [...] ▪ grā. lib. iii▪ ca. li. Ser. 24. de ver. Apost▪ Epi. 48. God (as S. Augustine affirmeth) they make not onlye for humayne societie, but also for Gods religion, which fur­thermore he truely tearmeth: Clensing instrumentes of the Lordes barren floure, profitable terrours, commodious ad­monitions, healthsom boundes, medicine right phisical: That these (I say) are not to be thought the preceptes of man, it needeth not to call together here all the auncient felowship of fathers. Doctour Bucer vpon this place may teache you the same, who most godly pronounceth thus: Quicquid ho­mo statuerit, quod quomodocunque ad vsum proximorum faciat. &c. Whatsoeuer man shall decree, whiche by any meanes may make to the vse of his neighboures, for that the same is deriued from the rule of charitie, as be lawes ciuill, domesticall statutes, ceremonies and rytes whiche Christi­an men vse, thereby to teache or heare Goddes worde more commodiouslye, or to praye, and about the Lordes Sup­per and Baptisme, yea, & whatsoeuer shalbe a furtheraunce to passe our lyfe here more profitablye and decently: That thing ought not to be esteemed as a tradition or precept of man, though by men it be commaunded, but as the tradition or precept of god. Thus farre Doctour Bucer. With whom Maister Caluine very wel agreeth, saying: ‡ Instit. li. 4. ca. 10. par. 30. That which is part of decencie commended vnto vs by the Apostle, though [Page] it be prescribed by man, is Gods tradition, and not mans, as kneelyng at solemne prayers and suche lyke. So then if you woulde haue rested vppon the censures of these godly learned men, you shoulde not haue needed thus vnwysely to haue skoffed at this wysdome of man, contaynyng her selfe within the limittes of the wysdome of God, as is before pro­ued, and myght be fully iustified by infinite places of Ger­mayne wryters, and by theyr letters of late sent into the Realme to dyuers godly, but for prolixitie.

The thyrde mayne reason you vse, is: That none of Chri­stes 3 litleones must be offended: Whiche thyng accordyng to your vsage, you augment with sundrye textes of Scripture, as yf all the men of vnderstandyng in this Realme were yet aslepe, and neyther saw nor harde the voyce of theyr maister Christ, and his holy Apostle: But you passe ouer with si­lence, that whiche you shoulde haue substauncially waded through. Vz: That these orders nowe taken, do iustly offende the weake lambes of Christes folde. Wherfore to aunswere to the generall proposition, it is not expedient, seeing it is holden as most true of all men.

But concerning the offendyng of the weake, briefely: In indifferent thynges, if lawe, for common tranquilitie haue prescribed no order what ought to be done, a Christian man ought to haue a great regarde of his neyghbours conscience, Rom. xiiii. accordyng to S. Paules doctrine. But yf lawe foreseeyng harmes and prouiding quietnes, haue taken lawefull order therin, offence is taken, and not geuen, when the subiect doth his duetie in obedience, so seuerely enioyned hym by Gods worde.

Notwithstandyng (you say) that a wyse shipper in say­lyng, wyll not come nygh rockes and flattes yf he may, but take sea rowme ynough. In deede the wyse shipmen of our Churche haue spyed the rockes of false doctrine, superstition, and errour, wherevpon many haue ben cast away, and to a­uoyde them haue taken rowme ynough in the scriptures of God. For outwarde apparell of them selues, are not suche [Page] rockes and flattes (as you do phantasie): neyther euer harde you any of Christes seruauntes to be in daunger of perishing iustly by them, as they be now appoynted. Yea, you may be­holde many a godly passenger vnder these orders, saylyng with a straight course towarde that heauenly Hauen, wher­vnto he trusteth safely to arriue. Al these men in this ship of Christ, takyng example by the politike gouernour S. Paul, crye out aloude and say: Non omnia papistica edificant: All popery doth not edifie, and are marueylous circumspect and carefull, lest any of Christes deare flocke should be offended.

As for the place alleaged by you, where S. Paule for­byddeth ii. Cor. [...] ▪ Cōmunion with the Gentyles in their idolatricall worshyppyng: yf you had applyed it, you shoulde haue per­ceyued no sequele therof. For (thankes be to God) we dwell not among the Babilonians and Chaldies, we haue in our Church no publique worshyppyng of Idolles, no Heathe­nishe or idolatrical sacrifice, as were in some place of the citie of Corinth, whose societie & contagion we ought to auoyde. And yf there be in a Church where Christes Gospel is pure­ly preached and his sacraments rightly ministred, some euyl among the good, as in one net diuers sortes of fishes, in one fielde wheate and tares, in one barne corne and chaffe: yet the good are not sayde to communicate or be defyled of the badde, as long as they consent not to theyr wickednes, but depart from among them, not by corporall separation, but Con. don. post collatt. cap. 5. &c. by dissimilitude of life and diuersitie of maners, though they both vse the same temple, the same table, the same sacra­mentes, as S. Augustine setteth out at large. It is one thyng to flee from communicatyng with open professed ido­latrie, theyr prophanes rites and deuylyshe orders, though in hart we worshyp God: and another, ryghtly to vse rites and fassions abused, all the abuses beyng clearely condemp­ned. Of the one we haue an expresse commaundement in Scripture: the other our auncient fathers haue practised be­fore you, and Gods holy worde hath not forbydden it.

4 The fourth foundation or grounde that you lay is: That [Page] you must needes cast away and forsake all those thynges as haue ben brought into the Church besides or contrary to the Scripture. This platte you enlarge with a dosen seuerall sentences, all which paynes you myght well haue saued, yf you had not mynded to haue ben bytyng and snappyng by the way at your superiours.

This trueth all faythful Christians confirme with you: That concernyng fayth and doctrine, concernyng remission of sinnes, and eternall saluation, nothing ought to be taught or receyued, which is contrary or not grounded in the Cano­nicall Scriptures. For holy writ geuen by the inspiration of God, is not only a lyght to our feete, as Dauid sayth: but Psal. cxix. also so profitable, that thereby the man of God maye be ab­solute, beyng made perfecte vnto all good workes, as Saint Paule testifieth. ii. Tim. iii.

And though this be most true, touchyng the substaunce of Christian religion: yet the maner and order of settyng of it foorth, is not particularly expressed, but generally left to the disposition of Christes Churche from tyme to tyme, accordyng to those wordes of Saint Paule: *Let all i. Cor. xiiii. thynges be done comely and orderly. Wherein whatsoeuer shalbe lawfully done to those purposes, is not to be iudged besydes the Scriptures. As for example. Fastyng is commaunded in Gods worde: But what dayes we shoulde Aug. Ep. 86 fast, or what dayes we shoulde not, beyng not there deter­mined, yf the Christian Churche decree, it is not besydes the Scripture. The ministryng of Baptisme, & the Lordes supper is commaunded in Gods worde: But what dayes, what tymes, what places, in what companye, with what prayers before and after, yf the Christian Churche decree, it is not besides the Scriptures. And accordyng to this Saint Augustine wryteth, touchyng the receyuyng of the Sacra­ment of the body & bloud of Christ fastyng in the mornyng: Saluator ideo non praecepit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur, vt Apostolis Epist. n8. per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat, seruaret hunc locum: Our Sa­uiour therfore hath not cōmaunded in what order (the Sa­crament) [Page] shoulde be afterwarde receyued, because he myght reserue this place to his Apostles, by whom he woulde order the Churches. Thus also the preachyng of the Gospell is commaunded in Gods worde: but howe to do this office in Pulpit or otherwayes, in mornyng or after noone, and so forth, yf the Christian Churche decree, it is not besides the Scripture. The lyke may be sayde concernyng lawes po­litike of Princes, affayres and trafficke betwixt man & man, whose groundes and rules are in Gods worde: and yet the particular circumstaunces in practising them being diuers in sundry Countreys, accordyng to the iudgement of magi­strates, are not besides Scriptures, when al those diuersities haue Gods worde for theyr generall rule and ende.

And blessed be God, our tymes are here suche, that no Deut. [...]. man in our Churches presumeth to adde to Gods word, as acknowledgyng the perfitnes therof to our saluation: And that our gouernours in the feare of God, eschewe Saules i. Ro. xv. disobedience: and by ryghteous clemencie flee the tyrannye of Reboam: and through the direction of Gods spirite, walke zelously in the pathes of godly Ezechias, in all those thinges whiche they fynde wrytten in the booke of Gods lawe, to ap­pertayne to his true seruice and worship, not so much weyh­ing the displeasures of worldly potentates, as the curses that the most mightie God powreth vpon all suche as truely and sincerely regarde not his religion and glory.

And blessed be the name of the Lorde for euer, that hath stirred vp such Bishops and preachers among vs, whiche neyther haue nor do flatter Princes, to set vp theyr pleasures aboue the wyll and commaundement of God, though some surmise the contrary: As Audiam, certayne sectaries layde to the Fathers charge of Nicaene counsell, that they tooke an Epiph. li 3. To. pri. order in the troublesome dissention for keping Easter day, to please and flatter Constantine the Emperour, whereas they dyd it vpon inst consideration, and to auoyde scisine.

Surely the examples whiche you bryng in, of wycked Kinges and false Prophetes, myght haue well at this tyme, [Page] in this cause ben pretermitted, as whiche concerne matters expressely forbydden or commaunded by God, but that you woulde intimate to some not well stayed, that the Prince in these thinges suffereth them contrary to Gods word and her lawfull aucthoritie: whiche (thankes be to our heauenly fa­ther for his aboundaunt blessynges most rychly powred vp­pon her) is altogether otherwayes, or that all preachers and subiectes obeyng so orderly demaundes, are but false Pro­phetes and flatterers. This is very sore iudgement, to con­demne all your brethren for manpleasers, that obey their su­preme gouernour vnder god in matters indifferent: of whom (as you knowe) a great number, when flatterye was muche more gaynefull, refused to do it, with no small daunger.

And if you marke your note well: Flatterie hath not ben Epi. general alwayes the sure marke of false teachers. For you shall reade S. Jude foretell of some that should despyse them that were in aucthoritie: You shall reade of the Donatistes, Rogatians, Circumcellions, and Papists, that are rather disobedient to Aug. Epi. 48. iust and good lawes of Princes, for that (as they say) they see not in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles any suche example.

Nowe for the maner and condition of true Prophetes, Ezec. xiii. whiche (you assure vs) is, to aduouche alwayes: Haec dicit dominus, Thus sayeth the Lorde: It is maruayle you re­membred not, in what thynges that was then necessary, and wherein it is required nowe. Truely you are not so vnskil­full, but that you knowe sundry seuerall thinges to be left to their iudgement, who may for the more handsome feeding of Christes sheepe, and not for their owne purse, belly, or kit­chin, i Cor. xi. say with S. Paule: * Other thynges when I come, I wyll set in an order. Al rites and fassions which euery na­tion beleuing may stablishe and vse, are not distinctly rehear­sed in Scripture, that the minister may say of euery one of them: Thus sayeth the Lorde. It is sufficient in suche thin­ges, yf they truely serue to [...], that is, seemly order, to retayne the which, the Church hath power to abrogate olde, [Page] and make newe lawes. Wherein (sayeth Doctour Peter Martir) these conditions must be obserued: ‡ In epi. [...]. [...] et. cap. [...]. Fyrst that they be not contrary to Gods word: Then, that iustifitation and remission of sinnes be not sought for in them: Thyrdly, that the multitude ouerwhelme not the Churche: Fourthly, that they be not decreed as necessary and not to be changed: Last of all, that they be not so vrged, as yf he sinned dampnablye that sometyme omitteth them without offence or contempt. Suche lawes then albeit they be not in playne termes and wordes mentioned in the scripture, yet hauing these proper­ties, they are not to be reiected, as yf they were by no maner of meanes in the worde of God.

It is a pitifull case to see howe you trouble your selues in comparing Chryst preaching the wyll of his father, and the Phariseys teachyng theyr owne traditions: as yf any man inforceth nowe mans lawe, as part of Gods diuine seruice: or as if these orders vppon necessitie of saluation must be re­ceyued, and Gods blessed worde froden vnder foote. Yet S. Ad cass [...]. Augustine is this bolde, touchyng the obseruation of profita­table rites in Christes Churche, that he thynketh the con­temptuous breaker of Ecclesiasticall orders, to be corrected as transgressours of Gods lawes.

The Apostles (you say) preached not the dreames of their Act. x▪ owne heades: and yet for all that, they made orders for the Churche, whiche continued theyr tymes and season, whereof i. Cor. xi. xiiii. we reade not theyr particuler commission. True it is (as you report) that S. Paule willed not men to followe his de­uises, neyther preached he hym selfe at any tyme. What then? Did he not appoynt temperall rites in the Churche, which he had not Verbatim expressely at his masters hands, Eph. lib. 3. To. pri. and whiche nowe ceasse and are not in vse? The lyke is said of suche doynges of the other Apostles, whose constitutions were altered after theyr death.

You conclude thus: Because these thynges haue no com­maundement nor grounde in Gods worde, therefore you re­fuse them.

[Page]Fyrst speciall commaundement needeth not in this part of Ecclesiasticall discipline. Then edification, order, decencie, aucthoritie of supreme magistrates haue grounde sufficient in the newe Testament and olde. Last of al, you should haue proued that they had no grounde in Scriptures: But that thyng you neuer once touched, but ranne a rouyng vpon the Maior, to bleare the simple Christians eyes, as yf you had sayd much of the matter, when you neuer came towarde it.

Passyng from this fourth reason, you frame an obiection vnto your selues, as it liketh your selues, and aunswere vnto it as you lyste. Your obiection is: That the Prince com­maunding a thing indifferent (and profitable for the state of the Churche may be added) must be obayed. Wherevpon (you say) it must folowe, you disobeyng therein, must both your selues offende, and be a stumblyng blocke for others.

In aunswere herevnto, howe sclenderly you excuse your selues and auoyde blame, howe daungerously you passe ouer other matters, it had not ben greatly amisse to haue quietly left, but that this place as well as others, would haue some­thyng spoken of it.

The aucthoritie (you affirme) of a Prince in these thinges indifferent, is to commaunde theyr good vse, and forbyd the contrary. Upon which your resolution, a man may reason with you thus. The good vse of indifferent thinges, is gods commaundement, whiche a Prince must execute: But this may be a good vse of these orders now taken, as the contrary is not proued by you, & so consequently the magistrate may call vpon the execution of the same. Touching the Minor, this much we haue of your graunt, that a time may be, when these thinges in Christes Churche may haue their good vse: But whether that tyme be nowe or nay, there are preiudices agaynst you of the like tyme heretofore, of the whole parlia­mēt, of the Clergie, of the most part of protestants, & papistes.

As for that power whiche (you expounde) God hath ge­uen to Princes, whether it contayne all their aucthoritie and iurisdiction, as you rehearse it, it shall not be narrowly scan­ned [Page] at this tyme. Neyther (thankes be geuen to God) doth the Prince of pleasure, but for further commoditie of her sub­iectes, require this subiection of yours, which howe lawfully you withdrawe, God knoweth and will iudge. Ueryly this 1. Cor. iiii. your declaration in that day, will not be your defence, when the Lorde shall lyghten thynges that are hyd in darkenes, and make the counsell of the hartes manyfest. Also we all nkowe, or ought to knowe, in what cases we shoulde put in vse that saying of S. Peter: * We ought more to obey God then man. And therefore we sticke not in these thynges to shewe gratefull hartes, as of those men, who acknowledge them selues by the meanes of suche a Prince, deliuered out of those miserable cases. We are affrayde to stryue conten­tiouslye about the varietie of kynge Salomons wyues garment (thinges outwarde) lest we should hurt her inward Ad cass beautie: as S. Augustine thynketh to become seruauntes of the Churche, a Queene so pearelesse.

The bondes and limittes whiche you appoynt for true obedience of subiectes to theyr princes, are very narrowe & daungerous. For oftentymes the Subiect ought to obey in thynges not forbydden by God, and commaunded by lawe, though he do not playnly perceyue eyther for what good end they are required, or to what ende they wyll come: as dayly experience in common wealthes do shewe. But (belyke) you wyll haue euery man to vnderstande as much as the Prince and councell knoweth and intendeth: or els you wyll set the subiect at his choyse.

Moreouer, here is perylous auctoritie graunted to euery subiect, to determine vpon the Princes lawes, proclamati­ons and ordinaunces, that when they shall see them (many tymes otherwayes then they are in deede) vnprofitable, then shall they, nay they must not do and accompyshe the same. If you restrayne this to matters Ecclesiasticall, you helpe your selues neuer awhyt: For euery Minister there hath not full power to make and abrogate Ecclesiasticall lawes, nor yet knowledge well to iudge of them.

[Page]This is therfore scarse to geue example of true obedience to God and man. For in not obeying man in such thynges indifferent, whose vse you can not shew nowe to be wicked, you obey not God, whose minister man is. But I omit here longer to resite your wrytyng in this poynt, for good consi­derations: Which I thynke, your selfe better aduised here­after, wyll expende.

The fyfth and last reason generall, that moueth you vt­terly to refuse the receyuyng of apparell yet continued and declared, is the consideration of Christian libertie, whiche thereby (you thynke) shoulde be manifestly infrynged, and so forth. And here you triumphe in your textes: how Christ hath delyuered vs from the bondages of ceremonies and law.

As touchyng Christian libertie, the faythfull man must knowe, that it is altogether spirituall, and parteyneth only to the conscience, whiche must be pacified concernyng the lawe of God, and nexte well stayed in thynges indifferent. This libertie consisteth herein, not to be holden & tyed with any religion in externall things: but that it may be lawfull before God to vse them or omit them, as occasion shall serue. This perswasion a godly man must alwayes retaine & kepe safe in his mynde: but when he commeth to the vse & action of them, then must he moderate and qualifie his libertie, ac­cordyng to charitie towarde his neyghbour, and obedience to his Prince. So though by this knowledge his mynde and conscience is alwayes free: yet his doyng is as it were tyed or limitted by lawe or loue. Herevpon a well learned man Calu. saith: ‡ It is sufficient in Christian libertie to vnderstand, that before God it is no matter, what meates, or what clo­thes thou vse, though in thy whole lyfe thou neuer eat flesh, and though alwayes after thou vse in apparell one colour, P. Mar. and fassion. So hath another: Quo ad sensum et doctrinam, semper profitendū, adiaphora esse libera, non quo ad usur­pationem: A Christian man must alwayes professe, that in­different thynges, as muche as appertayneth to vnderstan­dyng and doctrine, are free, and not touchyng theyr vse. [Page] Nowe then forasmuch as these garmentes are among thyn­ges indifferent, we may easylye knowe how they are free as parteynyng to our conscience, and yet notwithstandyng we may be obedient to lawes without impairyng of Chri­stian libertie. But to the weyghyng of your reasons.

Fyrst, the Lorde God be praysed, the religion of Chryst standeth in no such daunger as you beare men in hande it doth, by puttyng men in mynde to trye those constitutions, that the wyse men of the whole Realme haue well hoped, wyll serue to some good purpose in this congregation of Chryst.

Then, no wyttye or Godly man can iustly iudge our re­ligion to be but Prynces pleasures, yf Prynces through great deliberation make lawes for the Church, & call vppon the practize of the same. You are not ignoraunt what this smelleth of, that is, either of Donatistrie or Papistrie: which sectes thynke alwayes the true catholiques to geue to much to Princes and Magistrates, when as by Gods worde they acknowledge them to be supreme gouernours, not onlye to see lawes, framed by the Cleargie, put in vse: but to disanul the naughtie, and to decree good and godly.

Thirdlye, he hath traueyled but simplie in Scripture, who reasoneth from the abolyshyng of Moyses ceremonies, to the pluckyng of all good orders out of the Churche. For though Chryst, beyng the body of all those shadowes, hath fulfylled them, so that we neede not to feare the curse pro­nounced vpon all them that do not abyde in all thinges that were written in the lawe: yet we are not forbydden to vse some one of them yf it myght edifie the Churche of Chryst. And yf they be by all wayes forbydden: yet no learned man wyll gather that no decent fassyons are needefull in the Churche.

Last of all, who seeth not that these few orders, now to be obserued, are not inioyned as figures or shadowes of any thyng to come: but as some meanes (yf it myght be for a tyme) to set forwarde the buyldyng of God.

[Page]The ende of these groundes is this: That you fearyng these garmentes shoulde be thought necessary, you vtterlye refuse to admit them. This opinion of necessitie (which you phantasie) neyther was annexed to these at the begynnyng, neyther any wyse or learned man in this Church mayntey­neth it, neyther is it nowe by any meanes confirmed: but playnely the contrary is protested, taught, and done.

Howe vnnecessarie soeuer you woulde make men be­leue Of outward apparell. that vniformitie in outwarde apparell among Ecclesi­asticall ministers were, as by the whiche you woulde proue they can not be knowen: yet you can not be ignoraunt, but that suche thynges were vnder Ecclesiastical discipline: Wherof (euen touchyng apparell and ornamentes) Ciprian folowing his maister Tertullian saith, after great commen­dation therof: Hanc sectari salubre est, et auersari ac negli­gere laethale. To folowe this discipline, it is a healthsome thyng: but to turne from it and neglect it, is as daungerous as death. In this tyme Tertullian sharpely reprehended a Tert. de vir. vela. Byshop that suffered a wydowe to syt without a vayle in the Church among other wydowes. Eusalius also a Bishop dyd cast Eustathius a Priest out of the Churche, because he vsed an apparell: Qui sacerdotem non deceret, whiche was Niceph. li. 9 cap. 45. To. pr. con. Syn. Gang. not comely for a Priest to weare: The whiche Eustathius afterwarde was condempned of the councell in Gangra, for doyng manye thynges otherwayes then the order of the Church was, and for alteryng his apparell. I leaue here to rehearse the seuenth general councell, with the decrees of sundry good Byshoppes, that haue taken order for theyr Cleargies apparell, because this thyng only is intended at this tyme, to shewe howe litle the examples brought by you, conclude that thyng which you woulde.

Saul (you say) dyd aske Samuell where was the Seers house, when as Samuell himselfe was the Seer or Prophet. i. Reg. ix. As yf Samuell myght not haue on hym the Apparell of a Leuite, though Saule thereby dyd not knowe hym to be a Prophete. If God stirred vp a Prophete among the Leuites, [Page] as Samuell was: we reade not therefore that he altered his apparell. This seemeth rather against you thus: That Sa­muell though a singuler Leuite, yet in the number of them that went alyke, was not knowen to haue that gyft he had.

Touchyng Elias, whom Ochozias seruauntes meetyng [...] knewe not to be Elias the prophete: It maketh nothyng a­gaynst this, but that the Leuites myght haue and vse a di­stinct apparell: Yea it appeareth rather that Ochozias the kyng dyd knowe hym, hearyng the description of his appa­rell by his seruauntes. And what a kynde of reasonyng is this: Straunge seruyngmen dyd not know Elias to be E­lias when they met hym: Ergo he was not apparelled as o­ther Ministers: Dr Ergo his apparell helped not to make hym knowen? Garmentes make not the person knowen by name, but his common function, not his particuler and spe­ciall gyft.

What nede you to bryng in S. John Baptist, who as Math [...] he was singulerly called to prepare the way of the Lorde, so had he his meate, dyet, and garmentes singuler? This is wonderfull shyft, to seke out extraordinary persons, & leaue the ordinarie state of Gods ministers: to searche what was done in troublesome tymes of the Churche, and leaue the peaceable gouernement of the same: to alleage what a pro­phete beyng persecuted dyd weare, and so necessaryly inferre what we may do in quietnes and peace. But from S. John Baptist doynges, one myght, as your common kynde of rea­sonyng is, reason against that you defend thus. Saint John wyllyng the Pharyseys to repent, neuer mentioned the ca­styng away of theyr supersticious apparell, Ergo abused ap­parell may be reteyned styll.

But Peters example (you suppose) helpeth your matter Math. xx [...] muche, who was knowen in the hygh Priestes hall by his tongue, and not by his coate. Neyther dyd Peter preache after the ryngyng of a bell: neyther sayde any seruice ap­poynted: neyther made sermon in Churche or pulpyt: and yet for all that, you and godly men wyll thus do. Truelye [Page] there was then no lawe of any godlye Magistrate to induce Peter thervnto. If it had ben so wayghtie a poynt of religi­on to differ from false Christians in outwarde apparell (to the which ende all your force is bent) it is marueylous that we haue no such example in the Apostolyke Churche.

Here next are brought in of you two women, lyuyng so­litaryly in a kynde of banyshement, to confirme what the Hie. Epi. publique state of the Cleargie eyther myght or dyd weare. Hierome (you say) dyd councell Eustochiū a virgin to weare apparell, Nulla diuersitate notabilis, notable by no diuersitie. Myght not this virgin notwithstandyng weare the attyre proper for virgins, though she dyd not differ notably from all other virgins? If this Eustochium were a mayde that Tert. de vel virg. Amb. de virg. publiquely in the presence of the Church toke vppon her to kepe her virginitie (as diuers then were perswaded to do) then had she the vayle: But yf she for to auoyde the conti­nuall troubles of those tymes, mynded to lyue sole, and in a solitarie place, she myght weare as best lyked her herselfe.

The lyke may be aunswered of Marcella and those wor­thy queers of Munkes syngyng in theyr owne language at Hierusalem in those wretched dayes: of whom there was Aug. Epist. 76. none a minister in the Church of Christe, as farre as can be gathered. For Munkes in those dayes were none of the Cleargie: And yet in some places Collegiate Munkes had Can. 4. li. 2. To. pri. Haer. [...]3. their habite, as appeareth in the councell of Chaldedon, and in Epiphanius.

Nowe foloweth somewhat that seemeth to touche the Cleargie, that is: That the Cleargie of Rauenna (as you re­port) wrytte to Carolus Caluus, that they shoulde not differ from the people in apparell, but doctrine. &c.

Fyrst (yf you wyll) let these wordes be referred to the first auctour therof, that is, to Celestinus Byshop of Rome, as you partly graunt, and then consider howe they further your purpose.

Celestinus, about the yere of our Lorde. 430. writte to to the Bishops of Fraunce, against certaine that brought in [Page] vpon superstition, Nouitatem vestium contra morem Ec­clesiasticum, Newe kynde of apparell, contrary to the Ec­clesiasticall maner, folowyng the outwarde letter of the Scripture, that is, they woulde be: Amicti pallio, et lum­bos praecincti: Couered with a cloke, and gyrte about their loynes. Which thynges because you spyed there, you lefte To. [...] C [...]. 2. out these wordes betwixte your two sentences alleaged: Nam si studere incipiamus nouitati, traditum nobis a patri­bus ordinem calcabimus, vt locum superuacuis superstitio­nibus faciamus: For yf we begyn to studye vppon noueltie, we shall treade vnder foote the order deliuered vnto vs from our fathers, and so make rowme for superfluous superstiti­ons. Nowe yf you wyll set together all these circumstaun­ces, you shall perceyue all to make agaynst you.

Fyrst, Celestinus meanyng is of them that would serue God rather in garmentes then with puritie of hart. Then he speaketh agaynst those that commyng out of the Laitie, wyll vse styll lay apparell. Last of all, against those that seke innouations in suche matters, contrarye to long prescribed vsage and order. Reade his wordes in his Epistle, and you shall not denie this.

If it please you to vrge the wordes, that we are to be dis­cerned from the people not by apparell, but by doctrine, you wyll remember that here is such a comparison as this: Non misit me Christus baptizare, sed Euangelizare: Christ hath 1. Cor. i. not sent me to baptise, but to preache the Gospell: and yet Paule baptised. So they myght be seperate from the people by apparell: but chiefely it woulde be done by doctrine and puritie of lyfe.

Why you fled to father these wordes vpon Celestinus, but rather to haue them appeare to be the Cleargies of Rauen­na, which was. 400. yeres after Celestinus was dead: some may thinke that you feared to put men in mynde, that order in outwarde apparell was so auncient: or that you woulde haue no helpe at the Popes hande: or that you well knowe that the place made altogether agaynst you.

[Page]After this you bring in a patch of Gratians decrees. Caus. 21. q. 4▪ Caus. 21. quest. 4. that godlye men in olde tyme went in base and vyle apparell. This is a Non sequitur. But see what smal helpe you haue at Gratians handes.

Fyrste, all that tract is agaynst the gorgeous, costlye, & lyght apparell of the Cleargie, which all godly men deteste in all kynde of apparell.

Then, the place you recite, is referred to the Prophetes tymes, and thereabout, as appeareth in Basill.

Thirdly, there is this decree of the. 7. counc. Nullus eorū C [...]n. 27. qui. &c. Let none of them that are numbred among the Cleargie haue any vnseemly apparell, whether he lyue in the citie, or walke on his iourney: But let hym vse the stoles or syde garmentes whiche are graunted to Clarkes. You may reade there also the decrees of Zacharias and Leo, very auncient Byshoppes of Rome, that none of the Clear­gie shoulde weare the apparell of laye men.

Last of all, howe farre Basilius Magnus was from your mynde in this matter, though you alleage his name here, it appeareth in many places of his workes, but specially in the aunswere to the. 22. Interrogatorie of the longer rules, Basil. To. 2. where after discourse, he hath these wordes: Ex quo quidem illud continget▪ &c. Whervpon this shall come to passe, that we shall haue a common fashion among vs all in our appa­rell, and that therby the Christian may haue a singuler and peculier lesson. Yea a litle after he saith, that it shalbe to them, Veluti pedagogi disciplina, as the discipline of a scool­master, to withdraw men frō some of theyr wicked dedes.

Thus then, neyther Samuel, nor Elias, neither Iohn, nor Peter, neither Hierome, Celestine, nor Basil, make anye whyt at all agaynst vniformitie of outward apparell in Ec­clesiasticall persons, howesoeuer you do abuse theyr auctori­ties: but rather stablyshe and confirme the same.

Before aunswere be made to the foure thinges that moue Of ministryng apparell. you agaynst the ministring apparell, the reader maye be ad­monished to beholde what rehearsall you make of superflu­ous [Page] apparell, and other superstitious thinges, whiche ought not at this tyme to be in any question, for that vppon iuste groundes, god by his magistrate hath deliuered vs frō them.

Fyrst of all then you iudge, that because these two thyn­ges that remayne, come from the Jewes & Gentyles (which yet you do not fully proue) they ought vtterly to be refused. De vn [...] bapt. [...]. cap 9.

And yet for all that S. Augustines saying is in these thinges true: Regula verissima et inuiolabilis veritatis osten­dit. &c. The most true and inuiolable rule of trueth, doth shewe, that in all men (meanyng of heretikes) that thyng is to be improued and amended, which is false and vitious, that is to be acknowledged & receyued, whiche is true and right.

But let vs weye this reason further, that woulde per­swade vs to vse nothing, that was inuented by wycked and vnbeleuyng aucthours. You your selues say out of Polidor (we knowe) that God toke from the Egiptians linnen ve­stures, abused of them, and appointed the same for his owne seruice: and we vnderstande, that the Church of Chryst be­fore the tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome, dyd chose certayne rites and orders from the Jewes, whervpon it may be truly thought, that it is no great matter from whom that thyng fyrst commeth, that serueth to godly vse. Moyses appoynted tentes, though Hercules had his tithes. Christ appoynted his memoriall to be kept in bread & wine, though bread was offe­red Ter. de p [...] aduer. Her Ter. de Idol before to Mithra. Who brought in mariages to be cele­brate in Churches? a Bishop of Rome. Who vsed the ring fyrst in weddyng? the Heathen. Whence are tythes taken vp till this day? from the Jewes. Whence were Seniours in the primitiue Churche and yet still? from the Jewes. Ea­ster Aug. epi. 113 day and Whitsuntide, generall counselles toke from the Jewes. Besides Sundayes, our fathers feared not to decree Hie. in Gal. cap. 4. Eus. li. 5. ca. 18. eccl. hist. 1. Cor. xi. certayne Holydayes, though the Gentyles had their solem­nities. Tymes of fastinges are appoynted, though Martian the Heritike made lawes therof. But what neede long sear­ching in this matter, when Saint Paule institute a feast in Christian Churches about the Communion tyme, though [Page] the Gentiles there away had their [...] common ban­kettes in theyr ydoles temples. And the Gowne that you your selues would so gladly minister in, seemeth to come ey­ther from Turkes or Papistes. It is like the age was neuer before this, that men made them selues scrupulous, whence that thyng was taken, whiche myght serue in common wealth or Churche, to some profitable ende.

Well, be it as Polidore, Glossa ord. and Hierome saieth, that the Egiptians vsed linnen clothes: yet Hierome findeth no fault with all the Cleargie of his tyme, who al vsed such white apparell, as appeareth in the confutation of the Pela­gians, who layde to his charge, and other, theyr apparel & or­namentes, as contrary to God. Quae sunt rogo inimicitiae Lib. pri. aduer. pelag contra deum, si tunicam habuero mundiorē: Si episcopus, presbiter, et diaconus, et reliquus ordo ecclesiasticus in admi­nistratione sacrificiorum candida veste processerint, &c. What enmitie (I pray you) is this against God: yf I haue a more cleane coate: yf the Byshop, Priest, and Deacon, and the rest of the Ecclesiasticall order, at the administra­tion of sacrifice, go in white apparell? It appeareth Saint Hierome chargeth them as Pelagians, who speake agaynst white garmentes in the Churche. Neyther were these ve­stures in pryce only in the occidental Church: but also in the orientall Churche, as Chrisostome sheweth playnely in a Hom. 60. Sermon to the people of Antioche, wyllyng the Priestes to take diligent care to whom they dyd minister the Sacra­ment of Christes body and bloud, saying: Hoc vestra digni­tas est. &c. This is your worship, this is your safetie, this is your crowne: and not because ye go rounde about in the An. do. 400. Church, in a white and a shining garment. So then in those fathers dayes, men dyd not cauill agaynst theyr whyte ve­stures in the Churche, because they were fetched from the Heathens or Jewes.

Here one thyng must not be omitted that S. Hierome in Ezec. xliiii. the same place where he speaketh of the Egiptians lynnen clothes, hath also these wordes: Porro religio diuina alterum [Page] habitū habet in ministerio, alterum in vsu vitaque communit The religion of god hath one habite in the ministration, and another in common vse and lyfe.

As for Platinas Albe, it is not here to be spoken of: ney­ther do men take for lawes, whatsoeuer Durandus wry­teth, though yet out of his wordes no such necessitie nede to be gathered, as you would haue to folowe.

Besides this, it is not thought reason sufficient, to de­test the Surplesse or other apparell, because they may serue also for some signification. For the apparell of Christian men woulde be suche, as it myght speake, or as it were preache some part of godlynes to them selues and others. So it seemeth S. Peter woulde haue women to order theyr at­tyre. i. Pet. iii. So Tertullian saieth: Ipse habitus sonat: The habite De pallio. De cultu foem. it selfe geueth a lesson. So in another place: Cur mores me­os habitus non pronuntiat? Why doth not the apparel shew forth my maners? So S. Hierome sayeth: Tanta debet esse. &c. Such knowledge & learning should be in the Priest Ad fab. of God, that his goyng, mouyng, and all thinges, should by some signification, speake. He ought to conceyue the trueth in his mynde, and to sounde out the same in his habite and apparell, that whatsoeuer he doth, whatsoeuer he speaketh, it myght be doctrine to the people. To this purpose hath Cle­mens Lib. 2. pa [...] cap. 10. mart Iulit. Alexand. and Basill spoken: but it shall not be nede­full nowe to rehearse their testimonies, when as by these we may perceyue that vestures may haue their good significati­ons: and yet are we not bounde to beleue euery fonde mea­nyng, as suche ydle brayned Durandes do bryng or collect.

Wherfore if you would haue waighed, what god, Christ, S. Paule, and many godly men haue done in thynges in­uented by Panims and misbeleuers: you woulde not for the fyrst aucthours refuse a commoditie, but vse to Gods glory that, whiche others abused to his dishonour, saying to them as Tertullian said to Palliū, a vesture of ydolatours: Gaude pallium, quia melior de philosophia dignata est, ex quo Chri­stianum vestire caepisti: Reioyce O Pallium, that a better De pallio▪ [Page] kynde of philosophie hath vouchsafed to receyue thee, since thou hast begon to clothe a Christian.

The next let that stoppeth you from wearyng these gar­mentes, 2 is, that they haue ben abused to Sorcerie, Coniu­ring, and Idolatry: and yet when a man hath perused that whiche you haue vttered in many wordes, there is no more sayde agaynst any apparell nowe remaynyng, then that the Surplesse serued to make holywater, without the whiche (you say) no cyrcle coulde be kept. These be but silly sleightes to dasell the eyes of the weake, on this maner, to make so huge a crye in so small a matter.

Yf a papist had you in handelyng (whose wyckednes is shameful, and religion most vnpure) he would byd you loke ouer your booke better, when you say holywater cannot be made without a Surplesse. Well, admit the Surplesse was vsed not only to make holywater, but also some time to coniuryng: must it therfore neuer serue to good vse againe? Shall we make this lawe vpon your head, that such thinges as haue once serued to wycked purposes, can neuer be set vp in good place agayne? What and yf men coniure in theyr vsuall apparell? What if men coniure with the robes, scep­ter, and crowne of Princes? What yf men coniure in the name of the Lorde, or other Princes names? Shall we of necessitie throwe away all these thynges, as polluted with seruice of the deuill? Howsoeuer you woulde make a purga­tion of these thynges, surely wyse men both hath and can turne that to serue the glory of God, whiche once serued to bad vses.

It is a notable saying of S. Augustine, touchyng the maner of the Citie of God in the apparell and diet of them that are made citizens thereof, that it chaungeth nothyng: De ciui▪ dei. [...] 9▪ ca. 19. Si non est contra diuina praecepta: yf it be not contrary to Gods commaundementes: Vnde ipsos quoque philoso­phos, quando Christiani fiunt, non habitum vel consuetudi­nem victus, quae nihil impedit religionem, sed falsa dogmata mutare compellit: Wherevpon it compelleth not the Philo­sophers [Page] when they are made Christians, to chaunge theyr apparell and dyet, which hynder not religion: but their false opinions. This was the practise of the Churche of God, which nowe (belyke) you woulde turne vpsyde downe: and yet a halowed and christened bell you can well beare to ring to a Sermon: you can be content Dirige money be conuer­ted to preachynges: solemasse priestes be made good prea­chers: you woulde not be displeased yf Monasteries to be plucked downe, were conuerted to good vses. If you loke on your Churches and Pulpyttes, you shall fynde that they were horribly abused. Be not therefore herein to rashe, in vtterly condemnyng those thynges, which wicked men fra­med for a tyme to theyr phantasie.

But sorcerers and coniurers (you say) for theyr instru­mentes must needes haue helpe of these thinges. You make men marueyle howe they coniured before Chryste came: i. Re. xxv [...] whence the woman that raysed vp Samuell had her instru­mentes consecrate: howe Simon Magus in the Apostles Act. viii. tymes wrought all his wonders: and what Priest made ho­lywater for the sonne of Sceua the Jewe: and howe nowe Act. xix. among the Painims and Turkes men are able to worke theyr feates, though none be there in Surplesses to helpe for­warde theyr worke. You shall fynde it therefore otherwyse then you say, that coniuryng and sorcerie wyll continue but to well without these garmentes.

There is a thirde thyng that stirreth you to refuse this 3 apparell: and that is, the opinion whiche men had and haue styll (as you do thinke with your selues) of these garmentes.

Whether the blynde papiste, the weake papiste, and sim­ple Ghospeller (as you tearme them) haue these opinions nowe aduouched, it is rather phanta [...]ed of some, then be­leued of the best part. Peraduenture you shewe what you haue taught them to suppose of these matters, and therfore trustyng that they haue learned theyr lesson, you conclude thus of euery one of theyr myndes. And if it were so, that they had such estimation of these garmentes, you harde out [Page] of S. Augustine the maner of Christes Church to be, to re­fourme theyr false opinion by holsome and sounde doctrine. For there is no maner of order that men can take, wherein some may not haue a fonde opinion: As the Phariseys had D. Bucer. in washyng theyr handes, in theyr apparell, and yet the thynges are not taken away by the Gospell: As also nowe some haue in fastyng dayes, the Sundayes, fysshe dayes, almes gathered for the poore, in Sermons at buryals, and such others: and yet it is not thought expedient, that suche thynges out of hande shoulde be altered.

Concernyng Doctour Bucers iudgement in this mat­ter M [...]rk. vii. of garments, you fyrst alleage a saying of his: but when, to whom, where, and of what particuler apparell, you de­clare not. In deede this good father, in the begynnyng of his letter to Byshop Hooper hath, that he woulde haue ben at some great coste, so that this controuersie eyther had ne­uer ben moued, or very speedyly repressed and extinct. And in fewe lines after, he wisheth to beare some hard penaunce in his body, so that they were orderly put away (not by pri­uate auctoritie) in respect of the abuse: of the abuse (I saye) which he sawe had so great strength then in many places of Englande.

But you (peraduenture) fearyng leste this his saying were not so strong vpon your part as you wyshed, you far­ther say, that he wylleth in suche case as yeare nowe, in no wyse to receyue them. Wherevnto you cite his exposition vpon the. xviii. Chapter of Saint Mathew.

This place yf you would haue indifferently rehearsed, you should haue opened to the worlde, that his mynde was, that some ceremonies abused, might be styl retained. His wordes are these, in the begynning almost of that his exposition:

Fateor equidem, [...]t ab Antichristis inuectum sit. &c. In cap. 18. Math. Though whatsoeuer thing is decreed, contrary to the liber­tie of externe matters, it hath ben brought in by Antichristes, as the difference of persons, meates, dayes, places, and very many moe: yet because commonly men were perswaded [Page] that all those thynges were the commaundementes of the Churche directed by the spirite of God, so receyued all those thynges as comming from the wyll of God: I acknowledge in deede, that reason it is, we vse circumspectly euen now the libertie obtayned by Christ, and with Paule sometyme cir­cumcise Timothy, that is, that we vse well some ceremo­nies, whiche others abused, takyng occasion thereby to teach Christ purely, although by no meanes these inuentions of man can be compared with circumcision, or the lyke ordi­naunces of God. Thus farre Doctour Bucer.

In this sentence though many thinges may be noted: as that the false opinion of men dyd not perswade hym to caste all these thinges away: as that these thinges were not to be refused, because they were the deuises of man: as that occa­sion myght hereby be taken to preache Chryst purely, and suche other: yet it shall suffise to put you in mynde, that he thynketh godly men may well vse some rites whiche were abused before tyme. So that if you take one peece of his ex­position with another, you shal not neede to terme your bet­ters and felowe seruauntes in Christ that receiue this appa­rell, to be enemies or shrinkers.

This wel learned fathers wordes, to his frend beyond the sea well wayed, maketh nothyng agaynst the orders nowe practised. For we may and do (prayse be to God) holde faste Puritatem rituum et doctrine, the puritie of rytes and doc­trine, and also flee and detest the leuen of Antichrist, with all erroures and superstition, though we kepe these fewe ordi­naunces, accordyng to the rules of Gods booke, wherein men had superstition before vs. There is a difference (you knowe) betwixt the puritie of rites, and the cleane takyng away of all. But peruse this godly mans Epistle.

Here you rehearse doctour Peter Martir by peccemeale, P. Mart▪ when as there is no wryter of these dayes more euidently agaynst you. But because you woulde haue men to suppose that all the learned ranne vppon your syde, you are content also that this man should speake two wordes, rather then be [Page] thought to kepe silence. As touchyng this great Clarkes mynde, peruse ouer his Epistle that foloweth, and loke on his Commentaries vpon the fyrst to the Corinthians. Doct. Ridl.

That glorious Martir of Chryst doctour Rydley, you re­port, howe he beyng required of papisticall persecutours to do on all their massyng apparell, that thereby the papistes myght reioyce and worke theyr spite, he (you say) refused them, and spoke then vehemently agaynst them. Surely herein he dyd lyke a constant professour of Christes religion, perceyuyng the ende and purpose nought and wycked, wher­fore those thynges were then inforced vppon hym. It was meete that he shoulde not then yelde one iote to them, that sought to bryng hym into spirituall bondage agayne. But Galat. iii. euery man that wyll, may see a great vnlikelyhood betwixt those tymes and ours, betwixt their vse then, and nowe, be­twixt their ende and cōmaundementes, & those that be now.

What iniurie you do to that worthy Byshop Master Jewel, in framing his sentence to serue your humour, al men that know him, see, and further vnderstand that he is not of your mynde. You would fayne (belike) make a number, yf you myght, wherfore you wyll haue one way, that you want another. They that require your conformitie in these thin­ges, hauyng by Gods lawe and mans, the ouersight also of Gods people in this lande, haue good hope that these thinges (wherein they wyshe that you go forwarde with them to the worke of Gods buyldyng) wyl do good, and not hurt, in this Churche at this season, accordyng to those wordes whiche you bryng out of that excellent worke of so learned a By­shop. They well weye the nature of theyr people, the mani­folde occasion they may obtayne hereby, to spreade abrode the sweete smellyng sauour of the Gospell of Christ, with di­uers other the lyke considerations. You had done wel, if you woulde haue made some profe in these matters, before you so confidently bare the matter downe with your vndoubted asseueration that they do hurt, and want al good properties: as yf you saw in one of your paroeces, what is conuenient [Page] for the whole Realme. And here with this stoute denyall, wanting his proses, you conclude the opinions of men, which all both aliue and dead, are (as doth fully appeare) cleane contrary to your iudgement in these matters of garmentes.

In the fourth and last place, you consider what shal hap­pen 4. to yourselues, yf you receyue these rites, as you maye wel do with the rest of your brethren, who fight in the lordes warfare, a good fight, hauyng fayth and a good conscience: You shalbe thought (you saye) to bryng the people into Egypt agayne.

The wearyng of this apparell, which (as you often testi­fie) is in his owne nature indifferent, cannot be lykened to the bondage of Egipt, whiche is slauerie to sinne, errour and superstition. The substaunce of popishe religion may well be compared to those cheynes, for that many are sure tyed there with ignoraunce and blyndnes, frō the which you may still go forwarde (to Gods prayse and your owne discharge) by discrete and diligent teachyng, to loose Gods people sit­ting in darkenes, and in the shadowe of death, as many a godly man doth yet still, folowyng the worthy examples of Aug. Epist. 117. wyse preachers aforetyme, who in such lyke thinges conten­ted themselues with the maner of the region, where they De ciuit. dei li. 19▪ ci 19. preached, and neuer wylled them to lay aside their Heathe­nishe apparell, no more then almightie God commaunded his people to caste away from them the Agiptians clothes, Exo. xii. when he delyuered them thence, and preached vnto them newe lawes and ordinaunces. Though Moyses suffered the people so redeemed from captiuitie, to vse the Egiptians ap­parell: yet no man thought that he woulde euer bryng them into Egipt agayne. Thus then by doctrine yf you labour still to pull some out of captiuitie and darknes, and go before your flocke on that maner, as S. Paul speaketh, you should i. Tim. iiii▪ be a paterne, in worde, in conuersation, in loue, in spirite, in fayth, and purenes, you nede not to deeme of yourselues worse then all godly men wyll iudge of you, that is, that you be workemen that nede not to be ashamed, rightly diuiding [Page] the worde of God, and geuyng Gods houshold meate in due ii. Tim. ii. season. You know howe you must instruct in meekenes and Mat. xxiiii. obedience all men, prouyng yf God at any tyme wyll geue them repentaunce, that they may vnderstande the trueth, ii. Tim. ii. and that they may come to amendement out of the snares of the deuyll: And also you knowe, that wherein you teache Rom. ii. other men, you must specially teache your selues, so doyng, you shall not leade your flocke to Egipt agayne. For they turne to Egipt, who wallowe agayne in the myre of theyr 2. Pet. ii. sinnes and errours, who after they were once lightened, and had tasted of the heauenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy ghost, make a mocke of the sonne of God (as it is Hebr. vi. wrytten to the Hebrewes) whose case is very lamentable.

You haue taught (you say) as Tertullian dyd: That no­thyng must be taken from the Idoll. Tertullian in that place speaketh of that thyng, whiche was fyrst inuented, A condidatis diaboli, of the Deuyls professours, or of them that were meer Idolatours: then he speaketh of that thyng De corona milit. which was, Dicatū ipsis a primordio, dedicate to set foorth the worshyp done to idols from the begynning. Which two conditions you fynde not in these matters nowe talked of. For they were brought into the Churche by them that pro­fessed the same God and Chryste that we do: neyther were they appoynted to serue any, sauyng the true God, since the commyng of the sonne of God: And therfore you misreport this auctoritie, and such lyke.

Tertullian dissenteth very muche from your opinion in the wearyng of abused apparell, as it appeareth where he De idolol. handeleth somewhat this matter, saying: Fyrst the causes must be considered, for the which a man doth any seruice or duetie: Then he graunteth that the purple robe whiche was vsed of idolatrous priestes, myght be worne, yf it were a token of byrth, of kynne, or of order. Moreouer, in that De cor. mil. place whence you fetche your auctoritie, he thynketh that somethynges inuented and abused of Idolatours, may serue both to our vse, and the seruice of God, yf they haue any [Page] profite, helpe, or comfort for the lyfe of man, as at large is there set out, where he inueyeth sharpely agaynst the Gar­lande, beyng then worne both of idolatours among Christi­an men without all kynde of commoditie, & also of the Idoll itselfe, which was decked therwith. Wherefore (yf you had meant playnely) you might haue translated these wordes, In habitu idoli, in the habite of the idoll: and not in the ha­bite of an idolatour, as you haue done.

What you haue taught also (as you write) of the Masse and the Popes holy creatures, you may in that styl continue as occasion shall serue. Yet it is a great marueyle that you see not, that it is farre worse to communicate in false reli­gion and idolatrous Sacramentes, then to weare the appa­rell of the Heathens and suche lyke, specially when all false and erronious opinion is quyte remoued from them. Tertullian sayth, that many Christian men toke vp Pallium De pall. a Heathenyshe vesture. Hierome sayth, that many Godlye Ad fab. men wore the Greke Philosophers weede, so that therefore they were poynted at as they went. Clemens (if you like his Cle. recog. 7 auctoritie) saith, S. Peter had vpon hym that garment cal­led Pallium. Chrysostome saith, that Paule also sent for his ii. Tim. iiii. Pallium, a Romysh garment, for his vse, and yet these were not thought, naye they woulde not communicate with the Gentyles in theyr seruyng of deuyls. Many an honest man Ter. de p [...]l. weareth a Hatte, which was the priuilege of Ceres priestes Au. gell. lib. cap. 15. and Iupiters: and yet detesteth idolatrie. Many a godly Le­uite preached Christ (no doubt of it) in his Jewysh apparell: and yet he was well knowen to flee Jewyshe religion. It is not then (as you thynke) as great an euyll to weare gar­mentes abused, as to be partaker of idolatrous sacrifice, spe­cially when as to the godly Christian all thynges are sancti­fied.

Now at length are you come to the Epiloge (as it were) Epilog. or full conclusion of your worke, and pretende great feare, where as litle needeth, and alleage feeble causes for so stoute a refusall, and bragge of couragious constancie to much out [Page] of tyme. If you haue taught (for your teachyng you often­tymes tell vs of, as wherein (belyke) you coulde not some­tyme vndiscretely behaue yourselues) that no holynes is to be hanged vpon any kynde of apparell: that they be super­fluous of themselues toward our saluation: that some haue ben abused to superstition: and yf you so declare styll, and yet not without lawfull auctoritie, vpon some good conside­rations, and to an ende both politicall and also profitable: nowe vse these thynges whiche you knowe other godlye are contented to weare, not for holynes, saluation, or superstiti­on, but that they woulde (as it were) redeeme the tyme of preachyng Christes Gospell to his people, by Gods grace, none of those sortes of men, for whom you (and we also) are carefull, shall by you iustlye be hurt: neyther shall your doc­trine ryghtly be called into suspition, as whiche was and is all one, though it be vttered in apparell, rather appoynted by order, then deuysed and chosen by priuate mens heades.

This many men thynke very straunge in you, that you stande in greater feare that men wyll beleue rather your ap­parell then your wordes: your coate, then your preachyng: your outwarde shewe, then your inwarde mynde often ope­ned by speache, and playnelye set before them to perceyue. What do you iudge of Gods people, that they be so muche without sense & vnderstandyng? You feare the thyng yourselues imagine, and imagine euen what you lyst.

Here next may be seene your seuere and sharpe sentence vpon all your brethren and felowe ministers, when you in yourselues pronounce but hell and dampnation to all them which vppon sincere loue towarde the flocke of Christe, ha­uing [...] ▪ Cor. xvi. a wide doore opened vnto them by gods singuler grace, to spreade abrode the knowledge of Chryst, haue not such re­garde in what apparell they shoulde enter and feede, as to be found faithful dispensours of the misteries of God. In which paynefull seruice yf they go forwarde to the ende, they shall heare, not that terrible voyce vpon the naughtie seruaunt, which you vtter: but the comfortable saying to the good ser­uaunt, Luk. xix. [Page] well good seruaunt. &c. Luk. xix.

In the iudgement of all wyse men, you had done ryght well, yf you had eyther stayed your penne in this place, or spoken more playnly for the discharge of some, when as you notifie to the world, that the earnest solicitours of these mat­ters were blouddy persecutours, and styll beare backe in the religion of Chryst.

Surely the sagest and sobrest in this common wealth & Church, conceyue a better opinion of them that first stably­shed these thynges by lawe, and of them also which of duetie nowe cal vpon the execution of the same, as they may right­lye of them, by whom chiefelye all Romyshe religion, with superstition and errour, was through the spirite of God ban­nyshed this Realme.

Well, howesoeuer it hath pleased you for spite agaynst some one, to bryng a great number of very godly in obloqui and suspition, yf the thynges required be indifferent in themselues, and not so horrible & daungerous for this Churche at these dayes (as the prudent and chare ouerseers iudge, euen as it were in the syght of Chryst, to whom they must render an accompt for his deare flocke) what matter is it who they be that call vpon you to accomplyshe your duetie? Unlesse you thinke that no man ought to make general lawes in the lyke cases, but let euery Curate be supreme gouernour in his owne paryshe. Which loose imagination, what incon­uenience it wyll drawe with it, you may well consider.

Howe innocent handes they haue from the bloud of all Gods Saintes, who vnder a most godly, vertuous, and pure regiment, deale with you al maner of wayes, that you slippe not from your loyall obedience, yea though they shoulde vse towarde some of you charitable seueritie, terrible lenitie, auengement medicinal (as S. Augustine setteth out the true contra lit. Petil. li. 3. cap. 4. ecclesiastical discipline) not only the wise within this Realme vnderstande: but the enemies also without, confesse.

But because your enemies, as you surmize, put you in mynde of your duetiful subiection, you wyll not be cowards [Page] (you saye) yeeldyng your weapons to your aduersaries handes: As yf by wearyng this apparell, the sword of Gods worde were wrested out of your handelyng, where as (you knowe well enough) in these orders you may manfully caste ii. Cor. x. downe strong holdes, ouerthrowe imaginations, and euery hygh thyng that exalteth hymselfe agaynst the knowledge of God, and bryng into captiuitie all vnderstandyng, to the obedience of Christ, yea and take vengeaunce of all disobe­dience, as S. Paule describeth at large the faythful prea­chers weapons and fyght. Nay God graunt this vndiscrete dealyng of yours, be not a voluntarye throwyng awaye of your weapons in deede, marueylous daungerous also to Christes people committed to your charge, whyles you open thus a gappe for hirelynges to creepe in, and defende not your flockes from the great peryls of heynous errours, and vngodlynesse of lyfe, because some hauyng interest, aswellas you, in your sheepe, shewe vnto you an orderly poynt or two.

Last of all, you request two thynges. The one: That you may kepe your conscience vndefiled. This your petition in some thynges touchyng the worshyp of God, myght haue his place: But in these matters (which you call indifferent) what is it that shoulde defyle you? the thyng itselfe, or your weake opinion of it? The thing itselfe doth not pollute you: For (as S. Paule sayth) to the pure, all thynges are pure. Tit. pri. And agayne: Nothyng is common or vncleane of itselfe. Rom. xiiii. Nowe as concernyng your weakenes (thankes be to God) that which the same S. Paule reporteth of the Corinthes, may be verified of you: We all haue knowledge. And: We i. Cor. viii. are sure that an Idoll is nothyng in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one. It were to be wyshed (and would to God there were no examples now of it) that none of them which pretende herein a straytnes of conscience, dyd Math. xxiii strayne a Gnat, and swallowe a Camell.

Next you require, freedom to teach your flockes by doctrine. This thyng your bounden obedience may easylye obtayne: [Page] where as by your owne wylfulnes, you depriue yourselues therof. Then you would go before your sheepe in that which you haue taught. If it be as farre as becommeth your owne persons and degree, you shall deserue thankes, whensoeuer you perfourme it▪ For though it chaunce so oftentymes, that many thynges are to be taught of themselues indiffe­rent: yet in your example it shall not be lawefull for you to vse them before your paroeces as you lyst. Meete is it that Christian people heare dyuers tymes of the freedome of con­science, in meates, places, tymes, and dayes: and yet ney­ther you nor they ought to disturbe politicall order lawfully taken.

Whiche disturbaunce of publique quiet in rites and ordi­naunces (which may be for the varietie of places diuers, and yet to be straytly obserued) what a great offence it is, not only the Scriptures may teache you, & the vsage of Christes true Church: but also the determination of this Church in Englande, both agreed vpon in kyng Edwardes dayes, & also testified and subscribed by them themselues, who nowe woulde gaynsay theyr owne doynges then. The wordes which the whole Sinode were well pleased withall, & wher­vnto all the Cleargies handes are set to, be these:

It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vtterly lyke, for at all tymes they haue ben dy­uers, and maye be chaunged accordyng to the diuersities of Countreys, tymes, and mens maners, so that nothyng be or­dered agaynst the worde of God. VVhosoeuer through ☜ his priuate iudgement, wyllyngly and purposely doth open­ly In the articles agreed in the last Sinode. breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church, which be not repugnaunt to the word of God, and be ordeyned and approued by common auctoritie, ought to be rebuked open­ly (that other may feare to do the lyke) as one that offendeth agaynst the common order of the Church, and hurteth the auctoritie of the Magistrate, and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren.

After these Godly mens iudgementes, yf you go before your flocke in this quiet maner, your example veryly shall edifie much.

[Page]Thus therfore, if we al shalbe faithful & wise seruauntes, Luk. xii. geuyng our maisters housholde theyr duetie of meate in due season, and also be founde by our Lorde, when he commeth, so doyng, happy shall we be, and we shall haue our porti­on, not with the hypocrites; where is weepyng and gnashyng of teeth: but with the blessed in the kyngdome of the most mightie God, which is kyng of kynges and Lorde of Lordes, to whom be honour and rule euerlastyng.

Amen.