A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.

A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.

Table of contents

Title page

¶ The counsell of S. Austen vnto Januarie. Epistola. 118.

¶ To the Christian reader.

A briefe summe of the Reasons in the declaration.

❧ The Examination.

§

A prayer to be said dayly of a Christian man, for the Churche.

§

Doctissimo viro D. Martino Bucero Theologiae in Academia Cantabrigiensi professori Regio, Thomas Cantuariensis.

The aunswere of M. Bucer to the foresayde letters.

¶ To M. Martin Bucer, doctour in Diuinitie most vvorthy, his reader and maister most reuerende.

§

Amplissimo domino et Colendissimo Symmistae Ioanni à Lasco.

§

§

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¶ A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine Ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the Realme.

In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir, sometyme in eyther vniuersities here of England the kynges readers and professours of diuinitie, translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.

Paul. Rom. 14

I besech you brethren marke them which cause diuision, and geue occasions of euyll, contrary to the doctrine which ye haue learned, and auoyde them: for they that are such serue not the Lorde Iesus Christ, but their owne bellyes, and with sweete and flatteryng wordes deceyue the hartes of the Innocentes.

¶ The counsell of S. Austen vnto Januarie. Epistola. 118.

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SVche thynges as haue diuersitie of obseruations, by reason of the diuersitie of Landes and Countreys, as of fastyng on the Sabboth daye, or at other days: Of communicating euery day, Sunday or Saterday, or otherwyse: all these thynges haue freedome in obseruation. And certes, there is no maner discipline or vsage in these thynges more agreable vnto a graue and prudent christian man, then that he attemper hym selfe to the orders of that Church whereto he shall chaunce to resort. For by S. Ambrose counsell, a man ought to obserue that maner whiche he seeth that Churche to vse whereto he chaunceably commeth, yf he wyll not be slaunderous to any man, or any man be slaunderous vnto hym. As for me (saith S. Austen) when I diligentlye bethought my selfe of this sentence, I haue alway had it in such veneration, as yf I had receyued it as an oracle heauenly sent from God. For I haue perceyued, euen to my great sorow and heauynes, much disquietyng of the weake to be caused by the contentious stubbernes and superstitious feare of certayne brethren, which rayse vp so braulyng questions, that they thynke nothing to be well done but what they do them selues: and that in such matters which can come to no certayne ende, neither by the aucthoritie of holy Scripture, nor by the tradition of the vniuersall Church, nor tende to any commoditie of the reformation of lyfe. Yet is this disturbaunce made, because some one hath deuised within hym selfe some maner of reason whatsoeuer it be, eyther for that he hymselfe in his owne countrey accustomed so to do, or els sawe other do, in some such place where he hath trauelled: The whiche, the farther it was from his owne countrey, so muche the better learned he thought that place to be.

¶ To the Christian reader.

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IF for any occasion the counsayle of Salomon, contrarious to it self at the first sight, maye haue place to be alleaged out of the. xxvi. Chapter of his Prouerbes, that is. Ne respondeas stulto iuxta stultitiam suam, ne efficiaris ei similis (And againe) Responde stulto iuxta stultitiam suā, ne sibi sapiens esse videatur. Aunswere not a foole accordyng to his foolyshnes, lest thou be made lyke to hym. And agayne: Aunswer a foole accordyng to his foolyshnes, lest he may sceme to himself to be wise: It may now of good congruence be verified in the cause vttered in question for order of ministers apparell. It is not vnknowen what argumentes and conclusions, what letters and wrytynges haue ben vsed and tossed from man to man in secrete sort, for these two or three yeres, to disproue the libertie of the chyldren of God in the vse of externe thynges, to conuel the obedience that true Subiectes shoulde perfourme to the aurthoritie of theyr Prince, & to the lawes of the Realme establyshed, to the discredityng and condemnation of such which in a whole conscience thynke it lawefull for them to weare, and yet charitably bearyng with the weaknes of such whose consciences are entangled with fearefull scrupulositie towarde the same. The small weyght of theyr reasons and argumentes so set out, theyr cause so harde to defende with learnyng (so many graue wryters of iudgement agaynste them) the matter fullye debated by the best learned men of the Realme of late, with thorder of the counsayle taken in the tyme of blessed memorie Kyng Edwarde, and fully concluded: caused diuers men (beyng yet offended with suche [Page] vnaduised wrytynges) to holde theyr pennes, without more confutyng or disprouyng the same, as was easye for them to do: partly stayed by the fyrst part of Salomons counsayle: Ne respondeas stulto iuxa stultitiam suam, ne efficiaris ei similis. Yea moreouer, charitie borne to the aucthours of such wrytynges, moued some men to kepe pacience, and theii. Tim. i [...]. counsayle of S. Paule helde others in scilence, whereas he chargeth his scoler Timothy thus: Stultas et ineruditas questiones respue, sciens eas parere pugnas: porro seruū domini nō oportet pugnare, sed placidū esse erga omnes, propensum ad docendum, tolerantem malos cum mansuetudine, erudientē eos qui obsistunt, si quando det illis deus paenitentiam ad agnoscendum veritatem, et resipiscant a diaboli laqueo, capti ab eo ad ipsius voluntatem. Foolyshe and vnlearned questions put from thee, remembryng that they do but gender stryfe: for the sernaunt of the Lorde must not stryue, but must be peaceable vnto all men, and apt to teache, and one that can suffer the enyll in mekenes, and can infourme them that resyst, yt that God at any tyme wyll geue them re pentaunce for to knowe the trueth, that they may come to themselues agayne out of the snare of the deuyll, which are nowe taken of hym at his wyll.

To enforce this text at this tyme in the particuler appliyng therof, shalbe spared yet, for hope of their amendement who haue disorderlye behaued them selues. To eragerat the matter agaynste them, with muche alleagyng learned mens iudgementes (many dead, some yet alyue) otherwyse then to instruct them by a few reported, shall also be spared, as it would haue ben wyshed, the matter wholly myght rather with scilence haue ben styll buryed. But now the prouocation of a treatise so solemlye aduouched, so confidentlye affirmed, of very late so publiquely by prynt diuulged and dispearsed, hath made this wryter nowe to thynke it hygh tyme, to call to remembraunce the latter part of Salomons scntence: Responde stulto iuxta stultitiam suam, ne videatur sibi sapiens: Not yet professyng by this examination to [Page] say halfe so much as myght be spoken in the comprehension of the cause, nor takyng so much aduauntage agaynst that inconfiderat wrytyng, as it myght deserue to be charged: but briefely to put to the aucthours consideration the weaknes of the reasons, the sophisticatiō of the arguments of that discourse, vnworthy of it selfe (to saye the trueth) to be once aunswered, as beyng so written, as euery man (but such as be eyther to parcially bent to the cause, or for lacke of learnyng can not expende the substaunce of the wrytyng) maye perceyue that it muste nedes fall to ruyne & decaye of credite of it selfe, though no man should bende any force at it, & how soeuer (in the heate which is now taken) thought to be wittyly, grauely, inuincibly wrytten, but worthy in deede to be put out in the name of such, whō it would specially defende. Yf ye aske me whom I coulde thinke to be vnder the protection thereof: Surely I can not see, that diuers suche as be learned, and commonly iudged to be amongest this number, can muche ioy to fight vnder that banner, or to runne with them to that marke they shoote at. For it is certayne, that many whom this smale route, named London Ministers, woulde haue ioyned with them for theyr more honestie, be farre from theyr determinations in this question, neither so handling it, nor so woulde conclude in this cause as they do: Who howsoeuer (some of them) do yet a litle stay at the vsing of this apparel in themselues, yet be not of their iudgement to condemne the thyngs of wyckednes, nether in them selues, nor in the vse of thē, as the Ministers in this Church of Englande be called nowe to weare them. And therefore howsoeuer they woulde wyshe a libertie to theyr owne consciences reserued, tyll they may see more in the cause, yet be they faxre of to condemne theyr brothers, whose consciences can serue them for obedience sake to vse them. And therfore I must nedes wype a great many out of their brotherhood, in their singularities conteyned in this last writing, and say: They be but a very fewe in them selues, other then such as haue ben eyther vnlearnedly brought vp, most in prophane [Page] occupations, or suche as be puffed vp in an arrogancie of them selues, peraduenture chargeable to suche vanities of assertions, as at this tyme I wyll spare to charge them. God graunt they do not by this degree, fall to the sectes of Anabaptistes, or Libertines, wherevnto some wyse and zelous men of theyr owne frendes & Patrones, feare they do make poste haste, one day, openly to professe. Wherevpon the aduersaries of true religion can winne no great reioyce at these mens ouersightes, as beyng but a very fewe, and counted in deede none of the sincere and learned protestauntes, howsoeuer for a tyme they seemed to be amongest vs. For though they be gone out from vs, yet they were belyke neuer of vs. So that the aduersaries shall haue the whole state of the Cleargie in place and reputation, for learnyng, wysdome, and grauitie, concordely ioyned to be wholly agaynst them, to defende the sinceritie of the Gospel, though a fewe of these make suche adoo in our Churche (as stories make mention, was euer wont some to ryse in sundry tymes to trouble the state of their Churches, where they dwelt.) And good it were that these Englishe Louanistes, dyd not to muche delyght them selues with any hye reioysinges, as though the Prince woulde for disprouyng of a fewe counterfaites, dislyke the whole state of the rest of the Cleargie, who shall by Goddes grace be able ynough to defende the true religion of the Gospell, whiche they maye heare howe the Prince doth professe dayly and openly, to maintaine and defende to the vttermost iote of the worde of God, with renouncing aswell all forrayne aucthoritie, as all forrayne doctrine, not surely grounded vpon this stable rocke of Gods worde. Theyr fawning flatterie prefaces, theyr greatly conceyued hopes, theyr busie dispraysyng of better learned then them selues be, can not so bewitche wyse mens heades, or hartes, but they can discerne trueth from falsehood, deuotion from superstition, papistrye from the Gospell, tiranny from discipline, Christ from Antichrist. And therefore sirs, if ye knewe howe fewe these are, by whom ye delyght to slaunder the learned, howe lytle we [Page] thinke the rest of the Apostles discredited, though Judas fell out from them, and howe these be regarded and accompted of (so long as they thus continue) and finally, howe lytle we shall ioy of them, and vse them, to take the Gospell in defence agaynst you: Ye woulde not be so busie to infarce in your bookes the reproche of these men, to lade other with enuye, the breath of whose pennes, ye shall neuer be able to aunswere, say and wryte what ye can. Your bookes so fast and hastyly sent ouer in great numbers (beyng not muche feared for any substaunce that is in them) may for a time relieue you to your sustentation, may be gaineful to your Printers & Pedlours, may peraduenture ieoparde your frendes, within this your naturall Countrey, for readyng and cherishing matter agaynst theyr owne suretie, and agaynst the state of the Realme. But trueth is to hye set, for you to plucke her out of heauen, to manyfestlye knowen to be by your papers obscured, and to surely stablished, to drowne her in the myrie lakes of your Sophisticall licorous writinges. Howsoeuer ye embosse out your glorious stiles, they be but Superuacaneae conflictationes hominū mente corruptorum,i. Tim. vi.quibus adempta est veritas, qui existimāt quaestū essepietatē, with the forepart of the text there expressed, that is, but superfluous brawlings of men peruerse in hart, from whō the truth is withdrawen, which think that lucre is godlynes. &c. Ye were best to vnderstand, Quod qui habitat in coelis. &c.Psal. ii.irridebit omnes Iannes et Mambres, qui resistunt veritati, homines mente corrupti, reprobi circa fidem, sed non proficienti. Tim. iii.amplius: siquidem amentia istorum euidens erit omnibus quemadmodum et illorum fuit. He whiche is in heauen, shal deride all Jannes and Mambres, which resist the trueth, men of corrupt mindes, reprobate in the fayth, but they shal preuayle no longer, for theyr madnes shalbe vtterly knowen to all men as theyrs was. Ye shoulde do well to remember Quod dominus est qui custodit veritatē, et quod veritas magnaPsal. cxlv. iii. Esdr. iiii.est et fortior pre omnibus, veritas enim manet, et inualescit ineternum, et viuit et obtinet in secula seculorū. That [Page] it is the Lorde whiche preserueth the trueth, for the trueth is of great force, and is stronger then all other thynges, for veritie wyll remayne, wyll preuayle for euer, and wyll lyue and haue the victory, worlde without ende. But to drawe to an ende, and to say some thyng to these vpon whom this labour is bestowed, who moste glory of this gaye booke of theyrs, I shall wyshe them to haue a respecte to theyr former callyng and profession of the Gospell. And as loue of grace and trueth (I trust) dyd fyrst induce them: so God graunt that they do not finally fight agaynst this grace receyued, and wylfullye peruerte the true sinceritie of the Gospell, by treadyng not aright, ouercome by humaine cogitations, as was Peter for a tyme, tyll Paule dyd reprehende him. Trustyng that they wyll so aduisedly expende the earnest counsell of these two notable Fathers, Maister Bucer, and maister Martir, in this their purposed discussyng of the cause, that they wyll finally rest in quiet, praysyng God in trueth and veritie, forsakyng errour couered with zelous perswasion, to the sauyng of theyr owne soules, to the reioyce of such Christians to whom they haue ben teachers, as good subiectes ought to do, to the glory of God. To whom be all honour and dominion for euer.

Amen.

A briefe summe of the Reasons in the declaration.

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Generall reasons.

[...]hese Maiors [...]ede not so [...]uch profe.

All thynges in the Churche ought to edifie.

2. Cor. 13. Iuxta potestatem.

Ephe. 2. Iam non estis.

Ephe. 4. Idem dedit.

1. Cor. 14. Omnia fiant.

[...]hese Minors [...]e but affit [...]ed, and not [...]oued.

These orders do not edifie, for that they

Hynder the simple.

Make more obstinate the papistes.

Are monumentes of Idolatrie. Deut. xii. Ergo.

Maior. Preceptes of men must not be receyued.

Deut. 7. Aras eorum.

Math. 15. Frustra me.

Esay. 29. Appropinquat popul.

Minor. These are preceptes of men. Ergo.

Maior Offences and superstition ought to be auoyded.

Math. 18. Videte ne.

1. Cor. 10. Omnia mihi.

Rom. 14. Bonum est non mand.

2. Cor. 6. Eandem remunerati.

Minor These orders offende. Ergo.

Maior Nothyng muste be brought into the Churche, besides or contrary to Scripture for princes plesures.

Deut. 4. Non addetis.

Deut. 5. Non declinabis.

1. Reg. 15. Domus Saul euertitur quòd declinabat.

3. Reg. 12. Reboam amittit. x. tribus.

4. Reg. 20. Ezechias benedic. quòd non declin.

3. Reg. 22. Micheas noluit adulari.

Ezech. 13. Haec dicit dominus.

Math. 15. 16. Christus praedicat quae pater mandat.

Math. 28. Apostoli praedicant quae iussit Christus.

1. Cor. 11. Paulus tradit quae accepit.

Phil. 3. Paulus sequendus vt sequitur Christum.

2. Cor. 4. Paulus non praedicat seipsum.

Minor These orders are besydes and contrary to the Scripture. &c. Ergo.

Maior Christian libertie must be maintained, whiche Christ hath purchased for vs.

Joh. 19. Consummatum est.

Gala. 3. Christus nos red.

Particuler reasons.

In outwarde apparell there ought to be no difference, as is proued thus.

1. Reg. 9. Samuel was not knowen to be a prophete by Saule.

4. Reg. 1. Elias was not knowen by Ochozias seruauntes.

Math. 3. John Baptist had no such apparell.

Math. 26. Peter was knowen by his speache.

Hier. Eustochiū was wylled to haue no notable apparell.

Hier. Marcella was tolde that at Hierusalem there was no diuersitie of apparell.

The Cleargie of Rauenna sayde, they were to be discerned from the people by doctrine, not vesture.

Cau. 21. q. 4. Holy men vsed meane & vyle apparel

The minystryng garmentes ought not to be admitted. For

They were taken from the Jewes or Gentyles.

Glos. ord. in Ezech. 44.

Platina in vita Siluest.

Durand. Rat. diui. 3.

Poli. li. 4 Ca. 5. de Inuēt▪

They haue ben abused to

Idolatrie.

Sorcery.

Coniuryng.

Men haue an euyll opinion of them.

Papistes, that they are holly. Gospellers, that they ought not vse them

Bucer.

would haue them away.

He woulde haue puritatem rituū.

Peter Martir.

Doct. Ridley.

Bishop Jewel

They preachers shalbe thought to bryng the peopl [...] to Egipt agayne: to be partakers of Idolatrie: t [...] offende the simple: to hazarde theyr soules: to defy [...] theyr consciences.

The Solicitours of these orders were bluddy persecutours, whose purposes be to deface the Gospell.

❧ The Examination.

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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 ecclesiaei. Cor xidei: 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 variableHie▪ 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 haueEphe. 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, andEsai. 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: QuodAug. Epi xlviii▪ [Page]volumus sanctum est. What we wyll is holy.

If you had ben in S. Augustines time, when the ChurchEpi. 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 quippeEpi. 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 theHebre. 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 withHebr. 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) thatEpist. 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, to1. Cor. ix. wynne to Chryst the obstinate Jewes. The histories Ecclesiasticall also haue diuers experiences, howe much our auncientNote 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, cumEpist. 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 religionDeut. (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 you2 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 grauntethi. 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 theyMath. 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 ChrisostomeHom. [...] 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 seruingCōtra 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 Christes3litleones 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 forbyddethii. 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, butCon. 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: butPsal. 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 alli. 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 shouldeAug. 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 noDeut. [...]. 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 Saulesi. 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 anEpiph. 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 benEpi. generalalwayes 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 toAug. 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 theirAct. x▪ owne heades: and yet for all that, they made orders for the Churche, whiche continued theyr tymes and season, whereofi. 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 this1. 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 inwardAd 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 manCalu. 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 beleueOf 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 aTert. 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 wasNiceph. 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 asMath [...]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 matterMath. 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 theHie. 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 thatTert. 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 wasAug. 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 hadCan. 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 lefteTo. [...] 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 hath1. 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 eorūC [...]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 moueOf 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 offeredTer. 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. EasterAug. epi. 113 day and Whitsuntide, generall counselles toke from the Jewes. Besides Sundayes, our fathers feared not to decreeHie. 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 inimicitiaeLib. pri. aduer. pelagcontra 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 aHom. 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 theAn. 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 inEzec. 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 habiteDe 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 PriestAd 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 ClemensLib. 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 betterDe 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 ApostlesAct. viii. tymes wrought all his wonders: and what Priest made holywater for the sonne of Sceua the Jewe: and howe noweAct. 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 this3 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 hadD. 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 matterM [...]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. ButGalat. 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 happen4. 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 ofAug. Epist. 117. wyse preachers aforetyme, who in such lyke thinges contented themselues with the maner of the region, where theyDe 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 shouldi. 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 dueii. Tim. ii. season. You know howe you must instruct in meekenes andMat. 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 teacheRom. 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 theyr2. 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 isHebr. 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 thyngDe 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 heDe 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 thatDe 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 GodlyeAd fab. men wore the Greke Philosophers weede, so that therefore they were poynted at as they went. Clemens (if you like hisCle. recog. 7 auctoritie) saith, S. Peter had vpon hym that garment called Pallium. Chrysostome saith, that Paule also sent for hisii. 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 manTer. de p [...]l. weareth a Hatte, which was the priuilege of Ceres priestesAu. 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 truecontra 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 casteii. 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: Wei. 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, dydMath. 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 openlyIn 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.

Ephes. 4.‘But let vs folowe the trueth in loue, and in all thynges growe vp into hym which is the head, that is Christ.’

Phil. 3.‘Neuerthelesse, in that wherevnto we are come, let vs proceade by one rule, that we may be of one accorde.’

A prayer to be said dayly of a Christian man, for the Churche.

Promissam pacem, tua nunc ecclesia Christe,

Insano mundi turbine pressa, petit▪

Euigila tandem, fluctus compesce furentes,

Fac tibi non pereant, quos pater ipse dedit.

THe Churche O Christ thy spouse, opprest with worldly spight,

Thy ioyfull peace doth craue, by thee to her behight.

Awake sweete Lorde awake, and styll this raging sea,

That thyne elect he saude, whiche once were geune to thee.

FINIS.

§

Doctissimo viro D. Martino Bucero Theologiae in Academia Cantabrigiensi professori Regio, Thomas Cantuariensis.

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AFter my hartie salutations ryght welbebeloued Master Bucer, I haue read that booke whiche ye haue sent to Doctour Peter Alexander, concernyng the controuersie betwixt Master Hoper, and the Byshop of London: in whiche booke, manye thynges are learnedly declared, and largely disputed. Wherefore nowe I pray you, that ye woulde sende vnto me your iudgement of these questions expressed, with as short breuitie of wordes as ye can.

VVhether without the offence of God, it may be lawfull to the Ministers of the Churche of Englande, to vse those vestures whiche at these dayes they weare, and so be prescribed of the magistrate.

VVhether he that shall affirme that it is vnlawfull, or shall refuse to weare this apparell, offendeth against God, for that he sayeth that thing to be vncleane that God hath sanctified: and offend against the magistrate, for that he disturbeth the politike order.

To these questions, yf ye wyll make moste brieft [Page] aunswere, and sende vnto me your iudgement as soone as ye may possiblie, you shall do me great pleasure.

God be with you.

From Lambeth the seconde of December.

The aunswere of M. Bucer to the foresayde letters.

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AFter I had receyued yesterday towarde night, the letters of your most Reuerende fatherhood, immediatlye I applyed my mynde to aunswere, bearyng in remembraunce what I owe vnto your Fatherhood, especiallye in suche a matter, as is most agreeyng to my ministery. Your fatherhood requireth of me, that I would wryte my sentence with as much breuitie of wordes as I could, to the questions proposed vnto me.

I must nedes confesse that I am very hardely brought to vtter my iudgement to perticuler questions in the restitution of religion, specially such as be intricated with great controuersies amongest godly men. For as the holy scriptures and dayly experience teacheth, Satan procureth all that he can, to set them together at variaunce with bitter contentions in the articles of doctrine and discipline of Chryst, especially suche men who be godly stirred to receyue, and to restore the kyngdome of Christ: whose godly endeuoures he laboureth, yf he can not make them quite frustrate, yet by his sleyght to hynder them, whereby they shoulde not attempt a perfit restitution of the Church, yf they ioyned together with their vttermost power. God requireth of vs that we shoulde worship him with all our harte, with all our soule, and with our whole power, and that we shoulde at once take vppon vs the sweete yoke of his sonne. Therfore nowe he calleth vpon vs by the terrour of his iudgement, where he hath sent so great lyght of his trueth, as at this day doth appeare, whatsoeuer vntowarde willes men haue, that they can not playnely withdrawe them selues from his commaundementes, and vtterly to reiect the yoke of his sonne. Which matter Satan vnderstandeth well ynough, and he is not ignoraunt howe fayne we woulde be Gods by our fyrst corrupted [Page] Natiuitie, and howe we woulde gladly temper all religion to serue our lustes and affections, there vpon he woulde perswade men to go in a certaine meane (where as none can be in deede) that is, that men may refuse and do some thinges at their pleasures to serue theyr onlye Lorde God, which thinges yet he reputeth not so acceptable in them selues, nor man hym selfe thynketh his affections to be brydeled by them: but in suche thynges wherein the whole worship of God doth consist, and our whole saluation doth stande, our fleshe beyng the very lumpe of sinne and perdition, is wonderfully crucified, for that he can not make hym selfe God, qualifiyng and moderatyng Goddes eternall preceptes. With this craftie sleyght, hath that auncient enemye dryuen miserable Germanie vnto these present calamities, wherewith they be nowe oppressed. God forbyd, Chryst Jesus I say our onlye Sauiour forbyd, that he preuayleth against Englande with this craftie sutteltie. But nowe to the questions accordyng to my duetie.

Concernyng the former, this is my sentence, which I beleue I haue learned of the holy Scriptures. Fyrst I woulde not impart my aunsweres to any ministers of the Englishe Churches, but to such as be the true and faythfull dispensours of all the misteries of God, suche as do labour to delyuer vnto the people, with great fidelitie, the whole Gospell of Chryst, his whole doctrine and discipline, and labour to instyll it and beate it into theyr myndes. They that be such Ministers of the Churches of Englande, may as I thynke, weare with Gods pleasure, those vestures whiche be at this day in vse: And they I thynke shall do so much the better after they haue preached the cleare doctrine of Christ our Sauiour, with the detection and detestation, aswell of the whole Antichrist of Rome, as of any other aduersary to Christ: Yf they then professe by the wearyng of these garmentes, to haue no purpose at all to stablyshe any wycked deuyses that Antichrist hath obtruded to the people: Nor that Priestes be of them selues more holy, or more able to pacifie God, then other Christian men be: Nor that they present Christ [Page] to the father in the holy communion (as they vse to affirme or that they can applie his merite at theyr pleasure, by the vertue of the worke it selfe to any man, more then he doth receyue by his owne proper fayth, of the wordes and sacramentes of God. So that also he professeth, that he thereby do not meane Aaronicall rites to be restored agayne: but that he doth by his fact, perfourme only his obedience to the Kynges Maiestie, and to suche whom God hath appoynted to determine of these externall rites of the Church, with common consent by the worde of God, to this ende, that all offences of disorder, and breach of publique consent, may be auoyded: And also to protest that euery creature of God is good to Godly men, yea also for signification. And therfore all true Godly men, may Godly vse those rites, which wicked men haue abused, howesoeuer vngodly.

And furthermore, to protest that they, neither the kynges maiestie, nor the great councell of the Realme, meane to retayne or to cheryshe any superstition in vsing these vestures. But forasmuch as the vse of these vestures, hath ben practised godly of the right holy fathers, before the Pope was Antichrist of Rome, and may at this daye serue to the settyng foorth of the holy ministery, and of the whole Christian profession, to the instruction of the yonger and simpler people, so that there be a godly signification ioyned therevnto, and the same also godly taught. And that they declare, that the rulers would not remoue these vestures, wherby they might geue occasion to the weaker, in the fayth, to despyse or contemne the true ministery of Christ: or els to geue them any suspition by so doyng, as though they were ledde with a certayne irreligious leuitie, to ouerthrowe and abolyshe all thynges vsed before in religion, yea of those thynges whiche may serue to some good vse.

And further, they may protest, that the people ought, in beholdyng these vestures, to haue theyr meditation vpon no other thyng, but vpon the heauenly puritie and bryghtnes, and of the apparellyng of all good vertues, whiche he both set out, and also be exhibited to all true beleuers, by the holy [Page] ministery of the Church, and that both they and theyr ministers woulde labour with all diligence to attayne to that bryghtnes and comelynesse, that all at length may shyne in the vestures of ryghteousnes and saluation. And it behoueth Ministers to vse some garmentes, not onlye to couer and to defend theyr bodyes, but such as may also haue some signification, and may admonyshe them of some thyng.

Nowe therefore, forasmuch as it is thought good to the Kynges Maiestie, & to the chiefe councell of the Realme, to reteyne the vse of these vestures for this present, they ought to chaunge the wicked abuse of the papistes, in these good creatures of God in them selues, to some Godly vse, both to the glory of God, and to the honour of the Kynges Maiestie, and so openly to declare, that all thynges to holye and good men, are holy and pure: And that they be truelye sanctified by the worde & prayer, so that neyther deuyll nor man can defyle any creature of God, but that Godly men may vse them Godly, and to the glory of God, yea euen for some vse of signification, not onlye in the fruition of theyr naturall effectes. For all creatures may admonyshe vs many wayes to consider the creatour, both of them, and of our selfe, and of our gratitude towarde hym, besyde the consideration of his large liberalitie, in respecte of theyr naturall effectes: And to these admonitions, they maye and ought publiquely be vsed. Which sentence of myne I myght iustifie with diuers Scriptures, besydes the example of the Apostles, which dyd so long vse Moses ceremonies, without any impietie.

As concernyng the second question, this is my sentence, gathered, as I beleue, out of holye Scripture. They which do say that it is not lawfull to vse the apparell that is in question, in any maner, yea in that maner which I haue described: I say, that they be at the least in errour, for that they denye all thynges to be holye to them that be sanctified.

The same do I affirme of suche, whiche for the same cause wyll not weare those vestures, forasmuche as the vse [Page] of them is receyued, neyther vppon superstitious or lyght cause: but by the publique lawe of the Realme, and by the consent of the Churches. In deede the vse of these vestures may be forced by such superstition to pleasure the Roman or any other Antichrist, as it is nowe in Germany, that it can not be godly admitted of the Godly ministers of Christ. For I must nedes say, that they take from the godly Magustrates theyr due honour, whiche doth deny that theyr iudgement ought to be folowed in these matters. Rom. 14. for that they do declare the vse of these garmentes to be obserued of that consideration, which I haue a litle before described.

I trust your most Reuerende fatherhood wyll beare all these thynges well in worth. For to aunswere to briefly and to grossely, I thought it a great offence, especially for that I see with what art Satan doth resyst, leste that at once the whole religion of Chryste shoulde be restored amongste vs, (as were necessary) and as al godly Kynges hath done theyr diligent labour, accordyng to Gods preceptes, and examples which he hath declared by Moses, and Chryst his sonne, whyles Satan goeth about to stirre vp so many pernitious contentions of all the circumstaunces of our religion, aswel in doctrine as rites. For surely, excepte that we remoue so horrible and manyfest sacriledges & dishonorynges of God, whereby the whole kyngdome of the sonne of God maye be receyued, and we lowly submit our neckes to his good yoke: O howe intollerable wrath of God shalbe kyndeled agaynst this Realme. The Scriptures be full of suche examples, as he doth nowe shewe most terrible vnto Germanye. Our Lorde Jesus Chryst assyst the Kynges Maiestie with his holy spirite, and be present with you the head fathers of the Churches, and all the nobles of this Realme, that ye may both knowledge and embrace duetifully in time the dayes of your holsome visitation, & al other such thynges in the which only standes the peace and health of this Realme. God preserue your fatherhood.

At Cambridge, this tenth of December.

¶ To M. Martin Bucer, doctour in Diuinitie most vvorthy, his reader and maister most reuerende.

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GRace and peace from the Lorde. &c. For what cause I am nowe in trouble (moste Reuerende) ye shall vnderstande it by this messenger, in wrytyng. I praye you that you woulde vouchsafe once to geue it the readyng, and yf that ye shall espye any errour therein, I desyre you to signifie it vnto me by your letters. If any thyng hath ben vttered too darklye, and with fewer wordes then the cause requireth, I pray you that you woulde set it out in the margent, with more lyght, and apter wordes. If ye see the cause iust, and meete for a godly minister, subscribe therevnto in the ende I hartyly pray you. I sende you also that I haue written, before three yeres agoo, vpon the▪ x. preceptes, that your worthynesse may knowe what my iudgement is in the cause of diuorse, I pray you vouchsafe to reade it, that if I haue erred in this part by humayne ouersyght, I maye be aduertysed by your learnyng and fatherly admonition, and that I may refourme the same. I pray your fatherhood therefore (and I doubt not but I shall soone obteyne) that you woulde helpe the Churche in her conflict, by the great and most notable gyftes of God vndoubtedlye bestowed vppon you. I require the same of M. doctour Martir, to whom (after your sentence and prudent iudgement is knowen) this messenger which I sende, shal repayre. The Lorde Jesus long preserue your worthynesse.

At London the. xvii. of October. 1550.

Yours in hart and prayer all hole, Iohn Hoper

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¶ To the Reuerende and learned father, Iohn Hoper Byshop, his good Lorde. Grace and peace through Iesus Christ our Lorde.

RYght Reuerende, and in Jesus Chryst most dearely beloued, I had purposed to aunswere before this tyme vnto the letters which of late I receyued from you: but I was so let with wayghtie & sundry businesse, that I could not before nowe accomplyshe eyther myne owne wyll, or your expectation in this behalfe: wherfore I besech you, according to your accustomable gentlenesse and wysedome, to take in good part this my delay. What ye haue written of the controuersie whiche is rysen betwene you and the right Reuerende Lord Bishop of London, as touchyng the apparell of ministers, I haue both read it, as your request was, and also consider it as attentiuely as I coulde for the shortnes of the tyme. I saye shortnes of tyme, because I could not retayne with me your writing but only one nyght. For the messenger who delyuered it vnto me, set foorth the next day early in the mornyng toward Cambridge, whyther ye wylled me to send it (being once read) by hym, vnto maister Bucer: Whiche thyng I dyd, both diligently, and without all delay.

In that litle tyme that I had to peruse your wrytyng, I comprehended so all the matter, that euen at the first I conceyued no small ioy of your singuler and earnest studye, in that you put your endeuour that Christ his religion may be brought agayne vnto a chaste and simple puritie. For what shoulde be more desired of all Godlye hartes, then that all thynges, by a litle and litle, shoulde be cleane taken awaye [Page] and cut of, whiche hath very litle or nothyng in them that can be referred wholly to edification, but rather be iudged of the godly to be superfluous. For to speake of my selfe, I am hardly drawne from that simple and pure custome, which ye knowe they of Argentine haue vsed euer, from the tyme that they refourmed their Church, where diuersitie of apparell in Church ministration was abolyshed. For I haue alwayes alowed that pure vsage that originally had imitation of the Apostles Churche. And I beseche God immortall, that this maner may both there for euer continue, and also that whersoeuer Christ his Church is refourmed, it maye at length be receyued. You see that in the substaunce and chiefe poynt of the matter I dissent not from you, nay I desyre with all my hart, that that thyng whiche you go about to bryng to passe, may take place. And the most especyal cause why I do so desyre, is, partly for that I woulde we shoulde come, as nygh as myght be, to the holye Scriptures in rites and ceremonies, and folow the example of the Church, when it was in best case and state: partlye for that I perceyue that those that be geuen to papistrie, do go about with these reliques to maynteyne at least a litle spyse of Masse, and to be geuen to them, more then the nature of indifferent thynges do require. Notwithstandyng, yet the consideration of these matters do not so farre carry me, nor the reasons alleaged by you so perswade me, that I should affirme the vse of such vestures to be pernitious, or of theyr owne nature contrary to Gods worde: For I do vtterly thynke it to be a thyng indifferent. And I am not ignoraunt that suche is the nature of indifferent thynges, that at one tyme they may be vsed, and at another tyme refused. To eate that is strangled, of it selfe is an indifferent thyng: yet it is meete sometymes to refrayne from the vse thereof, and sometymes to vse it most freely. And in this respect, though I haue sayde this diuersitie of Church apparell is not to be retayned: neuerthelesse, it to be wicked, I neuer so iudged, that I dare therefore condemne any such whom I see vse it. For yf I had ben so perswaded, I would neuer haue cōmunicated here in England with the [Page] Church where such a choyse as yet is reserued. For although as I sayde, I do very litle alowe it, neuerthelesse I see sometimes in these indifferent things, that some of them although they be greeuous & burdenous (in that it is not lawfull to do otherwyse) must be pacientlye suffered, left yf men shoulde stryue for them more bytterly then it needeth, that it woulde be a let to the aduauncement of the Gospell, and also that those thynges whiche of theyr owne nature be indifferent, through our heate in contention, shoulde be taught to be meer wicked: Which two thynges, except I am deceyued, bryng with them great and greeuous discommodities. For yf we could be content to suffer the Gospell fyrst to be spred and depely to take roote, without all doubt, men would better and easiyer be perswaded to remoue away these externall rites. A man, so long as he is sycke, or is in his recouery, oftentymes is much greeued that certayne small and tryflyng thynges parteynyng to his meate and drynke, should be debarred from hym, which yet afterwarde when he is fully restored vnto his health, by himself & of his owne accord without any other mans councell, doth renounce them, as vnmeete and vnprofitable. Wherfore, let Englande be fyrst diligently instructed, and confirmed in the chiefe and most necessary poyntes of religion: then afterwarde by my iudgement, the Church shall not be much offended to haue these thynges, somewhat superfluous, to be remoued. But nowe where as alteration in the most necessary poyntes of religion, is laboured for, and that with so much difficultie: if now we pronounce those thynges to be wicked, that be of them selues indifferent, so much woulde the most part of mennes myndes be alienated from vs, that from that day they would not fynde in theyr hartes, euer after to heare with a good wyll at our handes sounde doctrine, and instructions of very necessary matter. Surely, Englande is much bounde vnto you, in that ye haue laboured more then a great sort hath, in preachyng and teachyng. Lykewise, in Englande you alredye haue obteyned much fauour and great aucthoritie, wherby ye shalbe able to do muche good to the aduauncement of [Page] gods glory, Ye must therefore take heede, left ye stande sit your owne way, contendyng to bytterly, and all out of time. Yet woulde I not haue you hereby gather, that my mynde is, that a Minister of Gods worde should neuer contende for the mayntenaunce of the trueth and principles of Scriptures, I make no such assertion, who dayly aswell in publike as in priuate disputations, in wayghtie controuersies, do take a part agaynst the aduersaries for true religion. But this I say, we must take heede, lest these thynges whiche be of lesse importaunce, through our siryfe, may be the meanes that those thinges which shoulde be esteemed of greater force and value, eyther can not at al be brought into the Church, either if they be once brought in, can not be establyshed with continuaunce. Agayne, yf we holde on in disswadyng from these indifferent thinges, as pernitious, and altogether wicked, we condemne withall very many Churches which haue receyued the Gospell, and blame to bytterly innumerable, which a great whyle agoo were counted worthy of al prayse. Neyther am I ignoraunt, that the aucthoritie of Churches that be nowe, or hath ben, ought not to beare such a sway, that thereby the aucthoritie of Gods worde shoulde be trode vnder foote: Which (although the whole worlde shoulde run to wrecke) ought to remayne without touch of breste sure & vnuiolable: yet for al that I iudge we must take heede, lest that for thinges indifferent, eyther we condemne suche Churches as be now at this day, or thynke not well of those that haue ben long before our dayes. And forbecause I perceyue that ye suppose these thinges not to be indifferent, peraduenture it shall not be amysse nowe for to examine the reasons that so ledde you: & that (as you do) I may do it in fewe wordes, I reduce the chief matter to two chief poyntes. First of all, ye say that the Priesthood after the order of Aaron, is not to be restored, whervnto these diuersities of vestures seme to pertayne. For seyng we haue Chryste to be our Priest, Aarons ceremonies be vtterly abrogated, and therfore they cannot be called agayne of those that meane well and gedly. The second foundation of your reasons, is, that these diuersities [Page] of vestures were inuented of Antichrist: therefore we ought not only to forsake the Pope, but all his inuentions. Besydes this, ye woulde haue all maner of difference of vestures and apparell of Ministers to be taken away. Wherefore, seyng these two be the chiefe strength of your argumentes, I wyll fyrst intreate of them. Afterwarde, I wyll adde what soeuer it be, yf I can call to my remembraunce any other thyng, brought in of you to confirme your opinion.

In Moses lawe or Priesthood, after Aarons order, there were sacramentes, with the whiche it pleased God to confirme (as I myght say, by puttyng his seale to them) the promises made of Chryst commyng. I knowledge & do graunt, that all these thynges be abrogated, neuer to be brought in agayne, for we beleue that Christ is alredye come, and not that he wyll come. And we haue other seales in Scripture delyuered to vs of Chryste hym selfe in the Gospell, bread, wyne, and water: therfore we neede not call agayne signes for this purpose vsed in the olde Testament. There were also in that lawe other signes & actions so ordeyned, that they could not be properly called Sacramentes, and yet they had some respect to comelynesse, to order, and to some commoditie. And these I iudge may be restored & retayned, as thinges agreeyng to the lyght of nature, and inducyng to some profitable vse. Who doth not see that the Apostles, to the intent they that beleued myght lyue more peaceably and quietlye, dyd commaunde the Gentyles to abstayne from bloud and strangled: And yet these thynges, without all doubt, were fetched frō the order of Aaron, if ye wyl comprehend generallye all thynges whiche was in the olde lawe. And there is none of vs ignoraunt, but that the tenthes was fetched from thence, which now in our dayes be appoynted to fynde the Ministers of the Church thorowout Christendome. You can not wel proue by the Scriptures of the new Testament, that Psalmes and Hymnes were songue in the Churche at publique seruice, which thyng yet appeareth most playnelye to be done in the olde Testament. I wyll here omit that Saint Ambrose in his exposition vpon the. xiiii. Chapter of [Page] the fyrst to the Corinthians sayth moste playnely: that the maner of prophesying whiche Paule teacheth, was deryued out of the Sinagoges, into our Churches. To these I could bryng foorth other thynges, and that not a fewe in number (yf tyme suffered me to consider diligently the matter) which our Church haue borowed out of Moses decrees. And that I may speake only of holy dayes, which we kepe in memory of our Lordes resurrection, byrth and death of Chryst, & Pentecost: shoulde we therfore abolyshe them, because they be the reliques of the olde law? You see, as I suppose, by all these thynges, howe that not all that pertayned to the Priesthood of Aaron, is so abolyshed, that nothyng of it maye be retayned or vsed of vs at these dayes. Nor here ye shal not by and by saye, that this is nothyng els but to open a wyndowe to all abuses, as to holy water, sensynges in the Churche, and to infinite suche other: For the aduersaries wyll strayght shape you this aunswere. Fyrst of all, that there must be limitted a measure in any case, as well of those that be reserued, as those that shalbe brought agayne into the Churche. And secondarylye, that no opinion or vertue of religion is at all to be attributed vnto them, contrarywise to that we see is done of the papistes in theyr holy water & sensyngs. Last of all, there must good heede be taken, lest our Christian libertie be brought into some daunger, which shoulde be, in ease yf yt such thyngs as be reserued or restored, be appoynted necessarye meanes for to obteyne saluation. For so are such thynges to be brought in agayne, or to be tollerated, that they be layde away when they appeare not to be put to good vse. And so it seemeth to me, we must do at this tyme with this diuersitie of apparell, accordyng as I declared my mynde before. For I woulde, and nowe wyshe, that they were layde asyde: but forsomuch as yet hytherto it hath not preuayled (vntyll better may be) I thynke we ought to beare them. And yf it pleased God, I woulde that the Churches of Germany myght redeeme theyr libertie with this one inconuenience, although I wishe by al meanes, that no superstuous thyng shoulde be forced vpon them. But let vs consider [Page] your other argument, that is to say: It is not lawfull to vse these kinde of vestures, because they were inuented of the popes tiranny. In this poynt I do not well perceyue howe it maye be affirmed for a suretie, that we can vse nothyng that perteyned to the Pope, and is vsed in popery. Truely, we must take good heede that we bryng not the Churche of Christ into such bondage, that it may not vse any thyng that the Pope vsed. It is very true, that our forefathers toke the temples of Idols, & turned them into holy Churches, where Christ should be worshypped: And they toke also the salarie and reuenues consecrated to the Idolles of the Gentyles, to theyr wicked shewes and playes, and to theyr holy votaries virgins, & transposed it to finde the Ministers of the Church: And yet all these thynges dyd not onlye seruyce vnto Antichrist, but vnto the deuyll. Yea the holy Ecclesiasticall wryters, dyd not sticke to take the Uearses of Poetes, which had ben dedicated vnto Muses, and to other diuers gods & goddesses, for to be played in playes, and spoken in shewes, to obteyne the fauour of theyr gods: I saye they dyd nothyng stycke or feare to vse them, when it seemed to them conuenient, imitatyng Paule the Apostle, who stocke nothyng at all to rehearse for his purpose Menander, Aratus, and Epimenydes, & that he did in intreatyng the holy Scripture, appliyng prophane wordes, to set forth gods religion. We reade also howe that Wyne was consecrated vnto Bacchus, Bread vnto Ceres, Water vnto Neptune, Oyle vnto Minerua, Letters vnto Mercury, Song vnto the Musis and vnto Apollo, and many other thynges Tertullian rehearseth in his▪ booke entituled de Corona militis Christiani, where almost he entreateth this selfe same argument. Yet for al that, we stycke not to vse all these thynges freely, aswell in holy, as in prophane vses, although at one tyme or other before, they had bē consecrated to Idolles and to deuyls. Howbeit, I wyll not graunt, that these diuersities of vestures haue their begynnyngesEuseb. li. iii. Cap. xxxi. of the Pope, forsomuch as I reade in the Ecclesiasticall Hystory, howe that John the Apostle wore at Ephesus, where he dwelled, a byshops apparell, tearmyng it, Petalum [Page] seu lamina Pontificalis. As touchyng Saint Ciprian the holye Martir, Pontius the Deacon writeth, that a litle before he shuld be beheaded, he gaue vnto hym that was appoynted to behead hym, his vesture called Birrus after he had put it of, & to the Deacons he gaue his other vesture called Dalmatica, and so stode in lynnen. Chrysostome maketh mention ofIn Math cap. 26. Hom. 83. ad popul. Ant. Hom. 60. the whyte vesture of the ministers of the Church. Moreouer, the auncient wryters declare vnto vs, that Christians when they came first vnto Christes religion, chaunged their apparell, and for a gowne they dyd put on a cloke, for the which cause when they were mocked of the Gentyles, Tertullian wrote a very learned treatise, De Pallio, that is to say, of a Cloke: Neyther, as I take it, you be ignoraunt, that a whyte vesture was wont to be geuen to them that were baptized. Wherfore it appeareth, that before the Popes tiranny ouerwhelmed the Church, there was some maner of diuersitie of apparell in the Church. But be it so, let them be the inuention of the Pope, as you woulde haue it: yet notwithstanding, for the respecte of the papisticall inuention in them, I can not be perswaded so muche impietie to be therin, that whatsoeuer it toucheth, it doth by and by so infecte and corrupt, that it cannot be lawfull for good and godly men to vse it Godly. I suppose, ye vnderstande what my iudgement is, eyther in reseruyng, or bringing in agayne the Moisaicall or papisticall rites.

Nowe that I haue briefelye gone ouer these two chiefe poyntes of your reasons, I come vnto that whiche ye also graunt: That all thynges inuented by man, be not forthwith to be reiected and condemned. For what is it els but mans inuention, that we communicate at the Lordes table, rather in the mornyng then when we haue dyned. It was also deuysed by man, that the value of such thynges as was to be deuyded in the primatiue Churche, were layde at the feete of the Apostles. I graunt with you, that these choyses of apparell do not of it selfe edifie: And yet for all that, other men wyll iudge it expedient that they be tollerated for a tyme, as though peraduenture by that [Page] meanes, these contentions wyll be auoyded, by which it is in hazarde lest greater benefites and more ample commodities be hyndered, and (as we see it falleth out) lest mennes myndes be withdrawen from the Gospell. I wyll not here saye, that they whiche stande to the defence of this matter, may pretende some honest and iust signification of the apparell, and that not dissentyng from the worde of God, which is this. The Ministers of the Church (as the prophete Malachy witnesseth) be Angels and Gods messengers: but Angels for the most part appeared, being clothed in whyte garmentes. I pray you, howe shall we debarre the Church of this libertie, that it can not signifie some good thyng, in settyng foorth theyr rites and ceremonies, especially beyng so done, that no maner of Gods honour is attributed vnto them, and that they be in sight comely, and in number few, and that Christian people be not with them ouerburdened, & matters of greater importaunce be omitted. Peraduenture you wyll say to me: Let Ministers of the Churche declare themselues to be Angels, & not represent Angels by signification. But Paule the Apostle might so haue ben aunswered, when he taught the Corinthians that it was meete that a woman shoulde haue her head couered, and a man his head vncouered, vrgyng it only in respecte of signification. For some man of the Church myght haue aunswered hym, saying: Let a man declare hym selfe to be head of his wyfe, and let a wyfe declare her selfe to be subiect vnto her husbande, not in signes, but in deedes and conuersation. But yet Paule iudged it a meete and a profitable thyng, that both of them, aswell the man as the woman, should be monished of theyr duetie by such a signe or action. For by such signes and meanes, we be stirred vp to do our office and duetie, for they bryng into our myndes that whiche is decent for vs to do. And yf hereby the weakelynges take an occasion of errour, let them be monyshed that they be but indifferent thynges, and let them be taught that no part of Gods honor and religion is placed in them.

Nowe, whether the eyes of them that be present, be turned [Page] cleane away from thynkyng of serious matters, because of the diuersitie of apparell, peraduenture euery man wyll not graunt it. Fyrst the aduersaries maye aunswere, that this shall not folow, yf such apparell be appoynted that, hath no gorgeousnesse, but is playne, and vsed before in the Church: For no man maruelles at those thynges that be dayly vsed, and of small value. Nay it is more like, that men beyng stirred with the reuerence of them, shall haue theyr cogitacions more attentiuely vpon serious thynges: for the externall partes of the sacramentes, seeme to be instituted to this ende, that we euen of the very fyght, and of our externe sensis, shoulde be inwardely moued to haue contemplation of diuine thynges. Neyther suppose I by and by a tiranny to be brought in, yf any thyng that is indifferent should be receyued into the Church to be done, and that many should constantly obserue the same. Nowe a dayes we do minister the Lordes supper in the mornyng, so that we wyll not receyue at al after dyner in the publique congregation. But who wyll say that this sauoureth of any tiranny, which we all do with one wyll and consent? Truely it woulde please me rather, (as I haue oftentymes rehearsed) that we shoulde only do those thynges that Chryste dyd, and Paule delyuered: but yf there be some indifferent thynges added, I woulde not nowe therefore greatly contende, especially forsomuch we see that they by whom the lyght of the Gospell is much aduaunced in England, and dayly may be more aduaunced, do take part agaynst vs. I graunt with you, that all which is not of fayth is synne: Neuerthelesse, that which is written of Saint Paule to Titus, seemeth greatly to serue for to ease and quiet the conscience, that is: AllTit. i. [...]. thynges are cleane to the cleane. And to Timothy: Euery creature is good. For it is not necessaryly required that we1. Tim. [...] shoulde proue euery particuler thyng which we vse, to be expressely mentioned in the Scriptures. It is enough generally to knowe this fayth: That indifferent thynges can not corrupt those that be of a pure mynde and sincere conscience in theyr doynges.

[Page]These thynges haue I briefely gathered together, as touchyng the controuersie whiche ye proposed vnto me, out of the which, I beseche God with all my hart, that ye maye shyft your handes well of. And I desyre you to take in good part that I haue written: for yf I coulde haue aunswered eyther more substancially or more playnely, I woulde haue satisfied your request to my power. But forbecause it is not graunted to euery man to wryte handsomely and redyly of these matters, you must needes pardon me. And assure your selfe further of this one poynt, that I am redy nowe and at all tymes to beleue the trueth, when I shall be otherwayes instructed. In the meane season, thynke ye not that this iudgement whiche here I haue declared vnto you, was but nowe fyrste perswaded vnto me. For euen from the begynnyng, synce that I applyed my selfe vnto the Gospell, my mynde was, that this difference of vesture shoulde be taken awaye: but yet so, that I dyd not iudge it of theyr owne nature eyther wicked, or pernitious. I beseche God almyghtie to preserue you safe & sounde with all your householde, through Chryst Jesus our Lorde.

Farewell.

At Oxforde, the fourth of Nouember. 1550.

Yours both in minde and spirite vvholly, Peter Martir.

Amplissimo domino et Colendissimo Symmistae Ioanni à Lasco.

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¶ The Lorde graunt vnto vs in these troublesome tymes of the Church, to begyn and finis he all things that offences and daungers be not encreased. Amen.

THe more diligently I weigh and consyder, both what fruite we may gather by this controuersie of vestures, & also what Sathan goeth about thereby to worke: I woulde haue wyshed before the Lorde, that it neuer once hadde ben spoken of, but rather that all men of our function had agreeably and stoutlye gone forwarde and continued in teachyng true repentaunce, the holsome vse of all thynges, yea in commendyng and puttyng on the apparell of saluation. I see in very many right honorable (alas I say) I see their marueilous diligence in abolishing Amelech, concernyng stones, stockes, vestures, & those thynges that be without vs: when in theyr deedes and whole lyfe they most styflye retayne the whole Amelech styll. I knowe also some that helpe forward this stryfe, so that in the meane tyme the chiefe and most necessary poyntes are lesse regarded & called vpon, that is: of remouyng sacrilegious persons from spoylyng of Churches: of prouydyng fyt ministers for euery paryshe: of the restoryng of discipline agayne. As for my part yf I thought those ceremonies and vestures were impure of them selues, I woulde not take vppon me in any wyse the office of a Byshop, vntyll by ordinary aucthoritie they were taken away. &c. But to the purpose. I thynke it not impartinent vnto this matter, that we all be admonyshed to take heede of Sathans accustomed sleyghtes, whereby he leadeth vs away from the care of necessary thynges, to the carefulnesse of those thynges whiche may be well let passe, and from the searchyng out of the true doctrine of Chryst, to [Page] induce vs to those things, wherin few can consent a like, & finally, by the which he kyndleth in diuers men a zele to purge those thynges which are without vs, thereby to neglect our inwarde deformities. And seyng whatsoeuer we do eyther in worde or deede, both priuately and publiquely, we ought to do it in the name of our Lord Jesu Christ, geuing thanks by hym to God the father: Surely it is our duetie, no lesse circumspectly to beware that we nether do nor leaue vndone any thyng, whereof we haue not sure or certayne auctoritie out of Gods worde, touchyng our actions and matters domesticall and Ecclesiasticall. It is alwayes & in all thynges synne, whatsoeuer is not of fayth of the certayne worde of God.

But to consider this question in it selfe. I haue, accordyng to my gyfte, weyghed your reasons, and yet I can perceyue no other, but that the vse of all externall thynges, aswell in holy ceremonies, as in priuate matters, ought to be left free to the Churches of God. I call that free vse, wherin godly men vse thynges created of God without any superstition, and to a certayne edifiyng of theyr fayth in Chryst. I veryly (as I haue confessed vnto you, and haue declared in deede vnto our countreymen) had rather that no kynde of vesture whiche the papistes vsed, were retayned amongst vs, and that both for the more full detestation of the Antichristian priesthood, and also for playner aduouchyng of Christian libertie: yea and to be shorte, for the auoydyng of daungerous contentions among the brethren, (though notwithstandyng I woulde haue the Ministers of Churches to vse sage vesture, and such whereby they myght be discerned from other men) but chiefely I woulde all the discipline of Christ to be in force among vs: Yet I can not be brought by any Scriptures (as farre as I see hytherto) to denye that the true Ministers of Christes Churche may vse without superstition, and to a certayne edification of fayth in Christ, any of those vestures whiche the Antichristians abused. For what shoulde let, but that the Churches maye vse that whyte vesture, or more vestures, to monyshe. vs [Page] precisely of that diuine benefite which he by the holy ministerie of the Church dealeth vnto vs, the benefite I saye of the lyght and dignitie of that heauenly doctrine: & by the which also the Ministers them selues may be the more myndfull of theyr offyce, and had both for it, and by the admonyshment of that outwarde token, in greater reuerence of the common people of the Churche. Whether we wyll or naye, we are compelled to confesse, that the insignes of them that beare publique offices, helpe somethinges to retayne and encrease the auctoritie of Magistrates and publique power, yf other thynges want not, by the which the true reuerence is geuen vnto them. For yf these thynges be not ioyned with those ensignes, they induce not a veneration, but rather the singuler detestation of them, who vnworthyly vse these notes of vertue. Signes in deede are signes, and not the thynges: yet how much they are able to admonyshe & moue the mynd (God geuyng the increase) he that obserueth, wyll wonder.

Wherefore, whereas otherwayes the true dignitie of Ministers is euident, & if any perticuler Church by publique iugement do consent vpon the retaining of certain vestures, only for the cōmendyng vnto vs of the gyftes of God which he geueth by the ministery of the Church, and for to put the yonger and ruder sort in mynde, without all superstition: Truelye I can not see why suche vse of vestures in suche a Church, may not serue to some commendation of the holye ministerie, and so consequentlye to the edification of fayth. For what let is there, but at this day they which are indued with the same spirite of faith, may vse a few signes as godly, as the auncient holy men haue vsed many? They had (you wyll say) expresse writing concerning the vse of their signes. I graunt, and in deede it made much touchyng the true vse of their signes. But in that God dyd commaunde the vse of those and many signes, we certaynly learne, that the vse of those signes may serue (he geuyng grace) to promote true religion, and that it hath none vncleannesse in it selfe, or superstition: neither can be by the abuse of the wicked so polluted, that it can not be healthful to godly men vsyng it godly. [Page] Nowe when as God by his worde hath sanctified all thyngs by our prayers, and hath made al thynges pure to the pure, what cause can we alleage out of the worde of God, to deny that god wyl not blesse such vse of signes (wherof we speake) that it should not be effectuous to that Church to some commendation of the ministery, and therof also to some edification of fayth? For howe can it be, but that he which promised to blesse all the workes of our handes whiche we take in his name, wyll denye his blessyng to these signes, seyng he hath no where forbydden such a vse of them as we haue expounded, and hath made vs Lordes of the Sabboth, and all other thynges of this worlde?

But yf we graunt that these thynges which I haue spoken concernyng the vse of such signes, may be: it is surelye the part of brotherly charitie, commaunded vs by God, to leaue such vse of suche signes in such a Churche, free, to the iudgement and conscience of that congregation, excepte we see an open abuse, eyther of superstition (as if these thynges were vsed as conteynyng in themselues some part of godly worship of themselues) or of contention (as if they displeased the greater and better part of the Church) or of gettyng of good wyll of some men, whom in these thynges we ought not to gratifie, because they therby go about to bryng a seruitute, vnworthy for Christian men.

It was euident at Saint Paules tyme, by the most cleare Scriptures of God, that the vse of dayes, meates, & al other externe thynges, was made free, and it was a sure token of infirmitie in fayth to doubt therof: yet the holy ghoste pronounceth, that such weaklinges ought to be receyued, not to the troublyng of their cogitations, and not to be contemned of the stronger in fayth, and that in these thynges it myght be graunted to euery one to be sure of his owne sense, seyng that the Lord had receyued these weaklynges.

Nowe if the holy ghost woulde haue men to yelde so much to them which were in a manyfest errour, inasmuch as they depended vpō him in the chiefest & necessary partes of sincere religion: what ought to be graunted to these concerning the [Page] free vse of external thinges whom we can not conuict of any errour by Gods worde? For howsoeuer I examine and expende those your two arguments (that is: They are the imitation of the Aaronicall priesthood, and the markes of Antichristes priesthood, and therfore ought to be eschewed of them that loue Chryst) yet that thyng whiche you woulde, is not hereby concluded. For to imitate Aarons ceremonies, is not of it selfe vitious: but only then when men vse them as necessarie to saluation, or to signifie that Chryste is yet for to come to take fleshe vpon hym.

For yf by no meanes it be lawfull to vse those thynges whiche were of Aarons Priesthood, or of the Gentyles, then is it not lawfull for vs to haue Churches, nor Holydayes. For there is no expresse commaundement by worde in the holy Scriptures of these thynges: It is gathered notwithstandyng, from the example of the olde people, that they are profitable for vs, to the increase of godlines, which thing also experience proueth. For any thing to be a note of Antichrist, is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe (for to that end nothyng was made of God) but it hangeth altogether of consentyng to Antichristes religion, and the professing therof. The whiche consent and profession beyng chaunged into the consent and profession of Christianitie, there can sticke in the thynges them selues, no note or marke of Antichristes religion. The vse of Belles was a marke of Antichristianitie in our Churches, when the people by them were called to Masses, and when they were rong agaynst tempestes: nowe they are a token of Christianitie, when the people by them are gathered together to the Gospell of Christ, and other holye actions. Why may it not then be, that the selfe same garment may serue godly with godly men, that was of wicked signification with the vngodly? Truely I know very many ministers of Christ, moste godly men, who haue vsed godlye these vestures, & at this day do yet vse them: So that I dare not for this cause ascribe vnto them any fault at all, muche lesse so heynous a fault of cōmunicating with Antichrist, for the whiche fault we may vtterly refuse to Communicate [Page] with them in Christ. The Priestes of deuils did celebrate in theyr sacrifices, the distribution of bread and the cuppe, as Iustinus Marter, and Tertullian make mention. What let is there, why we may not vse the same ceremonies also? you wyll say, we haue a commaundement of the Lorde touching this Ceremonie. Uery well. And by the selfe same it appeareth, that same thyng to serue among the children of God to the seruice of Christ, whiche the wicked abused in the seruice of Deuylles, yf the commaundement of Chryste be added thereto. But it is the commaundement of Chryst, that in our holy actions we institute and vse all thynges so, as comlynes and order be obserued, that fayth may be edified.

Nowe yf any Churche iudge and haue experience (such as I doubt not there are many this day in Germanie) that the vse of suche vesture bryngeth some commendation to the holy ministration, and thereby helpeth somwhat in the way of comelynes & order, to the encrease of fayth: what (I pray you) can be brought out of the Scriptures, why that Church is not to be left to her owne iudgement in this matter, neyther therfore to be contenmed, or to be called into question for her iudgement sake? That Church veryly will kepe in these thynges a meane agreeable to the Crosse of Christ, and wyll diligently attende, that no abuse crepe into it.

If therefore you wyll not admit suche libertie and vse of vesture to this pure and holy Churche, because they haue no commaundement of the Lorde, nor no example of it: I do not see howe you can graunt to any Churche, that it maye celebrate the Lordes supper in the mornyng, and in an open Churche especially consecrate to the Lorde: that the Sacraments may be distributed to men kneelyng or standing, yea, to women aswell as to men. For we haue receyued of these thynges, neyther commaundement of the Lorde, nor any example, yea, rather the Lorde gaue a contrary example. For in the euènyng, and in a priuate house he dyd make his supper, and distributed the Sacramentes, and that to men only, and sitting at the table. But it wyll be obiected, that in England many vse vestures with manifest superstition, & [Page] that they do noryshe and confirme in the people superstition. Euen so (it may be aunswered) very many abuse all this whole Sacrament, as also Baptisme and all other Ceremonies. Therefore let vs withstande this mischiefe, and vanquishe it vtterly. Wherevnto though it may be that the takyng away of vestures maye helpe somethyng, yet to dryue away all this mischiefe it wyl not suffise. Nay the Priestes them selues must be fyrst remoued, and in their roumes placed faythfull ministers in the kyngdome of Chryst, suche as be learned in deede and godly affected. To this therefore, to this I saye muste we chiefely endeuour our selues, that the hartes of the people may be purged by fayth, whiche fayth is fyrst begon and increased by the hearyng of the worde of God: this hearyng is brought by the preachers of the Gospell. Suche therefore let vs call for, and that there maye be store of them, let vs be earnest for reformation. Let there be a visitation of the vniuersities, whence many fyt ministers for Churches may be gotten. Let vs neuer ceasse to crye out agaynst that Sacrilege, that the fattest benefices are graunted to vnworthy men, in respect of their worldly seruice: that the paryshes are so miserablye vndone through papisticall sleyghtes and violence. These, these I say, are certaynely papisticall factes, agaynst these ought we chiefely to bende our force: but to be stoute and earnest against stones, stockes, vestures, and suche other thynges, which of them selues neyther bryng gayne, pleasure, nor honour, it is a very easie matter to the hearer and speaker, especially those that be discharged from papisticall superstition, for by the shakyng of suche thynges, great mens stomakes are not offended. But to remoue Churche robbers from the spoyles of Churches, and to do all thynges possible to this ende and purpose, that euery parishe may be prouided of conuenient ministers, and that Curates may haue sufficient for their sustentation, and to ayde them to the ful restitution of Christes discipline: This is a thyng of great moment: This is a harde thing to all them whiche are not able to say with Saint Paule: ForPhil. i. [...]. Christ is to me life, & death is to me aduauntage. And again, [Page] God forbyd that I shoulde reioyce, sauyng in the Crosse of our Lorde Jesus Christ, wherein the worlde is crucified to me, and I to the worlde. It pleaseth me ryght well, that all Antichristes trashe shoulde be remoued away, as farre as myght be. I meane not onlye his ensignes and markes, but all his steppes and shadowes in what thyng soeuer they seeme to stande, whether it be in stockes, stones, garmentes, or whatsoeuer other thyng els it be. But let vs endeuour our selues to banyshe fyrst the body and substaunce of Antichrist, and then after his ensignes, steppes, and shadowes. The body and substaunce of Antichrist, consisteth in the wicked destroyers and spoylers of Churches, by whose meanes, not onlye Christes discipline, but also all the whole doctrine is oppressed and put out of place.

When I consider these thinges, and agayne looke backe (as I ought to do) towarde the preceptes of the Lorde, and his examples: I wyshe with al my hart, that as many of vs as wyll be Chrystes folowers in deede, that euen so we earnestly go about to restore his kingdome, as the Lord himself went about to begin it, and that we seke it before all other thynges, and let the preachers in all doctrine & discipline instruct the people, & be suche who for our Lorde Chrystes sake & the preachyng of the Gospell wyll be redy to leaue all: and that by these mens ministerie we bryng the people to the kyngdome of Christ, and let vs appoynt to euery flocke their owne faythfull shepheard, who may labour no lesse to call agayne the true notes and markes of Christianitie, as to abolyshe vtterly the markes and notes of Antichristianitie, whiche I woulde wyshe so abolyshed, that there remayned not so muche as the memory of them in any mens hartes. But seeyng that this thyng can not be brought to passe, vnlesse Chrystes kyngdome be fully receyued, I woulde wishe that all we should to that ende bestowe al our strength, vnto the whiche worke, for as muche as we nede many workefelowes, I woulde wishe (with all such as truely loue the Lord Jesus) that we set apart all dissention, and ioyne in one perfect concorde, to endeuour our selues to set vpon the common [Page] aduersary. We see now beyng taught by the experience of so many yeres, that the Lord graunteth but to a fewe, to depart from that sentence which they haue once fastened them selues in, specially yf they haue also contended for the same: so that we shalbe inforced eyther to dissolue christian Cōmunion with many whō the Lord hath receyued, or els we must geue place one to another, to the intent that eyther of them may rest in their owne iudgement, though the other dissent. It is a very harde thyng in deede, yea to moste holy men, to denye them selues, and he is seldome founde among men, whiche would not be content rather to yelde in his patrimonye, then in the opinions of his witte. Nowe then where as we see almightie God to beare this our infirmitie in vs so mercyfully, fye on the hardnes of our hartes, yf the example of our Lorde and God can not encline & mollifie our hartes, to the lyke mercy and pacience. Wherefore I conclude, that we ought to take great diligent heede: Fyrst that we take not vpon vs straight way, to determine all questions as they rise, yea, let vs sturre none at al which throughly tend not to the kyngdome of Christ. Let vs acknowledge the weakenes of our wytte and iudgement. Let vs stande in feare of our naturall arrogancie, and our peuishe selfewill in our owne inuentions. All thynges necessary to saluation, are set forth vnto vs openly, dearely, & plenteously in the holy scriptures, and in the study and perfection thereof, euery one of vs wanteth very muche. Let vs labour then to fulfyll, and once to make vp our imperfection with godly studies. Of all other matters, let vs dispute most warely, let vs define most slowly or neuer, let vs contende at no time. If at any tyme through the craft of Satan, and our owne negligence, variaunce shal ryse in these thynges, let vs betyme leaue of from the same as soone as we can, by whatsoeuer way we may, or els let vs make some truse in them. Seldome is there any victory obtayned: yea neuer holsome victory gotten.

Hereby (most godly sir) you see vndoubtedly what is best to be done, both in this controuersie of vestures, and also of the libertie of other Ceremonies. I had rather then muche [Page] goodes this question had neuer ben moued: but nowe seeyng it is moued, I wyshe it to be geuen ouer and deferred to some other tymes.

These your two argumentes: It is a peece of Aarons Priesthood, and therfore contumelious toward Christ nowe exhibited, as then glorious, when he was to be exhibited. Secondarily, These are notes of Antichristianitie, and therfore not to be vsed of men geuen to Christianitie. These reasons (I say) conclude not in my iudgement, that whiche you toke in hande. For we borowe many thynges godlye from the orders of Aarons Priesthood, to the glory of Chryst nowe exhibited. So many thynges whiche the Antichristes haue made markes of theyr impietic, may be tokens of the kyngdome of Chryst, as the signes of bread and wyne, the water of Baptisme, the laying on of handes, preachynges, Churches, Holydayes, and many other thynges. Also these places of Scripture are of a great scope. The earth and the fulnes thereof is of the Lord, not of the Deuyll, not of Antichriste, not of the wycked. And agayne, the sonne of man isMath. xii. a. Lorde of the Sabboth, and the Sabboth is made for man,Mark. ii. d. and not man for the Sabboth: And all thynges are pure toTitus. i. d. the pure: And euery creature of God is good, nor can be defiled1. Tim. iiii. a. to good men, by the abuse of euyll men. The worde of God must be folowed in all respectes, aswell in our priuate actions, as publike. For all thynges are to be done in the name of the Lorde Jesu, and to the glory of God. Then such libertie as we graunt to our selues in our priuate vse of externall thinges, let vs not denye in publike. The true spirite of Christ goyng about to ouerthrowe Antichrist, ouerthroweth fyrst those thynges whiche are chiefe and peculier vnto him. For fyrst the spirite of Christ endeuoring the restitution of Christes kyngdome, restoreth first doctrine and discipline, which be the chiefe & peculier poyntes of Christes kingdome.

This colourable craft of Satan also must be taken heede of, by the which he bringeth to passe oftentymes, that eyther we recken those thynges sinnes whiche are no sinnes, and those that be sinnes in deede, we seeme not to regarde them [Page] in our selues: Or els agaynst those sinnes which our conscience defyne to be sinnes in deede, we vse no suche seueritie as we ought.

The Lorde graunt that you, ryght worshypfull frende, may religiously weygh these thinges. I knowe you seeke the glory of Christ, and I haue harde of you wherein I reioyce, that you are carefull of your iudgement, so that you dare not strayghtway recken the same for sure and certayne, though you seeme to folowe playnely the worde of God, thynkyng with your selfe that you are a man, and that you maye slyde out of the way.

Therefore I desyre and beseche you by the Crosse of the sonne of God, by the saluation of the Churches whiche are at this day ouerwhelmed with calamities, by the desired consent that we shoulde seeke to raigne in all Churches, by the peace that is in Christ Jesu: Agayne I desyre and beseche you, that you do nothyng rashely in this question of Ceremonies. You haue seene weake members in the Churches of Saxonie, you haue seene also many thinges for the which you geue God thankes. Let no man therfore except it be vppon great necessitie, cast of those, whom the Lorde hath so notablye taken to hym. O woulde to God the state of the Churches of Fraunce, Italy, Poleland, were brought to this poynte. Let vs in this Realme take most godly heede, that we further not vnawares the deuils intentes, who throweth in among vs sundry questions & controuersies: lest we should take in hande to handle the question of settyng forwarde the doctrine of the Gospell, and restoryng of discipline, and therby to remoue all Drones from Ecclesiasticall and scholasticall ministeries. This Sathan, when he can not retaine the order of Bishops wholly in seruice vnto hym, he goeth about vtterly to abolyshe this order, & by that occasion so to spoyle the Churches, that whyles due stipendes want, the holy ministeric may be committed to the vilest of the raskail people. Let vs take heede of these cogitations of Satan, and let vs withstande them as much as we can, by the power of the Lorde, and by no meanes vnaduisedly to helpe them forwarde. [Page] Fewe we are whiche sincerely professe the Lord Jesus, and none of vs there is, whiche is not oppressed with much infirmitie: therefore let vs receyue one another, as the Lorde hath receyued vs. Let vs yelde mutually one to another, as the Lorde hath yelde to vs, whiche sincere and dewtifull loue, if it beare stroke among vs, we shall be able with one spirite, & one mouth, & with our whole myght, to discomfyte the body & substaunce of Antichrist. And so afterwarde without any offence of the good, and with certayne edification of fayth among the chyldren of God, we maye bryng to passe the vtter defacing of all the markes, steppes, and shadowes of Antichrist.

O Lord Jesus, thou our onlye peacemaker, aswell with the father, as betwixt our selues, bannish out of our mindes whatsoeuer draweth vs in sunder, whatsoeuer darkeneth the clearenes of iudgement among our selues, whatsoeuer by any way hyndereth the absolute concorde in thy ministers in defence of thy kyngdome, and in destroying the tirannye of Antichrist. Powre into our mindes thy holy ghost, which may leade vs into all trueth, who graunt vs to see and take in hande all one thing: but fyrst of all that which is chiefest, whereby the strength of thy kyngdome may be restored vnto vs, and all thynges pertaynyng to Antichrist, may cleane be blotted out of all mens hartes and memory. The goodnes and loue of the sonne of God, for his infinite loues sake towarde vs, vouchsafe to geue vs these thinges, to the glory of his name, to the saluation of his elect, and that the wycked say not styll, where is theyr Christ.

Amen.

Deditissimus tibi in domino Martinus Bucerus.

§

¶ Imprinted at London in Powles Churchyarde by Richarde Iugge, Printer to the Queenes Maiestie. Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.

Edition statement

1566

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A68023

ID [STC]

STC 10387

ID [STC]

ESTC S101661

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99837469

ID [PROQUEST]

99837469

ID [VID]

1791

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A68023)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 1791)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 181:03, 341:31)

Source

— A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie., Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575., Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551., Vermigli, Pietro Martire, 1499-1562., Hooper, John, d. 1555..

Extent

[84] p.

In Powles Churchyarde by Richarde Iugge, printer to the Queenes Maiestie,. [Imprinted at London :: [1566]]. (Sometimes attributed to Matthew Parker.) (A reply to: Crowley, Robert. A briefe discourse against the outwarde apparell and ministring garmentes of the popishe church.) (Includes a letter from John Hooper.) (Place of publication and printer's name from colophon; publication date from STC.) (Signatures: *-6*⁴ 7*² A-D⁴.) ("Doctissimo viro D. Martino Bucero theologiæ in academia Cantabrigiensi professori regio, Thomas Cantuariensis" begins on A1r.) (Identified as STC 3962 on UMI microfilm reel 181.) (Reproductions of the originals in the Bodleian Library and the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.) (Appears at reel 181 (Bodleian Library copy) and at reel 341 (Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery copy).)

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