Sermon 17 November 1599, Apology · Part 1 – Part 2
THE STATE OF THE QVESTION.
1 Whether the ſacred ſolemnities at theſe times yearly celebrated by the Church of England the 17. of November, commonly named (QVEENE ELIZABETHS HOLY DAY) bee repugnant to the immaculate inſtitutions of the law of God, and to the reverend and Chriſtian conſtitutions of the holy Catholique Church?
2. Whether the triumphs vndertaken and performed at Courte that day …onfires, r…nging of bels, diſcharging of Ordinance at the Tower of London in the honour of the Queene, and other ſignes of ioy then vſually and wilingly exhibited by the people of our Land to expreſſe their vnfaine a louelove to hir Maieſtie, be laudable, convenient, and in their owne natures tollerable in a Chriſtian Common-wealth?
The Adverſaries holde the Negatiue as it hath appeared, and doth appeare by ſpeeches, and writings: we hold and teach the contrary to thē heerein: but becauſe a bare Aſſertion is not of ſufficient validity to decide a matter controverſial, & a bare Negatiue is not of it ſelfe in ſuch a caſe a ſound & ſufficient anſwer without the reaſon of our Negatiue; Cic. 1. de Natura De. orum. Ipſe dixit. Turpe eſt philoſopho aliquid dicere ſine ratione, quātò magis Theol.and ſince Pythagaras his foreign is not a grounde ſure inough in controverſies now a daies for the opponent to vſe, or the Adverſarie to relie vppon, without other probable and ſufficient reaſons; the particular and ſincere alleadging of our Adverſaries obiections, and the allation of our anſwers, wil eaſilie demonſtrate who maintaine the vndoubted truth, and who deale ſophiſtically, maliciouſly, vntruely.
And becauſe in cuſtome of Schooles oppoſitions ordinarilie are precedent to ſolutions: In places of iudgment, accuſations are accuſtomably heard before defences; plaintifes informe, before defendantes put in their anſweres; I will firſt lay downe what exceptions our Adverſaries take againſt the ſolemnization the 17. of November in this Realme performed; who be the accuſers in this action, & what manner of perſons they bee that hauehave picked this quarrell, with what …ile their weapons hauehave beene ſharpdened, in what mould they hauehave beene caſt, on what anvilde they hauehave beene hammered.
The Accuſers.
I finde in this Action foure accuſers, three of them of our owne nation,O…om. in Macchab. the fourth by profeſſion a Ieſuite, or as they call themſelues of the Society of Ieſus, borne in Lorayne as he ſaith himſelfe,Sand. de ſchi…m pa. 302 303. Ra…n in Calu. Iui… Lib. 2. Pag 347. Cap. 18. by name Nicolaus Serrarius. The Engliſh men are Nicolas Sanders in his booke de ſchiſmat… Pag. 302.303. William Raynolds in Cal. Turc. Lib. 2. Pag. 347. Cap. 18. according to theſe additions in which they are now printed, the third alſo, which I take to be an Engliſh man, I terme Anonymall, becauſe thoſe things that he hath obiected come to me but at the ſecond hand, and by the reference of ſome other, the authour remaining Individuum vagum. But becauſe Sanders, Reynolds, & Serrarius are holdē men of greater reputation for opiniō of learning, varietie of reading, and laborious penning, by them that preferre Babylon before Syon, the traditions of men before the heavenly inſpired and purified word of light and life; I will eſpecially inſiſt in this diſcourſe vponupon ſuch accuſations, as they hauehave deviſed, contrived, vttered, and ſet abroach in the world.
Accuſation.
The Church and common wealth of England tranſgreſſeth againſt the lawes, and offendeth againſt the ſacred practiſes of the holy Catholique Church, and by the iſſue thereof againſt God, in that it ſolemnly celebrateth the 17 of November, and ordeineth it to be a holy day, or day ſacred by church-ſervice to the honour of Queene Elizabeth.
The triumphes at Courte, and other ſignes of ioy that day vſually exhibited by the people of the Land, are fooliſh, ridiculous, meere heatheniſh, and actions that ſavoure of nothinge elſe but meere …latteries &c.
The ſumme of theſe accuſations, and the ſubſtance of theſe exclamations which they hauehave vſed in this debatement, may be reduced breiſely to theſe heads, & conveniently digeſted after this manner.
Obiections appertaining to the fi…ſt generall head.
The repugnancy of theſe ſolemnizations and celebrities to Gods holy word, and the conſtitution of the holy Church, they hauehave endevoured to proue after this ſorte.
Such publique offices of any church that cannot bee warranted by Gods holy word, that hauehave neither preſidēt therein to patronage them, not any good conſequent out of ſcripture; which alſo hauehave neither decree, Canon, nor conſtitution of the holy catholique church, neither any approued teſtimony of any hiſtory, or of holy Father, are meere vnlawfull, ſcandalous, and merite aboliſhing.
But the ſolemnization & celebrity now yeerely vſed in the church of England the 17. of November cannot be warranted in ſuch ſort, as it is required in the premiſes of the Maior.
Ergo The ſolemnization and celebrities now yeerelie vſed in the church and common-wealth of Englande the 17. of November are meere vnlawfull, ſcandalous & merite aboliſhing.
All church-ſervice, wherein all glory and honor is not giuen to God alone, wherein the office of the B. Virgin the mother of God is neglected, brought into contempt, or wilfully omitted, is meere ſcandalous, impious, and intollerable.
But the Eccleſiaſtical ſervice ſome daies vſed at theſe ſeaſons in the church of England is of this nature and qualitie.
Ergo the Eccleſiaſtical ſeruice ſome daies vſed at theſe ſeaſons in the church of England is meere ſcandalous, impious, and intollerable.
That church ſervice which worketh among Chriſtian people, any neglect, contempt, or forgetfulnes of any one Sainte canonized by the church according to that order which the Romane Conſiſtorie hath preſcribed, is not alowable.
But the ſolemnization of Q. Elizabeths holy day worketh among Chriſtian people neglect &c. of a Sainte canonized, namely of Sr. Hugh, ſometime Biſhop of Lincolne.
Ergo the ſolemnization of Q. Elizabeths holy day is not alowable.
That church ſervice, and thoſe exerciſes and diſports that are materially fooliſh, meere paraſiticall, and ſp…ced with flattery, which reduce men backe againe to the fearfull abomination of heatheniſh Idolatrie, longe ſince caſt downe and conſounded and hiſ…ed out of the worlde by the light of the glorious Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, are not to be tollerated in any Chriſtian common-wealth.
But the church-ſervice and exerciſes now yerely vſed in Englande are of the nature ſpecified in the Maior.
Ergo the church-ſervices and exerciſes now yeerely vſed in England the 17. of November are not to bee tolerated in any Chriſtian common-wealth.
The obiections that appertaine to the ſecond generall head.
Wheras they preſuppoſe we wil deny it, that the church of Englande preſcribeth that day to be obſerued as an holy day, they labour to proue by theſe cavils enſuing that our denial herein is meerly vnture, and contradicteth our own decrees preſcriptions, and approbations.
Thoſe daies vntounto which we giuegive all the ſignes of holie daies, or the maior part, muſt needes be obſerued for holy daies by vsus, according to that Maxime of the Logicians: The denomination followeth the whole, or the Maior part.
But the daies of Queene Elizabeths Coronation, & Nativity hauehave all the ſignes of holy daies:
Ergo the daies of Q. Elizabeths Coronation & Nativity are obſerved for holy daies by vsus.
2 Thoſe daies muſt needs be reputed holy daies by vsus, which we obſerue with greater devotiō & more religiouſly thē the chiefe holy daies of the whole year. But we obſerue the daies of the Queenes Coronation and Nativity with greater devotion & more religiouſly then the chiefe holy daies, namely, then Chriſts Nativity, and then the day of his Aſcenſion.
Ergo the daies of the Queenes Nativity & Coronation muſt needs be reputed as holy daies by vsus.
The ſumme & ſubſtāce of al their obiectiōs, that I hauehave ſeene or heard, are concluded in forme dialectical in theſe premiſes: it remaineth now that I ſhould examine them, anſwer thē, & refel thē, as far forth as, God ſhal enable me: which thing I wil indevour to performe by Gods grace by trying thē vponupon approued touchſtones, by waying thē in indifferent ballances, & by bringing them vntounto the light which diſcovereth & proveth al, Ioh. 3.20. wherein I will labour by the fire of Gods word, to ſever gold from braſſe, ſtubble & hay frō pretious ſtones: & wil do my beſt by the teſtimony of ancient approoued learning, to deale herein like as the Eagle, who willingly nouriſheth ſuch yōg ones & acknowledgeth thē to be her own which cā look on the Globe of the Sun without winking, or any impeaching of the chriſtaline humor of the eie, excluding the other out of his neſt as haggards, baſtards, and misbegotten.
By the premiſes the readers may eaſily perceiue vponupon what tearmes our accuſers ſtand in this debate, vponupon what complots their accuſations hauehave beene contrived, vvith what cunning bitterneſſe and diſdaine their diſcourſes heerein hauehave beene compiled. Novv it remaineth (Gentle Reader) that thou ſhouldeſt vvith as greate equitie and indifferency liſten to the anſwers enſuing, and to the ſincere Apology by which the ſclaunder of theſe accuſations ſhall eaſily (by the grace of God) bee confuted;Plut. vite. Alex. hoping that thou haſte reſerued with Alexander the other care for the defendant; I briefly enter to the matter, propoſing that ſentēce of K. Salomon to my ſelfe to follow,Prov. 15. deſirous to performe al things with good adu…ce & meditatiō Cor iuſt… meditatur quod respondeat, eſpecially becauſe I hauehave vndertaken heerein to defend the credite of our Eccleſiaſticall government, and the honour of this flouriſhing & mighty kingdome concerning this action.
Intentio.
The ſolemnities and celebrities performed the 17. of November in the State & cōmon-wealth of England &c. are things meere vnlawfull, ſcandalous, evill, not to bee tolerated, pernitious, iniurious to Gods glory, and to his Saints, fooliſh, meere paraſiticall, and ſuch as open a windowe to reduce into the worlde againe heatheniſh abomination.
I require a reaſon of this Minor: It is evident that this celebrity is of this nature, ſay o…r accuſers. Firſt becauſe this office of the church of England hath no warrant out of Gods word, wherevpon the Proteſtants in all their diſputations and writings doe accuſtomedly relye, and entirely make their demurre vppon, as their ſoules ſole anchor either expreſſiuely or by the way of neceſſary illation and good conſequence &c. beſides that it cannot bee maintained by any ſoūd Canon of the Catholique church neyther by any teſtimony approued of any of the holy Fathers, neither by any good practiſe of any Chriſtian common-wealth. I beſeech thee (godly and indifferent Reader) patiently to examine each member of this accuſation, beginning with the firſt heade alleadged in the Maior, the other partes of the premiſes by Gods grace, ſhall either in the ſequele of the firſt generall heade, or in the parts of the ſecond generall head be faithfully examined, opened, diſcuſſed, and debated.