The Plea of the Innocent, Chapter 5
Cap. 5.
This teacheth that the renowned Fathers and other Prelates of the Church of England, ſtanding for conformitie (ſuch as vnfainedlie doe fauour the preſent eſtate of the Church, and doe faithfullie hold and beleeue the true religion and faith of Chriſt, maintained by publike authoritie among vsus) are one and the ſame, with the godlie Miniſters & people, who deſire reformation of ſome things in the Eccleſiaſticall ſtate. 1. Becauſe they may diſagree in ſome things and yet be faithfull brethrē. 2. This life afoordeth not abſolute & vnchangeable vnitie. 3. They agree in all ſubſtantiall pointes of our Church, as it agreeth with holie Scripture. 4. God by perſecution can make them indeed to appeare to be one.
THIS argument ſeemeth to bee a ſtrange paradoxe, a matter not to be beleeued, or hoped for; if we remember how greatlie mens affections hauehave bene alienated, and their countenances eſtranged, and now more then euer.
1. How be it; it is alſo a falſe poſition, to ſay:Faithfull brethren may diſagree. that hote diſcord ſhould not light ſometime betweene friends. Who more neerlie ioyned in chriſtian faith and louelove, then▪ Paule and Barnabas, Act. 15.37.3…and I thinke no man will aduenture to ſay that they were not alwaies of one faith and louelove in Chriſt Ieſus, and in their ioynt laboures to further the Ghoſpell: yet fell there out an hotte contention betweene them, where neither yeelding to other, they ſeparated one from another. Yet to declare their vnſeparable vnitie, Saint Paule doeth giuegive honourable teſtimonie of Barnabas, 2. Cor. 9 6. Gal. 2.9.concerning their vnited office and laboure in the Ghoſpell. So doe I finde that all our beſt learned writers, doe prooue the vnion of all the reformed Churches; although in ſome things there be happelie ſome difference betweene them. And namelie in this preſēt cauſe I remember Maiſter D. Fulk hath theſe words: Alſo the contention of thoſe whome hee calleth Puritanes in Englande is not ſo great, nor about ſo great matters, that anye ſuch deuiſion is to bee feared which might cauſe diſolation of the kingdom: In his reten. again. Briſtow. mot. 47 in 50. deman. Pag. 129.Adde hereunto that Briſtow ſaid in the 40. motiue, that the Proteſtants in England, be in a maner in heart, al Puritans; whereby he confeſſeth againſt himſelfe, that there can bee no deadlie contention betweene them that in hart are all one. Therefore I hope, as that reuerend Father Bb. Iewell calleth Luther and Zuinglius worthie members and learned Fathers of Chriſts church:Reply to Harding, Artic. 8. of adoring, deuiſ. 17. pag. 396. who diſagreeing of the maner of Chriſtes preſence in the Sacrament: He affirmeth that, otherwiſe their whole he artes were ioyned and bent together to the diſcloſing of falſhood and hypocriſie, and to the aduauncing of Gods glorie ſo the contention betweene vsus, being onelie about ceremonies & maner of gouernement, we are all of one faith, one Baptiſme, one bodie, one ſpirit; hauehave alone Father & Lord: and be al of one heart, againſt all wickednes, ſuperſtition, idolatrie, hereſie: and we ſeeke with one Chriſtian deſire, the aduauncement ſo the pure religion, worſhip and honour of God▪ We are Miniſters of the worde by one order, we adminiſter praiers & Sacraments by one forme: wee preach one faith and ſubſtance of doctrine: we reioyce both of her Maieſties happie gouernement & the freedome of the Goſpell, and are profeſſed enemies, to all her enemies, & to the enemies of Gods truth and Ghoſpell. In writing againſt errors, and diſputing againſt Papiſtes, we hauehave bene all one. I preaching her M. ſupremacie & confuting Popiſh primacie and in calling men from ſinne & diſobedience, to ſerue God and her M. we hauehave beene all one: And ſhall men thinke that this vnhappie diuiſion, ſhall ſeuer vsus for euer? God forbidde.
This life with out conſtant vnitie.2 And here, me thinks, I cannot but murne, to think vpō mans frailtie: our ignorance, ſelf-louelove & deſire to preheminence, many times, caſteth vsus headlong into bitter diſſention. While men are loftie to acknowledge their ouerſights, & therefore labour to keep their eſtimation, by maintayning an errour: they cauſe much diſturbance to themſelues, with little credite among wiſe & faithful men: & by ouerſtrayning them ſelues, to ſhadowe ouer mens vpright cauſe, they ſtirre vp much gar-boile & confuſion in the Church of God. And it is not ſo eaſilie ſtayed, as it is vnaduiſedlie begun. Therefore it is verie wiſelie ſaid of Solomon: The beginning of ſtrife is as one that openeth the waters, therefore ere the contention be medled with▪ leaue of. Prou. 17.14.Such doe we read to be the ciuil warre of the primitiue Church, about Arius, which is well known to hauehave continued many yeares, and to be the death of many a faithfull Chriſtian. Of which Socrates Scholaſticus writeth, that in the very beginning it grew ſo hott,Eccleſ. Hiſtor. lib. 1. Cap. 6. with ſuch diuiſion among the Biſhoppes and alſo among the people; inveying with ſuch ſpitefull & opprobrius tearmes one againſt another, that it became ſo haynous & ſhamefull, & into ſo lamentable a plight: that the Chriſtian Religion was openly derided of all men, euen in the publike theaters & ſolemne ſpectacles. And ſuch was the contention of Epiphanius and Iohn Chryſoſtome, both worthy Biſhoppes.Lib. 6. Cap. 12.13 14. Yea euen in the very infanſie of the church, that no man ſhuld ſtumble at our contention, as if it were a new thing, when the bleſſed Apoſtles by a moſt excellent and perfite ſpirite, planted the ghoſpel: this humaine fraltie did ſhew it ſelfe verie greatlie. For what thinke you was the cauſe of that ſolemne councill at Hieruſalem Act. 15. & what was the occaſion of the Epiſt. of Paule to the Romanes, Corinthians, Galathians, Philippians, Coloſſians, &c: doe they not bewraye merueilous greate weaknes, exceeding great contention? ſome holding of Paul & ſome of Cephas, ſome going to Law, and ſome contending about meate & holy dayes: ſome ſtriuing for circumciſion and the Lawe of Moyſes; other denying the reſurrection of the bodie; others iuſtification by faith onelie; others brought in the worſhipping of Angels and other will worſhipp and volutarie religion of men: in ſo much that it coſte great labour and ſweat vntounto the Apoſtles and faithfull Miniſters, to hold vp the Church, & to keepe it aliue in the verie birth thereof. So great were the waters of contention, cōming out of the dragons mouth by the abuſe of mans weaknes. And this I obſerue both in writings & diſputations of our forefathers of the primitiue ages of the Church, & alſo in theſe latter daies: that it is a very rare thing, to find any writer, thogh he be learned, wiſe, & ſober: who in his apologeticall writting, can keepe himſelfe pure from al gaule & bitternes.Few writers without bitternes. For the vehement deſire to defende that he vndertaketh, manie times maketh him to ſway beyond the mark, & his penn to breath out filthie ſmoak and vnſauorie. There are manie prettie and wittie thinges, which are founde in the ſtuddie of humane learning: & in theſe men of great learning, hauehave manie times delight: ſo that when they are in writing of an argument or anſwer, there falleth in ſome fine ironie, or cloſe quib by alluſion, & ſometime a bitter ſarcaſme, before they be aware: which whē it is red of the aduerſe part, it raiſeth many hott humors & vnſeemly retaliatiōs; which not only hinder the light, oftētimes of a good cauſe; but alſo maketh ſuch a breach as will hardlie bee repaired againe in manie yeares. And heere (mee ſeemeth) I am taken priſoner, and locked vp in a darke and doleſome place, to weep & mourne, to cry and howle, for the miſerable eſtate of mankinde thorough ſinne. How manie ſtumbling blocks are caſt in the way of fooliſh,This contention a plague for Atheiſts, ignorant, and peeuiſh Atheiſts, who refuſing the way of truth, hauehave ſtrong deluſions of Satan to make them beleeue lyes. Yet doth God turne all theſe contentions too good,God turneth it to the good of his elect. and his diuine prouidence maketh them profitable to his Church, & namelie for the elect: as it is written, There muſt be hereſies, euen among you, that they which are approued among you, 1. Cor. 11.29.may be knowen. And this profit hath the Church by the primitiue contentions, that in cleare & plaine Scripture we ſe manie things taught, as namelie, The Chriſtian libertie, The doctrine of iuſtification, & the riſing of the dead, and diuers other waightie points: which I can not tell, if they woulde hauehave beene, otherwiſe ſo fully, largelie & ſo plainlie written, that we may know the louelove, and power & wiſdom of our merciful father, to ouerſway the mightie labours of Sathan which are againſt the Church, to the good of Gods faithfull people. Therefore the Apoſtle is bold to ſay in the like caſe: I knowe that this ſhall turne to my ſaluation. And againe: We know that all things worke together for the beſt vntounto them, that louelove God. The conſideration of this might teach ſome men, to looke vponupon themſelues, and watch ouer their owne corruption, to keepe it vnderunder, that they giuegive no offence: other might learne not to ſtumble at the truth for ſuch a cauſe which cannot bee altogether auoided. And we of our time & countrie, might vnderſtand, that we are not by and by ſeuered into two religions, or broken of from being Chriſtian brethren, beecauſe ſome hote contention hath bene kindled among vsus. For then we might ſay, that Friers, Monkes, Seminarie Prieſts & Ieſuites, are not Papiſts; yea that Popes, Cardinalls, and other their great Prelates are no Papiſtes, becauſe thoſe hauehave ſtirred vp among themſelus moſt deadlie warre, & other maner of diuiſion, ſchiſme, ſlaughter, and miſerie then euer (by the grace of God) is likelie to be a mong vsus.
3 And to deale plainely, I can not ſee that the matter betwene vsus is ſuch that either they doe or can make a thorowe breach,No matters to ſeparate Gods children for euer. betweene the children of God. For what ſo euer is (agreeing to holye ſcripture) properlie & eſſentially of our religion & profeſsion of the Church of England, and what ſo euer is properlie & naturallie belonging to the miniſterie, by the rule and deſcription of holie Scripture, maintained by the reuerend Fathers & other Prelats of our Church ſtanding for conformitie: we the Miniſters & people, who ſeeke reformation, doe hold & profeſſe the ſame. As namely the doctrine of faith & of the Sacraments, and that the booke of common prayer may bee vſed in the chiefe ſubſtance thereof, and that the Miniſter of the word ought to preach. &c. Therfore in regarde of the maine grounds of religion & of the miniſterie & ſeruice of God we are all one. Nowe the thinges which we deſire to be reformed, & they ſtande earneſtlie to maintaine, are but acceſſorie additamentes, brought into the Church by humane conſtitution: as the reading of Apocripha, Prieſtly garmentes, the croſſe in Baptiſme, Sacramentall ſignification to Matrimony & Confirmation, Lordſhip & ciuill iuriſdiction in Biſhops, execution of Diſcipline by chauncellors, cōmiſſaries, and officialls: then in other chief Prelates, Deanes, Prebends, Archdeacons, non-reſidence, pluralities, totquotts, & the bare reading miniſterie, and ſuch like. If all theſe or any of theſe be the holye plantes, which God hath planted in his Church, then hauehave we done ill to ſpeak or write againſt them. But if they bee ſuch, as being cleane taken away (as we verely think) the religion,The things in controuerſie taken a way: the Church is whole & entire: and no hurt to the Church or Biſhoppes to depart from them. faith, adminiſtration of Chriſt & the true worſhip of God, as it is now in the Church of England, might & vvould remaine vvhole & entiere vvithout them: then doubtles are vve all one, according to Chriſt Ieſus, in thoſe thinges, vvhichwhich in duetie & conſcience toward God, vve ought of neceſsity to ſaluation to agree in one: although the outwarde appendants make vsus ſeeme to differ one frō another. There be two brethren, one vveareth a Babylonitiſh garment, & is attired in all thinges like vntounto them vvhichwhich inhabit the Eaſterne climate; & the other goeth in the good & wholeſome clothes, that a Yeomen or citizen of England vſually doth: both theſe being borne of one father & in one countrie, being of one language and houſe, ſhal men ſay that they are not brethrē, if they agree in all naturall thinges, ſauing that one of them hath gottē ſome new faſhions? And if the other deſire his brother to goe after his owne cuntrie faſhion, are they ſtraight vvaies enemies? Conſider I humblie beſeech you moſt deare & reuerend fathers & brethren the foundatiō of theſe things, for vvhichwhich you ſtand, and vveigh vvith your ſelues, that the departing from theſe things will bee no hinderance to you nor to the church of God. Firſt you know that the holy Scriptures are ſufficiēt to make the man of God perfect & abſolute vntounto all good workes:2. Tim. 3. if we grant you, whatſoeuer the Lord Chriſt hath granted in his holy written word, what iniurie doe we offer to the church or to your miniſterie? This you knowe that neceſsity is laid vponupon vsus to preach the Ghoſpell,2. Cor. 9. and vvoe is vntounto vsus if we preach not the ghoſpell: if we be ſuters that all the miniſters ſhoulde doe this & ſo avoide Gods curſe, doe we deſire their hurt?2. Cor. 10. you know that Chriſts kingdome is ſpirituall, if then theſe thinges (which we deſire vvere remooued) bee carnall, & the weapons of the carnall man, you ſhall leefe nothing to put off the earthlie & carnal & to keep onelyonly that vvhichwhich is ſpirituall. You know the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt,2. Cor. 8.9. Philip. 2. that he being rich for your ſakes, became poore that ye thorow his pouertie might bee made rich, yea hee made himſelfe (for duplicate page duplicate page our ſaluation) of no reputatiō, & tooke on him the forme of a ſeruant, &c. Hee humbled himſelfe & became obedient to the death, euen to the death of the croſſe: vvhat hurt I beſeech you, would it bee vntounto you or to the Church if for his ſake, you did in ſome ſort follow his example, and hauing the ſame minde which hee had to let goe ſome of theſe outward things to maintaine peace & to feede the flock of God, for which he gaue his owne blood?Math. 2. Chriſt by humbling himſelfe became one with vsus, & our Emmanuell: And why ſhoulde theſe humaine acceſſories diuide vsus his ſeruants & members, that we ſhould not be one among our ſelues, which ſo manifeſtly are one in him, in faith in him, in profeſsing of his word, & in the worſhip of his name: The Apoſtles forſooke all to follow Chriſt,Mat. 9.27.28. and they followed him in the regeneration; & namely S. Paul made this choiſe, with his own hands to miniſter to his neceſſities, & to make himfelf a ſeruant to all men, Act. 20. 1. Cor. 9.thogh he were free frō al men, & ſo to leefe ſome parte of his right, that he might make the Ghoſpell free. I beſeech you conſider whether you hauehave done ſo, and that if you did in ſome part follow him heerein as he followed Chriſt, whether their would not be a moſt bleſſed & ioyfull vnitie amongſt Gods labourers, and a more excellent & merueilous freedome of the preaching of heauenly peace.
4 If theſe arguments maye not yet make it manifeſt, that wee are one, or ought to ſtriue to bee one: there is yet one other argument vvhichwhich is very demonſtratiue, & cannot be denyed, but that is not in man to frame. Perſecution, perſecution: when it hath ſtripped vsus out of all thoſe humane deuiſes & outward things, and Gods rodde hath made vsus equall and taught vsus to bee ſpirituall: then will it be knowne that we are all one (I meane ſuch as are not hypocrits nor falſe brethren) that we are brethren and members one of another, & Chriſt onelyonly the head: Then ſhal we learne to ſay one to another,Act and monuments. pag. 1431. print. 1576. * Now my deare brother, for aſ much as I vnderſtand, that wee throughlie agree and wholy conſent together in thoſe thinges, which are the groundes and ſubstantiall points of our religion, againſt the which the worlde ſo furiouſly rageth, in theſe our dayes: howſoeuer in times paſt in certaine by-matters & circumstances of religion, your wiſedome & my ſimplicitie (I graunt hath a little iarred, each of vsus following the aboundance of his owne ſenſe & iudgement: nowe I ſay, be you aſſured, that euen with my whole heart (God is my witneſſe) in the bowelles of Christ, I louelove you in the trueth, and for the truthes ſake, which abideth in vsus; & as I am perſwaded, ſhall by the grace of God, abide in vsus for euermore. And becauſe the world, as I perceiue, brother, ceaſeth not to play his pageant, and buſilie conſpireth against Christ our Sauiour with all poſsible force & power, exalting hie thinges againſte the knowledge of God: let vsus ioyne hands together in Chriſt: & if we can not ouerthrow, yet to our power, & as much as in vsus lyeth, let vsus ſhake thoſe hie altitudes, not with carnall, but with ſpirituall weapons, &c. I pray God open our eyes to ſee & conſider in time, of this matter, and to frame our hearts vntounto thoſe things, which concerne peace, that we may walke as ſpirituall men, and not as carnall: and caſting awaye all deſire of vaine glory, wee may ceaſe to prouoke one another, and neuer to enuie one another.