Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 14
#Sect. 14. The calumnie of leauing the miniſtrie, is anſwered, & the ignorants and others, who ſubſcribe, to abide in the miniſtrie, are by the way, chalenged & convicted.
THirdly, it is a ieſte that we leaue our miniſteries: whom Angels, men, & all the world ſee thruſt out againſt our wills.aDecret pa. 2. cauſ. 15. que. 1. c. 10 Nō habent crimen quae inferuntur, reluctantibus: and what can there be more againſt our harte then the loſſe of that which is the comfort of our liues:bAuguſt. epiſt. 204. Quis neſcit nec damnari hominem niſi merito malae voluntatis, nec liberali niſi habue…it bonam voluntatem. hauehave we a good will to goe out of our miniſterie? So hauehave we to goe to Golgotha too. indeed we are in Ambroſe his cauſe.cDecret. p. 2 cauſ 25. que. 8. c. 3. Fugere & relinguere Eccleſiam non ſoleo, reſiſtere nec poſſum, nec debeo. for vnleſſe our Oppoſites would hauehave vsus reſiſte, thereby to ſhewe our ſelues willing to keepe our miniſterie, I ſee not what they can require more then we hauehave done, what goodlie meanes hauehave we omitted which are lawful for vsus in the feare of the Lord? hauehave we not ſued & that with teares? hauehave we not written & that with inuincible reaſons? HaueHave we not made our appeales which againſt all equitie are bardd? hauehave we not alſo kept poſſeſſion vntill by force we hauehave bene pulled out? but wee will not conforme to ſtay in? No, nor to be preferred neither, which hath bene offered vntounto ſome of vsus, who thinke it our dutie to reply with Beneuolus: dCarol. Sygon. de occidental. Imper. lib. 9. fol. 200.Quid mihi pro impietatis mercede, altiorem promittis gradum? hunc ipſum quem habeo auferte dum integram fidei conſcientiam tuear. this ſpoken Protinus Cingulum ante pedes Imperatricis abiecit. which though we imitate in laying downe not only our benefices but all that wee hauehave at the feete of our reuerent Fathers, yet cannot we be ſaid voluntarilie, wilfully, ſinfully to giuegive ouer our miniſtrie, no more then he his office. Fourthlie, it is not theeIoachim. Weſtphal. in explicat. ſentent. è duob. mal. minimum. leauing of the miniſtrie that is a ſinne, but the cauſes why, the ende wherefore the circumſtances wherein, that maketh the leauing of it ſinfull. which we hauehave deſcribed Iohn 10. Now the leauing of the flocke condemned there, is the leauing of the hireling for his gaine, we if we leaue our flockes it is not only to our great loſſe, but alſo to our vtter vndooing. Againe, the leauing of a flocke cōdemned ther, is the leauing of an evill ſheepheard that flyeth daunger, we if wee leaue our flocks, leaue our ſecuritie and peace withall, and throwe our ſelues into a ſea of troubles. The leauing of the flocke condemned there, is the leauing of a careleſſe ſhepherd: who leaueth them to the clawes of the woulfe: we (if we leaue our flockes) we doe it to keepe them by our example from the woulfe and from all liking of his faire-ſhewes wherby he lyeth in waite to deceyue. The Council worthilie condemneth them:fConcil. Aquiſgran. ſub. Ludo. nic. 1. c. 17. Qui parere vtilitati proximorum in predicatione refugiunt for the eaſe of a priuat life, for the ſweetnes of priuat ſtudie and for the quietnes and delight of contemplation, whereas our Lord that he might proffit many by preaching, came downe euen from heauen it ſelfe, from the booſom of the Father. The canon Lawe worthelie condemneth them:gDecret. p. 2. cauſ. 21. queſ. 3. c. 1. Qui ſeipſos à miniſterijs ſanctis per deſidiam ſeperant by taking themſelues to ſecular buſineſſes for filthie lucre ſake. Caſſiodorus hTripartit. hiſto. li. c. 11reporteth of diuerſe that they lefte their ſtations in the miniſterie and conveyed themſelues, into woods and deſerts, becauſe of the difficult times of the Church in which they liued. amongſt whom I knowe not whether I may reckonlSuppleme. Cronic. in. Valen. Hilarius of Arles who is ſaid to hauehave left his charge and to hauehave gonein to an heremitage for his quietnes and for his priuat ſpeculations. Such men who can excuſe? for they doemDecret. pa. 2. cauſ. 7. q. 1. c. 46 eligere vacationem ab epiſcopatus laboribus, & appetere in ſilentio at que otio vitam degere magis quam in his quae ſibi cōmiſſa ſunt permanere. whereas it isnIbid. c. 47. pernitioſum pro re tam in tranquilitate nauim deſerere, they leaue their ſhip committed vntounto them euen in fluctibus which is more wicked & more daungerous. At ſuch a time they ſhouldoIbid. c. 48. ex aduerſo aſcendere & in die belli ſeipſos murum apponere pro domo domini, & animas ſuas ponere pro ouibus ſuis, vt exemplo ſuae paſſionis accendant quos ſermone doctrinae diutius confirmare non valent. Blame theſe who are blamepHiper. de Sacr. ſtud. non deſerē. pag. 169. worthy, blame not vsus who in the leauing of our miniſteries performe that dutie of ſuffring: for the avoyding of which theſe men are accuſed when they doe leaue their charges. It is our eaſe to keepe our benefices: in leauing of them we looſe that pleaſantnes of that lande, and that reſte, for the ſweetnes whereof becauſe it is good, many lye downe as Iſſachar did vnderunder that burthen of ſubſcription and conformitie which wring the ſhoulders of their conſciences, Gen. 49.14.15.which indeed if they could tell howe, they ſhould ſhake off. Is it not ſo, that wee doe now ex aduerſo aſcendere and oppoſe our ſelues as a wall in the gap vt accendamus eos paſſionis exemplo quos ſermone doctrinae diatius confirmare non valemus? for we would continue our preaching ſtill, but we are not ſuffered, in which caſe with what face can our Oppoſites inpute any blame vntounto vsus againſt their own law, which ſaith thus:qDecret. p. 2. cauſ. 7. queſ 1. c. 36 Aliud eſt mutare, aliud mutari: aliud eſt ſpontè, aliud coacte aut neceſsitate tranſire, nō iſti mutant ciuitates ſed mutantur, quia non ſponte ſed coacte hoc agunt. quia nō rIbid. c. 34.ambitu nec propria voluntate faciunt: ſed vi à propria ſede pulſi & neceſſitate coacti Fiftly, we may retorte this imputation on our accuſers, who leaue their flocke in ſtaying with them in Zacharies ſenſe. O Ido…l ſhepheard who leaueſt the flocke. Zach 12.16 and 17.Ammonius to avoyde the miniſterie, cut of his right eare, which made him vncapable. Evagrius inveigheth againſt him, but when after being elected by Theophilus of Alexandria, him ſelfe ſecretly fled away. Ammonius meeting him:tSocrat. hiſtor. lib. 4. cap. 18. Tueuagri (ſaith he) &c. Thou Evagrius that diddeſt taunt at me for cutting off of mine eare, doſt thou not thinke that God will plague thee for that for louelove vntounto thy ſelfe, thou cutteſt out thy tongue, becauſe thou wouldeſt not take paynes to vſe the gift that God hath giuē thee? Sure we cutt not of our right eares but we hauehave them (like Malcus) cut of by the ſworde: whereas our Oppoſites many of them cut out their tongues. For either they vſe not their giftes at all or they hauehave no giftes to vſe, or abuſe their giftes or vſe them to no purpoſe. ſo according to their owne diſtinctiō of a non Reſident, loco, & a nō Reſident officio, whiles we loco leaue our flockes againſt our wils, they officio leaue them willingly to follow after their luſtes & pleaſures. As for the ignorant ſort amongſt thē a time will come whē they will wiſhe they had left their miniſtries, for which they rayle at vsus ſo loude, becauſe thē they ſhal perceaueuDecret. p. 1. deſtin. 50. cap. 6. ſatius eſt in inferiori habitu Domino famulari in hac vita, quam alta indebitè appetendo damnabiliter in profundum demergi. Zach. 13.5.which if they had donne with the penitent Prophet in Zacharie I am no prophet, but men taught me to be an Huſbandman frō my youth, then had they eſcaped the wrath to come, which Iames denounceth: be not many maiſlers, Iam. 3.1.knowing that yee ſhall receaue the greater condemnation. As for thoſe that bee negligent amongſt them, what are they elſe but the ill ſeruants that hide their talentes in the ground? yea what doe they elſe but hide the wheat vnderneath the earth, & that in the time of want (whom Salomon and Gods people curſe) vntill it be rotten there, Pro. 11.26.whereby they make thē ſelues guiltie of as many ſoules as by the diligence of ſome other might hauehave bene wōne. As for thoſe who by their cōformitie grace poperie, & who for the vpholding of their cōformitie broach many popiſh poyntes in their preaching: they in playne and open ſight leaue their flocke, in keeping it as they did inxFlac. Illyrin lib. de Adiaphor. pag. 3. Germanie, who by their cōformitie to the Interim, opened the doore of the found for the wolfe to enter, barked not againſt him: winked at the entrāce of him: yea bargained and trucked with him, giuing ſome of the ſheepe in Marchandize, to giuegive contentement and to hauehave peace them ſelues. The reaſon was, becauſe whereas the woulfe hurteth none of the ſheepe till they aſſent, theſe miniſters by their yeelding, induced the ſheepe to like well of him, becauſe they ſawe their Paſtor came in ſome things to agreement with him, and in other things did not reſiſt him ſeriouſly as if he were an enemie. Sixtly, Apoc. 1.16.whereas Chriſt holdeth the ſtarres of the Church in his right hand, whence none can pul them againſt his will; it is certaine that not one miniſter is depriued in this land but by his ſufferance and tolleration. Now he will not tolerat the ſilencing of any Preacher vntill he be perfected like himſelfe: and vntill the worke be finiſhed vntounto which he did call him. Luk. 13.32.It beeing ſo, we are called from the miniſterie by the ſame that called vsus to it, and the worke of our miniſterie is ended and finiſhed for the which wee were called. Should we in this caſe ſtay in a ſervile and power-leſſe miniſtrie which hee will not bleſſe: in which we can finde no comfort: and wherein we are diſabled from doing good? For we cannot diſcharg a good conſcience, nor do our duties as we ſhould, which beeing ſo, why may wee not lament with Gregorie yGregor. epiſt lib. 4. cap 78.vnhappie man that I am, what make I here in this Church? It is approued that a Miniſter ſhould leaue his flockezDecret. pa. 2. cauſ. 7. queſt. 1. cap. 48. ſi ſoluatur, prouided that he leaue it like a doue, quae dilectionem non amittit ſed ſemper gemit, and ſeperateth corpore non amore quibus non poteſt prodeſſe. Are we not looſed? doe we ſeperat ſo much as in dody? are not our bodies diſtracted rather? yee our bowels rent & torne becauſe we can prodeſſe no longer, thoſe bowels of ours which we deſire to profit & benefit euē to loſſe of life it felſe in caſe we might be ſuffered?
It is alſo approued that a Miniſter ſhould leaue his chargeaIbid. quando ſubditorum eſt obſtinata malitia, nec prodeſt ijs Praelatorum praeſentia, ne & illorum nequitia ſemper in deterius proficiat, & iſti quidem fructum amittant, quem de aliorum profectu poſſent invenire. Is it not ſo that many of our charges are ſturred vp to a contempt of vsus? that our Gouernours doe diſgrace vsus, and diſable vsus from doing good? Is it not ſo, that our miniſterie is wounded by manifold ſlaūders, yea defiled with many vnconſcionable obſervations in caſe we ſtay in? ſo that we may ſay with Martyrius, bTheodor. Lector. collectan. lib. 1.populo rebelli & eccleſiae contaminatae renuntio? All theſe circumſtances make our leauing of the miniſterie much the more excuſable in caſe we willingly did leaue it (which we doe not) vnleſſe it be in this ſenſe that we willingly ſubmit our ſelues vntounto the providence of the Lord, who for the preſent calleth vsus from it. Nowe becauſe his merciemercy is great, we hauehave confidence he will one day returne againe and builde vp Syon. therefore we ſtande vponupon our watch to heare what he will ſpeake of vsus, and in hope waite for the time when he will take the filthie garmentes away from Iehoſua, Haba…. 2.1.and cloth his prieſtes with glorie and beautie; Zach. 3.4.and cleanſe his houſe, and then we doubt not but that he will in mercy giuegive vsus a roome amongſt his ſeruauntes againe. When this time cometh, then ſhall our ſufferings be in cauſe that wee ſhallcCypri. lib. 3. epiſt. 1. maiores redire ad Eccleſiam, for the which how readie are we euē at an howers call, if the Lord call vsus, the Church need vsus, or we finde in cōſcience we muſt reenter.