Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 12
#Sect. 12. That the fault why faithfull Ministers are cast out of their Ministrie, lyeth not vponupon them ſelves.
THe ſecond excuſe brought for the ceremonies, Sect. 12.and their proceedings againſt the Preachers, caſteth the whole fault on them. The miniſters are to blame (ſay ſome of our Oppoſites) who leaue their miniſterie for ſuch trifles: if they would bee ruled, what needed depriuation? Firſt of all, it is not nothing that this obiection: Eccleſia non eſt deſerenda commeth from Wittenbergh, infected with the Adiaphoriſme: when now the ſtudents had ceaſed toaFlaccus. Illyric. in li de Adiaph. p. 3. in ſolut Argume. 1 hortari pios ad conſtantiam vt tales viros omnino facere oportuiſſet, and had begonne to languefacere pios, and labefactare totas Eccleſias, and to confirmare impios by an yeelding to the ceremonies which the Interim did commaund. But this Vniuerſitie followed the direction of Philip Melancthon (will our Oppoſites ſay) whom who can in this cauſe remember without that ſighing of King Dauid, how was the mightie ouerthrowne? bConcil. Philip. Melantho… ad Eccleſ. Marchiaca.diſcernenda eſt confeſsio priuata (ſaith he). &c. A man muſt put a difference betweene his owne priuat confeſſion, and betweene the counſell which he is to giuegive, to others, that be weake, and not like to himſelfe. Laurentius did well that he preferred death before the edict of Decius, for the deliuerie of the Churches monie, for his confeſſion was made the more glorious by this occaſion, and ſuch a celſitude of ſpirit, was helped by a ſingular motion of the holy Ghoſt. Another more fearful would hauehave rather deliuered the monie then hauehave loſt his life, and his infirmitie had bene excuſable. here (therefore) I will preſcribe nothing to the ſtrong who are reſolute to ſhew an illuſtrious confeſſion vponupon their owne daunger, euen on euerie light occaſion. Againe, let vsus remember that in a place neer Baſill there was one burnt for eating fleſhe, although we iuſtly deteſt the crueltie of the Iudges and worthelie praiſe the conſtancie of the good man in his confeſſion, yet hee had not done amiſſe if hee had avoyded this daunger. and certainlie no man may binde others to throwe themſelues into daunger vponupon the like occaſion. Againe, I am not ignorant multa horride & ſtoice dici, ſeeing the beginnings of a chaung doe confirme the aduerſaries, indifferent things are not to be accoūted ſmal. This hard opiniō if any good wil embrace let him embrace it with his own danger & not with the danger other mē, ſpeakes good Melancthon in theſe words? ſhal I think it my dutie to confeſſe, & giuegive others contrarie coūſel not to confeſſe together with me? may a man doe wel to ſuffer in things indifferent, & others doe wel in not ſuffering for them? might Laurence hauehave deliuered the mony and not be a traditor, as the church called thoſe that deliuered either bookes or goodes vntounto the perſecutors? ſure thy good minde I eaſilie acknowledge, but I cannot ſee how thy counſell may be good, and ſpeakes great Melancton in theſe words? then let the ſoule of him that heares them aduaunce it ſelfe to greatnes of courage. for how cā he animate vsus more to ſuffring then by comparing vsus with Saint Laurence and with the Martyr that dyed for a thing that was more indifferent then theſe things are for which wee ſtande, or ſhame more thoſe that ſuffer not with vsus then beholding them weake, and wanting that celſitude of minde vpheld by Gods ſpirit which willingly embraceth that daunger which others will not venter on, but are contented to ſay vntounto vsus: take you the crowne from vsus. A ſtraung thing, though he doubled his own ſpirit:cIdem. in Epiſt ad Chriſtop. Carolou. fortaſsis ſum ingenio ſeruili, & much greeued at the baniſhment of honeſt men, put out of their miniſtrie about the Interim: yet the fig-leaued excuſe wherewith he lulled his conſcience a ſleepe:dIbid. pax…st ſeruanda, doctrina & inuocatio non eſt impedienda & conſiderandum eſt quid mediocribus paſtoribus perſuaderi poſsit not only drewe him largiri multa & multa diſsimulare which were amiſſe, but alſo to yeld to all the ceremonies of the Interim and to leaue the Church to the gouernement of popiſhe BiſhopseConrad. Schluſſelb. lib 13. pag. 490. etiam in ipſo actu perſecutionis conſlitutis if we may beleeue what is written of him. If we may beleeue alſo what is ſet forth in his name it drewe him euen to proteſt touching Rome hir ſelfefPhili. Melanth. in Epiſt. Theophi. Orato. parati ſumus obedire Romanae Eccleſiae modo. &c. and touching the Pope himſelf, Romani Pontificis authoritatem & vniuerſam politiam Eccleſiaſticam reuerenter colimus modo nos non abijciat Ramanus Pontiſex, yea touching the popiſhe doctrine it ſelfe: Nullam aliam ob rem plus odij ſuſtinemus in Germania quam quia Eccleſiae Romanae dogmata ſumma conſtantia defendimus. For mine owne parte I can hardlie beleeue that this epiſtle was his owne, but if it were his fall was fearfull: and the pretence of keeping the miniſterie and of doing good, & the preſeruing of the Churches peace, is a pretence muchgConrad. Schluſſelb. quo ſupra. pag 5…5. to be feared, ſeeing it turned the heeles vpwarde of this great ſeruaunt of the Lord, and who can but feare where ſuch a Cedar fell?gVelleius. Paterculus. hath there not place here euen what an heathen man adviſeth: vbi ſemel à recto deerratum est in praeceps peruenitur?