Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 13
#Sect. 13. The calumnie of peeuiſhnes and fooliſhnes imputed to the Ministers, for not receyuing Capp and Surplice, is anſwered.
SEcondly, Sect 13.whereas wee are cenſured as pecuiſh or fooliſh for leauing our miniſterie for a capp or a ſurplice, beit knowne there are things more material wherat we ſticke. as the ſubſcription (we knowe) is larger, then a ſurplice though neuer ſo wide ſleeued. Howbeit, why ſhould Chriſt be againe expoſed to laughter in a white garmentaIllyr. de Adiaph p. 2. as Illyricus ſaith hee was by the ſurplice in Germanie in the time of the Adiaphoriſme there? Did not the Germane diuines at that time diſclaime that Adiaphoriſticall principle,bConf. Eccleſ Manſfeld. aedit. an. 1560. Rem paruam eſſe de linea veſte? others exclaime againſt the depriuing of profitable paſtors,cConfeſ il. Iuſtriſ prin. cip. & Ducum Saxō. aedit. 1560. tantum propter ſordidam lineam veſtem? others proclaime, thatdFlac. Illyric. quo ſup. plurimae Eccleſiae ſunt in quibus conſcientiae & externa forma Eccleſiae per paruas mutationes vt per paruam veſtem miſere turbatae ſunt. And whē the diuines of Miſnia aſked counſell in this queſtion, whether they were to leaue their places or put on a ſurplice the anſwer hath firſt this LamentationeReſpon. N Galli & Plac. Illyri. ad quorun. Miſ…e. con…ionatores literas apud Conrad Schluſſelburg. lib. 15. p. 641 Quale obſecro eſt. &c. What a thing I pray you is euen this, moſt cunning invention of the Deuill about the white garment? which if it be reſiſted, there is a ſmall thing [to the ſeeming] ſtood vponupon: and ſo the Godly preachers fall into diſlike and hatred, and are thruſt out with euerie mans good leaue: as if they were remoued vponupon iuſt cauſes, but denyed conformitie out of a ſeditious ſpirit, and out of a deſire to contende. but if they yeeld vntounto this garment, thē open they a beginning and enterance to greater chaunges. Then this reprehenſion. It isgPag. 641. euident that thoſe preachers do willingly deceaue thēſelues who receaue the Exceptum, & after forge vntounto thēſelues I knowe not what interpretations. that they doe not this for the Pope but for the Church, and that therefore they ſtill preach againſt popiſh errors; and that they will not hauehave mens conſciences to be bound to theſe ceremonies as if they were worſhips, and therefore they doe them one day and omit them another: for they knowe for what purpoſe this newe Interim is preſſed: they knowe alſo that howſoeuer ſome ſuch libertie may be graunted thē at the firſt for ſome fewe weekes, yet that within a while that odious ſonge will bee chaunted to them: Non ſi…ut tibi libet ſed ad verbum: this although they knowe well, yet wilfully they will not knowe it: and giuegive miſerable counſell vntounto the Church: Nihil adhuc mali adeſſe, that ſo the beginning of the diſeaſe may not bee reſiſted. Then thishPag. 644. admonition. Againe, wee anſwere we doe not ſee how they are likely to leaue other things free vntounto you ſeeing they will not promiſe you to be contented with a white Garment.lPag. 645. Often doth Ariſtotell beat vponupon this poynt, wee muſt take heed of ſmal chaunges, becauſe they make way to great. therefore in our iudgement it is not only the white Garment that is aymed at, but by it the preparing of a paſſage vntounto greater evills. ThenmPag. 646. this refutation, whereas you ſay this limen ſhirt is not nowe the Popes Veſture but the Churches Garment, Paule commaundes 1. Cor. 10. that wee ſhould diligentlie conſider what the wicked doe thinke of the Idolothites: therefore it excuſeth not that it is your Prince, & ſtate, and people, that doe require the ſame things of you which the enemies of Chriſt do, for their owne tranquilitie ſake and for the avoyding of dainger: for whoſoeuer they be that are the procurers and promotors of theſe chaunges although they bee learned, holy, and ſound in the religiō, yet theſe things doe not therefore ceaſe to bee the characters of Antichriſt their cheefe and ſoueraigne Lord and laſt of all thisnIbi. p. 64…. coūſell▪ we would hauehave you aſke of them ſeeing they are ſuch wiſe men, that they would ſhew what great and waightie cauſes they hauehave thus to trouble the Church of Ieſus Chriſt about a white Garment? whether they doe knowe that they be able to appeaſe the diuill, Antich. and the wicked world by theſe meanes? Or to effecte ſome excellent diſcipline & order by this diuine veſture, or what at length is that ſingular excellent good thing which they are ſure to obtaine by the ſame?