Brotherly Persuasion to Unity and Uniformity, Tract · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
The Preamble, Chap. 1.
THough I muſt needs confeſſe (well beloued) that none that with any diligence hauehave read the Eccleſiaſticall ſtories, and the monuments of the ancient councels and fathers, but that therein they muſt needs ſee and find, that alwayes there hauehave bene diuerſities of opinions in cauſes Eccleſiaſticall, euen in the beſt times ſinſe the Apoſtles, and that amongſt the beſt and moſt famous Chriſtians otherwiſe, eſpecially about the outward orders and cuſtomes of the Church: yet no ſmall griefe hath it bene vntounto me, to ſee and behold now for theſe 34. yeares (that I hauehave bene in the miniſterie) the originall, growth, and continuance, of theſe our domeſticall controuerſies amongſt our ſelues, about the outward policie and rites of our Church. For whiles men hauehave ſpent their times and zeale in the purſuit thereof, as of both ſides they hauehave very much, ſo much time, leaſure and oportunitie hath Sathan got, to ſow and water his tares of Atheiſme, Papiſme, and of ſects and ſchiſmes amongſt vsus. Inſomuch that the ſight and conſideration therereof, hath often made me to thinke and ſay, as occaſion hath ſerued me, to men of both ſides, as Moſes did to the Iſraelits, Exod. 2. Why ſmitest thou thy fellow, being thy brother: and as Paul ſayd to the Galathians: Gal. 5. If ye thus bite one another, take heed, yee be not conſumed one of another. For alwayes it hath bene, and ſtill is my opinion in ſuch caſes: Conferant fratres, ſed non contendant: for doubtleſſe in ſuch matters as theſe eſpecially, S. Paul hath told vsus, if any liſt to be contētious that we hauehave no ſuch cuſtome, nor the Church of God, 1. Cor. 11.16. Foreſeeing yet what further inconuenience might grow of theſe controuerſies in the end, if it were not in time preuented, I hauehave long and much wiſhed and prayed, that God would raiſe vsus ſome one, that both for authoritie, skill and will, were fit to be a moderator therein, and ſo an effectuall compoſer thereof. Wherein (his name be bleſſed for it) at the laſt he hath graunted that my deſire, in ſending vsus him to be our ſoueraigne Lord and king whom he hath, who accordingly vponupon his firſt entrance into this his kingdome, moſt religiouſly, and chriſtianly hath ſought by a ſolemn conference to end and determine the ſame, by letting both parties therein ſee, wherein they had gone too farre, & what was the Medium in which they were both to meete and agree. Wherein his Maieſtie ſo caried himſelf, that verily I thinke I may boldly ſpeake it in the name of all that were then preſent thereat, that neuer any of his place before, in ſuch varietie of queſtions and matters, ſhewed himſelfe more worthie of admiration and applauſe of all, either for his indifferency in deciding, or for his iudicious kind of examining of euerie thing that then came in queſtion. Inſomuch that without all doubt, if once whatſoeuer then and there, his Maieſtie reſolued of might take effect, and accordingly be put in execution (witneſſe but the report of the ſayd conference alreadie with allowance publiſhed in print) great hope there would be, that the vnitie that thereby his Highneſſe aimed at, would quickly be attained and happily continued. For euen thereby it appeares, that an vniuerſall learned and preaching Miniſtery through his dominions, and that alſo by all good meanes prouiſion ſhould be made for the ſame as ſoone as might be, was then yeelded to be fit and verie neceſſarie: Pag. 52. 96. The careleſneſſe and negligence of ſundrie miniſters in this Church alſo was therein by his Maieſtie inueyed againſt and condemned: Pag. 52. And that ſtricter order ſhould be taken for the due ſanctifying of the Sabaoth, was then vniuerſally approued: Pag. 45. Likewiſe how and by whom hereafter the cenſures of the Church might be euerie way and in all Eccleſiaſticall courts, moſt fruitfully and ſincerly adminiſtred, then and there was ſo reſolued of, as that if accordingly there be proceeding therein, we ſhall all therefore hauehave great cauſe to reioyce: Pag. 19. 78. 89. 94. And for the better maintenance of the puritie of religion amongſts vsus, then and there by his Highneſſe order was taken (which ſince moſt carefully and religiouſly his Maieſtie hath cauſed to be gone about) that as pure and perfect a tranſlation ſhould be made of all the ſcriptures as may be, & that then that onelyonly (both to the ending of all quarrels touching tranſlations, as much as poſſible might be, both amongſt our ſelues, and alſo with our aduerſaries) ſhould after be publiquely vſed in our Churches. Page. 46. Then alſo it was to the ſame end agreed that our Catechiſme ſhould be perfected: Page. 43. which ſince thereupon as we ſee hath beene enlarged & amended. Thirdly to that end likewiſe it was yeelded vntounto, that there ſhould bee a ſtraiter reſtraint, for the ſelling of Papiſts bookes then before had beene Page. 49. And laſtly then alſo it was graunted, that the words in the ſixteenth Article of the booke of articles touching falling from grace of regeneration, ſhould be explayned, by addition of ſome ſuch words, as wherby plainly it might appeare, that it taught not, that the regenerate and iuſtified either totally or finally fall at any time from the ſame. Page. 30. 41. Further concerning the communion booke, to make the vſe and ſubſcription thereunto the eaſier to be yeelded vntounto, it was by his Maieſtie, with the aſſent of the Biſhops concluded, that to the title of abſolutiō ſhold be added (for the better explanation of the meaning thereof) theſe words or remiſſion of ſins. Page. 13. And that to the title of confirmation ſhould be annexed theſe, laying on of hands vponupon children baptiſed, and able to render an accompt of their faith according to the Catechiſme following. Page. 36. And that the Rubricks touching priuate babtiſme ſhould be ſo altered, as that thereby it might be euident that the booke in no caſe of neceſſity, allowes any but a lawfull miniſter to baptiſe any childe. Page. 19. 86. And that thoſe words his diſciples ſhold twice be left out in the Goſpells Page. 63. al which we ſee in our new communion bookes don. And then alſo certainly (as it is plainly ſet downe. Page. 61, of the ſaid booke of the cōferēce) his Maieſties order was, that none of the Apocrypha ſhould bee read at all, wherein there was any error, and therefore his highnes willed D Reynolds to note thoſe chapters in the Apocrypha bookes, wherein ſuch errors were, and to bring the note thereof to the Biſhops, as it is further teſtified. Page. 62. beſides thē & there it was alleadged by the author of the ſaid booke, D Barlow thē dean of Cheſter now Lord B. of Rocheſter when the obiection taken from the reading of the Apocrypha was in hand, as a ſufficient anſwere thereunto, and not gainſaid of any that the preface prefixed to the ſecond book of Homiles might hauehave made vsus to ſee the needleſneſſe thereof, for that thereby the miniſter is permitted, at his diſcretion for any chapter appointed (by the Communion booke) of the old teſtament to be red, to read a chapter of the new, which he thought more fit, for the edification of his people. And yet his Maieſty moſt wiſely foreſeeing that all theſe notwithſtanding thus amended, it was likely inough that ſome things in the book, or within the compaſſe of the vrged ſubſcription, would ſtill ſeeme vntounto ſome ſo harſhly to remaine ſet downe, as that they would ſticke and ſtay thereat, his Highneſſe moſt graciouſly ſignified vntounto vsus, that as it was our duties, ſo he wiſhed eueryevery one of vsus, to conſtrue and take euerything in the beſt ſenſe that we could, and not in the hardeſt and worſt: for ſo only his intent and pleaſure was, that they ſhould be vrged. And ſo much in the foreſayd booke of Conference alſo to this end is remembred, as that Pag. 47. it is ſet downe, that his maieſtie would hauehave things indifferent, rather interpreted and helpt by a gloſe, then altered. All which things conſidered, if we could and would once learne to bend our wits as well to make the beſt conſtruction of euerie thing hereafter, as ſome hauehave heretofore, to make the worſt, both the practiſe of the book, & the ſubſcription therunto, and to the reſt, would now be doubtleſſe far eaſier then heretofore it hath, or yet is, vntounto many. Indeed the rites & ceremonies preſcribed by that booke, by no meanes would either his Maieſtie or the Biſhops be drawne to alter, howſoeuer it was agreed and then conſented vntounto, that where they had in certaine places beene long diſuſed, and the men there, otherwiſe were found peaceable, painfull, & fruitfull Miniſters, a conuenient time ſhould be graunted them (which ſince accordingly hath beene) both to ſatisfie themſelues and their people in that time, for the vſing of them againe. And certainly his Maieſties anſweres to the reaſons that were then vſed to hauehave perſwaded him to remoue them (which in effect were all that either before or ſince by any hauehave beene vrged to that purpoſe) were ſuch, as alſo his owne reaſons for the continuance thereof (being no otherwiſe vrged then they are) as that I am fully perſwaded what his Maieſtie reſolueth therein, he doth it with an vpright and good conſcience in the Lord. For his Highneſſe anſweres to the ſaid obiections, I muſt needs confeſſe, then ſeemed vntounto me not onelyonly very apt, acute and ſufficient, but alſo euen now in this treatiſe, moſt of the ground of all my anſweres to the ſame obiections, or the like, growes thence. The reaſons (as I remember) vrged by his Maieſtie, for his reſolution of their continuance, were theſe: that he found them here eſtabliſhed by ſuch a ſtate which the Lord had long and wonderfully bleſt, that being vrged but as they were, they were of that nature of things, wherein both he lawfully might commaund, and wee alſo were bound willingly to obey, and that change vnleſſe very neceſſary, did (as Auguſtine ſaith Epiſt: 118) more hurt by the nouelty, then otherwiſe profit: and that they were vſed by the primatiue and pureſt churches, & in the ages next the Apoſtles, and that by holy fathers and renowmed chriſtians, before popery began, and ſo euer ſince hauehave beene continued, and that therefore he would not giuegive the Church of Rome that aduantage, as by his now reiecting of them, to ſay that we were ſo giuen to nouelty, as that no auncient thing could pleaſe vsus, but rather ſaid he, by our retaining ſtil of them, they ſhould wel vnderſtand, that neither in doctrine, rite nor ceremonie, we deſpiſe true antiquitie and that indeed, they are they that in both theſe do ſo, and not wee. And doubtleſſe it was euident that all that pains then his Maieſtie tooke to knit vsus altogether in vnitie, that ſo being ioyned together in one, in vniformity of Iudgment and practiſe in theſe things, as wee were otherwiſe in doctrine, we might all more ſtrongly bend our forces together againſt our common aduerſaries, & he be alſo thereby the ſtronger to draw them after to conformity of religion with vsus. GiueGive me therfore leaue (good brethren) euen of vnfained louelove alſo to you, and of an harty deſire of the peace and good of this our Church, in the beſt manner that I can, by this my brotherly perſwaſion, to further his Highnes royall and holy deſire herein. Many hauehave written I confeſſe to this end, both before I writ this and ſince, and that in good ſort, and to very good purpoſe, & yet I truſt there may be alſo good vſe of this of mine, but indeed euen therfore in moſt things I hauehave beene ſo briefe as I may referring you for the reſt that might hauehave beene ſaid, to thoſe others in print before this.
CHAP. 2. Containing the ſumme and diuiſion of the whole Treatiſe.
To enter therefore hereinto, though I muſt needs confeſſe, that ſo farre to iuſtifie by ſubſcription as it is vrged, as we are content by our practiſe to allow, or at the leaſt to tollerate, ſeemeth vntounto me in effect all one: yet I cannot deny, but that there is great difference betwixt a miniſters yealding onelyonly ſo farre forth as concerns him and his miniſtry to conformity, and his yealding vniuerſally and ſimplye to the ſubſcription now vrged. For by the former, he yeelds onelyonly a tolleration, or an allowance at the moſt, for the peace ſake and good of the Church, to ſo much of the booke of Common Prayer, as by the rules thereof, he himſelfe is bound to vſe and practiſe and by the other he not onelyonly ſo farre alſo iuſtifies the ſame, but all the reſt thereof, as namely the tract of confirmation, the vſe & practiſe whereof onelyonly belongs to Biſhops, as alſo the booke of ordination the execution whereof appertains likewiſe onelyonly to them, and the reading of Homilies then publiſhed and authoriſed, or to be then after publiſhed and authoriſed, which long ſince (as I take it) ſo hauehave bene in the ſecond volume of homilies 1563 which being a preacher and preaching alwaies when they ſhould be read, by the order of the booke it ſelfe, he needs neuer do. As for the reſt within the compaſſe of the ſaid ſubſcription, namely touching his Maieſties ſupremacie, & the Articles concerning faith & the ſacraments, I mentiō not, becauſe without gainſaying all of our religion are willing ſo farre to yeald it, howbeit for aſmuch as he that hath once learned with a good conſcience for the Churches good and his owne, to yeald to the former will alſo the eaſilier be brought in the ſame reſpects to yeeld to the other, and he that cannot bee brought to the former, will neuer be drawne to the latter: firſt let vsus conſider what may be ſaid to induce men to the former, and then after likewiſe how beſt the obiections that ſtay men from the latter, may be anſwered and remoued in both which becauſe I hauehave to deale with men of wiſedome and learning I will ſtudy to be as briefe as I may.