Common Places, Letters · Letter 36
To a certaine friende of his into Englande. 38.
MY good friend I ſée in your letters you are afraide on both ſides. For if you reiect the miniſterie, you ſéeme to breake off an occaſion of well doing. But if you ſhall take vppon you the function offered, you iuſtlie and for good cauſe feare leaſt you ſhoulde ſéeme to agrée vntounto thoſe ordinances, which not onelie diminiſhe and deface the pure worſhipping of God, but doe alſo corrupt it and maruellouſlie make it to decaie: although that vntounto men which are not well conformed towardes the Goſpell, they maie ſéeme to hauehave but ſmall weight and importance, for they account all thinges as indifferent. Of garmēts in the diuine ſeruice and of the crucifix.Howbeit a man that is ſomewhat better inſtructed in religion, ſéeing you being a meſſenger of Chriſt an & earneſt preacher of the Goſpell, to bee apparelled with garmentes at the Altar, to pray before the Image of the Crucifixe, to recite holie words and to diſtribute the Sacramentes, will hée not alſo thinke that theſe rites are not onelie ſuffered but alſo allowed of you? Wheruppon afterwarde when you teach otherwiſe he will not giuegive credite vntounto you. For he that teacheth otherwiſe than hee doeth, buildeth thoſe thinges which he deſtroyeth, and againe deſtroyeth thoſe thinges which he buildeth. Neither can the example of the Apoſtle be colored by ſuch a fact, who for a time retaineth the Iewiſh ceremonies with a ſafe conſcience. For the ordinances of Moſes were in old time brought in by the authoritie and lawe of God, not founde out by mans counſell, neither were they condemned for worſhipping ſake. But theſe things of which we nowe ſpeake, were both inſtituted by men without anie diuine oracle, and did gorgiouſlie ſerue the worſhipping which at this daie ſo manie as bee godlie doe deteſt. Woulde to God they which iudged that thinges ought to be kept had perceiued that the Goſpell is not firme enough ſo long as theſe thinges remaine. Vndoubtedlie if we would hate ſuperſtitions from the heart, we woulde by all meanes prouide that the verie ſteppes of them might bee rooted out. Woulde to God that the peruerſe indeuour of our aduerſaries coulde hauehave made vsus ſomewhat the better learned. They doe diligently ſhunne all thinges whatſoeuer by anie meanes ſauour of our religion, and of ſet purpoſe ſo much as they can, doe depart from the plaine worſhipping of Chriſt, and from the moſt auncient cuſtome of the Apoſtles. Why doe not we in like manner prouide to be moſt far off from their pernitious decrées, and to followe the Apoſtolicall ſimplicitie, not onelie in doctrine but alſo in adminiſtration of the Sacramentes. I cannot ſée howe theſe thinges being retained of you can rightlie be iudged things indifferent. Certainelie vntounto the beholders they repreſent an expreſſe ſhew of ye peſtiferous Maſſe, whereby vngodlie men doe excéedinglie delight themſelues. For they will ſaie that the Maſſe was ſo holie a thing, as the noble Image thereof coulde not diſpleaſe euen vsus: For although wee retaine not the ſame, yet doe we imitate it manie & ſingular waies. Who moreouer ſhall let it, but that ſuch as ſtande by, in whoſe inward partes Poperie as yet cleaueth, will worſhip the Image of the Crucifixe? Vnoubtedlie they will doe it, neither can the motion of their minde be hindered. But will the chiefe workers of theſe counſels ſaie that this is not doone through their fault, but through the fault of thē which are too much addicted to their owne ſuperſtitions? Howbeit they cannot denie, but that they giuegive the occaſion: and woe vntounto them by whō the offence cōmeth. Neither can they bring for their opinion, any one proofe either out of ye holy ſcripture or out of the decrées of the primitiue Church. But if the indeuour onelie of making a newe couenaunt doe driue vntounto theſe thinges, let vsus remember that the couenaunt made of olde betwéene vsus and God, is more excellent than mens couenantes: and let vsus take moſt diligent héede leaſt while we ſéeke after ciuill thinges, there be not a loſſe of heauenly things. Wherefore my moſt déere brother in Chriſt, ſéeing things ſtande in this ſtate, I aduiſe you of two things: firſt yt you retain ſtill ye function of preaching, & ceaſe not publikelie & priuatly to defend ye truth of doctrine & to aboliſh the rites which be full of offence & occaſions of falling. Secondlie yt you for a while abſtaine frō the miniſterie of ye Sacraments, vntil theſe intollerable blemiſhes be taken away. By this meanes ſhal not be loſt the occaſion of wel doing, neither ſhal you by your exāple confirme others in ſuperſtitiōs. And this is not my counſel alone, but ye ſame is alſo ye opinion of the reuerende ye excellent man M. Bullinger. I remember that I wrote an anſwere of the former queſtion: perhaps the letters either went not the right waie, or elſe are intercepted. And I woulde nowe againe hauehave aunſwered them, but where your letters are I knowe not, nor coulde finde thē when I ſought for thē. And if you deſire to hauehave an anſwere of thē, take you ſo much paines as write againe of yt which you demanded. Salute you all our friends. Héere M. Bullinger, my wife, & Iulius with his wife and the reſt of the houſehold doe ſalute you. I particularly commend me to your wife and to Iane. The 15. of Iulie. 1559.