The Cohabitation of the Faithful with the Unfaithful, Treatise (2 of 3)

The Cohabitation of the Faithful with the Unfaithful · Treatise (2 of 3)

p. 26These men do saye further that the Masse is not to be lickened iustly vntounto the Idolatrie of the heathen / for that was directly forbidden of godd / so is not the Masse / saye they: for thoughe it hathe sumwhat swarued aside / yeat is it the Instituciō of christe. But to the contrarie I do saye / that the Masse is so farr swarued from the ordinaunce of christe / that it hathe nothing agreing withe christis Institucion / yea and that it is most directly repugnāt ūto it / A very Idoll / wherin massemūgers do committe very vile Idolatrie. And this will I proue by diuers reasons. ffurst of all. The Supper of the Lorde / as it was delyuered of christe shold be a publique and a common worcke and action: for Christe our Sauiour made it with his Apostles. But nowe in the Masse / ther commithe forthe one sacrificing preste / disguised with straunge araye / and he doth all thinges alone / the rest stonde still loking / heeringe / and holding their peace. If paule did worthely and Iustly saye / when the Corinthians did not tarie and loke one for an other / that they did not then eate the Lordes supper / then ther is not the Lordes supper eaten / wher one tarieth not for an other so that they maye eate all together: And how shall we then saye / that the Masse is the Lordes supper / wher one only sacryficing prest doth eate and drincke vpp all alone? surly it can not be so called: for to be, and not to be the Lords supper / ar contrarie / Paule saith / it is not the Lords supper / wherfor call your Masse by what name ye will / the Lords supper it is not / for paule is to be beleaued be fore all massinge marchauntes.

They saye morouer that in their Masse / they do offer vpp the sonne of godd vntounto the eternall father for the synnes of the quicke and the deade: And this they do call the principall point of their masse. But in the Laste Supper of the Lorde that Sacrifice and oblaciō was not made / but vppō the crosse / as the scripture witnessith. And as for this their offer… ge / ffurst / paul doth denie it in most playn words in the epistle to the hebrues / wher he sayeth that all Heb. 9. 10.Heb 9:10oblacions for synne wer consummate and finished / and all thinges made perfect by that one only oblacion / which christe Iesus our Sauiour in his own parson made of hymself vppon the crosse. The worde of godd teachithe / that christe was but ons only to be sacrificed and offered / And that Sacrifice no more to be made: for if it wer often to be made / then the furst was not perfect / But the furst was perfect / Therfor ther must be no repeating of it. The papistes do saye / that they dayly offer christe for to take awaye synne / and that this Sacrifice must be dayly repeted of them /

The scripture denieth this playnly: And thus ye do se that heere is a playne contradiction.

Again The supper of the Lorde was not instituted p. 27to the end that such a sacrifice for synne (as they fayne) shuld be made of it / but that in the vse of it the communicantes shuld be put in mynde / and made partakers of that only propiciatorie sacrifice which christe offered ons only for all euer vppon the crosse. And therfor ther Masse / in which they wold worcke such marueyles / and the Lordes supper ar vtterly vnlyke. But here they will reply and saye.

The fathers do speake thus of this Sacrifice / We graunte indeede / that the fathers do often tymes speake so as thoughe that the lorde wer offered in this administracion of the Sacrament / or sacrificed: But they vsed this worde / Sacrifice, improperly / for by that kinde of speaking they did vnderstonde / the offringes of praise / and sacrifices of thanckes made and gyuen for christes sacrifice done vppon the crosse / This they called to sacrifice. Our sacrificing prests ar not content with this / for they will hauehave their own worcke to be an vnwonted worcke / belonging to them alone / which neither the scriptures / nor the fathers do teache: ffor to offer this Sacrifice of which the fathers do speake / partayneth not to the preist alone / but to the whole poeple that stōdith by / and doth cōmunicate / And so it is a common oblacion and sacrifice of all / not of the preiste more then of the poeple / but this only that the preist both in wordes and action / doth go be fore thepoeple.

Augustine doth saye / that the churche is offered in that offeringe which it doth offer. ffor all which do de Ciuitate dei. lib. 10. cap. 6.communicate / they do offer them selues vntounto godd / and do testifie that their will is / to abide in christe.

The papistes do holde also that the breade is turned into the substaunce of christes bodie / and that ther remaynith nothing but the qualitie and accidē ce of breade as whitenes / rc. for the substaūce / saye they / is christes bodie. But the scripture saith that christe in his laste supper did gyue breade vntounto his disciples / and paule callith it breade also / yeat in the Masse the papistes saye that it is otherwise.1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11

The vse of the breade and wyne by christis instituciō is only / that the congregacion shuld eate and drin cke therof in the remembrance of christe / But the pa pistes in their Masse do most shamefully abuse them both. ffor wheare as the worde of godd saythe: Thow shalt worshipp the Lorde thy godd Deutron 6 math. 4.and hym only shalt thow serue / They in ther masse do lyfte upp the breade and wyne / and euen in the rowme of godd they sett them furthe to be adored and worshipped of the poeple: now how farr this differrith from the vse of christes supper eich man may se. Yea what can be more vile and filthie Idola trie / then to adore and worshipp a peace of brede ād cupp of wyne / as godd? Be not offended that I do p. 82vse theise bare names. I do confes / that whosoeuer acording to the Lordes Instituciō doth cōmunica te with the cōgregaciō and dothe eate the breade ād drinke of the cupp of the Lorde / beholding the deathe of christe with Lyuely faithe / the same man is in spre te ād after his manier / made partaker of the body ād bludd of the lorde. Contrari wise if thow do not vse the breade and wyne acordinge to the ordinaunce of christe / but gase vppon them / then ar they nothin ge els to the / but breade ād wyne: But if in a popishe Masse / or in the popishe hāging / heauing / carying / or handelinge of them / thow do worshipp them / thē ar they vntounto the a false Idoll / ād thow indeede a filthie Idolatror. If therfor thow wilt be partaker of the body and bludd of christe in the holy supper / then eate the breade and drincke the cupp as the lorde hathe instituted. Godd wold hauehave the poeple in the vse of the holy Supper to ascend vppwarde into heauen in mynde and affectiō / that they might ther cleaue fast vntounto christe. And therfor the true ministers of the churche do labour to …he vttermost of their poure / thus to lifte vpp the poeples mynde into heauen / that they shuld not seeke christe in the worlde / …at they shuld not thinck ony fleshly or ear thely thinge of hym: Theise men clean contrarie in the order of their Sacrament and Masse do miserably detayn the poeple in the earthe / bynding and hol ding them to the visible signes.

The apostle commaundith that thinges shuld not 1. Cor. 141 Cor 14not be doone in the congregacion in a straunge tongue / except ther wer an Interpretour / that the thing being vnderstonded of all / the hearers might saye / Amen / and that the edifyinge of them shuld be sought. Now theise men in their masse do all in the Laten tongue / which is to the common poeple vnknown / and they do defend this theyr doing euen against the worde of godd. But it is most certayn that christe our sauiour in his administration / and after him all his apostles and disciples which wer hebrues / vsed theyr vulgare hebrue tongue / the Grecians also their greke tonge. And euen vntounto this daye the Sclauonians in their churches vse their vulgare and commen speache.

Those wordes of our greate and singuler consolation / in wich the partakinge of Christes bodye and bloude is promised / the papistes in their Masse speake secretlie / they whisper them so that euen they which knowe the Latine tonge cā neither heare thē nor vnderstande them. And so do they rumble them vp to their owne selues as thoughe the people were vnworthie to heare thē: But christ in his super spake thē openlie. And so the greke churche ād the Chur che of India / do yet speake thē with ā audible voice And the aunciēt manier was / as Ambrose and Augustie amōg other of the fathers do testifie that the people dyd answer vntounto those words. Amē. But as I suppose the papistes do thus murmure ād speake these words in secrete / bicause they wolde not ha ue their Lies knowen / for they do saye / Take ye and p. 29eate / and this so oftē as ye do / do yt in the remēbraū ce of me. But who taketh / or to whō do they giuegive? The wordes be spokē to the people: And yet they thē selues do eate and drinke vp all alone / and do distribute vntounto no mā ells. Is not this to make a lie? To lie alwaies is takē to be an euill thīge / but before god to lie / is a moste shamles and wiked thinge: who dothe eate (o ye lyyng papistes) or who doth drinke wyth you? If ye do distribute at any tyme to ony other ye do yt not when ye your selues receyue / but ye chose for them an other time / yea and another kinde also / for to thē ye do minister but the breade onlye. Thus ye se that all theise thinges which these massers do in their masse / ar contrarye to the institution of Christe. Ther masse then and Christes supper ar not lyke

The papistes saye that by their Action (I meane ther handeling of ther breade and wyne) they do ap plie vntounto others the profitt of Christs bloudie sacrifice and passiō. Of a Sacramēt they saye that they make sacrifices to profit the quicke and the Deade, and this do they ī ther masse: But the scripture teacheth / that there is but one only propiciatorie sacrifice / able and auaylable to take awaie synnes / whiche Christe Iesus offered in his owne fleshe vponupon the Crosse. And that euerie man muste applie vntounto him selfe by liuelie faythe the benefite of that same sacrifice of christe / as the scripture teacheth likewise / that eche man is iustified by his owne faithe, and that eche man in his owne righteousnes or vnrigh teousnes / doth liue / or die. It teachithe also that christe did institute the sacrament only to this end that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke it in the remēberaunce of that same his Sacrifice. And that eicheone in the drincking therof shuld apply vn to himself by faithe / the fruite of that Sacrifice. Now compare the doctrine of the scriptures and of the papistes in this pointe together / and thou shalt se that their Masse is contrarie to christes In stitucion. But as they hauehave / so still will they saye:

That aswell the liuing as the deade be helped by this their acte applied at their pleasure. If they wolde saie that thei profyt others by praier / that were tollerable. But they go further and saie / that ther verye massinge worcke it selfe / hathe so moche vertue / power ād strenghthe in it / that it shall profit not only all kyndes of mē / but all such creatures ād beastes for whom they do say ther masse / bicause in it they do applye the benefite of christes passion: but ye must vnderstōd whē they be payed for ther labor. This is an horrible error in no wise to be suffered / for as I sayed / ther is but one only sacrifice propicia torie to take awaye synne / which one sacrifice eiche one of us must applie vntounto our selues by liuelie faythe / And this applyinge faithe is the only gifte of god: But on this grounde buylde they their purgatorie and mutch other such pélf / by which they do pyckemens purses. They saye ther Masses also in the honor of this / or of that saincte. And of what saintes? suche verylie whose histories are not certaynlie knowen / and are of none authoritie / yea many of thē are no better then poetes fables / of whō not vnworthelie we doubte whether they be sainctes or no: But be it that they were true sainctes / yet this their doinge is moste cōtrarie to christes ordinance / for Christe did institute his supper to this ende that it sholde be used in the remembrance of his deathe and not of other mens / weare they neuer so holye.

In their masse they hauehave also diuers and sundrie rytes ād customs / clothes / signes / gestures / tor nes / remouinges / ād blissinges / of and with the bre ade ād wine / but christe vsed none of all theis in his supper: And what they do meane by these thinges the poeple doth not knowe / neither can the priestes them selues for the most part tell what is ment by them: for if ye aske the meaninge of them / either cā they saye nothinge at all / or if they do saie owghte / they do not saye all one thinge / but thinges that be moste cōtrarie / wherby a mā maie iudge that there is no truithe at all in their wordes. But here they do saie. Thinkest thou that the foolishe vnlearned peo ple in the olde Lawe dyd vnderstand all the legall ceremonies? no it was not requisite / nomore is yt nowe: To this I answer / Althoughe that all the poeple dyd not knowe what was mente by them in the olde lawe / It sufficed yet that they hade the wor de of god for them / Nowe do yee shewe vntounto vsus the worde of god for theise your signes and it shall suffice vsus.

Agayne the godly and lerned preistes could shew what was ment by the rites and ceremonies o… the lawe / and that by the word of godd: but y… can do neyther of theis: for ye hauehave enuented theis toyes in your own braynes: signes ye do call them but ye do not know what thinges they do signifie. And therfor as in rites your Masse doth differ from christes supper / so whē ye saye your pleasure o… your rites / ye ar not to be beleaued: for faith hath no place where goddes worde doth not shew it self Isaide that massemungers in their masse do committ Idolatrie. Their bready god hanged vp i… a pix / and their Images / vntounto which they turn… them selues and do make their moste vncleane seruice and sacrifice do proue this true: Neither do they accompte it sufficient to behold theis their Idole when they saye their Masses / but also they do offer vntounto them / they cense them / they bowe the kne… vntounto them: let them nowe denye whilest they will that they do not worship the breade / nor the Images / yet this worship they do them / This kinde o… worship (Isaye) which is giuen customabilie vnt… god alone / as the lawe of god teacheth. But seing… they giuegive this vntounto these Idols / are they not. Ido… latrors? yes truly. And howe thē dare ony christia… be present there / to vncouer the heade to bowe th… kne to offer and do such like thinges with them?

p. 31They saye that ther Masse is christes Institution / And our men (of whom I now hauehave spoken) do saye that the Masse hath sum affinitie with christes institucion of the holy supper.

But I saye that the olde heathens myghte wyth more coloure of truithe / excuse and defende their sacrifices by that maner / then these men maye do their masse. For verylye the sacrifices of the heathen have lesse departed from the maner which the fathers vsed in sacrificinge before the lawe giuē / which also the lorde approued in the lawe / thē these massers do frome the supper which Christe / and the Apostle paule hathe prescribed. In bothe their sacrifices was the inuocation of god / a Temple / an Aultar / slayne sacrifices / sacrificinge priestes / sleynge of beastes / sheddinge of bloude / salte / wine / oyle / mele / an holy feaste / holy garmentes / washinge / censinge / fyer / singinge / prophecies / and suche other thinges / all which to repeate it were to longe: let our Massers (if they can) shewe so many thinges in their masse agreinge with the thinges which Christe did in the holye supper: Which thinge if they can not do / then let them cease to boaste that their Masse is the institution of Christ and the Apo stles / from which it differethe so farre that if the Apostles and fathers of the primatyue churche were nowe here to beholde this masse / they sholde not knowe it to be the lords supper / but wolde surlie marueyle at suche a monstruo us mahometrie.

Iomytte also that in and with their Masse they ha ue many Anniuersaries yearemyndes / diriges done for the deade: But The Lord did not institute ony of them. If they saye that Cyprian and others of the fathers do speake of suche Annyuersaries: I answer that those of which the fathers do make mencyon / were nothinge els but thāckfull remēbraūces of the Martirs departed / in which they did gyue thancks to godd for thē. They also in their Masses do call vp pon the saintes and holy men departed / which is a thing most contrarie to true godlynes / and vtterly vnknown and vnpractised in the administracion of the Lordes supper.

And to be shorte all their thinges which they do in their Masses / they do choppe and chaūge / they bye and sell and sett them furthe to most vile and filthie gayne. Wherfor / my most Louing Brethern take ye diligent heede / les whilest ye pretend to worshipp godd in your going to Masses / and to entreate hym to be mercifull vntounto yow / yedo not most migh tyly kindle his wrathe against you by hearinge of theise Masses: which as ye playnly do se / ar nothing els but a shamfull deuise sett upp to deface the deathe of christe / a pestilent practise fownde out to ouerthrowe the true vse of the Lordes supper / and an Idolatrie invented to infect the poeple and to make them Idolatrors. p. 32whearby eich man may easily indge / how great a synne it is / to be partaker of a Masse.

But notwithstondinge all this which is spoken / yeat theise men whiche thincke that they maye dissemble at the Masse / cease not to saye / That thoughe the Masse be not the Lords supper / but an Ido latrie / yet is not the presēce at it so earnestly to befor bidden / seing that such thinges hauehave beene gran̄ted vntounto the Infirmities of mē: If a man do aske them wheare: They do bringe forth the Example of Naaman Naman.the Syrian / and by it they will neades hauehave it made Lawfull vntounto them to communicate with wi cked supersticiōs. for he prayed …eliseus / saye they / 4. Reg. 5.that he might be suffred to kneele in the temple of Rymmon that Idoll / whē the kinge did worshipp / and leane vppon his arme. whom the prophet answered / goo in peace. And that / saye they / which was permitted vntounto Naaman / whi do ye forbyd vntounto us? Furst theise men shuld weye with them selues / whether that we only hauehave redde this Example of Naaman / or not. …o we thincke that the holy Apostles and Martirs of the olde churche which wer occupied nighte and daye in the holy scriptures / did not consider this acte and Example? Truly they wer not ignorant of the historie / yet did they neuer knowe this vnderstandinge of it: for if they did / whi then wolde they not folow this example / especially when they might therby hauehave saued their lyues?

But these holy and godly learned men did see that thinge in this historie / which our men do not consider / namely this / that Naamā now newly cō uerted to the faithe was a smoking flaxe which was not to be putt out / a weake and shaken reade which was not to be brosed in peices / and that as yet he was very weake / for he was not yet prepared and readye to denye and forsake hymself and all that was his for goddes sake. He thought that it might cōme to pas that he shuld together with the knowledge of the Lyuing godd / easili holde and keape still his old place / office / and dignitie / if he coulde happen to hauehave that / which he desired of the prophet: And when he did well perceyue that this was his infirmitie and synne / it trobled himso that therfor he desired the prayers and helpe of Heliseus: he desired hym / that if he shuld happen to fall into this euill / yeat that he might be fauored / that he mighte finde merciemercy / ād that Heliseus wold praye that the Lorde wolde forgyue hym. Who doth at ony tyme aske forgyuenes for that which he accōptithe Lawfull? forgyuenes is asked for synnes only / Naaman therfor acknowledged this his acte to be a synnes And if I so fall (quod he) then praye the Lorde to forgyue me. This place therfor doth make most against our men / and euen the same wayes which they go about to excuse their facte / by the same it is most playnly proued to be synne. Let them aknowledge therfor in their doīge that thinge / which Naaman the Sirian did. And let them begg the merciemercy of godd / and the prayers of godly men / that the p. 33same thing which they hauehave euell doone / and do / maye be pardoned them. Neither did Eliseus / as our men do thincke / graunte Naaman licence or libertie to do so as he hadd sayde / but only he saide vntounto hym / goo in peace: which manier of speaking was a kind of takinge leaue vsed in that age. And as for ony other thinge ther can none be gathered out of thos wordes / onles it be this that he promised to do that which Naaman required: goo thy wa yes (saithe he) I will do as thow desirest / I shall praye for the. The prophet doth not reiect hym / if he shuld fall into this euell. As we do not vtterly reiect nor shutt theise mē frō grace which thus do fall: Ye…t must we sharply reproue their doinges that they may acknowledge their fault and synne / and vnfay …edly lament and repēt the same. And we ought also hartily to praye that they may be raysed vpp agayn. They do obiect also certayn wordes out of the Epistle of Ieremie / which is ētitled Baruch. The wor des ar theise. Now shall ye see in Babilon godds of Bar. 6.Bar 6golde / of syluer / of wodde / and of stone / borne vppō mens shulders to caste out a fearefulnes before the heathē / But loke that ye do not as the other: be not afrayed let not the feare of thē ouercome yowe. Ther for when ye do …ee the multitude of poeple worshipping them behinde and before / saye yee in your har…es / O Lord / it is thow that oughtest only to be worshipped / Of theise wordes our men do gather / that it is sufficient for them when they ar present at Idolatries / Masses / and popishe supersticions / to saye in ther harte / O Lord it is thow that oughtest only to be worshipped. In answer to these men: furst I saye / that this booke entitled Baruch is none of the Canonicall scriptures: And therfor no man is bownd to the doctrine of it. But admitt the booke wer of sufficient auctoritie / Then theise men must vnderstonde / that the prophet doth not gyue the Iues leaue to comme vntounto the temples of Idols / that ther they might be present at vngodly Idolatrie / bowe ther knee / and so make vpp the matier / with sayinge in their hart to the true and lyuyng godd / O Lord / it is thow that oughtest only to be worshipped. But he gyuith the Iues instruction against Images which wer caried about / ād Ido latries which wer vsed in those places wher they were exiles: ffor the Maneir of the Babilonians was / not only to hauehave Images in ther tēples / but also to hauehave them sett abroode and caried openly vppon mens shulders. As it is not vnlike that the Image of Nabugodonosor, which beinge dedicated in the feilde of dura, was caried aboute the who le Regiō with Musicall Instrumētes ād sōges / at the sownde of which whersoeuer the Image was seene / commaundemēt was gyuē vntounto all mē that they shuld worshipp it: which Daniels felows wol de not do. Of theise thinges I saye / that epistle entreatithe / playnlye to warne the godly / that they shuld not adore / nor worshipp thos Idols thoughe that the heathenishe poeple did so bothe before p. 33them / and behind them / but when they did see this Idolatrie / detesting it / they shuld then saye / O lord / it is thou to whome worshipp doth only belōge: he saied not / bowe the knee with thē / and saye in your hartes / o lord / it is thou rc. but when ye do see these Idols and Idolatrye / say so. These seyngs and suddayn meetings in the cytie streetes ād fieldes / could not be auoyded / and therfor the godly were to be enstructed and admonished / how they shuld behaue them selues in that case.

But our men / as they are veraye bolde to abuse the scripture for their purpose / go on further and aske / how it happened that Daniel was not throwen into the fierie fornace with his felowes? seing lyke Daniel. 3.Dan 3punishement was appointed vntounto all men which did not worshippe. They will of necessitie hauehave it graunted them therfor / that Daniel did dissemble / (as they now do) and that therfor nothing was done vntounto hym: And that thinge which Daniel dyd / they thincke that they maye do. I aunswer our men thus / that they do not reason well to saye / He was not punished / therfor he was ther and worshipped / they do put more in the consequēt / then is in the antecedēt / and so to reason is to make a subtill cauillacion / taking that to be a cause which is no cause. For there might be many other causes / wherfor Daniel was not likewise punished: happilie the Image ād he did not meete together: or yf he did meete it / men did not mark what he did: or els though men marc…ed that he did not worshipp / yet he was not accused: or yf he were accused / yet through the singula… fauour which the King did beare vntounto him he was delyuered from punishmēt. It must not then forthe with folowe / that Daniel for feare of death did present himself before that Idoll / and did dissemble his Religion / doing there as other Idolatrors did: this we must not iudge of Daniel / seing in the lyfe quarell / he was not afrayed to be thrown vntounto the lyōs. Daniel. 6.Dan 6Now seing there may be many other causes why he was not caste into the fire with his felowes / why do these men chose vntounto them selues this one cause? and that such a one / as is sclaūderous vntounto that ho ly man / of which in the holy scriptures / there is not so much as a suspicion contayned. Yet they do thinke that they do not vnaptly saye for themselues / and defend their cause / when they do alledge that out of the Actes of the Apostles: where mencion is made Actor. 21.howe that Paule / throughe the councell of the Elders of the churche of Hierusalem / did take on hym a vowe with other foure men / and did purifye hym self after the maner and custumme of the Iues. Yf (saye they) suche an Apostle dyd take thys lybertye to vse in Iurie the ceremonies which were now abrogated / euē we also maye vse / and comme vntounto the rites / and ceremonies now vsed in our countrithe. For the better vnderstōding of this matter we must first well consider what the somme of Paules preachinge was: We do suppose (faith he) that a man is Rom. 3.Rom 3iustified by faith / without the workes of the Lawe. And as many as are vnderunder the deedes of the Lawe p. 34Gal. 3.Gal 3are subiect to the curs. Agayne the Iuste man shall Abac. 2. Rom. 1.Hab 2Rom 1lyue by his faithe. This is the somme of Paules doctrine / wherby it doth appeare / that Paule did not vtterly condēne the obseruing of the ceremonies of the Law / but only whē it was done with this minde / as thoughe that Iustification did cōme therby. And the same his meaning he vtterith most playnly to the Galathians / where he saithe. As many of Gal. 5.Gal 5ye as are circumcised / ye are fallen from the grace of Christe: for Christe shall not profite you at all: ye are gone quite frō Christe / as many as are Iustified by the Lawe / As yf he wold saye / These thinges of theyr owne nature do not alienate and separate vsus from Christe / but only when they be done with this mynde and purpose / to be Iustified by them: Take awaye this opinion / and this euell hurtefull purpose being remoued / then Paule cōmendeth these worckes / and all other ciuyle ordinaunces cōmaunded / and appoynted to that Nacion: he condēneth them not / but so farre as they wer iustly and not supersticiously vsed / he did leaue thē in theyr place / ād did not hinder the obseruacion of them. As he dyd Gal. 3.Gal 3…lso write / that in the Lord / there was neither Iue …or gentill / neyther bonde nor fre. And that in Chri…e Gal. 6.Gal 6Iesus / neyther circumcision auaileth any thing …t all / nor vncircumcision / but the obseruing of the …ommaūdementes of God / or a new creature. And 1. Cor. 7.1 Cor 7…gaine yf any be called being circūcised / let him not …dde vncircūcision. If anye be called vncircūcised / …et hym not be circūcised. Let eueryevery mā abyde in the same estate / in which he is called. All these indifferēt thinges / might somtyme be well obserued / somtyme be as well left vndone / as most serued for edifying in godd. Of which vse and obseruacion of thē Paule doth speake / when of him self he saieth: I am 1. Cor. 9.1 Cor 9made all vntounto all mē / that I might wynne manye: VntoUnto the Iues / I am made as a Iue / to thē which are without the lawe / as though I were without a lawe. This sentence he hath also confirmed by exam ples: For when he was required to circūcise Timothie Actor. 16.because that the custumme which was yet in force might be kept / he did it: But when they wolde enforce him to the ouerthrowig of the christiā libertie / that he shulde likewise circumcise Titus / In no Gal. 2.Gal 2wyse wolde he gyue place vntounto them / no not for the space of one houre / and that because (saith he) false brethren came in / to espie out / or to betray our libertie. S. Paule did obserue these thinges then / when it might be done without an euell mynd / when no hurte shuld ensue of it: The cause ād end why Paule did it / was to auoide the offendinge of the beleauing Iues / les yf he did it not / they shuld therby be alienated and turned awaye from Christes gospell / which they had newly receyued. But we must not compare these ceremonies of the old lawe with the Inuencions of men / they can not be iustly compared with Massing: They were plainly taught in Goddes worde / but these masses and popishe Idolatries are thrust vntounto vsus by the subtiltie of the deuell / and craftye deceyuing of mē. They were thinindifferēt / p. 35and as such thinges might be well vsed. But these are thinges vtterly euell and can not be well vsed. They after Christes ascenscion into heauē wer not forbidden / and therfor might be obserued / so long as the Temple and common welth of Israel did cōtinue and the citie was vndestroyed / and vntill the full reuelinge and preachinge of the gospell was had / vntill by it the churche of Christe / which was to be gathered of the Iues and gentils / were well / and fully vnited and knitt together. Neyther wer those ceremonies / as Augustine faith / suddenly Aug. Epistol. 19. ad Hieron.and without honor to be buried and throwen awaye. But these masses / and such popish supersticions / which are farsed full with Idolatrie / alwayes hauehave beene / are / and shalbe forbiddē. Those thinges might therfor be feapt and obserued for a tyme / so that men did not vse them with that mynde (as I sayed) to be iustified by them. Wherfor yf thow wilt consider the matier it self / that is / the nature of the acte / Paule can neither be therin reprehended / nor yet can these dissemblinge Massehaunters vse his well doinge as a defence for their euell doinge: but much les can this be done / yf thou wilt searche out the mynde / councell / and entent of Paules doinge. Bothe these thinges these mayntayners of massehaunting do want. For furst they are occupied in a …hing which is contrary / and repugnant to Godds worde / as it is already declared. Secondly / in thys …heir dissimulacion they do only seke themselues / for …o thend that they maye retayne their riches / dignitie / and estimacion by falling to poperye they offend the weake and drawe them by their example from Christe to Antichrist / wheras Paule did herin obser ue thinges commaunded in Goddes worde / and thē to this ende only / les the beleauing Iues shuld fall backe frō Christ / and that he might the more easily drawe others / which yet beleaued not / to the gospell of Christe. Furthermore these men do saye / that they by their dissimulacion will auoide offence. For (saye they) yf we shuld so vtterly forsake the Masse as ye wolde hauehave vsus / we shulde be taken as wicked mē ād euell doers / ād so shall we geue great offence in our countrithes. I graūte that these men do seke to auoyd offence / but what offence? euē the offēce of the world. They will not offend / but whom? Tyraū tes / ād such as ar the very limmes of antichrist. And why? les they shuld procure against thēselues theyr wrath / poure / and tyrānie. But this is that offence / which Christe sayeth shuld not be auoided: Let them alone (saith he of the Phariseis) They are blinde ād Mat. 15.Matt 15the leaders of the blinde. Heere we must consider which be euell offences / and such as are to be auoyded indeed. Euē those I say / which are an Impediment to the setting forth of the gospell / which do offend and hinder mē / be they simple / or wicked / that they do not embrace pure doctryne / and turne vntounto Christe. Now beholde / I pray the / by cōming to the Masse / what offence thou doest gyue? The Idolatrous ād supersticious people / ar they not offended by this thy doing? Yeas verely. For when they do se p. 36the haūte their masses / they say / these gospellers do cōme to our masses / which they wold not do yf our masses wer so euell as thei call thē: wherfor we may perseuere ād cōtinue in our old purpose. And on the other parte / the weaker brethrē / which are but newly turned / ād not farr entered into the knowledge of Christ / whē they do se these better lerned professors / enseyng bearers / and chief men in the scole of Christ comme to the masse / they are taught to do the lyke: and wher before they wer perswaded not to comme at masses / now they thincke that they were then deceyued / and that it is but a fonde precise scrupulositie so to abstayn from masses: and it cometh to pas / that where they shuld go forwarde in the waye of truth / now they do go backe. Thus both the wicked and the godly / are offended by thy example: It is playne therfor that vnderunder the cloked colour of auoyding of offence / these men do fall into the very offēce gyuing. They say morouer: It is nedefull to cō discende vntounto the weake: for there are many which are not persuaded that the masse is naught / and therfor are neyther ready to forsake their countrie / nor to dye in the quarell / whiche men yf they shulde perceyue that we did not come to masse / they wold not gyue then any ear or credite vntounto vsus in the other matiers and chief pointes of religion: wherfore we must gyue and yealde somwhat vntounto their infirmitie / as Paule doth teache the Romayns. This they saye. But what will Paule / I praye you / that we Rom. 14.Rom 14shuld yealde to the weake? This verily / fyrst that we shuld not please our selues: Agayne / that we shuld not so lyue after our own mynde / that we shulde cō temne their saluacion. We do graunte therfor that som thinge is to be gyuen vntounto the infirmitie of the weake brother / but euen with Paule / we will not suffer that to be done / but in thinges indifferēt. But those thinges which of them selues ar euell and forbidden of Godd / must not be done in respect of any man. For that same Rule doth stonde certayn which Rom. 3.Rom 3gyueth leaue to no mā to do euell that goode maye comme theron. To abstayn / or not to abstayn from meates / was then a thing indifferēt. In such thinges they which be stronger must beare with the Infirmitie of the weaker: but meate eating ād Massehauntinge are not lyke / for this is no thing indifferēt / but manifestly euell / as it is sufficiently proued / and therfor it is not to be done in respect of bearing with any man that is weake. But are the weake alwayes to be borne with all in thinges indifferent? no truly / we must not alwayes yealde to the weake but only whylest they be taughte: And when they do vnderstonde the thing that is taught them / and yet do wauer and doubt of a wilfull scrupulositie / their infirmitie is no longer to be norished nor born with all: For we must not so beare with them / that our libertie shal be in subiectiō to their frowardnes / nor that therby we do hurte others by our example.

Agayn they obiect and saye: Yf we shuld do as ye wold hauehave vsus to do / then must we eyther flye out of our coūtrithe / or els forthwith shall we suffer death p. 37and so the congregatiōs shalbe left vtterly desolate / ther shall be none lefte to teache and norishe those af flicted mēbres which shall remayne in our churche: Better it is / that by our bearing and dissemblinge / ther do remayne yet sum leight / then that by doing as ye wold hauehave vsus all together shuld be putt out. If sū do remayne ther / it wil brust forthe at lēgthe / 1. Cor. …5.1 Cor 5ād a litill leauē will soure the whole lūpe of dowe…c Truly for all this goodly clooke / it is easily perceyued that through this dissēbling the edifying of the churche is hindered and not furthered. These men pretēde with Athlas to beare vp heauē withe their shulders / but they do ouerthrow altogether: Godd doth se more thē we / in the thinges which shall hap pen to the churche: We must obeye hym in seruyng hym ād his churche with the cōfessiō of truthe. The issue / and succes / let vsus cōmitt vntounto hym to whom the churche doth belonge: And let vsus do that wherunto we ar called. The churche shall be destroyed thē / thow sayest: Let God care for that / he will well prouide for that / let vsus not doubt. Wel maye theise mē be answered / as the lorde answered Peter / whē he called hym / sayinge: folowe me: Peter made a staye at it and asked hym what Iohn shuld do. If Ioan. 21.John 21I will (saith Christ) hauehave hym to tarye / what is that to the? do thow folowe me. So if thow aske in this case / what shall then be done with the churche? I aunswer / what is that to the? Do thow the thinge wher vntounto thow art called. Besids this oftē tymes the doctrine of the gospell is more sett furth / and better receyued / when it is mayntayned by deathe / and fleinge / then when by words only it is propownded and taught: for then men are taught by deedes / as before they wer by wordes: Haste thow confessed the gospell in wordes? This then remayneth for the to do: die / or flye for the gospell so shalt thou cōfesse the same indede. And Let vsus not feare the desolatiō of the churche / for wher one of our brethern dyeth / or flyeth fo: the doctrine / in his rowm shall rise vp a great sorte. But if we stād and continue in dissemblinge / thē is the lighte of the truithe put owt / nether is there any cōfession made indede.

They bringe in also the examples of Zacharie / Iohn the Baptist / the virgin Marie / and Ioseph / which in the corupted and infected tymes whē they lyued dyd cōme vntounto the seruice of God in the Tē ple of the Iues / The samething maye be permitted to thē (they thincke) and that yt is as lawfull for thē to partake ād vse the ceremonies in the popish churche be they neuer so corrupt. True it is that ther were many wicked doctrines and euill opiniōs at that tyme emōgest the scribes and pharisees. But yet the estate of thē was far otherwise / thē it is in our tyme: They hade corrupted the docrrine of the law and of iustificatiō. They were couetous / That thing which they dyd / Was done with out fayth / and therfor abhominable before God / yet the rite and maner of sacrificing apointed by Goddes lawe was not chaū ged / for the same beastes were offered which the lawe dyd cōmaūde / the same daies were obserued / and ceremonies / and therfore it was lawfull to vse thē inasmoche as they hade the worde of Godd for p. 38thē. And eiche mā that so vsed thē receyued accordīg to the measure of his faithe. For the corrupte doctrines / sentēces and manieres of the priestes / Bishoppes and scribes / dyd not hurte at all the prophettes and godlie men which wer thē selues cleare frō thē / of a contrarie mynde to thē / in all thinges thinking accordinge to Godds worde / yea dyd also reproue and sharplie rebuke those thinges: which thing Augustine dothe witnesse as he is allegded. 23. q. 4. ca. Recedite. and in many other places there. Let our sa crificinge priestes do the same vntounto vsus at this daie. Let thē celebrate the lordes supper and vse other ceremonies / so as by Godds worde they be apointed / thē we will not draw backe at all / but vse thē / thoughe they thē selues thincke corruptlie / and liue more wickedlie / we shall bewaile / we shall admonishe / we shall reproue / we shall accuse thē / and they shall beare their owne synne. Their synne shall not hurte vsus / nether will we absteyne frome the sacramentes for their nowghtines / but vse thē. In which doīge we shall not cōmunicate with their wickednes / for we shall vse the rite and ceremonie as the lord…e cō maūded / and instituted. And this thing mēt Christ whē he saide. The scribes ād pharisees do syt in Mo ses chaire / what they byd yow do / that do / but as Matth. 23.Matt 23they do / see that ye do not. So Christe commaunded the leper whom he hade clēsed to go vntounto the priest. The blessed virgin likwise she might well after the Luc. 2.Luke 2birthe of our sauiour Christ offer the payre of Turtles or too yonge pigeons / because it was so commaunded in the lawe. By this example our men can not heare masse / because it is a thinge contrary to godds worde: But let these papists giuegive vntounto vsus the sacramentes / as Christe dyd institute them / and we shall vse thē / and yet neuerthelesse reproue their wickednes. Nowe our men beinge thus at all pointes answered / and ouercommed / do flye to this atlenghth. Thoughe saye they it be a synne to go to Masse and such popishe pelfe yet it is but a light synne / and not so seuerely to be reproued. What (say they) we do many thinges which we shuld not do. but God forgyuithe thē. 2c. To the last I aunswer: The goodnes of Godd which doth forgyue synnes vntounto them that be truly penitēt / doth not diminishe at all the gretnes of the synne. Wherfor I will aunswer only / to that they saye / that it is but a light synne. Which thinge whilest they do saye / they do not thincke this with themselues / that all synnes hauehave their proper weight and burthen. For doinges and the nature of thinges done ar not to be considered simplie of themselues, but they ar to be weyed by godds worde and lawe / by which they arforbiddē: By it / wicked actes and the do…inge of them ar to be iudged: And seing that the poure of the lawe and worde of God is all one in all cōmaundementes / by it / the weighte / burthē and greatnes of synne cōmitted / is to be weyed considered and iudged. S. Iames therfor in this cause doth saye. He that Iacob. 2.hathe obserued the whole lawe / and dothe offend in one / is made giltye of all. Which sayinge truly is harde and sharpe / but most true / and teachith all mē that they shuld not extenuate synne. But this place p. 39of Iames / is not so to be vnderstōded / as thoughe August. Epist. 29. ad Hiero.that all synnes wer equall and like. That doth Augustine truly and playnly denye: He saith that the Stoickes do go about to proue it / when they saye / that all vertues are cōioyned and knitt together / so that he which hathe one of theim hath all / and he that wātith one wātith all. For wisdome (saye they) is not fearefull / nott intemperate / not vniuste / therfor it hath ioyned with it the vertues which be contrarie vntounto these vices: And likewise iustice / strēghthe / tēperaunce and other vertues are not vnwise / but are ioyned with wisdome / wheruppon they do conclude / that all vertues are conioyned and knitt together. Theise thinges / saith Augustine / do not Iaco. 3. 1. Ioan. 1.1 John 1agre with the holy scriptures / which do witnes. That in many thinges we do all offend / and If we saye that we hauehave no synne / we do deceyue our selues and ther is no truithe in vsus. Wherfor seing that we synne in many thinges / and in synnynge we cā not hauehave that vertue which is cōtrarie to that synne which we do committ / and yet it maye be that he which fallith in one synne / may be cōstaunt in other vertues / the opinion of theis philosophers is fals. As for example: Be it / that one be of an hastye nature / or do exceade measure in eatinge / and yet he gyuith eueryevery man his own / and will gyue his life in Godds cause: thoughe this man be fearce / and intemperate / yet is he called a iust mā / and a stronge man. S. Augustine doth also putt awaye the similitude of the stoicks / whiche is. That the man doth die in the waters / if they be but half a handfull ouer / his heade / aswell as he ouer whos heade they are / ten / or twentie cubites. This is no apte similitude / saith he / therfor let vsus take an other more fitte for our purpose / of light namely and darcknes. Certaynly when one is in darcknes / the more he dothe departe and go out of it and drawith nighe vntounto light / he begynnith the better to see sumwhat / and so though that yet he be compassed with darcknes / yet is he sumwhat partaker of the lighte. But he that wyll knowe more of this matier / let hym reade that Epistle of Augustyne: Wher he prouith playnly / that all synnes ar not like / as the Stoicks did thincke: Now to return to our place / which we did rehearce. Be that offendith in one / is giltie of all. Ther is no obseruacion of Godds Lawe to be receued with an exception / as thoughe we might chose one parte of it to obserue / and separate or sett asyde the other parte at our will and pleasure to neglecte it. The commaundemētes of the lawe ar conioyned of the lorde and knitt together / and so gyuen vntounto vsus: We must not now disseuer / and separate thē as we lust / but without exception we must obserue the whole lawe. We must consider and loke vppon the Auctoritie of the lawe gyuer / which is Godd / It is of force aswel in one cōmaundement / as in the rest. This doth Iames seame to meane / when he saith: Iacob. 2.He that hath sayde / Thow shalt not committ adulterie / the same hath sayde / Thow shalt not kill. As if he shuld saye / he is no les contraried in any one p. 40of theise commaundemētes / then in an other. And therfor (to adde this by the waye) let them wel consider what they do which do profes to receyue the gospell / and yet they do refuse ecclesiasticall disciplyne: Wheras the lorde / which hath reuealede and opened the gospell vntounto vsus by Christe / doth appoint discipline to be a parte therof. Theise men do synne against the whole lawe. The papistes do also synne herin / which do preache their parted righteousnes / as meritorius of congruitie. But to returne / this is also manifest / that he that synnith in one / is therfore giltie in all / for that as now by lust and tentacion he is caried into sum one transgression / and so dothe synne / euen in like manier shuld he offend in an other euill / if he wer assaulted in the same sorte / and whith that same violence of tentacion. And Augustine in the place before alledged. doth saye. That therfore he is made giltie of all / bicause he synneth against charitie / vppon which the obseruacion of the whole lawe is grownded. To be short therfor / when we do thus fall into synne / we must not ligtly tryfle it of and excuse it / sayinge that it is but light / and small: for synne is not to be considered of the matier / and manier of the action only / but of the force poure / and dignitie of Godds worde which doth forbidd it. And yet les I shuld seeme to be to rigorus and strayte in this matier of massehauntinge / let ther be hadd a consideracion / or difference of the matier / and doinge. And truly I can not see / how this finde of synne and doinge cā be iudged to be light / or small / seing that it is a transgressiō committed against the furst table of the lawe / in which the worship due vntto Godd is cōmaūded which worshipp being sownde and safe in a mā other vices and synnes ar the more easily corrected: And agayn this being corrupted / all other actes are most vnacceptable vntounto Godd. Whordō by Godds lawe is to be punyshed by deathe / yet is it a synne but against the. ij. table. And what shal we thincke then of spirituall whordome? how seuerely doth Godd iudge it? how sharply ought it to be punished? If therfor thow dost consider the commandement which thou breakest / it is of God: If the matier / it is aganist the furst table and therfore thys synne is the more heynus and weightie. Besids this / our men do counte this Masse hauntinge a fault to be either contemned / or not so depely to be considered in theim bicause they do not synne with mynde will and affection / but as it wer compelled and of necessite. But I aske them / what manier a violence and compulsion this is throughe which that necessite commithe of which they make their excuse? Truly they can not saye that it is ony other / then bicause they wolde not ronne into the daunger of the losse of their Goodes / their estimacion and lyfe. This is then no absolute necessite Aristote. Ethi. lib. 3.but such a one as risith of ther own corrupt affection and will, wich prouith that their action is volūtarie. As Aristotle in his Ethicks doth saye of the p. 41losse which shippmen do suffer in a tempest / which do cast out of their ship al their Goodes whē they be in daunger of shipp wracke: They seame truly to be compelled to do it / and yet willingly they do it / and therfor they are sayed. To do. bicause that withe deliberacion and aduise / they do determin / both with iudgemēt and will / rather to abide the losse of their goodes / thē of their lyfe. Which thinge as the mariners do wisely determyne / so our men do folishly / which for the louelove that they beare to their lyfe / bodie ād goodes do not chose to abide the losse of thē all / in refusing to come to these detestable masses / to gayn therby lyfe / and saluacion euer lastinge. And so do they cōmitt doble synne. Furst they synne willingly. Thē they do prefer earthly thinges before heauēly / outward thinges before inward / the bodie before the soule / their Goodes before God: Which is not done but of such / as ar the very …ldrē of the world. Of affectiō verily / though they do saye nay / they do that which they do / but of that inordinate affection which they do beare to their riches. Wherfor this is no iust excuse which they make. For as well might the Corinthians / euen by the very same reason / hauehave sayde to Paule. If we do comme vntounto these feastes wher the meates offered vntounto Idols are eaten / we do it not with that mynde as thoughe we allowed such sacrifices / but we ar compelled therunto / for if we shuld auoide theise solemne feastes / we shuld be taken as sedicius men / euell citizens / vncourteous / we shuld loose our frends / ād most profitable healp and defence / Yea and paraduēture our goodes and countrith, Paule hearith noone of all these thinges / but doth sharply reproue thē / as in the furst epistle which he wrote vntounto thē it doth appeare. Aarō also by the same reason might hauehave excused the making of the goldē calf / ād sayed / I did it not with my myn Exod. 32.Exod 32de / I was cōpelled / and if I hadd not folowed the mynde of the poeple / they wold hauehave stoned me. rc. But Moses / who did well perceyue that this was not of an absolute necessite / but did rise of such a corrupt grownd and matier as neither righteousnes doth suffer to be receyued / neither Godd doth admitt / he cōdemnith the act / ād doth sharply reproue Aaron for it. These men ought also to thincke this: That the masse is as it wer the signe ād sure marke / the pleadg / ād seale / by which the papists do knowe who be theirs / frō others. For whether a mā gyuith almos / whether he prayeth / whether he lyueth a cha ste lyfe / and so forth / they passe not at all: This only they do regarde / whether he hearith Masses: which thīg if they perceyue that he doth / for the whith they thīke that mā to be ther own / ād on the other parte / to abhorr the Masse and not to heare it / is euen the begynninge of fallinge from ther kyngdō / and from Antichriste. Wherfor we may call Masse hearinge / The publique profession of poperie / the badge of the most vile and filthie Idolatrie which is vsed in our age. In this therfor / ī which papistes put so mutch confidence / that they make therof the very marcke wherby the godly are known from their men / no p. 42Christian must dissemble. For if he do / then doth he publiquely professe hymself to be a papist / which is euen to denie Christes gospell: And this to do / is so greate a synne / as no mā cā extenuate by ony blind cloke or reason. But thow wilt saye: Ther be greate daungers / of which I am in present ieoperdie / and I shall also sett mi self forthe to other most heauy dan̄giers / except I be partaker and do cōmunicate with papists in the Masse / and such popishe Idolatrie. I grant that ther are daungers / such is theyr Tyrannie. But remember thou / That Godd hath forseene all theise daungers before / and also hath shewed that they shuld comme / of which though he wer not ignorante / yet did not his wisdō chaunge his lawe to hauehave them auoyded: He commaunded / and doth / that Idolatrie shall not be cōmitted but that mē shuld flye from it / which commaundement he wyll hauehave kept what so euer perill dothe cō me theron. Wherfor let vsus cast our care vppon hym which hath gyuen vsus this commaundemēt / for he which doth know righte well / that theise euels are ioyned with the obseruinge of his commaundementes / he will care for them which for rightuisnes shalbe persequuted. Truly the violence / and nature of persequution and daungiers is not such / that it can chaunge Godds lawe: neither that he will hauehave his lawes chaunged for them. Let persequutions be howsoeuer they be / yet Godds lawe remaynith vnmoueable. Let vsus not seeke then to deuide and part ourselues / and our seruice / betwen Godd ād the deuell / as thoughe we wold gyue our mynde ād affectiō vntounto Godd: ād in poperie and supersticious Idolatries to gyue our bodyes doīges / and outward actiōs vntounto the deuell. Our mynde is Godds seate / our bodie is his Tēple. Gyue therfore to Godd / that which belongith vntounto hym. Thincke 1. Cor. 6. Mat. 22.1 Cor 6Matt 22what thow lust of doing and dissemblinge for thy commoditie: Yeat this Rule / and certayn Canon of the holy ghost must now either rule the / or herafter in Godds iudgement cōfownde the. Euell thinges Roma. 3.are not to be done that Goode shuld come theron.

Now seing that we hauehave sufficiētly spoken of priuate men and subiectes / in and through all the partes and membres of our distinctions and diuisiōs / it remaynithe that we shuld entreate of Princes: for so at the begynning we ordered our diuision.

Of Rulers and princes / I make this diuisiō / Some there are which be chiefe princes / suche as do not Of Rulers and Princes.depēd and hange on other / of whō the Ciuilians do saie / that they hauehave a mere Rule. Other are vnderunder Rulars and such as be of lesse authoritie then they / which do depende and hāge on the higher princes / either by the right (as they saie) of fee / or ells because they are their officers / and mynisters / that is to saye (as they be commonlye termed) their deputies / lieutenan̄tes and executours of their office. I will firste speake of the higher / absolute / ād mere Rulers: And of them I will both aske and answere this questiō: A questiōWhether it be lawfull for thē to suffer and permite in their dominiōs the free and familiar conuersatiō p. 43and dwellinge togither of the vnfaithfull with the The ansvver.faith full? I thinke that it is lawfull / but yet so that they muste take hede of certeyn thinges / and obserue and kepe certeyn Rules and conditions.

The firste is / that they do not enforce nor compell their faithfull subiectes to ioyne with the vnbeleauers in their assēbles / nor in such vnholy kyndes of worshipp of Godd as are cōtrary to Godds worde: for then shold they not be Godds ministers / as they are taughte to be in the epistle to the Romains / but Rom. 13.Rom 13rather the ministers of the deuill / of Antichriste / and of their furie. Then sholde they be a feare vntounto them that do well / and not to them that do euill / neither sholde they promote the worke of God / but the tyranye of Antichriste.

The secōde is / they muste not graunte nor suffer / the vnfaithfull to vse their supersticions and wicked Idolatries which are cōtrarie vntounto Godds worde. For it is not sufficient / that they do not compell the godly to wicked supersticiō and Idolatrie / but also they muste forbidde the same to the wicked Idolatrours: For not doinge of this Salomō is greatlie accused: Indeede he did not compelle the Iues to 3. Reg. 1….1 Kgs 1worshipp Idolles / but yet dyd he permit and suffer his wyues and concubines, wich were straungiers, to hauehave their Chapells amonge the Iues / in which they worshipped Astaroth / Chamos ād such idolls / for which cause the lorde was so angrie wyth him / that as he suffered his true worshippe to be parted ād diuided / as he suffered seruice to be done partlie to God ād partlie to Idolles. Euē so was his kingdo…diuided / parte of it came vntounto his sōne / ād parte to Ieroboā the sōne of Nabat. And agayn for doing of this / Achaz / ād other wicked kīges wer reproued of the prophetes. Magistrates are apoīted to be the defēders / ād executours of the first table of the lawe aswell as of the secōde: with what obseruatiō thē of iustice cā a magistrate graūte or suffer Idolatrie to be vsed? It is writō that he hathe the sworde to punishe euill thīges ād vices. If it be his part to punis he theues / ād not to permitt them / the same must he do to Idolatrours. Or ells we must saie that Idolatrie is no such synne ād vice as theft is / or that with other vices it is not to be punished. And that theis prīces maye do this the better / they muste thē selues take hede that they be cleare frō these Idolatries ād supersticiōs. Augustine writīg againste the donatistes dothe ī manye places notablie intreate ād hā dle Psal. 1.Ps 1this sentēce of the psalme. And nowe ye kīges be wise be warned ye that iudge the earthe. Serue the lorde wyth feare. rc. It is reasō ād semyng saithe he that kinges sholde serue the lorde / neither is it spokē of kinges in respecte that they are mē / for so are they boūde to obserue cōmen lawes euē as other mē are / but as kīges they be admonished to vse their power giuē thē of God / ād their sword to defēde the catholike truithe / and to represse the wicked which do oppugne the church ād truithe of Christ: wherfore it is not lawfull for prīces to graūt vntounto the wicked and vnbeleuers their euill and vngodlie Godds seruice and Idolatries / but they muste maynteyn to their power / those holy rites ād ordinaūces of godds seruice p. 44which do agree with the worde of God / ād forbid those which are cōtrarie to yt. I do not saie that they must be to curius in ceremonies / as many are / which wolde that ī any wise all rites ād ceremonies sholde he throughli ād in all places of oone sorte / ād manier: But this theis princes shold prouide / that the ceremonies vsed in ther churches sholde not be contrarie to godds worde / yea and that they sholde most neerely agre therwith / ād shuld make for godly edyfyinge and decēt and comelye ordre in the churche: But of their liknes / ād that ī all places the rites / ād ceremonies shold be of one forme / I do not thinke it a thing worthie the labor. For what matter maketh it if some men do receyue the sacramēt stōding / other sittinge / other kneling. And if in some places whilest the bretherē do cōmunicat / a place of the scri pture be redd / or some psalmes be sōg of the people / or other songes of thankes geuing. Nether is it any great matter / when a corps is caried to the buriall / whether that mē do followe the hearce holdīg their peace / or singing of psalmes / or suche other thinges as maye edifie them that do stāde by. These thinges are to be lefte so free that in the churches suche maie be vsed / as shall seme most meete for the edy fyinge of the people. Yea I suppose that this varietye and chaunge in rytes / and ceremonies / dothe not a lytell profyte ād helpe to bring in a true opiniō of ceremonies / and to hauehave it kepte also: that is / that mē shuld beleue that all those ceremonies which the holie scri pure doth not apoint / are not necessarie vntounto saluaciō / but maye be chaūged accordinge to the estate of tyme / ād as shall serue for edifyīg / as they shall thīk Godd which hauehave in their hand the orderinge the churche. That moste worthie commen wealthe of the venetians / which hauehave vnderunder ther dominions / many Cities and places in Grece / they do in eche of them permitt and suffer the rytes / and ceremonies / Bothe of the Greke churche / and of the Latin churche / for rhose wise men do thincke / that the dyuersytie in outward ceremonies which are not taught in Godds worde is not hurtefull. I do not alledg this to allowe all such ceremonies as they do permitt in thos places / but only to shew that they thincke it not a matier of necessite to hauehave all one forme of ceremonies: The verie same thinge before thē did Augustine iudge as in his epistles to Ianuarius / and Cassulanus it dothe apeare.

The thirde thinge is / that the princes and rulers which do suffer these vnfaithfull mē to dwell ī their dominions sholde prouide that they mighte be taughte the truithe: and in this behalfe they muste not neglect them: for as the princes do declare their gētilnes in suffering thē to dwell in their dominiōs so this their pacience muste be directed to the glorie of God: And howe can that be soughte in theis vnbeleauers / if they be suffered to abyde in their noughtie opinion without teachinge? Surely by this meanes in processe of tyme they be made no whit the better / but a greate deale worse then they were before.