Woe to the World Because of Offenses, To the reader 2
DEarly belouyd, you that hauehave wytte, vnderſtanding, and wyll to be inſtructyd in this controuerſie now rayſyd in the Churche about apparell, at thys tyme thys ſhall ſuffyce. Yt is true that the teachers of handye craftes affyrme, that no man can attayne to ſuche excellente perfeccyon in worke, as maye be diſputed of by reaſone, muche leſſe when the rule of religion muſte be framyd accordynge to the rule of Godes wyll, which is ye rule of all perfeccyon, may we loke that any thyng can ſo perfectly be performyd of vnperfect mā, that in all poynts yt may anſwere to the perfeccion that God requirith: neuertheles God requirith his ſeruice to be ſuche as hym ſealfe is, deuyne, pure, ſyncere, vnmingled, and in no parte corruptyd, and as lacke of ſtrenthe ſhal not excuſe vsus, in that we can not, ſo neclygence makythe vsus more wickyd, yf that we may performe, and we will not. Fyrſte we are requityd to louelove God with all our hartes, all our myndes, and all our ſtrength, that preciſenes is comendable, which withholdith not a lytill, whē all is requiryd. Thou ſhalt be perfect with thy Lorde thy god.Deut. 18. Thou ſhalt not bende ether to thy ryghthande, or to the leafte. Thou ſhalt nether adde, nether diminiſhe of that which is cō maundyd. Thou ſhalt not inquier for the gods of the Gentyls, ſayinge: Howe dyd thoſe Gentyles ſerue theyr godes. Thou ſhalt not do ſo to the Lorde thy god. For whatſoeuer the Lorde abhorreth, that dyd they to theyr godes. God wyll hauehave his children ſo to abhorre theſe ſuperſticion, yt they ſhuld fle euen from that infecciō that comythe by hearynge.The zeall that God requirith. Furthermore, ſo many thinges as ar cōmandyd of leprous, mēſtreous, dead bodys, were many, which myght not be touchyd without defyling, what other thinges were they in that rude people,God kepe vsus frō all outwarde ſhew of Popery. but exerciſes of precyſe purenes and cleanes, the obſeruance of ſuche ſhadowes, althoughe it hath byn longe ſynce abolyſhyd, yet the euerlaſtinge truthe remaynyth: muche more in preſence of the bodye, that no prophane or defylyd thinge may be minglyd with gods ſeruice. Moreouer god forbydyth all ſtrange corruptious mixtures, whē he forbyddyth them to ſowe land with diuers ſeedes, to plowghe with an oxe and an aſſe, to weare lynyne and wollen to gether. For lyberte & coſtome euen in ye leaſte matters bredythe boldnes, & in hys cōmandement god hath alſo reſpecte to the kynde of apparell. Fynallie when this cleanes is ſtreachyd euen to brute beaſtes,marke well. who wold not beleue that God requirith an vtter deteſtacion of all vncleanes, eſpecially in religion. Seing all theſe lawes perteyne to the fyrſt cōmandement, accordinge to the ſame preciſe rule dyd the holy fathers exerciſe them ſelues vntounto puryte, therfore it is neuer rede that the godly Patriarches dyd ſacrifyce vponupon the Idolators alters, but whytherſoeuer they remouid,Example of holy men. always they buyldid newe alters. Furthermore Abraham wolde not take a thryde of the Kynge of Sodoma. Iacob buryed the earinges that weare ornamentes of ſuperſticion, with the Idoles them ſelues. Moyſes to blemiſhe the ſeruice of God wolde accepte no condicions at all, there ſhall not remayne on houſe, ſaythe he very preciſlye. Dauith wold not take the names of the Idoles in his lypes. Ezechias brake the braſen ſerpēt, not only chāgyd the vſe of it.What greter herytykes cā ther be, then the Papiſtes? The Holy ghoſt prayſithe thoſe godly Kinges, which deſtroyed the highe places, as Ezechias and Ioſias, in whiche places ſomtyme the people dyd worſhip god. Elyazer wold not fayne that he dyd eate ſwynes fleſhe. S. Pawle byddythe, Refrayne from all ſhew of euyll. S. Iohn forbyddyth vsus to ſalute an herytyke. And Polycarpus his diſciple, as Ireneus wytneſſith, when he mett an herityke, wolde not gyue hym other anſwere, but that he knewe hym to be the Deuells eldeſte ſonne. for ſuche feare had the Apoſtels & theyr diſciples, that they wolde not comunicate withe on worde with any that had corruptyd the faith. Fynallie S. Pawle in playne wordes cōmandyth preciſnes,Ephe. 5. ſayinge, Take hede that ye walke preciſlye or exactlye, for ſo the greke worde ſignifieth. Laſt of all, let vsus not forget what our Sauiour Chriſt ſaythe: He that is faythfull in the leaſte, wyl be faythfull in the moſte. Who alſo teachith vsus, howe faythfully and preciſlye we ſhulde walke, what colde be more preciſly ſpoken of, the law ſhall paſſe vntyll all be fullfyllyd, and he that breakyth one of the leaſte cōmandements, and teachith other ſo to do, ether by worde, or by example, ſhalbe leaſt in the Kyngdome of heauen. Yt is euident by theſe reaſons and examples, that no preciſenes or ſcrupuloſite in godes religion, can be to muche or blame worthie. Towchinge ye ſubſtance, ther is no controuerſy, but yt is lawfull as the good creature of god, and to this purpoſe pertayne thoſe ſayinges: The kyngdome of heauen is nether meate nor drynke. Meate cōmendith vsus not to god. Whatſoeuer enterithe in to the mouth, defylyth not the man. All thinges ar cleane to them that ar cleane. & other lyke places of ſcripture, all which they pertayne to the matter or creature & ſubſtance only, not to eueryevery vſe, faſſion, or maner of vſynge. It is to muche doltyſhenes, not to vnderſtand all thynge a ryght, excepte we wyll alſo conclude of the ſame places, that by glotony, dronkenes, whordome, diſquiſyd aparell, and ſuche lyke, the lawe of god is not brokē. garments therfore that ar vrgyd in reſpecte of the forme and vſe, they are not indifferent, and fyrſt of the ende, which they labor ſo muche to proue that it is chaungyd, that thoſe thinges which before were vſyd to ſuperſticiō, now are cōmandyd for order & comlynes. No godly man doubtyth, but the Quenes Maieſte intendinge an other end in commanding of thoſe thinges, then the Papiſtes vſyd them for. But who ſo well conſiderith ye nature of thoſe thinges, ſhall playnely ſe, that the end which thé commander propoundyth, dothe not folowe, but accordinge to the diuerſite of them yt vſe them, and them that iudge of them, a cleane cō trary end enſuythe, for many popiſhe preſtes vſe them to the ſame ſuperſticious end that they dyd in Popery, and greateſt of all is ye multitude of ignorant people, that iudgith none otherwyſe of them.Cor. 8. All men hauehave not knowledge, for ſome with conſcience of the Idole, euen yet do eate meate offred to Idoles. So Gedeon made an Ephode,Iud. 8. not that ye people ſhulde go a whorynge after it, yet was it the deſtruction of hym and his howſe foreuer. Secondly it can not ſerue for order and comlynes,Cor. 14. which hath in it no neceſſary cauſe of edifying. Let all thinges be donne for edifying. Nether can it be conuertyd to ye comlynes of the Chriſtian Churche, which is the chaſte ſpowſe of Chriſt, which is takē from Antichriſt, and the fylthye whore of Babylon. What cōſent hath Chriſt with Belyall? what porcion hath the faythfull with the infydell? or what agrement hath the temple of God with Images? Yf the reaſon of S. Paule be examynyd,2. Cor. 6. by the which he diſſuadith the Corynthians frō eating of meate offeryd to Idoles, the ſame may be alſo extendyd to garmēts conſecratyd to Idolatry. The nature of cerymonies and rytes is to make the vſer to hauehave felowſhip with the principall of that religion, as the Iewes of the alter, Chriſtians with Chriſt, and Gentils with Deuells. As manye as are partakers of the breade which we breake, are partakers of the bodye of Chriſte. They therfore that eate meate offeryd to Idoles, are partakers of deuells. And as many as are baptized hauehave put on Chriſt: it is not to be fearyd, leaſte as many as weare antychriſtes robes, wil take more yf auctorite comand it, neyther dothe the auctoryte of the Chriſtian Magiſtrat excuſe vsus, except we thinke, that Sergius Paulus myght permyte that S. Paule had forbydden the ſentence of Iamys, which is,Act. 15. Deut. 12. that the gentyls ſhulde abſtayne from the polucion of Idoles, God will borowe nothynge of Idoles to garnyſh or become his religion. thou ſhalt not do ſo to the Lorde thy god, but rather he commandyth vtterly to deſtroye theyr alters, woddes, pyllers, and theyr very names. He forbyddyth them alſo to brynge any thinge in to theyr howſes that belongythe to Idoles. Eſaye chap. 30. byddyth thoſe that are earneſtly turnyd to the worſhippe of god, to caſt awaye the reliques of Idolatrie, You ſhall, ſayth he, put out the couerynge of the Imagis of ſyluer,that is all thing belonging to Idolatry. & the precious veſtymēts of the goldē Imagis, and thou ſhalt caſte them awaye lyke a menſtrous clowte, and ſaye vntounto yt: Anawnte, or get the hence. Fynallye when all godly men abhorre the monſtrous apparell of Fryers, Monkes, Chanons, I can not ſe, by what order they ſhulde exteme the ornaments of Popiſhe Preaſtes, whoſe order is as wyckyd as Freyers, Monkes, or any other, which thyng may be ſayd of the reſte of the Popiſhe ceremonies, which may all with lyke precepte and coloure, & by as good reaſon be receuid in the Churches as thoſe. But admyttinge that theſe thynges were neuer ſo indifferent, yet it can not be that we ſhulde thynke them lawfull, for vsus to vſe them: for euē thoſe thinges, which by them ſealues are lawfull, whē an other circumſtance is ioynyd to them, then become they vnlawfull for a Chriſtian to vſe them, as in theſe caſes. Firſt we can not caſt of all doubtfulnes, hauing ſo many reaſons on our ſyde, and ſo manye examples bothe of learnyd men, and beſt reformyd Churches, but in all thinges moſt indifferent. Saint Paule chargith eueryevery mā to be certanly perſuadyd in his owne mynde, which ſome men vntruly tranſlate, Let eueryevery man abownde in his owne ſence, for he that with doubt of conſcience eatyth, which of it ſealfe is lawfull, is condemnyd, becauſe he doth it not of fayth. Now the aſſurance of fayth muſte be ſought no where, but in Gods worde. Secondlye, thowghe we ſhulde ſatiſfye our conſciences, yet this man is defylid, which is not perſuadid by Gods worde, but encreaſed by our examples, that he dare do that, whereof before he doubted, and this is to geue an offence, as they cō monly call it to anger them, for they that are beſt pleaſyd with theſe matters, are moſt offendyd, that they ſtomble and falle, we muſt not do what ſo euer is lawfull, but what ſo euer alſo is profytable to edifying: nether muſt we only regarde what lyberte permyttyth, but rather what our brothers proffyt requiryth. Thyrdlye, we maye not altogether neclecte what infydells iudge of vsus in the vſynge of thinges lawfull by them ſealfes, and therefore S. Paule byddeth them that are callyd to the feaſtes of the gentyls, ſo ſone as mencyon is made of meate offeryd to Idoles, to abſtayne from eatinge of it, becauſe of hym that tolde of it, and his conſcience, not of hym ſealfe, but of an other. What the Papiſtes iudge of vsus, maye eaſely be ſeene by this, ye Harding for the retayning of thoſe Popiſhe cerymonies, cōteynith hope that popery ſhalbe reſtoryd: what the ignorant people iudge of the reamnants of papiſtri retaynyd, wyſe men may well conſyder. Herunto might hauehave byne ioynid the ſentences of olde Doctors, Iuſtinus, Ireneus, Tertullianus, Aguſtyne, Ambros, Chryſoſtums, Celeſtinus, & almoſt all the reſt, for abhorrynge the cuſtomes and ryghtes of the Iewes and gentyles and heritykes, but Gods truthe nedyth not mans auctoryte, except they that be againſt vsus, in this cauſe wyll appeale to the fathers, thē ſhall they perceyue, that in nomber both of Doctors, and ſentences, we ſhall be nothinge inferior to them. In the meane tyme this maye ſuffyce, to ſhew fyrſt that the precyſians is blameles, ſecondly the garmētes ar not indifferent, & thyrdly that thowghe they were indifferent, yet ther is ſufficient reaſon at this tyme, why we ſhoulde not weare them. Come Lord Ieſus, and make an ende of thys wyckyd wordle, that thy ſainctes may come to gether, that we may ſynge with the in thy holy hyll for euer. He that ouercomith, ſhalbe crownyd. Pray, pray, as the Apoſtell Peter ſayth: the end of all thinges is at hand.