A Reply to an Answer Made by Doctor Whitgift, Dedication
❧ To the Church of England, and ALL THOSE THAT LOVE THE TRVETH IN IT, T. C. wiſheth mercy and peace / from God our father, and from our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
AS our men do more willingly go to warfare / and fyght with greater courage agaynſt ſtraungers / then agaynſt theyr countreymen: ſo it is with me in thys ſpirituall warfare. For I would hauehave wyſhed that thys controuerſy had bene with the Papyſtes / or with other (if any can be) more peſtylent and profeſſed ennemyes of the church: for that ſhould hauehave bene les griefe to wryte / and more conuement to perſwade that which I deſire. For as the very name of an ennemy doth kyndle the deſire of fyghting / and ſtirreth vp the care of preparing the furniture for the warre: So I can not tell how it commeth to paſſe / that the name of a brother ſtaketh that courage / and abateth that carefulnes which ſhould be beſtowed in deſence of the truth. But ſeeing the truth ought not to be forſaken for any mans cauſe / I enforced my ſelfe / conſidering that if the Lord myght lay it to my charge / that I was not for certayne conſiderations ſo ready as I ought to hauehave bene to publyſhe the truth / he myght more iuſtly condemne me / if being oppugned and ſlaundered by others / I ſhould not according to that meaſure which he hath dealte vntounto me / and for my ſmall habylitie defend it / and delyuer it from the euill report that ſome endeuor to bring vponupon it. And as vntounto other partes of the goſpell / ſo ſone as the Lord openeth a dore for them to enter in / there is for the moſt part great reſiſtance: ſo in thys part concerning the gouernment and dyſcipline of the church / which is the order which God hath left / as well to make the doctryne moſt effectuall / and to geue as it were a ſharper edge vntounto the preaching of the word / as alſo to be a wall to keepe it / and make it contynue among vsus / I ſee there be ſondry lettes / which doe as it were with weapons ſtande vp to ſtoppe the paſſage / and to hynder that it ſhould not be ſetled amongſt vsus. With the which albeit I wraſtle hande to hande in thys booke / yet for as much as we hauehave all dronke ſo deepe of the cuppe of vntruth / that we do not only ſtumble at blockes / which other men lay in our way / but oftentymes we gather lettes vntounto our ſelues in framyng a preiudice agaynſt the truth: I thought good to note ſhortly what thoſe ſtumbling blockes are / and although I can not remoue them / yet to geue warning of them / and to lende my hand to the weaker and ſimpler ſort to helpe to ouerſtride them.
The offences which are taken herein / be eyther in reſpect of the cauſe / or in reſpect of thoſe / which ſeeke to defend / and promote the cauſe. The cauſe is charged firſt with newnes / and ſtrangenes / then as author of confuſion / and of diſorder / and laſt of all as enemy to princes / magiſtrates / and common wealthes. For the firſt / beſides that it is no ſufficient chalenge / to ſay it is new & ſtrange / there is no cauſe why it ſhould be counted new / which is confeſſed of thoſe which miſlyke it / to hauehave bene for the moſt part / vſed in the Apoſtles tymes / nor why it ſhould be eſteemed ſtraunge / which is vſed now farre / and neare / of thys & that ſide the ſea / and of no ſtrangers / but of thoſe which are of the houſholde of fayth. And it ſhall more largely appeare in thys Booke / that thys is no innouation / but a renouation / and the doctrine not new / but renued / no ſtranger / but borne in Sion / whereunto (it being before vniuſtly banyſhed) ought now of ryght to bee reſtored.
And of confuſion & dyſorder it is yet more vntruely accuſed. For iuſtice may be as well accuſed for doing wrong / as thys doctryne / for bringing in diſorder / whoſe whole worke is to prouyde / that nothing be done out of place / out of time / or otherwiſe / then the condytion of eueryevery mans calling will beare: which putteth the people in ſubiection vnderunder their gouernoures / the gouernoures in degree / and order one vnderunder an other / as the Elder / vnderneath the Paſtor / and the Deacon / vnderneath the Elder / whych teacheth / that a Particuler church / ſhall giuegive place vntounto a Prouinciall ſynode / where many churches are / and the Prouincial / to a Nationall / and likewyſe that / vntounto the Generall / if anye be / and all vntounto Chriſte / and his worde. When on the contrary parte / thoſe whych ſtand againſt thys doctrine / are thereby compelled to bryng into the church great confuſion / and maruellous diſorder / whileſt the paſtors office is confounded wyth the deacons / whileſt women do miniſter the ſacraments / whych is lawful only for men: whileſt priuate men do that / whych belongeth vntounto publicke perſons: whileſt publicke actions / are done in priuate places: whileſt the church / is ſhuffled wyth the common wealth: whileſt ciuill matters / are handled by Eccleſiaſticall perſons / and Eccleſiaſticall / by thoſe whych be ciuill: and to be ſhort / whileſt no officer of the church keepeth his ſtanding / and one member doth take vponupon it / the office of an other. Which things as they hazard the arme / and deſtroy the body: ſo they do preſently hinder / and will ſhortly (if remeady be not prouided) vtterly ouerthrowe the churche. And therefore onles good order be in that whych was brought into the church by poperye / and confuſion in that whych was left vntounto the church by the Apoſtles / and that it be order / that publike actions / ſhould be done in priuate places / by priuate perſons / and by women / that is appoynted to be done by men / and confuſion / when the contrary is obſerued / and finally / onles order / hauehave an other definition or nature / then hitherto hath bene read / or heard of / there is no cauſe / why this doctrine which containeth the diſcipline / and gouernment of the churche / ſhould be thus ſhamefully ſlaundered wyth confuſion / and diſorder.
For the third poynt / whych is / that it is an enemy to magiſtrates / and the common wealth: if it be enough to accuſe wythout proufe / to ſay and ſhewe no reaſon / innocency it ſelfe ſhall not be giltles. Thys doctrine was in times paſt / euen by their confeſſion / which wryte againſt it / a friend vntounto princes and magiſtrates / when princes / and magiſtrates were enemies vntounto it: and can it nowe be an enemy vntounto princes / and magiſtrates / whych are frendes vntounto it? It helped / and vpholded the common wealths / whych were gouerned by tyrantes / and can it hinder thoſe / whych are gouerned by godly princes? And in what is it an ennemy to princes / and magiſtrates? Note the variance / ſet downe the enemitie. If the queſtion be / whether princes / and magiſtrates be neceſſary in the church / it holdeth / that the vſe of them / is more then of the ſunne / wythout the whych the world cā not ſtand. I fit be of their honor / it holdeth / that wyth humble ſubnuſſion of minde / the outward alſo of the body / yea the body it ſelfe / and all that it hath / if nede ſo require / are to be yelded / for the defence of the prince / and for that ſeruice / for the whych the prince will vſe them vntounto / for the glory of God / and maintenance of the common wealth. If it be aſked of the obedience due vntounto the prince / and vntounto the magiſtrate / it anſweareth that all obedience in the Lord / is to be rendred: and if it come to paſſe / that any other be aſked / it ſo refuſeth / that it diſobayeth not / in preferring obedience to the great God / before that whych is to be geuen to mortall man. It ſo reſiſteth / that it ſubmitteth the body / and goodes of thoſe that profeſſe it / to abide that whych God will hauehave them ſuffer in that caſe. And if it be ſhewed / that this is neceſſary for the church / it can not be / but profitable for the common wealth: nay the profit of it / may eaſly appeare / for that by the cenſures / and diſcipline of the church / as they are in thys booke deſcribed / men are kept back from committing of great diſorders of ſtealing / adultry / murder. &c. whileſt the ſmalleſt faultes of lying / and vncomely ieſting / of harde and cholericke ſpeaches / whych the magiſtrate doth not commonly puniſhe / be corrected. And vndoubtedly / ſeeing that the church / & common wealth / do embrace / and kiſſe one an other / and ſeeing / they be like vntounto Hypocrates twinnes / whych were ſicke togither / and well togither / laughed togither / and weeped togither / and alwayes like affected: it can not be / but that the breaches of the common wealth / hauehave proceeded from the hurtes of the church / and the wants of the one / from the lackes of the other. Neyther is it to be hoped for / yt the common wealth ſhall flouriſhe / vntill the church be reformed. And it is alſo certaine / that as the church ſhall eueryevery day more / and more decay / vntill it be made eauen wyth the ground / onles the walles be builded / and the ruines repaired: ſo the weight of it (if it fall) will eyther quite pull downe the common wealth / or leaue it ſuche / as none whych feare God / will take any pleaſure in it. For ſeing Salomon ſayth / ye Prouer. 8. 15.by wiſdom (whych is the word of God) kings do gouerne / and princes do beare rule / it can not be / but as ye wiſdome is either contemned / neglected / or otherwiſe abridged of hir free and full courſe / ſo princes / and magiſtrates / and conſequently their common wealthes / either goe to wracke / or decay / or at the leaſt / want ſo much of their flouriſhing eſtate / as there wanteth of that worde of God / which he hath appoynted to be their ſtay. And howſoeuer (before the comming of our ſauioure Chriſt) amongſt the Athenians / Lacedemonians / and Romanes / and ſince hys comming in diuers places / where thys wiſedome hath not bene heard of / there may ſeme to hauehave bene ſome ſhewes of either floriſhing / or tollerable cō mon wealthes / yet neither hauehave thoſe endured / but according to the propheſye of * Daniel / hauehave bene broken all to peeces: ſo that there is not ſo much of them left / 2. Chap. 34.as a ſheerde to fetche fire in / neither yet can thoſe kingdomes / whych hauehave the knowledge of the goſpel reuealed vntounto them / loke for that long ſuffering / and pacience of God towardes them / wherewith theſe ignorant kingdomes hauehave bene borne with. For as the benefite is greater towardes theſe / then towardes the other / ſo is the iudgement ſwifter agaynſte them / then againſte the other / if that grace which was not offred vntounto them (being offered vntounto theſe) be refuſed / and made light of. And in theſe eſpecially is / & ſhall be fulfilled / that whych the Prophet * Eſay ſayeth / that it ſhalbe in the later dayes / that eueryevery nation and kingdom 60. chap. 12.whych ſhall not ſerue the church ſhalbe deſtroyed / as of the other ſide / the full / and whole placing of our ſauior Chriſt in his throne / is the perpetuall ſtay / and ſtayed perpetuitie of all princes in their ſeats. And therfore / if this boke ſhal come / into the hands of any / that hauehave acceſſe vntounto her maieſtie / the head of this cōmon wealth / or vntounto her moſt honorable counſel / the ſhoulders therof / my hū ble ſute / and hearty requeſt / in the preſence of God is / that according as their callings will ſuffer them / they will put them in remembrance of theſe things / whych otherwiſe they know better then I / and that they would ſet before them / the example of Moſes / who was not contented to hauehave brought the people out of Egipt / 3. Deut. 25.but would very faine alſo / hauehave conducted them into the land of Canaan: that is / would gladly hauehave bene the inſtrument / of the ful / and whole deliuerance of the people. And ſeeing that the Lord doth offer vntounto them this honor / which he denied vntounto his ſeruaunt Moſes / that they would not make themſelues gilty of ſo great vnthankfulnes / as wil folow of the forſaking of ſo incomparable a benefite. That her maieſtie eſpecially / and her moſt honourable counſaile / wold ſet before them the example of * Dauid / who although he made a great reformation / 2. Samu. 7. 2. Pſal. 132.of thoſe things whych were defaced by Saule / yet he was not content / that the Arke of the Lord / ſhould dwell vnderunder a tabernacle / and therfore deſired maruellouſly / that he might build the temple vntounto the Lord. And ſeeing that ye Lord hath graunted that vntounto them which he denyed vntounto his ſeruaūt / that they wold not be narow / and ſtraight in them ſelues / ſeeing the Lord openeth the treaſures of hys goodnes ſo largely vntounto them. That they would ſet before them / the zeale of * Zerubbabel / who although he had (after the returne out of captiuitie) aboliſhed Eſra. 3. 3. 10.idolatry / laid the foundations of the temple / and ſet vp an altare vntounto god / whervpon the morning and euening ſacrifice was daily made: yet being admoniſhed by the Prophet Aggey / that God woulde not be pleaſed / vnles the temple Agg. 1. 14.alſo were fully buylded / dyd (all feare of the nations rounde about / and other buſyneſſes laid aſide) cauſe it forthwith / and with all poſſyble ſpeede / to be made an ende of. Finally / that it would pleaſe them / to conſider the examples of * Ioſias / 2. kin. 22. 23. 2. kin. 18. 2. Chr. 17.* Ezechias / and * Iehoſhaphat / who are therfore / to their euerlaſting commendation prayſed / of the holy ghoſt / for that / they made whole / & through reformations / whereas the honor of other ſome (albeit they were otherwiſe good) is ſtayned / and caryeth the marke of their imperfection / by this and like exception / that although they did ſuch good things / and ſuch / yet they left alſo ſuch / & ſuch vndone. Which I do not ſpeake / as though we had not already / by her maieſty eſpecially / and afterwarde by their honors handes / receiued a ſinguler benefite / but that we hauing the whole / might hauehave our hearts / and mouthes filled wyth the prayſe of God / and continue the poſſeſſion of that whych we hauehave / which otherwiſe for our vnthankfull refuſall / ſhall be taken away. Wherin as we hauehave eſpeciall regarde / that the name of God ſhoulde be magnified / not by vsus alone / but by our poſterity to the worldes end: ſo is it not the ſmalleſt part of our care / that her maieſtie / and your honoures / to whom we are ſo depely bound / and of whom we hauehave receiued ſo ſinguler benefits of peace / and preaching of the goſpel / myght with your ſucceſſions continue / and flouriſh amongſt vsus for euer. But the deſire of reformation / and feare of Gods heauy wrath to come vponupon vsus / hath caried me further heerein / then I purpoſed. I will therfore make an end of theſe poynts / conſidering that the vntruth of theſe accuſations of newnes and ſtraungenes / of diſorder and confuſion / of being ennemy to princes and common wealthes / ſhall better appeare in the diſcourſe of thys boke.
Emongſt ye offences taken by occaſion of thoſe / which prefer this doctrine / this is the chefeſt / that compariſon being made betwene thoſe excellent men / both in vertue / and learning / which ſuffered for the teſtimony of the truthe / & betwene vsus / of the one ſide: Alſo betwene the Archbiſhops / Biſhops / Deanes / & Archdeacons whych now are / and vsus on the other ſide: it ſeemeth vntounto many / that it is not lyke to be good / whych was not founde out by thoſe excellent perſonages / and whych being now propounded / by men of no great ſhew / is eyther miſliked / or at the leaſt / by no open approbation alowed / of thoſe whych cary greater countenaunces / and be in greater dignities.
VntoUnto the firſt / although anſwer is made more at large / in this boke / yet I wil adde thus much / that as for my part / I confes my ſelf / to be a great deale inferior vntounto the leaſt of them: ſo the omitting of theſe neceſſary things / ought to be no more preiudice againſt them / or againſt thoſe that prefer them / then ye omitting of the celebration of the feaſt of tabernacles / ſo many hundreth yeres / by ſo many good high prieſts / in the raignes of ſo many good kings / was preiudicial vntounto y• miniſters / which cauſed it to be celebrated / when the people returned out of their captiuitie / for it appeareth in the boke of Nehemias / that ye feaſt of tabernacles / 8 Chap. 17. 18which was commaunded of the Lord to be celebrated eueryevery yeare / was not celebrated in ſuch ſort / as it was commaunded in the law / from the dayes of Ioſua / the ſonne of Nun / vntill the returne of the people from their captiuitie. And yet were there / in this ſpace / diuers bothe iudges / and kings / both prieſtes / and prophets ſingularly zealous / and learned. If therfore the omitting of ſo neceſſary a thing / ſo many hundreth yeares / by ſuche godly zealous learned perſons / could not bring any preſcription / againſt the truth: the lacke of this neceſſary diſcipline / by the ſpace of. 30. yeares / through the ouerſight of a fewe (if they be compared with that multitude) ought not to be alledged / to kepe it out of the church.
The dignitie alſo / and hygh eſtate of thoſe / whych are not ſo earneſt in thys cauſe / can not hinder it / if we conſider / the wiſdome of God / almoſt from time to time / to conſiſt / and to ſhew it ſelfe moſt in ſetting forth his truth / by the ſimpler / and weaker ſort / by contemptible / and weake inſtruments / by things of no value / to the end / that when all men ſee the baſenes / and rudenes of the inſtrumēt / 1. Cor. 1. 27. 28they might the more wonder at the wiſedome / and power of the artificer / which wyth ſo weake / and fooliſhe inſtruments / bringeth to paſſe ſo wiſe / and mighty things. And if men will wyth ſuch an eye of fleſhe / loke vponupon matters / they ſhall condemne that excellent reformation / vnderunder the godly king Ezechias / whych the holy ghoſt doth ſo highly commend: in whych it is witneſſed / that the Leuites / 2. Chro. 29. 34 2. Chr. 30. 17.whych were a degree vnderunder the prieſts / were more forward / and more zealous / then the prieſts them ſelues. Yea wherin it is witneſſed / that the people were yet more earneſt / and more willing / then either the Leuites / or the prieſtes. Whych thing / if euer / is verified in our time. For when I conſider the zeale for religion / whych ſheweth it ſelfe / in many / as well of the nobility / and gentry of this realme / as of the people / their care to continue it / and aduaunce it / their voluntary charges to maintaine it / their liberality towards them / which bend them ſelues that way / as I do therby conceiue ſome hope / of the fauourable countenaunce / and continuance of Gods goodnes towards vsus: ſo I can not be but aſhamed of mine owne ſlackenes / and afraid of the diſpleaſure of the Lord / for that thoſe / whoſe proper worke thys is eſpecially / and whych ſhould beare the ſtandarde / and cary the torche vntounto the reſt / are ſo colde / and ſo careles in theſe matters of the Lord.
And I humbly craue / and moſt earneſtly deſire of thoſe / whych beare the cheefe titles in the Eccleſiaſticall functions / that as we doe in parte correct oure negligence / by the example of the forwardnes / and readines of the people: ſo they would ſuffer themſelues / to be put in remembrāce of their dueties / by vsus / which are vnderneath them / and that they would not neglect thys golden gift of Gods grace / in admoniſhing them / becauſe the Lord doth offer it in a treene / or earthen veſſell / but that they would firſt conſider / that as * Naaman the Syrian prince / 2. Kin. 5. 4. 14receiued great commodity / by following / the aduiſe of his maide / and after / of his man: And * Abigael being a wiſe woman / ſinguler profit / by obeying the counſell 1. Sam. 25. 18of her ſeruaunt: ſo they may receiue oftentimes profitable aduertiſement / by thoſe / whych are in lower places then they them ſelues be. Then let them thynke that as Naaman was neuer the les noble / for obeying the voyce of his ſeruaūts / nor Abigaell neuer the les wiſe / becauſe ſhe liſtened vntounto the words of her man / ſo it can not deminiſhe their true honoure / nor empaire the credite of their godly and vncounterfait wiſdome / if they geue care vntounto that / which is ſpoken by their inferioures.
And laſt of all / that as / if they had not liſtened vntounto thoſe ſimple perſons / the one had peariſhed in his leproſie / the other had bene ſlaine with her familye: euen ſo / if they ſhall for any worldly reſpect of honor / riches / or feare of being accounted eyther vnaduiſed in taking this courſe / or light / or inconſtāt in forſaking it / ſtop their cares againſt thys louing Admonition of the Lorde / they prouoke hys anger / not againſt their health / or againſt their life / but againſt their owne ſoules / by exerciſing of vnlawfull authority / and by taking vntounto them partly ſuch things / as belong by no meanes vntounto the church / and partly whych are common vntounto them / wyth the whole church / or els wyth other the miniſters / and gouernors of the ſame / wherof I beſeche them humbly to take the better hede / for that the iudgement of the Lord wil be vponupon a great part of them / by ſo much the heauier / by how much / they hauehave not only beleued the goſpel / but alſo hauehave receyued this grace of God / that they ſhould ſuffer for it. So that if they wil neither take example of diuers their ſuperiors the nobles of this realme / nor be admoniſhed by vsus of the lower ſort (wherin we hope better of them) yet they would remember their former times / and correct them ſelues / by them ſelues. And ſeing they hauehave ben content for the goſpels ſake / to quit ye neceſſary things of this life / they wold not thinke much / for the diſcipline / whych is no ſmall parte of the goſpel (hauing both things neceſſary and commodious) to part from that / whych is not only in them ſuperfluous / and hath nothing but a vaine oſtentation (whych will vaniſh as the ſhadow) but alſo is hurtfull vntounto them / and pernicious vntounto the churche / whych thing I do morelargely / and plainly lay forth in thys boke.
Another exception againſt the fauorers of this cauſe / is taken / for that they propoūd it out of time / whych is that the Iewes ſayd / that the time was not yet come to build the Lordes houſe: but it is knowen / what the * Prophet anſweared. 1. Agg. 234.And if no time were vnſeaſonable / in ye kinde of materiall building / wherin there be ſome times (as of ſummer) more opportune and fit then others: howe can there be any vntimely building / in this ſpirituall houſe / where as long / as it is called to day / men are commaunded to further thys worke. And as for thoſe which ſay we come to late / and that this ſhuld hauehave bene done in the beginning / and cannot now be done / wythout the ouerthrow of all / for mending of a peece: they do little conſider / that * S. Paul compareth that which is good in the building 1. Cor. 3. 12. 13vntounto gold / and ſiluer / and precious ſtones / and that whych is euil layd vponupon the foundation / vntounto ſtubble / and hey / and wode. Likewiſe therfore / as the ſtubble and the hey / and the wode be eaſely by the fire conſumed / wythout any loſſe vntounto the gold / or ſiluer / or precious ſtones: ſo the corrupt things in this building / may be eaſely taken away / wythout any hurt / or hinderance vntounto that which is pure / and found. And if they put ſuch confidence in thys ſimilitude / as that they wil therby / wythout any teſtimony of the word of God / ſtay ye further building / or correcting the faultes of the houſe of the Lorde (whych by his manifeſt commaundement ought to be done wyth all ſpede) then beſides that they be very vncunning builders / whych can not mende the faultes / wythout ouerthrow of all / (eſpecially when as the fault / is not in the foundation) they muſt remembre / that as the meane / whych is vſed to gather the children of God / is called a building / ſo is it called a planting. And therfore as dead twigs / riotous / and ſuperfluous braunches / or whatſoeuer hindreth the groweth of the vine tree / may be cut of / wythout roting vp the vine: ſo the vnprofitable things of the church / may be taken away / without any ouerthrow of thoſe things / which are well eſtabliſhed. And ſeeing that Chriſt / and Beliall can not agree / it is ſtraunge / that the pure 2. Cor. 6. 15.doctrine of the one / & the corruptions of the other / ſhould cleaue ſo faſt togither / that pure doctrine / can not be wyth her ſafetie / ſeuered from the corruptions / when as they are rather like vntounto that part of Daniels image / which was compounded Cap. 2. 42. 43.of clay and iron / & therfore could not cleaue / or ſticke one with an other.
It is further ſayde / that the ſetters forwarde of thys cauſe / are contentious / and in mouing queſtions / giuegive occaſion to the papiſts of ſlaundring the religion / and to the weake of offence. But if it be found to be both true which is propounded / and a thing neceſſary about which we contende / then hath thys accuſation no grounde to ſtande on. For peace is commended to vsus / with theſe conditions / * if Rom. 12. 18.it be poſſible / if it lye in vsus. Now it is not poſſible / it lyeth not in vsus / to conceale the truth / * we can do nothing agaynſt it / but for it. It is a prophane ſaying / of 2. Cor. 10. 8. 2. Cor. 13. 8.a prophane man / that an vniuſt peace / is better then a iuſt warre. It is a dyuine ſaying / of an Heathen man / Agathe…d eris hede brotoiſi: It is good to contende for good thinges. The papiſtes hauehave no matter of reioyſing / ſeeing they hauehave greater / and ſharper controuerſies at home / and ſeing thys tendeth / both to to the further opening of theyr ſhame / & thruſting out of theyr remnantes / which yet remayne among vsus. The weake may not be offended / conſidering (ye euen in the church of God / and among thoſe of the church) there hath bene as great varieties of iudgementes / as theſe are. For what waightier controuerſyes can there be / then whether we ſhall ryſe agayne or no / whether circumciſion were neceſſary to be obſerued of thoſe which beleued? And yet the firſt / was amongſt ye church of the * Corinthes / the other was firſt in * Ieruſalem and Antioche / and after in 1. Cor. 15. Act. 15. 1. 2 Gal. 3. 3.the churches of * Galatia / and yet they the churches / and that the true relygion / which was there profeſſed. And it is to be remembred / that theſe controuerſyes for the moſt part / are not betwene many. For ſondry of thoſe thinges / which are comprehended in the anſwere to the Admonition / hauehave (as I am perſwaded) few fauourers / of thoſe eſpecially / which are of any ſtayed / or ſounder iudgement in the ſcriptures / and hauehave ſene / or red of the gouernment / and order of other churches: ſo that in deede (the father of that anſwere excepted) we hauehave thys controuerſy oftentymes / rather with the papiſtes / then with thoſe which profeſſe the goſpell / as we do. And whereas laſt of all / it is ſayde / that thys procedeth of enuy / of ſingularitie / and of popularitie / although theſe be no ſufficient reaſons agaynſt the truth of the cauſe / which is neyther enuyous / ſingular / nor popular / and althoughe they be ſuche / as myght be ſeuerally / by great lykelyhodes / and probalyties refuted / yet becauſe the knowledge of theſe thinges / pertayneth only to God which is the ſearcher of the hart and raynes / and for auoyding of too Act. 1. 24.muche tediouſneſſe / we will reſt in his iudgement / tary for the day wherein the ſecretes of hartes ſhall be made manyfeſt. And yet all men do ſee / how vniuſtly we be accuſed of ſingularity / which propound nothing / that the ſcriptures do not teache / the wryters bothe olde / and new for the moſt part affirme / the examples of the primitiue churches / and of thoſe which are at theſe dayes confirme.
All theſe accuſations / as well agaynſt the cauſe / as the fauourers thereof / albeit they be many and dyuers / yet are they no other / then which hauehave bene long ſithens in the Prophets / Apoſtles / and our ſauior Chriſtes / and now of late in our tymes obiected agaynſt the trueth / and the profeſſors therof. And therefore / as the ſunne of the truth then appeared / & brake through all thoſe cloudes / which roſe agaynſt it / to ſtoppe the lyght of it: ſo no doubt thys cauſe / being of the ſame nature / will hauehave the ſame effect. And as all thoſe ſlaunders could not bryng the truth in diſgrace / with thoſe that loued it: ſo the children of the truth / through theſe vntrue reportes / will neyther leaue the louelove of thys cauſe / which they hauehave already conceaued: nor yet ceaſe to enquire dyligently / and to iudge indifferently / of thoſe ſurmiſes / which are put vp agaynſt it.
Moreouer / ſeing that we hauehave once ouercomed all theſe lets / and clymed ouer them / when they were caſt in our way / to hynder vsus from coming from the groſſe darknes of popery / vntounto the gloryous lyght of ye goſpell: there is no cauſe / why now they ſhould ſtaye our courſe to further perfection / conſidering / that neyther the ſtyle is hygher nowe / then it was before (being the very ſelfe ſame obiections) and in all thys tyme / we ought ſo to hauehave growne in the knowledge of the truth / that in ſtead of being then able to leape ouer a hedge / we ſhould now hauehave our feete ſo prepared by the goſpell / that they ſhould be as the fecte of a hynde / hable to ſurmount euen a wall if neede were.
The ſumme of all is: that the cauſe may be looked vponupon with a ſingle eye / without all miſte of partialitie / may be heard with an indifferent care / without the waxe of preiudice: the argumentes of both ſides / may be waighed / not with the chaungeable waightes of cuſtome / of tyme / of men / which notwithſtanding (Popiſhe excepted) ſhall be ſhewed to be more for the cauſe then agaynſt it: but with the iuſt balances of the incorruptible / and vnchangeable worde of God.
And I humbly beſeeche the Lord / to encreaſe in vsus the ſpirite of knowledge / and iudgement: that we may diſcerne thinges which differ one from an other / and that we may be ſyncere / and wythout offence / vntill the day of Chriſt.