A Second Reply to an Answer Made by Doctor Whitgift Part 1, Reply 4
To the next pag. i3. I anſwere.
IT is not enowghe for yow to corrupt the holie ſcripture ſentence by ſentēce / but yow muſt alſo ouerthrow at once the meaninge of thre whole chapters togither. ſemeth it a ſmale thinge in your eies to cōfound thinges diuerſe / but yow muſt mingle thoſe which are cleane contrarie. For S. Paule dothe not in the eight / ninthe / and tenth chapters ſpeake againſt thoſe which ſtrine aboute owtward thinges / but quite contrarie diſputeth againſt thoſe which meinteined the free vſe off all owtward thinges withowt exception: not againſt the ſpiced conſcience off ſome weake brethren / that made ſcruple off thinges wher was none / but againſt the ſenſeles cōſcience of thoſe / which vnderunder pretence off libertie off owtward thinges / gaue occaſion of daungerous falles vntounto the weaker brethrē / and which cōſidering onelie what was in the owne nature lawfull / had no regard to the circumſtances off place and perſons / wheryvpō he ſheweth thinges otherwiſe in them ſelues lawfull / to be throwgh circumſtances as towching the vſe vnlawfull. And eſpecially in the tenth chapter he confuteth the verie ſelfe ſame reaſon / which the A. towieth ſo roundlie with in this place: which was / that for ſo muche as the eatinge at the Idolles feaſt / was but an owtward thing / and went no farther then to the bellie: therfore it was indifferent to be vſed or left at a mans diſcretion. So the place (then the which their is none ſtronger in the whole bodie off the Scripture / to bind and kepe in the lauiſhe vſe off Chriſtian libertie) that the A callendgeth for the enlarging of it betonde the boundes that God hathe ſet in his word.
And wheras he ſaith that S. Paule declareth their contentions which ſeperate them ſelues from the church for externall thinges: S. Paule maketh no mention there either off contention or diuiſion from the church / neither in deed they which abuſed then their libertie contended withe the weaker / but contemned them. Alſo off deuiding them ſelues from the church in that place is not a worde / who ſoeuer will reade thoſe places with a litle diligence / ſhall eaſely perceiue that this is the matter which the Apoſtle giueth owt in that place. As touching externall thinges for which the church of Chriſt may not contend / they are ſuche as (there being no commaundement of God directlie to vſe them or not to vſe them) are left in the diſcretion of the faithful to be ordered the moſt to Godes glorie and edifiyng one off an other: therfore as I thinke termed off learned writers externall / for that they come not vntounto the conſcience / nor bind not yt. For otherwiſe that difference off externall and internall thinges / is not ſufficient to giuegive to vnderſtand / which are thinges indifferent / or vnindifferent. For neither are all externall thinges left to our diſcretion / as I hauehave ſhewed: and there are ſome internall thinges / as off certeine inward thowghtes and opinions which are not imputed vntounto vsus for ſynne / whether ſide ſoeuer we thinke or iudge of them. As if I thinke in my ſelfe that there was neuer ſuche a Hector / or Achilles / or troye as is deſcribed off Homere and virgill / I ſinne not: and if I thincke there was / neither is that imputed vntounto me for ſynne. But theſe thinges which be in controuerſie ſeing we offer to proue them commaunded / and neceſſarie by the word off God: how commeth it to paſſe that yow laſhe owt ſo manie places owt off Bullinger / and Zuinglius againſt thoſe / which trouble the church for indifferent thinges: as thowghe yow had alreadie gottē that which yow confeſſe by and by to be in triall: that theſe things which we demaund are not neceſſarie? What order of iudgement is this / firſt to giuegive iudgement or euer the cauſe be heard? iff yow will needes be bothe partie and Iudge / at leaſt yow ſhould hauehave ſaued theſe vntill yow hauehave as yow promiſed ſhewed the vntreweth off our cauſe. And therfore hereafter as often as yow doo importunatelie and vnſtill fully heape ſo many places togither: yow ſhall hauehave for anſwere … plaine blancke.