A Second Reply to an Answer Made by Doctor Whitgift Part 2, Part 2 · Chapter 3
THE III. CHAPTER, OF THE SEcond part of this treatiſe, of ministring the holy ſacramentes in priuate hovuſes, beginning pag. 510 of the D. book.
YT hath bene shewed, that the adminiſtrationIn the former part pa. 71. l. 36 &c. of the word and Sacramentes owght to be publik: and that they ceas not to be ſo euen then, when, for the diſtres of perſecution, the church is driuē to hould her aſſembly in a priuate hows. Here yt remayneth onelyonly in queſtiō, whether yt be conuenient, that in the churchis peace: the ſacramentes, for ſiknes ſake, should he miniſtred in priuate howſes. Vuhere, to that alledged owt of S. Paul, that he oppoſeth the congregation, …. Cor. 11. 22vuherein the lords ſupper should be houlden, vntounto a priuate hovus vuhere men ſatisfy their hunger: he can anſwer nothing, but repeateth that owt of Caluin, which he idly alledged before.
I am content, that the reader iudg, whether boeth thoſeDiuiſ. 1. pa. 511. and diuiſ. 2. pa. 2. abſurdities which I layd vpō hym: folow of his rash anſwer. As for that he replieth, that our Sau. Christes preaching, and S. Iohns baptizing openly, proue not, that the administring of the word and ſacramentes should be publik, becauſe examples proue not: yt is aIn the former part p. 155. lin. 28. &c.anſwered: Beſide that I hauehave bp. 73. l. 19.shewed, that yt hath commandement. Another reaſon of his is, becauſe our Sau. Christ preached in priuate f…milies. which is cp. 74. l. 11.likewiſe anſwered. That owt of Zuinglius that yt is not neceſſary to baptiz in the church, I graunt: for the caſe may be ſuch, that yt may be baptized in the fieldes, but in a priuate hows, in this caſe of ſiknes, where there be ſet and ordinary meetinges in the church, I deny yt conuenient. Yf he mean by not neceſſary, that it is baptim, althowgh yt be not miniſtred in the ordinary aſſembly, I graunt: yf he mean, that yt ys not neceſſary to decency and good order: his own wordes, giuegive me anſwer enowgh. For as the tyme maketh conuenience, when yt is miniſtred ſo ſone as yt may be commodiously, or inconuenience when yt is differred longer: ſo doeth the place.
Albeit, S. Paul was a priſoner, yet the Iaylor being conuerted,Diuiſ. 3. p. 513. would hauehave accorded hym, what place he had iudged meeteſt for baptim: therefore that example, had bene more apt thē the other of Peter, althowgh nether of them, make any thing for yow. As for that owt of Mathew 18, where two or three &c, to proue that two be enow to make a congregation, wherein baptim may be ministred: firſt, yf it could come to pas, that there were but two perſons in the whole church, one to baptiz, the other to be baptized: I dowt, whether yt were meet to ſtay the baptim, vntil we ſaw whether the lord would giuegive further encreas. But, that yt is conuenient, that in our church, yt should be miniſtred in the preſens of two or three onelyonly: is a thing moſt vnworthy, of the dignity of the holy Sacrament: when as, yf the ciuil adminiſtration of iudgment should be handled ſo cornerlike, yt should worthely, be ſuſpected.
But what shal then be anſwered, to the place of S. Mathew? euen this, that our Sau. Chriſt ſpeaketh not there of the publik adminiſtring of the word and Sacramentes, but of the proceeding in the church diſcipline againſt offences, and of that part, which was doen priuately. For after he had tawght how from the admonition by one, we owght to proceed vntounto that which is made by two or three, and ſo to the churchis: hauing before ratified the proceeding of the church, he autoriſeth alſo by thys word, the admonition which, with inuocation of his name, was giuen by thoſe two or three▪ promiſing that yt shal not be in vayn, but hauehave effect that way, which god hath diſpoſed of, whether yt be to conuerſiō of the party, or to further making hym inexcuſable. Yf it be asked, why then our ſauiour Chriſt did not alſo ſpeak, of the ratifying of the firſt admonition by one: I anſwer, that he ſpake of the effect of theſe two later admonitions, not that the other should he withowt fruit, but for the excellency of the effect of theſe, before that. Vuhich was alſo therfore needful, to be made mention of, more thē the firſt: for ſo much as otherwiſe, vpō experience of the ſynners hardnes of heart, in reiection of the firſt admonitiō, he which gaue yt, with the other one or two appointed for that matter, throwgh diſpair of his amendement, might be beaten bak, from proceding any further with hym.
To me acknowledging, that in the tyme of perſecution, yt may be in a priuate hous, as may alſo the publik preaching: he anſwereth, that the ſame may be doen in this neceſsity, which he repeateth in his 6 diuiſion, where ſtil he demaūdeth that in queſtion. For yt is in queſtion, whether there is any ſuch neceſsity of baptim, as for the miniſtring thereof, the common decent order should be broken. And verely, by theſe kinde of ſpeaches, he playnly condemneth thoſe churches ether of neglect, or contempt of the holy ſacramentes: which ſuffer none to be adminiſtred, but in the ordinary congregations. Here, I leau to the readers iudgment, whether by this extraordinary adminiſtration, there be more danger of confirming this error, that children can not be ſaued, yf they dy before they hauehave receiued baptim: then the adminiſtring yt onelyonly when the infantes may be conueniently browght to the church, doeth confirm the error of the Anabaptistes, which ſay that children may not be baptized, vntil they come to age: ſeing that, by the dayly practis of the church, in baptizing them, there can not riſe, the leaſt ſuſpition of this later error.
In ſaying, that I hauehave nether ſcripture, reaſon, nor Doctor: he kepeth but his wont. For ſcripture, and reaſon, let the reader iudg: for Doctor, I marueil what playner teſtimony can be, then that I alledged owt of Auguſtine, which noteth the vſecontra Litter. Parm. lib. 2. ca. 13. of the church to hauehave bene, to run to the church vuith their children, in danger of death: and that, when ſome had opinion, that their children could not be ſaued if they were not baptized. Verely, yf there were euer any tyme when, in the peace of the church, baptim in priuate howſes should hauehave bene vſed: yt was then. I would alſo know of hym, whatSocr. lib. 7. cap. 4. he wil anſwer to that, which is noted of a Chriſtian Iue, deſperately ſik of the palſey: that was with his bed caryed to the place of baptim? Vuhere nether his greuous ſiknes, nor the inconuenience of the cariadg in his bed, could purchaſe hym baptim in his priuate hows: doeth yt not manifeſtly appear, how contrary the practis of the church was then, vntounto this which he would here mayntein? what wil heEuſeb. li. 6. cap 43. anſwer to this, that thoſe which were baptized in their beddes, were thereby made vnapt to hauehave any place emongeſt the Clergy (as they cal them): doeth yt not leau a note of infamy in thoſe, which had procured, that baptim should be miniſtred in priuate howſes? For yt can be, by no likelihood, vnderſtood of thoſe, which, being caried in their beds, were baptized in the ordinary place of meeting. whatIuſt. in Nouel conſt. 57. vntounto the Emperours decree, which vponupon autority of the auncient lawes, and of the Apoſtles: forbiddeth that the holy thinges, should be adminiſtred in any mans priuate hows.
Finally, what wil he anſwer, to the practis of the pureſt and beſt reformed churches this day, in Sauoy, Germany, Fraunce, and diuers other: which adminiſter the Sacramentes, onelyonly in the ordinary meetinges? How dare he ſay, that there is no Doctor of this iudgment: when as whole churches ould, and nue, and therefore their Paſtors and Doctors, ether al, or, at leaſt, the moſte part appear to hauehave bene of this iudgment. aMartyr in Ep. Roma. cap. 6. Viretus 14. lib. de min▪ verbi & Sacram. Beza in his queſtions of the Sacramentes quae ſt. 151Some alſo of the learnedeſt of our dayes, hauehave noted their iudgment here of particulerly: and to hym that hath the commodity of bookes, yt wil not be hard to finde others.
To this defens, he hath added in diuiſion 7. page 515. that M. Caluin gathereth, Iohn Baptist to hauehave bene circumciſed in …is fathers hous: which can not be, wel concluded. For there is nothing ſpoken of S. Luke 1. chapter 58 verſe &c. to hauehave bene doen in the hows: which is not doen, in diuers places with vsus and others, where the parentes friendes come to the hows, to accompany the childe vntounto the church. As for the queſtion of the name, beſide that, yt is ſometyme talked of in the hows, when notwithſtanding the childe is appointed, to be caried to the churche: yt muſt be conſidered, that yt was here neceſſarily moued with the mother, which kept the hows, before they went to the ſynagog: for that Zachary the father, to whom the naming of the childe, by common order, doeth belong, could not ſpeak. And I would gladly know of hym, what iuſt cauſe there should be, to circumciſe the childe in the priuate hows: except he wil, withowt al ground, ſay that Iohn Baptiſt was ſik. which, if he doe, yt is eaſely refuted: for that, then the parentes would hauehave differred the circumciſion, which could not be miniſtred, withowt preſent danger vntounto to the childe. Yt appeareth therefore, that Iohn Baptiſt, was caried vntounto the Synagog, to be circumciſed: yf he were not, yet for ſo much as he was circumciſed at home, withowt any cauſe of neceſsity, ether iuſt, or pretended by hym: this circumciſion in the hows, can not help hym. Yt islib. Epist. Cal. p. 228. and 321. true, that M. Caluin doeth not of neceſsity require a tēple, nether doe we: but firſt, he contenteth not hym ſelf (as the D) with a fevu vuitneſſes, but wil hauehave ſome number of the faithful meet, to make a body of a church: ſecondly, he willib. Epiſt. p. 94. p. 179. hauehave yt doen vuith a ſermon: and thirdly, by hym vuhich is acknovuledged for Pastor. And al theſe, he wil hauehave neceſſarily. Yf the D. like of M. Caluins iudgment, in this matter, let hym not ſpare: yea, he preciſely misliked, that yt should Be miniſtred in a priuate hows, euen in the tyme, of the ſuppoſed neceſsity.
Now to return, where he affirmeth, that the church is election should, towching the chuſers, as wel vary by perſecution, as the place of adminiſtring the word and Sacramentes: yt ys fond. I confes yt me… that as the word and Sacramentes, euen ſo the election, made …enly in the tyme of peace, should in perſecution, be made in ſecret. But becauſe, he draweth me hither, he owght to vnderſtand, that this maketh againſt the election, by the bishop alone. For, as in perſecution althowgh the place be changed, yet the ſame perſon owght to adminiſter the word and Sacramentes, which did adminiſter them in in peace, and in peace which did in perſecution: ſo, althowgh the place of the electiō change, yet, as touching the perſons which chuſe, they owght to be the ſame, boeth in the tyme of peace, and perſecution.
To the cauſe I aſsigned, why our Sau. Chriſt held his holyDiu. 4. and 5 p. 514. ſupper in a priuate hows, that being ioyned vuith the paſouer, yt might better appear, that yt had an end, and that this is in place of yt, vuhich conſideration can hauehave no place vuith vsus: he anſwereth, that thereby appeareth that yt is not of the ſubſtance, of the ſacrament: which I confes, taking ſubſtance for that, withowt which yt may be a ſacrament, and ſo his anſwer is nothing to purpoſe. That vponupon occaſion yt may be miniſtred, in a priuate hows: I graunt, if that priuate hows be the place for the church to meet in. Hereto alſo maketh, that the lord to kepe the ſacrifices in tymes paſt, in iuſt eſtimation: would not permit, that the flesh should be eaten any where, thenDeu. 12. 18▪ in the place which god did chuſe for his ſeruice. Vue therefore, hauing Sacramentes more excellent then they: owght by ſo much more to be careful, leaſt throwgh adminiſtration of them in ſuch obſcure places, withowt any neceſsity, we draw them into contempt. The next is anſwered.
Hetherto belong the 5 firſt diuiſions of the 6 chapter, page 526. to the firſt whereof, he can anſwer nothing: ſauing that he peruerteth my wordes, which deſire onelyonly that the antiquity of hovus Communions, be not preiudicial vntounto the truth: conſidering the like antiquity, in other abuſes of th… ſupper. How the firſt and ſecond diuiſion, make against his cauſe, is manifeſtly shewed in the fift diuiſion: which (as his wont is) he rent in ſonder, to finde hym talk. In which fift diuiſion, his anſwer, which ſuppoſeth yt neceſſary to quiet trobled conſciences, is inſufficient. For, if it had bene ſo neceſſary a thing to the quieting of their conſciences: the Apoſtle S. aIam. cha. 5.Iames (as yt is wel bBulling. decad 5. Serm. 9.obſerued) ſpeaking of the viſitation of the ſik, and of their comfort eſpecially, vuould neuer hauehave omitted that. And as for the conſciences, they may be otherwiſe quieted, when they be tawght not to think, that the working of aſſurance in their heartes, is ſo tyed vntounto the ſacramētes, that, withowt them, the lord nether wil nor can comfort them: but rather to conſider, that, euen as when the Iues were depriued of the ſacrament, of the Sanctuary, the lord promiſed that he hym ſelf would be for a SanctuaryEzech. 11. verſ. 16. vntounto them, and ſupply the want thereof: euen ſo, he wil not be wanting vntounto them, which hauing a deſire to be partakers of yt, can not ſo conueniently be receiued thereunto: putting them alſo in remembrance, of the horrible abominations of priuate mas, which came firſt in, by occaſion of theſe priuate communions, as they are called. Here let the reader take heed of an error, which the D. hath let fal: that we hauehave remiſsion of ſynnes by communication vntounto this Sacrament. whereas, remiſsion of ſynnes, receiued by faith alone, and ſealed vp in baptim: muſt be had, before we come to the Communion.
To the Councel, vuhich forbiddeth the communion Diuiſ 4. p. 527. Laodic. ca. 58.in priuate hovuſes: he anſwereth, that yt meaneth vſually, for that the vſe was ſuch in ſome places, which is ſaid withowt al proof, or likelihood of truth. whereby, for a shift, he ſticketh not to slaunder whole auncient churches: notwithſtanding that he pretendeth ſometyme, ſuch reuerence to one onelyonly man, as the reader before hath ſeen. Then he oppoſeth the Nicen Councel, which is that I preuented in the 2 diuiſion, and in the fift shewed, to make againſt hym.
After, folow M. Bucers and Martyrs notes, which if they we…eDiuiſ. 6. p. 528. theirs, and had bene for further aſſurance thereof, tawght by them to look vponupon the Son: yet being the teſtimonies of men, how learned and godly ſoeuer, they are ſubiect to examination. I wil not deny, but they might be of that iudgment: conſidering, that I ſee M. Caluin, to hauehave bene of thelib. Epiſt. p. 43. ſame. which, I therefore let the reader vnderſtand, that he may be diligenter, in the examination of the reaſons againſt yt: and not to deſcend into our iudgment, onles he be compelled by the matter yt ſelf. Althowgh yt is not ours alone, but, as he hath heard, of others: yea of diuers reformed churches, where this is not admitted. putting hym alſo in minde, of boeth M. Caluins and Martyrs iudgmentes, in the matter of Baptim: that yt owght not to be in a priuate hows, nor withowt a ſermon: deſiring hym further to conſider, whether certein reaſons making againſt the one doe not ſtrike vponupon the other. And in deed, as (in my iudgment) ys is vnmeet to adminiſter ether of the ſacramentes in priuate howſes: ſo, that is yet les tollerable in the holy ſupper, which hath a ſpecial mark and repreſentation of brotherly communion, more then Baptim. Here, I pas by, as a thing political rather then perteining to conſcience; the skare that may come by theſe priuate communions: when the ſiknes (as often commeth to pas) is contagious. As for that of Muſculus, yt is idle: ſeing his approbation of yt, is not made to appear, and no man denieth, but they that vſed yt in tymes paſt, did yt for a good end.