Sermon 8 February 1588, Part 10
D. BANCROFT page 42. & 43 line 24. God hath bound himſelfe vntounto his church of purpoſe, that men by hir good direction,Councels. might in this point (that is in maters of dout) be relieued: to whoſe godly determinatiō, in maters of queſtion, her dutiful children, ought to ſubmit themſelues without any curious or wilfull contradiction. Neither can I ſee, nowe that popery is banniſhed, and the trueth of chriſtian religiō is godly planted amongſt vsus, why in theſe dais, we ſhuld not attribute as much to the decrees of our learned fathers in their lawfull aſſemblies, as other men in times paſt, of as great iudgement as wee are, hauehave done.
ANSVVERE.
You account the Papiſts to be falſe Prophets, becauſe they will ſuffer the people to trie nothing,Page 33. but teach them wholly to depend vppon them: you do wel in it. But if this touching coūcels, be not to ioin hand with them, in the point wherin you pretend to bee their aduerſary, & if this be not to teach men to beleeue, as their mother the church doth let the reader iudge. The Biſhop of Rome, deſireth no more to bee graunted vntounto him, for the authoritie of his councels, thē you hauehave ſet down in expreſſe terms. And if the Lorde hath bound himſelfe by his promiſe vntounto his Church of purpoſe, that men ſhould be directed therby: I would demaund of you, whether this promiſe was, that the Church ſhould direct them vntounto truth, or vntounto errour. If you ſay vntounto truth, otherwiſe it were no promiſe, I demand then how the Church can erre? For either the Lord muſt breake his promiſe, if hee hath made any, or els the Church cannot erre in the direction of her dutifull children. Now if you ſay, that the Church cannot erre, the reader knoweth what account to make of you, if ſhe be ſubiect vntounto errors, to what end ſhould we ſtand to her determination in matters of queſtion, any further then we are aſſured, that her decrees are according vntounto the word. Now, if it be lawfull for vsus (otherwiſe our bondage ſhould bee intollerable) to trie whether her determinations bee according vntounto the word, and to reiect them, if they bee otherwiſe, to what ende doe you carry vsus from the ſure foundacion of the worde, vntounto the vncertaine and vnconſtant voice of the Church? ſurely, if you would know what I conceiue of you, for this, & the like points of doctrine in your Sermon, my opinion is, that you are not far from a cloſe papiſt, how vehement ſo euer you ſpeake againſt thē: and whoſoeuer they were, yt allowed your Sermon to be publiſhed, they may iuſtly feare, leaſt the Papiſts doe ere it be long, make too great aduantage that you hauehave bene ſuffered to preach and to publiſh many grounds of popery vnreprooued, vnderunder the profeſſion of the goſpell. The Church of God we reuerence, to bee wilfull in ſtanding againſt her, or any member therof we holde it vnlawfull, but that men ſhould ſtand in matters of queſtion vntounto her determination, as vntounto the vndoubted voyce of God, ſhe hath no authority to require any ſuch obedience at our hands.
I dare ſay for you, that you are vexed at the verie heart, that any thing eſtabliſhed in the Conuocation houſe ſhould bee called in queſtion, when you prooue that aſſembly to be lawfull, and the learned fathers (as you call them) there met, to bee true Paſtors, and not rauening wolues, wee will promiſe to giuegive greater reuerence vntounto their degrees. Poperie is ſo banniſhed from amonge vsus, that by the authority of thoſe learned fathers, you dare in open Pulpit, and publike writinges, iuſtifie many points thereof.Anſwere to the 46.47.48.49. pages. It is not onelyonly lawfull but neceſſary, that all men, of what ſtate ſoeuer they bee, ſhould be required, yea, & compelled by the Magiſtrate, to ſubſcribe vntounto true religion. 2. Chron. 14.12, & cap. 34 31.32. 2. Kings 11.17. Nehem. 9.38. & 10.29. This we doe willingly confeſſe: Howbeit, we hold it vnlawfull to ſubſcribe in that forme that our Biſhops do exact at our hands. Your reaſon that ſubſcription is lawfull, therefore the Engliſh, or the Auguſtane ſubſcription is lawfull, is no other then if I ſhould ſay, that religion is good, therefore the popiſhe religion is good. But of all other points in your booke, I cannot but greatly wonder, that you ſeeme to iuſtifie the ſubſcription vntounto the Auguſtine confeſſion, and the ſilenceing of thoſe that would not ſubſcribe vntounto it.Page 47. lin. 24 You are not ignoraunt I thinke, that the ſaide confeſſion is vnſound, in the point of the Lords ſupper, which hath ſet Germany on fire theſe many yeares. As for the ſubſcription which in England is required by ſtatute, our men hauehave beene alwaies ready to yeelde vntounto it. But the learned fathers whereof you ſpeake, ſeeing that by the ſame ſubſcription, they could hauehave no aduantage againſt the truth, hauehave coyned a new one of their own, which we hold vtterly vnlawfull, becauſe it requireth our conſent vntounto the popiſh hierarchie, vntounto the Apocripha, and many other corruptions. The which courſe of theirs, becauſe they are not able to iuſtifie, therefore hauehave you done well, to finde out a waye, whereby they may eaſilie determine of any queſtion or difficultie mooued vntounto them. So that now, if we deny to ſubſcribe vntounto that, which againſt law they require of vsus, vntill we be ſatisfied in the douts wee make, whether it may be lawfull for vsus to maintaine the proud and ambitious ſuperioritie of one miniſter aboue another, the appointing of ignorant and godleſſe men vntounto the Miniſterie, the croſſe in Baptiſme, the prophanation of that Sacrament by women, with other manifolde abuſes, which we are vrged to approoue, their anſwere may be according vntounto your rule, that they beeing the learned fathers of our Church, hauehave in their lawfull aſſemblies, decreed that this ſubſcription ſhould bee called for, and they ſee no reaſon, why popery being now banniſhed, &c. wee ſhould not attribute as much vntounto their decrees, as other men in times paſt hauehave done.Looke M. Bancroft in the place ſet downe before. And ſo if we were dutifull children, we would ſubmit our ſelues without any wilful contradiction vntounto their godlie determination: ſeeing the Lord hath by his promiſe, tied himſelfe vntounto them, being his Church for this purpoſe. Now, if we ſhall reply any thing againe, as being vnſatisfied by this reſolution, wee are preſently cried out vppon, as being giddie Spirites, and men that cannot bee content with any good order eſtabliſhed by lawe, and approoued by our betters, euen ſuch as gaue their bloud for the teſtimony of the truth. And thus in ſtead of anſwering our reaſons, they inuent ſlanders againſt vsus, and fall out with our concluſion, according vntounto Maſter Bancrofts manner of dealing.
Whereof as I hauehave often before admoniſhed the reader, ſo nowe I hauehave ſpecial occaſion to put him in minde of the ſame concerning his dealing with vsus touching the booke of common prayer, and the point of her maieſties ſupremacy. Wherein he ſpendeth 20. pages for the moſt part,From the 50. to the 72. pages. wee ſhewe diuers corruptions to be in that booke, wee ſet downe the particulars, as baptim by weomen, croſſe in baptime ring in matriage, appropriating of garmentes to the vſe of religion, and groſſer coruptions, as Arianiſme, where the booke maketh Michael to bee a creature,The Collect on Michaels day. and addeth vntounto the word, as pſalme 14. in which place, 3. verſes, that is the 5.6.7. are added vntounto the text, more then euer the holy Ghoſt penned in that pſalme, with other grieuous corruptions, which I paſſe ouer. Nowe howe doth M. Bancroft thinke you deale for the credit of the booke, in anſwering theſe particulars? hee toucheth not one of them, but firſt of all hee telleth his auditors, howe glad al the churches in Europ were at the eſtabliſhing of religion,Page. 15. in the beginning of her Maieſties raigne, And for our partes wee wiſh them confuſion that doe not reioice at it.Page 53. From 54.58. Secondly hauing ſet down what paines was taken in reforming the booke hee bringeth in diuers teſtimonies of godlye learned men, to prooue that the booke is in a manner without ſpotte, or wemme, whereby what doth hee els but fall out with our concluſion. Wee charge the booke with diuers particular corruptions, we bring our proofes,Page 61. he is not able to anſwere them. Therefore our concluſion wil ſtand firme, that the booke is corrupt. The general commendations of all the men in the world is not able to cleare it, when it is not denied to containe many groſſe particular falts. Thirdely he falleth a quarreling with a newe communion booke, preferred in parliament,Page 62.63. the yeare 86. and caueleth diuers waies againſt the ſame. As yt it had bin diuers times altered, that it mencioned not the ciuil magiſtrate in the firſt edition, and that it doth not tye the miniſter to any ſet forme of prayer &c. Al which points, I omit as friuolous, and vngodly cauils not to be ſtood vponupon.
Laſtly he falleth to his olde bias, that is to plaine ſlaundering,Page 67. and affirmeth that one of our reaſons whie wee holde the eſtabliſhed gouernment of the church of England to be Antichriſtian, is becauſe the ciuil Magiſtrate is made a Pope amongſt vsus, and that we cal her maieſties ſupremacie vntounto queſtion. wherevnto wee anſwere no otherwiſe, then Nehemiah did Sanballat.Nehem. 6.8. It is not done according vntounto theſe wordes that thou ſayeſt, but thou faineſt them of thine own hart. Looke whatſoeuer prerogatiue in eccleſiaſtical or ciuil cauſes hee or any man liuinge can truly attribute vntounto the ciuil magiſtrate, wee do the ſame. Concerning the preheminence in ciuill cauſes there is no great queſtion he wil ſay between vsus,Page. 71. only in eccleſiaſtical matters we aſſume vntounto our ſelues ſaith he, that authoritie which by right is the magiſtrats. This ſlander is general, we deſire the particular proofe of it wee cannot anſwere generalles, hee repheth that the magiſtrate by lawe is to hauehave whatſoeuer priuiledg the pope at any time had with in this land by vſurpation,Page. 70. lin. 3. what will hee conclude hereof? Not I hope that the magiſtrate is to hauehave the power of remitting ſinnes, and diſpenſing with the law of God, which the Pope by vſurpation had in times paſt within this kingdome? Her Maieſtie wee know, deteſteth al ſuch prerogatiues from her hart. But what is it that he requireth to be graunted vntounto the ciuil authoritie, which wee yelde not moſt willingly? The power to eſtabliſh godly eccleſiaſtical lawes, and conſtitutions amongeſt the ſubiects? wee are ſo far from denying this, that wee holde it intollerable that our Biſhops, and the conuocation houſe, ſhould intrude their ſubſcriptions, aduertiſements, and cannons vponupon the ſubjectes, whereas no ſuch things can be warrāted by ſtatute. And whereas hee ſayth, that wee claime vntounto our Presbiteries the ordinary authoritie to make al lawes, conſtitutions and ceremonies of the Church, it is moſt falſe. Al that wee affirme in this point, is noe more then her majeſtie voluntarily yealdeth in all ſuch caſes. when the queſtion is whether ſuch or ſuch a caſe be ſtatute law or not? whether doth M. Bancroft think her majeſtie or her learned councel in the lawe, as her judges, Solliciters, Atturneis, &c. to hauehave greateſt skill in the deciding of this matter? he knoweeth well enough, that her Majeſty in all ſuch points, will be directed by that which her aforeſaid lawiers do prooue to be law and equitie, and yet thinketh her royall prorogatiue no whit diminſhed thereby. In the like caſe then, we ſay that the true gouernors of the church are meeteſt to direct her majeſty what lawes and ceremonies are moſt lawfull, expedient, & neceſſary, for the right gouernment of the church And we ſay, that as her majeſtie in worldly matters, is to giuegive eare vntounto the Lawiers which hauehave skill in that facultie: ſo, in the matters of God is ſhe to eſtabliſh nothing in the church, but that which the true miniſters and true gouernors (if they may bee had) ſhall ſhew vntounto her to be according vntounto the worde of GOD. And yet all this while wee make not the gouernours of the Church to hauehave power to enact laws, we leaue that authoritie vntounto her Majeſty and the Parliament, vntounto whoſe hands the Lord hath committed it. This indeed we affirme. Moreouer, that her majeſty and the Parliament are bound to eſtabliſh and erect amongſt their ſubiects, al ſuch lawes and ceremonies, as the true Miniſters of the word, ſhall prooue by the Scriptures of God, to bee meet and neceſſary for the gouernment of the temple, and houſe of the Lord, within this kingdome: And that they are bound to ſee, that no forme of religion or Church-gouernment be in force amongſt the ſubjectes, but that alone which by the word of God may bee prooued lawfull, and ſo that they are bound to ſee, that the Church of God bee clenſed and purified of all Idolatrous, popiſh, ſuperſtious, and ſuperfluous gouernment and ceremonies. And furthermore we ſay, that they are to prouide by law that all perſons, both Miniſters and others, doe ſubmit themſelues without contradiction, vntounto all ſuch things as ſhall bee godly eſtabliſhed in the Church. Whether this bee M. Bancroft to weaken or call into queſtion her Maieſties prerogatiue in Eccleſiaſtical cauſes, let the reader determin. We would alſo deſire him to iudge, whether her Majeſtie be well vſed at your hands, which call her a petty Pope, and ſay that ſhee vſurpeth the ſame authority in cauſes,page. 68. lin. 2… Eccleſiaſticall with in her dominions, which the pope did in times paſt. Had we cōceiued, much leſſe publiſhed any ſuch things, wee had worthily ſmarted for it. Your anſwere heere will be, that you did bring in this reaſon, to ſhew the weakenes of Martins arguments againſt the Biſhops. Let Martin in other points anſwere for himſelfe. The caſe of her Majeſtie and our Biſhops are not alike: He prooueth our Biſhops to be petty Popes and vſurpers, you denie it not. And therefore you onelyonly addreſſe your ſelfe to ſhew what a rebellious and abſurd concluſion hee hath made by the like kinde of reaſoning as you ſuppoſe. And where his minor truly aſſumeth our biſhoppes to be vſurpers and petty Popes, you falſely and ſtanderouſly charge her Maieſtie to bee an vſurper and a petty Pope. Wee are not ſo haſtie to ſhead bloud as you are, otherwiſe, this your vndutifulnes is ſo heinous, that I could eaſily ſhewe that there were no other waye of deſence for you; but in the acknowledgement of your raſh boldnes, (to giuegive your doings no worſe tearmes) to flie vntounto her Maieſties clemency.