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<DATE>2007-11-21</DATE>
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<NAME>Elspeth Healey</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P><HI>CONCERNING</HI> THE NEVV CHVRCH DISCIPLINE, AN EXCELLENT LETTER Written by M^r GEORGE CRANMER to M^r R. H.</P>
<P>Oxford, Printed in the yeare 1645.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
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<HEAD><HI>THE WORDS OF THE learned M^r CAMBDEN in his Annals of Queene ELIZABETH Anno 42. concerning this Author M^r</HI> G. Cranmer.</HEAD>
<P>_THis <HI>Cranmer</HI> (who&s;e christen name was <HI>George)</HI> was a Gen|tleman of &s;ingular hopes, the elde&s;t &s;onne of <HI>Thomas Cran|mer,</HI> &s;onne of <HI>Ed|mund Cranmer</HI> the Arch-bi&s;hops brother. He &s;pent a good part of his youth, in <HI>Corpus Chri&s;ti Colledge</HI> in <HI>Oxford,</HI> where he procee|ded and continued Ma&s;ter of Arts of &s;ixe yeares
<PB REF="3">
&s;tanding before he removed: and then betook him&s;elfe to Secretary <HI>Davi&s;on.</HI> After who&s;e fall, he went in place of Secretary with Sir <HI>Hen|ry Killegrew</HI> in his Emba&s;&s;age into <HI>France.</HI> And after his death, he accompanied that worthy and learned Gentleman Sir <HI>Edwin Sands,</HI> in his travels into <HI>France, Germany, Italy</HI> and o|ther parts, by the &s;pace of three yeares. And after his returne, was &s;ought after by the mo&s;t Noble Lord <HI>Mountjoy,</HI> with whom he went into <HI>Ireland,</HI> where he remained, untill his unfortu|nate death (in a Battell again&s;t the Rebells neare <HI>Carlingford)</HI> cut off the great hopes conceived of him.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="discourse">
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<HEAD>CONCERNING the new Church <HI>Government.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WHat po&s;terity is likely to judge of the&s;e matters concerning Church-di&s;cipline, wee may the better conjecture, if wee call to mind what our own age, within few yeares, upon better experience hath already judged concerning the &s;ame. It may be re|membred that at fir&s;t, the greate&s;t part of the learned in the land were either eagerly affected, or favourably inclined that way. The Bookes then written for the mo&s;t part &s;avoured of the di&s;ciplinary &s;tile: it &s;ounded every where in pulpits, and in the common phra&s;e of mens &s;peech: the contrary part be|gan to feare they had taken a wrong cour&s;e,
<PB N="2" REF="4">
many which impugned the di&s;cipline, yet &s;o impugned it, not as not being the better forme of government, but as not &s;o conve|nient for our State, in regard of dangerous innovations thereby likely to grow. One man alone there was, to &s;peake of, (whom let no &s;u&s;pition of flattery deprive of his de|&s;erved commendation;) Who, in the diffi|dence of the one part, and courage of the o|ther, &s;tood in the gap, and gave others re|&s;pite to prepare them&s;elves to their defence; which by the &s;udden eagerne&s;&s;e and vio|lence of their adver&s;aries had otherwi&s;e been prevented. Wherein God hath made good unto him his owne empre&s;e, <HI>Vincit qui patitur,</HI> for what contumelious indigni|ties he hath at their hands &s;u&s;tained, the world is witne&s;&s;e; and what reward of ho|nour above his adver&s;aries God hath be|&s;towed upon him, them&s;elves (though no|thing glad thereof) mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e. Now of late yeares the heate of men to|wards the Di&s;cipline is greatly decaied. their iudgments begin to &s;way on the other &s;ide:
<PB N="3" REF="4">
the learned haue weighed it and found it light: wi&s;e men conceiue &s;ome feare, le&s;t it prove not only not the be&s;t kind of govern|ment, but the very bane and de&s;truction of all government. The cau&s;e of this change in mens opinions may be drawen from the ge|nerall nature of error, di&s;gui&s;ed and clothed with the name of truth; which is mighti|ly and violently to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e men at fir&s;t; but afterwards, the weakne&s;&s;e thereof being by time di&s;covered, to loo&s;e that reputation, which before it had gained. As by the out|&s;ide of an hou&s;e the Pa&s;&s;ers by are often|times deceived, till they &s;ee the conveniency of the roomes within: &s;o by the very name of Di&s;cipline and Reformation men were drawen at fir&s;t to ca&s;t a fancy towards it, but now they have not contented them&s;elves only to pa&s;&s;e by and behold a farre off the forefront of this reformed hou&s;e; they have entred in, even at the &s;peciall reque&s;t of the Ma&s;ter workmen and chiefe Builders there|of: they have peru&s;ed the roomes, the lights, the conveniences they finde them not an|&s;werable
<PB N="4" REF="5">
to that report which was made of them, nor to that opinion which upon re|port they had conceived. So as now the Di&s;cipline which at fir&s;t triumphed over all, being unmasked, beginneth to droope and hang downe her head.</P>
<P>This cau&s;e of change in opinion con|cerning the Di&s;cipline, is proper to the learned, or to &s;uch as by them have been in|&s;tructed: another cau&s;e there is more open and more apparent to the view of all: name|ly, the cour&s;e of practice which the Refor|mers have had with us from the begining. The fir&s;t degree was only &s;ome &s;mall diffe|rence about Cap and Surple&s;&s;e, but not &s;uch as either bred divi&s;ion in the <HI>Church,</HI> or ten|ded to the ruine of the government then e|&s;tabli&s;hed. This was peaceable; the next degree more &s;tirring. Admonitions were directed to the Parliament in peremptory &s;ort again&s;t our whole forme of Regiment: In defence of them volumes were publi&s;hed in Engli&s;h, in Latin: Yet this was no more than writing. Devices were &s;et on foot to
<PB N="5" REF="5">
erect the practice of the di&s;cipline without authority; yet herein &s;ome regard of mode|&s;ty, &s;ome moderation was u&s;ed. Behold, at length it brake forth into open outrage, fir&s;t in writing by <HI>Martin:</HI> in who&s;e kind of dealing the&s;e things may be ob&s;erved. 1. That whereas <HI>T. C.</HI> and others his great Ma|&s;ters had alwaies before &s;et out the di&s;ci|pline as a Queen, and as the daughter of God, he contrariwi&s;e to make her more ac|ceptable to the people, brought her forth as a vice upon the &s;tage. 2. Which conceit of his was grounded (as may be &s;uppo&s;ed) up|on this rare policie, that &s;eeing the Di&s;ci|pline was by writing refuted, in Parliament rejected, in &s;ecret corners hunted out and de&s;cried, it was imagined that by open rail|ing (which to the vulgar is commonly mo&s;t plau&s;ible) the &s;tate Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall might have been drawen into &s;uch contempt and hatred, as the overthrow thereof &s;hould have been mo&s;t gratefull to all men, and in a manner de&s;ired of the common people. 3. It may be noted (and this I know my
<PB N="6" REF="6">
&s;elfe to be true) how &s;ome of them, al|though they could not for &s;hame approve &s;o lewd an action, yet were content to lay hold on it to the advancement of their cau&s;e, acknowledging therein the &s;ecret judgements of God again&s;t the Bps, and ho|ping that &s;ome good might be wrought thereby for his Church, as indeed there was, though not according to their con|&s;truction. For, 4. contrary to their expecta|tion, that railing &s;pirit did not only not fur|ther, but extreamly di&s;grace and prejudice their cau&s;e, when it was once perceived from how low degrees of contradiction at fir&s;t, to what outrage of contumely and &s;lander they were at length proceeded, and were al&s;o likely further to proceed.</P>
<P>A further degree of outrage was in fact. Certain Prophets did ari&s;e, who deeming it not po&s;&s;ible that <HI>God</HI> &s;hould &s;uffer that un|done which they did &s;o fiercely de&s;ire to have done, namely, that his holy Saints, the favourers and fathers of the Di&s;cipline &s;hould be enlarged, and delivered from per|&s;ecution;
<PB N="7" REF="6">
and &s;eeing no meanes of delive|rance ordinary, were faine to per&s;wade them&s;elves that <HI>God</HI> mu&s;t needs rai&s;e &s;ome extraordinary meanes: and being per&s;wa|ded of none &s;o well as of them&s;elves, they forthwith mu&s;t needs be the in&s;truments of this great worke. Hereupon they framed unto them&s;elves an a&s;&s;ured hope, that upon their preaching out of a pea&s;e-cart, all the multitude would have pre&s;ently joyned un|to them, and in amazement of mind have asked them, <HI>Viri fratres, quid agimus?</HI> whereunto it is likely they would have re|turned an an&s;wer farre unlike to that of S. <HI>Peter,</HI> &s;uch and &s;uch are men unworthy to govern, pluck them down; &s;uch and &s;uch are the deare children of <HI>God,</HI> let them be advanced. Of two of the&s;e men it is meet to &s;peake with all commi&s;eration, yet &s;o that others by their example may receive in&s;tru|ction, and withall &s;ome light may appeare what &s;tirring affections the Di&s;cipline is like to in&s;pire, if it light upon apt and prepa|red minds. Now if any man doubt of what
<PB N="8" REF="7">
&s;ociety they were, or if the reformers di&s;|claime them, pretending that by them they were condemned, let the&s;e points be con&s;i|dered. 1. <HI>Who&s;e a&s;&s;ociats were they before their entring into this frantick pa&s;sion? Who&s;e Sermons did they frequent? Whom did they ad|mire?</HI> 2. Even when they were entring in|to it, <HI>Who&s;e advi&s;e did they require?</HI> and when they were in, <HI>who&s;e approbation? Whom adver|ti&s;ed they of their purpo&s;e? Who&s;e a&s;si&s;tance by prayers did they reque&s;t?</HI> But wee deale in|juriou&s;ly with them to lay this to their charge: for they reproved and condemned it. How? did they di&s;clo&s;e it to the Magi|&s;trate, that it might be &s;uppre&s;&s;ed? or were they rather content to &s;tand aloofe and &s;ee the end of it, and loath to quench the &s;pirit? No doubt the&s;e mad practitioners were of their &s;ociety, with whom before, and in the practi&s;e of their madne&s;&s;e they had mo&s;t af|finity. Hereof read Doct. <HI>Bancrofts</HI> book.</P>
<P>A third inducement may be to di&s;like of the Di&s;cipline, if we con&s;ider not only how farre the reformers them&s;elves have procee|ded,
<PB N="9" REF="7">
but what others upon their foundati|ons have built. Here come the <HI>Browni&s;ts</HI> in the fir&s;t ranke, their lineall de&s;cendants, who have &s;ei&s;ed upon a number of &s;trange opini|ons whereof although their Ance&s;tors the reformers were never actually po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, yet by right and intere&s;t from them derived, the <HI>Browni&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Barrowi&s;ts</HI> hath taken po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion of them. For if the po&s;itions of the Re|formers be true, I cannot &s;ee how the maine and generall conclu&s;ions of <HI>Browni&s;me</HI> &s;hould be fal&s;e. For upon the&s;e two points, as J conceive they &s;tand, 1. <HI>That becau&s;e we have no Church, they are to &s;ever them&s;elves from us:</HI> 2. <HI>That without Civill authority they are to erect a Church of their owne.</HI> And if the former of the&s;e be true, the latter, I &s;uppo&s;e will follow. For if above all things men be to regard their &s;alvation, and if out of the Church there be no &s;alvation; it followeth, that if we have no Church, we have no meanes of &s;alvation, and therefore &s;eparati|on from us, in that re&s;pect, both lawfull and nece&s;&s;ary&punc; as al&s;o that men &s;o &s;eparated
<PB N="10" REF="8">
from the fal&s;e and counterfeit Church, are to a&s;&s;ociate them&s;elves unto &s;ome Church; not to ours; to the Popi&s;h much le&s;&s;e: there|fore to one of their owne making. Now the ground of all the&s;e inferences being this, that in our Church there is no means of &s;al|vation, is out of the Reformers Principles mo&s;t clearely to be proved. For where&s;oe|ver any matter of faith unto &s;alvation nece&s;|&s;ary is denied, there can be no meanes of &s;alvation: but in the Church of <HI>England,</HI> the Di&s;cipline, by them accounted a matter of Faith, and nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation, is not only denied, but impugned, and the profe&s;&s;ors thereof oppre&s;t: <HI>Ergo.</HI> Againe, (but this rea&s;on perhaps is weak.) Every true Church of Chri&s;t acknowledgeth the whole Go|&s;pell of Chri&s;t: the di&s;cipline, in their opini|on, is a part of the Go&s;pell, and yet by our Church re&s;i&s;ted, <HI>Ergo.</HI> Againe, The Di&s;ci|pline is e&s;&s;entially united to the Church: by which terme, <HI>e&s;&s;entially,</HI> they mu&s;t meane either an e&s;&s;entiall part, or an e&s;&s;entiall pro|perty. Both which waies it mu&s;t needs be,
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that where that e&s;&s;entiall Di&s;cipline is not, neither is there any Church. If therefore between them and the <HI>Browni&s;ts</HI> there &s;hould be appointed a &s;olemne Di&s;putati|on, whereof with us they have been often|times &s;o earne&s;t Challengers: it doth not yet appeare what other an&s;wer they could po&s;|&s;ibly frame to the&s;e and the like Arguments, wherewith they might be pre&s;&s;ed, but faire|ly to deny the conclu&s;ion, (for all the premi|&s;es are their own) or rather ingeniou&s;ly to rever&s;e their own principles before laid, whereon &s;o foule ab&s;urdities have been &s;o firmely built. What further proofes you can bring out of their high words, magnify|ing the Di&s;cipline, I leave to your better re|membrance: but above all points, I am de|&s;irous this one &s;hould be &s;trongly inforced again&s;t them, becau&s;e it wringeth them mo&s;t of all, and is of all others (for ought I &s;ee) the mo&s;t unan&s;werable. You may not|with&s;tanding &s;ay that you would be hearti|ly glad the&s;e their po&s;itions might &s;o be &s;al|ved as the <HI>Browni&s;ts</HI> might not appeare to
<PB N="12" REF="9">
have i&s;&s;ued out of their loines: but untill that be done, they mu&s;t give us leave to thinke that they have ca&s;t the &s;eed whereout the&s;e tares are growen.</P>
<P>Another &s;ort of men there is, which have been content to run on with the reformers for a time, and to make them poore In&s;tru|ments of their owne de&s;ignes. The&s;e are a &s;ort of godle&s;&s;e politicks, who perceiving the plot of Di&s;cipline to con&s;i&s;t of the&s;e two parts, the overthrow of Epi&s;copall, and ere|ction of Presbitriall Authority, and that this later can take no place till the former be re|moved, are content to joyn with them in the di&s;tructive part of Di&s;cipline, bearing them in hand, that in the other al&s;o they &s;hall find them as ready. But when time &s;hall come, it may be they would be as loath to be yoaked with that kind of regiment, as now they are willing to be relea&s;ed from this. The&s;e mens ends in all their actions, is <GAP DESC="foreign">, their pretence and colour, Refor|mation. Tho&s;e things which under this colour they have effected to their own
<PB N="13" REF="9">
good, are 1, by maintaining a contrary fa|ction, they have kept the Clergy alwaies in awe, and thereby made them more pliable and willing to buy their peace. 2. By main|taining an opinion of equality among Mi|ni&s;ters, they have made way to their own purpo&s;es for devouring Cathedrall Chur|ches and Bps Livings. 3. By exclaiming again&s;t abu&s;es in the Church they have car|ried their own corrupt dealings in the civill &s;tate more covertly. For, &s;uch is the nature of the multitude, they are not able to appre|hend many things at once, &s;o as being po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed with di&s;like or liking of any one thing, many other in the meane time may e&s;cape them without being perceived. 4. They have &s;ought to di&s;grace the Clergy in entertaining a conceit in mens minds, and confirming it by continuall practi&s;e, that men of learning, and &s;pecially of the Cler|gy, which are imployed in the chiefe&s;t kind of learning, are not to be admitted, or &s;pare|ingly admitted to matters of State; contrary to the practi&s;e of all well governed Com|mon-wealths,
<PB N="14" REF="10">
and of our own till the&s;e late yeares.</P>
<P>A third &s;ort of men there is, though not de&s;cended from the reformers, yet in part rai&s;ed and greatly &s;trengthened by them, namely the cur&s;ed crew of <HI>Athei&s;ts.</HI> This al&s;o is one of tho&s;e points, which J am de|&s;irous you &s;hould handle mo&s;t effectually, and &s;traine your&s;elfe therein to all points of motion and affection, as in that of the <HI>Brow|ni&s;ts,</HI> to all &s;trength and &s;inewes of rea&s;on. This is a &s;ort mo&s;t damnable, and yet by the generall &s;u&s;pition of the world at this day mo&s;t common. The cau&s;es of it, which are in the parties them&s;elves, although you han|dle in the beginning of the fift booke, yet here againe they may be touched; but the occa&s;ions of helpe and furtherance which by the reformers have been yeilded unto them, are, as I conceive, two, &s;encele&s;&s;e preaching, and di&s;gracing of the Mini&s;try; for how, &s;hould not men dare to impugne that which neither by force of rea&s;on, nor by authority of per&s;ons is maintained: But
<PB N="15" REF="10">
in the parties them&s;elves the&s;e two cau&s;es I conceive of Athei&s;me. 1. More abundance of Wit than judgement, and of Witty than Iudicious learning; whereby they are more inclined to contradict any thing, than wil|ling to be informed of the truth. They are not therefore men of &s;ound learning for the mo&s;t part, but &s;matterers, neither is their kind of Di&s;pute &s;o much by force of argu|ment, as by &s;coffing. Which humour of &s;coffing and turning matters mo&s;t &s;erious into merriment, is now become &s;o com|mon, as we are not to marvaile what the Prophet meanes by the &s;eat of &s;corners, nor what the Apo&s;tels by fore-telling of &s;cor|ners to come: our own age hath verified their &s;peech unto us. Which al&s;o may be an Argument again&s;t the&s;e &s;coffers and <HI>Athei&s;ts</HI> them&s;elves, &s;eeing it hath been &s;o many ages agoe foretold, that &s;uch men the later daies of the world &s;hould afford; which could not be done by any other &s;pirit &s;ave that whereunto things future and pre&s;ent are alike. And even for the maine que&s;tion of
<PB N="16" REF="11">
the Re&s;urrection, whereat they &s;tick &s;o mightily, was it not plainly fore-told that men &s;hould in the later times &s;ay, <HI>Where is the promi&s;e of his coming?</HI> Again&s;t the Creati|on, the Arke, and divers other points, ex|ceptions are &s;aid to be taken; the ground whereof is &s;uperfluity of wit without ground of learning and judgement. A &s;e|cond cau&s;e of <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> is &s;en&s;uality, which maketh men de&s;irous to remove all &s;tops and impediments of their wicked life: a|mong which becau&s;e Religion is the chie|fe&s;t, &s;o as neither in this life without &s;hame they can per&s;i&s;t therein, (nor if that be true) without torment in the life to come, they whet their wits to annihilate the joyes of Heaven, wherein they &s;ee (if any &s;uch be) they can have no part, and likewi&s;e the pains of hell, wherein their portion mu&s;t needs be very great. They labour therefore not that they may not de&s;erve tho&s;e pains, but that, de&s;erving them, there may be no &s;uch pains to &s;eize upon them. But what conceit can be imagined more ba&s;e then
<PB N="17" REF="11">
that man &s;hould &s;trive to per&s;wade him&s;elfe even again&s;t the &s;ecret in&s;tinct (no doubt) of his own mind, that his &s;oule is as the &s;oule of a bea&s;t, mortall and corruptible with the body. Again&s;t which barbarous opinion their own <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> is a very &s;trong argu|ment. For were not the &s;oule a nature &s;epa|rable from the body, how could it enter in|to di&s;cour&s;e of things meerely &s;pirituall, and nothing at all pertaining to the body? Sure|ly the &s;oule were not able to conceive any thing of heaven, no not &s;o much as to di|&s;pute again&s;t heaven, and again&s;t God, if there were not in it &s;omewhat heavenly, and derived from God.</P>
<P>The la&s;t which have received &s;trength &amp; encouragement from the reformers are Pa|pi&s;ts; again&s;t whom although they are mo&s;t bitter enemies, yet unwittingly they have given them great advantage. For what can any enemy rather de&s;ire then the breach and di&s;&s;ention of tho&s;e which are Confederates again&s;t him? wherein they are to remem|ber, that if our Communion with Papi&s;ts
<PB N="18" REF="12">
in &s;ome few Ceremonies doe &s;o much &s;trengthen them, as is pretended, how much more doth this divi&s;ion and rent among our &s;elves, e&s;pecially &s;eeing it is maintained to be, not in light matters only, but even in matter of faith and &s;alvation. Which over|reaching &s;peech of theirs, becau&s;e it is &s;o o|pen to advantage both for the <HI>Barrowi&s;t,</HI> and the Papi&s;t, we are to wi&s;h and hope for, that they will acknowledge it to have been &s;po|ken rather in heat of Affection, then with &s;oundne&s;&s;e of judgement, and that through their exceeding love to that creature of Di&s;|cipline which them&s;elves have bred, nouri|&s;hed, and maintained, their mouth in com|mendation of her did &s;omewhat overflow.</P>
<P>From hence you may proceed (but the means of connextion I leave to your &s;elfe) to another di&s;cour&s;e, which I think very meet to be handled either here or el&s;ewhere at large: the parts whereof may be the&s;e: 1. That in this cau&s;e between them and us, men are to &s;ever the proper and e&s;&s;entiall points and controver&s;y, from tho&s;e which
<PB N="19" REF="12">
are accidentall. The mo&s;t e&s;&s;entiall and pro|per are the&s;e two, overthrow of Epi&s;copall, erection of Presbyteriall authority. But in the&s;e two points who&s;oever joyneth with them is accompted of their number; who|&s;oever in all other points agreeth with them, yet thinketh the authority of Bi&s;hops not unlawfull, and of Elders not nece&s;&s;ary, may ju&s;tly be &s;evered from their retinew. Tho&s;e things therefore which either in the per&s;ons, or in the Lawes and orders them|&s;elves are faulty may be complained on, ac|knowledged and amended; yet they no whit the neere their maine purpo&s;e. For what if all errors by them &s;uppo&s;ed in our Liturgy were amended, even according to their own hearts de&s;ire? if <HI>Non-re&s;idence, Pluralities,</HI> and the like, were utterly iaken away; are their Lay-elders therefore pre|&s;ently authorized, their Soveraigne Eccle&s;i|a&s;ticall Iuri&s;diction e&s;tabli&s;hed?</P>
<P>But even in their complaining again&s;t the outward and accidentall matters in Church-government, they are many waies
<PB N="20" REF="13">
faulty. 1. In their end which they propo&s;e to them&s;elves. For in declaiming again&s;t a|bu&s;es, their meaning is not to have them redre&s;&s;ed, but, by di&s;gracing the pre&s;ent &s;tate, to make way for their own Di&s;ci|pline. As therefore in <HI>Venice,</HI> if any Senator &s;hould di&s;cour&s;e again&s;t the power of their Senate, as being either too Soveraigne, or too weake in government, with purpo&s;e to draw their authority to a moderation, it might well be &s;uffered; but not &s;o, if it &s;hould appeare he &s;pake with purpo&s;e to in|duce another State by depraving the pre|&s;ent, &s;o in all cau&s;es belonging either to Church or Common-wealth, wee are to have regard what mind the complaining part doth beare, whether of amendment, or of innovation, and accordingly either to &s;uffer or &s;uppre&s;&s;e it. Their objection there|fore is frivolous, <HI>Why, may not men &s;peake a|gain&s;t abu&s;es?</HI> Yes, but with de&s;ire to cure the part affected, not to de&s;troy the whole. 2. A &s;econd fault is in their manner of com|plaining, not only becau&s;e it is for the mo&s;t
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part in bitter and reproachfull termes, but al&s;o becau&s;e it is unto the common people, Iudges incompetent &amp; in&s;ufficient, both to determine any thing ami&s;&s;e, for want of skil and authority to amend it. Which al&s;o di&s;co|vereth their intent and purpo&s;e to be rather de&s;tructive than corrective. Thirdly, tho&s;e very exceptions which they take, are frivo|lous and impertinent: Some things indeed they accu&s;e as impious: which if they may appeare to bee &s;uch, God forbid they &s;houd be maintained.</P>
<P>Again&s;t the re&s;t it is only alleadged, that they are idle Ceremonies without u&s;e, and that better and more profitable might be devi&s;ed. Wherein they are doubly deceived: for neither is it a &s;ufficient plea to &s;ay, <HI>This must give place, becau&s;e a better may be devi|&s;ed:</HI> and in our judgements of better and wor&s;e, we oftentimes conceive ami&s;&s;e, when we compare tho&s;e things which are in devi&s;e with tho&s;e which are in practi&s;e, for the imperfections of the one are hid, till by time and triall they be di&s;covered: the o|thers
<PB N="22" REF="14">
are already manife&s;t and open to all. But la&s;t of all, (which is a point in my opi|nion of great regard, and which I am de&s;i|rous to have enlarged) they doe not &s;ee, that for the mo&s;t part when they &s;trike at the &s;tate Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, they &s;ecretly wound the Civill State; For per&s;onall faults, what can be &s;aid again&s;t the Church, which may not al&s;o agree to the Common-wealth? In both States men have alwaies been, and will be alwaies men, &s;ometimes blinded with er|rour, mo&s;t commonly perverted by pa&s;si|ons: many unworthy have been and are ad|vanced in both, many worthy not regarded. As for abu&s;es which they pretend to be in the Lawes them&s;elves, when they inveigh again&s;t <HI>Non-re&s;idence,</HI> doe they take it a mat|ter lawfull or expedient in the Civill &s;tate, for a man to have a great and gainfull office in the North, him&s;elfe continually remain|ing in the South? <HI>Hee that hath an office, let him attend his office.</HI> When they condemne plurality of livings &s;pirituall to the pit of hell, what think they of infinite of tempo|rall
<PB N="23" REF="14">
promotions? By the great Philo&s;opher, <HI>Pol. lib.</HI> 2. <HI>cap.</HI> 9. it is forbidden as a thing mo&s;t dangerous to Commonwealths, that by the &s;ame man many great offices &s;hould be exerci&s;ed. When they deride our Cere|monies as vaine and frivolous, were it hard to apply their exceptions even to tho&s;e civill ceremonies, which at the Coronation, in Parliament, and all Courts of Iu&s;tice are u|&s;ed? Were it hard to argue even again&s;t Cir|cumci&s;ion, the ordinance of God, as being a cruell ceremony; again&s;t the Pa&s;&s;eover, as being ridiculous; &s;hod, girt, a &s;taffe in their hand, to eat a lambe?</P>
<P>To conclude, you may exhort the Cler|gy, (or what if you direct your Conclu&s;ion, not to the Clergy in generall, but only to the learned in, or of both Univer&s;ities) you may exhort them to a due con&s;ideration of all things, and to a right e&s;teeme and valuing of each thing in that degree wherein it ought to &s;tand: for it oftentimes falleth out, what men have either devi&s;ed them&s;elves, or greatly delighted in, the price and excel|lency
<PB N="24" REF="15">
thereof they doe admire above de&s;ert. The chiefe&s;t labour of a <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> &s;hould be to know; of a Mini&s;ter, to preach <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> crucified. in regard whereof not only worldly things, but even things otherwi&s;e precious, even the Di&s;cipline it &s;elfe is vile and ba&s;e. where as now, by the heat of contention, and violence of affection, the zeale of men towards the one hath greatly decayed their love to the other. Hereunto therefore they are to be exhorted, to Preach <HI>Chri&s;t crucified,</HI> the mortification of the fle&s;h, the renewing of the &s;pirit, not tho&s;e things, which in time of &s;trife &s;eeme precious, but pa&s;&s;ions being allayed, are vaine and childi&s;h.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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</TEXT>
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</ETS>
