love," whose heresies they have laboured to destroy and confute. They have been swift of credit to receive accusations against them, from those that have quarrelled with them, but for speaking against sin and vice. Their accusations and inquisitions have been strict, swearing men to blanks and generalities, not included within compass of matter certain, which the party which is to take the oath may comprehend, which is a thing captious and strainable. Their urging of subscription to their own articles, is but "lacessere, et irritare morbos ecclesiæ," which other wise would spend and exercise themselves. "Non consensum quærit sed dissidium, qui, quod factis præstatur, in verbis exigit:" "He seeketh not unity, but division, which exacteth that in words, which men are content to yield in action." And it is true, there are some which, as I am persuaded, will not easily offend by inconformity, who notwithstanding make some conscience to subscribe; for they know this note of inconstancy and defection from that which they have long held, shall disable them to do that good which otherwise they might do: for such is the weakness of many, that their ministry should be thereby discredited. As for their easy silencing of them, in such great scarcity of preachers, it is to punish the people, and not them. Ought they not, I mean the bishops, to keep one eye open, to look upon the good that those men do, not to fix them both upon the hurt that they suppose cometh by them? Indeed, such as are intemperate and incorrigible, God forbid they should be permitted to preach but shall every inconsiderate word, sometimes captiously watched, and for the most part hardly enforced, be as a forfeiture of their voice and gift in preaching? As for sundry particular molestations, I take no pleasure to recite them. If a minister shall be troubled for saying in baptism, "do you believe ?" for, "dost thou believe?" If another shall be called in question for praying for her majesty, without the additions of her style; whereas the very form of prayer in the book of Common- | Prayer hath, "Thy servant Elizabeth," and no more: If a third shall be accused, upon these words uttered touching the controversies, "tollatur lex, et fiat certamen," (whereby was meant, that the prejudice of the law removed, either reasons should be equally compared,) of calling the people to sedition and mutiny, as if he had said, Away with the law, and try it out with force: If these and other like particulars be true, which I have but by rumour, and cannot affirm; it is to be lamented that they should labour amongst us with so little comfort. I know restrained governments are better than remiss; and I am of his mind that said, "Better is it to live where nothing is lawful, than where all things are lawful." I dislike that laws should not be continued, or disturbers be unpunished: but laws are likened to the grape, that being too much pressed yields a hard and unwholesome wine. Of these things I must say; "Ira viri non operatur justitiam Dei;" "The wrath of man worketh not the right eousness of God." As for the injuries of the other part, they be ictus inermes; as it were headless arrows; they be fiery and eager invectives, and, in some fond men, unciviï and irreverent behaviour towards their superiors. This last invention also, which exposeth them to derision and obloquy by libels, chargeth not, as I am persuaded, the whole side: neither doth that other, which is yet more odious, practised by the worst sort of them; which is, to call in, as it were to their aids, certain mercenary bands, which impugn bishops, and other ecclesiastical dignities, to have the spoil of their endowments and livings: of these I cannot speak too hardly. It is an intelligence between incendiaries and robbers, the one to fire the house, the other to rifle it. The fourth point wholly pertaineth to them which impugn the present ecclesiastical government; who although they have not cut themselves off from the body and communion of the church, yet do they affect certain cognizances and differences, wherein they seek to correspond amongst themselves, and to be separate from others. And it is truly said, "tam sunt mores quidam schismatici, quam dogmata schismatica;" "there be as well schismatical fashions as opinions." First, they have impropriated unto themselves the names of zealous, sincere, and reformed; as if all others were cold minglers of holy things and profane, and friends of abuses. Yea, be a man endued with great virtues, and fruitful in good works; yet if he concur not with them, they term him, in derogation, a civil and moral man, and compare him to Socrates, or some heathen philosopher: whereas the wisdom of the Scriptures teacheth us otherwise namely, to judge and denominate men religious according to their works of the second table; because they of the first are often counterfeit, and practised in hypocrisy. So St. John saith, that " a man doth vainly boast of loving God whom he never saw, if he love not his brother whom he hath seen." And St. James saith, This is true religion, to visit the fatherless and the widow." So as that which is with them but philosophical and moral, is, in the apostle's phrase, "true religion and christianity." As in affection they challenge the said virtues of zeal and the rest; so in knowledge they attribute unto themselves light and perfection. They say, the church of England in king Edward's time, and in the beginning of her majesty's reign, was but in the cradle; and the bishops in those times did somewhat grope for day-break, but that maturity and fulness of light proceedeth from themselves. So Sabinius, bishop of Heraclea, a Macedonian heretic, said, that the fathers in the council of Nice were but infants and ignorant men: that the church was not so perfect in their decrees as to refuse that farther ripeness of knowledge which time had revealed. And as they censure virtuous men by the names of civil and moral, so do they censure men truly and godly wise, who see into the vanity of their affections, by the name of politics; saying, that their wisdom is but carnal and savouring of man's brain. So likewise if a preacher preach with care and meditation, I speak not of the vain scholastical manner of preaching, but soundly indeed, ordering the matter he handleth distinctly for memory, deducting and drawing it down for direction, and authoriz ing it with strong proofs and warrants, they censure it as a form of speaking not becoming the simplicity of the gospel, and refer it to the reprehension of St. Paul, speaking of the "enticing speech of man's wisdom." Now for their own manner of preaching, what is it? Surely they exhort well, and work compunction of mind, and bring men well to the question, "Viri, fratres, quid faciemus?" But that is not enough, except they resolve the question. They handle matters of controversy weakly, and obiter, and as before a people that will accept of any thing. In doctrine of manners there is little but generality and repetition. The word, the bread of life, they toss up and down, they break it not: they draw not their directions down ad casus conscientiæ; that a man may be warranted in his particular actions whether they be lawful or not; neither indeed are many of them able to do it, what through want of grounded knowledge, what through want of study and time. It is a compendious and easy thing to call for the observation of the sabbath day, or to speak against unlawful gain; but what actions and works may be done upon the sabbath, and what not; and what courses of gain are lawful, and in what cases: to set this down, and to clear the whole matter with good distinctions and decisions, is a matter of great knowledge and labour, and asketh much meditation and conversing in the Scriptures, and other helps which God hath provided and preserved for instruction. Again, they carry not an equal hand in teaching the people their lawful liberty, as well as their restraints and prohibitions: but they think a man cannot go too far in that that hath a show of a commandment. of God is to be suppressed, nor the people defrauded : SO as the difference which the apostle maketh between milk and strong meat is confounded: and his precept, that the weak be not admitted unto questions and controversies, taketh no place. But most of all is to be suspected, as a seed of farther inconvenience, their manner of handling the Scriptures; for whilst they seek express Scripture for every thing; and that they have, in a manner, deprived themselves and the church of a special help and support, by embasing the authority of the fathers, they resort to naked examples, conceited inferences, and forced allusions, such as do mine into all certainty of religion. 66 Another extremity, is the excessive magnifying of that, which though it be a principal and most holy institution, yet hath its limits, as all things else have. We see wheresoever, in a manner, they find in the Scriptures the word spoken of, they expound it of preaching; they have made it, in a manner, of the essence of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, to have a sermon precedent; they have, in a sort, annihilated the use of liturgies, and forms of divine service, although the house of God be denominated of the principal, " domus orationis," a house of prayer," and not a house of preaching. As for the life of the good monks and hermits in the primitive Church, I know, they will condemn a man as half a papist, if he should maintain them as other than profane, because they heard no sermons. In the mean time, what preaching is, and who may be said to preach, they move no question; but, as far as I see, every man that presumeth to speak in chair, is accounted a preacher. But I am assured, that not a few that call hotly for a preaching ministry, deserve to be the first themselves that should be expelled. All which errors and misproceedings they do fortify and intrench by an addicted respect to their own opinions, and an impatience to hear contradiction or argument; yea, I know some of them that would think it a tempting of God, to hear or read what may be said against them; as if there could be a quod bonum est, tenete; without an omnia probate, going before. This may suffice to offer unto themselves a thought and consideration, whether in these things they do well or no? and to correct and assuage the partiality of their followers. For as for any man that shall They forget that there are sins on the right hand, as well as on the left; and that the word is double- | edged, and cutteth on both sides, as well the profane transgressions as the superstitious observances. Who doubteth but that it is as unlawful to shut where God hath opened, as to open where God hath shut; to bind where God hath loosed, as to loose where God hath bound? Amongst men it is commonly as ill taken to turn back favours, as to disobey commandments. In this kind of zeal, for example, they have pronounced generally, and without difference, all untruths unlawful; notwithstanding that the midwives are directly reported to have been blessed for their excuse; and Rahab is said by faith to have concealed the spies; and Solo-hereby enter into a contempt of their ministry, it is mon's selected judgment proceeded upon a simulation; and our Saviour, the more to touch the hearts of the two disciples with a holy dalliance, made as if he would have passed Emmaus. Farther, I have heard some sermons of mortification, which, I think, with very good meaning, they have preached out of their own experience and exercise, and things in private counsels not unmeet; but surely no sound conceits, much like to Parsons' Resolution, or not so good; apt to breed in men rather weak opinions and perplexed despairs, than filial and true repent-peat that which I said, that a character of love is ance which is sought. Another point of great inconvenience and peril, is | to entitle the people to hear controversies, and all kinds of doctrine. They say no part of the counsel but his own hardness of heart. I know the work of exhortation doth chiefly rest upon these men, and they have zeal and hate of sin: But again, let them take heed that it be not true which one of their adversaries said, that they have but two small wants, knowledge and love. And so I conclude this point. The last point, touching the due publishing and debating of these controversies, needeth no long speech. This strange abuse of antiques and pasquils hath been touched before: so likewise I re more proper for debates of this nature, than that of zeal. As for all direct or indirect glances, or levels at men's persons, they were ever in these causes disallowed. Lastly, whatsoever be pretended, the people is no meet arbitrator, but rather the quiet, modest, and private assemblies and conferences of the learned. "Qui apud incapacem loquitur, non disceptat, sed calumniatur." The press and pulpit would be freed and discharged of these contentions; neither promotion on the one side, nor glory and heat on the other side, ought to continue those challenges and cartels at the cross and other places; but rather all preachers, is especially such as be of good temper, and have wisdom with conscience, ought to inculcate and beat upon a = peace, silence, and surseance. Neither let them fear Solon's law, which compelled in factions every particular person to range himself on the one side; 3 nor yet the fond calumny of neutrality; but let them know that is true which is said by a wise man, That neuters in contentions are either better or worse than either side. These things have I in all sincerity and simplicity set down, touching the controversies which now trouble the church of England; and that without all art and insinuation, and therefore not like to be grateful to either part. Notwithstanding, I trust what hath been said shall find a correspondence in their minds which are not embarked in partiality, and which love the whole better than a part; wherefore I am not out of hope that it may do good; at the least I shall not repent myself of the meditation. CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS TOUCHING THE BETTER PACIFICATION AND EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. DEDICATED TO HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. are things not properly appertaining to my profession; which I was not so inconsiderate but to object to myself: but finding that it is many times seen that a man that standeth off, and somewhat removed from a plot of ground, doth better survey it and discover it than those which are upon it, I thought it not impossible, but that I, as a looker on, might cast mine eyes upon some things which the actors themselves, especially some being interested, some led and addicted, some declared and engaged, did not or would not see. And that knowing in my conscience, whereto God beareth witness, that the things which I shall speak, spring out of no vein of popularity, ostentation, desire of novelty, partiality to either side, disposition to intermeddle, or any the like leaven, I may conceive hope, that what I want in depth of judgment may be countervailed in simplicity and sincerity of affection. But of all things this did most animate me; that I found in these opinions of mine, which I have long held and embraced, as may appear by that which I have many years since written of them, according to the proportion nevertheless of my weakness, a consent and conformity with that which your Majesty hath published of your own most christian, most wise, and moderate sense, in these causes; wherein you have well expressed to the world, that there is infused in your sacred breast, from God, that high principle and position of government, That you ever hold the whole more dear than any part. For who seeth not that many are affected, and give opinion in these matters, as if they had not so much a desire to purge the evil from the good, as to countenance and protect the evil by the good? Others speak as if their scope were only to set forth what is good, and not to seek what is possible; which is to wish, and not to propound. Others proceed as if they had rather a mind of removing than of reforming. But howsoever either side, as men, though excellent men, shall run into extremities; yet your Majesty, as a most wise, equal, and christian moderator, is disposed to find out the golden mediocrity in the establishment of that which is sound, and in the reparation of that which is corrupt and decayed. To your princely judgment then I do in all humbleness submit whatsoever I shall propound, offering the same but as a mite into the treasury of your wisdom. For as the astronomers do well observe, that when three of the superior lights do meet in conjunction, it bringeth forth some admirable effects: so there being joined in your Majesty the light of nature, the light of learning, and, above all, the light of God's Holy Spirit; it cannot be but your government must be as a happy constellation over the states of your kingdoms. Neither is there wanting to your Majesty that fourth light, which though it be but a borrowed light, yet is of singular efficacy and moment added to the rest, which is the light of a most wise and well compounded council; to whose honourable and grave wisdoms I do likewise submit whatsoever I shall speak, hoping that I shall not need to make pro THE unity of your church, excellent sovereign, is a thing no less precious than the union of your kingdoms; being both works wherein your happiness may contend with your worthiness. Having therefore presumed, not without your Majesty's gracious acceptation, to say somewhat on the one, I am the more encouraged not to be silent in the other: the rather, because it is an argument that I have travelled in heretofore.* But Solomon commendeth a word spoken in season; and as our Saviour, speaking of the discerning of seasons, saith, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say it will be a shower:" so your Majesty's rising to this monarchy in the west parts of the world, doth promise a sweet and fruitful shower of many blessings upon this church and commonwealth; a shower of that influence as the very first dews and drops thereof have already laid the storms and winds throughout christendom; reducing the very face of Europe to a more peaceable and amiable countenance. But to the purpose. It is very true, that these ecclesiastical matters testation of my mind and opinion; That, until your * Vide p. 343. Majesty doth otherwise determine and order, all actual and full obedience is to be given to eccle- | memory, did flourish. If I should compare it with siastical jurisdiction as it now standeth; and, when foreign churches, I would rather the comparison your Majesty hath determined and ordered, that should be in the virtues, than, as some make it, in every good subject ought to rest satisfied, and apply the defects; rather, I say, as between the vine and his obedience to your Majesty's laws, ordinances, the olive, which should be most fruitful; and not as and royal commandments; nor of the dislike I have between the brier and the thistle, which should be of all immodest bitterness, peremptory presumption, most unprofitable. For that reverence should be popular handling, and other courses, tending rather used to the church, which the good sons of Noah to rumour and impression in the vulgar sort, than to used to their father's nakedness; that is, as it were likelihood of effect joined with observation of duty. to go backwards, and to help the defects thereof, and But before I enter into the points controverted, I yet to dissemble them. And it is to be acknowthink good to remove, if it may be, two opinions, ledged, that scarcely any church, since the primiwhich directly confront and oppone to reformation: tive church, yielded, in like number of years and the one bringing it to a nullity, and the other to an latitude of country, a greater number of excellent impossibility. The first is, that it is against good preachers, famous writers, and grave governors. policy to innovate any thing in church matters; But for the discipline and orders of the church, as the other, that all reformation must be after one many, and the chiefest of them, are holy and good; platform. so yet, if St. John were to indite an epistle to the church of England, as he did to them of Asia, it would sure have the clause; "habeo adversus te panca." And no more for this point, saving, that as an appendix thereto, it is not amiss to touch that objection, which is made to the time, and not to the matter; pretending that if reformation were necessary, yet it were not now seasonable at your Majesty's first entrance: yet Hippocrates saith, “Si quid moves, a principio move:" and the wisdom of all examples do show, that the wisest princes, as they have ever been the most sparing in removing or alteration of servants and officers upon their coming in; so for removing of abuses and enormities, and for reforming of laws, and the policy of their states, they have chiefly sought to ennoble and commend their beginnings therewith; knowing that the first impression with people continueth long, and when men's minds are most in expectation and suspense, then are they best wrought and managed. And therefore it seemeth to me, that as the spring of nature, I mean the spring of the year, is the best time for purging and medicining the natural body, so the spring of kingdoms is the most proper season for the purging and rectifying of politic bodies. For the first of these, it is excellently said by the prophet; "State super vias antiquas, et videte, quænam sit via recta et vera, et ambulate in ea." So as he doth not say, "State super vias antiquas, et ambulate in eis:" For it is true, that with all wise | and moderate persons, custom and usage obtaineth that reverence, as it is sufficient matter to move them to make a stand, and to discover, and take a view; but it is no warrant to guide and conduct them: a just ground, I say, it is of deliberation, but not of direction. But on the other side, who knoweth not, that time is truly compared to a stream, that carrieth down fresh and pure waters into that salt sea of corruption which environeth all human actions? And therefore, if man shall not by his industry, virtue, and policy, as it were with the oar, row against the stream and inclination of time; all institutions and ordinances, be they never so pure, will corrupt and degenerate. But not to handle this matter common-place like, I would only ask, why the civil state should be purged and restored by good and wholesome laws, made every third or fourth year in parliament assembled; devising remedies as fast as time breedeth mischief: and contrariwise the ecclesiastical state should still continue upon the dregs of time, and receive no alteration now for these five and forty years and more? If any man shall object, that if the like intermission had been used in civil causes also, the error had not been great: surely the wisdom of the kingdom hath been otherwise in experience for three hundred years space at the least. But if it be said to me, that there is a difference between civil causes and ecclesiastical, they may as well tell me that churches and chapels need no reparations, though castles and houses do: whereas commonly, to speak truth, dilapidations of the inward and spiritual edifications of the church of God are in all times as great as the outward and material. Sure I am that the very word and style of reformation used by our Saviour, "ab initio non fuit sic," was applied to church matters, and those of the highest nature, concerning the law moral. Nevertheless, he were both unthankful and unwise, that would deny but that the church of England, during the time of queen Elizabeth of famous There remaineth yet an objection, rather of suspicion than of reason; and yet such as I think maketh a great impression in the minds of very wise and well-affected persons; which is, that if way be given to mutation, though it be in taking away abuses, yet it may so acquaint men with sweetness of change, as it will undermine the stability even of that which is sound and good. This surely had been a good and true allegation in the ancient contentions and divisions between the people and the senate of Rome; where things were carried at the appetites of multitudes, which can never keep within the compass of any moderation; but these things being with us to have an orderly passage, under a king who hath a royal power and approved judgment, and knoweth as well the measure of things as the nature of them; it is surely a needless fear. For they need not doubt but your majesty, with the advice of your council, will discern what things are intermingled like the tares amongst the wheat, which have their roots so enwrapped and entangled, as the one cannot be pulled up without endangering the other; and what are mingled, but as the chaff and the corn, which need but a fan to sift and sever them. So much therefore for the first point, of no reformation to be admitted at all. For the second point, that there should be but one form of discipline in all churches, and that imposed by necessity of a commandment and prescript out of the word of God; it is a matter volumes have been compiled of, and therefore cannot receive a brief redargution. I for my part do confess, that in revolving the Scriptures I could never find any such thing but that God had left the like liberty to the church government, as he had done to the civil government; to be varied according to time, and place, and accidents, which nevertheless his high and divine providence doth order and dispose. For all civil governments are restrained from God unto the general grounds of justice and manners; but the policies and forms of them are left free so that monarchies and kingdoms, senates and seignories, the popular states, and communalties, are lawful, and where they are planted ought to be maintained inviolate. So likewise in church matters, the substance of | doctrine is immutable; and so are the general rules of government: but for rites and ceremonies, and for the particular hierarchies, policies, and discipline of churches, they be left at large. And therefore it is good we return unto the ancient bounds of unity in the church of God; which was, one faith, one baptism; and not, one hierarchy, one discipline; and that we observe the league of christians, as it is penned by our Saviour; which is in substance of doctrine this; "He that is not with us, is against us:" but in things indifferent, and but of circumstance, this; "He that is not against us, is with us." In these things, so as the general rules be observed; that Christ's flock be fed; that there be a succession in bishops and ministers, which are the prophets of the New Testament; that there be a due and reverent use of the power of the keys; that those that preach the gospel, live of the gospel; that all things tend to edification; that all things be done in order and with decency, and the like: the rest is left to the holy wisdom and spiritual discretion of the master builders and inferior builders in Christ's church; as it is excellently alluded by that father that noted, that Christ's garment was without seam; and yet the church's garment was of divers colours: and thereupon setteth down for a rule; " in veste varietas sit, scissura non sit." In which variety, nevertheless, it is a safe and wise course to follow good examples and precedents; but then by the rule of imitation and example to consider not only which are best, but which are the likeliest; as namely, the government of the church in the purest times of the first good emperors that embraced the faith. For the times of persecution, before temporal princes received our faith, as they were excellent times for doctrine and manners, so they be improper and unlike examples of outward government and policy. And so much for this point: now to the particular points of controversies, or rather of reformation. CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE GOVERNMENT OF BISHOPS. First, therefore, for the government of bishops, I for my part, not prejudging the precedents of other reformed churches, do hold it warranted by the word of God, and by the practice of the ancient church in the better times, and much more convenient for kingdoms, than parity of ministers and government by synods. But then farther, it is to be considered, that the church is not now to plant or build; but only to be pruned from corruption, and to be repaired and restored in some decays. For it is worth the noting, that the Scripture saith," Translato sacerdotio, necesse est ut et legis fiat translatio." It is not possible, in respect of the great and near sympathy between the state civil and the state ecclesiastical, to make so main an alteration in the church, but it would have a perilous operation upon the kingdoms; and therefore it is fit that controversy be in peace and silence. But there be two circumstances in the administration of bishops, wherein, I confess, I could never be satisfied; the one the sole exercise of their authority; the other, the deputation of their authority. For the first, the bishop giveth orders alone, excommunicateth alone, judgeth alone. This seemeth to be a thing almost without example in good government, and therefore not unlikely to have crept in in the degenerate and corrupt times. We see the greatest kings and monarchs have their councils. There is no temporal court in England of the higher sort where the authority doth rest in one person. The king's bench, common-pleas, and the exchequer, are benches of a certain number of judges. The chancellor of England hath an assistance of twelve masters of the chancery. The master of the wards hath a council of the court: so hath the chancellor of the duchy. In the exchequer chamber, the lord treasurer is joined with the chancellor and the barons. The masters of the requests are ever more than one. The justices of assize are two. The lord presidents in the North and in Wales have councils of divers. The star-chamber is an assembly of the king's privy council, aspersed with the lords spiritual and temporal: so as in courts the principal person hath ever either colleagues or assessors. The like is to be found in other well-governed commonwealths abroad, where the jurisdiction is yet more dispersed; as in the court of parliament of France, and in other places. No man will deny but the acts that pass the bishop's jurisdiction are of as great importance as those that pass the civil courts; for men's souls are more precious than their bodies or goods; and so are their good names. Bishops. have their infirmities, and have no exception from that general malediction which is pronounced against all men living, " Væ soli, nam si occideret," etc. Nay, we see that the first warrant in spiritual causes is directed to a number, "Die Ecclesiæ;" which is not so in temporal matters: and we see that in general causes of church government, there are as well |