Y//////. m f . .'.V:<:.'/>'y>f>>:////y '/.' ■'//-■ ■'X^K^^^- m i r S:^ 5Jt 03 5:a. .i£i^ E^ ■^2- OF TUK AT PRINCETON, N. J. SAMUEL AGNEW, OF P H 1 I- A D E I. P H I A , PA. TTvfi/i/cJv'/^^y^ y^^zT.. \ ■: BR 757 .M374~1843 ' ^^^ I Marprelate, Martin, ; An epitome of the first booJ^ I of Dr. John Bridges' i '^3' QQd •9^ iun'tait fflfetipliue Crarts;. AN EPITOME OF THE FIRST BOOK OF DR. JOHN BRIDGES' DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN ECCLESIASTICAL MATTERS. MARTIN MAR-PRELATE, Gentleman. Me^prtntrti from tfit Blarft Uetter IStrition, AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES. LONDON: JOHN PETHERAM, 71, CHANCERY LANE. 1843. INTRODUCTION. The original of Martin Mar-Prelate's Epitome is a small 4to volume, in black letter, of forty-six pages, but without pagination. The " second epistle," with which the work commences, is in a smaller type, and as far as I can judge by comparison, appears to be identical with that used in the " Epistle to the Terrible Priests," printed before this tract, and with that used in "Hay any work for Cooper?" printed afterwards. This fact is important, as enabling us to identify the printer, and if not the place where it was printed, yet that it was printed in England ; whereas an inference might otherwise be drawn, from the appearance of the work itself, and from the allusion in page 3, that it was printed abroad. This was the conviction in my own mind with respect to the " Epistle to the Terrible Priests;" but from the following passage in Strype's Annals, its accuracy may be doubted : — " The examinations of divers persons about the printing-press of Martin Mar-Prelate ; and of the books IV INTRODUCTION. SO printed. Feb. 15, 1588, apud Lambhith in com. Surr. " The Epitome. " Sir Rich. Knightly in his examination confessed, that at his house at Fausley, a book called The Epitome was printed. The printing press brought to his house there by Jeffs, a tenant of his son. From whence the press was carried to his house at Norton, about Christ- mas last. [1588.] And touching the author of the book, he knoweth not, unless it were Penry. Who came and moved him, that he might have a room in his house, to print a little book to that which he had before made concerning the unlearned ministry of Wales. He like- wise said that Waldgrave was the printer. And further confesseth that Newman, the cobler, had his livery and conizance, and that Stephen his servant carried the press and letters from Norton to Coventry, to the house of John Hales, Esq." — Strype's Annals, vol. iii. part 2, page 602, no. Ixviii. Singular as it may appear, Strype, who quotes the title of the " Epistle " at length, refers to it subse- quently, and also in the Appendix of Documents as the " Epitome," by which it may be inferred he had seen but one, and that one the "Epistle." It is probable, however, that the examination before the Ecclesiastical Commission refers to the present work ; and if so, then the depositions will nearly satisfy us, that John Penry was the author, that Waldgrave was the printer, and that it was set up in the house of INTRODUCTION. V * Sir Richard Knightley, at Fawsley, in Northampton- shire : but these depositions give us no information respecting more than one work, unless the following passage refers to it : — " Mrs. Crane called before the commission to be examined upon these matters, refused to answer upon oath to any question, either concerning herself, for that, as she said, she would not be her own hangman: or concerning others, for that she could not in her con- science be an accuser of others. " To this Mrs. Crane's house in London, Wald- grave brought a case of letters. And a load of stuff was laid in her house at Mouldsey (at the request of Penry) wherein those letters were. While the load of stuff remained at Mrs. Crane's house, Penry and Waldgrave continued thereabouts three weeks after Mid- summer, 88, [1588,] and were thereabouts Michael- mas following. And that Mr. Udal, late preacher at Kjrngston, resorted there sundry times to the same house, printing, as the examinate saith, some books there." — Stryjpe's Annals, iv. 606. 8vo ed. It is not unlikely but the " Epistle " was one of these. Amongst the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum [MS. Harl. 834. fol. 63.] is an early transcript of this " Epitome," which I have occasionally used; its ortho- graphy varies somewhat from the printed book, and the head-lines are frequently omitted. In the reprint the VI INTRODUCTION. head-lines are inserted in Italics as side-notes ; this is the only deviation from the original. For the loan of a copy of this I am indebted to the kindness of a gentleman, whose name, without permis- sion, I cannot mention ; but as it had been very much cropped, I was, by the courtesy of the Rev. S. R. Mait- land, permitted to complete it from a remarkably fine large copy in the Lambeth Library. There is a copy also in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, and another, I believe, in the Bodleian at Oxford, although there is none in the British Museum. J. P. Londm, March lOth, 1843. THSOLOGICiL Oh read ouer D. lohn Bridges, for itTlta;Drtfty worke ; 'oV . Or an epitome of the fyrste Booke, of that right worshipful! vo- lume, written against the Puritanes, in the defence of the noble cleargie, by as worshipfull a prieste, John Bridges, Presbyter, Priest or elder, doctor of Diuillitie, and Deane of Sarum. Wherein the arfruments of the puritans are wisely prevented, that when they come to answere M. Doctor, they must needes say some thing that hath bene spoken. Compiled for the behoofe and overthrow of the vnpreaching Parsons, F'yckers, and Currats, that haue lernt their Catechismes, and are past grace : By the reverend and worthie Martin Mar- prelat gentleman, and dedicated by a second Epistle to the Terrible Priests. In this Epitome, the foresaide Pickers, &c. are very insufficiently furnished, with notable inabilitie of most vincible reasons, to answere the cauill of the puritanes. And lest M. Doctor should thinke that no man can write with- out sence but his selfe, the senceles titles of the seueral pages, and the handling of the matter throughout the Epi- tome, shewe plainely, that beetleheaded ignoraunce must not liue and die with him alone. Printed on the other hand of some of the Priests. *^* MARTIN MARPRELATE, Gentleman, PRIMATE, AND METROPOLITANE OF AL THE MARTINS IN ENGLAND. TO ALL THE CLEARGIE MASTERS WHERESOEUER, SAYTH AS FOLLOWETH. Why my cleargie masters, is it euen so with your ter- riblenes ? May not a pore gentleman signifie his good will vnto you by a Letter, but presently you must put your selues to the paines and charges, of calling foure Bishops together. lohn Canterburie, lohn London, Thomas Winchester, William of Lincolne : and posting ouer citie and countrie for poore Martin ? Why, his meaning in writing vnto you, was not that you should take the paines to seeke for him. Did you thinke that he did not know where he was himselfe ? Or did you thinke him to haue bene cleane lost, that you sought so diligently for him ? I thanke you brethren, I can be well though you do not send to knowe how I do. My .mind towards you, you shal from time to time vnder- stand by my pistles. As now, where you must know, that I thinke not wel of your dealing with my worship, and those that haue had of my bookes in their custodie. He make you rue that dealing of yours, vnlesse you leaue it. I may do it, for you haue broken the con- ditions of peace betweene vs. I can do it, for you see B 2 THE SECOND EPISTLE how I am fauored of all estates (the puritans onely excepted.) I haue bene entertayned at the Court : Euerye man talkes of my worship. Manye would gladly receiue my bookes, if they coulde tell where to finde them. I hope these Courtiers will one day see the cause tryed betweene mee and you. I haue manie sonnes abroad, that will sollicit my suite. My desire is, to haue the matter tryed, whether your places ought to be tollerated in any Christian commonwealth. I saye they ought not : And I say, lohn Canterburie and all, ought to be out of his place. Euery Archbishop is a petty Pope, so is euery Lord bishop. You are all the pack of you, eyther hirelings or wolues. If you dare aunswere my reasons, let m.e see it done. Otherwise, I trow, my friends and sonnes will see you one day deposed. The Puritans are angrie with me, I meane the puri- tane preachers. And why ? Because I am to open. Because I iest. I iested, because I delt against a wor- shipful iester, D. Bridges, whose writings and sermons tend to no other ende, then to miake men laugh. I did thinke that Martin shoulde not haue beene blamed of the puritans, for telling the trueth openly. For may I not say, that lohn of Canterbury is a pettie pope, seing he is so ? You must then beare with my ingram- nesse. I am plaine, I must needs call a Spade a Spade, a Pope a Pope. I speake not against him, as he is a Councellor, but as he is an Archbishop, and so Pope of Lambeth. What will the Puritans seeke to keepe out the Pope of Rome, and maintaine the Pope at Lambeth ? TO THE TERRIBLE PRIESTS. 3 » Because you will do this, I will tell the Bishops how they shall deale with you. Let them say that the hot- test of you, hath made Martin, and that the rest of you were consenting there vnto : and so go to our magis- trates and say, lo, such and such, of our puritans, haue vnder the name of Martin written against your lawes : and so call you in, and put you to your othes whether you made Martin or no. By this meanes M. Wiggington, or such as will refuse to take an othe against the lawe ol the land, will presently be founde to haue made Martin by the bishops, because he cannot be gotten to sweare that he made him not : And here is a deuice to fynde a hole in the coat of some of you puritanes. In like sort, to fynde the Printer, put euery man to his othe, and fynd meanes that Schilders of Middleborough shalbe sworne to, so that if any refuse to sweare, then he may be thought to be the printer. But bishops, let your father- hoods tel me one thing ? May you put men to their othe against law ? Is there any law to force men to accuse themselues ? No. Therefore looke what this dealing will procure at the length : Euen a plain pre- munire vpon your backs, for vrging an oth contrary to statute : which is a piece of the forraine power ban- nished by statute. For the rest that will neede haue my bookes, and cannot keepe them close : I care not how the bishops deale with such open fellowes. And bishops, I woulde I could make this year 1388. to be the woonderful year, by remoouing you all out of England. Martin hath tolde the trueth, you cannot denie it, that some of you do B 2 4 THE SECOND EPISTLE iniuriously detayne true mens goods, as lohn of London : And some haue accounted the preaching of the word to be heresie, as lohn of Canterburie, &c. All of you are in an vnlawfull calling, and no better than a broode of •^^pettie Popes. It will be but follie for you to persecute the Courtier Martin, vntill you haue cleared your selues (which you can neuer do) of the crimes he hath layd to your charge. Alas poore bishops, you would faine be hidden in a net I perceiue. I will grow to a point with you. Haue but a free disputation with the puritans, for the vnlawfulnes of your place, and if you be not ouerthrowene I wil come in, and do vnto you what you thinke good : for then I will say that you are no Popes. There was the Demonstration of Discipline, published together with mine Epistle : which is a booke, wherein you are challenged by the puritans, to aduenture your Bishoppricks against their lines in disputation. You haue gotten a good excuse to be deaff at that challenge, vnder couler of seeking for Martin : Your dealing therein is, but to holde my dishe, while I spill my pottage : you defend your legges against Martins strokes, while the puritans by their Demonstration, crushe the very braine of your Bishopdomes. Answere that booke, and giue the puritans the ouerthrow by disputation, or els I see that Martin hath vndone you. Be packing bisliops, and keepe in the Purcivants, or if you will needs send them abroad to molest good men, then pay them their wages, and let them not pull it out of poore mens throates like greedie doggs as they do. You striue in vaine, you are layd open alreadie. Fryars and Monkes were not so TO THE TERRIBLE PRIESTS. 5 bad : they liued in the darke, you shut ydur eyes, lest you should see the light. Archbishop Titus and Ti- mothie, will neuer maintaine your popishe callings. I haue pulled off your vizards, looke to your selues, for my sonnes will not see their father thus persecuted at your hands. I will worke your woe and ouerthrow, I hope : And you are alreadie cleane spoyled, vnlesse you will grant the puritans a free disputation, and leaue your persecuting. Eyther from countrie or Court, M. Martin Marprelate, will do you hurt. Rime doggrell. Is good inough for bishops I can tell. And I doe much maruell, If I haue not giuen them such a spell, As answere it how they cannot tell. Doctor Bridges vp and downe, Writeth after this fashowne. B 3 THE EPITOME OF THE FIRST BOOKE, OF THIS WORTHYE VOLUME, WRITTEN BY MY BROTHER SARUM, DEAN lOHN. SIC FCELICITER INCIPIT. The whole volume of M. Deanes, containeth in it, 16 bookes, besides a large preface, and an Epistle to the Reader. The Epistle and the preface, are not aboue 8. sheets of paper, and very little vnder 7. A very port- You may see when men haue a gift in writing, horse may howe easie it is for them to daube paper. The 'henottoo^^ compleat worke (very briefely comprehended weake. {y^ ^ portable booke, if your horse be not too weake, of an hundred threescore and twelue sheets, of good Demie paper) is a confutation of " The learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouemement." This learned discourse, is a booke allowed by all the Puritane preach- ers in the lande, who would haue all the remnants and reliques of Antichriste bannished out of the Church, and not so much as a Lorde B. (no not his grace himselfe) dumbe minister (no not dumbe lohn of London his selfe) nonresident, archdeacon, abbie lubber, or anye such loyterer, tollerated in our ministerie. Insomuch, as if this strong holde of theirs be ouerthrowne, hoe then all the fat is run to the fire with the puritanes. And there- fore hath not the learned and prudent M. Deane delt THE EPITOME. 7 very valiantly (how wisely let lohn Ccint. cast his cardes and consider) in assaulting this fort of our precise brethren, which he hath so shake with good vincible reasons, very notably out of reason, that it hath not one steane in the foundation meare then it had. Trust me truely, he hath giuen the cause sicken a wipe in his bricke, and so lambskinned the same, that the cause will be the warmer a good while for it. The reasons that moued him to take this paines was, that at the first comming out of the Learned Discourse, the D. in a Sermon of his at Paules crosse, did not onely con- fute a great part of this booke, but by his said learned sermon, made many of the puritans relent and distrust their owne cause : what cannot a smooth j^\-^ brother tongue, and a schollerlike wit bring to passe ? '^" ^ , o ' or you are such Some other of the puritans, in deede, being ^ ^i**^''- more vntoward to leame then the rest, stood stiffe in their former opinions, concerning the gouememcnt of bishopps, (notwithstanding this sermon of M. doctors) and challenged him for his sermon, offered ^, „ *^ ' CliaUenfjed him y^ disputation (yea and the non plus too, for his ser- mon. or els I am deceiued) here M. dean promised them a large confutation of the learned discourse, which in this booke he hath now performed : wherein he hath behaued himselfe verye scholerlike. His stile j smoothe is as smooth as a crabtree cudgell. The *^*'^- Reader cannot chuse but haue as great delight therein, as a lack an Apes hath in a whip : he hath so thumped the cause with crosse blowes, that the puritans are like to haue a good and a sound cause of it as long as B 4 8 THE EPITOME. lliey liue. In this one thing I dare preferre him before any that euer wrote : to wit, that there be not 3. whole periods for euery page in the book, that is not graced with a verie faire and visible solacism. O most excel- lent and surpassing eloquence. He speaketh euery thing so fitly to the purpose, that he neuer toucheth the matter in question. A rare gift in a learned writer. He hath vsed such varietie of lerning, that very often he hath translated out of one mans writing, 6. or 7. pages together, note here a newe founde manner of bookemaking. And which is more strange, he bringeth those testimonies for his purpose, whose very words translated and set down by him, are as flat against the purpose whereto he bringeth them, as fire in quality is contrary to water. Had not he a right use of his wits think you, while they were thus bestowed ? Not to stand long in this place of those quallities in him, whereof before I haue made some mention to his praise in the former Epistle. Whatsoeuer might be for the ornament and furthering of an honest cause, he hath in this booke so defied them all, that elsewhere you are to seeke for them, for here they are not to be found. Wherin he hath very wisely and prudently obserued the decorum of the cause in hand. Like lips, like Lettice, as it is in the prouerbe. The goodnes and honestie of the matter he handled, required such good and honest proffs as he brought. Let those that handle honest and godly causes, labor to bring good prooffs and a cleare stile. Presbyter lohn defended our Church gouerne- ment which is full of corruptions, and therefore the stile THE EPITOME. 9 and the prooffs must be of the same natiure that the cause is. The priest leaues not so much as the title of the Discourse unexamined. The title forsooth is *' A learned discourse," &c. A sawcie title, but what sayth tlie lerned Bridges vnto it. O you know he is good at a stale iest euer since he plaide my Lord of _-.. , n ^ - . ■ HowM.D. Wmchesters foole m his sermon at Sir Maries pUiyd mxiL. Church in Cambridg, and therfore he iesteth ters foole in at the title. I vs, the puritans haue nothing ^ ^^^^on. to doe with that sermon : why should they hit their brother in the teeth therewith ? he hath made their betters to laugh at him for his Sermon since that time. And whye should he not ? for his grace will allow him, because he is content that bishops should be Lords : he hath subscribed, weareth a corner cap and a tippet, and woulde gladly come to the honor, to weare that which might make him a lord spirituall, and if it were a shauen crowne, or a coxcombe, which his grace his articles would enioyn him to weare, what hurt could that do vnto him ? Now I wonder what our brethren will say to this, that their booke is scoffed at, at the first dashe. I am sure their noses can abide no iest. What say they man, do you make anye question of that ? I warraunt you they will affirme that the author of the Learned Discourse, and 500. green heads more that are on their side, within 2. Syllogismes, would set the deane of Sarum at a flat non plus, and answere his whole worke in a threepenie booke. Are they so good at disputing and writing in deed ? I hope his Canterburinesse will B 5 10 THE EPITOME. looke to this geare, and suffer them to haue liberty Blacke O.re neither to write, nor to dispute, the black ludhtroden q j^^j^ ^^^ ^^ j^j ^ ^ ^ve hath had on his graces ' foot. some trial by woful experience, what small credite, and lesse gaine there is to be had, either in writing or disputing with these fellows. State of tU '^^ ^^ matter. The state of the whole question. controuersie betweene my brethren bishops, and my brethren the puritans, and so betweene this worthie doctor, and these discoursers, is : whether the externall gouernement of the Church of Christ, be a thing so prescribed by the Lorde in the new testament, as it is not lawfull for any man to alter the same, any more then it was lawfull to alter y^ form of regiment prescribed vnder the law in the old testamet. And see whether if there be any gouernment in y® Church (as necessarily there must be, or els all confusion will ensue) the same must be by those offices and officers alone, and by no other, which the Lord hath set downe and limited in his word. Or els whether man may alter these offices and officers at his will and pleasure, and make newe offices and officers, as he may in the ciuill gouernments. The puritans saye, that these offices and officers, whiche our sauior Christe and his Apostles did ordaine, are vnchangeable, and that it is not lawfull for any prince to alter them, no not though the circum- stances of times, places and persons, should seeme in regarde of conuenience, to enforce him thereunto. The doctor with all the Lordly priests in the land, hold the contrarie. And sweare it to be lawfull for the magis- THE EPITOME. H trate to ordaine what gouemement he will iu the Church : yea, that the Church gouernors, contrary to the flat commandement of our sauior Christe, Luke 22. 25. 26. may be Lordes. And that the Church gouemment prescribed by our Sauiour Christe, and enioyned by the Apostle, was not immutable, as tiie regiment vnder the lawe was. In so much as in the opinion of M. Bridges and the rest of the cleargie, Paul was deceiued, Ephe- sians the 4. 13. in saying that pastors and doctors were to cotinue in the Church vntil we al meet together : that is vnto the ende of the worlde. Here then is the puritans I, for the permanencie of this gouemment, and M. doctors no. Our brethren (for so of his meere curtesie it pleaseth M. deane to call them, whome men commonly call puritans and precisians) to make their partie good, propound the cause by a like example after this sort. The sacrifices of v® olde lawe (after the Ministers of •^ ^ the old Test- building of the temple) were to be offered a7ne?d. * onely at lerusalem, by a Leuite, of the line Deut. 22. 21 of Aharon * onely : vnlesse a prophet extra- i jij^g g 29. ordinarily ordained it otherwise as * Eliah did. 5*^5"°"* And the said sacrifices were to be consumed J^'^'^^-.^-j^- and burned, onely* by a fire proceeding from 1 King. 28. the Lord. Briefly, none were to meddle with Leuit. 9. 24. the tabernacle, or any thing belonging to the Nomb.3.12. OS seruice of God, but the sonnes * of Leui, whome the Lord appointed for his owne seruice. JSo that if anye sacrifice were oflfered out of lerusalem, by any other then a sonne of Aaron, consumed by B 6 I'l THE EPITOME. Leuit. 30. any * strange fire, or any seruice about the Ezek. 44. 8. Tabernacle * performed by a stranger, not appointed by y^ Lord : then an horrible breach of gods ordinance was committed, and pimished very memorable T wj -^ - by the Lord in * Uzza, * Corah Dathan Abi- 2 bam. b. ( . -^ ' Nomb. 16. ram, and the two hundreth and fiftie captaines of the Congregation, who not being of the sonnes of Aaron, would needs offer incense before the Lord. In like sort, Christe lesus ordained, that when there Ministers of shoidd be any ministers in his Church, they m/ie^'^ ^^ should be able to gather together * the saints, Ephe^ 4 ^^^ ^^^^ these in their proper and limited ^'^- places, shoidd be either pastors or doctors. Acts 20. 17. Iri like sort, he ordained that som should OQ ^ l J. 23 *bear rule and ouersee the flocke with the Itim .3.1/. niinister, and they should be Elders, that the titus 1. o. ' • ' Rom. 12. 8. ouersight of the Church treasm-ie, and the Acts D. 6. care for the maintenance of the poore should rom. 12. 8. . . ^ . phil. 1.1. be committed * vnto Deacons, vnder which also the widowes and Church seruants are contained. He farther ordained, that before these offi- cers shoulde be instituted, and as it were inuested into their offices, there should be had due examination of 1 Tim 5. their * fitnes to execute the same, and their rom iV 3^' vnreprooueable * life. And that their ordi- Titus 1. 6^. nation shoulde be * by imposition of hands, 8. & .5. 11. with fastinor and prayer. And by these 4. Acts 14. 23. ^ ° X & 6. 6. officers (say our brethren) Pastors, Doctors, Elders and Deacons, God hath appointed that THE EPITOME. 13 all matters of the Church, should be decided ''^ ' M. D. pru- what you can saye to that. Mine assumption imimnqihat ^halbe brought forth at leysure. Is the winde which lie ^^ ^\^^^ ^QYQ ^rith vou brother deane. I per- cannot *' ^ prooue. ceiue you will be of the surer side, howsoeuer it goeth. But brethren, what then say you to M. deanes reason ? Your answere I know, may be of 3. sorts. First you may say that the reason is popish. Secondly, you may demand, whether it be midsommer Moone with him or no, because he bringeth in, a conex proposition, and assumeth nothing. Can you blame him in so doing : For the assumption must haue bene eyther affirmatiue, or negatiue. Now if he had as- sumed affirmatiuely, he had ouerthrowne himselfe : If negatiuely, then you brethren, would haue denied the assumption, which M. Deane woulde neuer haue bene able to prooue. So a man might put himselfe to a pecke of troubles in deede. And this is a point for your learning, closely to passe by that, wherewith a man shall haue no honestie to deale. Thirdly, you may grant the proposition to be verie true (to what end then did Sarum bring it in) because Geneua, and other the Heluetian Churches haue this gouerment, and you labor for it. Seelie fellowes, can you saye no more, then vppon them againe M. deane, with your second reason thus concluded, page 55. with 4. good substantiall THE EPITOME. 15 tearmes. " No gouerment is an vniforme Page 55. prescript that cannot be altered, but that which God in his worde prescribeth to be such. But the Lorde hath not prescribed the Church gouernment to be such, as all things appertaining thereunto, is an vniforme prescript that cannot bee altered. Therefore the Church gouern- ment is not an vniforme prescript which cannot be altered." Thou knowest not how I loue thee for thy wit and learning sake, brother lohn (as for thy godlines, I might cary it in mine eye, and see neuer a whit the worse) notwithstanding me thinkes your syllogisme should haue foure tearmes. 1 The Church gouernement. 2 All thinges belonging to Church gouernment. 3 An vni- forme prescript, &c. 4 A gouernement prescribed in the word. And ten to one brother, you neuer drempt to haue met with your brother Martin, when you wrot this vo- lume. Well seeing we are now come togetlier, let me about this point of Church gouerment, fathermillerly spur a question vnto you. Tell me then bethout dis- simblation, what the bishops and you meane, ^j^^ ^. when the question is concerning Church go- shopps ^ o o ^voonted uernment, to run by and by into the contro- maner in tliis contro- uersie of things appertaining to Church go- uersie to , . , - , • i-n lunnc from uerment : which tor the most part are mclii- the consi- ferent, and not set down in the worde, but ^Wg^"" ^ left to the discretion of the Church. As ^|!;",f^;;^;J;^^ though there were no difference between the vnto thinges ° iudiffcrent. questions. By what and how many offices 16 THE EPITOME. What offices and officers, the Church is to be gouerned? a7id officers _ _ the Church In what causes it is lawful for church gouer- is to he go- • i i i ^ -, • uerned hy. nours to imploy themselues : whether it be lawful for one of them to meddle with, the office of another ? Or for one to do that action wherin the whol Church should be an agent ? Whether they may be magistrates and church gouernours both at one time ? As though (I saye) there were no difference betweene these questions which are grounded vppon the certaine prescript rule of the worde that cannot be chaunged, and other questions : which although they belong to the seruice of God, and the outward gouernment of the Church : yet depend not vppon any thing prescribed and exactly set downe in the worde, but vpon the grounds : of what in regard of the changeable circum- stances of time and place, may be most comely, most decent, most orderly, and best belonging to edification. Of this latter sort are these points : whether it be most conuenient, that prayer should beginne at 8. or 9. of the clock : whether the sermon should continue an houre or an houre and an halfe : whether the pulpit should be of woode or of stone, &:c. Concerning which, the worde hath expresly set downe nothing, but commanded that al of them shoulde bee squared according vnto the rule, 1 Cor. 14. ^^^ ^ things be done honestly by order, and ^ * to edification. Now reason with one of our corrupt bishopps, or any other that defende their corruptions, and saye that our Church gouernement is wicked and vnlawfull, because it is not expressely set downe in the word. THE EPITOME. 17 They will by and by demand, whether any thing be- longing to the seruice of God be lawfull, but that whereof there is expresse metion made in the worde. And whether any thing belonging to Churche causes be changeable. As whether it may be lawfull for the minister to preach in his gowne, whereas there is no expresse mention that our Sauiour Christ and his Apo- stles did so ? Or whether it may not be lawful for the Church of Geneua to begin his sermon at 8. of the clock, whereas it may be the Church of Heluetia begin- neth at 9. or at 10. So the worshipfuU Deane of Lin- colne (sometimes vnleamed lohn Whitgift) not being able to denie, but that the ministers ought to be chosen by vovce : demandeth whether women for- _, . •' *' Deane of sooth were not to haue a voyce in their elec- Lincolm {somehmes tion or no ? And thus all the packe of them vnleamed r I • -1 lohn Whit- run irom the matter m controuersie, vnto the gift) his question of things indifferent. By this means, ^"^* *^"' thinking they may bleare the eyes of men, if they cann bring any cauill, though neuer so impertinent to y^ matter. As who say, all men were so ignorant, vn- leamed, and blinded with the worlde, as nonresidentes and Bb. are. He besire them to leaue this order, or els they are like to heare of it. And ile besire you presbyter Bridges, not to bring foure tearmes in your syllogisme again, for an you doe, it shall cost me the setting on. My brethren the puritans in this place, it may be, wold grant your syllogism to haue but 3. tearmes in it, and so would saye, that the words (all things) in the assumption may be taken ambiguous, for 18 THE EPITOME. if thereby your worship mean all things appertayning to the circumstances of the outward seruice of God, as the houres of prayers, the nomber of communicantes in one congregation, &c. as you set downe your meaning to be, page 56. sect. 3. Then they say your assumption is nothing to the matter in question. The question my masters ? why what a question is that ? Did not I warne you aforehand, that M. deane had made a vow, not to meddle with the question. But if say they, you meane the Churche officers and their subiects, con- cerning which the controuersie is instituted, then we denie the assumption. And I warrant you brethren, he proueth the assump- tion by 2. reasons, page 55. " First Christ is the owner and gouernour of his house which is the Churche, con- cerning the inward and spirituall gouemment of the heart. Therefore he hath not pre- scribed the outwarde gouernement thereof." Surely brother lohn, I marueile vpon what topike place this reason is grounded, for scripture is not the foundation (you know) of the established gouenimet you defend. As though (will M. Bridges saye) you are ignorant brother Martin whence I drew this argumet. You would make the worlde beleeue, that you know not that lohnElmar ^ resoned as my brother London did, in his the B. of ' uHj^j.y3or 1^ of faythfull subiects." I tell London his ^ "^ booke. you, I drew mine argument from that place The bishop ^j^gnce he drewe his, which you shall finde 01 Londons ' >' booke. set down, page 42. of his booke (for I am sure M. Marprelat, your booke hath the pages set THE EPITOME. 19 downe in it, although the printed booke hath them not) I remember well in deed brother Sarum, y* place you mean, and I remember that lohn Elmars reason is very like yours. For (sayth Elmar) *' The scripture medleth with no ciuill pollicie, anye farther then to teach obe- dience, therefore it teacheth not what persons should beare rule." And again, page 44. " The ministers office is ouer the soule, therefore a minister must not repre- hende disorders in the ciuill state." page 47. " Pauls commission is to teache obedience, therefore hee hath nothing to doe to call for a redresse of matters in ciuil pollicie :" yea in this 47. page, line 19. lohn of London hath these wordes, which to his commendation I will set downe as folio weth. " And this being a great matter of pollicie" (saith he) *' as it is the greatest (for it containeth the whole) it cannot be within the compasse of Pavdes com- pauie hath mission, and so it followeth, that Paul in this f^otX/^ place ment no such matter as they gather, or ^^-'p ^'^"^^^ if hee did, he did it without the compasse of Lo?idon. his commission," &c. Nowe truely brother Bridges, I thank you heartily for putting me in minde of this point, I hope my brother London cannot be ofFeded with vs, for, quoting him for our authoritie. I see now it is no maruaile though Paul be put to silence within the diocesse of London, for 1 perceiue there is an olde grudg betweene my Lord and him : yet I commende your fatherhood, better then his Lordship in this point. For in the 57. page of your 20 THE EPITOME. booke, you allowe Paule a larger commission, where you say, " that the worde of God is able to make the ciuill gouernement perfect : yea, and that the perfection of the ciuill gouernement, must be out of the word, and in the word inclusiuely." But for all this, you must giue me leaue to doubt how this reson of yours fol- loweth. Christ hath prescribed the inward gouemment, therefore he hath not prescribed the outwarde. It may be your seconde reason will make the matter more cleare vnto me, which is in the same page, and thus ^ ^^ framed. " We are his Church if we holde Page 55. fast the confidence of our hope vnto the end. Therefore there is no externall gouernment of the Church set downe in the word." This reason, to omit what ground it hath in the worde, is very plausible euen in nature : is it not, thinke you ? A man is a man though he go naked. Therefore by master deanes reason, the Lorde hath ordained no couering for his nakednes. Again, a man is a man if he be once bom, though he neuer eate meate : therefore it is not the ordinance of God he should eat meat. Let our cauilling brethren, go see nowe what may be brought to reproche the credit of such inforcible proofes. M. Doc. doubt- lesse will stand to his tackle whatsoeuer they bring. If they should be so ignoraunt as to denie the consequent of both these reasons, they must stay vntill M. Deane hath read ouer his predicables, and predicaments with fryar Titlemanes rules De inveniendis medijs. vz. vntil he hath gotten a bishoppricke, before he prooue eyther THE EHTOME. 21 of them. And it may be then to, that he Will prooue what they denie, as master Canterburie hath prooued, that which master Cartwright confuted. In the meane time, marke how stoutly M. Page 56. deane goeth forward. And although page 56. he meet by the way with his nowne sweet friend Bellarmines, a popish writers distinction, of agreeable, and ^ Bellarmines not contrarye to the word (the papistics af- opmim.and a ■ 11 1 • T • / ,, theM.D. tirmmg all their traditions to be agreeable, all one on and none of them contrary to the word) yet ^*^* * his answere, page 57. to the place of Paule, ^^^ 2. Tim. 3. 7. is as good and as canonicall, as anye of the former reasons, concluded thus. " The place of scripture which doth not denie, but that the ciuill go- uernement, which must be inclusiuely accord- Your cose- inff to the worde, may be elsewhere prescribed 3*^1^^* '^ . <=• ' ./ r raise master then in the worde, that place also doth not Deane. forbid the Church gouernment to be fetched from some other fountaine, then the prescription of the worde. But this place 2. Tim. 3. 7. doth not denie, but tliat ciuill gouernment being a gouernement nor prescribed in the worde, may bee learned elsewhere, then out of the word, and yet be according to the worde. Also it doeth not denie but that the church gouernment may be a church gouernment according to the word, which is not therein prescribed." It is a hard matter I tell you, to conceiue all the wisdomnes of this syllogisme. For if you marke the proposition very well, you shall therein finde the errors (as M. doctor accounteth them) of Peter and Paule, 22 THE EPITOME. Peter and verve notably ouerthrown. The one of them Paule con- futed, calleth * the ciuill gouernement, an humane l^Peter 2. ordinaunce : the other * affirmeth our sauiour Ephes. 4. Christe to haue ordayned euery minister and 8 l^cor Church officer, that were at anye time to be 12. 28. in the Church, and to haue tyed the minis- terye vnto two ordinarie functions, of pastors and doctors. But his worship ho-htino; vpon wilUam Wood- William ... . Woodcocks cockes diuinitie, putteth in the propositions, diuinitie. i i i i /-ti i both, that the Lhurch gouernment is an ordi- nance of man, inuented and ordayned by man, and also that there may be as many sortes of ministers in the Church (if the magistrate will haue it so) as there be degrees of ciuill officers in a commonwealth. For the Church gouernement is no more prescribed in the word (sayth the deane) then the ciuill gouernment is. You may see then, how headie and peruerse these our brethren are, that had rather sticke vnto a poore fisherman and Tentmaker, Peter and Paule, in a matter of trueth, then imbrace the manifest falsehood of so plaine an vntrueth, with a fat deane, and all the braue spiritual Lordes in the lande. Well fare our cleargie men yet, (who being like the priest whereof lohn of Lon- Another ^^" maketh mention of, in his foresaid booke, course at ^ page 32. line 3. that sware by his priesthood, London. that if the Trinitie were not in his portesse, he would not beleeue it) will allow of nothing, but that which is in the B. of Canterburies Articles, be it neuer so often read in Paules writings. And I trow, M. doctors reasons following, wil make THE EPITOME. 23 the puritans stoope vnto his grace, and leaire jji^ ^^ -^ their peeuishnes, and running bevonde their «''/^' ««tWo ^ o ^ mafce the commission, after the example of Paule, in puritans to stoope, I speakmg agamst any established gouernement : imrant yea and a gouernement established by act of "* parliament. I thinke my L. of London gaue Paule inough, as we heard before, for medling with state matters. And his grace admonisheth the puritan preachers often inough, that howsoeuer they haue trueth of their side : yet they must not runne beyond a law, and without law : if they doe, though they haue Peter and Paule to speake for them, yet by your leaue, hee hath in his hande that whiche will tame them and all their fautors : If the abusing of the high commission and an whole popedome be able to do it. But all this while, we go not on forward with you brother Sarum. Therefore in the next page, let vs here how you fetch your brethren ouer the coales with your next reason, whereof trust me, I know not, almost though it were to gaine a bishoprick, how I should make a good syllogisme, but I will do my best after this manner. It suffizeth that suche orders as are not prescribed in the word, as things necessarie to saluation, be they ciuill or ecclesiasticall, bee onely foulded vp within those that are prescribed, and to make them as things expedient to edification, order and comelines, for obedience sake, although they be none of those things that appertaine to any necessity of our saluatio, or to any absolute neces- sity of our obedience. But such is the Church gouerne- 24 THE EPITOME. ment as it is not prescribed in the word, as necessarie to saluation, or of any absolute necessity of our obe- dience. Therfore it is sufficient that the Church gouernment be onely foulded vp within the things pre- scribed in the worde, and be of the nature of the thinges that onely belong to edification, order and comlines. I was neuer so affraid in my life, that I shoulde not come to an end, till I had bene windlesse. Do you not see how I pant? Our brethren now are to come to their answere. Concerning necessarie to saluation, then say they, we woulde knowe brother Bridges, and thrise learned brother Bridges, we woulde know what you meane : whether such a necessitie, as without which, men cannot bee saued. I meane euen the same (sayth M. deane) as it appeareth, page 60. line 21. 22. of my booke : then we replie that nothing is of this necessity, but onely iustifieng faith, and we denie the sacraments to be of this necessitie. For the theefe on the Luke 23. 49. . • i i. x ^ gallowes * was saued without them. And we thinke moreouer, that your impietie and ignorance (M. deane) to be outragious, and intollerable (say they) in that you go about to teach the holy Ghost what he shall prescribe in the word : because by this proposition of yours, nothing should be prescribed therein ? concerning the sacraments : for they are not there prescribed, as thino-s necessary to saluation, in such sort as men cannot be saued without them. But if you ment not this necessitie, then wee woulde knowe, if you can tell your selfe what you woulde haue, THE EPITOME. 25 (forsooth brethren, a bishoppricke he wouW haue, and all such troublesome fellovves as you are, banished y^ land) Hoe you meane such a necessitie, as William euerie Church is not bounde to obserue the sam e V- ^?^!:9^^ order vpon their obedience. For example, ,, j. you meane that euery Churche or seuerall con- ^y fticndc is not so gregation in Europe, professing the trueth, is precise as liCG tliinlccs not bounde to haue their Churche couered it necessary with lead, as the monastery of Sarum is. For haue a ser- they may lawfully haue it couered with slade S^,c"sab-" or tyle. You meane that they are not bound ^^^^• euerye one of them, to haue a sermon vppon the Wed- nesday, for they may lawfully haue it vpon any other day in the weeke. That euery Church is not bounde to haue a pulpit 4. foot high, for they may without sin haue one lower or higher, if expediencie and edification require the same. That is euen my meaning in deede, and so I would, page 59. (saith M. dean) '' That these things should be vrged no otherwise, then Paule doth vrge them : that is, not placing the perfection of religion in them, or making them orders necessarie for the building, but rather for the ornaments of the building, and so squaring them all according vnto the rule : Let all be done honestly, and by good order." Is this your meaning (M. doctor) you haue spun a fayre thred. Can you tell your brother Marprelat with all your learning, howe to decline what is Latine for a goose. Why this euery one of your brethren his selfe wil graunt to be true, and they neuer denied it at any time. But this is not the question. For it is neither con- c 26 THE EPITOME. ceming Churche officer, office, or anye part of Church gouernement, whereof the question is instituted : but it is concerning matter of circumstance. Yet (brother lohn) what do you mean by these contrarieties in this point. For you haue heard, page 59, you meane by things necessary to saluation, matters of indifferencie : and page 60. line 21, 22. you meane an absolute neces- sitie, without which, men cannot be saued. Do you think that you can answer men, by saying that you in deed wrote page 59. But D. Feme wrote page 60. the which you had no leysure to ouersee. This is a prettie amiswere, is it not thinke you ? Let me take you againe in such a pranck, and ile course you, as you were better to be seeking Gammer Gurtons needle, then come within my fingers. And learned M. doctor, saye the puritanes, we will giue you leaue to take eyther of these 2. necessities to be your meaning. If you meane, as page 59. be necessarie to saluation, then they denie the assumption. And yet they will haue one course more at the proposition before they goe, because it came from Rome : and will bring foorth a sitionfet lesuit, vnlesse betimes it be had to the house andUke7o ^^ correction. They say the that you still breed a le- j^yne with Bellarmine. For in the state of suit. ^ the question, concerning tradition : He hath the sr.me cauill, cap. 3. lib. 2. against Caluin, Luther and Kemnitius, which you haue concerning comlines, and order in this place, against your brethren. What a sawcie fellow was that Bellarmine, that must needes publish his worke for the Pope, one iust yeare before THE EPITOME. 27 you published yours for the Archbishop ? Could he not keep it in, vntill both your books might be published together. For now these puritans do shake you very shrewdly, for borrowing popishe stuffe from m. Doctors Bellarmine, and ouerthrowing her Maiesties ifpopiSt'''** supremacie : whereas I am perswaded, that "''■»''^''«- although Bellarmin had neuer written, yet the master that taught him, would in time haue fully instructed you, in all these points that are forged vpon his Anvil. And although (as I thinke) he saued you a great deale of studie, yet I pray you let D. Perne write vnto him, that he may know his fault, and you be certified when hee writeth againe, that both your bookes may come forth together. Nowe if in your assumption (saye our brethren) if you meane by necessitie to saluation, that without which men cannot be saued as before : it is true, that the Church gouernment is not of this necessitie, for in that sence as was sayd, the sacraments are not necessarie to saluation, or of any absolute necessitie vnto our obe- dience. Nay to be no traytor, no idolator, no whore- monger, is not of that absolute necessitie to saluation, but y^ he may be saued, whiche hath beene (so that now he be none) sometimes an idolator, &c. If you meane that other necessitie, whereby al they that will haue any gouernment in the Church, are bound to haue that onely, and none els which God hath prescribed in the worde, or else transgresse y^ inuiolable prescript ordi- naunce of God, concerning the gouernement of his Church. Then they denie the assumption. Here is a c 2 28 THE EPITOME. pretie matter, that one poore syllogisme must be thus handled, I woulde his worshipp knewe who they were, that thus deale with him. I hope it should not be long ere Watson the Purciuant (as vnnaturall a sourfaced knaue, as euer was in that office) should trudge for them. They shall be met with one day I doubt not. M. deane page 58. sheweth very wisely Page 58. . J J that men must warily take heed how they builde (for the Bb. haue these 30. yeares so builte, that they are almost come to digg at the foundation of the Church) lest belike men shoulde by building after the maner of the Apostles, ouerthrow the Monasterie of Sarum. And that were pittie, seing from thence these natural reasons following haue issued. Anything '' Euerie thing that is prescribed in the may heal- word, contayneth in it the perfection of reh- Xisho l^^ ^^''^ gion. But the Church gouernement doth not diuirahe. containe in it, the perfection of religion. Therefore the Churche gouernement is not prescribed in the word." No brother lohn, nor baptim neither: For baptim doth not containe the perfection of religion in it, and therefore as you may wisely conclude, it is not prescribed in the word. We may alter what we will now, so that the part which we alter, containe not the perfection of religion in it, and be agreeable vnto my L. of Cant, articles. For they must be altered in no case. And what reason is it that the Lords supper should be receiued vnder both kindes, if the ciuill magistrate and the Churche, will otherwise ordayne. For no sacrament containeth in it the perfection of THE EPITOME. 29 religion : and therefore by M. deanes proposition, the celebration therof, is not prescribed in y^ word. A man might keep good stir in y* pulpit, or in writing, hauing but this ground allowed him. And I thinke of such a preacher as this shoulde be, lohn of London spake in his foresaide booke, page 49. line 2. where he describeth his preacher after this maner; that "he should be no milksop, no white liuered gentleman, that for the frowning and cloudy countenance of euery man in authoritie, will leaue his flocke and crie Pecaui." And againe, in this page, " When they come j^jj^ Elmar to handigripes, they must not onelv flourishe, P^ "^"®* o r ^ J J ' knowe was but they must know their quarter strokes, '^^"^ g^*^^ *' ^ with a twoe and the way howe to defende their head," &c. hand sword .in his youth. Such a preacher I say as this, would quickly •11- 1 IT- ^^^''^ ^^- with his quarter strokes, ouerturne al religion, mar, the B. , • 1 T -i? J T 1 of Londons and with verye good reason, ii deane iohns prencher proposition be true. That euery thing whiche "^/^.^^Jf is prescribed in the word, contayneth in it ^l^^'^s. the perfection of religion. Will you haue any more of these blowes brethren, then touch them againe parson lohn, with the second reason in this page. " Euerie thing that is prescribed in the word, is of the substance of the building. The church gouernement is not of the substance of the buylding. Therefore it is not prescribed in the worde." Nothing but paralogismes. Sir Bridges, do you not know before whom you speak ? You thinke now that you play my L. of Winchesters foole, do you ? Or that you are in the monasterie of Sarum among your c 3 30 THE EPITOME. roring quiristers. I would adiiise you, learn this of me : That the Church gouemment is a substancial point of religion. And therfore of the substance of the buildinsf. Math. 28. That it is a substantiall point, it appeareth, because it is included within the commaunde- ment which our Sauior Christ gaue vnto his Apostles, when he sent the to build his Church, commanding them, not onely to teache and baptize all nations (which are the things that you thinke onely to be substantiall vnto the building (Naye wicked bishops, wil not ac- knowledge preaching to be of the substance of the building) but also to teach them to obserue what- ^ ,-, ^ soeuer he commanded them. Now he*or- Kom. 12. D. 1 Cor. 12. 8. dayned, he commanded that the church should 28. Act. 15. ^ ' 6. Ephes. 4. be fifouemed by these 4. offices, or els the 12. . Apostles woulde neuer*haue obserued them, ^c.^^s- ^- ^- and prescribed them vnto the Churche. Was & 14. 23. ^ ^ 1 Cor. 23. 1. there nothing wanting vnto the building in iara. 5. 14. Creet, while they w^anted Elders there. If Titus 1 5 there was not, why should Titus stay there, to ordain Elders in euery citie ? If there was, what a dunse art thou to denie the Churchgouernment to be of the substance of the building. Paule saith in that place, Tit. 1. 5. that he apointed that Titus should ordaine Elders there. Paul belike in this place did appoint these thinges to be ordained, whiche were not of the sub[st]ance of the building. You were best to say that Paul had nothing to do with Church gouerment, but to teache obedience, and therefore went beyonde his com- mission, in medling with these matters. Archbishopp 'the epitome. 31 Titus belike wherof you speak now, should Archbishop be all the doer in Church matters : yet I am trolled by glad of one thing, y' Paul was so bold as to o«7j dio- cesse. commaunde Archbishop Titus, and to enioine him what he should do in his own dioces. I ^'^"^f f^""' mandeth say in his own diFolces, for M. D. proueth Archbishop •^ _ . Titus in his anon that Titus W£is Archbishop of Creete, owne dio- cess. Nowe if Titus whoe I doubt not, was as good an Archbishopp as his grace of Canterburie (if euer hee was any as he was not) and might euery day in the weeke, go cheeke by ioide with his grace, ^ worthie did yet suffer himselfe in his owne dioces, to ^^^^' be commaunded by Paule, and presumed to do nothing, but that which Paule commaunded him to doe, then I see no reason whie Paule shoulde not beare a little more swaie in Canterburie diocesse then he doth. And I see no reason whie his grace should presume to doe things so flat contrarie to Pauls mind as he doth. Whereas hee ought to doe nothing but by Paules com- mandement, his grace shall on day answer me this point or very narrowly escape me a scouringe, and you Deane lohn go forward: I am content to let you passe my fingers at this time. " If any were saued" (sayth the D. page 60.) " with- out this gouernment, then it is not necessarie p g^ to saluation. But many were saued without this gouernment that our brethren would haue : there- fore it is not necessarie to saluation." lohn of London with his two hand sworde, could haue quited himselfe no better then this. Our brethren graunt all this brother c 4 32 THE EPITOME. lohn, because you meane by necessitie to saluation, such a necessitie, as without which men cannot be saued. The next reason is for the golden pen. " Either neces- sarie, or vnnec[e]ssarie : But not necessarie to saluation. Ergo, vnnecessarie. Thus M. Doc. carrieth away the matter very clearly. Onely he strayneth a little curtesie with the " Learned Discourse," in putting necessarie to saluation, for appertayning to saluation. You know ... he that can with a guilty conscience haue A lie may ° ♦' he disppMsed a facultie for two liuings, may as wel be dis- with^ asxcel as M. D. pensed with, for a lye or two. And I wisse tu'o bene- these fellowes neede not to be so precise of ^^^^' swearing by fayth and troth, and strayning out a small lye for a benefit, they comit groser sinnes many times. And thus M. Do. hath ouerthrowne their whole buylding in generall. Nowe hee commeth to the spoyling of euery particular part thereof. But before I come to these pointes, I care not inas- much as there hath bene often mention made of my L. of Londons booke, betweene our brother Bridges and me, if I set dow^ne some part of my iudgment, con- cerning that booke. O but M. Martin, will my brother Bridges say, will Heere is in- you meddle with that booke, which M. Elmar decorum . , , ^ ^ - -» t • peisone in wrote m the detence oi her Maiesties gouem- 1 know^for ^^^^it. So you will giue me and the Bb. iust *I^^ ^j ^ cause to say that you are a seditious fellowe, should not "^ ■^ ' give me this and One that disliketh of her maiesties gouern- waining,but _ _ ^ you knowe ment. And by this meanes you will incense iny purpose . i i • i i is to play many against you, that otherwise couJd not THE EPITOME. 33 but fauor your worthinesse and learning. I thedunse tifcr his GX- would they durst say, euen anye B, of them ample. all, saye that I dislike her maiesties gouernement. I would make poore Bb. of the or I had done with them, if they should slander me in this sort. And they dare but raise vp this slander against me, I will persecute the whol generation of them, and make them wearie of slandering while they liue. Shall they deale with me, as you do (brother Bridges thinke you) with Daneus in your booke, whome you bring as an enemie to her maiesties gouernment : whereas he by name, ^, , . , ° *' ' The bishops and in manifest words commendeth, and dealing n-ith M. Beza prayseth very highly her maiesties regiment 4- Danaeus. aboue all others. Or will they deale with » . .,, *' A horrible me, as they haue done with M. Beza? M. Part and an ungodly. Beza cap. 44. of his Confessions written in Confer'the Latin, saith, that he disliketh their iudgments, with the who thinke it vnlawful for women to beare ^ '" ^°^'*^' rule. This book is translated into English, but it hath all this poynt left out in the Englishe copie, to the end they may (as it is reported) bear her maiestie in hand, that M. Beza is against her regiment, and so, that her maiestie may be brought in detestation of the Church gouerment which M. Beza fauoreth, as being a Church gouerment that camiot stand with the ciuill gouemment of women. What say you to this geare Bb. haue you delt well with M. Beza ? Deale thus with me an you dare. If you will say that you had no such intent, as to slaunder M. Beza, in leaning out the said point. Then I say that you are enemies vnto her maiesties c 5 34 THE EPITOME. gouemment, in that you will wipe out of a printed, and a translated booke, that which was written in her defence : especially suffering the rest of the booke to be printed. To retume to lohn of Londons foresaid booke, I say although he hath therein, spoken against bishopps, euen our bishops now lining, and so against himselfe, as being nowe a B. yet that his booke is a carnall and vnleamed booke, smelling altogether of earth, without rime, and without reason. And that his speaking against bishops therein, was but a snare to catch a bishopprick, as it now appeareth. The particular sentences and marginall notes shalbe set downe, and where I set anye note vpon your booke, there shalbe an m. for difference sake, added thervnto. We will beginn with your owne wordes vnto the Bb. that is vnto your selfe and your Page 23. brethren, page 23. "Oh they may thanke God" (say you) lates haue " that they haue this time to breathe them, pentance, and bethinke them of their naughtie and hellishe crueltie, and to call dayly and hourely for pardon and forgiuenes, for let them thinke, that if they be not punished in this life nor repent : God accounteth Note you their deedes so vile, and their faults so prelates. haynous, that no temporall paines be inough for such offences. And therefore reserueth them to eternall damnation. Oh howle and wayle you priests and prelates, not for the danger you stand in, of loosing your bishopricks and benefices, your pride and your pompe, your dignities and honors, your riches and THE EPITOME. 35 welth : But for that hel hath opened her mouth wide, and gapeth to swalow you, for the sheding of so much innocent blood, for murdering so manie martyrs" (though this be true in our bishops, yet let me in steede thereof say, for imprisoning so many innocents, and murthering the soules of so many in ignorance) '' and TheQueene spoiling; Christs church of so manie glisterinff J^'^ceiied by ^ ° & & her rhurch- and glorious ornaments, commended of all for [™jen their learning, and discommended of none for their lining." Nowe lest anye man shoulde thinke that he writeth these things to popish bishops, you y,, .., are to know, that he wrote them vnto such of London, aciainst pro- OS, were bishopps in the raigne of her maiestie, testant U- vnto bishops professing the gospel in name, but in deed deniyng the power thereof. And in the next page line 10. he hath these words against . . . Page 24. those bishops, and now against himselfe. " But Christ knowing the bounds of his office, would not meddle with exteme pollicies, translating of realmes, and depriuing of true inheritors. No whe he was desired to be arbiter betwixt two brethren: ^ i 10 Luk. 12. he asked not how the plea stood, but who ^ . . ,, ^ ' Spin tu all made him an officer ? Diuines (me thinkes) men should not medle should by this example, not giue themselues with pol- too much the brydle, and too large a scope, to meddle with matters of pollicie, as this is, whervpon dependeth eyther the welfare or ilfare of the ^, , , ^^ realme. If these two offices, I meane eccle- ^^^ll yo" th:it are siasticall and ciuill, be so iumbled together, statesmen. as it may be lawful for both parties to c 6 36 THE EPITOME. meddle in both functions, here can be no quiet, nor well ordered common wealth." Thus the reader may see, what a paterne of hypo- crisie this wicked bishop since he wrote this book, hath shewed himself to be : in taking vpon him, not onely that calling, whiche in his owne iudgement is vnlawfull, but also in ioyning those two offices together : the coupling w^hereof, he confesseth to bee ioyned as well with the most vile disorder, as with the dangerous dis- lohi Elmar quietiies of tjie common wealth. And yet he LoMoifhis ^^^^" "^^ \iexe left off speaking against bishops. propJmie. Therefore, as before in the Epistle hath bin touched, he dealeth more roundly with the, page 103 Advise to ^^^^^"^ before, in these words. " Come off you the bishops, ^ishops, away with your superfluities, yeeld vp your thousandes, be content with your hundreths, as they be in other reformed Churches, where be as great learned men as you are. Let your portion be pristlike, and not princelike. Let the Queen haue the rest of Bisho your temporallities and other landes, to main- lands, taine these warres which you procured, and ,^..„ , your mistresse left her, and with the rest to vs ill you be *' content Bi- build and found schools throughout the realme : shop i: shal- be so now ? that euery parrishe Church may haue his preacher, euerie citie his superintendent, to In anj^ case, liue honestly, and not pompously, which will let there be , , iiit i one minister neuer bee, vnlesse your lands be dispersed resTof his ^^^ bestowed X pon many, whiche now feed- brethren, Q^ and fatteth but one. Remember that m I.Sam. 21 Abimelech, when Dauid in his bannishment THE EPITOME. 37 woulde haue dined with him, kept such hospitalhtie, that he had no bread in his house to giue him but the shewe bread. Where was all his superfluitie to keep your pretenced hospitalhtie ? For that is the cause you aleage, why you must haue thousands, as though you were commanded to keepe hospitalhtie, rather with a thousand, then with a hundred. I woulde our ^„j j countriman Wicklieffes booke which he wrote, ^^'^^^^ ' Dime De Ecclesia, were in print, and there should Epistoma- stix were in you see, that your wrinches and cauillations print, there , , . T ,, sliould you be nothmg worth. see tl.at Hitherto you see that this Balaam, who iik"you!' hath I fear me, receiued the wages of vn- ™ righteousnes spoken in generall, as well against the callings of bishops, and their vsurping of ciuill offices, as against their pride, pompe and superfluitie. Must not he thinke you, haue eyther a most seared, or a most guiltie conscience, that can finde of his heart to continue in that calling : yea, and in the abuse of that calling, which his owne conscience, if he woulde but awake it, telleth him to be vnlawfull ? The Lord giue him repentance, if he belongeth vnto him, or speedely rid his Churche of such a scourge. And may not all the former speeches be fitly applied vnto him ? Is without dout. But the next he may be thought to haue written to himselfe, which he hath set downe, Pf^- 34. lin. 15. page 34. " As if you shoulde saye, my L. ^^^^ j^^ Lubber of London is a tyrant. Ergo he is no nicane J ' ^ \s at8on the Byshop. I warraunt you though he graunted purciuant I'll *^"*" y^^- you the antecedent, which he can hardly m S8 THE EPITOME. denie, yet he woulde denie the consequent, or els he would call for wiely Watson to helpe him." Here brother London, you haue crossed your selfe ouer the costard once in your dayes. I thinke you would haue spent 3. of the best Elmes which you haue cut down in Fulham, and 3. pence halfepenie besides, that I had neuer lolmofLon- met with your booke. But vnlesse you, and ofEaceier lo^n of Excetor, with Thomas Winchester, and Thomas ^^^ haue beene in times past hypocrites as hypocrits. you haue bene, leaue off to hinder the word, and vex godly men, I will make you to be noble and famous bishops for euer. And might not a man wel iudge you three to be the desperat Dicks, which you brother London, page 29. affirm to be good bishops in England. For to allude vnto your owne words, page 28. 29. Whereas other bishops in the land, for the most, (onely lohn Canterburie excepted) lest they should one day answere for their proceedings vnto her maiestie, and gaine the euill will of the noble men, and gentlemen that fauour the sinceritie of the gospell, will not seeme to bee such dealers as you 3. are, though they serue at an inche in their place, to maintaine his graces pride and cruelty, to stay the course of the gospell, and to fetch in men with in the compasse of subscription, yet are they those for the most part, that will imprison none, and trouble verie few vnles it be for fear that if they should toUerate to much, they should haue a checke of their worshipfull Paltripolitan. But you three, like furious and senceles brute beasts dread no perill, looke no farther than your feete, spare none, but with tooth and. THE EPITOME. 39 nail, cry out, down with that side, that fauoreth the gospel so. Fetch them vp with purciuants, to the Gatehouse, to the Fleet, to the Marshalsey, to the Clinck, to Newgate, to the Counter with the. It makes no matter with you (I folow your own words brother London) so you may shew your selues (in shewe though not in trueth) obedient subiects to the Queene, and disobedient traytors to God and the realme. Thus farre I haue followed your words, howbeit I thinke you are not well pleased w* me, because you meane not to stand to any thing you haue written. Nay you holde it vnlawfull now, for a preacher, as far as the two tables of the lawe do reache, to speake against bishops, much lesse any vngodly statute. And yet you say, John of page 49. line 7. " That prechers must not against bi- be afraid to rebuke the proudest, yea kings f^^^^'J^j and Queenes, so far forth as the two tables himselfe. of the law doe reache. As we see in Samuell, Nathan, Elias, lohn Baptist, and many other. They may not stoope to euery mans becke, and studie to please man more then God." Thus far are your wordes, and they are as farr from your practize, as you are from the imitation of these godly examples whiche you haue brought. I see a bishoppricke hath cooled your courage, for in those dayes that you wrote this book, you woulde haue our parliament to ouer rule her maiestie, and not to yeelde an inche vnto her of their pri[vi]leadges. Your words I will set downe. *' In like manner" (say you, page 53.) " if page 53. the parliament vse their priuiledges the king 40 THE EPITOME. ParUame7it ^^^ ordaine nothing without them : if he doe, TeSsUheh- ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ vsurping it, and their folly in Kings or permitting it : wherfore in my iudgement, those that in king Henrie the 8. dales, would The parlia- -. . i i • i • i i i ment resis- ^^^ graunt hmd that Ins proclamations shoulde Henrie" the ^^^^ ^^^ force of a Statute, weare good fathers ^- of their countrie and worthie of commendation in defending there libertie," &:c. I assure you brother lohn, you haue spoken many thinges worthie the noting, and I would our parliament men woulde marke this action done in King Henry the 8. dayes, and follow it in bringinge in reformation, and putting downe lord Bishops, with al other points of superstition : they may in your iudgment not only doe any thing against their Kings or Queenes minde, that is behoofull to the honor of god, and the good of the com- mon welth, but euen withstand the proceedings of their soueraigne. But me thinks you haue a palpable error, in the 48. Women ca- 49 and 50. page of your booke, which is that pable of tlie i i p i ministeiie women are vncapable oi the mmisterie, not m the^r^sex by ^^g^^^ ^f their sexe, but of certaine wants the bishop ^^^ imperfections in their sex, vz. their want 01 Londons ^ _ iudgment. of learning and corage, so that if a woman should be brought vp in learning, and trained in dis- putations, and were not milder in nature then men (of al which wants in women, you speake page 48) but knewe their quarter stroke (which knowledg you require in the minister page 49) then by your reason they might prech in your dioces : whosoeuer will read your 50. and 51. pages shal find this to be your iudgment. THE EPITOME. 41 Besides al this, the reader shall find such earthly and carnal stuff in al these pages, that you must needs giue this iudgment of the whole book, surely fleshe, euen a lump of meere fleshe writ it. For there you shall see the Englishe man preferred before other people : only because he feedeth vpon (and hath in his -p^.^^ hq possession) plentie of sheepe, Oxen, kie calues yea wee (I keepe lohn Elmars words) Conies, fish, I'-i^t^such ^ -"^ ^ plentie of and where as other nations feed vpon rootes, calues in England rawe hearbes, oyle, grapes, &c. In the last that wee place against the French King he raileth and to our Bi- outrageth in this wise. " That Turkish vale- ^ ^^^^' sius, that French tyraunt. Is he a king or a Londons diuell, a christian or a Lucifer, that by his l^lecUs. cursed confederacie with the turke." Page Page 112. 113. line 4. " O wicked caitife and fyrebrand of hell," And line 8. " O foolish Germanes, wliich con- spire not together with the rest of christian princes, to pull out such a traytour to God and his kingdome, by the eares out of France, and hang him against the Sun a drying." The discreet reader of that whiche hath bene spoken, may apparently see the vndiscreete briutishnes that was in you, euen then, when you were best wortliy to be accounted off. And thereby may gather what you are now, when you haue bidden farewell, not onely vnto the synceritie of religion, whiche then you seemed to im- brace, but euen vnto all humanitie and ciuill bchauiour. And yet you doe not thus leaue the Frenche king, but in this page. 113. line 13. You say that the diucl hath 42 THE EPITOME. none of his side now, but him to maintaine both the spiritual! and the temporal! Anticlirist : in the same page, " Wherefore seeing he hath forsaken God, like an Apostata, and solde himselfe to the diuell," &c. And line 27. 28. " Proud Holophernes. Oh blessed is that man that looseth his life against such a Termagaunt." Againe page 114. line 2. "but this lulia the Apostata, is named a diuels name, Christianissimus." Line 3. " And like a trayterous Sarazen is Christes enemie." Here he leaueth the French king, and here I leaue his booke. Nowe I entreat the reader to consider these thinges, that I haue set downe out of his booke, and iudge whether such things as he wrote coulde proceed from a religious heart : and whether the booke be not an off- spring proceeding from a lumpe of earthly flesh. This booke is almost all the tokens of Christianitie, that euer he shewed. Since the time he became bishop, he hath , , ^ bene a continual! oppressor of the Churche of Londonsty- God. His practises against God and his ranny. saintes, was the onely cause whie I haue taken this paines with his booke, and he shall bee more beholding vnto me, vnlesse he leaue his tyrannic. But now alas, alas brother Bridges, I had forgotten you all this while, my brother London and I were so busie, that we scarce thought of you. Why coulde not you put me in minde that you staid al the whyle. But it is no matter, we will make the quicker dispatche of our busines. You shall see I will bee the more fauor- able to you. And let me see howe roundly you ouer- THE EPITOME. 43 turne these puritans, for you are now to ouerthrow the seuerall partes of their discipline. Our brethren say, that our Sauior Christ ordayned an holy ministerye of men, for the buylding of his Church, and prooue the saying by the place of Paule Ephe. 4. 11. 12. Your mastership 3. maner of wayes shew the place they alleage, to make nothing for their purpose. First say you, Paule speaketh of diuers functions, therefore nothing of Ecclesiasticall gouernment. This reason brethren is a very sound one, if you should denie it, then in deede, I must think you not to be altogether so leaddenheaded as your brother Bridges. For do you thinke that a man entreating of the Maior of London, the two ShirifFs and their offices, speaketh by and by of some part of the order and gouerment of the citie of London ? or of som of the gouemours of the citie. As though my L. Maior and the two ShirifFes were now become to be any of the gouemours of the citie of Lon- don, or their offices any part of that gouernment. Who seeth not by this example, the folly of our precise brethrens reason euidently declared. The Apostle (say they) speaketh of Apostles, prophets, Euangelists, pas- tors, doctors, and their functions (for this M. D. con- fesseth) therfore he speaketh of some ecclesiasticall gouemours, and of some part of ecclesiasticall gouern- ment. Apostles, prophets, pastors and doctors, are church gouemours with them, and their office a part of ecclesiasticall gouerment. Let them leame, let them learn simple siginnes as they are, that the Apostle speaketh in this place, of ecclesiasticall functions, and 44 THE EPITOME. not of any part of ecclesiasticall gouerment. For so M. D. in this 61. pag[e] (compare line 17. with Hne22.) teacheth vs to speake English : making an ecclesiasticall fimction, to be a thing altogether differing in nature, from eiiery part of ecclesiasticall gouernment. A very proper and pleasant distinction. In the second place, this testimonie brought in by our A coosening brethren, is prooued to make nothing to their ^hSiop''^ * purpose, by two reasons. And what bom- You see mination vmbertie of reasons here be, to per- adie^isHke- ^^^^^ foorth one head, and yet euerye one lye within a fause, as it is true, that my good brother while, to be ' ■^ ^ the steward Overton, the B. of Liechfield and Couentree, of my bro- ther Liche- sould his Chauncellorship at one time, vnto fields house. „ • t-w t-v -• two seuerall men : to wit, to D. Beacon, and the good Chauncellor, M. Zacharie Babington. Well parson Bridges his 1. reason is after this sort. That place which sheweth gifts and functions to be ordayned in the Church, to the buylding vp of the bodie of Christe, in the vnitie of the fayth and knowledge : maketh nothing to prooue that there is an ecclesiasticall gouerment prescribed in the worde. Thou sayst euen true parson lohn. For what hath the functions of pas- tors, doctors. Apostles, &c. to doe with Church gouerne- ment. A prettie matter, euery beggerly Apostle, pastor, doctor, or Euangelist, y' camiot spende, no I am sure not 40. marks yearely, by all the spirituall lining he hath in his hande : must nowe be a Church gouernour with our brethren, and their offices be a part of Church gouernment. Why brethren, what meane you by this THE EPITOME. 45 place you haiie brought ? Do you thinke, that the Apostle by those functions, and those persons, spoken of, Ephes. 4. 12. meaneth that any of them functions shoulde be a Lordlike function, or any of the persons Lord. You saye he doth not. No doth not ? Then out of your owne grant he speaketh nothing ofecdcsias- of ecclesiasticall gouemment and gouernors. J,*^'^^"^^^^"^''"' Because euery ecclesiasticall gouemour must O'^^^^'^^i'^- needs be a Lord, and so ecclesiasticall gouernment, a lordly gouernement. If this be not true, aske my brother Bridges. For should God ordaine great men, and great Lords to be rulers in common wealths, ouer vvhome hee hath not so great a care as he hath for his Church, and ordayne none but beggerly fellowes (not able to spend 200. markes by the yeare, nay nor 20. neither) to beare rule in his Church ? I grant in deed, that you brethren puritans, saye the trueth as it ought to be, that bishops or ministers ought not to be Lords in any wise, eyther as ministers, or as ciuill magistrates. Thus in deed it ought to be, I and my brethren the Bb. do grant vnto you. And you knowe we would it were so. But you know also that our laws will haue Church gouernours to be Lords, and what ? should our Bishops (good noble men) refuse that which the law would haue them to take ? Get you the law to be against their lordly callings, and see whether they will not giue ouer their Lord bishopdomes, whcn- soeuer lawe compelleth them. And whensoeuer they giue ouer, they shall haue no cause to thanke suche enuious brethren as you are. Howsoeuer it be, you see 46 THE EPITOME. the Apostle, speaking of all sorts of ministers, by your owne confession : speaketh nothing of any Lord, or Lordly gouerment among them all, and therefore speak- eth nothing of Church gouernment. Againe, all those functions whereof the Apostle maketh any mention (as my brother Bridges hath well noted) are ordayned to the buylding of the bodie of Christe, in the vnitie of fayth and knowledge. No we I would anye puritan of you all, durst say that our Church gouernors : that is, our venerable and worshipfull Lord bishops, are ordained of God, for the building of his bodie, which I know you will say to be done by preaching? As though L. bishops, being ciuill gouernours should preach. Were it meete, (I pray you) to see Steuen Gardiner, being the of the priuie Counsell in the pulpit ? Counsellors nowe, must haue something to doe with pulpit matters, muste they I pray you ? Will you allow that ciuill gouer- nours should be ordinarie preachers in your new plat- forme of a reformed Church ? I know you will not. And what reason is it then, that you should require Bb. to be ordinary preachers, seeing euery bishop is a ciuil gouemour. I tel you true, I am so far from thinking, that bishops ought to be ordinarie preachers, seeing they are ciuill gouernours, that I hold it a sin for them to preache ordinarily. And brethren, you doe not well therefore, in vrging ciuil gouernours to preach, especially seeing you your selues, in your platformes, are against this point. And because it shall be scene that I deale vprightly betweene you and the P. P. prelates. I will set downe my reason, and answer it when you can : it THE EPITOME. 47 shall be concluded I warrant you in moode and figure. But in deed I haue inuented a newe moode of mine owne (for I haue bin a great schooleman in my daies) which containeth in it a great misterie. The misterie I will expound, it may be in a book for the purpose. In the meane time, if you resort to my sonne Martin senyor, that worthy wight, he it may be, shalbe able to vnfolde the secresie thereof. This is the . „ A syllo- syllogisme, the moode answereth vnto " Ce- gisme con- eluded in larent," elder daughter to " Barbara," and I Perncanter- will haue it called " Perncanterburikenolde." Perne No ciuill magistrate can be an ordi- ) Ce narye preacher without sinne. Canterhurie Euerie Lorde Bishoppe is a ciuill magistrate. Therefore Kenolde No Lord Bishop can be an ordi- I rent narie preacher without sinne. What say you now brethren, would you haue ciuill gouernors (such as our Bishops are) to preach ? I hope not. For although I cannot deny, but som of our bishops are very great breakepulpits, and have as mar- ueilous rawe gifts in preaching, as any that euer came to Pauls wharfP, yet surely I canot see what warrant you haue to vrge ciuil officers to preach. Wherefore also you doe not well, in crying out against ciuil go- uernors, because they preach not, as though their func- tion were an ecclesiastical function, or as though you would haue any to preach who had not an ecclesiastical function. If you demaund then, whether bishops be 48 THE EPITOME. Ecclesiasticall or ciuil gouernours. They themselues say beath, and ai say brethren, that for the stopping of your meathes and other causes, I wad counsell the, if they wad be ruled bai me, to be nether nother. Now if yaw demaund againe, whether Bishops sin in being ministers, seeing they are ciuil officers, or in bearing ciuil offices, seeing they are ministers. I haue already shewed that ciuil officers must be no ministers. And my brother London hath long since affirmed it to be dangerous for the common wealth, that ministers should be ciuil gouemors : and therfore brethren, to answer this question of yours, you are to know that I am fully of vour brother Londons mind, who saith page No good or- ■^ der where 24. line 19. of his Harborough. " These 2. ministers . . ,, i • -i t_ are ciuil offices, I mean the ecclesiasticall and ciuil, be magistrates • ■, ^ -, ^ •. -i ^ o ^ ii' saith lohn SO lumbled together, as it may be lawiul tor Lojidon. ^^^j^ parties to medle in both functions, there can be no quiet, nor any well ordered common wealth." Nowe brethren you must not think the worse of this lemed mans iudgment, because he is a Bishop him selfe. For euen since he hath ioyned these 2. offices together he hath proued his owne saying to be true for his part, in that his whole endeuor hath bene euer since he was Bishop, that we should haue no quiet nor any wel ordered church or common wealth. I hope by this time you see it plaine that Bishops sinne, both because they are ciuill gouernours, and being ciuill gouernours, be- cause they are bishops. Your 2. reason is, page. 61. line 39. " Paule speak- eth of these gifts and of this building, and of the orders THE EPITOME. 49 and ends thereof: therefore he speaketh nothing of ecclesiasticall gouernment." This is put h6me I trow, and ouerthroweth the puritans out of all cesse. It is altogether as good a reason, as an olde man yeelded sometimes to Sir Thomas More, concerning the cause of Goodwine sandes, and the stopping of Sandwich hauen : which was, y* Tentertons steeple was the cause of Goodwine sandes. M. D. 2. reason to shew that the place of Paul maketh nothing for ecclesiastical gouern- ment, is after this sort. " Paul in rekoning vp these gifts, referreth all to the vnitie in doctrine of fayth, and to the holy conuersation of life. Ergo he maketh no mention of Ecclesiasticall order of gouernment." That were a pitifuU hearing in deed sir, that the Apostle should speake of ecclesiastical gouernment, and speak not a word of any lordlike gouernment : that the Apostle should make any mention of ecclesiasticall go- uernours, and not name a Lord among them all. Fie, fie, this were too bad, and my Lord of Canterbury would neuer abide such scripture. But in good sadnes (saith the puritans) presbyter lohn Bridges, will this place of Paule prooue no part of this gouernment which you oppugne ? will it not prooue that God hath ordayned pastors, and doctors, to continue in his Church vnto the worlds end ? No forsooth will it not quoth the Deane. And I am so farre from thinking that God hath ordained your preach- ^^^^^ ^^j^^^^ ing pastors, and doctors, to continue alwayes ^'"^^^^^ in his Church, that I haue made a praier, the preach- ing of the pag 655. line 28. of my book (as my brother word^ D 50 THE EPITOME. In the Epi- Martin you know hath noted already) " that terrible ^ ^^ might neuer see that day in England, Priests. wherein preaching might be had in all places," His grace of Canterburie (I tell you) hath condemned the preaching of the word (as being the onely ordinarie meanes to saluation) to be an heresie. This scripture of Paule, that God hath appointed preaching pastors, to continue in his Church vnto the worlds ende, is a chiefe ground of the former heresie. I will allow of no such scripture I trow, as may impech the opinion which my L. of Canterb. conceiued of the preaching of the word> You see therefore my friendes, that M. Deane in this point, will haue nothing to do with you, or Paules testi- monie. And you are not ignorant I am sure, howe soone all lordes would be out of the ministerie, if we had none in England, but the pastors spoken of by Paule, and therefore M. doctor hath prayed against this order. Yea, and he hath brought such a reson against this your platform of gouernment, as is iust Secundum y^ , , vsum Sarum. For in deed it is popish, and Deane lohn ^ ^ ' eoseneth his therefore you might smell it a farre off. " If hrethreyi 7vith popish the Lorde " (sayth he page 62.) " had thought this gouernement needful for his Churche, then he woulde not haue suffered his Churche to bee without the same. But he suffered his Churche of a long time to be without this gouernment. Ergo he thought it not needfull." Ah craft, craft, craft and subtiltie, that can in iest deceiue his brethren with a popishe reason in this sort. THE EPITOME. 51 But my masters, you must not thinke that our brother Sarum bringeth this in good earnest, but "onely to trie whether you be so simple, as you camiot know a popisli reason when you see it. And to this purpose, I thinke that both his worship, and lohn Whitgifts grace, haue brought in their writings, many things that are palpable popish, that they might trie, whether of knowledge, or of peeuish and choUericke rashnes, you speake against their gouerment. Nowe if so be that you could not disceme their popish reasons (whereof in deed you shall finde great store, euery third reason I warraunt you, in all their bookes) then they would haue this aduantage against you, that you were not able to knowe trueth from poperie. For (might they say) we brought in popish resons of purpose, but sielie fellows, their skill is so smal in all kinde of learning, that they cannot know a popishe reason, especially if we can face it out with a bragg, that we haue olde and new writers of our side. Now brethren, you must not the, mislike your brother Bridges purpose, in bringing in this popishe syllogisme. This I speake, to the ende you should not crie out (as some of you haue done) that The bishops , . 1 , , ^ £> ^1 have no het- oiir bishops haue no better warraunt tor them- ^^^ n-arrant selues then the pope hath, for their gouerne- ^^^J^ ^J'^'„ ment. I grant in deede, that if you should '^ ^^P^- take INI. deane at the worst, you might saye that he might herein, reason as well for the Masse, as he doth for the established goueraement. As for example, hee might thus argue. If the Lord had thought the Masse to haue bene a false worship of him, then he would not D 2 52 THE EPITOME. haue suffered it so long to haue continued, where anye weake one should be endangered, of being enforced to be present thereat. But he suffered it to continue a long time, &c. Therefore he thought it not to be a false worship. I say you must not mistake M. doctor in this sort, but knowe that he delt after the manner of the schooles, w^herein it is lawfull (as Thomas Cart- wright who hath bene professour of diuinitie, both in Cambridge and in Geneua, know^eth well inough) for men to argue 'pro and contra, as well with, as against the trueth : and all is to trie out the trueth, whiche is onely the sole meaning that M. D. hath not at all thought off. But I pray you, let vs passe fro hence, vnto the 64. pa. where you shal find the calling of an Archbishop most notablie prooued, out of our brethrens owne words. "Our brethren" (ka the cloyster master of Sarum) " affirme that Paule and Barnabas, ordained presbyters, priestes or elders" (for thus M. D. to his neuerlasting fame, hath full often in his booke, translated the greeke word preshyteros) " at Derbe, Iconium and Lystra. Ergo, some of these priestes or elders, were rr,.^ .^, ordayned ouer whole towns, some ouer re- 1 itus neither "^ Archbishop, mons." And what could be more aptly nor yet Deane of spoke to the purpose, or more fitly proue an ^ , Archiepiscopall callins; ? But the reason fol- But truely r r to I tbinke lowing, prooueth it yet more euident, and Bridges that that is the ilsample of Archbishop Titus, nevtlier whome the D. of diuillitie in this 65. page ArcM)i£hop affirmeth to haue beene Arch, of Creet. nor Deaue of Sarum, ;^ay good M. D, not many Archbishopps in THE EPITOME. 53 the person of Titus I pray you. Titus was an Euan- gelist, therefore no Archbishoppe. Yea sayth he, Titus was a very Archbishopp, and there is playne scripture to prooue it, whiche is the subscription of the Epistle to Titus. Whope papist, say the puritans, is that be- come scripture with you ? Why M. Beza hath long since prooued this to be no scripture, but an ^, ^ The reason vncertaine and false gesse, added by som of Archbi- 1 T -KT 1 1 shop Titus bcholiast. You know also that your brother is no popish Turrian the lesuit, bringing in this for Scrip- ture, was soundly confuted by M. Sadel, and dare you Deane lohn, bring this in for Scripture ? Yes that 1 dare (sayth he) and prooue Titus to haue bin an Archbishopp, euen by this reason : because Paul gaue him the authoritie to be the ordinary of all the Bishopps in Greet. And this I prooue, because Creete, where my Lorde Archbishoppe Titus his grace, was Primate and Paltripolitane, had many famous cities in it. This is my very reason, page 65. line 21. and ile stand to it. Now M. Pickers, parsons and currats, if euer I hard better proofe in my life, I would all dumbe dogges were whipped out of the Churche. Now truely this is sport alone. But brother parson Bridges, I praye you tell me, was there canonicall obedience swome to Arch- bishopp Titus ? What els man. Did they cal him my Lords grace to ? Do you dout of it ? Did his gentl- man Vsher go bareheaded before him ? As though he could not be as popelike and pontificall, as my Lorde of Canterburie. But I hope a pore hedge priest might haue his letters of orders of him, though he would 54 THE EPITOME. giue no bribes vnto his Secretorie, cooke, butler, &c. Might he so goodman noddie ? Then how should his men I pray you be able to liue ? As though bishops should giue their men any wages ? Their blessing I trow will serue their men in steed of wages. In page 66. M. doctor demaundeth a question, and that is, whether one man might not haue diuers of these offices and gifts which were in the Apostles time. In deed brother parson, we read of neuer an iVpostle that was a nonresident, but of one ludas, one Simon Magus, and one Diotrephes in all that time. The reason belike was, that men wrought miracles in those dayes, whiche gifte the noble Lords of our cleargie, haue now be- m 1- 1 stowed vpon their horses. For in the Apos- 1 he Insnops *^ ^ horses work ties time, a horse vsually caried not aboue myracles. one or two men at the most : whereas you Orsomanie . . __ -i-v tt nn • i t-^ Simonical know, that Master D. Humnrie, and D. piomo ions, jyj^^j^g^^ \^^^ ^^q horses betweene them, that neuer caried under 14. men, whensoeuer their masters were on their backes. And our bishopps are so expert in adorning horses with those miraculous giftes, that they are no sooner on their horse backes, then presently the horse whereon they ride, is able to cary as many as either of the 2. former, besides their bootes? 2. or 3. paire of trulling square dice, and so many paire of cards. Parson Bridges, page 68. saith, there are more giftes and callings then 4. pastors, doctors, elders and deacons remayning, because sayth he, page 69. " the gifts of doing miracles, prophesie, the gifts of healing, diuers THE EPITOME. 55 among the papists haue and do enioy, and especially, the gift of tongs, not attained vnto by studie,' had diuers of them, as Anthonie," &c. Anthonie among the papistes, had the gifte of tongs without studie : Now what a goodyeare was that Anthonie ? The god of the pigs trow ye ? In deed master D. quoteth no author for his warraunt, he is redd you know in the There is a Legend of lies. There it is : what haue the ^J,*;!;^''^^^'' puritans to doe where he found it ? Let winch M. ^ doctor made the answere to it. What if he founde it in as they say. Hodge his breeches, seeking for Gammer ^- D. found An- Gurton s needle ? Is the reason worse then tfwnie in the rest of his booke, because it is without breedies. authoritie. As for the matter contayned in the 70. 71. 72. pages, M. D. confirmeth it by the authoritie of a puritane writer, which wrote (as he sayth) A fruitful! sermon vppon the 1 Cor. 12. printed by Robert Walde-graue, 1584. A Sermon vpon the 1 Cor. 12. printed by Robert Walde-graue : say our brethren, why there was neuer any sermon vpon that text, printed by Robert Walde-graue. M. D. belike meaneth the sermon vpon Rom. 12. Tush brethren what should you tell vs of M. D. meaning, he meaneth the sermon vpon 1 Cor. 12. If you doe not beleeue me, looke the 255. page of his booke, and there you shall see the sermon vpon 1 Cor. 12. twise cited. M. D. if he were more beetleheaded then he is, could not possible misse so often in the naming of the sermon, vpon Rom. 12. which is so com- monly knowen. It may be in deede, you neuer saw 56 THE EPITOME. any sermon extant vpon that text : but I warraunt you Deane lohn knoweth the way to Salisburie, so doe not many thousands of you puritans. Whye, you neuer sawe the Syriacke Testament translated by lunius (for that which is abroade, was done by Tremehus alone) but M. D. hath quoted lunius his Syriack Testament. Why then may he not aswell finde a sermon vpon 1 Cor. 12. printed by Robert Walde-graue, as a Syriacke Testament of lunius his translation ? Now say the puritans what a notorious blocke is this deane, who inasmuch as he hath heard that M. Tremelius, and M. lunius were ioyned together in the translation of the Byble, thinketh therfore that lunius translated the Syriack Testament, which was done by Tremelius onely. For shame my masters deale more charitably, and beare with the infirmities of your brethren. I grant in deede it was M. D. ouersight, in naming lunius his Syriacke Testament; and the sermon vpon 1 Cor. 12. in steade of Rom. 12. But what then, should you therefore take him vp for it, as though he were the veriest asse in a countrie. Learned men may easily commit such ouersights, especially quoting authors vpon other mens reports, as M. D. hath done. But it is no maruell that you deale thus with M. deane, when you dare abuse Antichrist, and say as the author of the Learned For Anti- Discourse hath done, that this gouernment of Christ, and yours continued in the Church vntil Antichrist against the gouernment brought in all kinde of false doctrine and con- fusion. Naye who there masters mine, quoth THE EPITOME. 57 M. Deane, for these be his owne words, take 3/ jy my reason with you, you slander Antichrist, ^f^^^^^i^d^- For Antichrist^ against "If your gouernment had continued in the Christs go- Church vntil all kinde of false doctrine came in, it had beene exercised without interruption D. reason in vntil this day" (especially vntill the yeare ""^'^ ^^^<^^- 1587. wherein you made this booke) " For I doubt me whether all kinde of false doctrine hath bene yet sowen. But your gouernement hath beene interrupted long since. Therefore you slander Antichriste." They slander him in deed, lohn O Sarum, if they say that he brought in all kinde of false doctrine. And you haue neuer prooued proposition better in your life, then you haue prooued this. For any man that will read your book, or lohn Whitgifts, wil say that Antichrist broght not in all kinde of false doctrine, if he had, your booke I am sure, had not bene sold for 7. shillings as it is. In the 78. page, M. D. sheweth that the office of Archbishops, and Lord bishops, are in nature pastorall, though in dignitie they are of another office and minis- terie. And what say you to that brethren ? Euen this say they. In dignitie they are popes, in ^ „, . office proud prelates, and in ministerie plain dignitie popes^ in dumb dogs for the most part. This is proued, office proud 2)f*SLCtt6S CCG hath bene prooued, and will be prooued, to the proudest of the Bishops teeth, if they doe dispute with vs in these points. I would wish you, my puritan masters, to keepe you wel while you are well. It may bee you shall answer this saucines of yours, to offer 58 THE EPITOME. disputation to my lords grace, before the high commis- sionrs. Master D. hath confuted all the packe of you. In the 82. page, by a tale or 2. of a Foxe tayl, and another of the Asse, loaden with spunges, page 83. From the 90. page, to the end of the book, he goeth so readely to worke about the office of the ciuil magistrate, that I maruel that men wil not say, that he deserueth to be cased in a good moatley clockbagg for his labor. In the 93. page, he proueth that no man ought to direct ^. , ^, the magistrate in any thing. For saith he, Simply He * . . be sworn brethren I goe plainly, and simply to worke, thou gost iiT simply to he that directeth he gouerneth. Alas the day brother (cloister master) doe the puritans say in deed, that the magistrate should be directed by any within his owne dominions. Belike then if they shoulde finde a magistrat out of his way, they would go about to direct him, woulde they ? And that in his owne dominions to ? Whie brother Bridges can this stand with the dutie of a good subiect ? Why ? He that directeth he gouerneth. I perceiue it is time that such fellowes weare looked vnto. We should neuer haue done with them I perceiue, if wee should stil stand answ^ering their absurde fansies. By this time I hope, they see their folly. They haue bene sufficiently con- Doctor futed, or else let Andre we ambo iudge be- Perne. twene you, he is an indifferent man. From the 99. page vnto the 130. iust 31. pages, at which game O the cardes, D. Redman Archdecon of Canter- bury is very good, besides his rare skill in iuglinge, and to the end of this book, they agree with you in any THE EPITOME. 59 thing, that lawfully belongeth to the office .of the ciuil magistrate. Howe say you now M. cuntry Parsons and Pickers. Are you not by this time able to withstande the cauells of the puritanes. Do you not see vpon what good grounde our Church gouernement and my L. of Can- terburies chaier is built ? I would you did else. And let the learned reader iudg whether other , „ , , * All heetle- men cannot play the ignorant sots as well headed igno- rance lieih as you brother Bridges. Tush, tushe, I not in M. would not haue you claime all the skill, in Barbarismes and Solecismes vnto your self. Other men can behaue them selues with commendations that way as well as you, thoughe in deed not so naturally I graunt. Farwell sweete Doctor, and make much of the courtier Martin. Errata, or faults escaped. 1 Whersoeuer the prelats are called my Lords, either in the epistle to the confocation house, or in this Epi- tome, take that for a fault. Because they are none of M. Martins Lords, neither shal any priest of them all be my Lord. For I tell thee true, I think foul scome they should be my Lords, or the Lords of any of my sonnes. 2 There is nothing spoken at all, of that notable hypocrite Scambler, Bishop of Norwich. Take it for a great faulte, but vnlesse he leaue his close dealing 60 THE EPITOME. against the truth, ile bestow a whole booke of him. And let the rest of you hypocrites take heede of per- secuting. 3 But the greatest fault of all is, that I coulde say against our vngodly priests, but vnlesse they mend, ise fullie amende this fault, and I can doe it with a small warninge. And I would deuise them not to persecute men for my worshipes booke as they doe. NOTES. Page 1, line 5. lohn Canterbur'ie, &c.] Archbishop Whitgift, and Bishops Aylmer, Cooper, and Wickham. P. 2, 1. 2. / Jiaue bene entertayned at the CouH.'] " When a pi'o- hibition issued that no person should carry about them any of the Mar-Prelate pamphlets, on pain of punishment, the Earl of Essex observed to the Queen, ' What then is to become of me ? ' drawing one of these pamphlets out of his bosom, and presenting it to her." — D^Israeli's Quarrels of Authors. P. 2, 1. 17- The Puritans are angrie with me.'] That Martin's scuiTility was not approved of by the graver sort amongst the Puritans is evident, not only from his confession here, but else- where. In his " Theses Martinianas," he says, " I see my doings and my course misliked of many, both the good and the bad. . . . Those whom foolishly men call Puritanes, like of the matter I have handled, but the forme they cannot brooke." And in a let- ter of Cartwright's to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, dated Oct. 4, 1591, he says, *'from the writing of my last book, which was thirteen years ago, I never wrote, nor procured any thing to be printed, which might in any sort be offensive to her majesty or the state, much less had any hand, or so much as a finger, in the books under Martin's name." And again, " I am liable to make good proof, that from the first beginning of Mai-tin unto this day, I have continually, upon any occasion, testified both my mislike and sorrow for such kind of disordered proceeding." — [Strype's Whitgift, iii. 232 ; Strype's Aylmer, iv. 73, 8vo ed.] P. 2, 1. 25. ingramnesse.} Ignorance. The word is not in Nares. P. 3, 1. 30. this year 1388.] An en-or, intentional or othei'wise, for 1588. The allusion is to the acts of the confederated lords in the reign of Richard II. In the early transcript in the Harleian Libi'ary, it is 1588. P. 4, 1. 14. There was the Demonstration of Discipline.'] This is the work for which the learned John Udall was prosecuted. The 62 NOTES. trial is given at length in the Collection of State Trials, and will amply repay the reader's careful perusal. We are told that the court refused to hear Udall's witnesses, on the strange plea, that " witnesses in favour of the prisoner were against the Queen ! " Although found guilty, he was conditionally pardoned, at the intercession of James VI., but lingered some time, and at last died in prison. The "Demonstration" is sometimes found ap- pended to " A Part of a Register," pi"mted by Waldegrave, at Edinburgh, about 1593. P. G, 1. 1. The whole volume of 31. Deanes.'] Dr. Bridges' work is entitled, " A Defence of the Government established in the Church of Englande for Ecclesiasticall Matters, answering a Treatise of Ecclesiastical Government," &c. London, printed by John Windetfor Thomas Chard. 1587- 4to, in black letter. P. 7j h 10. the D. in a Sermon of his at Paules crosse.'] This sermon was preached in Whitsun-week, 1571j and printed, but without date, soon afterwards. P. 8, 1. 24. Like lips, like Lettice.] Nares, m his Glossary, in giving an authority for the use of this proverb, quotes, from Ray, the old Play of New Custome, " like lettuse like lippes, a scabd horse for a scald squire." It is from the Latin, similes habent labra lac- tucas, and is explained by Erasmus, Adagia, p. 644. P. 9, 1. 9. / vs.] i. e. Aye, us, &c. The use of / for aye was common with Avriters of this period. Instances are to be met with in Shakspeare, in the Mirror for Magistrates, m Drayton, Ben Jonson, and others. P. 10, 1. 2. the black Oxe liath troden on hisfoote.} A pi'overbial phi'ase, (says Nares,) meaning either to be worn with age or care. In the latter sense Bailey explains it. The following alludes to age : — " She was a pretie wench, when Juno was a young wife, now crowes foot is on her eye, and the black oxe hath troden on her foot.^'' — Lyly, Sappho and Phaon. Martin uses it evidently in the sense of care or anxiety. P. 13, 1. 17. Conner axiorne.'] In the MS. transci'ipt in the Har- leian Library, it is connex. To con is to study, according to Nares, and in this sense is used frequently by our old writers. It does not appear applicable in this case. P. 13,1.25. ka.] Quoth: see also p. 52, 1. 16. It is not in Nares. NOTES. 63 P. 15, 1. 20. fathermUlerly ; next line, bethout disshnblation.'] Familiai'ly ; without dissimulation. P. J7jl- 10. to begin his sermon.} The minister, of course, is understood. P. 18, 1. 26.] " The Harborowe for Faythful and Trewe Sub- iects" of Bishop Aylmer is a remarkable book, and, at the time it was written, [1559,] plain John Elmar was as much of a reformer as the wildest of his antagonists the Puritans, when he, some eighteen years afterwards, was elevated to the see of London. The quotations from that book which Martin has used, though not verbally correct, are in substance faithfully given in every instance, though, fi'om the want of pagination in Aylmer's work, it is no easy matter to trace them. P. 29, 1. 11. When they come to handigripes } In the "Har- borowe " it is handgripes, and, if I mistake not, the allusion is to the brutal amusement of single-stick or back- sword playing, once so common in the western counties, at races, fairs, and revels. A stage was usually erected, some five or six feet above the spec- tators, seconds chosen, a sword-stick, basket-hilted, was then placed in the hand of each of the two combatants, and he who first broke the head of his antagonist, and drew blood, was deemed the victor. P. 35 (marginal note), drecened.'] Threatened. To dreccen is a common expression in the West of England. P. 38, 1. 8. lohn of Excetor, &c.] Bishops Aylmer, Wolton, and Cooper. P. 41, 1. 7. He calues.} In the " Harborowe " these are cor- X'ectly separated by a comma. Kie are cows. The word is not in Nares. P. 42, 1. 7. but this lulia the Aiwstata.'] In the " Harborowe " it is Julian Apostata. P. 43, 1. 29. simph siginnes.] The meaning of this I do not understand ; its equivalent would be simj^letons. P. 44, 1. 29. part ofChvrch, &c.] parr in the original. P. 49, 1. 3. cesse.] Nares has this word as a verb, meaning to cease, in which sense it is explained by Minsheu, but it is inap- plicable here. P. 55, 1. 7. he is redd you hiow in the Legend of lies.] Although 64 NOTES. the marginal note attributes a book with this title to Bp. Aylmer, Martin probably meant nothing more than that the comedy of " Gammer Gurton's Needle," which was written by Dr. (after- wards Bishop) Still, was attributed to him ; all dramatic pieces probably being estimated by strict Puritans as Legends of lies. P. 55, 1. 17- Afruitfidl sermon.'] This " FruitfuU Sermon upon* the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8th verses of the 12th chapter of Romans," was printed by Waldegrave in 1584 : it is a small 12mo, in black letter. P. 57, 1. 7. rntill this yeare 1587-] " unto this yere 1589 " in the MS. In Martin Mar- Prelate's Epistle, page 5, line 25, occurs the word " suersvie ; " this, it has been suggested to me, should be suershie, a word of similar formation to rudesbie ; it is to be met with in Coriate's Crudities, vol. i. p. 42, and in Withal's Little Dictionai'y, p. 564 : " hee is old suresby,'' that is, one surely to be depended upon. THE END. LONDON : GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN's SQUARE.