Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

The Fifth Answer.

xiii.

What if this order of ministering and common prayer was not agreed on by the universal church in general council? Is it not good therefore? Then is neither their Latin portus, nor missal and mass-book good; for the general church never allowed them, as I declared afore. It is free for all countries to differ in outward order of prayer and ceremonies, so that they agree in substance of doctrine with the scripture. But the laity, he says, has nothing ado with spiritual matters and religion, and alleges the Acts of the Apostles: how will he prove that none Acts xv. of the elders there were of the laity, nor none of the multitude in the choosing of the deacons? Unto it be well proved, it may well be doubted on. As in other things, so in this, he shews himself, how learned he is. When the law of God was neglected in the days of Saul, David coming to be king, and moved with love of religion, calls all the nobility and worship of the realm together, thirty thousand, and also the Levites and priests, to 1 Chron. know their minds, whether they would bring home the ark of 2 Sam. vi. God, and restore the religion decayed, or no? And they answered all, "Yea." What a great parliament was this, and full of the laity, to determine for receiving of religion! Josaphat, 2 Chron. Ezechias, and Josias, good kings, sent their visiters abroad xvii. through the realm, joining in commission from the king noblemen of the laity, to go in visitation with the Levites. Legenda In Wilfrido. Sanctorum tells, how king Oswi called a synod at Whitby, for taking away that diversity of keeping Easter which was here in the realm, when some kept it in the full moon, what day of the week soever it fell on, other only on the Sunday following: wherein appears the authority that the king justly claims to himself in religion, even in that blind age, when he calls the learned men together to dispute on it, hears what they can say, and concludes so the matter himself that all other did follow his sentence.

[ Facta est itaque synodus in monasterio Hildæ abbatissæ apud Streneshalch, quod modo Whiteby vocatur, ubi quæstio ventilari deberet et terminari; ubi convenerunt reges Oswi et filius ejus Alfredus, Ailbertus episcopus cum beato Wilfrido. * Habito autem silentio rex Oswi tali modo loquutus est: "Hactenus, patres venerandi, scisma, &c. • Ea re in hanc me sententiam ipsa rationis necessitas potissimum duxit, quatenus utriusque partis defensores una venire jussio nostra constringeret, &c." Nova Legenda Angliæ. fo. ccc. ccci. Lond. 1516. ED.]

[PILKINGTON.]

40

xxx. xxxiv.

1 Chron. xxiii.

John Gerson and Panormitanus, as I alleged afore', no new protestants, but ancient catholics, and both being present in the last councils at Constance and Basil, said they would rather believe a poor simple learned layman that brings and alleges the holy scripture, than all the whole council having no scripture for them. God's truth is not bound to mitres, bishops and priests alone; but laymen may have, and oft have, better the true understanding of it, than those that look highest in the clergy: and therefore they are to be believed and heard, as well as the priests. Did not king David, no priest, set in order the Levites, how they should resort in course to serve in the tabernacle, made the psalms, appointed them, how, where and when they should be sung? Ezechias and Josias pulled down the brazen serpent and other images. Acts xviii. Did not Priscilla and Aquila teach Apollo the mysteries of the scripture? By these, I trust, it appears that laymen may do something in religion. If these may not serve, look the statutes of Queen Mary, how she takes away one religion, and brings in another: and there is no more done now. How blind be they in their own causes, and partial to themselves!

But it was never heard of, he says, that the laity in any country presumed to set forth a religion against the whole consent of the clergy, afore the last parliament. O proud brag! Was all the clergy of the realm contained in a few horned popish bishops! Was there no clergy in the university, nor other parts of the realm, beside those few bishops? Did not many in the university and abroad in the realm use this service openly and commonly in their churches, afore it was received or enacted by parliament? Because the rulers, the scribes, and all the priests, Acts iv. forbad the apostles in their parliament and council, that they should not preach Christ any more, were not the apostles therefore of the clergy, or was not their doctrine good, because it was condemned in that wicked council? Was there not a disputation for religion appointed by the queen's majesty, wherein your clergy was afraid to utter their foolishness in defending their superstition, lest they had taken more shame in answering

[See p. 532. ED.]

[Both here and in the next line Strype, (who quotes this passage, Annals, Vol. 1. p. 202. Oxford, 1824.) reads universities. The old edition of Pilkington has universitie. ED.]

than they did in holding their peace, which well they could not? I think the universities, with so many places of the realm receiving religion, and these other disputing for it, may be counted to be some part of the clergy of the realm; and so it was not received without consent of the clergy. But these were not of the parliament: what then? Is religion to be determined no where but in parliament? He is wont to say, and did afore, in universities and councils. To make a religion, as he terms it, no man has authority, (for that belongs to God alone;) but to restore pure religion, which has been defaced by superstition, princes in their countries ought to do, though their prelates be against it. Did not king Joas command the priests to restore the temple, and first ordained the poor man's chest in the church? Did not Nabuchodonozor and Darius make proclamation through all their countries, without and against the consent of their priests, that all people should worship Daniel's God? Though there was not a perfect order then set forth by them to do it in, yet it was much for heathen princes to do so, and it teaches christian princes how to do in the like case. But as Joas, Josaphat, Ezechias and Josias did not make a new religion, but restore that which afore was defaced and had long lien buried; so our parliament did not set forth a new religion, but restore that which was godly, begun under good king Edward, confirmed by the parliament and the clergy then, but suddenly by violence trodden under feet by bloody papists a little after.

Yet all this satisfies not them; for nothing can be concluded as a law by parliament, say they, without consent of the clergy there present; but this, having not their consent, cannot be counted a law, as they think. I had rather leave this to be answered by the lawyers than otherwise, because it is a mere temporal case to dispute on, and concerns their profession: yet that the world may see that something may be said in it, we grant him not this to be true, that no law at all can be made without consent of the bishops. Look your old statutes of parliament, when bishops were highest, afore Edward III. and ye shall read that they passed by the consent of the lords temporal and commons, without any mention of the lords

[For an account of this disputation, see Strype, Annals, Vol. 1. chap. iv. p. 128, &c. ED.]

spiritual; which statutes many of them stand in strength at this day. Then it may well be gathered, that the consent of the clergy was not always so necessary as they think it.

If it be so strong a reason, as he thinks it to be, to have consent of the bishops, I will prove by the same reason, that it is as necessary to have abbots of the parliament: for they were present of old time, and their consent was required as well as the bishops', and but of late years they were put off the parliament, and it is not long since the convocation house was separate from the parliament too. The lawyers, judges and justices, put in practice and execute these laws: therefore their doings may be a sufficient reason to lead the unlearned, what opinion they have of these statutes for religion, except justice Rascal, first executing them and after running away, may condemn the rest, which I trust he may not. I think they would not execute them, except they had the strength and nature of laws if they do contrary to their knowledge and opinion, they cannot be able to answer their doings. But I think no wise men are of this opinion; only these corner-creepers that dare not shew their face, and would deceive the people, go about thus to deface all good and godly order that displeases them. In the days of blessed king Edward, they had the like fond opinion, that a king could not make laws in his minority until he come to full age: but this and that was only to hinder religion, and to make the people disobey their prince: yet God has, and I trust will confound all such wicked devices.

Cyprian's words are not truly alleged; and if they were, what do they make against us? How could Cyprian write against our order, which he never knew, being found of so late years as they say? And he does not mean them that differed in outward order of prayer, but that swerved from the substance and verity taught in the scriptures. In ceremonies he himself differed from other countries, and every country almost from others, as I declared afore: and the bishops which he speaks of, are as like our popish prelates as William Fletcher and the sweet rode. The prophet's words may all be turned against him and his, so wisely he applies them.

VI. Whether they be in schism that minister no sacrament, but only instead of divine service read chapters and psalms, &c. afore the people?

To read afore the people, instead of divine service, psalms and chapters, or other such like, being not appointed by the universal consent of the church of God, but against the decrees of the church, must needs be schismatical, and they in schism that do it. For as the two sons of Aaron Lev. x. were stricken with sudden death, because they offered up strange fire, which was not appointed to them by Moses and Aaron; even so do they offend that will, instead of matins and evensong and other divine service appointed by the church, read psalms and chapters and such like, not appointed by the catholic bishops lawfully consecrated. For our Saviour says in the gospel: "He that will not hear and obey the church," Matt. xviii. that is to say, the bishops, "take him as an infidel." And St Clement does say in an epistle that he writes to St James: "By the judgment of God they shall suffer everlasting torment in the fire of hell, that neglect the decrees of the church1." Therefore the holy martyr, St Cyprian, does say: "He that has not defiled his hands with these wicked sacraments, and has polluted his conscience otherwise, let him not comfort himself that he needs to do no penance: for he has broken his profession and canonical obedience, that he made to the bishops when he was made priest." Also, this decree was made in the canons of the apostles: Si quis clericus aut laicus synagogam Judæorum aut conventiculum hæreticorum ingressus fuerit, ut preces cum illis conjungat, deponatur3: that is, "If any of the clergy or laity shall enter into the synagogue of the Jews, or the company of the heretics, to say prayers with him [them,] let him be deposed."

The Sixth Answer.

The cuckoo has but one song, and that is unpleasant: no more has this cokewold maker but one foolish false principle to ground his sayings on; that is, the Romish church. I said afore, (and no man is able to improve it,) that the universal church never made any one order of service to be used through the whole world, but every country has and may have divers without

[1 Hæc ergo præcepta nemo credat absque sui periculo negligere vel dissimulare, quia in judicio Dei ignis æterni tormenta sustinebit, qui ecclesiastica decreta neglexerit. Clemens Rom. Epist. ad Jacob. Concil. Tom. I. p. 104. Paris. 1644. But the epistle is considered spurious. ED.]

[ Nec sibi, quo minus agant pœnitentiam, blandiantur, qui etsi nefandis sacrificiis manus non contaminaverunt, libellis tamen conscientiam polluerunt. *** Minus plane peccaverit non videndo idola, nec sub oculis circumstantis atque insultantis populi sanctitatem fidei profanando, non polluendo manus suas funestis sacrificiis, nec sceleratis cibis ora maculando: hoc eo proficit, ut sit minor culpa, non ut innocens conscientia. Cyprian. De Lapsis, p. 95, 96. Oxon. 1700. ED.]

[ Concil. Tom. 1. p. 22. Canon 63. ED.]

[Improve disprove. ED.]

« PoprzedniaDalej »