possess many in our times. They think it the true touchstone to try what is good and evil, by measuring what is more or less opposite to the institutions of the church of Rome, be it ceremony, be it policy, or government; yea, be it other institutions of greater weight, that is ever most perfect which is removed most degrees from that Church; and that is ever polluted and blemished, which participateth in any appearance with it. This is a subtile and dangerous conceit for men to entertain; apt to delude themselves, more apt to delude the people, and most apt of all to calumniate their adversaries. This surely, but that a notorious condemnation of that position was before our eyes, had long since brought us to the rebaptisation of children baptised according to the pretended catholic religion: for I see that which is a matter of much like reason, which is the re-ordaining of priests, is a matter already resolutely maintained. It is very meet that men beware how they be abused by this opinion; and that they know, that it is a consideration of much greater wisdom and sobriety to be well advised, whether in general demolition of the institutions of the church of Rome, there were not, as mens actions are imperfect, some good purged with the bad, rather than to purge the Church, as they pretend, every day anew; which is the way to make a wound in the bowels, as is already begun.

The fourth and last occasion of these controversies, a matter which did also trouble the Church in former times, is the partial affectation and imitation of foreign churches. For many of our men, during the time of persecution, and since, having been conversant in Churches abroad, and received a great impression of the form of government there ordained, have violently sought to intrude the same upon our Church. But I answer, Consentiamus in eo quod convenit, non in eo quod receptum est; let us agree in this, that every church do that which is convenient for the state of itself, and not in particular customs. Although their churches had received the better form, yet many times it is to be sought, non quod optimum, sed e bonis

quid pro.rimum; not that which is best, but of good things which is the best and readiest to be had. Our Church is not now to plant; it is settled and established. It may be, in civil states, a republic is a better policy than a kingdom: yet, God forbid that lawful kingdoms should be tied to innovate and make alterations. Qui mala introducit, voluntatem Dei oppugnat revelatam in verbo; qui nova introducit, voluntatem Dei oppugnat revelatam in rebus; he that bringeth in evil customs, resisteth the will of God revealed in his word; he that bringeth in new things, resisteth the will of God revealed in the things themselves. Consule providentiam Dei, cum verbo Dei; take counsel of the providence of God, as well as of his word. Neither yet do I admit that their form, although it were possible and convenient, is better than ours, if some abuses were taken away. The parity and equality of ministers is a thing of wonderful great confusion, and so is an ordinary government by synods, which doth necessarily ensue upon the other.

It is hard in all causes, but especially in religion, when voices shall be numbered and not weighed: Equidem, saith a wise father, ut vere quod res est scribam, prorsus decrevi fugere omnem conventum episcoporum; nullius enim concilii bonum exitum unquam vidi; concilia enim non minuunt mala, sed augent potius: "To say the truth, I am utterly de"termined never to come to any council of bishops: " for I never yet saw good end of any council; for "councils abate not ill things, but rather increase "them." Which is to be understood not so much of general councils, as of synods, gathered for the ordinary government of the Church. As for the deprivation of bishops, and such like causes, this mischief hath taught the use of archbishops, patriarchs, and primates; as the abuse of them since hath taught men to mislike them.

But it will be said, Look to the fruits of the churches abroad and ours. To which I say, that I beseech the Lord to multiply his blessings and graces upon those churches an hundred fold. But yet it is

not good, that we fall on the numbering of them; it, may be our peace hath made us more wanton: it may be also, though I would be loth to derogate from the honour of those churches, were it not to remove scandals, that their fruits are as torches in the dark, which appear greatest afar off. I know they may have some strict orders for the repressing of sundry excesses: but when I consider of the censures of some persons, as well upon particular men as upon churches, I think on the saying of a Platonist, who saith, Certe vitia irascibilis partis anime sunt gradu praviora, quam concupiscibilis, tametsi occultiora; a matter that appeared much by the ancient contentions of bishops. God grant that we may contend with other churches, as the vine with the olive, which of us shall bear the best fruit; and not as the brier with the thistle, which of us is most unprofitable.

And thus. much touching the occasions of these controversies.

Now, briefly to set down the growth and progres-, sion of the controversies; whereby will be verified the saying of Solomon, that the course of contention is to be stopped at the first; being else as the waters,which if they gain a breach, it will hardly ever be recovered. It may be remembered, that on that part, which, calls for reformation, was first propounded some dislike of certain ceremonies supposed to be superstitious;, some complaint of dumb ministers who possess rich benefices; and some invectives against the idle and monastical continuance within the universities, by those who had livings to be resident upon; and such like abuses. Thence they went on to condemn the government of bishops as an hierarchy remaining to us of the corruptions of the Roman church, and to except to sundry institutions in the Church, as not sufficiently delivered from the pollutions of former times. And lastly, they are advanced to define of an only and perpetual form of policy in the Church; which, without consideration of possibility, and foresight of peril, and perturbation of the Church and State, must be erected and planted by the magistrate. Here they stay. Others, not able to keep footing in so steep ground,

descend farther; That the same must be entered into and accepted of the people, at their peril, without the attending of the establishment of authority. And so in the mean time they refuse to communicate with us, reputing us to have no Church. This has been the progression of that side: I mean of the generality. For, I know, some persons, being of the nature, not only to love extremities, but also to fall to them without degrees, were at the highest strain at the first.

The other part, which maintaineth the present government of the Church, hath not kept one tenor neither. First, those ceremonies which were pretended to be corrupt, they maintained to be things indifferent, and opposed the examples of the good times of the Church to that challenge which was made unto them, because they were used in the later superstitious times. Then were they also content mildly to acknowledge many imperfections in the Church: as tares come up amongst the corn; which yet, according to the wisdom taught by our Saviour, were not with strife to be pulled up, lest it might spoil and supplant the good corn, but to grow on together till the harvest. After, they grew to a more absolute defence and maintenance of all the orders of the Church, and stiffly to hold, that nothing was to be innovated; partly because it needed not, partly because it would make a breach upon the rest. Hence, exasperated through contentions, they are fallen to a direct condemnation of the contrary part, as of a sect. Yea, and some indiscreet persons have been bold in open preaching to use dishonourable and derogatory speech and censure of the churches abroad; and that so far, as some of our men, as I have heard, ordained in foreign parts, have been pronounced to be no lawful ministers. Thus we see the beginnings were modest, but the extremes are violent; so as there is almost as great a distance now of either side from itself, as was at the first of one from the other. And surely, though my mean. ing and scope be not, as I said before, to enter into the controversies themselves, yet I do admonish the maintainers of the alone discipline, to weigh and con

sider seriously and attentively, how near they are unto them, with whom, I know, they will not join. It is very hard to affirm, that the discipline, which they say we want, is one of the essential parts of the worship of God; and not to affirm withal, that the people themselves, upon peril of salvation, without staying for the magistrate, are to gather themselves into it. demand, If a civil state should receive the preaching of the word and baptism, and interdict and exclude the sacrament of the Lord's supper, were not men bound upon danger of their souls to draw themselves to congregations, wherein they might celebrate this mystery, and not to content themselves with that part of God's worship which the magistrate had authorised? This I speak, not to draw them into the mislike of others, but into a more deep consideration of themselves: Fortasse non redeunt, quia suum progressum non intelligunt.

Again, to my lords the bishops I say, that it is hard for them to avoid blame, in the opinion of an indifferent person, in standing so precisely upon altering nothing: leges, novis legibus non recreate, acescunt; laws, not refreshed with new laws, wax sour. Qui mala non permutat, in bonis non perseverat: without change of ill, a man cannot continue the good. To take away many abuses, supplanteth not good orders, but establisheth them. Morosa moris retentio, res turbulenta est, æque ac novitas; a contentious retaining of custom is a turbulent thing, as well as innovation. A good husband is ever pruning in his vineyard or his field; not unseasonably, indeed, not unskilfully, but lightly; he findeth ever somewhat to do. We have heard of no offers of the bishops of bills in parliament; which, no doubt, proceeding from them to whom it properly belongeth, would have every where received acceptation. Their own constitutions and orders have reformed thein little. nothing amiss? Can any man defend the use of excommunication as a base process to lackey up and down for duties and fees; it being a precursory judgment of the latter day?

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