... how great an evill it is,
Gods preachers to disguise.
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The Preacher is a messanger,
sent from no worldely wight:
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... [St Paule] Let all things be done to edifie withall. Ifthe using of the outwarde & ministring garments of the popes church, cannot now edifie the church of Christ, then doe they cease to be so indifferent that we may use them. ... First, the simple christians (...) are by these things so grieved, when they see us receive them, that they sorrowe & mourne in theyr heartes. And such amongst them as be not altogether so strong ... those are by us beaten back to superstition, from which they were before making hast to flye. And unlesse God doe by his spyrite stay them: they shall by oure example in revolting to those thinges, which we have taught to be superfluous and superstitious, take occasion to thinke that ther is no truth in any thing that we have taught, and so cleave to that false religion, wherof these indifferent thinges are reliques and remnaunts, and utterly forsake the true religion of Christ, that by oure labour and travaile began to take roote in them.
And when we have thus sinned against the brethren, and wounded their weake consciences, and so sinne against Christ: what may wee looke for, but that heavie cursse, [of a stumbling block] ... Secondly, the blinde, stubborne, and obstinate papistes (...) that by our receivyng of these things be encouraged, not only to continue in ignoraunace, superstition and errour, but also to encrease the same, …
... These places of scriptures doe move us to flye from al suche thinges, as have bene brought into the church of christ, eyther contrary or besides the worde of God. And to embrace & use those things onely, whcih are commaunded or have good grounde in the holy worde of God. …
... But what is all this to the purpose? (say some) [refusing the surplice] The things that you refuse are suche as God hath neither commaunded nor forbidden: and therfore Princes have auctoritie over them to commaunde them, eyther to be used, or not to be used. In refusing therefore, to use them a the commaundement of ye Prince ye do not onely resist the ordinaunce of God your selves, but ye doe also fall into that inconvenience, which ye woulde so faine seeme to be moste afrayde of. That is, ye be made stumbling stockes to the simple Subiects, who seeing your disobedience, are encouraged to thing, that it is none offence at all to disobey a prince. ...
To this we muste aunswere thus: the things that we doe refuse, are such as God neyther hath commaunded nor forbidden, otheriwse than in the use and abuse of them. And therefore, Princes have no auctoritie either to commaunde or forbidde them otherwise than so. For this is the power, that God hath gyven to princes, to see his commaundements executed, to punishe suche as breake the, and to defende those that keepe them. ...
And if the Prince shall take in hande to commaunde us to doe anye of those things whcih GOd hath not commaunded, in such sort that we maye not leave them undone, unlesse we wil therby runne into the penaltie of the law (...) we muste then refuse to doe the thing commaunded by the Prince, and humbly submit our selves to suffer the penaltie, but in any case not consent to enfringe the Christian libertye, wich is to use things indifferent, to edification and not to destruction. …
... As touching the ministering garmentes that are nowe enforced: how unmeete it is that we shoulde now admit them, shall easely appeare to all that will consider, whence they first came, howe they have bene used, what opinion men have had, and have in them, and what shall happen unto us if we shall nowe receyve them.
For the first, they are partly Jewishe, and partly heathenishe. For the Jewes, bicause they were a people muche gyven to have a sensible gods service, had many goodly glittering things prescribed them, to stay them from receiving of those things that ye heathen nations from amongst whome they came, and that dwelt rounde aboute them, ...
Some parte of the Popes ministring garments were heathenish, as is the Surplesse, the Tunicles, the Chesible and Cope. and Some mixt of both, as is the Albe, or whyte linnen garment, wherein the Priest useth to say his Masse.
It appeareth by Glossa Ordinaria upon Ezechiell, that the Egiptian priests used a white linnen garment in their sacrifices. ...
... Of this linnen garment Durandus in his thirde booke entituled, Rationale Divinorum, saith, that of necessitie it must be hand in all holy ministration. His wordes be these: Vestis linea, qua quibuslibet servitiis altaris & sacrorum vacantes, super vestes communes uti debent.
A linnen garment, which all such as be appointed to any manner of services of ye Altare and holy thins, ought to weare upon their common garmentes. …
... The Sorcerers and Coniurers also, can neyther have the instruments yt they work with, nor use them, when they have them: but they muste have some helpe of some of these thinges. ...
If there were no more in us therefore, but a desire, not to seeme to be Idolatours, Sorcerers, or coniurers, it were ynough to move us to refuse to admit the ministring garmentes of the popes church. But there is more to move us. For we see what opinion men have had, and have stul in them: and what shall happen unto use, if we shall nowe receyve them.
The blinde and obstinate papists suppose, that without these thigns no holinesse can be in ought that we do: and therefore they wil not be partakers with us in any thing.
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... We have taught that the popishe masse is Idolatrie, that all the popes holy creatures, as his waxe, his ashes, his palme, his fyre, his holywater, & other his holy things made holy by his coniurations, are derogations to Christes glory, & therefore to be refused of all Christians: and shall it not be as meet for us now to flye in lyke maner fomr the use of those garments that they taught to be so necessarie in their coniurations?
Surely we can not be persuaded, but it is as great an evill for us, now to weare in our Ministration anye of those coniuring garments, as it is for any of them that doe knowe what these coniured things are, to be partakers of them. ...
For if we, that have by doctrine proved these things to be superfluous, & in the abuse of them superstitions, shall nowe receive them our selves, and so in doing (...) affirme them to be necessary?
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