An admonition to the Parliament

The .2. Article.

That the manner and order appointed by publique authoritie about the administration of the sacraments and common prayers, and that the apparell by suffici∣ent authoritie appointed for the ministers wythin the church of England, be not wicked nor against y^e word of God, but tollerable, and being commaunded for order and obedience sake, are to be vsed.

For the order of administration of Sacramentes and common prayer, enough is said before, all the ser∣uice and administration is tyed to a surplesse, in Ca∣thedrall

churches they must haue a coape, they receiue the Communion kneelyng, they vse not for the moste part common breadg 1.1 according to the word of god, and the statute,* 1.2 but starch bread accordyng to the In∣iunction. They commonly minister the Sacramentes wythout preaching the worde.

And as for the apparell,* 1.3 though we haue bene long borne in hande, and yet are, that it is for order and de∣cencie commaunded, & yet we know and haue proued that there is neither order, nor cumlines, nor obedience in vsing it. There is no order in it, but confusion: No ••••mlines, but deformitie: No obedience, but disobe∣dience, both against God and the Prince. We maruell that they could espie in their last Synode, that a gray Amise, which is but a garment of dignitie, shoulde be a garment (as they say) defyled with superstition, and yet that copes, caps, surplesses, tippe••s and suche lyke baggage, the preaching signes of popishe priesthode, the popes creatures, kept in y^• same forme to this end, to bryng dignitie and reuerence to the Ministers and Sacramentes, shoulde be retayned styll, and not abo∣lyshed: But they are as the garments of the Idole, to which we should say,* 1.4 auant and get thee hence. They are as the garments of Balamites, of popishe priests, enemies to God and all Christians. They serue not to edifycation, they haue the shewe of euyll (seeing the popish priesthode is euyll) they worke discorde, they hinder the preaching of the Gospel, they kepe the me∣morie of Egipt still amongst vs, and put vs in minde of that abominatiō whervnto they in times past haue serued, they bryng the ministerie into contempte, they offend the weake, they encourage the obstinate. Ther∣fore can no authoritie by the woord of God, with any pretence of order and obedience commaund them, nor make them in any wise tollerable, but by circumstan∣ces, they are wicked, and against the word of God.

If this be not playne enoughe by that whyche is already set forth, we mynde by Gods grace to make it

playner, and should doe it better, if it were as lawfull for vs (as for our aduersaryes) to publish our mindes in Printe. Neyther is the controuersie betwixt them and ••s as they wold beare the world in hand, as for a cap, a tippet, or a surplesse, but for great matters con∣cerning a true ministery and regiment of the churche, according to the word. Which things once established the other melt away of them selues. And yet consider I pray you, whether theyr owne argument dothe not choke them selues, for euen the verye name of trifles dothe plainly declare that they oughte not to be main∣tained in Christes church. And what shal our bishops win by it? Forsothe, that they be maintainers of tri∣fles, and trifling bishops, consuming the greatest part of theyr time in those trifles whereas they shoulde be better occupied. We striue for true religion & gouern∣ment of the churche, and shewe you the righte way to throw out Antichrist both head and taile, and that we will not so much as communicate with the taile of the beast: but they after they haue thrust Antichriste out by the head, go about to pull him in again by the taile, cunningly colouring it, least any man should espie his foote steppes, as Cacus did when he stole the Oxen, For if it might please her maiesty, by the aduise of you righte Honourable, in thys hyghe Courte of Parlia∣ment to heare vs by wryting or otherwise, to defende our selues, then (suche is the equitie of our cause) that we would trust to fynde fauor in her maiesties sight: then should appeare what slender stuffe they bring to defend themselues, that are so impudent by open wry∣ting to defend it: then those patched pamphlets made by suddaine vpstartes, and new conuerts, shoulde ap∣peare in their cullours, and truth haue the victory, and God the glory. If this can not be obtayned, we wyll by Gods grace addresse our selues to defend his truth by suffring, and willingly lay our heads to the blocke, and thys shall be cure peace, to haue quiet consciences with our God, whome we wyl abyde for, with al pa∣cience, vntill he worke our full deliuerance.

Notes

• g 1.1

  Act. 2. 46.
• * 1.2

  Act. 20. 7
• * 1.3

  Apparell.
• * 1.4

  h Esai. 30. 22. 1. Thes. 5. 22.