The Scripture hath not determined what forme is to be vs〈1 line〉〈1 line〉d in matrimonie, what words, what prayers, what exhortations.
The Scripture speaketh not one worde of standing, sitting or kne∣ling at the Communion, of meeting in Churches, fieldes, or houses, to heare the word of God: of preaching in pulpets, chaires, or other∣wise: of Baptising in fontes, in basons, or riuers: openly or priuate∣ly, at home, or in the Church, euery day in the weeke, or on the Sa∣baoth day only. And yet no man (as I suppose) is so simple to thinke that the Church hath no authoritie to take order in these matters.
T. C. Pag. 15. Sect. vlt. & Pag. 16. Sect. 1.
But whyle you goe about to seeme to say muche, and rake vp a great number of things, you haue made very euill meslyn, and you haue put, in one, things which are not paires nor matches. Bycause I will not drawe the Reader willingly into more questions than are alreadie put vp, I will not stande to dispute, whether the Lordes day (which we call Sonday) being the day of the Resurrection of our Sauior Christ, and so the day wherin the world was renued: as the Iewes Sabboth was the day wherin the world was finished, and being in all the Churches in the Apo∣stles tymes (as it seemeth) vsed for the day of the rest and seruing of God, ought or may be chan∣ged or no. This one thing I may say, that there was no great indgement to make it as arbi∣trarie and chaungeable, as the houre and the place of prayer. But where was pour iudgement, when you wrote that the scripture hath appointed no discipline nor correction for such as shal con∣temne the common prayers, and hearing the word of God? what Church discipline would you haue other than admonitions reprehensions, and if these will not profit excommunication? and are they not appointed of our Sauiour Christ Math. 18? There are also ciuill punishments, and pu∣nishments of the body likewise appointed by the worde of God in diuers places in the. 22. of Exodus. He that sacrificeth to other gods, & not to the Lord, alone, shal die the death. And in ye 19. of Deutronomie. Thou shalte turne out the euill out of the middest of thee, that the rest may 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉eare and feare, and not dare do the lyke. The execution of this lawe appeareth in the 15. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. 2. Chro. by king Aza, who made alawe that al those that did not seeke the Lord, should be killed. And thus you see the ciuill punishment of contemners of the worde and prayers.
There are other for suche as neglect the worde, whiche are according to the quantitie of the faulte: so that whether you meane ciuill or Ecciesiasticall correction, the scripture hath defined of them bothe.
Io. Whitgifte.
Out of all these things whiche I saye the Scripture hath not prescribed or ap∣pointed, you choose to carpe at first, The Lordes daye, whiche we call Sonday, and you saye, that you will not dispute whether it ought or may be changed or no: when as you should rather haue proued it, to be appointed by the scriptures (which no doubt you would haue done if you coulde) for that is it whych I denye. Where haue you hearde mée say, that it may or ought to bée altered? if you will confute, confute that whyche I haue sette downe and affirme, not that whiche it pleaseth you to imagine.
In good sooth, this is no true dealyng. No maruell it is that you haue not sette downe my booke, séeing you deale thus corruptely with it. I doe not thinke that that whiche the Churche hath once determined, and by long continuance proued to be necessarie, ought to be altered, without great and especiall consideration. I saye with Sainct Augustin Epist. 118. ad Ianuar. If any thyng be vniuersallye obserued of the whole Churche, not to obserue that, or to call it into question, is meere madnesse, ther∣fore, seing that it hath had suche time of continuaunce, that it was for so good and iuste causes appoynted, and is so generallye obserued of the Churche, I doe not thynke it nowe arbitrarie, nor to be chaunged: muche lesse doe I make it as arbitra∣rie or chaungeable as the place and houre of prayer, whiche may be diuers in diuers chur∣ches, and it is among those rites and orders that be diuersly obserued in diuers pla∣ces, wherof also August. maketh mention in that Epistle. Surely as there had bene little iudgement in me, if I had made it chaungeable, so is there small honestie in you to alter my wordes, and to falsifie my meaning.