But what if the estate of the Church be suche, as you speake of, that it will scarce yeeld three preaching Pastors and Bishops in some Diocesse, may you therfore make reading ministers? In deed if the Apostle had made this a councell only, and no commaundement, that Pastors of chur∣ches should be able to teache, then your saying might haue bene borne.
But seyng that S. Paule hath commaunded expressedly, that he should be able to teache, and* 1.1 to conuince the gaynsayers, I would learne of you gladly, what necessitie there is, whiche can* 1.2 cause a man to breake the morall law of God, to bring in a tradition of man. You may as wel break any other commaundement of God for necessities sake, as breake this, being comprehended in the fyrst table.
And tosay that these that can only reade, must be tolerated in the Church as ministers, is to say bycause you can haue no Pastors in the Churches, you will haue idolls, for so will I not doubt to call them, although through ignorance of that whiche they do, some may be good men. But yet in respect of the place that they occupie, they are idolls, for they stand for that, and make shew of that whiche they are not, and admit you them as often as you will, the Lorde pronounceth that they shall be no ministers to him, which haue no *knowledge.* 1.3
But let vs heare your reason (a) 1.4 there must be reading in the church, therfore there must be mi∣nisters, whiche can doe nothing else. Then we may reason thus to. There muste be breaking of bread, and distributyng of the cuppe in the Church, and pouring on water, therfore whosoeuer is able to breake aloafe of bread, or to lift a cup of wine, or to poure on water on the bodye of the chylde, may be made a minister.
And did you neuer reade, yt there were readers in the Church, when there were no reading mi∣nisters? But of that of reading of the scriptures & prayers in the Church there wyll be a fitter place to speake afterward, where it shal be shewed how vniustly you surmise these things of them▪
Touching Homilies shal be spoken more hereafter, where further occasion is giuen.
Sainct Paule. 1. Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. sheweth what qualities a Bishop or a Pastor ought to haue: but he doth not say, that if none can be founde, or not a sufficient num∣ber, in whome all these qualities do concurre, that then the Church shal rather be de∣stitute of ministers, than haue suche: for there were in his time that swarued from this rule, and yet was he glad they preached.
Of the ministers of this Churche of England, though diuerse be ignorant, yet inaye they by studye and diligente readyng of the Scriptures, Catechismes, Ho∣milies, and other godlie and necessarie bookes so profyte in knoweledge, that al∣thoughe they bée not able publikely to preache, yet maye they bée able priuately to exhorte, aud otherwyse also by Readyng the Scriptures and Homilies, accor∣ding to the order appoynted, greately profyte the people of God. But what should I contende with you in this matter? Thys Churche of Englande in this poynt professeth nothing, that is not allowed by the generall Confession of the Churches in Heluetia, from the whiche I thinke you will not dissente. That Confession as I tolde you before, hathe these woordes:
VVe condemne all vnmete ministers, not indued with giftes necessarie for a shepheard* 1.5 that should feed his flock: howbeit we acknowledge that the harmlesse simplicitie of some shepheardes in the olde churche, did sometimes more profite the churche, than the greate exquisite, and fine or delicate, but a little to proude learning of some others. VVherfore we reiect not nowadays the good simplicitie of certain, so that they bee not altogether vnskil∣full of God and his worde. There is nothing in that. 6. of Ozee that serueth your turne. You say, that I reason thus: There muste bee readyng in the Churche, therefore there muste bee Ministers that can doe nothyng else. You knowe what is wryt∣ten Sapi. 1. Os quod mentitur. &c. The mouthe that speaketh lyes, slayeth the