You haue omitted diuers things in the woordes of these learned menne, where∣vnto you haue not answered one woorde, as the Reader by conference maye per∣ceyue: and here you haue also willyngly passed ouer that whiche toucheth you somethyng pinchingly, in these woordes of M. Bullinger, and M. Gualter, scil. And if so bee thorough the importunate crying out hereon before the people. &c.
If to preache the truthe of the right vse of these Ceremonies be not so conueni∣ent,* 1.1 bycause the Pastors haue so many necessarie poyntes. &c. how commeth it to passe that you and your partakers haue so pestered your sermons and bookes therewith, and so long tyme taught the people nothyng else, but contempte of all good order and obe∣dience in suche matters, and haue stirred them vp against the true preachers of the Gospell, and agaynst their Magistrates and rulers for the selfe same thyng? Is it not as conuenient for vs to roote out of the peoples myndes errours touchyng things indifferent, as it is for you to ingrafte them? or is not the doctrine of the true and lawfull vse of indifferent things, of due obedience towardes lawes and Magistrates a necessarie doctrine?
Where as you say, it is absurde, that Ceremonies whiche oughte to be helpers to pro∣mote* 1.2 the doctrine, shoulde become lettes and hinderances. &c. I will not saye you speake ab∣surdly, but vndoubtedly you speake vnaduisedly. For will you haue things indiffe∣rent abrogated so soone as they be abused, 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉east they should becom lets & hinderances, whi∣lest the minister is occupied in teaching. &c. then take awaye tythes, landes, meates. &c. The abuse wherof must of necessitie oftentymes be reprehended in sermons, and the true vse taughte: and make all thinges common, that the preachers in their ser∣mons maye be occupied aboute greate matters. Doe you not sée that doctrine of thinges indifferente is necessarie? vnderstande you not that the taking awaye of the thinges from the eyes, dothe not by and by roote the opinion out of the hearte? Thynges abused muste not alwayes bée taken away when they are abused, but the right vse must be taught, and the abuse reproued.
The chylde when he hath discretion, and is able to be instructed, though he some∣tyme hurte hymselfe with the knyfe, yet must not the same be altogether taken from him, but he muste be rebuked for vsyng it so vndiscretely, and taughte to vse it better. Shall the ryche and costely apparell be taken from Princes, nobles, and men & wo∣men of estate, and they brought to a popularitie therin, bycause there is great abuse oftentymes in such apparell, and many prouocations to euill? No truly: but suche kyndes of abuses are to bée by the worde of God reproued. Neyther dothe suche instructions and doctrine in matters indifferente hynder preachers from weigh∣tyer matters. Why didde the Apostles make theyr decree of absteyning à suffocato & sanguine, from that that is strangled, and bloud? or Sainct Paul, of praying bare headed or* 1.3 couered? 1. Corinth. II. Whych thyngs afterward myght growe to abuse, if they had not thought the doctrine of ceremonies to be conuenient.