I haue here onely set downe M. Martyrs words to shew that I might as iustly bring in a fit and profitable signification of the apparell, as the authors of the Admonition doe of sitting at the communion. I dyd not allow their signification of sitting, neyther doe I approue any suche signification of Apparell: but yet you will gyue me leaue to set the one agaynste the other, and to shewe that I mighte aswell doe the one as they doe the other.
You peruert Master Martyrs wordes: for he sayth that for as muche as Angels ap∣peared* 1.1 in white apparell, and the Ministers of the Churche be Angels and Gods messen∣gers, therefore the Churche maye appoynt to hir Ministers suche apparell in signification of their office. Which you doe not answere, but range vp and downe at your plea∣sure like vnto a spaniell not taughte to followe his game. M. Martyr doth not say that the apparell is a signe of purenesse that is in the Minister: and therefore all this that you* 1.2 write in confuting of that, myght haue bene cutte off, and very well spared. But if Master Martyr shoulde haue sayde that it maye be a signe of the purenesse that oughte to be in Ministers, you are to séeke for an answere as yet. Christ beyng puritie it selfe néeded nothyng to put hym in mynde thereof, but man beyng impure may haue externall instrumentes to byd hym (as it were) remember what he ought to be. I thinke that seuerall kyndes of habites be appoynted to men of diuerse degrées and calling, partly for that purpose: and if a man in graue apparell vse hymselfe light∣ly or wantonly, we vse commonly to saye suche behauiour becommeth not that ap∣parell, meanyng that hys habite and apparell oughte to put him in mynde of mode∣stie and grauitie: and thys doth argue that euen méere ciuill things maye haue signi∣fications, whiche ouerthroweth an other argument of yours, whereby you woulde proue that the apparell muste of necessitie be an ecclesiasticall ceremonie, bycause there is attributed vnto it some signification. Whether it be a matter meare ciuill, or meare Ecclesiasticall, or mixt of both, is not now the questiō, neither yet whether the Church may be confounded wyth the common wealth or no, and therfore I will not here deale with anye of them, leaste I shoulde confounde both the matter, and the Reader: onely I speake of your argument, whiche is confuted by common vsage: for seuerall ha∣bites in the vniuersities signifie seuerall degrées in learnyng: seuerall kynde of ap∣parell, seuerall callings and functions in the common wealthe: and thys apparell doth put euerie man in mynde of hys duetie, and yet they are not longer to be retei∣ned than the Magistrate and the lawes doe permitte: but are alterable accordyng to tymes, places, and persons: No man sayth that there is vertue in such garmentes or power to worke godlynesse, and therefore your pretie iestes builded vpon that ground are vayne and toyish, and your topicall place not rightly vnderstanded: for it is ment of such things, quae per se aliquid faciunt.
Euery thing that signifieth any thing is not a sacrament, for then were Matrimonie asacrament, and so were laying on of hands, and such like.
The Papistes vsed vnlawfull signes, and attributed vnto them life and death, for they made them necessarie to saluation.
Images whether they be grauen, paynted or wouen, are agaynste the expresse com∣maundement of God, and therefore these be vnapte similitudes, neyther woulde you haue vsed them, if you had well considered M. Martyrs wordes.
The same I answere to your allegation of holy water and holy bread, they be pseudoa∣diaphora, and haue annexed vnto them opinion of saluation and of worship: all which we vtterly remoue from these orders.