The Epistle of T. C. Sect. 10.
And last of all, that as, if they had not listned vnto those simple persons, the one had perished in his leprosie, the other had bin slayne, with hir familie: euen so, if they shall for any worldly respect of honoure, riches, or feare of being accounted, either vnaduised in taking this course, or light, or in∣constant, in forsaking it, stop their cares against this louing admonition of the Lord, they prouoke his anger, not against their health, or against their life, but against their owne soules, by exercising of vnlawfull authoritie, and by taking vnto them partly such things, as belong by no meanes vnto the Church, and partly which are common vnto them, with the whole Churche, or else with other the ministers, and gouernours of the same: whereof I beseeche them humbly to take the better heede, for that the iudgement of the Lord will be vpon a great part of them, by so much the heaui∣er, by how much, they haue not only beleeued the Gospell, but also haue receiued this grace of god, that they should suffer for it. So that if they will neither take example of diuers their superiours the nobles of this realme, nor be admonished by vs, of the lower sorte (wherein we hope better of them) yet they woulde remember their former tunes, and correct themselues, by themselues, and seing they haue bin content, for the Gospels sake to quit the necessarie things of this life, they wold not thinke much, for the discipline, which is no small part of the Gospell (hauing both things ne∣cessary and commodious) to part from that, which is not only in them superfluous, and hath no∣thing but a vaine ostentation (which wil vanish as the shadow) but also is hurtfull vnto them, and pernicious vnto the Church, which thing I do more largely, and plainly lay foorth in this Booke.
Io. Whitgifte.
Surely if they do for any suche respects refuse any admonition giuen vnto them, for the auoyding of such things as be vnlawfull, and as they vniustly retaine, then no doubt they are worthy of great reprehension: but if your Admonition be not louing, but spitefull, not brotherly, but vnchristian, nay no Admonition in déede, but a very scolding and vncharitable rayling, if the thinges you would haue them forsake, bée bothe lawfull and conueniente for them to vse, and contrariwise the things that you moue them vnto, tend to confusion, and ouerthrow of the Gospell, and of the state (as they do) then truly haue they to consider of such disturbers of the peace of the Church, and according to their office and duty prouide a conueniente remedy for them: kno∣wing that it is the extreame refuge of Satan, when by other meanes he cannot, then to séeke the ouerthrow of the Gospell, thorow contention about externall things.