The second and last part of Reasons for refusall of subscription to the Booke of common prayer vnder the hands of certaine ministers of Deuon. and Cornwall, as they were exhibited by them to the right Reuerend Father in God William Cotton Doctor of Diuinitie, and Lord Bishop of Exceter. As also an appendix, or compendious briefe of all other exceptions taken by others against the bookes of communion, homilies, and ordination, word for word, as it came to the hands of an honorable personage. VVith an ansvvere to both at seuerall times returned them in publike conference, and in diuerse sermons vpon occasion preached in the cathedrall church of Exceter by Thomas Hutton Bachiler of Diuinitie, and fellow of S. Iohns Colledge in Oxon.

If not to be able to preach make a man a dumb dog, the doubt is bo•••• that ordinatiō may be good, which setteth apart such ones to the work of the ministrie.

This frame of words fée••••eth to take many things for gra••∣ted, as that a man not able to preach is a dumb dog, and that such a one his ordination is not good. The first of which propo∣sitions needeth explication, the second requireth farder proof, thē onelie a bare affection. In the first wee doubt what is meant by preaching, secondlie who are these domb dogs. By preaching meane they, making a sermon vpon a text, expounding of the wordes for their depentance and fence, raising of the doctrin with their seueral vses, ane due application to time, person, and place, by instruction, reproofe, confutation, and the like, and al this done without books, co••d by heart, and vttered with an audible voyce in the eares of the congregation, we easily confesse an inestimable benefit commeth to Gods Church thereby, and men thus suffici∣ently able are worthie of speciall in••enragements for mainte∣nance of learning 〈◊〉〈◊〉 religion, but then are they a verie few, that must beheld forable minister••, and (belike) because others not thus able to preach must be reputed no ministers, which is vndoubtedlie a very dangerous, and false consequent. That some are so qualified, able thus to preach, is a singular blessing of God vpon both our famous vniuersities, and his rich mercy which he hath vouchsafed vnto our church, but that other are not therefor lawfull ministers,* 1.1 nor their ordination good who cannot doe so∣much, wee dare not so iudge. For some there are as S. Austin well obserued in his time, that can pronounce well (or as wee english it) are good churchmen, but cannot so well in∣uent, neither for matter, nor wordes, but if they take of others, what is well penned (as homilies or sermons) & pronounce thē to the people, if they sustaine that person

they do not amisse. For so (which is a profitable thing) there are many preachers, but not manie maisters, if so be they speake all thinges of that one true maister Christ, and that there be no schismes among them. Where wee may note 1. the way to haue many preachers, secondlie that they who take other mens labours to vse do a profitable worke, 3. that they are not reckoned dumb dogs or vnpreaching ministers, but preach¦ers and publishers of the truth. But let vs proceede on as wée be∣gan. Some there are whose inuention serueth welinough, & vpon due meditation haue apt words at will, and can accordingly fore their places, & quotations for euery necessary proofe, which they do alledge & yet their memory is weake, & for their hearts they cannot deliuer without book what they haue penned in writing. These also must be put out of the number of ministers, as not a∣ble to deliuer their message, and threefore being not able to preach, their ordination is not to be held for good. But by these mens patience who so dispute, we prefer other mens iudge¦ments before such ouerhastie censures. For Zepperus & Bernard Textor (though otherwise known disciplinarians) giue their ver¦dict otherwise.* 1.2 To young diuines at the first somewhat may be fanourablie yeelded, that either they con without booke, or els to read their sermons out of their paper. B••••∣nand Textor distinguisheth of preachers, some are of a bad me∣mory, some of a good. They of a bad memory may haue help from their notes in their paper booke, as it lieth before them. 3. others a gaine there are that can, neither inuent, nor dispose, nor remember, and therefore not able to preach in the sense here deliuered of preaching, and yet were rec∣koned for ministers in the dayes of the Apostles. For so auncient and late writers vnderstand that place in 1 Corinthi∣ans where Paul saieth he was sent not to baptise but to preach For (saith Chrifostome) preach a very few can, but bap∣tize euery one may that is a Priest or minister. And then af∣ter recording how the custome of the Church in his dayes diffe∣red not from the Apostles times. Now truely (saith he,) wee

giue this office to presbiters that are more ••nable.* 1.3 Vpon the same place Saint Ambrose hath these wordes It is a greater thing to preach then to baptise. Not euerie one that bap∣tiseth is fit to preach. Some such note Saint Austin maketh. men of lesse learning may perfectly or sufficiently well bap∣tise, but to preach wel, or perfectlie is a worke more rare and difficult, and therefore the doctor of the Gentiles be∣ing more excellent then manie, was sent to preach the Gos∣pell not to baptise, because that might be done by many, this could be done but by a few, among whome Paul, was eminent and chiefe. Maister Caluin noteth vpon that 1. Co∣rinthi••••s in this manner. The Apostle entreth not this com∣parison to detract aniething from baptisme. But because verie few were able to teach, but to baptise was giuen to manie &c. Maister Gualter to the like purpose. Other A∣postles that were imployed in continuall teaching follow∣ed this course of Saint Paul, they commended baptisme to manie others, who perhaps were lesse fit••ed to preach. Pe∣ter Martyr hath some such obseruation vpon the same text. The office of baptising may be committed to anie man in the church, but so may not the office of preaching. Wee speake not of Hemingius, and others, whose indgement agreeth here∣unto Onely we wil content our selues with the confession of Heluetia. we acknowledge (saieth it) that harmles simplicity of pastors in the anncient church did profit the church a great deale more, then some mens various exquisite, & de∣licat learning, but a little to proud & disdainfull: wherefore we reiect not at this day the honest simplicity of some mini¦sters so it be not too vnlearned. 4. to conclude if by preaching they meane the spending of an hower idlie, to no•• ••urpose, or schis∣matically or out of order, or like bold baiard, thē we graūt such as can exhort, say seruice, ••e••ebrat y^e facr aments, read at times some

s••odlie sermons which themselues haue penned, or some others for them, to be no ministers, because they cannot preach in that scandalous manner of preaching.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Qui bene pronū¦tiare possunt, quid autem pro¦••untiēt excogi∣tare non poss••••t Quod si ah a lies sumant elo quen ter sapienter que cōscriptum, nemo riaque cōmēdent at que ad populū profer ant sieam personam gerūt, nō improbe facions. Sic enim (quod vtile est) ••ult•• pradicatores 〈…〉〈…〉 mu••t•• mag••••tr••••st 〈◊〉〈◊〉 verimagestri id ips••um die an•• ••••••ia, et nē sunt in iis schismata, Aug. de doct. Christia. lib. 4. c. 28.
• * 1.2

  Tyr••nibus ali∣quid sub imitie conceds potest et indulgeri, vt vel adverbēl ma moriterediscāt, veles chartale gant &c. Zep∣pen Art. habend. concion. lib. ••. Breus, memori∣a subsidnum in charta, not at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & in libre re∣positum se••fin∣um Bernar. Texter. Pandect sacra. ••om••to••••. En••angelizare enim perpance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rum est bapti∣zare antem cu∣inslibet ••••de sacerdotie figatur Chrisest. in 1. Corinth. 1. Nune quidem prasbyteris qui in habilteres some hoc momustradimus Ibid.
• * 1.3

  Maiusest ••n an gelizare quam baptizare. Non emnisqui baps tizat idoneut est euāgelizare. Ambros. in 1. Corinth. 1. Perfecte bapti∣zare etiam mi nus decti possūt perfecte autem euangelizare multo difficili•• ris & rarioris est operis. Ideo doctor gentium pl••rimis excel∣lentior enangele zaremissusestuō baptizare, quo. niam hoc per mul••or fiers pot•• rat, illud per pa••cos, inter quireminebat. August ••ōrra ti∣ter. Petils, lib. 3 c 56. Cū pa••corū esset docare, pluri but autem bapti¦zare datū foret. &c. Calum in 1. Corinth. 1.17. Baptismune fere aliis ma••d••¦runt q••i ad pra∣dication•••••• for tassis ••i••••s ido ••ei erant Gual∣ter. Ibid. M••••••s tingends cuiuis in ecclesia cōmitti potest, nō itē munus euangelizā di. P. martir. Ibid. Ag••••scimus quor••••dā inecclesiaveteri pastorū ••implicitatem innocuam plus aliquand•• profecisse eccle (in, qua•• quor••∣dam er••dition•• variam exquisitam, delicatam{que} sed paul•• post fastu osiorem v••de we bodieè quidē re••ici••••ds ••imphcit••••te•• quorandā pribā nee tumē 〈◊〉〈◊〉 imperitā, Con••es. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.