The controversies themselves I will not enter into, as judging that the disease requireth rather rest than any other cure. Thus much we all know and confess, that they be not of the highest nature, for they are not touching the high mysteries of faith, such as detained the churches for many years after their first peace, what time the heretics moved curious questions, and made strange anatomies of the natures and person of Christ; and the catholic fathers were compelled to follow them with all subtlety of decisions and determinations to exclude them from their evasions, and to take them in their labyrinths; so as it is rightly said, illis temporibus, ingeniosa res fuit, esse Christianum ; in those days it was an ingenious and subtle thing to be a Christian.

Neither are they concerning the great parts of the worship of God, of which it is true, that non servatur unitas in credendo, nisi eadem adsit in colendo; there will be kept no unity in believing, except it be entertained in worshipping; such as were the controversies of the east and west churches touching images, and such as are many of those between the church of Rome and us: as about the adoration of the Sacrament, and the like; but we contend about ceremonies and things indifferent, about the external policy and government of the Church; in which kind, if we would but remember that the ancient and true bonds of unity are one faith, one baptism, and not one ceremony, one policy; if we would observe the league amongst Christians that is penned by our Saviour, he that is not against us is with us; if we could but comprehend that saying, differentiæ rituum commendant unitatem doctrina; the diversities of ceremonies do set forth the unity of doctrine; and that habet religio quæ sunt æternitatis, habet quæ sunt temporis; religion hath parts which belong to eternity, and parts which pertain to time: and if we did but know the virtue of silence and slowness to speak, commended by St. James, our controversies of themselves would close up and grow together: but most especially, if we would leave the over-weaning and

turbulent humours of these times, and revive the blessed proceeding of the Apostles and Fathers of the primitive Church, which was, in the like and greater cases, not to enter into assertions and positions, but to deliver counsels and advices, we should need no other remedy at all: si eadem consulis, frater, quæ affirmas, consulenti debetur reverentia, cum non debeatur fides affirmanti; brother, if that which you set down as an assertion, you would deliver by way of advice, there were reverence due to your counsel, whereas faith is not due to your affirmation. St. Paul was content to speak thus, Ego, non Dominus, I, and not the Lord: Et, secundum consilium meum; according to my counsel. But now men do too lightly say, Non ego, sed Dominus; not I, but the Lord: yea, and bind it with an heavy denunciation of his judgments, to terrify the simple, which have not sufficiently understood out of Solomon, that the causeless curse shall not come.

Therefore seeing the accidents are they which breed the peril, and not the things themselves in their own nature, it is meet the remedies be applied unto them, by opening what it is on either part, that keepeth the wound green, and formalizeth both sides to a farther opposition, and worketh an indisposition in mens minds to be reunited: wherein no accusation is pretended; but I find in reason, that peace is best built upon a repetition of wrongs; and in example, that the speeches which have been made by the wisest men, de concordia ordinum, have not abstained from reducing to memory the extremities used on both parts; so as it is true which is said, Qui pacem tractat non repetitis conditionibus dissidii, is magis animos hominum · dulcedine pacis fallit, quam æquitate componit.

And first of all, it is more than time that there were an end and surcease made of this immodest and deformed manner of writing lately entertained, whereby matter of religion is handled in the stile of the stage. Indeed, bitter and earnest writing must not hastily be condemned; for men cannot contend coldly, and without affection, about things which they hold dear

and precious. A politic man may write from his brain without touch and sense of his heart; as in a speculation that appertaineth not unto him; but a feeling Christian will express in his words a character of zeal or love. The latter of which, as I could wish rather embraced, being more proper for these times, yet is the former warranted also by great examples.

But to leave all reverent and religious compassion towards evils, or indignation towards faults, and to turn religion into a comedy or satire; to search and rip up wounds with a laughing countenance, to intermix Scripture and scurrility sometimes in one sentence, is a thing far from the devout reverence of a Christian, and scant beseeming the honest regard of a sober man. Non est major confusio, quam serii et joci. There is no greater confusion than the confounding of jest and earnest. The majesty of religion, and the contempt and deformity of things ridiculous, are things as distant as things may be. Two principal causes have I ever known of atheism; curious controversies, and profane scoffing: now that these two are joined in one, no doubt that sect will make no small progression.

And here I do much esteem the wisdom and religion of that bishop which replied to the first pamphlet of this kind, who remembered that a fool was to be answered, but not by becoming like unto him; and considered the matter which he handled, and not the person with whom he dealt.

Job, speaking of the majesty and gravity of a judge in himself, saith, If I did smile, they believed it not: as if he should have said, If I diverted, or glanced upon conceit of mirth, yet mens minds were so possessed with a reverence of the action in hand, as they could not receive it. Much more ought not this to be amongst bishops and divines disputing about holy things. And therefore as much do I mislike the invention of him who, as it seemeth, pleased himself in it as in no mean policy, that these men are to be dealt withalat their own weapons, and pledged in their own cup. This seemed to him as profound a device, as when the cardinal Sansovino counselled Julius the

second to encounter the council of Pisa with the council of Lateran; or as lawful a challenge as Mr. Jewel made to confute the pretended catholics by the Fathers but those things will not excuse the imitation of evil in another. It should be contrariwise with us, as Cæsar said, Nil malo, quam eos similes esse sui, et me mci. But now, Dum de bonis contendimus, de malis consentimus; while we differ about good things, we resemble in evil.

Surely, if I were asked of these men, who were the more to be blamed, I should percase remember the proverb, that the second blow maketh the fray, and the saying of an obscure fellow; Qui replicat, multiplicat; he that replieth, multiplieth. But I would determine the question with this sentence; Alter principium malo dedit, alter modum abstulit; by the one means we have a beginning, and by the other we shall have none end.

And truly, as I do marvel that some of those preachers which call for reformation, whom I am far from wronging so far as to join them with these scoffers, do not publish some declaration, whereby they may satisfy the world, that they dislike their cause should be thus solicited; so I hope assuredly, that my lords of the clergy have none intelligence with this interlibelling, but do altogether disallow that their credit should be thus defended. For though I observe in one of them many glosses, whereby the man would insinuate himself into their favours, yet I find it to be ordinary, that many pressing and fawning persons do misconjecture of the humours of men in authority, and many times, Veneri immolant suem, they seek to gratify them with that which they most dislike: for I have great reason to satisfy myself touching the judgment of my lords the bishops in this matter, by that which was written by one of them, which I mentioned before with honour. Nevertheless I note, there is not an indifferent hand carried towards these pamphlets as they deserve; for the one sort flieth in the dark, and the other is uttered openly; wherein I might advise that side out of a wise writer, who hath set it down, that punitis ingeniis gliscit auctoritas.

And indeed we see it ever falleth out, that the forbidden writing is always thought to be certain sparks of a truth that fly up into the faces of those that seek to choke it, and tread it out; whereas a book authorised is thought to be but temporis voces, the language of the time. But in plain truth I do find, to mine understanding, these pamphlets as meet to be suppressed as the other. First, because as the former sort doth deface the government of the Church in the persons of the bishops and prelates, so the other doth lead into contempt the exercises of religion in the persons of sundry preachers; so as it disgraceth an higher matter, though in the meaner person.

Next, I find certain indiscreet and dangerous amplifications, as if the civil government itself of this state had near lost the force of her sinews, and were ready to enter into some convulsion, all things being full of faction and disorder; which is as unjustly acknowledged, as untruly affirmed. I know his meaning is to enforce this irreverent and violent impugning of the government of bishops to be a suspected forerunner of a more general contempt. And I grant there is a sympathy between the estates; but no such matter in the civil policy, as deserveth so dishonourable a taxation.

To conclude this point: As it were to be wished that these writings had been abortive, and never seen the sun; so the next is, since they be come abroad, that they be censured, by all that have understanding and conscience, as the intemperate extravagancies of some light persons. Yea farther, that men beware, except they mean to adventure to deprive themselves of all sense of religion, and to pave their own hearts, and make them as the high way, how they may be conversant in them, and much more how they delight in that vein; but rather to turn their laughing into blushing, and to be ashamed, as of a short madness, that they have in matters of religion taken their disport and solace. But this, perchance, is of these faults which will be soonest acknowledged; though I perceive, nevertheless, that there want not some who seek to blanch and excuse it.