I. COR. 14. V. VLT. Let all things be done decently, and in order.

THE 19. of the 39. Articles
of Religion affirmes,
that the Church
may erre, that the
Church hath erred.
The reason, why the
erring Church is become
the lost sheep, is
because shee submits
not vnto the onely true
rule of faith, which is
Gods faithfull word. The 20. Article saith, that the
church cannot erre: that tis no erring church, but a
true church, not a church voide of authority, but a
church having authority, to decree Rites, and Ceremonies,
to handle, iudge, and decide the hard, subtile, and
deceiving controversies of faith. For this well tempered,
and well governed church obserues Gods not
deceaving, nor deceaved word to be her principium
fides, her principle of faith to be faithfully beleeved: to
be her true signifying Rule, to be taught, learned, and
kept. Whatsoeuer is contrary to this heavenly voice,
she hates being all diabolicall lies: whatsoever exposition
doth make scripture to be contrary to scripture
she examines, confutes, & reformes by the true rules
of exposition. Whatsoever is besides scripture shee
reiects for mans invention invention, for humane tradition, for
superfluous, vnnecessarie. Herein the church is a faithfull
keeper, and a faithfull witnesse of holy writ. And
let the church; let this church persevere a faithfull witnesse,
and a faithfull keeper of Gods most true, and
most holy word, to preserue her authority in rites, and
ceremonies, in resolving Faiths factious controversies;
to expound the scripture learnedly according to rule in
summo gradu necessitatis, in the propriety of truth;
and to reiect mans flattering additions prudently, according
to Gods all-sufficient precept. This is the
summe of S. Pauls spirituall councell to advise and instruct
the church.
Let all things be done decently, and in order.
Which words are the substance of the 20. of the
39. Articles of religion; & they containe fowre
parts. The first is Commande Authorizing: Let.
The second is, how many things are Authorized: All
things. The third is, the obeying of this commaunding
Authority. Be done. The fourth is, the manner of obeying
this command. This is, Decently, and in order.
In the commande Authorizing obserue Who, and
what Commands: who commands? This is first God
the Holy Ghost, secondly S. Paul. What commands?
This is Gods will; this is Gods word. Let. In how many
things there are authorized, obserue the doctrine
of faith, the discipline, the rites, and ceremonies of the
church. All things. In the obeying of this commaunding
Authority: obserue who must obey: and this is
the church. Secondly, that shee doth obey: in keeping
the doctrine, discipline, rites, and ceremonies
commaunded. Be done. Let all things be done. In the
manner of obeying this commaund obserue how many-fold
this manner is; and this is twofold: first decently:
secondly in order: in the outside by beawtie,
decently; within, and without according to rule: In
order. Let all things be done decently, and in order. You
haue the diuision of my text: God commaunding the
Church to decencie, and order of doctrine, and discipline:
and therefore let no man accuse me ignorantly,
that I am not come to edifie: for if Gods, S. Paules
doctrine, and discipline may edifie, I shall edifie. And
let noe temporizing faction act the dissembling Hypocrite,
and say, that my doctrine is not true, but rayling:
for I am come to you with the doctrine of our
receaued, and established faith. And let no trembling
Neuter plead that my words are too deepe mysteries
to be vnderstood. No: but let him striue to know his
Faith, how it differs from heresie, that he may be truely
faithfull in the pure, and vndefiled Religion. My
text doth not stay to request, but requires: my text
doth not intreate, and pray, but doth will, and commaund
you to be faithfully religious: and that in a
word, and that in the first word of my text.

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Let.

This word is commaund: though tis but a signe,
yet by it commaund is vnderstood, and vnderstood
to speake: not by prohibition, to make any stopp, or
stay: but with commaund to make hast, and not to
fayle at your perill. This Let is the actiue part of
Gods commaund in the first place of S. Paule in the
second place, in person commaunding, thirdly of the
scripture, which is S. Paules commaund, which is
Gods souereigne and vncontrouleable commaund.
You know the almighty power of Gods commaund;
that by it he made nothing to be all things. For he
spake, and it was done, he commaunded, and it stood
fast. And shall he now speake, and shall nothing be
done? Shall he now commaund, and shall nothing
stand fast? Gods word is sharper then any two edged
sword: and 'tis as possible to resist Gods word, and
liue eternally, as 'tis to resist a sword dividing the heart
and after that, to enioy this temporall life. At the giving
of the law, Gods voyce was so terrible, that the
people, that heard, intreated that the word should not
be spoken to them any more for feare of death. Heb. 12.
19. For Gods voyce did then shake the earth, and it
shall once more shake both heaven and earth. Heb. 12.
26. Here is maiestie, and power: and Gods will must
be done, for he commaunds, to the terrifying of heaven,
and earth. Gods word is not a bare sound, but his
word is a conuerting word: and if the conuerted will
not stand in grace, God hauing giuen the will, and
the deede, what doe they that resist, but neglect
great saluation? But see, that yee refuse not him, that
speaketh: For if they escaped not, who refused him, that
spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we
turne away from him, that speaketh from heauen. Heb.
12. 25. It concernes you then very much, to heare
Gods commaund: S. Paule, Gods deputed commaunder,
tells you that it concernes your saluation:
and loose this loose all the world. But whats the matter,
that mens hearts are so litle knowne to a commaunding
God. Who hath bewitched them, that
they will not obey truth? T'is true, that there must be
Heresies: for lying and dissembling tongues doe deceaue,
seduce, and vnder a colour of a little godlines,
bring Church, and Common wealth into confusion,
and destruction of soule and body. And is it not then
high time to exhort you with S. Paule, Beware of dogs;
beware of evill workers Philip. 3. 2. Beware of them,
that barke at the Articles of religion. Beware of the~,
that bite at the gouernment of the Church. Beware of
fiery zeale set on fire by a factious spirit. Beware of
despisers of Gouernours, of inuentors of evill things.
Beware of the disobedient. For they hate the doctrine,
and discipline; the rites, and ceremonies of the
Church, which is my second part of text, implyed
in these words.

All Things.

By all things, are not vnderstood all things of this
world: for they are enmitie against God. But by All

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thinges, are vnderstood all things, which God commands
to build, and beautifie the Church, which
God commands to gouerne, & preserue the Church.
So that these All things are all Ecclesiasticall
things: all things, that belong to the Church. The text
doth mentio~ prophecying, speaking with tongues, prayer.
1. Cor. 14. faith, hope, and charitie. 1. Cor. 13: all spirituall
guifts. 1. Cor. 12: the Ceremonies of the Church.
1. Cor. 11: the sacraments; Baptisme, The Lords supper:
1. Cor. 10: the Ministers dues 1. Cor. 9: Meat soffer’d
to idolls not to be eaten 1. Cor. 8. Marriage, and single
life. 1. Cor. 7. Forbearing to goe to law one with an other
1. Cor. 6. Excommunication 1. Cor. 5. reuerence
due to the Cleargie. 1. Cor. 4: diuision, and sectes in the
Church. Chap. 1. 2. & 3. Doctrina generalis hic traditur
circa Doctrinam, & precepta diuina? leges de decoro,
& ordine Ecclesiæ, circa ritus ,& circa externam
disciplinam: so Pareus. By all things are vnderstood
the doctrine of the Church; divine precepts; lawes for
decencie, and order of the Church; the Churches
rites, and externall discipline. The doctrine of the
Church is here vnderstood. The doctrine of the primitiue
Church, which is the law, and the Gospell, the
old, and the new Testament, and here is vnderstood
the doctrine of the Reformed Church, which is the
39. Articles of Religion. This is the materiall breife
of all Christian doctrine, and let this suffice for this
present. For to speake particularly to every part of
faith in the old, and new Testament, and in the 39.
Articles of Religion; is more then the tongue of men,
and Angells is able to deliuer within the short limits
of an howre. The discipline of the Church is here
vnderstood, which is the ordayning of Superiours
and their gouerning: and 'tis the practise, and humble
obedience of inferiours. This is Moyses, and all inferiour
Magistrates iudging, and gouerning. This is
Aarons, and all inferiour Preists expounding, and instructing
the people: and 'tis the Magistrates, Preists,
and peoples reverent worshipping the Lord, and
their sincere keeping of the law. The Imperiall, and
Preistlie gouerment still remaine, not in rigour, for
that our Sauiour hath mitigated: but they are still
Authorities: one supremely commanding, the other
is supremely instructing. Kings are nursing fathers,
and Queenes are nursing Mothers: and they are so
much higher than Preists, as Christs Kings office in
spirituall things is higher than Christs Preists office
in spirituall things. The superioritie still stands a superioritie
in the Clergie. There was a superioritie still
in the Ministerie. Christ aboue the twelue Apostles,
the twelue Apostles aboue the seuentie disciples: S.
Paule aboue Timothie, Timothy aboue the Presbyters
in the Church of Ephesus in doctrine, and manners of
the Church. 1. Tim. 1: in ordaining Bishopps, & Deacons
1. Tim. 3: in having authoritie to punish the Elders
offending, and other Church offenders. 1. Tim.
Chap. 5. & 6. At the 326. yeare after Christ, the Councell
of Nice decreed, that there should be in the Catholique
Church three Patriarchs; one at Rome, one
at Alexandria, one at Antioch to gouerne inferiour

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Bishops. Religion was planted in this land by S.
Paule, So Parsons the Iesuite: and by Simon Zelotes,
So Mr Mason out of Necephorus, and Dorotheus:
and by Aristobulus Bishop of Britaine, so Dorotheus:
and by Ioseph of Arimathea, so Iohn Capgraue: and
that in the life of Tiberius Cæsar, so Gildas: in the 35
yeare of Christ, so learned B. Morton cap. 3. sect. 9.
of the Grand Imposture hath obserued out of famous
Papists, Cardinall Baronius, and the Iesuite
Suarez. From the yeare of the Lord 179. there were
Arch-bishops & Bishops in the Church of England,
and Wales, so Lelandus: and they haue successiuely
continued to this day. In their first consecration till
600 years after Christ they were Primitiue Bishops:
From 600 years till 1533 they were Popish, corrupt,
sicke with heresy almost to the death. From 1533
they haue 5 years excepted, continued good, because
reformed Bishops. Here note that our Church
did not beginne a little after Luther, but being
sicke with Popery, she the~ recouered her Apostolicall
faith. Like as a sick man recouering, then enters not
into the World to beginne his life, but into the recouery
of his former health: so Popery and Puritanisme
being purged out of these parts of the Catholique
Church, 'twas not then a new planted: but a new
reformed Church. All things. Here is vnderstood
Ecclesiasticall discipline. The King doth gouerne by
Christs regall power and command. The Bishop
doth gouerne by the key of knowledge and by the
key of iurisdiction. The Bishop doth gouerne in the
Church by the key of knowledge in that he giues authority
by ordaination & mission to able and fit men
for to preach, to pray, &c. in the Church. By the
key of iurisdiction the Bishop doth gouerne in the
Consistory by examining and censuring with the
helpe of his Iudge-assistant. To know all Church-discipline,
I referre you to the Rubricke in the Common-praier-booke,
to the Canons of the Church, &c.
This part of my text is All things, and therefore I
must not omit the rites, & ceremonies of the Church:
for they are vnderstood in these All things. The rites,
and ceremonies of the Church, which were tipicall
in the Iewes time, did signifie Christ to come: and
therefore at Christs comming they were abrogated.
Quia veritas venit, signum tollitur: so S. Augustine.
Because Christ is come into the flesh there is no vse of
a signe, to signifie, that Christ is to come. But in our
church the ceremonies are not typicall; but they are
signes of church-beauty for morall ornament. And that
to beautify gesture in acknowledging the Lord Iesus
to be King of heauen and earth, of the triumphant &
militant Church; hence it is, that in Church-assemblies
we bow at the name of Iesus: or to beautify gesture
at praier, when we pray, The body and blood of
our Lord Iesus Christ preserue soule and body to euerlasting
life, &c. hence it is, that we humbly, and reuerently
kneele on our knees at receiuing the Lords
supper. Or in token, that we will not be ashamed to
confess the faith of Christ crucified, & manfully to fight
vnder his banner, &c. hence it is that little Children
baptized after the forme of baptisme are signed with
the signe of the crosse: or to signify the sincerity of
the Ministers vnspotted faith: hence it is that our
Church-priests doe weare the surplesse, at performing
holy worship to God: or to signify the vndeuided
loue of husband and wife, till death them depart:
hence it is, that in marriage the ring is giuen for a token
and pledge: or to signify a thankfull remembrance
vnto God, for giueing vs Christian examples,
and encouragements, to perseuere in the true Apostolicall
faith: in that God gaue vs his Sonne, his
one, and only Sonne to be our Mediatour; and the
Blessed Virgin to bee his Mother; according to his
humanity, the holy Apostles to preach Christ Iesus,
the Saviour, to the ends of the world; for giving vs
many and miraculous deliverances from great, and
apparent dangers; hence it is that Holy-dayes were
ordain'd, and are kept: The nativitie of our Saviour:
The purification of the Blessed Virgin, &c. to
praise the Lord. And herein we transgresse not the
fourth commandement. Sixe daies shalt thou labour,
&c. For that law bindes vs to thanke the Lord for
the creation, and Restitution of the World and God
requires but the seuenth day to performe our holy
thanksgiuings vnto him in the publique congregation:
and yet he requires other holy daies vpon other
speciall reasons, as 'tis proued hereafter at Leuiticus
23. Church pictures are an externall beauty of the
Church, a memory of honour to the dead; and S. Gregory
cals them lay mens bookes. Church Organs are musicall
signes of our exultation: they are the lowd, and
as sweet as lowd, expressions of the Churches greatest
ioy towards God: so are church-Bells, though
sometimes they are the churches solemne call, that
Gods people should assemble to worship the Lord
with holy worship. And seeing that I haue proceeded
thus farre in the Narration of church-rites, and
ceremonies, giue me leaue to tell you, how ancient
Godfathers, and Godmothers haue beene in the
church: and how long interrogatories haue beene
vsed at baptizing little children. They are as ancient
as Dionysius the Areopagite, as it appeareth in his
seaventh chapter de Ecclesiastica Hierarchia, who lived
in the 70. yeare after Christ. The church is not
Abrahams private house, when he was witnesse to
his sonne Isaacs circumcising: but the church is catholique,
and therefore shee must accordingly haue
witnesses to preserue her catholique communion of
faith. Tis a ceremonie, a rite of the church, to bring
the dead body, the corps into the body of the
church. For that body Christ did sanctifie with his
blood, and did make it the temple of the holy Ghost:
And therefore at performing of our last duety, wee
must not thrust it out at church-dores; but honour it
with church-entertainement. For blessed are the
dead, for whom the Lord Iesus laid downe his life.
I haue giuen you a view of All things, of All things
in my text. 'Tis Church doctrine let your faith beleeue
it. 'Tis Church discipline, let your liues obserue
and Keepe it. 'Tis Church ceremonie, let your frequent

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vse exercise and renew it. In the first place you
shall honour God your Almighty Father. In the second
place you shall honour the vnity of brethren:
which the Psalmist commends with admiration: Oh
how good and ioyfull a thing it is, brethren to dwell together
in vnity. God hath not authorized these
things, that you should neglect them, but his good
pleasure is that they should Be Done. Let all things
be done, which is my third part of text, and followes
next to be handled in these words,

Be Done.

This is the obeying of a commanding authority.
'Tis the Church that obeys: For she obserues, and
keepes the doctrine, the discipline, the rites and ceremonies
of the Church. The scripture is the command:
Let all things be done: and the Church obeys. And
then compare, which is the greater in authority, either
that which commands, or that which obeyes?
To obey is vnder authority, command, and therefore
the Scripture is greater in authority then the
Church. The Churches obedience is not only passiue,
still to be an hearer only: but the Churches obedience
is also actiue, for she must not be only an
hearer of the Scripture, of the law: but she must be a
doer also. First shee must heare the Scripture
say, Let all things be done; and then shee must
doe, what she heares commanded to be done. NoValue
Fiant, inquit a vobis, & vestro consilio. So Pareus:
when the Scripture hath said it, Then let all things be
done by the Church, & by the iudgement of the church.
Here the Apostle hath by Scripture given authority
to the Church to gouerne decently, and in order, in
doctrine, in divine precepts, in Church-discipline.
And therefore the Church may in the first place expound
according to rules of exposition, and make any
lawes which she sees to be decent, and orderly in
every place, Omnes Ecclesiarum, Episcoporum, Doctorum
leges &c. de decoro, & ordine externo, &c. disponere
debent. Pareus. The lawes of Churches, of Bishops,
of Doctors, must beautifie, and order the
Church. Let all things be done decently, and in order.
These words doe authorize the Church to ordaine
Church-orders, expositions, rites, and ceremonies, &
that not of late, but from the Apostles times: so Iustine
Martyr, Irenæus, Tertullian, St Cyprian, St Basill,
S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, S. Augustine, and fiue Councells
say the same. But what doth the Scripture say,
that there must be any such traditions? Yes the scripture
saith the same. Read 1. Cor. 11. 2. & 1. Cor. 11.
34. And Church-ceremonies are contain'd in the
scriptures, not in expresse sentence, but by pregnant
consequence, by vertue whereof the Apostle doth
grant a generall license, & authority to all Churches,
to ordaine any ceremonies, that may bee fit for the
better serving of God: so our Right reverend and
learned Bishop Morton. The same ceremonies will
not sort in all places, and therefore our Saviour left
them to the different disposition, & custome of times,
and countries: so Calvin lib. 4. Institut. cap. 10. to parag.
30. Therefore to deny this power to the Church, to

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ordaine ceremonies, is to depriue her of christian liberty:
so Bucer. If our Church-ceremonies were
dumbe, non-significant, they might thee well condemn'd
for vnlawfull, but they being significant, are
lawfull: so Kemnitius: being significant, they are
profitable for admonition, and testification of our duties,
so B. Iewell, Kemnitius, and Zanchius. The ceremonies
of our church haue speciall signification: they
are signes, and doe signifie, not with sacramentall signification,
but with decently morall. For they are
signes of Church-beauty for moral ornament, as you
haue heard by the bowing at the name of Iesus, & by
other Church-ceremonies in my former particular.
Our Church-ceremonies, our Church-traditions are
grounded on good authority; for they are contain’d
in the Scriptures; in genere entis, aut in virtute causæ,
either in their generall, or in the power of their fundamentall
cause. My Text will serue for the generall
to signifie all Church-ceremonies; and my Text
serues for the cause, to ordaine all Church-traditions
that are lawfull. All things decently, and in order;
there are all Church-ceremonies signified. Let them
be done: there is Church authority giuen by Scripture,
to cause them to be ordain'd. But to bow at the
name of Iesus, this is expresse Scripture, Philip. 2. 10.
To kneele at prayer, this is expresse Scripture, Psalm.
95. 6. and wee pray as receiuing the Lords Supper.
The body of our Lord Iesus Christ, preserue my soule
and body to everlasting life. To take vp the Crosse and
follow Christ, is expresse Scripture, Mat. 16. 24. And
to take vp the Crosse is the fundamentall cause of the
signe of the Crosse to bee done decently & in order.
The man and wife are one flesh, is expresse Scripture.
Mat. 19. 6. And to be one flesh by covenant, by troth
plighted by Church-authority, which is the essentiall
vnion, is the fundamentall cause of the signifying vnion,
which is the ring giuen in marriage, to signifie,
that ma~ & wife are no more twaine, but one flesh. Tis
expresse Scripture, that tis granted to the Church to
weare fine linnen, white and cleane. Rev. 19. 8. There
is a similitude betweene the triumphant and militant
Church: and so an expression of the ones glory by
the others signification: and is it then contrary to decency,
and order to weare the surplisse? Holy daies
are contain'd in the Scripture: The Lords passeover,
which we call Easter. Levit 23. 5. The feast of vnleavened
bread. Levit. 23. 6. The feast of first fruits, Lev. 23. 10. to the 24. verse. The feast of Trumpets, Lev. 23.
from 24 to the 34 verse. The feast of Tabernacles.
Mordecai had his Holy day , Hest. 9. Iudeth had her
Holy day. Iudeth 16. Macchabeus had his Holy day.
Macchab. 1. 4. And seeing that Holy daies did not
transgresse the fourth commandement before Christs
comming; the Apostles Agapæ, Festivall daies, and
our Church-holy-daies, doe not transgresse that
law. We should bee very vnthankfull vnto God for
the multiplying of his great mercies, if we did not solemnely
keepe them: the reason is shew'd before. In
his rebus, de quib. nihil certi statuit scriptura divina,
mos populi Dei, vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda

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15

sunt D. August. Epist. 68. to Casulanus. In those
things, which the Scripture hath not verbatim set
downe: the customes of Gods people, or the institutions
of our Predecessors ought to bee receiued for
lawes: so that they be deduced from Scriptures, and
be not contrary to Scriptures, they are S. Augustines
limitations. Seeing then that the church hath authority
giuen her, let her exercise her authority. Let all
things be done. For as long as the church is rul'd by
Scripture, Shee is the pillar and ground of truth
1. Tim. 3. 15. to the vnlearned, to the catechised, to
the vulgar vnderstanding: then S. Augustine being an
infant in faith, beleeues, quia dixit Ecclesia, because
the church did teach him to beleeue. As long as the
church is rul'd by Scriptures, Shee cannot erre, hell
gates cannot prevaile against her, Mat 16. 18. And
therefore let all things be done decently & in order,
whatsoever our well reformed church commands to
be done. Let the Priest weare the surplisse: let little
children to be baptized, haue their Godfathers and
Godmothers; let the baptized be signed with the signe
of the Crosse. Let all communicants kneele reverently
at receiuing the Lords Supper. Let all bow in solemne
assemblies at the name of IESVS. Let them
that are to be married, be married with the Ring. Let
Holy daies be kept: Let the Lord bee praised vpon
Church Organs, and on the Sabbath and Holy daies,
thus let him bee magnified with the musicall sound
of all Church-bells. Let the dead be honorably buried.
You haue a little booke of Articles, which containes
seven generalls, all our church-traditions. The first
is concerning the church-yard, Vicarage-house.
The second is concerning the Ministerie, divine service,
and Sacraments. The third is concerning Ecclesiasticall
Courts. The fourth concerning Schoolmasters.
The fift concerning the parish clearke,
and Sexton. The sixt concerning the Parishioners.
The seuenth concerning church-wardens & Sidesmen.
Let all these things be done. For the doing of
them well, doth honour God, and saue your owne
soules. But if church-offenders are growne hard-hearted,
stiffe-necked, stubborne, not to be reformed
by neighbourly loue, good counsell, wholsome exhortation:
Dic Ecclesiæ, tell the church. For all things
must be done Decently, and in order, which is my
fourth part of text.

Decently and in order

Here is the manner, how Gods command first, secondly
how the churches command is to be obeyed,
and this is Decently and in order: On the outside by
beauty, Decently, within and without according to
rule, In order. Nihil peruerso ordine, vel per contentionem,
vel per inanem gloriam faciatis: so S. Hierome
vpon these words: where there is perversenesse, ouerthwarting
faction, there is noe church-decencie:
factious contention, and vaine spirited glory is noe
part of this church-order. Non temere, non indecore,
non infane, ordine conueniente, so S. Chrysostome.
Not rashnesse, not vnseemelines, not distemper is
the decency or order, that which is seemely, is church-decency,
that which is conuenient is church-order.
Omnia cum pace, & disciplina: So S. Ambrose, the
peace of the church, this is church-decencie, the discipline
of the church, this is church order. The decencie
of the church is opposite to vanity to sordidnesse,
to luxury. The order of the church is opposite to confusion,
and troublesomenesse. soe Pareus. The decency
of the church is, that Gods temple should be all glorious,
at least very conuenient, that church-vessells,
and the materiall parts of the church be cleane, and
comely: that the Priests vestments be seemely: that
all church actions publique, and priuate be void of
lightnesse, and superstition: that church-teachers,and
hearers behaue themselues with diuine grauity, modestie
and piety, as it becometh them, that stand in
the presence of God, and his holy Angells. Church
order giues euery one his conuenient place, to superiors,
superior places; to equalls, equall places; to inferiors,
inferior places; to euery church-necessary a
necessary place. Order obserues church-time as well
as church-place, and it staies not there, but appoints
who shall be church-teachers, and who shall be
church-hearers, and to keepe both in order, there are
appointed times to pray, to preach, to sing psalmes,
to catechise, to communicate,to baptize. &c. NoValue
caueatur, ædificatio ecclesiæ, & singulorum maxime
promoueatur: so Pareus. The transgressing of church-
decencie, and order must be shun'd: the edifying of
the church and of all in the church must be carefully
obserued. And we must goe a little farther: the beautifying
and honour of the Church must be carefully regarded:
And wee must on a little farther. The able
gratious practise of the Church must be preferred aboue
all the edifying, beautifying, and externall honour
of the church. S. Hierome saith, that there is no
church-decency , no church-order, where is peruersenesse,
and diuision: and therefore Thomas
Cartwright was noe true teacher of church-decency,
and order, let his 21 dangerous points of doctrine,
and his one and fifty vntruths, falsifying of Scriptures,
fathers of the church, Historiographers, and other
classicall Authors, be witnesse: as 'tis obserued
by D Whitguift, in his booke against M. Cartwright.
S. Chrysostome saith where there is rashnes, vnseemelinesse,
distemper, that there is noe church-decencie,
noe church order, and therefore the precise ones
are noe teachers of church-decencie, and order: for
they are rash to thrust that vpon vs for true religion,
which began at the 250 yeare after Christ, and was
put downe by the first Councell of Nice. S. Ambrose
saith that there is church-decency, where is the peace,
and the discipline of the church: for these are the well
growne fruits of the Apostles doctrine: Let all things
be done decently and in Order. There is church-decencie,
where is noe lightnesse; and there is church-order,
where is noe confusion: and therefore frequenters of
woods for churches haue noe church-decencie. For
a suppose of their owne pates rings them a peale to
frequent woods; that idolatrous Temples must never
be frequented, if once idolatrous: and yet religion

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being reformed, those temples though once idolatrous
are againe to bee frequented to worship God
with holy worship. So Calvin, Peter Martyr, Beza,
Bucer, and B. Iewell. And to convert idolatrous temples
into christian Temples was the practise of the
Primitiue church at 179 yeare after Christ in king Luoius
daies. There is no church-order, where is confusion,
where the same preacher, or teacher doth contradict
one doctrine with an other, & contradictions
of doctrines are in Thomas Cartwright, as Doctor
Whitguift hath obserued. And there are contradictions
in Bellarmine, and his fraternity: for there are 37
generall parts of doctrine, and 239 particular doctrines
in which one Romanist contradicts an other,
as Pareus hath obserued in his Irenicum. There is
church-decency, where the church, and every part of
the church is kept seemly. And there is church order,
where superiors are in superior places, equalls in equal
places, inferiors in inferior places. And there is no
Church-decencie, where ruine, neglect, dust, and filthinesse
are Church-keepers: this is almost customarie
in these daies. A wood, a private conventicle, a
factious sect, I feare, is more solemnly frequented in
many places in this land, than the Church of God.
And there is no Church order, where Superiors are
made inferiors, Kings to cast their Crownes at the
feet of Schismatiques, schismaticall Pastors: yet thus
M. Thomas Cartwright would haue it: And hee calls
the Deane of a Cathedrall Church, the Canons, the
Major, and Minor Prebends, the Chauncellour, the
Chaunter, the 'Pistellers, and Gospellers, hee vnmannerly
calls them all Abbi-lubbers. Thus what Church-order
hath established, hee with a word of disgrace,
would put downe against all order. There should be
decency and order obseru'd in performing Gods holy
worship, which is the common prayers And this
is reprou'd by some, by others tis embrac'd, but tis
with a running reverence: by others tis cut off in the
middle to the dishonour of God, and his Church:
by others tis mumbled vp in an vnknowne tongue, as
if Papists were vnwilling that all should knowe what
they say vnto God, yet every one had religion in his
owne tongue, Act. 2. Tis decencie, and order, that we
should stand vp at the rehearsing of the Apostles
Creed, to signifie, that wee doe, and will stand to our
faith: but this standing vp, some doe maliciously oppose,
and this standing vp others doe vnwittingly
neglect. The Font is the commanded place for baptisme,
yet some doe baptize in Wells, in Brookes, in
Rivers, &c. to defend, to vphold a factious spirit. Tis
decencie, and order to edifie the Church: but some
care for no edifying. To beleeue as the Church beleeues
this forme of words, is faith enough: and the best of
that false beleeuing side, are afraid of essentiall and
demonstratiue exposition; of the infallible rules of
exposition; the scripture being granted to be the only
axiomaticall principle of faith. The learned rules
of exposition of Scriptures, which neither S. Austine
nor any other father hath expresso præcepto; these
rules Papists dare not follow. Some respect onely

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the factious edifying, well known to the factious brethren
by opposing Church-decencie, and order. But
beyond this edifying they neuer intend to proceed,
like S. Pauls silly women, who are ever learning, but
never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And
therefore the able gracious practise of the Church is
neglected by them. A father of the Church must not
be heard in his owne language, because that spends
time, and doth not edifie. And Church Organs the
musicall instruments of the Churches gracious practise,
are tedious to them, because they doe not edifie.
To ring the Church-bells in peale on the Lords day,
this the separatists call profaning of the Sabbath.
And tis their ignorance, being vnable to tell the difference
betweene the worlds servile workes, which are
forbidden by the fourth commaundement, and betweene
Churches musicall works, which in their due
time done, doe praise the Lord. Tis Church-decency,
and Church-order, that the scriptures be taught learnedly,
and grauely: but now the children of the Prophets
goe for Church-Doctors: and a Mechanicke, a
presuming spirit is recieued amongst the Perfectists
for a lawfull preacher, if their non-Ecclesiasticall spirit
calls him: yet the Text saith, No man taketh this
honour vnto himselfe , but hee that is called of God, as
was Aaron. Hebr. 5. 4. But one will obiect, what
meanes all this discourse, but to occasion appearing
of evill, and to giue offence to the weake brothers
conscience? Be not deceiued; here is no appearing
of evill: no offence. Here is nothing but Church-decency,
and Church-order, which neither appeare evill
nor are they any offence: for appearance of evill, and
offence are opposite to these well governing and obeying
properties. And who are the weake brethren?
Thomas Cartwrights Disciples? In their conceipts
there are none so godly, none so holy in the Churches
of God. Thus farre I haue followed an vnseemly,
a disorderd company. This was the cause, that you
should knowe who are the vndecent, and the irregular
in our Church, that you may avoid them. I commend
the decencie & order of the church vnto you:
and doe exhort you in the words of S. Paul, 1. Cor.
1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our
Lord Iesus Christ, that yee all speake the same thing, &
that there be no division among you, but that yee bee
ioined perfectly together in the same minde, and in the
same iudgement. And doe you assuredly beleeue that
Non-conformists haue not the spirit of God to guid
them. For they are the troublesome inventers of division.
For whereas there is envying, and strife, and
divisions among them, are they not carnall? While
one saith, I am of Paul, another I am of Apollo, whilst
they will heare none, but a division making preacher,
are they not carnall? S. Paul saith, that they are carnall
1. Cor. 3. 3. 4. But I haue taught you better things, then
to be carnall. Here is church-decency to cleanse the
Lords house, and to beautifie it: and therefore learne
to be decent with church-decency. Here is church-order
to set all things vniformely in Gods holy Temple,
and therefore learne church-holy orders that you

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may be decent,and well-ordered Temples of the holy
Ghost: that in this life you may so liue together in
true faith, and religious charity; that in the world to
come you may liue together in immortall glory.
Which God for his infinite mercy grant vnto all
through Christ Iesus. To whom with the Father, and
the holy Ghost, three persons, and one immortall God
be ascribed all glory, honour ,power, might, saluation,
and thankesgiving this day and for ever. AMEN.
FINIS.