abroad; because our manner is always to cast a doubtful and a more suspicious eye towards that over which we know we have least power; and therefore, the fear of external dangers causeth forces at home to be the more united: It is to all sorts a kind of bridle, it maketh virtuous minds watchful, it holdeth contrary dispositions in suspense, and it setteth those wits on work in better things, which would be else employed in worse; whereas on the other side, domestical evils, for that we think we can master them at all times, are often permitted to run on forward, till it be too late to recall them. In the mean while the Commonwealth is not only through unsoundness so far impaired as those evils chance to prevail; but farther also, thorough opposition arising between the unsound parts and the sound, where each endeavoureth to draw evermore contrary ways, till distraction in the end bring the whole to ruin.

To reckon up how many causes there are, by force whereof divisions may grow in a Commonwealth, is not here necessary. Such as rise from variety in matter of Religion, are not only the farthest spread, because in Religion all men presume themselves interessed alike, but they are also for the most part hotlier prosecuted and pursued than other strifes; forasmuch as coldness, which in other contentions may be thought to proceed from moderation, is not in these so favourably constred.* The party which in this present quarrel striveth against the current and stream of Laws, was a long while nothing feared, the wisest contented not to call to mind how errors have their effect, many times not proportioned to that little appearance of reason, whereupon they would seem built, but rather to the vehement affection or fancy which is cast towards them, and proceedeth from other causes. there are divers motives, drawing men to favor mightily those opinions wherein their persuasions are but weakly settled; and if the passions of the mind be strong, they easily sophisticate the understanding; they make it apt to believe upon very slender warrant, and to imagine infallible truth, where scarce any probable show appeareth.

For

Thus were those poor seduced creatures, Hacquet+ and

* [From Conster: aliter Construe. "Whose authority I had much rather justly conster, than unjustly resist."-SIR P. SIDNEY. Apol. for Poetry. Posth. 1595, 4to. p. 57. "I will conster to them whence you come.”—SHAKSPEARE. Twelfth Night. A. iii. sc. i. Edit. 1623, fo. p. 273.]

[See a note to G. Cranmer's Letter to Hooker.]

his other two adherents, whom I can neither speak nor think of, but with much commiseration and pity; thus were they trained by fair ways first, accompting their own extraordinary love to this Discipline, a token of God's more than ordinary love towards them. From hence they grew to a strong conceit, that God, which had moved them to love his Discipline, more than the common sort of men did, might have a purpose by their means to bring a wonderful work to pass, beyond all men's expectation, for the advancement of the throne of Discipline, by some tragical execution, with the particularities whereof it was not safe for their friends to be made acquainted; of whom they did therefore but covertly demand, what they thought of extraordinary motions of the Spirit in these days, and withal request to be commended unto God by their prayers, whatsoever should be undertaken by men of God, in mere zeal to his glory, and the good of his distressed Church. With this unusual and strange course they went on forward, till God, in whose heaviest worldly judgments, I nothing doubt, but that there may lie hidden merey, gave them over to their own inventions, and left them made [Psal. in the end an example for headstrong and inconsiderate zeal, 12.] no less fearful than Achitophel for proud and irreligious wisdom. If a spark of error have thus far prevailed, falling even where the wood was green and farthest off, to all men's thinking, from any inclination unto furious attempts; must not the peril thereof be greater in men whose minds are of themselves as dry fuel, apt beforehand unto tumults, seditions, and broils? But by this we see in a cause of Religion, to how desperate adventures men will strain themselves for relief of their own part, having law and authority against them.

Furthermore, let not any man think, that in such divisions, either party can free itself from inconveniences, sustained not only through a kind of truce, which virtue on both sides doth make with vice, during war between truth and error; but also, in that there are hereby so fit occasions ministered for men to purchase to themselves well-willers by the colour under which they oftentimes prosecute quarrels of envy or inveterate malice, and especially because contentions were as yet never able to prevent two evils; the one, a mutual exchange of unseemly and unjust disgraces, offered by men whose tongues and passions are out of rule; the other, a

lxxxi.

Sulp.

Sever.

Epist. Hist. Eccl. 1. ii.

c. 50.

common hazard of both, to be made a prey by such as study how to work upon all occurrents, with most advantage in private. I deny not therefore, but that our antagonists in these controversies may peradventure have met with some, not unlike to Ithacius, who mightily bending himself by all means against the heresy of Priscillian, the hatred of which one evil was all the virtue he had, became so wise in the end, that every man, careful of virtuous conversation, studious of Scripture, and given unto any abstinence in diet, was set down in his Kalendar of suspected Priscillianists, for whom it should be expedient to approve their soundness of faith, by a more licentious and loose behaviour: such proctors and patrons the truth might spare. Yet is not their grossness so intolerable, as, on the contrary side, the scurrilous and more than satirical immodesty of Martinism;* the first published schedules whereof being brought to the hands of a grave and a very honourable Knight, with signification given, that the book would refresh his spirits, he took it, saw what the title was, read over an unsavoury sentence or two, and delivered back the libel with this answer, "I am sorry you are of the mind to be solaced with these sports, and sorrier you have herein thought mine affection to be like your own."+ But as these sores on all hands lie open, so the deepest wounds of the Church of God have been more softly and closely given. It being perceived, that the plot of Discipline did not only bend itself to reform Ceremonies, but seek farther to erect a popular authority of Elders, and to take away Episcopal Jurisdiction, together with all other ornaments and means, whereby any difference or inequality is upheld in the Ecclesiastical Order; towards this destructive part, they have found many helping hands, divers although peradventure not willing to be yoked with Elderships, yet contented (for what intent God doth know) to uphold opposition against Bishops, not without greater hurt to the course of their whole proceedings in the business of God and her Majesty's service, than otherwise much more weighty adver

[See Index, MARTIN MAR-PRELATE.]

+["When the Bishops, that felt the smart of it, had cried out against that lashing Pamphlet called Martin Mar-Prelate, and there was a prohibition published, that no man should presume to carry it about him, upon pain of punishment, and the Queen herself did speak as much when the Earl was present, Why then (said the Earl) what will become of me? And pulling the book out of his pocket, he did shew it unto the Queen." CODRINGTON'S Life of Robert Earl of Essex: Harl. Misc. Edit. 1808. Vol. I. p. 219. 4to.]

x. 16.

saries had been able by their own power to have brought to pass. Men are naturally better contented to have their commendable actions supprest, than the contrary much divulged. And because the wits of the multitude are such, that many things they cannot lay hold on at once, but being possest with some notable either dislike or liking of any one thing whatsoever, sundry other in the meantime may escape them unperceived; therefore, if men desirous to have their virtues noted, do in this respect grieve at the fame of others, whose glory obscureth and darkeneth theirs, it cannot be chosen, but that when the ears of the people are thus continually beaten with exclamations against abuses in the Church, these tunes come always most acceptable to them, whose odious and corrupt dealings in secular affairs both pass by that mean the more covertly, and whatsoever happen, do also the least feel that scourge of vulgar imputation, which notwithstanding they most deserve. All this considered as behoveth, the sequel of duty on our part is only that which our Lord and Saviour requireth, harmless discretion, the wisdom of serpents, tempered with the innocent Matt. meekness of doves: for this world will teach them wisdom that have capacity to apprehend it. Our wisdom in this case must be such, as doth not propose to itself rò idov, our own particular, the partial and immoderate desire whereof poisoneth wheresoever it taketh place; but the scope and mark which we are to aim at is Tò Kowòv, the public and common good of all; for the easier procurement whereof, our diligence must search out all helps and furtherances of direction, which Scriptures, Councils, Fathers, Histories, the Laws and Practices of all Churches, the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations, may afford: our industry must even anatomize every particle of that body, which we are to uphold sound; and because, be it never so true which we teach the world to believe, yet if once their affections begin to be alienated, a small thing persuadeth them to change their opinions, it behoveth, that we vigilantly note and prevent by all means those evils, whereby the hearts of men are lost; which evils for the most part being personal, do arm in such sort the adversaries of God and his Church against us, that if through our too much neglect and security the same should run on, soon might we feel our estate brought to those lamentable terms, whereof this hard

vii. 20.

and heavy sentence was by one of the Ancient* uttered upon like occasions; "Dolens dico, gemens denuncio, sacerdotium quod apud nos intus cecidit, foris diu stare non poterit."+ But the gracious providence of Almighty God hath, I trust, put these thorns of contradiction in our sides, lest that should steal upon the Church in a slumber, which now, I doubt not, but through his assistance, may be turned away from us, bending thereunto ourselves with constancy, constancy in labour to do all men good, constancy in prayer unto God for all men; Her especially, whose sacred power, matched with incomparable goodness of nature, hath hitherto been God's most happy instrument, by him miraculously kept for works of so miraculous preservation and safety unto others; that Judg. as, "By the sword of God and Gideon," was sometime the cry of the people Israel, so it might deservedly be at this day the joyful song of innumerable multitudes, yea, the emblem of some estates and dominions in the world, and (which must be eternally confest even with tears of thankfulness) the true inscription, style, or title, of all Churches as yet standing within this realm, "By the goodness of Almighty God, and his servant Elizabeth, we are." That God, who is able to make mortality immortal, give her such future continuance as may be no less glorious unto all posterity, than the days of her regiment past have been happy unto ourselves; and for his most dear Anointed's sake, grant them all prosperity whose labours, cares, and counsels, unfeignedly are referred to her endless welfare, through his uspeakable mercy unto whom we all owe everlasting praise. In which desire I will here rest, humbly beseeching your Grace to pardon my great boldness, and God to multiply his blessings upon them that fear his name.

Your Grace's in all duty,

*

RICHARD HOOKER.

[See Job xii. 12. Eng. Tr.]

† Leg. Carol. Mag. fol. 421.