OF CHURCH CONTROVERSIES. 49 



the controversies themselves, yet I do admonish the 

 maintainers of the alone discipline, to weigh and con 

 sider seriously and attentively, how near they are 

 unto them, with whom, I know, they will not join. 

 It is very hard to affirm, that the discipline, which 

 they say we want, is one of the essential parts of the 

 worship of God ; and not to affirm withal, that the 

 people themselves, upon peril of salvation, without 

 staying for the magistrate, are to gather themselves 

 into it. I demand, if a civil state should receive the 

 preaching of the word and baptism, and interdict 

 and exclude the sacrament of the Lord s supper, were 

 not men bound upon danger of their souls to draw 

 themselves to congregations, wherein they might 

 celebrate this mystery, and not to content themselves 

 with that part of God s worship which the magistrate 

 had authorised ? This I speak, not to draw them 

 into the mislike of others, but into a more deep 

 consideration of themselves : &quot; Fortasse non redeunt, 

 quia suum progressum non intelligunt.&quot; 



Again, to my lords the bishops I say, that it is 

 hard for them to avoid blame, in the opinion of an 

 indifferent person, in standing so precisely upon 

 altering nothing : &quot; leges, novis legibus non recreate, 

 acescunt ;&quot; laws, not refreshed with new laws, wax 

 sour. &quot; Qui mala non permutat, in bonis non per- 

 severat :&quot; without change of ill, a man cannot conti 

 nue the good. To take away many abuses, sup- 

 planteth not good orders, but establisheth them. 

 &quot; Morosa moris retentio, res turbulenta est, seque ac 

 novitas ;&quot; a contentious retaining of custom is a tur- 

 VOL. vir. E 



