their faithfull obedience vnto all the Ostrogotti who did raigne in Italie among the which Theodoricke was so respected of the Sea of Rome chiefly of Pope S. Hormisda that they had almost canonized him as is written There was no seruice whereinto they did not obey those princes if they had any occasion to send any Embassadours they did vndergoe it as Pope Innocent the first tooke a legation from Alarico to the Emperour Honorius to negotiat his peace and to obtaine a dignitie to that Arrian King And further to declare how sacred they did hold their obedience to whatsoeuer King God did place ouer them they did vndertake Embassages from Arrian Princes in fauour of Artian Churches for conseruation of Arrians and in case of excommunication as Iean the second and Pope Agapet were imployed by Theodoric and Theodotus Now to him who will answere to this that these Princes were not excommunicate therefore the Church did serue them I replie that there was greater cause to excommunicate them then nor nowadayes is taken against Christian Princes and which is more we find the letters of Hormisda and others to Anastase as full of honor and respect as if he had beene free from the sentence of excommunication and of Gregorie the second to the Emperour Leon Iconomachus albeit he was excommunicate by that same Pope himselfe which things we must not imagine to haue bin done at randome or pro tempore but from good warrant appearantly since the iurisdiction spirituall is onely ouer the soules of men Church gouâ—…rnours ought not to transcend their ordinary bounds to meddle with the bodies or temporall states of Kings but their Fulmen Ecclesiasticum the thunder of excommunication should bee onely spirituall and like vnto the naturall thunder which can strike a man to the death without the meanest offence done vnto the apparell of his body For I would aske the Iesuite albeit the Church haue power ouer the Kings soule if it be so that they might rashly excommunicate him what right haue they for this ouer his kingdome and people If they haue why did Saint Paul in his time cry Querimus vos non vestra And why hath Saint Ambrose and Optatus Mileuitanus in his third booke Aduersus Parmenianum said That Emperours and Kings be within the Church but that the Empire is without it yea say they the Church is within the Empire in token that Antiquitie did exempt things temporall from the dint of excommunication when Pope Marcelline did sacrifice to Idols and Pope Honorio became a Monothelet Hereticke they were excommunicate but did not loose their Bishopprickes Pope Formose Bishop of Port was chosen successor to the same Pope who had excommunicate him And in the Counsell holden at Lions vnder Pope Gregorie the tenth it was concluded that Cardinals albeit excommunicate might assist the Pope his election by their vote and presence So modest were the Fathers in the point of Princely authoritie that Paulus Samosetanus against whom the Councell of Carthage was conuocate being deposed from Episcopall charge hee did yet possesse a certaine territory belonging to the Church but these Bishops demanded iustice thereof of the Emperour Aurelian albeit an Ethnicke because all that was ciuill and worldly did belong vnto the Empire The Church saith Augustine vpon Saint Iohn doth possesse no patrimonie nor goods but Iure humano Iure diuino she hath nothing This Iure humano is the Right Imperiall of Princes which being vsurped of any other it hath no more Title nor right vpon earth saith he So was it the constant meaning and doing of the ancient Fathers to thinke that they had nothing which they might refuse vnto the Emperours but the onely house of God Nor yet that saith Ambrose if I were assured that the Emperour speaking of Valens would not plant Arrians into it in which case onely I would presse to retaine it O what difference betwixt that and this blind ambitious and impudent age wherein Church rulers make open doctrine and profession to Master Princes lawfull and orthodoxall and to â—…reade vpon their neckes holie antiquitie would not aduenture to take from an excommunicate Bishop an house belonging to the Church but by the authoritie of the Emperour nor would not resiste the Emperoer by violence for the Temple of God to ane hereticke king although it were to giue it to heriticall pastoures whereas the plaine guyse of this time is to be Piscatores piscium non hominum and to abuse excommunication and the papall Thunder to spoyle a king of his cloathes to dethrone him of his kingdomes and to make him naked of his subiects Thirdlie we doe obserue of the primitiue Church that whensoeuer she did enioy good and godly Emperours they did not onelie not repute them as priuate members of the Church iudicable by the power Ecclesiasticall but contrarie they hold them chiefe members of their generall counsels vnder their misticall head Iesus Christ yeelding to them the authoritie of conuocation and whole exteriour Iurisdiction giuing them the tittle of common and externall Bishopes For we reade in Eusebius that Constantine the great was called so of the Church and said to bee brother vnto the fathers in which qualitie of a common Bishop he did exercise his power ouer the Church exteriorlie and ouer Bishops In like maner we find that in the Calcedonian councel the Emperour was called vniuersall Bishops yea Antiquitie did esteme no counsell supreame wherein an Emperour did not sit and praesidiat In all the appellationes of the primitiue Church which forme of Iudicatore is fittest to try where the maine sway of authoritie doth lie because it was absolute soueraigne and without declinatour hauing power against the Tyrannous gouernment of Popes against discords of other Prelats against vniust decrees of counsels themselues In all these appellations I say we finde that none was esteemed supreame but that wherein the Emperour did ouer rule as the only power vpon earth which is in dependant The first appellation we reade of in the Church was by Cyrillus Bishoppe of Ierusalem from the condemnatorie of one Counsel to another more general assisted sayth he with Seculare brachium with seculare power which he called a prouocation vnto a greater Iudgemement And so his cause was examined in the counsell of Seleucia As for the cause of Athanasius which did preceed that it was rather a remission of the processe to the counsell of Sardiâ—… then an appeale and went alwaies by the direction will of the Emperour Constantine to whom Saint Anthony write diuers letters directlie praying him for the restitution of Athanasius Saint Iohn Chrisost. in a second appellation did prouoke in the same tearmes with Cyrill to a higher iudge a more generall counsell assisted with imperiall authoritie as it cleare by a third appellation of Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria the time of the counsell of Calcedon in which appeale he doth expresselie protest that the coniunction of the imperiall
authoritie of a sacred Emperour declaring therby that in the poynts of externall policy he did esteeme them as men ordinary subiects whō in their spiritual functions he had counted as Gods The same authoritie was practised by Charlemaine who in his time did conuocate eight Councels and by his sonne Lewis Debonnaire who did assemble one And to shew it more plainely that this power to conuocate was Imperiall and not Episcopall we read how all the Popes of those dayes did write to Emperours for that effect Pope Innocent sent to Honorius fiue Bishops two Priests to obtaine a Councell for the restitution of Saint Iohn Chrysostome as we read in Euagrius Pope Leo doth beseech Valentine the third to obtaine of Theodose the yonger a Councell against Eutiches and in token that the Popes did not so much as pretend this power to assemble wee finde in Sozemene that Pope Iulius complaines onely that the Bishops of the Orient did not inuite him to the Councell of Antioch saying that a law of the Church prouided that no Decree should passe without the opinion asked of the Bishop of Rome And in Theoderet Pope Damasus makes the same complaint and in the same termes against the councel of Arimini in which such honour was done to the Emperour Constantius and such reuerence to his authoritie that the Fathers conuened there being detayned too long and being pressed to put downe some Decrees which were not orthodoxall they durst not for all that depart vntill they had the Emperours leaue and permission Further now will wee obserue the very internall Iurisdiction of the Church and that which is meerely spirituall to wit the sentence of Excommunication and how it was exercised we doe finde two things in that one is we shall not see that the primitiue Church did excommunicate any Emperour or King albeit there were more occasion against them nor is now contained in the great Bul of the holy Thursday which is yeerely published at Rome against Christian Kings and States Constantius and Valeus persecuting heretikes Trinitaries who would haue forced the Fathers to confessions against the Catholike faith were not excommunicate Theodose the second and Valentinian the third Eutichean heretikes were not excomunicate Basilieius enemie to the Councell of Calcedon Iustinian and of Kings Chilpericke King of France infected with Arrianisme Theodoricke King of Gothes Atalarichus Theodotus Vittiges and many others of whom none was excommunicate no not Iulian the Apostata nor Valentinian the second who fell in an heresie three seuerall times nor Iustinian who fell twise no when they had banished Popes themselues for wee read in an Epistle of Pope Siluerius that beng banished by Belizarius at the command of Iustinian his Master he assembled certaine Bishops to excommunicate Belizarius but did not so much as murmurre against Iustinian by whose direction he was persecuted Neither yet if they did kill a Bishop a◅ Valens who caused some of them to be drowned Secondly we obserue on this point of Excommunication that Bishops in the primitiue Church did excommunicate by the consent and permission Imperiall for Princes fearing that Church Rulers should abuse the spirituall sword made an ordinance repeated afterwards by Iustinian that no person should bee excommunicate vnlesse the cause of their sentence were before the Emperour cleerely prooued to be agreeable to the will and meaning of the holy Spirit which Saint Augustine doth expressely acknowledge in an Epistle to Boniface saying that the Church doth exercise her power against heretikes vnder the permission and power of Kings Some Bishops haue questioned hardly with Emperours as a Bishop did commaund Phillip the Emperour that hee should not enter into the Church but remaine without in the place of the Penitentiaries Saint Ambrose Bishop of Milane dealt right so with Theodosius the great but they did not pronounce any Excommunication maior against them for then they would not haue enioyned them penance if they had beene without the bosome of the Church As for Anastatius albeit some Churches as that and the Church of Ierusalem did excommunicate him yet he was euer in peace and vnion with numbers of Catholike Churches in the Orient which did declare that it was not magnum anathema but rather a t◅merarious Act howsoeuer this be such two or three exceptions will not serue against one ordinarie rule for then to meete these we finde in like manner three extraordinarie acts of Imperiall authoritie which caused excommunicate or eiect the Popes Xistus the third of that name suspected for adulterie was excommunicate by commaundement of Valens the third Theodoricke King of Gothes did eiect from the Church Pope Symmachus And the people of Rome vnder the Magistrates did forbid Pope Pelagius the assembly of the Church besides Saint Iohn Chrysostome deposed and expelled from his Church by Arcadius As for the excommunication of Arcadius done by Pope Gelasius it is doubted of in the Ecclesiasticall histories but I doe not speake of such extrauagant acts but of that which was ordinarily followed whereby it is still verified that the whole sway of Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall was in the Emperors The Conuocation was due to them the processe went by their permission and consent their persons were exempted from excommunication as wee haue heard which bee three maine points of soueraigne Commandement For the fourth which is the confirmation of the Popes it was also due to the Emperours Constantius the sonne of Constantine hee banished Liberius and erected Pope Felix in his place yea farther hee recalled that good Prelate did establish him with the other Theodosius the great a great pillar of the Church by the right Emperiall he setled at Rome together with a Pope a Bishop of a diuers religion I thinke for satisfaction of a mutinous people Laeonius in his time was Bishop of Rome for the Church of the Nouatianes Honorius his son again comming into Italie while Boniface and Eulalius did contend for the Pontificat he chased them both away and after placed Boniface making lawes against such ambicious competences Iulius Nepos the tyrant ouercomming Glicerius the Emperour he made him Pope as Euagrius doth recorde for some hold that he made him onelie Bishop of Milane because he is not found in the catalogue of the Popes Odoacre king of the Horoli being master of Rome he made an ordinance at the solistation of Pope Simplicius and to the imitation of proceeding Emperours That no Pope should be exalted without the consent of Emperiall authoritie When the Emperours had recouered Rome from the Goths Iustinian did not only eiect Vigilius but made him come to Constantinople to be iudged offering to the people of Rome his Arch-deacon Pelagius whereupon they thanked the Emperour willing him to suffer Vigilius and after his death to establish whom he pleased which right did so continue with the seate imperiall that Saint Gregorie the greate durst not honour himselfe with his titles before he had receaued the imperiall confirmation of
his pontificate Finally if we come to speake of the confirmations of councels and canons which is the last point of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction we also finde that nothing was solid vntill the imperiall approbation was conioyned to the spirituall The Rolles of the decrees of the counsell of Nice and Constantinople were presented to Constantine and Theodosius to be subscribed and authorised by them against which foresaide policie of the primitiue Church so farre depending vpon the Emperour I know not what we can pretend vnlesse we will be like those ignorant Gnostickes of whom Irenaeus doth make mention in the fourth Chapter of his third booke who held this opinion that while God did commaund vs to obey superior powers he did accommodat that command to the condition of persons and tymes and that the Church is not now in minoribus as she was then but out of Pagerie and able to commaund her selfe Certayne the lawe of God is immutable and eternall and doeth not suffer ecclipse nor is subiect to the measure of our fantasies If one will say the dealing of Arrian Kings with the church vnder the crosse is not to be drawne in example what shall we say to the Iurisdiction of Constantine the greate the first patron of the Church who tooke vpon him in his tyme to establish Bishops and had at his death Athanasius vnder his Iudicature and what shall we answere to Charlemaine a great fauourer of the Church to his son Lues Debonaire who sent to Rome to iudge a Pope for the murther of Theodore a Romane Senatour of the French deuotion wherein the Pope was forced to cleere himself by the kings owne appointment as the letters of Pope Leon to Lues to that effect doth import Thus if we haue done any thing out of purposse in that processe we are readie to amend it by your owne officers whom weâ—…treate you to send outwell disposed men to take triall of that matter The ecclesiasticall histories and the liues of Popes where they are written besoful of such testimonies and so plaine into them I thought it not necessarie to quote them particularlie So concluding this generall Theme in fauours of the lawfull authoritie of Kings I say the primitiue Church had neuer a Bishop nor Pope who did refuse to submit himselfe to the imperiall Iurisdiction after the example and doctrine of Christ in such manner that we are to esteeme all this contrary clergie of Papall parasites to be a false and bastard Theologie of ambitious monsters who striue to vsurpe that power which God hath reserued to himselfe of disposing of Kings and Diadems of the world after the way of his secret and diuine prouidence which power is so alone to him that no mortall flesh may participate of it as Daniel doth approoue in the Dreame of Nebuccadnezar Altissimus habet Potestatem super Regna hominum dat illa cuivult constituit super illa homines vilissimos The most High hath power ouer the Kingdomes of men hee giueth them to whom hee will and placeth in them most vile men And the Prophet Esay in this point in the person of the Ethnicke Cyrus he doth prophesie his victories hee calleth him the Lords Anoynted of whom God did say Whose right hand I haue holden to subdue Nations before him he ordayned him to be obeyed saying Uae ei qui litigauerit contra factorem suum Woe bee to him who doth question with his Maker Numquid lutum dicet factori suo quid facis Shall the Clay say to the Potter What dost thou make Then hee concludeth saying I haue raysed him and he shall let my people goe not for money but freely When God commanded Nolite tangere vnâ—…s meos hee did not except Saul more then Dauid Balthasar more then good King Iosias what then shall these miserable and wretched potshrads of these times reason with their Maker when he saith Dedi eis Regem in furore meo regnare facit hypocritam propter peccata Populi What shal they haue a count of him or how doe they not heare the voyce of the Prophets of Christ himselfe of the Apostles of the Fathers of the primitiue Church all consentient and contrary to that poysoned doctrine of Rome inuented and maintayned by the Iesuites where in place of these sacred priuiledges yeelded vnto Christian Princes as is said consisting in foure or fiue points of Soueraignity in the Ecclesiasticall gouernment wee shall heare foure or fiue such Maximes as these To Christ is giuen all power in Heauen and Earth and Christ hath giuen the keyes of all to Saint Peter therefore the Pope his successor hath all power also of Heauen and Earth hee is aboue Kings and may translate and destroy their authoritie he is aboue generall Councells and may inhibit them hauing all power in his owne person In place of Christian Apostolike and reuerent speeches of Monarchs Kings there is to be heard fastuous contemptible inuectiues against them serpentine insinuations to cut the throat of their Royall power to depose them spoyle their estates and inuade their liues and these by exoterick or publike writtes and who will be curious of their acroamaticke or hidden and cloysterall doctrine shall bee taught to vnderstand this ground for all that after the raigne of the Antichrist all Nations are to be collected vnder one Pastor and to obey him and to that effect God doth establish and raise some puissant Christian authoritie which should be in the occident as some Rabbins and Iewish Doctors who became thereafter Christians haue obserued by these mysticall wordes of our Sauiour vpon the Crosse Vouch chi hammassiah chesche uitlash bannesthimneth hu daieth roscho daiphen nalt sarphat dareth rachen nalcha That is to say Et erit postquam Messias suspensus fuerit in ligno ecce ipse inclinabit caput suum prespiciens ad occidentem dixit miserebor tui The French say they doth expound this mysterie of the Grandor of the French Crowne because their Princes were myraculously brought vnto the Christian faith receiuing the Flower-de-Luce sent from heauen as their Stories record with a supernaturall power to heale the Ecruelles by touching which Flower is holden sacred and in holy Scripture is recommended aboue all other Flowers being imployed in the worke of the great Candlesticke made by Moses and after vsed by Salomon who built the Temple whereof Moses drew the figure so that they esteeme this Flower to be the true hyerogliphicke of their faith and hold it yet for their Armories they haue beene mightie promoters of Gods Church by destroying flouds of Arrians Gots and Visigotti in Spaine in the daies of Carollo Martello and Pipino his sonne by their expulsion of Longobards and succouring of the seat Apostolicall vnder Carolus Magnus by their exploits in the Orient about the conquest of Ierusalem vnder the Armes of Godfred de Bullion and his partners and by their Christian enterprises against the Saracenes vnder Lodouicus sanctus
haue done Of all the Doctours of Antiquity Ierome is most sought to by the Presbyterians The Councell of Sardica cap. 10. 13. hath decreed that if a rich man by meanes of Court come to bee a Bishop hee shall first performe the office of a Reader Deacon and Presbyter that by degrees hee may ascend to the height of a Bishopricke Nazianzene giueth testimony of Athanasius and Basil that they ascended into Episcopall dignity by the spiritual Law through all the degrees of Ecclesiasticall offices The Councell of Antioch that whatsoeuer things appertaine vnto the Church are to bee gouerned by the authority of the Bishop by whom say they people are instructed The Councell of Calcedon decreed that none should build a Cloyster or Monastery without the consent of the Bishop of the City and that all Monasticall persons should bee subiect to the Bishop And if we should search all the Doctours Fathers and Councells wee should finde that Episcopall policy accompanied with a cleere consent of all Catholike antiquitie to applaud it So farre that for the first thousand yeeres of the Church no man hath beene knowen to denie or decline it but onely Aereus who was therefore compted an Heretike by Augustine in his Catalogue of heresies and by Epiphanius also which hath not beene rashly nor with repentance affirmed by Augustine as some hold for it was written after his retractation and after his writing of 230 Bookes besides his Epistles and Homilies He saith in his preface that it is hard to giue an accurate definition of an Hereticke he reckoneth vp 53. heresies which after Christs ascenscion were contrary to his doctrine giuing the last place to that of Aereus And concluding in the end of all Omnis it aque Christianus Catholicus ista non debet credere Euery Christian Catholike ought not therfore to beleeue them The Coūcell of Nice hauing decreed that the Catharists or Nauatians or a sort of sublimitated Puritans of these daies returned to penitence vnto the Church those who had brooked any dignity of before should be repossessed of any office whatsoeuer in the Church except it were to displace a Bishop which should not bee lawfull to him who hath beene a Nouatian Bishop But hee should content himselfe to be a Priest vnlesse the Bishop would receiue him to be a Coadiutor or communicate to him the honour of the name or if hee like him not to finde him a Choro-Episcopat or Presbyterat To the end as Ruffinus sayes Ne in ◅na Ciuitate duo sint Episcopi that there should not be two Bishops in one City Augustine being ignorant of this when he was drawen from Nauationisme to bee Bishop of Hippona while yet Ualerius liued because of his great woorth when Augustine himselfe became old and nominated Euodius to be his Successour and had chosen him himselfe to be his Coadiutor yet hee held it vnlawfull during his owne life to ordinate him Bishop when Ualerius ordained me Bishop said he we were both ignorant of the decree of the Connsell of Nice but what was reprehended in me shall not be blamed in my Successour as Possidon hath it Quod sibi factum esse doluit alijs fieri noluit So did this holy man reuerence that ordinance of Nice in fauours of orthodoxall Bishops neither shall we find through all ancient Counsels or Fathers one who hath not done the like reposing still the glory of the Church vpon the authority of Bishops according to that which Dauid did foresee in his Propheticall spirit saying in his 45. Psalme Insteed of Fathers children shall be borne vnto thee whom thou shalt make Princes in all the earth which word Augustine doth interprete insteed of Apostolos who were thy fathers O Catholike Church sonnes who are Bishops are created vnto thee therefore thinke not thy selfe forsaken because thou seest not Peter nor Paul who begat thee Agnoscant quiprecisi sunt veniant ad vnitatem Let them saith hee who are Opiniators and Schismatiks acknowledge those sonnes who be borne to the Church to be her Princes ouer all the Earth The like exposition Ierom the pretended Patron of Presbyters maketh vpon the words of Esay in the 17. verse of the 60. chapter according to the Septuagint speaking to the future estate of the Church through a Reuelation I will giue thy Princes in peace and thy Bishops in righteousnesse whereon Ierome Heerein saith hee the Maiesty of the holy Scripture is to be admired who calleth futuros Ecclesia Episcopos The Princes and Rulers that were to be of the Church Bishops whose visitation is all in peace and the name of their dignity all in righteousnesse saith he So that we finde an excesse of honor and dignity which from Primitiue and ancient times hath beene yeelded to this vertuous Prelacie in the Church Doth not Tertullian who liued in the first 200 yeeres write this of Bishops not onely yeelding vnto them poynts of preeminence and iurisdiction but speaking of the celebration of the Sacrament The Bishop saith hee hath the right to minister Baptisme and then the Presbyters and Deacons but not without the authoritie of the Bishop for the honour of the Church which being safe peace is safe In regard of which Catholike and constant testimonies from time to time what shall wee say shall we not for once thinke it impossible that the successours of the Apostles all the holy Fathers so many Martyrs and Saints would haue abolished that gouernment whatsoeuer which Christ and his Apostles left vnto the Church for the next shall we not hold it impossible to fall out that any policie which was not receiued from the Apostles could be at one time embraced of the whole Christian world and approoued of all generall counsels in the Primitiue Church For the last shall we not thinke it a scorne beyond all scornes that all those antiquities and Apostolicall traditions witnessed by Apostolicall men generall counsels Fathers Doctours Catholike consent without interruption must bee condemned for follies schismes corruptions by some pure and Heteroclite braines who haue start vp more then 1500. yeeres after to impugne the credit of the Church Gouernment qualified by so many diuine men whose faith was tried in the fire of affliction and who sealed their profession with glorious Martyrdome Certainely if it must be so we may say that the true light hath endured a miraculous ecclipse and that great knowledge hath beene long reserued to bee at length vouchsafed to the Allobrogicall Doctours CHAP. XI The opinion of the Archi-Reformatours concerning Church-Policie FInally to conclude this point of the Church-Policy I come to shew what haue beene the opinions of Protoreformatours concerning the same In the Augustine confession which is the first publike Protestant act wherin wee can obserue it this Article is contained wee haue oft say they out of our great desires protested to obserue the Ecclesiasticall policie in all degrees as it is canonicall in the Chruch and to reuerence the authority of
authoritie doth make the highest iurisdiction which cannot be denyed when all the authorities on earth are conioyned there can be nothing aboue that So we reade that Constantius did determine the processe of Saint Athanasius as his father Constantine had designed to doe before for he sent his will touching it vnto the Bishops assembled in the counsell of Tyre with the gouernour Archilaus who did sit and preside in the counsell yet in the ende the Empreour would needes banish that good father into Trâ—…ues After that againe Honoratus the gouernour with some other senatours assisted the counsell conueened in the cause of Aetius and in the counsell of Calcedon the Senatours brought thither by Ualentinian the third and Marcian did coniunctlie with the fathers iudge a great number of Bishops whose requests presented to the Empreour for that effect are yet to be read in the histories and if any man will say that these were but priuate Bishopes who were censured of the Emperours let him remember that Constantius did iudge and condemne to exile Pope Liberius at least he gaue Commission to do the same vnto Bishop Ursatius that Sextus the third did vnderly a criminall iudgement of Valentinian the third assisted with numbers of Ciuill Magistrates fortie eight Priests sixe Deacons That Iustinian made the processe of Pope Siluerius and banished him and of his successor Pope Vigilius accused of treason that Theodoricke King of Gothes did erercise the same iustice against Pope Symmachus assembling a Counsell where the whole Bishops did remit themselues vnto the wisedome of the Emperour And Gregorie the great behooued he not to purge himselfe to Mauricius the Emperor of a disorder fallen out at Rome and of the death of Bishop Malcus did he not in his ordinary letters to the Emperours stile them his Signiors and Masters how like to that is it that Rome is now become Naufragium Principum the rocke vpon the which Kings make shipwracke and the bloodie stage whereupon they act their Tragedies And this touching the forme of Ecclesiasticall iudicatorie in the Primatiue Church As for the power of Conuocation that it was granted to Princes as Soueraigns in the exterior policie of the Church it is as manifest we haue the testimonie of Ruffinus vpon the first Counsell of Nice hee saith it was assembled by Constantine the great with the aduise of the Fathers And Eusebius in the life of this Emperour for calling of this Counsell he doth not so much as mention any letter of the Pope Siluester solliciting the same contenting himselfe to say this Counsell was assembled by the honourable letters of the Emperour as a puissant armie of Christ Iesus in the which he did praeside glorying to call himselfe a common Bishop among them As for the Counsell of Laâ—…dicea Sard Selâ—… Arimini Millane and Rome which were not vniuersall Socrates and Sozemen doe testifie that they were conuocate by the onely commaundement of the Emperour Constant hereticke Arrian the same Authors beare witnesse that the second Counsell of Constantinople generall was assembled by the authoritie of Theodose the great and that of Ephesus by Theodose the yonger and that of Calcedon consisting of 630. Fathers by Valentinian the third and Martian of the fift Counsell was not the honour due to Iustinian and of the sixt to Constantine Wherein were excommunicate Pope Honorio Theodore Bishop of Phare Syrus Bishop of Alexandria heretickes monothelites these two preceeding Counsels are onely comprehended in one called Quinta Sexta Synodus because their decrees were not ample and seuerally particularised Alwayes we reade that the Emperour Constantine sent his letters to Pope Donus requiring him to direct his Legates vnto this Counsell and after his death Pope Agathâ—… his successor when he sent to haue the confirmation of his pontificat from him hee promised that his Legate should come to that Counsell conuocate by the Emperour As for the sixt Counsell Oecumenicke holden at Constantinople in Trullo was it not assembled by Iustinian the second The seuenth concerning the impugnation of images was conuocate by the authoritie of Constantine the sonne of Irene and so foorth through all the rest vntill the Empire became feeble and dismembred which power those Emperours did so absolutely keepe and vse ouer the externall policie of the Church that Theodose the great had once intended to conuocate an vniuersall Counsell of all nations and all sects of Religion to purge the Church from all sorts of schismes and heresies And this is the reason why Socrates in the entrie of the fift booke of his Historie saith he is constrained to introduce the Emperors because after their being Christians they did conuocate the generall Counsels and carrie the sway of Ecclesiasticall gouernement And this is the cause why Augustine in his ninth Epistle De correctione Donatistarum saith when it begun to be fulfilled which is written Et adorabunt eum omnes Reges Terrâ—… when Emperours and Kings became Christians then saith he what man can be so absurd as to say vnto Kings haue no rule of Gods Church within your kingdomes This it is which made Pope Leo to write to Leo Augustus wishing him deepely to consider that Royall power was not onely giuen to him Ad mundi Regimen sed praecipue ad Ecclesia not onely for the rule of the world but more of the Church as Isodâ—…re saith That whither the policie or peace of the Church bee diminished or aduanced vnder Princes they are to render count unto the Lord Qui ab ijs exiget rationem Ecclesiae sua quam corum potestati tradiderat who shall demaund from them an accompt of his Church which he hath committed to their power In Nouellis Constitutionibus 124. The truth thereof is so cleerely verified in the whole practise of this Primitiue Church that the Epistles Synodals of the first Counsell of Nice those holy Bishops did write them in this stile For as much say they as by the grace of God and by the commandement of the most sacred Emperour Constantine the great this holy Counsell hath beene assembled without any mention at all of Pope Siluester his letters the same tenor is obserued in the Synodall Epistle of the Counsell of Trullo where the Fathers did prayse Iustinian the second because he had assembled them foorth of diuers nations to the imitation of Christ who sought so carefully the straying sheepe in the mountaine This authoritie Temporall ouer the Church was exercised euen by Constantine the great himselfe who was the greatest zealator of the Church of any Emperour and who called them Gods in the Church so long as they did minister the Sacraments and holy things yet when he commeth after that to speake of the subiection and duetie of euery Bishop to him in that letter which he wrote for the assemblie of the Counsell of Tyre he saith that they should conueine vnder the paine of exile and that hee should teach all disobedient Bishops to know that they must liue vnder the
the which reformed Church of England the graue and learned Beza giues this vertuous testimony If saith hee the reformed Church of England doe persist as they are ruled by authority of Bishops whereof some of our age haue bin famous Martyrs and most worthy Pastors and Doctors let England enioy that singular blessing of God which I pray the Lord to continue with them said he Alwayes for this point we may conclude thus that in case Prelates should become Papall and Idolatrous that Presbyters might reforme with their tongues but not with hands preach reformation but not pull downe Churches perswade and illuminate mens consciences but not concitate popular tumults The third thing which we mark in these reformations of Ierusalem is that things were reduced not to the times immediately preceding nor other then vnto Primitiue Institutions for saith Daniel Wee haue sinned O Lord not against Dauid nor Samuel but against the lawe of thy seruant Moses who was their lawgiuer And here is the maine point wherein doth stand the perfection of all Christian reformation that the doctrine gouernment of the Catholike Church should be conformed with euery thing which was in the Primatiue Church whereabout there be some little diuersities in opinions but no man yet hath bounded it more narrowly then the first 300. yeeres except this heteroclite Clergie of the late Presbyterians who will precisely limitate it vnto the dayes of Christ and his Apostles taking aduantage that way as they thinke to discredite Episcopall Regiment because forsooth there was no mention then of Diocesan Metropolitan and Partriarchall Bishops And so fantasing to reduce the Church policie to the termer wherein it was immediatly after Christs ascension at which time there was no need but of Presbyters before Cities Sheriffedomes Prouinces Nations were conuerted who doth not know that the policie of the Church behooued to encrease with the encrease of faith it behooued to haue a Bishop before a Diocesan Bishop and him againe before a Metropolitan Bishop the Metropolitan before the Patriarchall authoritie But these bee headdy inuentions of poore and clandestine Synagogues who cannot pretend for themselues any learned Patron except it be falsely Not Luther not Melancton not Bucer not Zuinglius not Zanchius nor Caluine These were no dreamers they were graue and sage Diuines farre of as you shall heare by their owne testimonies from bringing into the Church of God such Anarchies and popular Tribunates yea they cannot betake themselues to any of our own Protoreformatours not to Iohn Knox who howsoeuer in the point of the Ciuill Magistrate to speake ingenuously he was somewhat extrauagant yet he was a great and good instrument of God and in this point of Bishops wise and conforme the time being considered as you shall heare hereafter CHAP. VIII A limitation of the Primitiue Church whereunto we are to appeale for Reformation which the iudgement of the best Reformators touching the meanes thereof BVt to proceede touching the Primitiue Church I say that whatsoeuer is in the Church it is either Doctrine Policie or Ceremonies what concernes doctrine doth limitate the Primatiue Church to the dayes of Christ the Apostles and Euangelists that nothing is to be admitted for doctrine but that which the Spirit of God did penne by their hands what concernes euery particular Act in policie or custome in Ceremonies it is not to be reckoned so To make this cleere we are to vnderstand a distinction in diuine institution some being more directly diuine then others as the doctrinal points of Saluation treated by the Apostles are more diuine then that which the same Apostles did concerning the policie The first is the bread of life it selfe the second is but the order how it shall be kept dispensed so that these things which our Sauiour spake out of his owne mouth are immediately diuine The Acts againe of the Apostles in establishing the Church after the ascension no man will refuse them to be diuine institutions so farre that the Apostles might say they did proceed from the holy Ghost and from themselues yet no man either must hold them equally diuine with the personall doctrine of Christ in regard whereof they hold a second degree are called Apostolike Traditions Therfore such as be strict about this distinctiō say that which did immediatly flow from Christ himselfe is a diuine ordinance and the other onely diuini Iuris that is to say hath a diuine right Now say they in regard of the first institution the difference is but small betwi◅t a diuine ordinance and an Apostolicall ordinance but in respect of continuation or perpetuitie there is a great discrepance that which is immediately diuine being absolutely and unchangeably necessarie to bee kept in the Church from Christs mouth to the consummation of the world The other againe not so but as it did not flow directly from Christs owne mouth nor from the Apostles immediately after the ascension but being traditions politicall for the Church they were peece and peece deliuered and practised according to the increase of the faith euen so they do not imply a necessary perpetuitie in the Church in that sort as some do fondly reason saying if such Policie or such Ceremonies be Apostolicall then they must be perpetuall in the Church wherevpon by way of aduantage they inferre the nullitie of many reformed Churches in France Scotland Geneua and others which is an absurd inconvenient O but it is not so The word of God and the Apostolicall traditions be of like ve◅itie but not of like authoritie nor like perpetuitie nor a like necessitie for that is to bee retained in the Church which is expedient and convenient as wel as that which is absolutely necessary but the difference is that of Christs word one Iot shall not perish it is vnchangeable incorruptible eternall Whereas these other Apostolicall institutions which were the fountaines and beginnings from whence did flow the growth of the Churches policie with the growing of the faith vnder the successors of the holy Fathers of the primitiue Church these I say albeit they be from the spirit of veritie yet hauing but a second place and being but diuini Iuris they are not so absolute incorruptible and vnchangeable as the first they are like vnto vpright gold into which an excellent Iewell is mounted there to be kept which gold if it were most fine it is with time worne diminished altered and perhaps broken but still againe renewed euen so as the Riuers which after long running doe willingly fall againe into the bosome of their great fountaine the Ocean from whence they come and which is their naturall seat so all disordered and strange courses of pretended policies and nouelties of the Church gouernment do by length of time returne againe into the fountaine of the Apostolicall institutions as experience doth shew which are not to bee limited to the daies of Christ or to the beginnings of the Apostles as the word is
the person of one no lest it might both seeme a worke of man and be the more easily corrupted but that it might seeme the worke of God and be the more miraculous by the harmony of many Bishops who atall occasions might communicate the confessions of their faith by their Canonicall Pontificall and publike letters If any man did erre they first sought him to be reformed by those failing thereof they assembled their Counsels to depose him Cyprian saiththat the Catholike Church is one not diuided or rent with Schismes Sed coherentium sibi inuicem Episcoporum glutinâ—… copulata as it were coupled together with the glew of Episcopall Concordance therefore saith he the body of Bishops is copious and tied together with the knot of mutuall vnity that if any one should be author of heresie the rest might indeuour to controle him as this was the true meaning of the Apostles so to reason still from experience it is true that vntill the comming of Papall tyranny in the yere 607 the Church of Christ was euer most free from that superstition ambition auarice and impiety of manners which siâ—…ce haue spoiled all Seeing wee haue thus truely and without inconuenience brought the Ecclesiasticall gouernement to the rules of the old Testament it may suffice to rectifie a good and iuditious mind in that matter of the Bishops yet because it is a maine point not onely of generall reformation but of our intestine vnion with that perfect Church of England of our sincere coniunction also among our selues in Scotland I will insist briefly in it not into the idle perplexities which the malice and ignorance of you who be opponents doth moue because they be exactly treated by learned diuines onely because my discourse is Empericall I will speake two or three words touching the promiscual and common vse of the names Episcopus and Presbyter which is 〈◊〉 questionis affirmed by you to haue had no difference at all in the Apostolicall dayes so that thereupon you doebuild all the Sophistrie of the question Secondly I will giue you the cleere testimonies of the Catholike and Consentient Antiquitie vpon two things one of the great vse and benefite which hath redowned to the Church by the rule of Bishops an other of their successiue continuation from the dayes of the Apostles hitherto without intermission excepting a few reformed Churches 60. yeeres agoe Lastly I will set downe to you the iudgement and meaning concerning Church Policie of all our famous reformatours beginning at Luther euen vntill now to let you see how they bee as farre against your Consistorian Discipline as are our Bishops who be now in gouernment And first concerning the communitie of the words Episcopus and Presbyter it is true they were as they are still Unus Episcopatâ—… vnum Presbyterium and if you please to say Vnus Apostolatus Oâ—…e and the same thing touching the substance of their ministerie they preach one doctrine but we must not from that homonomie of wordâ—… enforce such wrangling conceits as if we had not learned in the Logicall Schoole the definition of Equiuoca verba quorum nomen est commune ea autem quae nomini conueâ—…unt alia atque alia which haue a common name but things competent to the name most diuers in the one and in the other they labour about one subiect but they be distinguished by some accidentall points wherein they differ by reason of degree of Ecclesiastical authority Quae differunt sâ—…lummodo quantitate qualitate non differunt natura say the Philosophers the things which differ onely in quantity and quality they doe not differ in nature as to say that the Archbishop hath within his rule the same power which the Patriarke within his touching the substance of his charge excepting some reseruations to the Patriarchall degree vnto the which by reason of superioritie appellation in some cases was made from the others and to the which belongeth a power to conuocate Archbishops by reason of more ample presedence so euery Patriarchall Bishop was an Archbishop but not reciprocally And euery Episcopus a Presbyter but not reciprocally while the Episcopall power was in the Apostles themselues or in Apostolicall men they who had that power were still called Apostles as by the worthier stile and therefore Ambrose in some of his Treatises vpon the Gospell by Apostles doth vnderstand Bishops and Cyprian in like manner Apostolos id est Episcopos praepositos Dominus elegit The Lord chose Apostles that is Bishops and ouerrulers for as Theodoret hath well obserued in these words in time past saith he they called one and the same man Bishop and Presbyter and these who now are called Bishops they named Apostles but in processe of time they left the name of Apostles to those who were truely Apostles and the name of Episcopus or Bishop they tooke away from Presbyter and gaue it to those who were wont to be called Apostles by confusion of names onely saith he which testimonie conferred with many others like will make the trueth of the matter to be this while as the Bishops were Apostles or Apostolicall men for so were the first Bishops the Angels of the Churches were also called Apostles of the Churches other inferior Pastors were then called Episcopi and Presbyteri by confusion of names but when those first Bishops being dead their successors were to be chosen out of the Presbyters men neither Apostles nor Apostolicall which Ierom noteth to haue beene done at Alexandria after the death of S. Marke as you shall heare and was done in other places where no Apostolicall men did rest aliue then I say and there they left the name of Apostles to Apostles indeed who were dead and for difference from them they called the intrant successor Episcopus or Bishop and his inferiour minister againe Presbyter allowing no more confusion of names so that this cleare distinction both of names and offices was embraced in the very first succession of the Apostles For Ignatius who was Bishop of Antioch in the Apostles time after that Euodius had been there before him hee did vsually distinguish these three degrees of the Clergie as the Church hath euer done since by these three names Bishop Presbyter and Deacon the difference of which degrees and the superioritie of Bishops is witnessed by the same Ignatius writing to the Smyrnenses Let no man doe any thing appertayning to the Church saith he yea let not the administration of the Eucharist be lawfull but by the Bishop or by him who hath his authoritie from the Bishop Next touching the restimonies of Antiquitie vpon the vse and benefit of Episcopall Regiment all the Fathers doe in one voyce applaude that which Cyprian the most modest of Bishops hath written in that point affirming that all heresies and schismes haue euer flowed from discontented humours of those who contemne the authoritie of Bishops which is placed to coerce and correct them Unde schismata
hereses aborta sunt nisi dum Episcopus contemnitur homo dignatione Dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus iudicatur from whence are heresies saith he but because vnworthy men doe censure and despise him whom God hath honoured with preferment Basilius saith that the vnitie of the Church doth depend from the vnitie of the Bishop and that the erection of a second Bishop within one Diocesse vnlesse it be to help and assist him by his own consent hath euer been esteemed the breeding of schisme but of all the Auncients Saint Ierom doth best cleare the truth of this point euen hee who is pretended to be flagellum Episcopâ—… the scourge of Bishops as you shall see It is true indeed that Ierom writing vpon the first of the Epistle to Titus hath once called the Episcopall authoritie rather a custome then an Apostolicall Tradition saying thus Before that by instinct of the Deuill there were factions in the Church and that it was said among the people I am of Paul I am of Apollo and I of Cephas the Church was gouerned by the common consent of the Presbyters but after through all the world it was decreed that one of the Presbyters should be placed aboue the rest to whom should apperteine the whole Ecclesiasticall care and extirpation of schisme Thus far Iâ—…m Out of which words the Presbyterians doe extort this consequence that the primitiue Church was gouerned by presbyteriall policie without Bishops to this the answer is first if it were granted to come in by a consueted and not by a primitiue tradition Yet the consequence is voyde against Bishops vnlesse we will say that Presbyters and Deacons were not neither an Apostolicall ordination because in the beginning the Apostles did gouerne the Church without both these by consent of the people as it is manifest by the Epistle to Titus as Creta Corynth Ephesus and Philippi before they had Episcopus or Presbyter whom when they did receiue the Church did yet remaine vnder the rule of the Apostles Secondly it is answered where hee speakes of the choosing of one Presbyter aboue the rest for taking order with schismes that schismes were begun in the Apostles ownetime so that this same election hath been also then begun or otherwise that the Apostles haue not been so wise as their Successors which were absurd to hold Thirdly it is answered that reason of Ierom taketh away Deacons as well as Bishops because the murmurations of the Greekes against the Hebrewes moued that institution as wee know which was not in the beginning Fourthly it is answered this opinion of Ierom is singular and perhaps of temerarious and discontented humour hee being but a Presbyter For while he speaketh of a noueltie in the Church accepted through all the world he should haue put downe the time by particular circumstances otherwise hee leaueth his opinion weake and obnoxious Lastly the answer is The best Doctors of the Church haue erred in their writts and haue set downe their Retractions as Augustâ—… so is it of veritie that Ierom hath mended himselfe 〈◊〉 this particular 〈◊〉 hath made an ample palinode and Recantation 〈◊〉 in this argument it is ouer past and suppressed by the presbyterian Cleargie as if none but they could finde it out In his epistle to Euagrius Alexandria inquit 〈◊〉 Marco Euangelista â—…sque ad Heracliâ—… 〈◊〉 Episcopos Presbyteri vnum ex sese electum in excelsiori gradâ—… collocatuâ—… ad tollenda schismata Episcopum 〈◊〉 quomodo si exercituâ—… Imperatorem faciat At Alexandriâ—… from Saint Marke the Euangelist vntill Heracliâ—… and Dionisius Bishops The Presbyters did â—…ill choose one of themselues to bee aboue them for auoyding of schismes whom they called Bishop euen aâ—…if an armie should create an Emperour Againe in the preamble of his Commentaries vpon Mattheâ—… he saith that Markâ—… was the first Bishop of Alexandria that 〈◊〉 dyâ—… 〈◊〉 thâ—… times of the Apostles the seuenth yeare of Nero he doth testifie in his Catalogue Script ecclesinst that which is true thaâ—… Ananiâ—… suereeded him therefore it must follow of his owne words that he was 〈◊〉 by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exeroituâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—… an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ate an Emperour Thirdly in an otherplace most plainâ—… Totius Ecclesiâ—… salutâ—…m à Summâ—… 〈◊〉 dignâ—…ate 〈◊〉 câ—… si non exors abâ—…mnibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestâ—… tâ—… in Ecelesia efficereÌ„â—…r schisâ—…ta quot Sacerdâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he The Churches prosperitio doth relieâ—…n the 〈◊〉 of the chiefe Priest or Bishop of the Church 〈◊〉 if hee haue not granted vnto him a free power aboue the rest there would be as many schismes as Priests withâ—… the Church so that Ierom must confesse that â—…rke and Anianâ—… at Alexâ—… and 〈◊〉 and Ignaâ—… 〈◊〉 Antioch were constitute by the ordiâ—…ce of ouâ—… Sâ—…our or then that the Apostles did institute 〈◊〉 to the minde of Christ which is absâ—…d to holâ—… 〈◊〉 lastlâ—… the conclusion of thaâ—… Epistle as I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…lated doth referre the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Iewish Church in which speeches first and last of Ierom we doe not onely obserue the great benefit redounding to the Church by Bishops and the end why they were created for vnitie and auoyding of schismes but we doe in like manner marke the antiquitie of that policie from S. Marke and the authoritie and power thereof as if an Armie should choose an Emperour saith hee and the succession thereof to Dionisius and lastly the vniuersalitie thereof Decretum erat in toto orbe terrarum saith hee It was decreed throughout the whole world wherevpon hee hath concluded that the weale of the Church doth depend à Summi Sacerdotis dignitate from the worth of the Bishop After that some of the inferiour Clerkes who did assist the informall election of Nouatian in the place of Cornelius were againe reduced vnto the Catholike Church their penitence was declared in these words We are not ignorant that there is one God one Christ one holy Ghost one Bishop into one Church whereby wee see that vnitie was the end of Episcopall institution When Constantine at the instance of the deuout Matrons of Rome licenced Liberius to returne but withall appointed that Church gouernment to bee common betwixt him and Felix The faithfull people deriding that ordinance of the Arrian Emperour cryed aloud as Theodore writeth one God one Church one Bishop So that antiquitie doth euer ascribe the benefit of vnitie in the Church vnto that apostolicall and ancient policie Thirdly for testimonies for the succession of the Bishops in the Church from the Apostles hitherto there be so many that for a short rehearsall one knoweth not what to choose Against the Bishopricks of Titus and Timothie many things bee idly pretended which are plainly discussed by those Theologues who haue expresly handled this question but against those who doe alledge that they remained not at Ephesus and Creta numbers of Authors beare witnesse Dorothaus in Synopsi Soph in Catal in tot Ifidorus de vita morte
Bishops prouiding they doe not force vs to anything contrary to Gods word which protestation shall excuse vs to all posterity that the ouerthrow of the ancient policie be not imputed to vs say they which confession Caluine among others did soone thereafter subscribe Melancthon to Martin Luther Non credis quanto sum in odio Noricis alijs You will not beleeue saith he how I am hated of the Norricians and others Alwayes it is not well that men should so abhorre the restauration of Bishops for I know not with what a face wee can refuse them If they will permit vs to haue purity of doctrine And I doe feare that Episcopall authority being dissolued wee shall haue more intollerable Tyranny in the place thereof saith he And in another place which was not written to Luther Et mecum semper sensit Lutherus And Luther did euer iudge with me who saith he knew himselfe to bee the more loued of mer because by his meanes Bishops had beene cast out and themselues set at liberty which shall be dangerous for the posterity for what state of Church shall we haue when the ancient policie shaken off there shall bee no certaine Rulers saith Melancthon which solid iudgement Camerarius doth praise in these words Quod reclamantibus multis ille hoc suadebat non modo ad stipulatore sed auctore Luthero vt restituerentur Episcopi si vsum purae doctrina permitterent that against many he did not onely by Luthers consent but by his direction perswade the Restitution of Bishops if they will grant the purity of doctrine In another little treatise of these times entituled Articuls Protestantium de vnitate Ecclesiae Gradus illos plures Episcoporum Archiepiscoporum Patriarcharum vtiles esse existimamus ad Ecclesiae salutem si ij qui presunt faciunt officium all these degrees of Ecclesiasticall policie are profitable for the Church prouiding Prelates discharge their dutie Bucer de vi vsâ—… ministerij saith thus Therefore these orders of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons established in the beginning by the holy spirit when Churches begun to be multiplyed they did ordaine to euery Prouince their owne Metropolitan And againe thereafter to shew how he thought it a diuine ordinance he saith as the people were more and more frequent in Metropolitan Citties It a dabat Dominus vt haberent ampliores Episcopos illae Ecclesiae so did God ordaine greater Bishops to those Churches Hemingiâ—…s is of that same opinion and both of them doe blame that wrested sense of Ierom aforesaid saying that howsoeuer it might bee so while Churches were not perfectly constituted yet all the other Fathers were against him froÌ„ thence forth he contented to acknowledge his error as you haue heard Philip Hebrâ—…nerus a great Protestant Theologue hauing mooued the question touching these degrees Ecclesiasticall hee answereth in fauour of them because the Apostles doe mention them in the first place the Presbyter in the next and the Deacon in the last saith he who is more famous among vs as I haue said then the venerable and learned Zanchius who hath left vs a long discourse of Episcopall gouernment in the Church which were too long to relate heere and is to be found in his obseruations 25. in titulo 38. de Disciplina clericali beginning thus Tertia pars disciplina clericalis est ea quae gradus infimi subijciuntur superioribus and it is most plaine of any for Bishops as may bee perceiued also by those his following speeches in the historie of the Augustine confession My faith saith he doth absolutely rest vpon the simple word of God next vpon the common consent of the ancient Catholike Church if it is not repugnant to the holy Scripture for whatsoeuer hath been decreed by those holy Fathers assembled in generall Couâ—…cells in the name of God if it doe not contradict his word that I take to flow from the holy Ghost albeit I doe not account it in the same degree with the written word and seeing it is most euident by all the writts of the ancient Fathers that Bishops and these other orders haue been allowed in the Church Quis ego sum who am I saith he who should take vpon me to impugne that which the holy Catholike Church hath approued Neither durst the most learned of our time disprooue them because they were instituted for good ends and for edification of Gods people Besides I haue respect to these reformed Churches who hauing embraced the Euangell doe yet retaine the order of Bishops in name authoritie meaning the Lutherians And looking to the Protestant Churches I finde they haue their Bishops and Archbishops vnder changed names of Superintendants and generall Superintendants and where neither the old good Greeke names of Episcopus and Archiepiscopus nor these new ill Latine names of Superintendant and generall Superintendent be acknowledged Notwithstanding I see their meaning of Presbyterians chiefe men who take vpon them all the authoritie where therefore these be maintayned and Bishops refused it is but a controuersie for names so when wee agree as wee doe vpon the thing it selfe why should we striue about the name Thus farre Zanchius Wherein wee see that he doth acknowledge that distinction mentioned by me in the beginning of this Article of that which is directly diuine as the word and that which is diuini Iuris as the Policie both being of like veritie but not of like authoritie necessitie and perpetuitie This sound iudgement of Zanchius is so truly naturally and holily conceiued that euen the latest and most peremptorie Reformators since be forced to haue the same opinion and to follow the same practise Caluin speaking of the primitiue church before the intrusion of Poperie during all which time saith he the Church gouernment hath nothing almost dissonant from Gods worde For the Presbyters who had the charge of doctrine did chuse one among them selues vnder the stile of a Bishop ne vâ—… fieri solet dissidia nascerentur ex equalitate that dissension should not arise of aequalitie as commonly it doth saith he And in his Epistle to Cardinall Sadolett he is contented to obey a Bishop prouiding he be reformed in doctrine Talem nobis Hierarchiam si dederint quae à Christo tanquam vnico capite pendeat The opinion of Beza concerning the Church of England I haue told already then for their practise it is manifest that all the Gouernours of the Church of Geneua since the Bishop was eiected haue wished by all meanes to replant that authoritie but could not for the State being altogether changed in a popular gouernment by repining from the Bishop who was also their ciuill head it was so farre from receiuing any image of Soueraigntie either spirituall or temporall that Caluin being altogether out of hope to get a Presbyterie established of Ministers alone was contented to comport a mixed Presbyterie of six Ministerie and twelue Citizens alwayes while he liued he was perpetuall
President in effect of the Ecclesiasticall Senate differing onely in name from a Bishop which name and authoritie both hee could haue susteyned in his person if the State had vrged him seing hee was contented himselfe to obey a reformed Bishop Beza likewise during ten or twelue yeares carried the same authoritie they did both rule ouer their brethren as a Primate ouer his Coepiscopi or a Bishop ouer his Compresbyteâ—… euen as Zanchius hath said And how many Christian Pastors of remote Nations did in all those times depend from their Oracles as Presbyters vnder Bishops If any man will say it was the merit of the men no ordination of the Church I answer if it was so it is all one to beare authoritie whether colourably or openly onely heere is the difference that lawfull authoritie is better then that which men doe arrogate without warrant and it is better to endure a lawfull Bishop then an vsurping Brother but to neither of these two doe I ascribe any disorder they were wise learned and diuine men who did comport with the policie of the time Inuita Minerua as wee say of necessitie For euen Beza finding things yet to goe farder from the Episcopall rule by the comming thither of Daâ—…aeus he did vehemently regrate it to his familiars And I say that Anthon Faâ—…us who is now Arch-Presbyter there is as wise in that kind as any of his Predecessors for I know it by experience to be so It may be indeed said that the Church of Geneua is yet in puritie without faction but who doth not see the reason of it because it is parua Respublica a small Common-wealth easily ruled where the Presbyteriall Clergie is not aboue the number of eighteen counting both Pastors and Doctors but if it were populous and grosse or if diuision should fall in that which is might it not come to passe among them as it hath done to others in the like that for want of a spirituall head the Ciuill Magistrate behooued to interpose his authoritie and perhaps ioyne him selfe to the wrong side as sundry Romane Emperours haue done in such things according as Ecclesiasticall Stories doe record And what was the doing of our owne Reformator Iohn Knox and of all those who were wise Reformators was it not like vnto the Romanes wisdome who hauing cast out their Kings did in euery case of danger clothe themselues with the absolute authoritie of Dictators Euen so did they after the expulsion of Bishops exercise the same power as Zanchius hath said vnderchanged names and euill Latine names as he calls them of Superintendents and generall Superintendents vntill by length of time as the state of Rome was neuer stayed before it fell againe into the owne naturall center of Monarchie Naturam furca expellas licet vsque recurret Euen so the Ecclesiasticall policie hath returned againe to the owne fountaine from whence it did flow All which considered I giue you my counsell who are Puritans that you be not ashamed to say with Zanchius Quis ego sum c. who are you to oppose your selues against the rule of God in nature in all her members against the rule of wisedome in the Ciuill state of Oeconomie in families of moralitie in one mans person of God in the Architype of the Iewish Church of the Apostles the Primitiue Church and all antiquitie following thereupon I giue you my Counsell to vnderstand the mysterie of time and the nature of reformation which is not compassed vpon the suddaine but with length of time euen as corruption growes with time We see in the old Law the Priesthood was one thing and the Priestly transgressions an other what did Manâ—…sses what did Ahas and other kings of Iudah How did Uziah the Priest and diuers others concurre with the impiety of their kings to defile the house of God with Idolatrie we may see it in the booke of the Kings and Paralyp did God therefore take away from the people the Priesthood no it was oft times prophaned but neuer abolished yea before the Lord should take it away hee did rather suffer both Priesthood and Principautie to be confounded in one person as is said before why should you then malitiously transgresse against so many examples to contemne Episcopall regiment because the Papall tyrannie hath prophaned it why doe you search argumens for diuision and not for vnity It is no Christian part out of the sixteene Archbishops of Antioch to obiect alone Paulus Samositanus who abused his authority to pride heresie would you thinke the like aduantage good against the Apostles to speake of Iudas out of multitudes of Bishops you haue chosen a few of the most insolent and wicked to be of your side marking the disorders of Theoph. Alexandrinus Valens Vrsatius Nestorius Macedon Phoc. What would you answere to these who would deale so with yourselues among hundreths of the like entercourses of your policie to obiect but two your great feast day holden at Edenburgh which made the seuenteenth of December so famous and again your caryage after the treason of Gowrie at Perth where the Lord God stood miraculously for the life of your most Gratious Prince and that for greater causes as you haue seene then were reuealed at that time and no doubt for greater ends then you doe yet see what can you answere to the bad behauiour of some brethren who durst challenge such a king his Maiesties reputation and fame and bring it in question before his people which things I mentioned heere out of my true affection to your reformation because the Physicians say Nulla medicamenta magis sunt salutifera quam ea qua dolorem pariunt There is no medicine more powerfull then that which breedeth dolor to the patient why doe you not therefore ouerpasse your malitious caption of mens faults to lookevpon the benefite which doth depend from lawfull policie why doe you not remember that the Archiepiscopall authority hath serued to represse the Arrian heresie the most mighty opposition that euer hath beene in Gods Church why do you not remember that Samositanus was more times in parting from the troth and more corrigiable thereafter as is said then Manicheus Marcion Arrius Pelagius and other Heresiarches who were but Presbyters why doe you not call to memorie the holy and reuerend names of Gregor Nazianz. Basil. Nicen. Athanas. Chrysost. Cyprian Ignat. Polycarp Iren. Ambros. August Whose persons were not so remote from this age of ours as the sincerity of their Christian and Catholike gouernement in the Church was different for the present rule of the Romane Bishops And notwithstanding of the corruption which is this day pregnant in the world and which you doe so much perill to fall in the state of Bishops by diuoluing of that charge in great noble personages more through the fauour of Princes then for their Merit as you say yet doe but looke a litle vpon the worthy Prelates which haue bin in the Church of
I doe present vnto him with the right Epigramma ad Regem CVI decus immortale triplex cuique aurea cingit Gloria conspicuum Rex Iacobe caput Prima tibi antiquae fidei quum cura tuendae Proxima sit populi paxque salusque tui Procur at quod vtrumque lubens quod promouet vltro Quid tibi Seruitio gratius esse queat Tale ministerium libro hoc tibi praestat offert Hayus ab antiquis nobile germen auis Quemque suo Regem populo caput caput vnum Dum Christum omnigenis gentibus esse probat Parendum his Solum invictis rationibus vrget Quas monumenta Patrum sacraque scripta ferunt Et fugienda Lupae Babilonis pocula suadet Et quae seditio turbida monstra parit Palantesque reducit oues ad ouile Rebelles Et populos Regum flectit ad obsequium Dignum opus ingenio Domini quo munere verum Christigenam ciuem se probat esse bonum Dignum opus aeterno Genio quoque quem dabit O Rex Aspirans sacri Numinis aura tui Haec M. E. D. ⧠The Contents of the seuerall Chapters wherein this Treatise is diuided CHAP. I. Folio 1. COntaineth the occasion of the Treatise Some clâ—…ere testimonies of the perfection and plainenesse of the Scripture The Apologie of the Asse to shew the reason of the Title CHAP. II. fol. 17. Containeth two infallible grounds set downe for the better triall of idolatrous worship and preuarication in Gods seruice The first is the force of our naturall light and diuine instict of our conscience The second is a true definition of Idolatry CHAP. III. 37. Containeth a faithfull relation of the lewd open superstitions and of the ridiculous Iests of pretended Miracles which the authour did contemplate in the Church of Rome CHAP. IV. 51. Containeth a rehearsall of the impiety of Papall Indulgences that is to say Pardons and dispensasitions Of the auowed pollution of the celibate and monasticke life and of other capitall vices which be pregnant in the Court in the Cloysters and in the city of Rome to the manifest discredit of all Christian doctrine and profession CHAP. V. 65. Containeth a perfect discourse of the Orthodoxall authoritie of Christian Princes ouer the state Ecclesiasticall in the primatiue Church Of the pernicious Doctrine of the Iesuites which doe impugne the same contrary to the opinion of the French Church and of that famous Palladium of the Sorbon A discouery of the ambitious designe of this wicked and treacherous Cleargie CHAP. VI. 114. Containeth the particular means whereby it pleased God to reclaime the Authour from that idolatrous religion together with his Counsell against superstitious and popish obduration CHAP. VII 124. Containeth a paralell or comparison betwixt Ierusalem and Rome that as Rome fell away with Ierusalem so must shee bee with her subiect to reformation and restitution The order and meanes of Christian Reformation after the Example of Ierusalem Aiust expostulation against the desperat paroxisme and implacable contentions of the religious Cleargie on both sides with a most Christian admonition to them to carrie simple and vpright mindes of pacification The occasion of the euill carriage which hath beâ—…e in Christian reformations The reformation of the Church of England most perfect and most happy CHAP. VIII 148. Containeth a limitation of the Primitiue Church whereunto and to no other all Christian People are to appeale for true reformation The infallible auctority thereof The iudgement aswell of the ancients as of our Archi-reformatours touching the retaining in reformed Churches of the Primitiue and Catholike policy of Episcopall gouernment and of in different Ceremonies receiued from antiquity not contrary to Gods word CHAP. IX 159. Containeth a search of the best and surest policies which be in nature in the ciuill state in Oëconomy in morality shewing that the Monarchicall authority is most agreeable with Gods will expressed in Nature CHAP. X. 171. Containeth a discourse in fauor of Episcopall Iurisdiction by some chiefe and ingenuous Reasons which do approue the same CHAP. XI 191. Containeth the opinion of all the famous reformatours who haue beene since Luther hitherto of the Church Policy an excellent and necessary point for our information some graue and pithy speeches touching the waight of Episcopall function CHAP. XII 205. Containeth the reasons why wee should receiue againe into the Church Organs and Musicke for honour of antiquity for our domestick vnion with our more then halfe arch the Church of England and for the holy and deuote importance which is shewn to be in Musicke together with the like discourse for reception of the clerical garments which be in the same Church CHAP. XIII 233. Containeth briefly a suruey of the Princes and States which are Catholike Romans out of that a consideration of the possibilities to practise an vniuersall Reformation of Christendom CHAP. XIV 259. In the last chapter from the present condition of this Kingdome of Great Britaine is drawen a principall argument of the falling of Babel and of the approach of the Iubile of Catholike reformation the contemplation whereof is heere set downe in sundry waightie circumstances and worthy of consideration to rectifie the iudgement of euery well disposed subiect that they may truely vnderstand the mystery of this time the rare blessings of God so long reserued for our age and rightly discouer the clandestine and pretended grudges of those who carry seditious and distractedmindes from the State A VISION OF BALAAMS ASSE VVherein he did perfectly see the present estate of the Church of ROME CHAP. I. The occasion of the Treatise The perfection and plainenesse of holy Scripture The Apologie of the Asse and reason of the Title MY very NOBLE LORD it is certain that Christian faith and Christian virtue goe inseparable together that is the tree and these are the fruit and where wee see not plenty of these it is an argument of the Tree decaying So that our greatest happines in this world consists in our constant action of Christian workes howsoeuer our eternall felicitie is chiefely contemplation yet our contemplatiue life here vpon earth euen where it is most syncere doth but resemble Alpestre and mountanous grounds which be stately but barren compared with the fruitfull Valleyes of the virtuous actiue life properly obserued by that famous Doctor Greg. Mag in his Allegorie vpon the double wiues of Iacob Rachael videns pulchra sed sterilis Lea lippa sed faecunda Among vertues it hath euer carried a great reputation to trauell abroad for increase of knowledge to enter vpon the chiefest stages of the world to see aboue the vulgar reach and as the good Merchants ship to bring precious wares from farre Countries or like the industrious Bee to sucke the hony of true wisdome from the rarest herbes of experience the varieties whereof are best found in Trauelling As the Scripture saith in Eccles. He who would apply his minde to the meditation of Gods Law
they did more surely schoole the sonne of that Emperour Phillip the second and this Phillip now of Spaine whom they haue really incorporate into the seate of Rome making him to thinke that he is perpetuall Dictator as is said and the Popes onely sonne and heire And because all this discourse is of experience I will tell your Lordship how this was very quickely noted to me by a certaine entercourse which did happen to me Being at Millaine in Lombardie I did behold vpon the Gates of that Citie the Armes of Charlequint gloriously planted with many stately inscriptions among the which this was to be read Ad plantandam fidem ad colligenda Regna dispersa à Deo destinatus Destinate by God for the plantation of the faith and for the vnion of dispersed Kingdomes of the world when I did obiect to one of my acquaintance of good vnderstanding that Destinatus ad plantandam fidem was rather a title Apostolicall then Imperiall Hee replyed to me that it was Apostolicall for said hee that Trinitie of the Godhead which is in heauen of Father Sonne and holy Ghost hath deputed here below another Trinitie for earthly gouernment vnder whose obedience all power must bee ranged the Pope the Father the King of Spaine the Sonne and the Societie of the Iesuites the holy Ghost so that the Inscription is thus to bee construed said hee The Iesuite who takes vpon him to bee the onely Plantator of the faith being as the holy Ghost of this Trinity sent forth among stranger Princes to seduce their people to rebellion by sowing into their hearts the seedes of superstition and sedition which so soone as that Prince or King doth offer to punish the Pope who hath the place of the Father he doth excommunicate him and lastly giue commission to the King of Spaine to inuade his Dominions who hath the place of his onely Sonne and heyre who only of all Princes doth vnderstand the right Cabbal of the Court of Rome and is onely destined to execute that which is appoynted in the Councell of his Father so that hee also is Apostolicall saide this Gentleman who was a Frenchman and a true enemie to the Spaniard as may be seene by this ingenious and pretty conceit Thus it is no more a mysterie but reuealed to all the world which way the ambition of this Beast doth tend first debarring from the benefit of generall Councels Lutherans of whom some were cruelly burnt against their safe conduct and publike faith of the world secondly debarring Protestants which ought not to bee because they haue still called for reformation thirdly debarring the Catholike Romane Clergie it selfe giuing out for doctrine that the Pope is aboue all generall Councels which is done so impudently that the Cardinalls Barronio and Bellarmino haue not beene ashamed to condemne that great Panormitan Bishop because from this text Omnis anima subdita sit Superioribus potestatibus he prooueth the Pope to bee subiect to generall Councells and finally not onely spoyling Christian Princes their powers to conuocate Councells debarring them also but vsurping ouer their authorities temporall and inuading their States and liues I haue detained your Lordship so long vpon this point of the Papall Soueraignity and of the Iesuiticall trade quia plurimi interest because it concernes your Lordship you I say and all those who be of your profession chieflie who be of your Lordships Noble rancke it concernes you neerely to bee well informed heere this is the very place of danger it is the insatiable mouth of the deuouring Monster of our Age it is the gulfe which hath swallowed puissant Kings and flourishing Kingdomes This venemous doctrine is like vnto that Lady of whom Tacitus writeth called Locusta whose singular skill to temper Poyson so that when it was most deadly it wrought most vnperceiuedly made her to bee called Maximum instrumentum imperij A great and necessary Instrument of the Empire and much made of vnder Nero. This doctrine doth attrappe and snare the liues of greatest Monarkes before they can be aware It is a drinke of some new Cyrce changing men into brutall Beasts that they haue no more sense of humanitie or respect what shall say to themselues their wiues and children no that is small but not to their sacred Princes nor to our common Mother their Natiue Countreye not caring to cast into the mouth of this Monster millions of innocent soules nor making no account to sprinckle the Altars of their Cyrce with the annoynted bloud of their Soueraigne Kings yea before she should want her nefand and barbarous sacrifice they will offer vnto her the bloud of their owne hearts let vs remember Clement Rauiliacke Persie and his wretched complices So pittifully are they enchaunted with constant and desperate madnesse We must be afraid of the Iesuite and of his potion he will tell vs that constancie in faith is able to ouercome all things as it is indeed when it is inspyred by the good Spirit of God but alas he will tell vs that constancy to prosecute great actions or enterprises is like to an hecticke feuer which scarcely is felt at the first assault but by continuance it ouerthroweth the strongest bodies He will tell vs that oftentimes God doth compassion their teares shed for their brethren Martyred vnder tyrannous hereticall Kings euen by stirring vp within their Courts and Cabinets a Brutus an Aeod inspired with courage and constancy to reuenge his owne cause God of his mercy preserue Christian Princes from these brutish spirits That Brutus is a dangerous fellow be where he will wee read of Brutus that he did glory in the murther of Caesar in these termes Non solum non Caesari sed ne patri quidē meo si reuiuiscat concesserim ego totius orbis terrarū liberator vt me patiente plus legibus ac Senato possit I the deliuerer of the whole world would not on onely not suffer Caesar but not my owne Father to doe these things yet this was but a cause of state and he was onely an hereticke in policie if he then would haue murthered his Father as he did in effect for he was thought the naturall sonne of Caesar albeit not lawfull what shall we then looke for from these brutish beastes of our age who haue a cause of conscience and an errour in their soule which once being infected with that diuelish pride to be called deliuering Aeods of Gods people what is so hainous that they will not perpetrat Brutus was much beloued and bound to Caesar yet that would not keepe vp his hand from impious paricide hee was among the first of his percussors that Cesar saide to him Tu etiam fili Brute This mentall reseruation of mens mindes this wicked equiuocation of their maners it maketh that complaint of Momus against Iupiter to seeme more iust now then euer before why hee did not make an open window into the breast of man that the deepe of his heart might be
seene and God grant it doe not betray the foresight of the most wittie Princes but that they in time discerne these beasts and looke vpon them with the eies of that king of beasts the Lyon whom nature hath made so vigilant ouer his owne safety that he doth neuer sleepe but with open eies as we haue two eyes in our head and none in the members of our bodie so Princes who are heads of the people they must not only haue eyes for themselues but eyes for the bodie of their estates to penetrate most hidden things like vnto that Royall foule the Eagle who being in the high ayre aboue doth see small fishes in the bottome of the waters and as our head hath a Nose to sauour and a Mouth to taste for the necessarie vse of our bodies so they who bee our heads must haue specially in these treacherous and vntrustie times Sagacissimum olfactum most quicke senses able to smell the most secret disposition of their subiects namely of these who liue about their persons what shall we say then of these holy Fathers the Iesuites who haue laid so dangerous nets in the high wayes of Christian Kings and what shall we say of these their holy Disciples who will not spare to murmur against their punishment as to calumniate that sentence worthily lead by the Arch Bishop now of S. Androes against Iohn Ogiluy the Iesuite at Glasgow whose trafficke auowedly was to moue his Maiesties subiects after his owne example to disclaime the authoritie of their most naturall and lawfull King Of the Iesuits your Lo hath my opinion of those be who they will who haue commerce with them or fauour them because I know your Lordship to be farre from being such I say they are hostes Patriae hostis Principis they are no loyall subiects of the Prince nor vpright members of this kingdome I speake not rashly I know as much as any of the Papists who be of that profession and more then many of them and of that Act at Glasgow I say that many such seruices should make a man worthy to watch the Lyons tent to haue his nest next the Eagle and to sit neere the Rudder in the ship of the state Now to conclude this point I appeale to the diuine light of your Lordships conscience whether you doe not thinke in your heart things being as I haue related that this practising of the Court of Rome is to play the beast of the Apocalips who striueth to be worshipped of all the world whither you doe not thinke that vnto her members doth belong the iudgement pronounced by Ezekiel against those who courtise the world and the flesh Dic omni volucri coeli omnibus auibus cunctisque bestijs concurrite vndique c. Thus saith the Lord speake to euery feathered foule and euery beast of the field assemble your selues and come gather on euery side to my sacrifice for I prepare a great sacrifice for you vpon the mountaines of Israel that ye may eate flesh and drinke blood yee shall eate the flesh of the valiant and drinke the blood of Princes of the earth of the Weathers and the Rammes of the Goates of the Bullockes euen of the fat beasts of Basan Thus ye shall be filled at my Table with horses and chariots with valiant men and with all men of warre saith the Lord God Here is a fearefull Proclamation prepared for the feinds of hell who are meant by these feathered foules as the Prophet in one place sayes Malis auibus dedit ad deuourandum he gaue them to bee deuoured of the euill foules of which kind of infernall foules Christ speaking in the Parable of the graine of corne Et volucres coeli comederunt illud and the foules of the aire did eate it vp But who is meant by these Bellators against God and these fat Bulles of Basan will one say the Israelites or the nations about them O but the word of God is eternall and the doctrine of the Prophets is perpetuall and Symbolicall as that Church was Symbolicall that to the worlds end and in all ages the like sinnes shall procure the like vengeance who be they who carrie hornes of ambition like vnto the Ramme was there euer any pride comparable vnto that of Rome where vnder colour of spirituall care there is nothing but contriuing of monarchicall Tyrannie by most wicked meanes as if Christ had left that commission to Saint Peter which Anchises left vnto Aeneas the Grandfather of the Romanes Tu re gere imperio populos Romane memento Ha tibi erunt artes Who be these who carrie hearts polluted with filthie and abominable lustes like vnto the goates mindes puffed vp with vndaunted arrogance like vnto the bulles who bee loaden with sordiditie and riches like vnto fat kine who bee like vnto Sodome ouerflowing with idlenesse and wealth CHAP. VI. The meanes by which it pleased God to reduce this Asse of Balaam with his Counsell against Papisticall and superstitious Induration IT were now a great happinesse for your Lo if you could weigh with sound Iudgement and out of the diuine light which is in your soule the points of this discourse in so many impious and superstitious transgressions but your Lo doth shut your eyes and eares I will yet tell you one iest of my experience Being at Rome I did often heare the chiefest Cardinals deplore Tanquam mortem dilectissimae filiae as the death of their most tender daughter the falling away of this kingdome of Great Brittaine from the seate of Rome affirming that in former ages we were the most vpright Catholike Romanes and most zealous of Christendome and being most curious to demaund a certaine vnderstanding man the reason of that speech he gaue me this answere Per che crano simplichotti lontani mai intendeuano la cuilloneria di questa sedia Because said he your predecessors were simple people farre distant from this who neuer did truely vnderstand the trumperie of this seat because I speake in foro conscientiae your Lordship ought to beleeue me Euen so I say of your Lordship you are remote from these places and doe not see the truth of things and when they are brought before you you doe not looke vpon them with your right eye but with your sinistrous eye not with whole eyes but with sore eyes For like as those whose eyes are weake or diseased doe see better in shadie and darke places then in presence of the sunne so they who haue the eyes of their soule blinded with the shadowes of Pharisaicall coremonies of superstition they cannot willingly abide to haue their sight tried before the brightnesse of Gods word As there were among the Babylonians to be found numbers of holy vessels that were brought foorth of the Temple of Ierusalem when the people were captiued so in the Church of Rome there bee indeed many good and Christian customes and ordinances and sundry pure and sincere grounds of Doctrine mixed with
but vnto the primitiue Church vnder the Apostles and their Successors during the first three or foure hundred yeeres of her puritie so that from the estate of the Church in that time are all our Reformations to be sought apparantly and what we haue transgressed against that is to bee referred againe and ruled by that and by no later times Albeit generall Councells and great numbers of learned men were more frequent thereafter for all the world doth know that as learning grew so grew corruption and so grew curiositie to couer the same so grew contention ambition and heresie To proue by many arguments the sinceritie of the Primitiue Church or the reasons why wee should appeale to her for reformation it is not necessarie The holy and great Doctor S. Augustine giueth such a testimonie as leaueth no suspicion that saith he which the holy primitiue Church obserued although it was not concluded by Counsells but alwaies retayned non nisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissime creditur it is most rightly beleeued to haue been no other then an Apostolicall institution Againe saith he to dispute whether that which the holy primitiue Church through the world did obserue should bee now receiued or not receiued insolentissimae est insaniae it is a most mad insolence In which wee marke these two First that hee doth not limitate the primitue Church to the daies of Christ and his Apostles but hee speaketh of a primitiue Church flourishing throw the world Secondly that he doth not tye the credit of the primitiue Church to the authoritie neither of Councels although hee saith it was not concluded in Councells Yea farther all the Councells themselues which followed the primitiue Church did cloath them with the authoritie thereof their Meetings Registers Decrees Canonicall letters and whatsoeuer was were founded vpon this secundum veterem consuetudinem Patrum nostrorum according to the ancient custome of our Fathers For example long before the Councell of Nice the patriarchall Bishops were in authoritie albeit there was no such thing in the daies of the Apostles because there was then no combination of Prouinces conuerted to the faith and in that Councell it was called an ancient custome And in the Councell of Ephesus there was a question decided betwixt a patriarchall Bishop and the Bishop of Cyprus where any man may see if it was not said Secundum vetus decretum Patrum nostrorum And certainely it is an infallible argument of the integritie and vpright meaning which hath been in the proto-reformators of Germanie to heare their willingnesse to follow antiquitie where it was not contrarie to Gods word These are the speeches of Luthor and Bucer touching the retentions of indifferent ceremonies of the Church of Rome Sciant publica pacis causa non detracturos c. we will not say they be against the brooking of ceremonies and traditions receiued in the Popes Church from antiquitie vpon these conditions that the consciences of men be not thereby bound as by fundamentall grounds of faith but that the doctrine Euangelicall of free iustification by faith in Christ remaine inuiolate and that say they not only speaking of festiuall daies musicke organs clericall vestiments which be things indifferent sed etiam de ieiunio ciborum delectu qua magis pungunt but also touching fasting and choyce of meats which be more controuerted points O what a holy and Christian disposition was that what a zeale to the vnitie of the Catholike Church and how contrary to many malignant and seditious spirits which be now in Christs Church who haue no voyces as I haue said but of debate and contradiction contending for Scholasticke tryumph and victorie in place to cry to Gods people that which the Prophets were commanded to cry Annâ—…cia populo meo scelera corum domui Iacob peccata illâ—…rum Threaten my people for their sinnes and the house of Iacob for their iniquities they cry that wee should learne subtle and curious controuersies of Religion many of them bee as profound as prophane they teach Christians to bee obstinate and stubborne in trifling points they teach them to heat one another and to abhorre all meanes of pacification their voice is like vnto the voice of the Eagle in the Apocalyps who tripled her cry vae vae vae habitantibus in terra woe bee to the inhabitants of the earth because they haue broken the bonds of Christian peace and harmonie The fire of our Christian charitie is quite extinguished it is become like vnto that fire mentioned in the booke intituled Esdras which before the captiuitie of Persia was hidden in a pitt by some deuout Priest of Ierusalem that it should not dye out and being againe sought vpon the returne of Nehemiah the Text sayes non invenerunt ignem sed aquam crassam they found no fire but a grosse water In place that through the fire of mutuall loue we should seeke with the Doue to remaine together in the Arke of the Catholike faith Religious men are gone out with the Rauen to hunt carrions among the waters of this world following the sent of honour ambition and wealth Priests seeking to bee Monarches the Clergie becomming factious and irreconciliable hunting after the vaine glorie of learning Ephraim pascit ventum sequitur aestum Ephraim feeds vpon the winde that I thinke bee pastorall follies and neglect the world was neuer so pregnant and raging with the twelue abuses of the earth A wise man without works an olde man without religion a youth without obedience a rich man without almes a woman without shamefastnesse a Master of a house without vertue a poore man proud a King vniust a Bishop negligent a people without discipline a Preacher without humilitie and finally a Christian contentious These be the waters wherein wee are drowned waters whereof the Prophet Dauid hath said Saluum Domine me fac quoniam intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meaâ—… Preserue me ô Lord because the waters haue entred into my soule and all these for our proud contempt of Christian simpathie and loue whereof if our spirituall Rulers of Gods people did retaine some true sparkles aquae multae non poterunt extinguere charitatem many waters could not extinguish the heat of charitie Miserable are those Pastors who altogether want this diuine inspiration of Christian concord which was in Luther and Bucer Uaeijs qui sequuntur spiritum suum non videt woe shall be to them who follow their owne spirit and doe not see Let them remember how the Wiseman saith durissimum erit iudicium his qui praesunt most hard shall be the iudgement of those who are placed to ouer-watch people whereof the Prophet Daniel giueth the reason Egressa est iniquitas a senioribus ab ijs qui videbantur regere populum saith hee Iniquity is gone out from the Elders and from those who seemed to bee leaders of the people and how the Prophet Ezechiel doth in his
Sanctorum vincent li. 10. cap. 38. Anthonius ex Policrate Part. titul 6. cap. 28. Niceph. li. 10. cap. 11. who all report that they liued and died the one at Ephesus and the other at Creta And as they were ordained by the Apostles so were diuerse others institute Bishops in diuerse places Eusebius witnesseth that about the yeere 45. Euodius was created by the Apostle Peter and Paul Bishop of Antioch and Ignatius who succeeded him in the Apostles time doth witnesse that Peter and Paul ordained Lâ—…nus Bishop of Rome An. 56. whom Anacletus succeeded after him Clemens obserued by Ireneus and Eusebius By the appointment of Saint Peter Marke was first Bishop of Alexandria To whom Aniâ—…us Abilius Cerdo all in the Apostles times witnesseth by Niceph. Gregory Ierome That Iames the iust was Bishop of Ierusalem institute by the Apostles immediately after the passion of our Sauiour Ierome doth affirme it Catalog scrip Eccles. Eusebius bringeth the most ancient testimonies of the Church for the same That to Iames the brother of our Lord surnamed the iust the throne Episcopall of Ierusalem was committed In particular hee bringeth Clemens Alexandrinus testifying that Iames Peter and Iohn did chuse Iames the iust Bishop of Ierusalem after the Ascension and Higesippus whom Ierome and Eusebius affirme to be of the first successours of the Apostles doe hold the same of Iames. Eusebius in his History giueth a Catalogue of 37. Bishops in Ierusalem betweene Iames and Macarius The same is testified by Ambrose and Augustine yea and all the general Councel of Constantinople whose records proue that Iames was the first Bishop to whom the Chayre of Ierusalem was trusted Now if any would say that these were Bishops but of one Church if there was but one in Crete how was it said Opidatim coÌ„stitues sicut ego te Ireneâ—… counted among the first of the primitiue writers speaking of the Church of Rome saith that the holy Apostles Peter and Paul the foundators thereof Tradiderunt Lino potestatem administrandi totius Ecclesiae That as the numbers of Christians did increase at Rome they were diuided in seuerall paroches vnder seuerall Presbyters by Euaristus Bishop of Rome which againe were augmented the Churches I meane by Higinus in the yeere 138 as Platina and Onuphrius doe testifie de Episcopat titul and Eusebius in his sixt Booke cap. 3. doth affirme that vnder Cornelius Bishop and Martyr in the yeere 250. there was in the Church of Rome 46. Presbyters 7. Deacons 100. other Clergy men and but one Bishop But of this point there is a cleere and manifest example and most free from controuersie of the seuen Churches of Asia ouer which was appointed the seuen Angels as Bishops confessed by Doctour Beza himselfe one also of your pretended Patrons calling the Angell of the Church of Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prelate or gouernour Antistitem saith hee vt vocat Iustinus Of these Churches I say that euery one comprehended in circuite both City and Country Churches and euery one of them had but one Angell or Bishop As Polycarp at Smyrna was Bishop 13. yeeres before the Reuelation was deliuered as is obserued by Bullingerus in Apocal. and hee died a glorious Martyr as Eusebius prooueth in his 4. Booke cap. 15. by an Epistle of the Smyrnenses and Onesimus Bishop of the Church of Ephesus testifieth by Ignatius ad Epiphanium and Ignatius himselfe was at Antioch Epiphanius doth testifie that the Church of Alexandria had besides the Church called Caesarea which was burned in Iulian his time and reedified by Athanasius it had also that Church of Dionisius that of Thomas that of Pierius that of Serapion of Mepdidius of Annianus of Baucalis and Abias and that in one of those Colluthus was a Presbyter and in one Carpones in an other Sarmatas and Arrius a Presbyter in one Aps large testimonies haue wee of those of Asia that Ephesus was a great Metropolis hauing a large Countrey subiect to it That Pergamus was a famous City sometimes the seat of the Church of Asia that Smyrna Sardis Laodicia Philodelphia were great and mother Cities hauing within them many Churches Ignatius to the Smyruenses Viueremini inquit Episcepum Reuerence your Bishop saith hee as Christ and his Apostles doe command and in his Epistle ad Trallianos what is a Bishop saith he but one Qui principatum potestatem super omnes obtinet who hath power aboue the rest and what are Presbyters saith he Sed Collegium sacrum Conciliarij Coassessores and in his Epistle ad Magnetianos As Christ saith he doth nothing without the Father so must not the Presbyters or Deacons doe any thing without their Bishops Aliter iniquum est Deo odiosum otherwise it is iniquity and odious to God Cyprian who was the most indulgent Bishop we read of to his Presbyters and the most modest Prelate In the fift Epistle of his second Booke touching one Aurelius whom he did ordinate but aduice of the Church Clergy Wee vse deare brother to deliberate with you before and to weigh the manners and merits of men by your concurrence but wee need not to looke for the testimonies of men Cumprecedant diuina suffragia when wee are strengthened by diuine suffrages Like to this againe we find of him in his ordination of one Numidicus in the tenth Epistle of his fourth Booke Brethren saith he I aduertise you that Numidicâ—… by diuine inspiration is adioyned to the number of our Carthagine Presbyters and that hee doth sit with vs among the Clergy and what hath beene done by Cyprian we read not where it was retracted by any which I doe not put downe heere yet any Bishop should delight to imitate this kinde of rule but onely to shew what doth in cure appertaine to the person of a Bishop and the weight of his authority as the same Cyprian doth testifie in the 27. Epistle Indeper temporum suecessionum vices Episcoporum ordinatio Ecclesia Ratio decurrit vt super Episcopes Ecclesiam constituatur Et omnis actus Ecclesia peripsos gubernetur So hath it fallen out saith hee by length of time that the order of Bishops and the condition of Ecclesiasticall rule is such that it doth altogether rest with them and euery act thereof appertaine to them Now because I intend not to bee tedious in this discourse therefore you are to marke how of all these ancients I haue chosen out three whose testimonies and opinions in the question of Bishops is to bee esteemed most sincere for the reason following Of all the Bishops of Antiquity Cyprian was the most fauourable and most affected to his Presbyters and in his carriage more like to a Compresbyter then a Prelate Of all the Bishoppes of Antiquity whose writings are extant in the Church Ignatius is most ancient and hath drawne his knowledge out of the pure fountaines of Apostolicall wisedome and not from the riuers as his fellowes
England stil since the reformation thereof and who be presently whom you shall see all to be ordinarily taken out of the prime men of the Vniuersities and neuer brought from the Court to that dignity doe witnesse in speciall those graue and most Reuerend diuines the Archb now of Canterbury the Bishops of London Elie and Bathe more shining lights then whom the Church of God hath not within nor without the kingdom which I in special may affirme who haue heard some of their vertuous names remembred with honor by their chiefest enemies in Christendome a cleerer marke then which cannot be of mens worth I say no more but God of his mercy grant that ourmost vpright Christian Ministers may follow their example in true pastorall vigilance and sincerity out of those mirrours let vs reuerence this beginnings which we see of our reformation that by our zeale and loue to peace and vnitie God may be moued to ouerthrow that beast of Rome and to plant againe his holy spirit in it to dissolue the Papall tyranny to reduce it to the ancient regular limits of Patriarchall degree If this Counsell be contrary to your Theologie then learne it from nature That Princes and Prelates are the Superiour Orbes that moue you and therefore that no motion must be within the peculiar Spheare of your Pastorall discharge to make you disobey their motions and if you cannot neither doe this out of a good instinct of nature like the celestiall Planets whose proper mouements doe neuer hinder them to obey and follow their Primum Mobile Then for the last make it a good and necessarie policie to imitate that Goose who knowing her owne imperfection prouides for those euils which might fall vpon her in perilous places through too much noise and so to saue her selfe from the Eagles which frequent the top of mount Taurus as she flieth along it she keepeth a lowe course and carrieth a stone in her beake to restraine her ordinarie cry Princes and Prelates tanquam aues solares are like the celestiall Eagles which goe neerest to the sunne they receiue the immediate inspiration and deputation of God to rule the inferiour world they are placed in the mountaine of gouernment so that you must take heede that you doe not concitate them by your disordered clamours Now hauing said thus farre in fauours of the Episcopall authoritie to the effect that you may see how I intend heere to serue God and not man I will also lawfully speake of that which ought to be the vpright and Christian duety of Bishops They are to remember that it is the fault of rulers which often times giueth distaste to people of lawfull authorities as the tyranny of Rome hath made the Primatiue and Orthodoxall gouernment of Christes Church to be abhorred it is the wisedome and modestie of their carriage which must cast a good smell in the nose of the multitude the Popular is like to a dead Ocean which hath no motion of it selfe but from aboue from the influence of the Moone or from the agitation of the aire Bishops are the Spheares placed aboue them to giue them influence and the Planets which should minister light vnto them So that they are to learne the temperament of their gouernment from the sunne the chiefe of Plannets which if it should still keep the altitude or summer solstice howsoeuer the glory and force thereof should be that way more perceiued yet no man nor beast could endure the vehemence of that heate in such manner that for the benefit of inferiour Creatures which be nourished by it it followes as we see an oblique temperate course betwixt the Tropicks of Cancer and Capricorne They are to learne the artes of their gouernment from God himselfe who albeit hee haue both absolute and infinite power that he could of the stones of the earth raise vp seede to Abraham and bring any thing to passe suddainely and in a moment in the generation of whatsoeuer his creatures yet for the maintenance of their order and policie he doth adioyne vnto his working the ordinarie concurrence of second and inferiour causes making things to goe on by naturall and mutuall meanes they are to follow the example of Moses in the Iewish rule of Gods people not as the Presbyterians doe following the Archi-type for the Laicke Elders and refusing it for the Prelacy they must not onely imitaâ—… the Moysaicall where it serueth to establish their power but also in that which Saint Ierome doth record of Moses Qui cum solus praeesse populo haberet in potestate who hauing in his will to be onely ouer the people yet hee did adioyne vnto him seuenty to assist him among the most ancient Canons which be Catholike this is reckoned with the formost Episcopos singulartum Genium scire oportet qui inter eos primus sit qui habeatur Caput praeter cuius Sententiam nihil agant sed nec ille praeter illorum sententiam faciat The Bishops of all Nations must vnderstand that hee who in his owne iurisdiction is head ouer the rest without whose authoritie they can doe nothing neither hee shall proceed but by their concurrence and aduise Sic enim vnanimitas erit Deus glorificabieur saith he by that meanes Vnanimitie shall be kept and God shall be glorified Ignatius the most ancient of the Fathers hath called the Presbyters Counsellours and Coasessours Cyprian followed this temperate rule Ambrose also doth teach the same For this sort of gouernment doth much ease them in their discharge and nothing derogate from their authority for who will say that a temperate Monarch who followeth his graue Counsell doeth thereby lessen his power but hee is the more aduised The excellent vertues of the Episcopall function are knowne by the excellent stiles giuen vnto it by the Spirit of GOD in the Apocalips they are called Angells and Starres Constantine did call them Gods in his time and seeing they get celestiall stiles they must also imitate the heauens to bee the chiefe Preachers of Gods glory Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei saith the Prophet Dauid These bee the properties of the heauens which also ought to be in them bodies most subtile most high most lucid most cleane most perfectly ordered most round they doe euer moue euer giue life and light vnto inferiour creatures First they must bee subtile in solide knowledge of holy scriptures Quia tu Scientiam repulistirepellam egote ne Sacerdotio fungaris 〈◊〉 saith the Lord Because thou reiectest knowledge I shall relect thee from the Priesthood They must bee high in the vertuous shew of their life Tantum gregem praecellat sanctitas presulis quantum ones superat vita Pastoris The sanctity of a Prelate should as farre excell that of his flocke as the life of a Pastor is more worth then a sheepe In the vertue specially of charitable frugality they should shine Splendidum in panibus benedicent labia multorum