the which it doth appeare that by that prohibition of violent dominion which Kings may vse ouer theyr subiects the power of gouernement in the Church is not inhibited by the which one Minister is eminent in authority ouer another no more then the power of the Pastor is thereby intercepted which is ordinary and ought to be ouer his people Will any man say that the Lord hath so confounded those two distinct orders of Ministers that the Apostles should differ in nothing from the seuenty Disciples I doe therefore greatly wonder that men learned should so far ouer-shoote themselues as once to perswade or to be perswaded that out of this place so often aledged to so little purpose the superior authority of Bishops ouer Priests was forbiddē by Christ the which they can by no means do without the reproofe reproch the preiudice and impeachment of all the most auncient best learned Fathers whose persons they may soner accuse then conuince of Tyranny and whose gouernement they may more easely discommend then mend The Lorde his purpose was to take that error from the Apostles which was in their minds not to take that power from the Apostles which he had giuen into their hands That the forme of the Apostles gouernment did not end with the death of the Apostles Chap. XVI THat the gouernment of the Apostles is sayde by some to haue deceased with the death of the Apostles it is neyther grounded vppon true authority of Scripture nor proued by any consequence of reason nor maintayned by any president of the Fathers Neither is it of any greater force nor haue they any greater reason that say the Apostles authority was extraordinary For by the same reason they may at this day deny that any man hath any authority to baptise and to preach If what things were extraordinary in the Apostles they could not returne to theyr posterity may not the same reason serue to proue that ther is no authority left vnto vs after the Apostles either to preach or to baptise I would gladly then hear some iust cause why rather the Church gouernment should cease with vs which was vnder the Apostles then the preaching of the Gospell or the administring of the Sacraments For in them ther was as much extraordinary as in the other This is much like as if of olde a man should haue sayde that after the death of Moyses and Aaron the Priests and Leuites had not the same power with Moyses and Aaron because theirs was extraordinary Wherefore as after theyr decease the same order of gouernment which was vsed of Moses and Aaron remayned to their posterity In like manner the Apostles and Euangelists were a lantherne and a law vnto vs which should come after them of perfect Church gouernement And that which our Sauiour sayd of the Priestes of the Iewes That they did sit vppon the chayre of Moyses and Aaron may be sayd of our Bishops that they sit in the chayre of Peter and Paul that is that they haue succeeded them in the same seate and state of gouernment There are two words which being not well taken may be very offensiue namely Temporarie and extraordinary For it is to be vnderstood that there are not ioyntly to be giuen alike to the whole function Apostolick and euery part therof And yet some are made to beleeue that whatsoeuer was in them extraordinary the same was also temporarie When as indeed whatsoeuer was in them extraordinary was not temporarie For all things in the Apostles were extraordinary of the which many things in processe of time became ordinary Onely those things which deceased with the Apostles were temporarie But what things those were I haue already declared at large And nowe that I may first begin with the preaching of the gospell it were very hard to restraine that to the persons of the Apostles and their age onely For albeit so large a legacie as was the Apostles bee not committed vno any yet is there some such like of the same kinde with the like authoritie That the commandement To preach the gospell vnto all nations the Apostles beeing now receiued vp into heauen doth in like manner bind the Church to the which the Authoritie Apostolique is also requisite Chap. XVII THe command to preach the gospell and the commission to all nations wee vnderstand to bee so giuen in charge to the Apostles that withal it obligeth the church also nether did the charge of preaching the gospell to the incredulous heathen respect the apostles only but al future ages to the worlds end In the last of Mathew when the Lord had sayd that all power was giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth and had commanded that they should go forth and teach al nations c. he added I am with you vnto the worlds end Which cannot be restrained to the Apostles onely seeing it concerneth all whom he commandeth to preach and to whom he promiseth his diuine presence for euer neither can this promise be deuorced from the former command and thereby it appeareth that Christ commanded the church also that Apostles hauing takē heauen order might be taken that the gospell might be preached to the Gentiles in all coastes vpon al occasions And verelie if the Apostolique authority had bin Temporarie that also had bene a personal gift and particuler neither would they haue presumed to haue taken themselues companions and co-partners in that Apostolik charge to the which themselues only were appointed of the Lord. But when as they knew that their office whatsoeuer authoritie they had receaued was rather giuen to the whole church then to their sole selues they therevpon were bolde to make others ioynt partners with them in their Apostolike power whom they also knew should be their successors Neither in nature could so great a worke bee finished of so few labourers and therfore also the commandement of the Lord could no further bind the Apostles then for the terme of their mortalitye in the which time the Lorde did not purpose to determine either the promise of his helpe or the preaching of his word The Apostles then had need of many helpers in the Lord and fellow-labourers for the busines of the Lord the which when they could not accomplish themselues they left their posteritie to finish that which themselues could not effect Had the Apostles carried their commission to heauen with them and besides the priuate care of perticular Churches the Bishops whome the Apostles left their successours had thought the further propagation of the gospel did nothing pertaine to them I doubt me the cōfines of Christ his kingdome had neuer bene enlarged to so great a monarchie as it is What neede I remember you of the rare and memorable examples of the thrise reuerend fathers in the Primatiue church With what serious studie with what earnest desire with what constant endeuour and last of al with what great labours and many streaming showers of the bloud of Martyrs
reserued yet notwithstanding when they beholde on euery side the most partes rotted and ruinated and those good partes to hang togeather by putrified and imperfect ioyntes they are in dispaire that the house can not bee well turguised except the whole frame should be ouerturned Euen so the reformers of gods house albeit they did see to their greife manye excellent things which might well and well worthie bee reserued yet perceiuing them to be either vtterly disteined with superstition or doubtfullie entangled therewith and consequentlie dispairing that they could not roote out the grounded superstition and tyrrany of the pope vnlesse they plucked vp by the roots many singular ornaments of the church in the anguishe of their zeale they cried at once downe with it downe with it euen to the ground And so is it come to pas that togeather with impietie and Idolatrie if not before them both such and so many instruments are taken away as might haue beene verie great helpes to the Church both for the preseruing of Discipline and also for the retaining of that dignitie to the Ministerie which is decent and requisite in a ciuill societie But to the purpose although in materiall thinges that which we haue exemplified before many times must be so of necessitie yet in morall causes there is no such necessity The state therefore of this question friend reader is not of thy faith in Christ or of thy souls health but by what guides especiallye and gouernours thou maist bee best lead in the way of truth and kept in the path of eternall life And vpon this point is all this variaunce For there are some of opinion that all discipline of maners is to be referred to the Magistrate and that the Minister is to be restrained to the bare Preaching of the worde and ministring of the Sacraments The which fancie of men seeing it hath neither the word of God to confirme it nor any president of our Elders to giue countenance to it I can but wonder howe so friuelous an opinion could once either creepe in or peepe out of the heads of Diuines But there are other which yeild as they ought to doe the power of Ecclesiasticall censures to those Bishoppes and Elders which are such both in name and indeede vnto whome they deny not that authoritie which God gaue vnto his Apostles and their successours the Bishops And last of all there is a third kinde of them which reiecting the order of Bishops ioyne with the Pastor certain annuall Elders vnto whome they commit the regiment or the Church and the ordering of Ecclesiasticall Discipline Thus did the Philosophers of old when it came in question what kinde of Gouernment was best Of whome some preferred the Monarchie of one and that as it is indeed they iudged the best yet others maintained that an Oligarchy or ioynt gouernment of a few was as good as the best again there were others who for a Democratie or state popular would yeeld to none of the rest And last of all there were some who to the former three added a fourth which they indifferently not equally mixed of all three and that they would make good to be as good as they al and better then any of the rest But in the meane while they considered not this that any kind of gouernment as it is in it selfe is not so much to bee considered in gouernance as is the nature and condition of them who are to be gouerned and for whose good that kind of gouernment is ordained So that nowe that forme of pollicie is to bee accounted best not which is such in his owne nature but that which is most necessary for the people the time and the place For which cause as I conceaue GOD himselfe in the secrecie of his wisedome hath not set downe vnto any nation any perpetual forme of gouernment the which it was not lawful to alter according to the incidencie of time place and persons But in the gouernment of the which we dispute the case is far otherwise for in that it proceedeth immediatly from God men maye not alter the same according to their fancies neither is it necessary For the wisedome of God hath so tempered the same that it repugneth no form of ciuil gouernment In deede where any one whole state is become Christian the gouernment happelie may receiue some kind of alteration but not such as shal alter the nature of it Were they before in gouernment diuerse and in no one thing alike nowe they consort in one and lend each other their mutuall aide Wherefore whatsoeuer other men thinke in this matter doubtlesse the Christian Magistrate in a well ordered state ought not to bee held as a priuate person either in Church or common-wealth The which distinction beeing not sufficientlie looked into hath distracted vs into diuerse errors in Church Discipline For my part and the best wil take my part I hold that the state of Bishops is necessary in the Church that Discipline is best and from aboue in the which godly Bishoppes with the not nick-named Elders do sit at the helme And yet when I consider with my selfe the badnes of these times and the badde condition of some places in the which it hath pleased God by the hands of learned and religious men to gather togeather his dispersed flocke out of the captiuity of Babilon I doe not see indeed how the true Bishops could haue bene restored In the Churches of Flanders and Holland my selfe haue susteined the office of a Pastor but shall I tell you I cannot easily tell how many impediments I there found in this busines But shal that which was done extraordinarily and partly of necessity and that but in a certaine fewe places and that but in our age onely prescribe a law to the world besides This diuorce of minds and opinions had neuer bene were it not for the tyrrany of some misrulie Bishops a nouell opinion is crept vp opposing it selfe against all antiquitie which holdeth all Bishops generally in iealousie and yet the like and no lesse suspicion is raised of our newe consistories also wheather rightlye or wrongfully I will not say Wherefore he that will vndoubtedly attaine to the certaine knowledge of these thinges indeed must bee sure that he examine and try the cause him selfe deuoyd of all passion or preoccupation of affection Many times within these sixe and twentie yeares haue I deliuered my minde vnto my friends in familiar conference though not at all times nor to all concerning the gouernment of Bishops What they would conceiue of mee for so doing I might easily coniect by others who had in like maner reueiled themselues vnto their brethren For as it happened a certaine disputation fel out between certaine Ministers concerning the same position in the which M. Doctor Villerius whose name I cannot remember without due reuerence assumed that the authority of Bishops was not so rashly to haue bin reiected But Lord how they were netled and
nestled with this as if with that one word he had vtterly ouerthowen that equality which they expected in the French churches and which they thought requisite in all Ministers O griefe to me they made knowen their griefe and pittifull complaining they complained to me thereof But what should I heere do defend him I dared not and yet I liked well the cause of his opinion least I should incur the like suspicion of aspiring thoughts But from that time forwarde that conference gaue mee occasion to search and sift out more narrowlye those matters by my selfe And that which then happened to me I doubt not but is incident to many others with me who in wisedome see also and consider that the authority of Bishops is greatly wanting in ours and al Churches There are some which can indure nor equall nor superiour I giue God thanks I can see my superiour without enuy and sustaine my inferior without contempt But now seeing I am heere in England no man can chalenge my affection as guiltie of a Bishoppricke or as if I seeke dominion ouer my brethren the calling I affect but not to be called And therefore now I dare more boldly and will more freely speake what I thinke then before I thought it requisite neither was it conuenient when I conuersed among brethren neuer-a better Yea but I may seeme in this action to sooth vp the Byshops and seeke their countenance countenance nay then must I seeke further and neuer look the Bishops in the face whose condition in this thankles age is more subiect to the enuie and obliquie of men then my selfe am And indeed if that were all and all but so little it were the part of a warie child and him that would husband his credite to make the most of it rather with safetie and silence to say nothing and with patience and pollicy to expect the issue of these things The which I dare saye I also could haue doone as well as others without displeasure to my selfe or disfauour to anie But what moued me God knoweth men may construe my fact as themselues affect but it is the Lord that iudgeth my soule Notwithstanding let the curteous Reader conceiue my meaning in few words I desire to benefite the churches alreadie and to be reformed to extirpate Scisme where it is rooted and to preuent it where it is rising He that thinketh this cannot be done by these meanes shall haue his own saying for me but yet the euent of things mother of fooles will one day make it plaine howe good and profitable my meaning was and in the meane while the Church if it beware not maye receiue that detriment which it cannot repaire The ground of our saluation is to know God whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour the Bishop of of our soules But as in euerie thing which men goe about whether weauing caruing or any other craft of the which either the Citie or the ciuill Magistrate hath any care that it should bee well done there must bee a decent order kept and a diligent ouer-sight had of the works the which by how much the more curious it is by so much the things themselues doe flowrish the better and continue the longer So likewise in Religion the same order and ouer-sight ought to be had if we wil haue the same to flowrish amongst vs or to continue pure and intemerate for euer But that al men doe not agree about the maner of ordering and gouerning the Church why should that trouble the quiet of anie peace-able man Doe yee not know that the more profitable and necessarie a thing is to bee vsed the more lets and delaies are made by the enemy either to infect or els to interrupt the vse thereof Was there euer at any time anie thing so cleare and manifest among men that was out of all controuersie How then knowest thou this that thou knowest nothing Or how commeth it in question among men whether a man seeth or doth that which in very deede hee both seeth and doth Without controuersie there is no part of Philosphie or precept of Diuinitie no point of Religion which hath not bene called into controuersie This sore traueile hath God giuen to the sonnes of men that they might be exercised therein But the vanitie of mans will detracteth nothing from the veritie of anie thing And therefore goe to gentle Reader be doing with the sequell and doe well by it THE PRAEAMBLE THe surprising of the Bishop of Rome his tyrannie to whose scepter a croisier all churches and kingdomes and empires were enthralled is now of late growen so hotte that now a daies all Primacie and the name of Primacie is found guiltie not guiltie and thought worthie to bee exiled the Church of Christ wisely For by that meanes all the tyrranie of Prelates may be subdued But they are farre wide in my iudgement The Tarquines once exiled Rome the very name of King becam odious amōg them as if for-sooth with the name of those tyrants tyrannie had ceased But were they not afterwardes and then iustlie thralled and threshed as men thresh corne with more more kinds of tyranny then if they had retained still the soueraine name of Kings and their princely authoritie Neither indeed is there any tyrāny at all in the name of a King but in the nature of a Tarquine And the like wee may iustlie say in this action that the pride and tyranny with the which the Church of Christ was wearied and wasted was not in the Primacie of Bishops and Archbishoppes but in the persons which did abuse their authoritie and going beyond their commission extended the bounds of their Prouince further then might lawfully stand with the modestie and moderation of christian Religion by which meanes indeede the power of Rome is become excessiue and insupportable But shall I now vppon this bare presumption indite of tyranny the more auncient forme of Church pollicie and so many godly men or rather Gods amongst men of rare learning sincere liues and sound Religion Or shall I condemne of error those sacred and religious Synodes in the which holy men of God did ratifie that auncient pollicie of the Church which with reuerence as they ought they receiued of their godlie predecessors Farre bee that sinne from my thoughts as far as is this impure age from their perfections For albeit I am not ignorant that both Fathers and Councels may erre if they enact against the will and word of God notwithstanding it followeth not that therefore they erred in this But if so be we were thus equally affected towards others and our selues that as we know a natural infirmitie to be vniuersallie infused in the natures of all men so with all we wold acknowledge the same to be particularlie imprised in our selues also we would then more diligently search and prie into the reprehension of our selues rather then of others But now it is far otherwise with vs. Is
were the churches of olde planted watered and increased It is a thing better knowen and commended then that I need to repeat it or themselues to repent it Notwithstanding there be some in these daies which take vp but to shrewdly this sentence of ours as if it were some Anabaptisticall fancie when it is said that the Church hath at this day if not Apostles yet Apostolique Ministers but as for the fancie if Anabaptisticall let themselues looke to that least they take themselues by the nose For my part I would but know whether the gospel yet at this day now after a 1500. yeares be come to the eares of all Nations In the meane time let them consider howe many nations whom the Apostles neuer saw by the paines and preaching of godlie Pastors who in this labour succeeded the Apostles haue receiued the Lord Christ I will not nowe stand to tell them onely this I conclude that the commaund and commission of preaching the Gospell standeth yet in his ful strength and force in the church of God and shuld so long as there is any nation that knoweth not the Lord. That at this day there is none sent by the churches of Christ to the nations which haue not knowen Christ it is not long of the lacke of sufficient power to send but of sufficient persons to be sent or at least wise of a better zeal to aduāce the kingdom of Christ Indeed no man ought to tempt the Lord Did not himselfe forbid his Apostles to stir one foot out of Ierusalem to discharge their duty before they had receiued the holy Ghost So requisite is it that a man bee throughly furnished for so great an enterprise before he vndertake it And therefore because the iudgement of one man may be ouer-weening and deceiued especially if he may be his owne iudge it is requisite that the authoritie of the church in that case be expected But here is required an Authority Apostolique the which if the Church haue not although it haue fit men neither hath it the power to send For who can giue that to another which hee hath not himselfe Whosoeuer therefore is sent whether you please to call him an Apostle or an Euangelist or a Bishop hee hath need of the like and no lesse power then Timothy and Titus had in the like and no lesse charge This therefore is the authoritie which is assigned to the church by the Keies the which the Lord our Sauiour gaue not so much to Peter and his collegiats as to the Church it selfe so that of right it maye doe that at this daye which it could of old namely wher occasion serueth to giue in commission vnto sufficient men the publishing of the Gospell with Authoritie Apostolique That the Apostolike authoritie is as necessarie for the conseruing and confirming as for the founding and first planting of Churches Chap. XVIII BVt for as much as the power Apostolike is no lesse needfull and necessarie for the conseruing and confirming as for the planting and first placing of churches we must also haue a special regard to that For by reason as it is thought of Bishops and Arch-bishops Primats and Metropolitanes which haue succeeded the Apostles and the Euangelists there is now some controuersie moued for that And verely I haue oftentimes wondered with my selfe what it is that should make anie learned or religious man thinke that the office of Apostles and Euangelistes is ceased in the Church and that at this day there are none possessed of any authoritie Apostolike to whom the other Elders ought to supply in the gouernance of the Church and I wonder the more that there bee any that should thinke the power Apostolike a thing so extraordinarie as if it were not possible that it should be deuolued to their posteritie Indeed the Church hath not continued those names amongst vs but is that sufficient to prooue that with those titles the authority also is surceased First if a man would but well marke the latter daies of the Apostles of Paule especially he should find that the Apostolike gouernment could not possibly end with the Apostles For by those things the sacred Scripture doth testifie of Paule wee may iudge of the rest who no doubt were no lesse carefull for the good of the Church euen to their last gaspe wheresoeuer it pleased God to translate them out of this life But the second Epistle of S. Paul to Timothie indited about the last of his daies doth witnesse abundantly what an vniuersall care hee had euen then of the Churches There hee maketh mention of his fellow-labourers whereof some he had sent to goe vnto diuers Churches and some hee sent for to come vnto himselfe that beeing now readie to flit out of this life he might giue them his last charge of all things concerning the welfare of the Church and the furnishing of that building himselfe had left vnfinished This his last will and Testament hee left with them The which had beene to no purpose had the power Apostolike died with him or had the authoritie of that their legacie beene compelled within the circuit of euery particular parish For they all whom Paul there remembreth as Titus Marke Luke Crescens Tithicus and Timothie himselfe were associate with Paule in his Apostolike sea as vnto whose seuerall charge hee had demised many and sundry Churches The which if it were not free for them with that recreant Demas to cast vp and giue ouer while Paul yet liued how much lesse after he was dead Wherefore now they were made and remaine his heires as before they were his peeres of his Apostolike paines and praeheminence That the other Apostles had also their consorts and collegiats in their Apostolike charge vnto whom themselues discontinuing this life they demeaned the no lesse care of the Churches with the like authoritie there was neuer wise man that doubted of it And furthermore that their lawfull authoritie with the which they prosecuted and perseuered in the Lord his affaires could no more be extinguished with them then it was abolished with the Apostles so long as there was any church remaining But as they succeeded the Apostles so had they their successors vpon whom if themselues did not bestow the power they had receiued the Church did which is heire generall of the power Apostolike But goe to nowe let vs imagine if there can bee such a conceit that it is not so as I haue saide let vs suppose also for a while that the Apostles left all vnto Pastors and Elders of equall authoritie who had onely the charge of their seuerall Churches and their prouinces limited within the precincts of their owne onely parishes What then shall we say became of those Churches in the which the Apostles intercepted by death or they which with the Apostles did gouerne the Churches could not ordeine anie Pastors Did their death fal out so pat that euerie Church had their Pastors and Doctors and that none of them was left
Churches Of these things therefore I inferre That there was left of the Apostles Authoritie Apostolike to their successors whom they had disposed ouer many Churches and that partly for the establishing of such Churches as were throughly finished and partly for the finishing of such as were left not throughly formed and partly also for the planting of newe where as yet there was none founded And this was the cause why Paule beeing shortly to take his leaue of his life sent Crescens into Galatia and Titus into Dalmatia and sent for Timothie and Marke to make their repaire vnto himselfe Euen as the Lord himselfe being now readie to giue vp this life prouided for his Disciples in like manner the Apostles tooke great care for those Churches which were gathered and were to bee gathered from among the Gentiles otherwise how should the Churches haue receiued their so great increase after the Apostles Verely it is with teares to bee lamented that their holy Apostolike zeale is at this day so cooled amongst vs that no man so much as once thinketh of publishing the Gospell vnto Nations altogether estraunged from the faith of Christ But now seeing there were manie Churches lefte of the Apostles but newe begun and more not yet begun according to that power they had receyued of the Lord the work of the Gentiles conuersion which was begun by them was to be followed to the ende Of the which it followeth that the Apostolike power giuen of the Lord for the edifiying of his Church doth yet remaine in the Church And those parts of Apostolike gouernment as they were giuen of old to certain singular Bishops so are they to be giuen at this day where they are not giuen and so are they to remaine where they are giuen If any man desire some reformation to bee had in that kind for my part I am not against it The disposing of this power the Church hath as it alwayes had yet so as where the Lord hath giuen a Christian Magistrate hee bee not left out nor loose his part For they doubtlesse are those Seniors Auncients and Elders of the which there is so often mention in the Bible whom we read to haue beene ioyned of old with the Priests and Leuites in weightie matters for they are in stead of the whole people That the authoritie of Bishops ouer Priests or Elders is approued by the consent of the Churches throughout the whole world Chap. XX. THat which we read to be done of al Churches from the Apostles times and of the Fathers throughout the compasse of the whole earth and the same continued euen vnto these our daies I do alwaies holde as a sacred Canon of the Apostles not to bee repealed Neyther is it a smal presumption to abrogate that which hath beene receyued with so greate and vniuersall consent from the which to reuolt besides that it is in it selfe an vncouth declination of a conceit giddie and head-strong it will also bring with it a greater mischiefe and misery to the Church then many at the first will conceiue or any in the end can releeue Among the old Canons which for their antiquity are called the Apostles wee read this that followeth It becommeth the Bishops of euery nation to know who is the chiefe among them which is to bee accounted as it were the head without whose opinion these ought to do nothing of any great moment but that euerie man doe those things which belong vnto his owne parish and the villages which are of the same Neither let himselfe doe any thing without the knowledge of all for so there shall be concord and God shall be glorified through our Lord in his holy spirit This Canon a worde or two translated is renued in the Councell of Antioch in these wordes The Bishops which are in seuerall prouinces ought to know that he which is Bishop in the Metropolitane Cittie hath charge also of the whole prouince for that they which haue any businesse recourse from all places to the Metropolis or mother Cittie Wherefore it seemeth expedient that hee excell the rest in honour and that the other Bishops doe nothing of anie great moment without him according to the auncient decree of our Fathers but onely those things which pertaine vnto their owne precincts the Parishes subiect to the same For let euerie Bishop haue authoritie ouer his owne prouince and let him gouerne the same according to his owne deuotion and let him haue charge of the whole prouince which is subiect to his Cittie that hee may create Priestes and Deacons and dispose all things with iudgment besides this let him doe no other thing without the Bishop of the mother Church neyther hee himselfe without the opinion of the rest In which Canon renewed and reestablished I obserue two thinges the first is the Antiquitie of the Canon the other is That the prouince was not alwaies committed to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie seeing a cause is added why Ecclesiasticall controuersies are to be presented to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie rather then to any other of the which seeing the Apostles Canon made no mention the first Fathers seemed not alwaies to haue had that respect of the said Metropolis The antiquitie of this custome is sufficiently declared in the seuenteenth chapter of the Nicene councel as followeth Let the auncient custome preuaile which was in Egypt Lybia and Pentapolie that the Bishops of Alexandria haue an excellency supreme dignitie ouer all these Seeing that this is also the custome with the Bishop of Rome In like manner at Antioch and in other Prouinces primacie dignitie honor authoritie is giuen vnto those Churches But this is most plaine that if any man he made a Bishop without the consent of the Metropolitane The great Councell defineth that he ought not to be a Bishop Thus goeth the Law neither were it anye great matter to confirm the same with the Canons of other Councels and Ecclesiasticall histories But by this it may appeare what was the iudgement of all those auncient fathers concerning this matter That some are of opinion that Patriarches and Archbishops were first created of the Nicene councell or as some will haue it of the first Constantinopolitane Councell their opinion is their errour for the Nicene councell which was called about the twentie yeare of Constantine the great testifieth that it enacteth no new thing when it commaunded that the olde custome should bee continued so that it was no new thing at that time for some one Bishop to haue superiour authority ouer the rest of his brethren his authoritie being limited by certaine lawes But that some argue how that to be president ouer diuers Prouinces to haue charge of them belongeth to the office of an Apostle and an Euangelist and that one and the same man cannot bee an Apostle and an Euangelist and a Bishoppe for that these are distinct offices I may answere them that neuer yet any before these our
Prince partly of the Common-wealth it is not repugnant to the state of the Church or stay of religion And indeed why should not the same thing betide their fields which befall the persons thēselues who albeit they are dedicate to God mancipate to his seruice yet they commit nothing vnworthy their function or not beseeming their calling when as according vnto the dignity of their place they performe due seruice to their Prince and other duties to the common-wealth That which is added of the pension or stipend of Ministers is easily answered by the same reason for it differeth not from the other Wherfore as a man may consecrate him selfe and his labours to God and the Church yet reserue his due obsequie to his Prince and the common-wealth so likewise may the Church inioy both fields and fearms and fees in the common-wealth and yet make no claime to any extraordinary immunity from seruice nor euer think much of any ordinary fealtie due to the patrōs therof The Bishop and euery other Minister of the Church is subiect to the lawes and Magistrate of the common-wealth and seeing he oweth homage to the Prince as to the cōmon parent of the people there is no absurditie committed if by the accesse of some especial benefit he become more nearly bound vnto him then the common sort How many and how bloudie wars the Bishops of Rome haue made vpon the Emperours and other Christian Princes euen for the onely inuestiture of those fees which they chalenge vnto themselues as consecrate to God therefore as they perswaded themselues free from all ciuill seruice all histories can well witnesse Wherefore those Magistrates at this day doe shew themselues very ingrate I may say vngodly to the present Ministerie who when as by defending the authoritie of the ciuill Magistrate which the Bishop of Rome had impayred they haue now at the length brought to passe that they haue recouered the same by their means doe now notwithstanding enuie them their poore estate in the Church and their small authoritie in the common-wealth May not that of the Apostle 2. Cor. 11.19 be truly said of this people They suffered those gladly which brought them into bondage which tooke of their goodes which exalted themselues which smote them on the face I more which afflicted them with fire and sworde and made them runne through Purgatorie glad that they might get to Hell But the faithfull seruantes of Christ which set them free frō the captiuitie of the Pope and gaue them that libertie which they nowe abuse against the Church those they doe not onely not reward with that honour they well deserued but they depriue them of those dignities they once possessed They lay baites for the bane for some set snares for the liues of others contriue plots for the deposing and disparaging of all Is this the thankes they giue to their Pastors And is this the reward for so many benefits receiued by their preaching O God forgiue them this sin if it be possible But thou wilt one day iudge betweene them and vs and reuenge this infamie done vnto thy selfe Chap. XXVIII Of the honorable titles which are giuen vnto Bishops NOw we haue spoken of fees and of that ciuill iurisdiction which is annexed vnto them it remaineth that wee speake somewhat also of their titles of honour Neither will I seeke into all but will shew you vnto a few of them and comprise in one or two all the rest which either the custome of the time place or the curtesie of Kings and Princes doe giue vnto the chiefe states of the kingdome With the which here are some in England which find themselues not a little offended would hold others in hand thogh they dare not hold their hand that such titles are not to bee giuen to the greatest Bishops The first that displeaseth them is the title of Lord which yet at this day is vsed to be giuen rather for honor sake then for homage The proper signification thereof is sufficiently known to haue relation to the possession proprietie of a thing In which sense euery man is Lord of that hee hath It hath a secondary relatiō also to a Seruant in which sense the Romane Emperours would not be called Lords or Maisters Suetonius reporteth of Octauius that he abhorred the name of Lord Maister as curse and a slaunder Indeed the Barbarians acknowledge no other distinction of persons but of Maisters Seruants therfore their Kings also do domineer ouer their subiects as maisters ouer their seruants the fathers of families haue the same authoritie ouer their wiues children as ouer their seruāts This would seem might well a very vnreasonable thing to vs being not as they are a people base seruile And yet the Moschouites rule at this day after this manner neither is the Empire of the Turkes much vnlike the same And generally all the Easterne kingdoms were once of this gouernment kept this foule rule ouer the nations wher they conquered Whether the Kings kindred had any priuilege besides the rest it is to be doubted so I leaue it But these a man might truly cal Dominos Lords or Maisters in which sense our Kings themselues wil not be so called nor will they take it in good part to be so slandered for their subiects are not their slaues or seruants neither do they so vse them They hold it their chiefest glory to haue a free people subiect vnto them and thinke it more honorable to command ouer a free then a seruile nation And albeit the King may truly be called Lord and indeed the only chiefe Lord in his own kingdom referring the signification of that title either to the subiection of the whole people or the propriety of his own kingdome yet contenting himself with the royal title of King which glory he wil cōmunicate with no subiect he enuieth not his subiects the name of Lords but whō he thinketh worthy hee honoureth with that title Neither do inferior persons only cal superior personages Lords but they also which are Nobles of equall authoritie do so salute their peeres And doth not the King himselfe vouchsafe to greet the Honors of his lande by the names of Lords The name of Lord is of many significations and is as I haue said a title rather of honour and of fauor then of rule and of Empire the which argueth the no smal malice or otherwise the great ignorance of them which hold the title of Lord to bee of so great authoritie as that it is not conuenable to the calling of Bishops And yet at this day among the best Latinistes the same name ordinarily is giuen to any man of any ordinary esteeme So doth the signification of this title varie according to the diuersitie of regions and persons and proprieties They which in England do make the same a signification of greater honor then that it may any waies agree with
their Bishops doe ground that their errour vpon an other by the which they are perswaded that it is a thing insolent and absurd for Bishops to bee taken for peeres of the lande But herein they seeme to bewray themselues in like passion with the sons of Iacob when they enuyed their owne brother for that he was made more honourable then themselues who ought rather to haue thought themselues honored in their brother It is vtterly against the nature of a well ordered common-wealth that the order of religion should not bee accounted among the chiefe states of the lande the which honour seeing it cannot bee giuen to all that are in the same order it is wisely and worthily prouided by the chiefe Magistrate that the whole order should be honored in a few of them The which thing seeing it is agreeable to the lawe of God and the custome of the auncient people of God the practise of al Nations vnder the Sun may it not seem a woÌ„der greater then their errour that any learned men should be found in any wildernes of the world so ouergrown with mosse the melancholie of their distempered brains as once to oppose themselues in any ciuill societie against the same But let vs heare yet with what reasons they are moued so farre beyond all reason Those proud titles say they of dominion are the inuentions of Antichrist and our Sauiour answered his Apostles contending about the primacie That the kings of nations rule ouer them and they which exercise authoritie vpon them are called gratious Lords but it shall not bee so with you And in the 23. of Mathew You shall call no man your father vpon earth for there is one your father which is in heauen bee not called Doctors for one is your Doctor euen Christ Whatsoeuer els is alleadged is of smal worth these words of our Sauiour beeing honestly interteined the rest will willingly yeelde themselues First therfore I affirme that the titles of dominion were inuented before Antichrist himselfe was hatched hee beeing the author thereof who is the author of dominion Neyther is there any thing arrogant in the titles but in the impotent and vsurped aspirement of such which oft times reiecting their commendable titles affect the contrary and cal themselues seruants of seruants which thinke themselues Lordes of Lords name themselues with the lesse and the least which will bee accounted the greater the greatest that if for nothing els yet for that they are so named But the Lorde his meaning was not to abolish the vse of these titles Lord Doctor and Father but to teach vs onely by these his precepts to beware of two dangerous perrils The first is the vaine swelling or swelling veine with the which Hypocrites are commoÌ„ly puft vp by reaso of these titles the other is the preposterous confidence which the simple people coÌ„monly haue in their elected Doctors or Fathers vppon which aduauntage the popular professors distract the name of Christ so that some hold of Paul some of Apâ—llo and some of Cephas and euery man best fancieth the Doctor himself hath chosen when as no man ought to build vpon any Doctors wordes but on his alone which cannot erre the Lord Christ Neyther was it the Lord his intent to inhibit vs that we should not call those by their names vnto whom the Lord hath giuen the names of Doctors Fathers in the Church or that children should not cal them Fathers vpon earth that begot them into the world or that Disciples should not cal them Doctors in the Cittie that instructed them in the Vniuersity or that Christian seruants should not cal them Lords Maisters which haue intertained them into their families No doubt Onesimus both might ought to call and recognise Philemon for his Maister And did not Paul also a most perfect imitater of Christ cal himself the Doctor of the Gentiles And why may not we also cal him as well a Doctor as an Apostle In the first to the Corinthians chap. 4. he calleth himselfe theyr Father Although saith hee you haue ten thousand instructers in Christ yet haue you not many Fathers for I haue begotten you through the Gospell The like we reade in many other places by the which we are giuen to vnderstand that not the condition but the ambition onely of those names was forbidden with the singling out of some especiall Doctor or Teacher by the which wee will shew our selues to be singular For that indeed that knowledge of the truth which we would seem to experience in some especiall men is onely to be expected in that Doctor alone who with the Spirit is able to lead vs into all truth But now what shall we say of the name title of Lordes First I say it is no where written Be ye not called Lordes And againe I say that although it were written it could beare no other sence or haue any other interpretation then those other titles which before are noted That dominion ouer the Lordes heritage is forbidden by the Lord there is no man that doubteth and did the word Lord alwaies implie a Dominion it were some thing they saide But we haue heard of the diuers significations of these words As for that the Lord said vnto his Apostles It shal not be so with you what sober maÌ„ wil interprete him as if he had said Ye shall not be called Lords If the Kinges and Princes of the common-wealth will haue you to sit in the assemblies of great men and wil heare your iudgement concerning the state of the Church and will consult together with you concerning the affaires of the common-wealth and in regarde of my name and in reuerence of your calling wil haue you reputed among the peers of the land take heede beware of that and suffer not your selues to bee called Lordes this is a proud title and that is a foule matter From hence no doubt did arise that odious hypocrisie in the Church of Rome which vnder the basenes of mean titles exerciseth the sharpnes of no meane tyrannie and vnder the name of Seruant of seruantes vsurpeth dominion ouer Maisters and Seruants And hence it is also that his champions do glory in this to be called Friers Minorites the lesse or the least as if forsooth there were nor pride nor tyranny lurking vnder these their lubarly names or as if the name of Lord onely were to bee attended with pride and tyrannie Wherefore the meaning of our Sauiour in those words was not to forbid his disciples those ordinary tearms of honour which are giuen them by the fauor of the Prince and consent of the people only his intent was to teach theÌ„ that the Gospel was no prince-like Ministery or royal seigniory By the which it neither is nor can be concluded that Princes may by no means vse the assistaÌ„ce of Ministers nor grace the learned Pastors with certaine principall degrees of honor Hath Christ by any law diminished the Princes