Ministerie of the worde and Sacramentes to be necessarie for them Mat. 7.6 Mat. 16. Actes 1.8 and that therefore it was needefull the Lorde should leaue a certaine order for the directing of his Church in that administration and ministerie Which also because it was so needefull the holy Scriptures declare him to haue done Mat. 28.19 For touching the worde what should bee preached and by whom and vnto whom with all other necessarie circumstances euen in outwarde things he gaue certaine order vnto his Disciples Likewise for Baptisme both before his death Matt. 18 2◠and at his ascension into heauen he instructed them in what outwarde maner they were to administer it and vnto what persons Of the Lords supper the Apostle sayeth That whiche I receyued of the Lorde I haue deliuered vnto you plainly declaring that the Lorde had deliuered vnto him a certayne order for the outwarde administration of his Supper These things and the like which might be saide of the other pointes of the outwarde Discipline of the Church the Replyer against it did not well consider in making no externall forme of gouernement necessarie but perseuerance in fayth and hope Nay it may seeme hee did not well remember that in other places the necessitie of continuing the present gouernement of BB. and Archbishops Priestes and Deacons such as wee haue amongst vs is affirmed to haue ground and cōtinuance from the very Apostles who also are sayde to haue made Timothy and Titus such For which cause also at the ordination of euerie of them certayne places of the Scripture are appointed to be read as cōteyning their Institution and ordinance in the Church But howe truelie and faithfullie such places are alleadged for that purpose there are but fewe but vpon the reading of those textes of Scripture may discerne Yet howsoeuer they fayle in their proofe that seeke the confirmation of the Hierarchie so commonly called this appeareth by their owne allegations that sometimes and in parte they would perswade men that there is an externall forme of administratiō of the Church appointed by our Sauior Christ Which would to God they did not onely sometimes and in parte but alwayes and altogither perswade them selues and others as the trueth is in deede that God hath set downe in his holy worde a certayne forme of gouerning the Church of Christ necessarie and perpetuall by particular directions in all the chiefe and principall pointes and by generall rules for time place and such like circumstances and that they would rather labour with vs to shewe what the same is by the worde of God then to striue for the contrarie that there is no certaine forme at all The proofe of this point that there is a certayne and perpetuall order set downe in the word of God for the guyding of the Church in ecclesiasticall matters hath bin often made by diuers who haue trauayled in this cause as appeareth in their bookes But because the Replyer denieth it to haue bene proued yet it shall not bee amisse to laye downe brieflie such reasons in this place as may serue for that purpose From the beginning of the world there hath bin ordayned of God a certayne externall forme for directing the Church such as seemed good to his heauenlie wisedome and agreed best with that time for which it serued both before and vnder the Lawe euen from Adam to Christ Whiche for suche time was not to be altered by anie liuing creature Therefore there is also some certayne forme of administring the church of God from the time of our Sauiour Christe to the ende of the worlde which is not alterable nor to be chaunged by anie power of man For God being as able and as willing to doe this good vnto his Church in these last dayes as in anie time before and there being no sufficient reason to be rendred of such difference why those times should be so regarded and this not it must needes be that there is a certayne forme sett downe in the worde of God for the outwarde administration of the Church Againe the externall administration of the church vnder the Law was such as had proceeded from God and was not altered nor to be altered by any King or Priest whatsoeuer For the first plat was giuen in the mount what alteration after was made by Dauid or others was not of them selues 2. Chro. 8. and 25.26 2. Chr. 29.25 but by speciall and particular direction of God by the Prophetes Therefore if no iust reason of difference be to bee shewed to the contrarie as there is not it must be confessed that God hath ordayned a certayne externall forme of gouuernement for the Church in this time and not left it to the arbitrarie direction and lawes of any men whatsoeuer Further where there is a Ministerie and dispensation of holy things ordayned there must needes bee an order sett downe for the deliuering and disposinge of them Otherwise they must of necessitie be exposed to certayne prophanation therfore such ordinances accompanie such administrations and haue both their beginning and ending with them So in the Lawe the Priesthoode being appointed for the ministerie of things that were holy there was withall a lawe of ordinances giuen for certayne direction of their office whiche lawe also ceased and was abolished when the Priesthoode was translated and taken away from the house of Leui as wee are taught in the example of the Hebrewes In like maner Hebr. 7.12 seeing that in the Church of Christ since the abrogatinge of the Priesthoode of the Lawe there is instituted a ministerie of holy things and officers for the purpose it must needes bee that there is also a certaine order set down for the guiding of them in the execution of their Ministerie Which is the whole Discipline consisting onely in the execution of such dueties as they are to performe which are called to beare any charge in the Church of God as the regiment of euery cōmon wealth standeth in the offices and dueties of the Magistrates those that haue authoritie in it Moreouer the Names of Christ and his Church the peace order edification and perpetuitie of the church doe proue that there is a certain externall forme of administring it For if Christ be a King a High Priest an Housholder and the Church his Kingdome his Temple and his House then must it needes be that he hath giuen though spirituall in regarde of the ende they haue as his kingdome is spirituall yet some certayne externall meanes constitutions and orders for the good gouerning and guyding of the same For this is incident to euery wyse man of authoritie especiallie when he him selfe shall not personallie remayne amongst those that belong vnto him And so our Sauiour noteth his purpose to doe Mat. 25. Luke 19.12 Lu. 12.42.43 in the parable of the Talentes deliuered to diuers seruantes and of the Steward left with charge of the house till his comming The same is to
ecclesiasticall The Princes prerogatiue is notwithstanding heere reserued which dependeth not vppon his reseruation but hath other such certaine title to claime by as the Princes are not to bee beholding to their Prelates for reseruing them their supreme gouernement as of almes for them Another point is that not these offices but the encroching of th'Archbishop of Rome ouer all other Bishops and Archebishops was the breaking of Gods ordinance and the way to Antichristes pride Adoni-bezek as we reade in the first of the booke of Judges cut of the fingers and toes of 24. Kings and put them vnder his table at his feete to geather the crommes that fell from his table and the same iudgement after fell vppon him Euen so some Pastours cast downe all other Pastors officers of the church within a Citie or Dioces vnder them After amongest Bishops some dealt with his companions as they had done with theirs and became Archbishops and subdued all the Bishops in a Prouince Coūtrey or Region vnder them Nowe if amongst Archbishops there rose vp one to recompence them agayne the wrong they had done to their fellowe-Bishops if yet it may be called wrong where at the firste there was no right what great cause haue they to complayne When Bishops and Archbishops cut of as it were the handes and feete of their fellowes and cast them vnder them to geather the crommes that fell from them did not they teache other by their example to doe the like also to them Yea but sayeth he the Archbishop of Roome would be higher then all his fellowes and be Bishop ouer the whole Church to represent Christ This was in deede the highest steppe and euen the footestoole of the seate of Antichrist But howe mounted hee thus hye to come so neare such a seate of pride was not this way made by sundrie steppes before ere he came at the highest and was he not nearer and in greater possibilitie of it being a Bishop with many other then if there had bin none such but all Pastours like the elect Angells had kept their original For as it was not possible for a man to lift vp his foote from the ground to any hye seate farre aboue his reach but must goe to it by staires and degrees from one to another till hee come to the highest So did Sathan in his misterie of iniquitie make these staires for the mounting of Antichrist whereby at the last he setled him as amongst the starres But this he seemeth to note as vnlawfull And no doubt it is so But so were also the other according to their degrees which he would haue to be esteemed lawefull But if the case were such as Christian Princes did all receyue the Gospell and that a generall Councell were helde and to be continued or renewed as occasion should require and Christian Princes by consent should appoint a moderator for direction of the Aecumenicall Councells and name him Pope or giue him some other title noting his employment greater then of anie Bishop or Archbishop who are but by the Replyers owne rule to direct their Synodes and Councells of their Diocesses and Prouinces what exception could the Replier take vnto this why they might not so doe After they had made this first ouverture what can he alleadge why they might not in regarde of vsing him to such purpose free him from the seruice of any particular Congregation that he might wholly attende vppon the generall causes of the Church And because wealth honour and authoritie may giue him the more credit and for that Monarchie is the best kind of gouernement and most easie and readie for all men who best vnderstande in it their busines requiringe to whom to goe and where to seeke their remedie what reason can he bring why it should not bee lawfull for them all to doe herein by cōmon consent in all Christendome that whiche is done in some by any one soueraign Prince in his kingdome Or if without all these circūstances the Princes nowe professing the gospel should agree that the Archbishop of Coleyn one of the Princes Electors or any other should haue vse exercise ouer all the Churches of the Gospel in what kingdome of the christian world soeuer the same supreame power authoritie in all causes ecclesiasticall that euer the Pope had or exercised and should proceede by the same course and order of the Cannon lawe as the Archbishop of Roome doeth with one onely promise of disanulling abolishing all such Cannons as are repugnant to the lawe of God what could the Replier alleadge why eyther the Archbishop of Colleyne or any other Archbishop or Bishop might not by such consent be made a Protestant Pope and an vniuersall Bishop ouer all the Churches of the Gospell as the Archbishop of Rome by like consent of the Kings supporters of the Keyes and armes of Antichrist is esteemed Pope and vniuersall Bishop ouer all Ecclesiastical causes within all their Dominions What reason can he make why Princes should not so consent or what aduyse would he giue if any Bishop or Archbishop of his acquaintance were the man vppon whom they should like to bestowe this honour from Episcopall or Archiepiscopall iurisdiction to aduaunce him to Papall Supremacie What a faithfull Pastour should doe in such a case is not harde to say For it is cleare that they should doe as our Sauior Christ did Luke 12.13 when things not agreeing with his calling were offered and brought vnto him Who refused to parte the inheritance betweene brethren Iohn 6.15 who withdrewe him selfe from the people as farre as he could going vp into an high mountayne when they would haue made him a King Mat. 4.8.9 and with detestation auoyded the speech of offer of all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of the same Iudg. 8.23 They should aunswere with Gedeon when the kingdome with the alteration of the gouernement which God had set ouer his people was presented vnto him I will not raigne ouer you the Lord your God hee shall raigne ouer you and gouerne you according such order as he hath appointed They were to aunswere with Daniell Your giftes ô Kings keepe to your selues and bestowe your regalities and honours vpon some other Dani. 5.17 but I will declare the scripture the interpretation of it vnto you As the honorable oliue tree the sweete fig-tree and the cheerefull Vine answere in the parable of Iotham that they would not leaue their precious fruit whereby they honoured Iud. 9. delyted and reioyced God and men to goe raigne ouer the trees of the forest So should a faithfull seruant of God and of his people answere I will not leaue the preaching of the Gospell the ministerie of the word the honouring and reioysing of God and man with my precious fruite to take an vnlawfull gouernement vpon me This I say ought to be the aunswere of a faithfull and true seruaunt of God keeping his first institution
But of this there wil be a fitter place to speake Here it may suffice to admonishe the Reader of the insufficiencie whiche Gellius noteth to be in men for exercising of both offices For which cause God did distinguish and seuer them to be administred by diuers persons Thus proceedeth he on still with Gellius noting in the next place the example of Christian Magistrates in Christ and the Apostles times Whiche is that place where Gellius maketh mention of the Captaynes or Centurions of Joseph Nicodemus and such like wherevnto I haue answered before alreadie Nowe the Replyer hauing fought a great whyle with another mans weapons and persuading him selfe that his owne right hande had done valiauntlie beginneth to sounde his trumpet as if the victorie were his owne saying thus wee see most euidently howe weake this reason is to witte of the perfection of the Churches regiment before there were any christian Princes and with what a multitude of farre better reasons yea with a cloude of witnesses it is beaten downe Wherin he reioyceth as if a blinde man striking often at a venture because he hath wearied him selfe should triumphe as if hee had driuen his enimie out of the fielde Yet hauinge in the middest of this his blinde vanitie some glymse that this reason commeth still like an armed man vpon him hee holdeth out this bucklar against it that it auayleth not to saye they were no Emperours For sayeth he it euicteth the cause sufficientlie that they were Princes or at least any kinde of Magistrates In deede if it may suffice to shewe that any Magistrates in the time of our Sauiour Christ receyued the faith of the Gospell he hath wonne his spurres and is worthie if not to bee knighted yet Bishopped which I thinke he had rather be But the question is onely of soueraigne Princes whether any such were Christians in that time Whiche his cloude of witnesses vanishing away like a cloude or as a cloude without water driuen about with euery winde hath not bin able to doe for him Yet is he not satisfied thus to leaue the matter but obiecteth against him selfe that those Magistrates exercised no authoritie ouer the Church but were in it as priuate men Which is very true but not alleadged by the Declaration and therefore no cause he should enter into the disprooue of that except he can not endure that any trueth stande before him To this hauing litle to saye of him selfe he sayeth that Gellius sayeth somewhat to this out of whom yet he noteth no one word to this purpose but to another he noteth that the churches regiment is more happie where Christian Princes are Which thing the Declaration might haue taught him And thus farre hath he reasoned out of Gellius against the first part of the argument of the Declaration affirming the Churches regiment to haue bene perfect before that anie Princes were Christians For that which he addeth after of his owne of Paules appeale to Caesar for the decision as hee sayeth of an ecclesiasticall controuersie is of so small colour of likelihoode as can not easilie abuse anie For who will be so absurde as to thinke that Paule referred the decision of the question hee had with the Iewes concerning saluation by our Sauiour Christe as it is Ecclesiasticall to Nero who vnderstoode nothinge of those matters and was him selfe a great enemie as the Apostle seemeth to call him as a Lyon readie to deuoure all that made profession of that faith 2. Tim. 4.17 It were time nowe to proceede to his replye to the other parte of the argument but that the Reader is firste to be admonished concerning Gellius out of whom the Replyer hath written so many leaues because of all other he thought him to write most soundlie and fauourablie of the office and power of Magistrates that this same Gellius so duetifull to Magistrates is an earnest defendour of that ecclesiasticall gouuernement which the Replyer in all his booke oppugneth Whereof it is to bee obserued that the reformed Discipline which is desired to be established amongest vs is in no sorte preiudiciall to Christian Princes or other Magistrates For Gellius who writeth as earnestlie for the maintenance of the reformed Discipline as anie the same also writeth as duetifullie of the office and power of Magistrates and as largelie yea and more against the Anabaptistes then euer did any of the Romane Hierarchie or vnreformed Discipline Therefore notwithstandinge our seekinge to aduaunce by all good and lawfull meanes that holy ordinance of GOD of the onely lawfull Discipline whereby the Church ought to bee guyded wee may be and are by the grace of God as loyall and louing subiectes as duetifull and obedient as anie are of their whyte coate whiche they striue so much for Besides this the Reader is to obserue the good discretion of the Replyer in resting so wholy vppon the authoritie of Gellius in this matter Whose testimonie if he acknowledge so graue and of such credite as if it had bin against vs he would haue giuen sentence against vs vppon it why should not the same mans witnes bee of like waight and credite to iustifie our cause and to preiudice his if so be his testimonie may be shewed to be with vs and against him in this cause of the Discipline of the Church But this is manifest by a treatise of Gellius expresselie written of ecclesiasticall Discipline Out of which I might write more leaues to shewe his iudgement and his reasons in the diuerse pointes of Discipline for that onely lawfull and holy order which the Replyer hath audaciouslie set him selfe against and oppugneth then he wrote out of him to no purpose for the office of the Magistrate Whereby it is cleare that if he stande to the witnesse of Gellius he hath lost the whole cause hee laboureth so greatlie to mainteyne Nowe I proceede to the rest of his replye The Declaration for proofe of the order to be followed in that treatise hauing alleadged that the regiment of the churche was perfect before there were any christiā Princes addeth further that it may doeth stande at this day in most blessed estate where the ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers The reply to this beginneth with such an exclamation as a man would thinke he hearde sawe the hye Priest mentioned in the Gospell renting his cloathes and cryinge Hee hath blasphemed what neede we any more witnesses Mat. 26.65 Behold now you haue heard his blasphemie what thinke you yet was it no euill that was spoken but a most holy trueth whiche that priest of all other ought to haue perceyued There follow next idle repetitions as of other thinges so of his former vayne demaundes what vse then there may bee of Christian Magistrates to the Church Wherevppon I haue alreadie aunswered shewinge the Magistrates to bee ordeyned of GOD for the protection of the good and punishment of the euil doer And that as in other matters so also in
church these other pointes like vnto them being declared in the worde of God to be the ordinances of the almightie for the guydance of his Church and this being the vse of the reformed Churches no doubt but they were mainteyned by a booke agreeing with them both Which being so what should I say of them that would endeuor to the vttermost of their power by all good and duetifull meanes the receyuing of a booke so fitt for the aduancement of the honour of God and promising so great good vnto his people but as it is in the Psalme Peace and prosperitie be in thee ô Ierusalem thou citie of God and the Lord prosper those that loue thee Psal 122.6 The Almightie suffer them not to feare the feare of the wicked but shield them from all euil as the naturall and noble sonnes of Abraham Gene 15.3 and whosoeuer they be dealt with here the Lord recompence them with an exceeding great rewarde Hee remember them for good according to the prayer of that worthie restorer of the Citie seruice of God Nehemia Nem. 5.19.13.12.29 and what soeuer they haue done for this people their endeuour to take away the pollutions of the ministerie to set the Lords watch at his gates again euerie Leuite to his worke according to his place the Lorde spare them according to the greatnes of his mercie and remember them and their seruice for good so as their childrens children may receyue at their handes an inheritance of blessing from the Lorde And if any should be otherwise minded the Lord forgiue it them and graunt that they also in his good time may haue this trueth opened to them and be noble and elect instrumentes chosen and appointed of God to the furtherance of the same Thus farre haue I bin bolde to folowe th' occasion offered me in mencion of a booke of common prayer and administration of Sacramentes agreeable to Gods worde and the vse of the best reformed Churches The whiche I am for their sakes who seeke all aduantages to stirre vp the higher powers against vs truely and vnfeynedlie to protest that I write not with purpose to offende anie God being witnes and least of all any that are in authoritie For I bowe my face downe to the grounde before them all of whom it is saide Ye are Gods and in all reuerent duetie acknowledging the most humble and faithfull duetie which I owe to the great power that God hath giuen them to the punishing onely of the euill doer but to the protection maintenance and comfort of all that doe well in the lande yea further as conscience and duetie bindeth mee in that respect I doe not cease to lift vp my harte and my handes to Almightie GOD day and night for them all that it maye please him dailie more and more to increase in them all the princelie giftes that their high places and authoritie doe require and namely that their hartes may bee more enlarged towardes this so necessarie a cause of Gods seruice the comfort of his people which I doe also as my most straight bound and obligation requireth especiallie for our soueraigne Ladie the Queene that as God in his mercie hath honoured hir right excellent Maiestie with these honors th'extinguishing of the fires wherewith the Church consumed the ouerthrowe of idolatrie and false worship of God the establishing of the free professing and preaching of the Gospell of Christe the harbouring of exiles for the gospels sake the deliuering of the Churches of Scotlande from captiuitie patronizing of the Churches of the lowe Countries ayding and assisting of the Churches of France and the comforting in a manner of all the Churches which professe the gospell that I say to these so manie and so highe and chiefe pointes of true honor this also may be added that hir Maiestie by Gods speciall fauour assistance of his holy Spirit may establishe in this hir happie raigne the same order for directing of the Church and publishing the gospell of saluation to all the people within hir Dominion which almightie GOD hath appointed for this purpose to the great aduancement of the honour of GOD the exceeding ioye of all the good people in the lande and hir owne vnspeakeable comfort and glorie with God and men Thus praying not to be misconstrued in that I haue bin bold vpon occasiō to speake a little to the incouragement of Christian and noble mindes in godlie and duetifull maner to sollicite almightie God and th' authoritie he hath set ouer vs in Syons sute being so necessarie and so importinge the good both of the Church and common wealth amongest vs the happie estate whereof dependeth vpon the fauour of God I returne to the Replier To whom for his replie of agreeable I answere that agreeable is not that which is contrarie but whiche hath a correspondence and harmonicall concorde with that wherewith it agreeth And so is it to be vnderstood in the place whereof he maketh question but such a sence woulde he fayne make of agreeable to saue all vpright in an other place which yet will not serue for sundrie repugnances cōtrarieties which are there with the word with the vse of the best reformed Churches And thus farre to his replie to the matter set downe in the thirde part of the foundation Nowe to his replie to the reason wherewith it is confirmed The proofe alleadged for this thirde point he admitteth not so easilie as the matter it selfe Which being graūted to be true it importeth the lesse whether it be fitly proued by it or no yit peraduenture hee would better haue discerned of the consequence from that place if he had considered the man of God there to note not the ciuill Magistrate nor euery one of the faithfull but only the Minister of the word as both the terme it selfe and the dueties of his calling there mentioned doe testifie Whereby it is playne that the wordes of the Apostle doe more particularlie concerne matters of the Church then they doe ciuill pollicie or morall life as he obiecteth Nowe it being saide that the minister of the worde whose calling is the greatest in the Church is fullie and throughlie instructed by the holy scriptures for euery duetie belonging to his office Surelie the Elders and Deacons whose charges are lesse may be taught by the same what belongeth vnto them and if they furnishe and direct him that requireth most furniture and direction surelie then they can not want that neede lesse And if all that are of publike charge in the Church be fully instructed and inabled of God for euerie parte and pointe of their dueties by the holy scriptures what one concerning the discipline of the Church can be saide not to be taught in the word of God seeing the whole Discipline is administred by those that beare publique charge in the church If this proofe content him not he is to be satisfied further in the proofes of the seuerall pointes
barre of Iron till such time as by the iust iudgement of God the state of that people became worse and worse falling from one degree of sinne to another till at last they denied the Prince of life crucified the Lorde of glorie Then the Lord in part reiected them for their vnbeliefe brought in the Gentiles that beleeued But till that time the Lord acknowledged them for his euen as a Father doeth his childe notwithstanding he be maymed or deformed Which comparison the Replier without cause is offended at Heb. 12.13 this being an vsuall thing in the scriptures to resemble sinnes and offences to imperfections deformities of the body For which cause the Euangelist Matthewe mentioning the healing of bodilie infirmities by our Sauiour Christ noteth that therein as being a visible euidence of th' other was fulfilled that whiche was written by the Prophet Esaie saying He tooke our infirmities and bare our diseases vpon him Matt. 8.17 Likewise also the Apostle exhorting to holy exāple of lyfe sayth Make straight steppes vnto your feete that that which is halting be not turned out of the way but may bee healed rather And howe long sayeth Elias to Israel doe you halte betweene two Jf God be God followe him 1. Kin. 18.21 and if Baal be god followe him I adde further which toucheth the matter yet more neare The Apostle compareth the Church vnto a body 1. Cor. 12.27.28 and the particular persons of it to the partes and members of a body and the guydes of the Churche and such as haue publique charge in it to the more noble and principall partes of it whereof Christ our Sauiour is the onely head As therfore the body is blinde that wanteth eyes to see withall lame maymed or deformed whereof the shoulders armes handes or other principall partes are wanting or displaced and disordered so that body of a Church can not be said to be perfect entier wherein there are not Ministers of the worde who by the light thereof may direct the people in the wayes of God or Elders that may discouer descrie euery matter that may threaten anie daunger to the body or Deacons who may distribute liberallie according to that is in their handes for the reliefe of the poore Nay I doubt not to say the necessarie vse of these offices being considered that no body naturall hath so much wante of any of these as the body politike of the church hath of the other Therefore I see no iust cause why this comparison should greatlie offende him A man maye liue in deede many yeares with such wantes and imperfections none of those partes being necessarie for life but shal liue a heauie and vncomfortable life because hee wanteth partes that are necessarie for many great vses whereby a Man may liue the better and more comfortably as being preserued in health in strength and in beautie which thing they well discerne of who wanting by anie occasiō such partes vse a hand or a legg of woode or helpe the imperfections of other partes as well as they can So likewise a church may liue and be the Church of God whilest the faith of Christ as the breath and spirite of life is in it but wanting these offices or in place of these which God hath made and are the natural partes of the body hauing a supplie and helpe such as Man hath deuised shall so liue as one neither hauing beautie in the sight of god and his holy Angelles nor force and health to performe in good order the actions belonging to it but pineth wasteth away with discomfort one part decaying after another till in the ende the spirit of life the doctrine of the Gospell in the iust iudgement of God forsaking it leaue a dead corps vppon the ground to warne and admonish other Churches by such example to be carefull in time of the meanes whereby thorough the blessing of God vppon his owne holy ordinances according to the promise he hath made in the vse of them not of anie humane deuise to like purpose bee it neuer so pollitique and reasonable to flesh and bloud they may be in health strength beautie and honor preserued and mainteyned for euer There remayneth yet to aunswere his misapplying of the wordes of the Apostle in the 3. of the former epist to the Corinthians concerning the laying of stubble and strawe vppon the foundation which he sayth is done by those who holding Christ and the doctrine of the Gospell will vrge a necessitie of the outward regiment of the Church in all Ecclesiasticall matters Wherein howe iustlie hee chargeth such as seeke a further reformation of our charge may appeare by that whiche hath bin sayde alreadie and is further to be made playne by the rest of this treatise Wherin euery parte of the doctrine set downe in the declaration being sufficienlie proued by the worde of God the day will witnes for vs that wee haue layde vpon the most riche and precious foundation nothinge but fine golde of Ophir and siluer refined seuen times in the furnace On the other parte the same light will make manifest their worke that vpon Christ the corner stone layde in Syon elect and precious laye thinges altogither vnsuteable to it matter of no value and whose ende is to bee consumed with fire Of this sorte is the administration of holy thinges as Baptisme and the censures of the Church by Women lay men such as are Chauncelours Commissaries Officialls and such like the confusion of both powers ecclesiasticall and ciuill in persons called to the ministerie and preaching of the worde of God In Ecclesiasticall matters so immoderate a power as that one man at his pleasure should make Ministers should giue out and call in agayne licenses to preache should suspende excommunicate and doe what he list in the church which is the house of the liuing God Of like sorte are confirmation with laying on of handes in signe of grace increased the crosse in baptisme in signe of seruing like a good soldiour of Christ the wearing and bearing in publike administration of Albe Surplesse Coape pastorall staffe commonlie called the Crosier staffe These and a number of such like worse then some of these which some laye vpon the foundation if they be their golde siluer it may be well said nowe as was sometime The golde of Syon is turned into drosse hir fine siluer is like the base cure which a man being abused shall laye vp for a time vnder many lockes and esteeme it as some great treasure but after discouering th' abuse he will cast awaye in displeasure and indignation with the drosse of the furnace The Lorde burne out the drosse till it be pure and take away all the base mettall but with the fire of his gracious worde if it please him and not with that the Prophete speaketh of that the Iudges of Syon may bee restored as at the first and their Councellours as
that one of those foure should toppe the rest to make him selfe lorde of all and vniuersall Bishop ouer the Church Which disorder increased after this Hierarchie for multitude of causes brought to them out of so large circuites began first to slacke their preachinge and to growe negligent and in the ende to giue it ouer and preache seldome as vpon hye and solemne dayes or not at all After also that Emperours Kings began to be Christians and they to growe in fauor with them and to receyue so great giftes and honours of them as to beare the port and state of worldlie Princes and to meddle with ciuill causes and mannage the state growing thereby not only to neglect but euen to despise the hye and most holy seruice of God the preaching of the Gospell after all this I say what remayned but that the most ambitious of the foure Patriarkes should by practise with some mightie Potentate set his foote vpon the heads of th' other Patriarkes and rayse him selfe into the seate chaire of Antichrist Which notwithstanding two of them who were seated in the two chiefe Cities of the East and West Empire Constantinople and Rome did striue togither for a whyle yet in the ende the Bishop of Rome preuayled being Bishoppe of that citie which had bin Lady of all the Earth for a lōger time and hauing fitter occasions seruing to it as first of th' absence the Emperours after by meanes of the decay of the Empire in the East and of his more ambitious diligence who had diuers ways attempted it before especially because it was prepared for him that was placed in the Citie that standeth vpon seauen hilles Which was brought to passe by practise with Zimri the murtherer of his Lorde and Maister that is with Phocas the murderer of Mauritius the Emperour by whose fauour the name and title of vniuersall Bishop was obteyned After whiche time the Bishops of that seate by wicked practises and cunning meanes setting th' Imperiall Crowne vppon whose head it seemed good to them increased them selues exceedinglie by the donation of Pepin and others in ritches lands temporalties and in worldlie Dominions and state Whereby enlarging their power in church matters and nourishing parasites for the purpose at the last not onely by temporal power but by yoke of conscience vnder pretence of Peeters primacie giuen to him by our Sauiour and of succession to Peeter this man of sinne seated him selfe in the middest of the temple of God that is of that people whiche sometimes had bin the temple of God and exalted him selfe aboue all that is worshipped or called God Loe the seate of all abhominations 2. Tes 2.4 and the stayres degrees and steppes from the lowest to the highest whereby Sathan made way in chaūging Gods ordinance as it is saide in the Declaration to Antichrists pride and after he had so done brought in all manner of false doctrine and confusion This way to Antichristes pride in chaunging the ordinances of GOD the Replier is careful shoulde not bee vnderstood in anie sorte of Bishops and Archbishops as if any ordinance of God had bin chaunged in creating such offices as are exercised by them or that Antichrist could haue any thing the readier way to his seate by them and would cast this vpon the publike charges instituted of God to bee in his Church His firste reason to proue this is that Bishops and Archbishops were in the primitiue Church Whereof notwithstanding this be not the fitte place to speake and that I haue alreadie refused for this cause to make him any answere till he come orderly where it is to bee debated yet because I see he dreameth still of Bishops and Archbishops and that both vnseasonablie and importunatlie he calleth vppon it it shall not peraduenture be amisse to giue some answere in the meane time till he bring forth the rest that he hath to speake in their behalfe It is to be remembred here first howe litle reckoninge hee hath made of the proofes alleadged for th' office of Elders the which yet are such as that the holy Scriptures make mention of such an office to haue bin in the Church in those times declare to what vse it serued and that there were such appointed in all the churches of the Apostles who to them and to the Ministers of the worde committed the standing and ordinarie care ouer the churches Which proofes being so smallie accounted of by the Replier as they are we are vndoubtedlie to haue from him sufficient and strong argumentes authenticall recordes and authorities playne and cleare euidences for anie matter he will vndertake to prooue But especiallie as his issue is greater so his euidences are to be clearer the higher th' offices are in dignitie and power aboue the office of Elders of so much more certaine and chiefe authoritie are his rolles to be and his pleas mightie and forcible seeinge there are great royalties and regalites belonging to those offices whose patentes he would iustifie The first entrance into his proofe is such in deede For he pleadeth the donation of god the writing and instrument of our Sauiour Christe signed with the great seale of Heauen and Earth the power whereof the Lorde declareth to be giuen vnto him Which if it be so surely then could these offices neither receyue any chaūg nor consequentlie the chaunge of them bee any way to Antichristes pride But let vs heare what his reasons are A man would thinke breaking so often and so violentlie into this cause that from Moses throughout all the Prophetes he would shew vs this matter and after by the whole colledge of th'Apostles as by a cloudde of witnesses without all exception he woulde haue oppressed for euer all that dare say as he speaketh that these offices of Bishops and Archbishops Pag. 78. wrought any waye to Antichristes pride But for all witnesses he bringeth in the Apostle Paule A witnesse in deed without all exceptiō though he be alone notwithstanding euery matter was wont to bee confirmed by two or three witnesses for the highest authoritie of God whose secretarie he was in that he wrote Deut. 19.5 Mat. 18.16 so as all creatures both men and Angells are to rest in that which hee by the will of God hath deliuered let vs heare therefore what the Apostle speaketh in this cause In the primitiue Churche sayeth the Replier Titus was made an Archbishoppe and had many other Bishops vnder his gouernement If it be demaunded by whom hee was created this was sayeth hee Saint Paules acte whose acte no doubt was approued of God him selfe No doubt in deede but what that Apostle and the rest did concerninge a setled order to gouerne the Church by in all time to come but it was the acte of God him selfe But if Archbishops bee instituted of God in the Church I demaunde whether this institution be alterable or no and whether Princes or the Church aduising of some other
of later yeares and of meane vnderstanding that could not discerne so palpable a repugnancie betwene the epistle it selfe and such a subscriptiō This then being all the profe that the replyer for this present notwithstanding his importunate and vnseasonable beating vpon this cause is able to make to prooue the office of an Archbishop the Reader may perceyue what authoritie it ought to haue in the conscience of any Christian man the best euidence witnes that can be produced for the maintenance of it being a razed rolle and a suborned witnes and as they speake in Westminster hall A knight of the Post euen suche another as the Bishop of Roomes proctours would haue proued his vsurpation and vniust authoritie by if the Fathers of that time in Africke had not discouered his fraude and follie Thus we see what cause he hath to breake so often into this matter for any thing he can prooue by this euidence But if this fayle him to proue Bishops and Archbishops to haue bin in the primitiue Church he hath another sure argument that can not disappoint him There were Pastours and Teachers in the primitiue church the Declaration sayeth Elders also and Deacons but sayeth the Replier the office of a Bishop or Archbishop is in substance the office of a Pastour or Teacher so as Bishoppes or Archbishops in the substance of their office are Pastours or Teachers in the Church and as hee addeth in the next page before such as haue bin Deacons too For answere herevnto I denie that they are either Pastors or Teachers for the reasons folowing Such offices as may not be executed by vertue of the forme of ordination of Pastors and Teachers but require another forme of ordination diuerse from it doe themselues differ in substance from the offices of Pastours and Teachers For thus the Apostle to the Hebrewes Heb. 7.16.17.21 proueth the priesthoode of our Sauiour Christ to be diuers frō the Leuiticall priesthood because the forme of ordination differed the one being without an othe and for a time the other with an othe and for euer But the offices of Bishops and Archbishops are such as by vertue of that calling of Pastours and Teachers can not be exercised but require a further particular forme of ordination diuers from the other as appeareth by the booke of their consecration Therefore the offices of Bishops and Archbishops are in substance diuerse from the offices of Pastours and Teachers Agayne All Pastours and Teachers are by bonde of their office and calling to preache the worde with all faithfull diligence Luke 12. 2. Tim 2.3 Act. 6. But Bishops and Archbishops stande not bounde by bond of their calling to preache it for which cause either they leaue it altogither or preache seldome and vpon high and solemne dayes and then onely at their pleasure when they preach and not by any bond of their calling Therefore Bishops and Archbishops are not in their offices Pastours and Teachers Further all offices that are the same in substance are of like and equall power Therefore if the offices of Bishops Archbishops be the same in substance with Pastours and Teachers then is their power one and equall with theirs at the least in Ministerie of spirituall grace as also in worde they pretende them to be That they are not equall appeareth in that no Pastour nor Teacher may doe sundrie thinges which are esteemed by them selues to be and some of them in deede are in their due administratiō ministeries of spirituall grace For Cōfirmation is saide to be a meanes of increase of spirituall grace and strength Absolution is a ministerie of spirituall grace as testifying and assuring the absolued in the worde of the great King of Kings that his sinnes are forgiuen him Ordination to the Ministerie is also a ministerie of spirituall grace not onely in regarde of the office but also of the encrease of grace bestowed vpon such as are duelie ordayned to it the Lorde him selfe authour of the calling giuing according to his promise to such as in faith thereof and in obedience to his good pleasure yeelde vnto it such increase of grace as the newe charge by the will of God layde vpon him and vndertaken in hope of Gods assistance doeth require In all which ministeries Pastours and Teachers whom yet GOD putteth in trust with the worde and message of reconciliation and life and with his holy Sacramentes the seales of God to giue further assurance of the same may not deale by vertue of such their calling but onely Bishops and Archbishops Therefore their power and ministerie being so diuers th' offices them selues must needes also differ Moreouer all Pastours and Teachers are to be ordained to the attendance vpon a certen particular Church and congregation or Parishe as we vse most to call it For so the Apostles Paule and Barnabas did and the rest T it 1. So Paule gaue charge to Titus to ordeine them and so were all they ordained of whom we reade in the holy Scriptures Which also the verie ende vse nature and relation they haue to the Church where they are to serue doeth declare Therefore it is saide to all the Elders of Ephesus Actes 20.28 that they should looke to that Churche whereof the holy Ghost had made them Bishops or Ouerseeers so to all the Elders of the Churches of the Iewes dispersed 1. Pet. 5.2 that they should feede the flocke of God whiche depended vpon them Which point also some of the auncient Coūcels esteemed so materiall as they decreed the ordination which was not to the certaine charge of some particular congregation should be voyde and of none effect But this being so necessarie in all Pastours and Teachers is cleane contrarie in Bishops and Archbishops For their ordination is not to anie particular Church but to a whole Dioces or Prouince And if before such ordination they had charge of any particular Church or were beneficed as the most common speach is such benefices are then voyde and they discharged by law so as they are to be giuen to another So incompatible the true duetie and office of a faithfull Minister of the worde is in lawe esteemed to bee with the office of a Bishop or Archbishop I might adde also that Pastours and Teachers as all other functions Ecclesiasticall deale onely with ecclesiasticall matters such as agree to their seuerall kindes and places For our Sauiour testifieth his kingdome not to be of this worlde Iohn 18.36 And from the beginning to the time of our Sauiour since the Priesthoode bestowed vpon Aaron the two powers haue bin in the ordinarie gouernement of Gods people by the Lords owne ordinance sundred not onely in persons houses and kinreds but in their tribes so as none of the tribe of Juda might exercise the Priesthoode but onely they that were of the tribe of Leui and the tribe of Leui was to cōtent themselues with the seruice of the Tabernacle and were neyther to
bee indifferent Judges For whatsoeuer shall please the ciuill Magistrate or them selues to call or count indifferent it muste bee so holden of all men without any further inquirie But of the supreme authoritie of Christian Princes in ecclesiasticall causes howe farre it extendeth by the worde of God we shall haue better occasion to intreate hereafter when we haue described the ecclesiasticall state Here he first standeth vppon the worde others with much tryfling and toying seeking who these others may be which in generall hee may playnely perceyue by the declaration of their opinion that is that those others are such as holde the opinion there declared Next he examineth these wordes with more colour of reason then these wordes of indifferent matters Whereof he would enforce the Declaration to affirme such others to leaue all indifferent matters to the onely disposition of Princes at their pleasure Wherevnto hee replyeth that no good Prince doeth without aduyse of their coūsell determine of matters notwithstanding he affirmeth the authoritie and lyfe of such decrees to lye onely in the Princes disposition For Salomon him selfe had his counsell yet sheweth he not by anie sufficient authoritie or reason that Salomon or anie of the godly and vertuous Kings of Iuda determined by aduyse of their counsell and commaunded anie such matters of the Ministers apparell or any order gouernement ryte or ceremonie in the Church or what the Replyer may thinke to bee most indifferent in that kinde Whiche had bin very fitte for him to haue done the matter being of no small importance which he also setteth out to the vttermost saying That it is this day a great question and toucheth the matter to the quicke what the authoritie of Christian Princes is in the disposition of indifferent matters Why then did not he if hee would gage thus deepe into this vessell as to affirme all indifferent things to be as touching power and authoritie meerlie at the disposition of the Prince alleadge vs some authoritie of the Prophetes or Apostles or some auncient President and example of Dauid or Salomon or some other of the godly zealous Princes and Kings of Iuda But it was not because he would like a graue and sounde Diuine resolue his Reader of this poynt but for that as he sayeth it toucheth the quicke and might serue him to bring some man to question of his life as denying the Supremacie that he vrgeth so much this matter Which yet as hir Maiestie hath not at any time so pursued so is it to be hoped hir gracious disposition to religion and iustice will not suffer hir hereafter to pursue how clamorouslie soeuer such aduocates of iniustice shall crye out that it toucheth the supremacie For so long as it is acknowledged with all duetifull and godlie reuerence of her Maiesties Soueraigne authoritie that the same power belongeth to hir highnes Royall state Crowne and dignitie that at this time any soueraigne Prince vpon the earth doeth lawfullie exercise ouer his people or any of the Kings of Iuda euer enioyed in their time by the word of God although it bee denied that that fulnes of power which the Pope most vnlawfully vsurped in things eyther contrarie to the cōmaundements of Amightie God or peculiar to our Sauiour Christ can bee lawfullie chalenged by any Christian Prince Religion and Iustice will aunswere in such case that this is no more Luke 20.25 then as wee are taught in the Gospell Giue to God that which is Gods and to Caesar that which is due to Caesar The Replyer here rayseth great expectation in his reader to looke for some resolution by the Declaration concerning this question what the power of the soueraigne Magistrate is in matters indifferent affirming this case to be moued by the Declaration and therefore to haue bin thorowlie aunswered being so important which is nothing so For the Declaration nameth no such case nor question as to enter into the debating of that matter whiche would bee heere wholy out of place but by the way and vpon such occasion as hath bene declared maketh mention of some vn-indifferent mens opinions concerning the power of Princes in indifferent matters A vsuall thing in all good writers and allowed by all men of sounde reason and iudgement by occasion to touche a matter without being bounde thereby to enter into the discourse of it But if he were so desirous to haue this matter treated of why did not he take this occasion to shewe vs by the word of god what the power of christian Princes is in such cases and to prooue by sufficient and strong authorities and other reasons that the ordinarie guyding of the Churche in matters indifferent as well as in all other is not lefte of our Sauiour Christe to ecclesiasticall officers that is neyther to the particular assemblie of Elders for a particular Church nor for more to a more generall nor for the Church of a nation to a lawfull Nationall Synode He should haue shewed vs by like proofe that the Christian soueraigne Magistrate receyueth increase of ciuill power ouer the Church by reason of his Christian profession and fayth Then should hee haue prooued that if anie of the Princes whiche are Heathen were by the mightie worke of GOD conuerted to the obedience of the faith of Christ hee should not onely thereby stande charged to honour God with the lawfull and holy vse of that ciuill power whiche hee had before his conuersion applying it nowe to the maintenance of Gods true seruice and seruauntes protecting and comforting them in well doing as farre as his ciuill power and authoritie may doe it and enforcinge by the same power all men to that which by the same holy religion is duetifull for them to doe as all other men are in like case to vse their giftes of vnderstandinge knowledge counsell wisedome power and authoritie or what soeuer when they haue found fauour of GOD to bee conuerted to the precious faith of our Sauiour Christ but that togither with the fayth hee receyueth besides the charge of the holy vse of the power whiche hee had whyle hee was yet in his paganisme a further increase of power whereby hee may in matters appertayninge to Religion appoynte and ordayne of all thinges indifferent so as the assemblies of Elders and Synodes Prouinciall and Nationall are to leese that authoritie in such cases before exercised by them and to render it vppe to that power as of right and duetie belonging to it But leauing the proofe of all or any of these poyntes hee complayneth that by any occasion this matter was once mentioned by the Declaration except it had bin thoroughlie debated yet least he should leese all his labour in sifting and winnowing like wheate these wordes of the Declaration hee laboureth to gayne some allowance from it of this poynt Which is that indifferent matters are to bee reserued onely to the disposition of Princes which he would enforce in this maner The Declaration as hath
the Church should be before Princes in the opinion of the Declaration graunteth that in time they were before but denyeth that in a treatise that should be alwayes first which is firste in time his reasons for it are these Though Moses did so describing the maner how things began in the creatiō yet we are not tyed to this order this is an obiectiō against him selfe whereto he maketh a slender answere Caluin beginneth with the knowledge of man so ascendeth to the knowledge of God If this example be regarded by him then why doeth he charge the Declaration with treason for not treating first of Princes when as Caluin whose example he setteth for a president and not without cause was bolde to treate first of man and after of GOD which in his diuinitie must needes be blasphemie if the other be treason A thirde reason that Paule teacheth not the Romanes amisse saying that the inuisible things of God beinge vnderstood by his workes through the creation of the worlde are seene that is both his eternall power and godhead Wherby he meaneth that although God were before things created yet he teacheth them not amisse to knowe God by his works Wherein he hath forgotten that he vndertooke to proue that in a treatise that which is first in time ought not alway to bee first in place Which if he had shewed in the Epistle to the Romanes to haue bin obserued although it were nothing to the Declaration yet had hee hit his marke that he hath chosen to roue at But in bringing vs for an example of a whole treatise not halfe a treatise no nor one whole chapter nor half a chapter but one single sentence he is farre from his owne marke he shot at Such an other example of a sentence out of the fourth to the Ephesians he alleadgeth whereto this aunswere serueth Last of all that the declaration maketh Elders before Apostles yet place Apostles after in the treatise which were nothing to his owne purpose if it were trewe But that Elders in the Church of Christ are sayde by the declaration to haue bin before Apostles is not trewe This is his discourse of time fitter as a great deale of the rest for some homely vse then to spende good time about His next poynt concerneth prioritie of honour wherein he reasoneth wholy against him selfe and for the Declaration For his discourse of it is to this effect that that which is before other in honour ought not alwayes to be treated on before but may be handled first or last notwithstanding the preeminence of honour which he examplifieth in treatises of morall and naturall philosophy and which is aboue all in God of whom he saith that although he bee afore all things in time in honour and in all respectes yet firste or last may be treated vpon by good order of teaching Which if it be trewe why draweth he the Declaration to the Kinges benche and enditeth it of treason onely for that the first place of that treatise is not of the power of soueraign Princes in ecclesiasticall matters If it be no treason against God but good order to treate of him first or last is it treason so to treate of earthly and mortall Princes O more then palpable flatterie The Lord so direct all christian Princes and chiefly our soueraine Lady the Queene to be so farre frō aduaūcing those that shal thus lift vp any flesh bloud aboue the liuing immortall god as that cōtrariwise they may seuerily punish those that shall dare to speake or write things for pleasing of them that are so vnmete to be spoken and written of the hiest Maiestie This shall be the honour of Christian Princes to endure no such thing to be attributed vnto them but to prouide that God may be honoured aboue all things to whom onely all glorie and honour appertayneth His conclusion of this parte should haue bin that thinges are not necessarie to be treated vpon according to their worthines and honour but hauinge forgot him selfe agayne he falleth vpon the former poynt alreadie dispatched of the prioritie of the time The reason whereof seemeth to be that by such errour he might yet vent a newe argument concerning the necessitie of treating first of that which is first in time which is that this is the papistes argument for traditions For sayeth he they saye that the word was deliuered by tradition before it was written and therefore of no lesse authoritie If any man may make a chayne of sande and cause it to hange by linkes togither he may happilie make some coherence of this argument with the matter he is in hande to prooue All the helpe he giueth the Reader to discerne howe this is to bee applyed to his purpose is this The papistes encroch from the time to authoritie as our brethren here doe Where doe the brethren so We are brethren with him in a maner at euery worde but yet we are with him like papistes like Anabaptistes vnduetifull to Princes nay traytours to them and what not Such brethren had Joseph who deuised to kill him Gen. 37.2.18 because he tolde their Father of their euill deedes as we discouer theirs to th' authoritie that is to reforme them Of such brethren the Church complayneth by Solomon saying The sonnes of my mother were angry against me Canti 1.5 c. It were to be wished you were more naturall brethren then you are But for the matter where in what wordes doeth the Declaration gather any such thing not a little that soundeth that way In deede he will needes force vpon them that they gather so because they saye that the Church was perfect in all hir regiment before there were any Christian Princes But what authoritie is collected from this yet if it had bin so is euery argument proouing a thing to bee better because it is order a popish argument Doeth not our Sauiour reason thus when he sayeth It was not so from the beginning but in the beginning it was thus And the Apostle to the Galathians directlie reasoneth thus from the time saying that the Lawe which was giuen 450. yeares after the promise could not make it voyde and of none effect The places of arguments are as the light of heauen and the water of the riuer common to all whereof some vse them to lawfull and good vses and some vnlawfull vngodly If anie hereticke haue reasoned from the causes shall therefore the arthodoxe and sounde in faith bee barred from vsing at time an argument from the causes This is as simple a poynt in diuinitie as he hath handled all this whyle in Logike concerning the methode and order of a treatise If wee vse their argumentes to the same purpose let him disproue it which yet he and whosoeuer taketh in hande the defence of the Hierarchie must needs doe For all their principal reasons to proue Bi hops and Archbishops are the same that Turrianus and other popish writers
nor this nor this and so maketh three sundrie argumentes of his owne as if they were vsed by the Declaration but are not and denyeth them to be good which is nothing to the matter he tooke in hande For if he make a hundreth yll argumentes as he hath done in this booke and can more easilie doe them then make one good one there is no reason to charge the Declaration for such a cause as he mainteyneth From this he goeth to shewe that it is not meete our brethren should vse the same argumentes that the Anabaptistes doe against Princes Wherein he nameth vs our brethren as scorning vs. Whereof I knowe not what example he may haue but of Ismaell who is said to haue scorned Isaac wherevpon th'Apostle sayeth As he that was begotten according to the fleshe persecuted him that was borne according to the spirit euen so is it nowe The rest of that marginall note shewing whereabout hee goeth is that our brethren vse the same argumentes whiche the Anabaptistes doe against Princes Which is so doubtfullie set downe as if he could be content the Reader tooke it not onely that the Anabaptistes vse argumentes against Princes but also that the Declaration vseth the same argumentes against Princes The Replier him selfe hath not so farre lost all conscience and modestie as to charge vs in anie sorte with any part of the damnable errours of the Anabaptistes but plainlie acknowledgeth that we detest them but somewhat he would fayne should cleaue vnto vs. And therefore would haue it vnderstoode that we haue some indisposition against Princes that we haue thus much good liking of the disputations of the Anabaptistes as to vse their argumentes against Princes But the Lorde who seeth the secretes of all hartes knoweth that in our most inwarde spirit we reuerence and honour Magistracie as the holy and necessarie ordinance of God euen amongst Christians and yeelde all willing and cheerfull obedience vnto it euen for conscience sake of the will of God Therfore the accuser of our brethrē him self as he is termed in the reuelation can not accuse vs with any maner of colour of their errours As for vsing their argumentes where did euer the Anabaptistes vse this argument that in a treatise of ecclesiasticall regiment good order requireth to speake first of ecclesiasticall officers before a man treate of the soueraigne power of Princes because the Church was perfect in all hir regiment before there was any Christian Prince Is this any argument against Princes or doeth it weaken any thing at all the power of the Christian Magistrate that their authoritie be treated of in a booke so as may stande best with good order Where did euer any Anabaptistes vse such an argument It were flatlie contrarie to their error to vse such a one as plainlie implyeth allowance of the Christian Magistrate and standeth onely for a reason of the order of the treatise But if the Declaration had vsed any argumentes of theirs being not to the same ende or like purpose that they vsed them that is to disproue the necessarie most lawfull ordinance of God concerning Magistrates that had not bin blame worthie For as hath bene saide th'argumentes of Logike are as common to good and badde as are the rules of grammer yea as the Sūne and the rayne so as if he would haue vs forbeare all the argumentes that euer the Anabaptistes vsed and by consequence anie other heretiques he may as well forbid vs to vse the same rules of grammer yea the same Sunne ayre water and other things necessarie for this life But howe standeth this with his maintenance of the Popish Hierarchie and Iurisdiction so many popishe superstitions as he mainteyneth all whiche it were more reason he should refuse then to haue cōmon with them and other things of most necessarie vse But it is not for nothing that he obiecteth this for by this meanes hee hath gotten the aduātage of stuffing his booke with another mans labours In deede if it be a faulte in a booke to be little as hee scorned the booke of cōmon prayer presented of late in Parliament for being litle he hath founde a good remedie to auoyde that fault which is easilie auoyded if one write so many not sentences but pages and leaues as he hath done out of other mens bookes The Authour he alleadgeth is one Gellius a godly learned man as appeareth by his writings but where he saith it may seeme the declaration tooke many things out of him he is greatly deceyued for the declaration was written not a fewe yeres before the booke of Gellius which he saith so much is taken out As for his writing against the Anabaptists he hath dealt as may well cōmend both his pietie learning and be of verie good and profitable vse vnto the Church but to the matter of the declaration he sayth nothing at all Therfore there is no cause to make any answere to him who speaketh nothing against vs. But if he alleadge him because he otherwyse expoūdeth a text of scripture then the Declaration doeth it is not worth his labour of writing this being no new thing that good writers may take some one text in other sense then another doeth prouided that the sense be alwayes such as may stande with the proportiō of faith So as the declaratiō is no more in that case to be pressed with the opinion or authoritie of Gellius then Gellius or any other is to bee with his that wrote the Declaration Which yet if he will presse further the trueth is that the declaratiō in the exposition of the 12. to the Romanes the 12. of the former epist to the Corinthians hath both the trueth it selfe to beare witnes to it and the best writers of this age For it is cleare that the worde Gouernor in those places noteth only ecclesiasticall officers all sure and circūstances of that place so inforcing it Another point he would take of Gellius is that he saith that Magistracy and ministerie haue bin most nearely ioyned togither euen from the beginning as appeareth by Moses Aaron Which is godly truly said of Gellius but what is this either for the replier or against the declaratiō The reason gathered hereof is such as I thinke no man of reason would haue looked for that is as he noteth in the margent that the ciuill Magistrate hath euer frō the beginning bin ioyned with the ecclesiasticall ministery intending thereby that then it must needes haue bin so likewise in the primitiue Church But Gellius his meaninge is so farre from this as it may seeme hee hath bene cousined in it and giuen to light credite to other that haue abused him or els to haue vsed small eyther diligence or conscience in this collection For the purpose of Gellius is farre other in that place namely to shewe that Magistracie and ecclesiasticall ministerie are not as the Anabaptistes would haue it thinges that can not stande togither For
downe in these wordes By which it is manifest that the regiment and gouernement thereof dependeth not vppon the authoritie of Princes but vpon the ordinaunce of God who hath most mercifullie and wisely so established the same that as with the comfortable ayde of Christian Magistrates it may singularlie flourish and prosper so without it it may continue and against the aduersaries thereof preuayle For the Church craueth helpe and defence of Christian Princes to continue and goe forwarde more peaceably and profitably to the setting vp of the kingdome of Christ but all hir authoritie she receyueth immediatly frō God The Replyer can not or will not see that which is manifest but denieth this consequence to seeme so to him and here his seas ryse so hye that he sayth it is manifest violent conclusion yea a manifest iniurie both to God and his Church and to all the authoritie of all Christian Princes and most manifest wrong vnto her Maiestie If the lawe of God had not forbidden it that anie matter should be helde certayne in iudgement vnder two or three witnesses and if the testimonie of one man were inough to condemne another it would haue gone hard I see with the authour of the declaratiō but seeing his worde is to carrie no more credit with it then he can bring sufficient reason for it to make it good let his reason be considered His reason is that it is insinuated that hir Maiestie for clayming supreme authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes claymeth withall that the regiment of the Church dependeth vppon hir authoritie Which if any reasonable man liuing that is not a parciall fauourer or fauourite of the Hierarchie can gather out of these wordes of the Declaration I pleade for it no longer But this he sayeth is aggreeued in the opposition of Gods ordinance to the authoritie of Princes as if Magistracie were not the ordinance of God addinge that neyther Papistes nor Anabaptistes could haue set downe a sharper cōclusion against th' authoritie of Princes then this is Whiche are false alarums and exclamations or accusations as vayne as the curse that is causeles Prou. 26.2 and therefore as Salomon sayth vanishe away in the ayre Which although it haue no proofe nor sense it it yet passing on to the next wordes of the Declaratiō Which he sayeth are added to smooth the former hee maketh another loude outcrie This is another great iniurie offered to Christian Princes who by these wordes are thrust not onely out of all authoritie in the Church but eyther out of the Church altogither as no part of it at all or at least a contentions part striuing in the Church for authoritie His proofe is this For what els meane they by these words The Church craueth helpe and defence of Christian Princes but that they separate the Christian Prince and the Church If the honourable sworde of iustice committed to soueraigne Princes for protecting the good subiect and punishinge the euill were at the commaundement of such Chapleynes as this Replyer is I see by his often accusations of slaundering and iniuring the Prince without all cause or colour it would leese the honour it ought to haue being made a weapon of iniustice In the lawe of Moses if a man had charged another with any crime Deut. 19.19 if he made not good proofe of his accusation as he would haue done to another by his false witnesse so was it to be done to him whether it were a matter of member or of lyfe If the Replyer feared to bee dealte with according to this rule he would not bee so readie to laye so great crymes to any mans charge vppon no reason But because informers may bee hearde they saye for the Prince and neuer come to question although the accusation be neuer so vniust it seemeth hee emboldeneth him selfe vppon some such like assurance By this occasion hee inquireth who should bee meant by the Church whether the people whiche hee thinketh can not or the foure Tetrarkes as hee calleth them in his scorners speache and this hee taketh and compareth them with popishe priestes who hee sayeth gaue the same power and authoritie vnto Christian Princes that is giuen heere and with better tearmes Wherein if hee looke backe to former tymes or consider well what the papistes esteeme of the othe of the Supremacie and what is done in kingdomes subiect to the Bishop of Roome and compare it with that which the Declaration and all they in whose behalfe it was published doe most willinglie acknowledge by protestation and also by othe to bee the moste due honour of the Soueraigne Magistrate hee shall easelie see howe vniust this charge is as well as are his other There was a purpose I thinke hee will saye when the statute for recognition of hir Maiesties Souueraingtie was made to agnise to the vttermost by that othe all the Regalities rightes and honours due to that high and soueraigne estate Whiche if it were attayned vnto howe can hee charge anie with derogation from the Princes right and iust authoritie that taketh willinglie that othe and acknowledgeth the authoritie there agnized euen as it is expounded by hir Maiesties owne iniunctions by the Articles of the conuocation house and sundrie bookes published with great allowance of the state But to this poynt there is sufficientlie sayde before both in this treatise and in the answere to the preface of his replie He cauilleth here about that the Declaration sayeth All the authoritie which the Church hath is immediatlie of God and mooueth manie friuoulous questions about it But if hee had disallowed it he should haue entred into the handling of it and shewed by sufficient proofe of holy Scripture that the Church holdeth not all hir authoritie immediatly of God but holdeth some part of it mediatlie of Princes as meane Lordes vnder the highest Some offer hee maketh of it alleadginge the authoritie of the godlie and vertuous Kings and Rulers of Jsraell and Iuda which if it be all that he can say in that cause let him vnderstande that as it hath bin in this cause professed on our behalfe by some other so nowe agayne we truely and vnfaynedly professe to acknowledge in Christian Princes all that power and authoritie that the Prophetes doe any where iustifie to haue bin in the Rulers of Gods people at any time I adde yet further that whereas he pretendinge to speake most largelie of this authoritie sayeth Princes haue not the ecclesiasticall Ministers peculiar offices and ecclesiasticall authoritie to execute the actes proper to their ecclesiasticall functions but haue authoritie to ouersee gouerne and direct all ecclesiasticall persons to doe their dueties in all ecclesiasticall causes and haue the highest authoritie that is ciuill in the Church for the orderinge disposinge and authorizinge anie order or constitution ecclesiasticall in indifferent matters Wee acknowledge and professe the same Where if we be nothing short of the largest measure that hee can laye before vs I trust he will hereafter teache his tongue to speake and his penne to write of vs more agreeably to Christian charitie wisedome and modestie then hee hath done in this first booke of his Reply Whiche ending heere with a contrarie conclusion to the Declaration for the order of the treatise a matter little worthie the striuing about I leaue the consideration of it to the Christian Reader vppon such reasons as haue bene debated betweene vs and ende also here the firste part of this my labour FINIS