vpon one and the selfe-same day for what could be better or more honorable than that thys feast by which we haue the hope of Immortalitie set foorth vnto vs should be continually kept of all men after one manner and order c. And so he entereth into many excellent perswasions to the Churches to moue them to forsake the Iewes order and to ioyne all in obseruing the order that he with the Counsell had decreed But sayth he if these thyngs had not beene set foorth by me yet were it your wisedomes to imploy your diligence and with prayers to wish that for no manner of cause ye should be compelled to intermingle the integritie of your mindes with the customes of wicked men And euen as Constantine the great and most godly Emperour ioyned thus with â—he Byshops in these Ecclesiasticall causes and in many other so did the other godly Emperours in all the approoued generall Counselles if they were not present themselues they appoynted Deputies and those ciuill Magistrates also that now and then improued all the whole Counselles Decrées as in the Counsell of Chalcedone when all the Counsell had decréed Bassianus Byshop of Ephesus to be restored the Iudges appoynted by the Emperour Martian reiected that sentence and appoynted them to chose another whose commaundement therein they obeyed And many tymes the Emperour hymselfe nameth the Byshops and appoynteth the Counsell to ordeyne them as Theodosius did at the second vniuersall Counsell holden at Constantinople when they could not agrée in the election of the Byshop of Constantinople they deliuered vp a number of names for him to chose one and he appoynted Nectarius to be Byshop which Emperour also when he had called before him a number of Heretikes by the councell and aduice of Nectarius who also was counselled thereunto Sisinius the Emperour in the Counsell reasoned with them seuerally demaunding of them all whether they allowed not of such and such godly and famous Fathers whome when they extolled and sayd that he allowed of them be â—â—â—â—â—â—ded if they would stand to their opinions in those controuersies whereat when they began to varie and stagger he willed them euery one seuerally to bring to him a coppy of their faith in writing and then he would deliberate and determine among them all which he would accept and follow whereupon drawing out the copies thereof they presented them all before the Emperour who hauing first made his prayers to God and afterward perusing and deliberating of their copies he approued onely the right and true faith of the consubstantiation or ioyntsubstantiation of the sonne with the father and tare all the other copies in pieces before their faces Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. And when in the Generall Counsell at Constantinople they had concluded all their Decrees all the whole Counsell write thus vnto the Emperour Sithence the time of our assemblie at Constantinople by your godly commaundement we haue renewed concord amongst our selues and haue prescribed certayne Canons which we haue annexed vnto this our writing we beseech therefore your clemencie to commaund the decree of the Counsell to be established by the letters of your holynesse and that ye will confirme it and as you haue honored the Church by the letters wherewith you haue called vs togither so ye would also vouchsafe to ratifie the finall conclusion of the decrees with your owne sentence and seale So that the Emperour yea though he were absent had the ratification or the improuing of all the Synodall actes as Theodosius the yonger writeth to the first Ephesine Counsell we allow of the condemnation of Nestorius Cyrillus and Memnon the other actes and condemnations which you haue made we dissalow Which Emperour also sent to be his Deputy in the Counsell at Constantinople about Eutyches controuersies a noble man of his Court Florentius writing thus vnto them We will that he shall be present in your Synode bycause the controuersie is of the faith which Florentius sitting with the Byshops examined Eutyches in the points of his faith and pronounced also his owne determination on the controuersie saying He which doth not beleeue that in Christ there be two natures doth not beleeue aright And in the cause against Dioscorus Eusebius Byshop of Dorolanu writeth vnto the Emperour Martian whose Supplication is sette downe in the Calcedon Counsell Act. 2. in these wordes Wee beseeche your clemencie that you will commaund him to aunswere to the matters that wee shall obiect agaynst him wherein wee will prooue hym to bee out of the Catholike faith defendyng Heresyes full of vngodlynesse Wherefore wee beseeche you to directe your holy and honorable commaundement to the holy and vniuersall councell of the most religious Byshops to examine the cause betwixt vs and Dioscorus and to make relation of all things that are done to be iudged as shall seeme good to your clemencie Thus do the Byshops not onely desire the Emperour to commaund the Counsell to examine the matter being a matter méere Ecclesiasticall and of faith but also to commaund the Counsell to make relation of all their doings to the Emperour and the Emperour euen as it should séeme good to him to be the iudge and finall determiner of the controuersie Now vpon this occasion this Emperour Marcianus and Valentinian with the Empresse Pulcheria that also being a mayden had the gouernment of the Empire and chose Martian to be Emperour in gouernment of the same with Valentinian and her summoned a Counsell to be holden first at Nice whether when the Byshops were assembled but the Emperours could not come they adiourned the same to Calcedon appoynting to be the Iudges of the Counsell 24. noble men And afterward when Martian with Pulcheria comming thether were entred into the Counsell he prescribeth both to the Byshops and to the Iudges an order how they should procéed which order they following it is set downe in the first Act of this Counsel that when the Iudges and Senate had duly examined the causes they gaue sentence to depose Dioscorus and others so that this their iudgement should séeme good to the Emperour to whome they referred the whole matter In which Counsell when they came to the setting downe of an vniforme Decrée of the christian faith conformable to the first Nicen Counsell after much trouble that the Iudges the Emperours had to appease their disorders by appointing committies to whose resolution when all the Counsell had consented this being done the Emperour with Pulcheria the mayden Empresse entreth againe into the Counsell and after he had declared the cause of his calling the Counsell and of his personall comming into the same to be for none other end than to confirme the faith and to remoue for euer héereafter all dissention in religion when the publike Notary of the Counsell had humbly demaunded if it pleased him to heare the Counsels definition the Emperour hauing willed him to recite it openly
the Iewes beleeued that this was the cause of the siege of Ierusalem foorth-with following that they had againe on him layde their wicked handes And that Iosephus did thinke euen so hee euidentlie declareth by these woordes all which thinges sayth hee hapned to the Iewes for the reuenge of Iames the Iuste which was the brother of Iesus that is called Christe whome they killed beeing by the confession of all men the most righteous and most holy man So that this Bishop which Danaeus calleth the Bishoppe of man and his Episcopall chayre wherein he sate among his fellowe Brethren and thereupon was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the president of them is of man indéede but of such men euen of the holie Apostles of Iesus Christe that we must néedes confesse it is of God also Except wee will disavowe the Apostles doinges of the same or call in question the credite of these Historiographers that were so néere and as it were euen in their times which doe auowe it of them But nowe that we haue hearde Danaeus iudgement let vs heare also the iudgement of this most reuerende and learned man from beyonde the seas that is nowe ariued in Englande For we Englishmen loue manie times to heare of newes beyond-sea where in sooth are manie most reuerend and learned men and it is good to heare the iudgments of them to sée if they agrée with these mens iudgementes For if he be neuer so much most reuerende and learned a man yet I perceaue héereby hée is but a man and so is the Bishop of man as well as he And wee haue heard for this one mans iudgement the iudgement alreadie of a great manie moe and that as reuerende and as learned men as this one most reuerend and learned man who so euer he be But is he not some Archbishop himselfe For this stile most Reuerend sauoreth much that waies if the stile of Archbishops be not by you misliked for that hee is called a most reuerende Father and your stile is to be well allowed of that calleth him but a most reuerende and learned man But as we haue heard other most reuerende and learned men from beyond the seas also and from the most famous partes of all the worlde and all of so manie hundred yeares before our times yea and before the vsurpation of the Pope so let vs now heare also the iudgement of this most reuerende and learned man and conferre it with the other and with the best learned euen of our Brethren themselues and so returne to procéede vppon our Learned Discourse The Bishop that is of man saith this most reuerend learned man that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God is a certaine power giuen to one certaine Pastor aboue his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyrannie In this definition of the B. of man made here by the iudgment of this most reuerend and learned man except in the partie himself that is here defined I sée as yet in my simple vnlearned iudgement no great matter to be misliked in him or cause that he should mislike in the B. of man Saue that here me thinkes he defines an other B. of man then we defend or know of to be among vs. And this is principally to be marked that definitum definitio doe so agrée that whatsoeuer is spoken of the partie defined be aunswerable to the definition of him and whatsoeuer is put in the definition be in all pointes answerable and neither more nor lesse than is proper to the partie that is defined or else it is no good definition of the partie For here concerning the B. of man are adioyned these words that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God Where here this most reuerend and learned man taketh on him to define such a B we take not vpon vs to defende or maintaine such a Bishop as is brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man For the alone wisedome of man is méere foolishnes before God Yea sayth S. Paule 1. Cor. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirite is life and peace because the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeede can be But it is such wisedome as S. Iames speaketh of earthly sensuall and diuelish Iac. 3. while therefore this most reuerend and learned man speaketh héere distinctly of the B. of man from the Bishop of God he confoundeth him with the B. of the Diuell For what is the alone wisedome of man without the wisdom of God but the very wisdome of the diuel For when man would be wise without God he became a foole lost the Image of God and was deformed with the image of the diuell till by the liuely character of Gods expresse Image Iesus Christ the Image of God was renewed in him And if he do any thing of himselfe without the wisdome of God which is Iesus Christ though in some respect it may be said his owne yet it is the Deuils from whō all sinne first came So that here this triple distinction is confounded neither indéed can it well be maintained that he saith we must needes make 3. Bishops There is neither need nor truth in this distinction and sauing the reuerence of euerie reuerend and learned man it is but a captious distinction Where with séeing they dare not for very shame nor indéede can condemne all these holy fathers that mainteined it as mainteining a B. of the deuill they turne that cunningly to the Papistes that are the open aduersaries and deuise a meane betwixt Gods Bishops the diuels and that for sooth is the B. of man Wherein good simple men or rather well wéening fooles brought in a B. of their only or alone wisedome that for sooth is not the diuels B. but whose is he then Is there halting here betwixt God Baal and a meane betwéene Christ and Beliall Was not Saules alone wisedome without God witchcraft And is not witchcraft of the diuel Doth not Christ say he that gathereth not with me is against me And is not he that is against Christ with the deuill Why then do ye séeke out these figges leaues not plainly say if ye can so say if ye dare so say that this Bishop which all these holie fathers did acknowledge was the diuels B if ye say it was the diuels B I pray you looke vpon the fathers a little better that brought this B. in into the Church And marke whether they looke not like Gods childrē yea the notable excellent most reuerend most learned saints of God manie of them And would all these set vp such an Idoll puppet as the diuels B. to be gouernour
sacraments are the same that are the dispēsers of the word so that they execute both the parts of the ministery Otherwise it shold be cōuenient that according to the saying of the apostles act 6 they shoulde apply them-selues to praiers administring doctrine leauing the ministery of the tables Seeing that many mo may be had that can dispense the sacraments than those which can rightly cut sound doctrine in the church By which testimony of Musc by the very order prescribed euen in Geneua It plainly appeareth that not only in these reformed Churches many are admitted to minister the Sacr. that are not able to preach but that also this was the vse of the primitiue Church in the apostles times Which ouerthrows al that our breth haue hereon alleaged Neither helpeth it to say that yet stil this taketh not away but that there should be preaching vsed at the administratiō of the sacramēt thogh the minister of the sacramēt be no preacher For our breth said the administration of the sacramentes ought to be committed to none but vnto such as are preachers of the worde c. pag. 60. But for this that they say here also It is no better then sacriledge to seperate the ministratiō of preaching of the worde from the sacramentes so harde a spéeche following Musculus procéeding with the minister of this Sacrament though hée bée no preacher of the worde yet he requireth in him such a competency as hath a triple respect both to the person that he sustaineth and of the matter that he administreth and of the people to whome he communicateth After he hath shewed for the first part howe he shoulde be no lewd person but sober and vertuous comming to the secōd respect in him he saith Furthermore hee ministreth it competently if hee haue a consideration of those thinges which hee dispenseth and doe worthily frame himselfe vnto them Hee dispenseth the communicating of the bodye and bloude of Christe The breade which wee breake saith the Apostle Is it not the communicating of the body of the Lorde And the Cup of the blessing ouer which wee blesse is it not the communicating of the bloude of the Lorde 1. Cor. 10. Thus therefore shall hee competently administer this sacrament that it may be a communicating not that it shoulde be a holy priuate thing He dispenseth the remembrance of the Lorde or as Augustine in a certaine place speaketh the sacrament of memory This shall he do competently if he shall adioin vnto the mysticall communicating the shewing forth of the L. death according to the worde of the Apostle who sayth so often as ye eate this bread and drink of the Cup yee shewe foorth the Lordes death till he come For so did hee ordaine this custome in the Church of the Corinthians It is not fit that it should be a dumb communicating Either let some thing be read before the people or bee sung concerning the historye of the death of the Lorde as it is begun to be done in very many churches in our age Hee dispenseth the Euchariste he Euchariste is a giuing of thankes and a sacrifice of prayse Let him therefore haue a care that this holy communion may be closed vp with publike giuing of thanks He dispenseth the loue feast that is the banquet of brotherly loue It is meete therfore that a cleare exercise of Christian loue and mutuall communicating shoulde bee adhibited Vnto the which hee ought not onely with exhortations in the act it selfe to enstruct and accustome them but also with constitutions of a certaine order These are the principall thinges of which the dispenser of the Lordes table ought cheefely to haue a care and consideration whereby hee may apply him-selfe competently vnto this sacrament The third respect is of the people communicating which the more simple ruder they are so much the simplier must the minister speake of the mystery of the Lordes supper that he may apply him-selfe to their capacity But he must by all meanes take heede of those two vices that entrap the people to witte superstition and contempt Superstition least the people worship and adore that for the thing it selfe that is the signe thereof contempt least they sticke onely in the breade and Wine not discerning the body and bloude of the Lorde and therefore contemne it vnderstanding nothing beyond the iugdement of the eyes because by sight and taste they perceiue it to bee bread and Wine Such a point did Augustine giue warning of in his booke of Catechizing the rude in the ninth chapter where he saith thus Concerning the sacrament that they shall receiue it sufficeth for those that are more prudent to heare what that thing signifieth but with the duller sort it must with more wordes and similitudes be treated vpon least they contemne that which they see These thinges wrot he To conclude hee must take heede that hee swerue not either to the Corinthians or to the papists in this cause of the Lordes Supper And to the entent that the people not onely with the hande and mouth but with faith and heart may receiue that which is giuen let him declare all thinges that are to bee spoken in the vulgare and vsuall tongue not onely the exhortations but also the wordes of the Lordes institution the Prayers also and the thankesgiuing whereby the people may vnderstand all and in their heart assent thereto according to the Apostles admonition 1. Cor. 14. Thus wée sée how although the Minister be no preacher but beeing a discreete and vertuous man in all these foresaide respectes and obserue these exhortations which are both plentifully set out in Homilies and in the Communion Booke it selfe and the other thinges here noted in such order as the communicantes may vnderstande and beléeue the same although there bee no other sermon preached yet is the Sacrament truely and effectually administred Neyther can these thinges with the residue that he setteth downe bee vnderstood for the onelie action of a Preacher confessing and allowing that manie Ministers not Preachers may minister this Sacrament and yet in euery one that ministreth the same al these thinges are requisite For what is plainer than this argument out of Musculus sayinges Musculus thinketh and prooueth that it is not necessarie that euery one which administreth the Sacraments should be a Preacher and preach at the ministration of them But Musculus thinketh and prooueth it necessarie that all thinges ought to bee done by the minister at the Ministration of them which here he reckoneth vp Therefore Musculus thinketh and prooueth that all these thinges might bee done of one that is no preacher and without a sermon then preached of these matters If our Brethren wil denie the maior for the minor I thinke they wil not I referre them to Musculus and his reason out of Actes 6. and to the reformed Churches that hee meaneth It sufficeth for vs to prooue both by him and by
at Cabellinum especially in the Counsell that he held at Mentz where the Counsell craueth his ayde and confirmation of such Articles as they had agréed vpon so that he iudge them worthy to be confirmed beséeching him to cause that to be amended that is found to be worthy of amendment Which Counsell also giueth God thanks that he had giuen vnto his Church a Gouernour godly and deuout in his seruice who in his time opening the fountaine of godly wisedome doth continually feede the sheepe of Christ with holy foode instructeth them with diuine knowledge c. And in his Edicts set out not only to the Layty but to the Cleargy he writeth thus Charles by the grace of God King and Gouernour of the Kingdome of Fraunce c. Wherefore I thought good to moue you O yee Pastors of Christes Churches ye leaders of his flocke and cleere lights of the world that ye would trauaile with vigilant care and diligent admonition to guide Gods people through the Pastures of eternall life c. Therefore they are with earnest zeale to be admonished and exhorted yea to be compelled to keepe themselues in a sure faith reasonable continuance within and vnder the rules of the Fathers In the which worke and trauell wit ye right well that our industrie shall workâ— with you For the which cause we haue also addressed vnto you our messengers which by our authoritie shall with you amend and correct those things that are to be amended and therefore we haue also added such Canonicall constitutions as to vs were thought to be most necessarie Let none iudge this to be presumption that we take vpon vs to amend that which is amisse to cut off that which is superfluous For we reade in the bookes of the Kings how the holy King Iosias trauelled in going about the circuits of his Kingdome correcting and admonishing his people to reduce the whole Kingdome vnto the true religion and seruice of God I speake not this to make my selfe equall to him in holinesse but bycause we ought alwayes to follow the examples of the holy Kings and so much as we can we are bound of necessitie to bring the people to follow a vertuous life to the prayse and glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. And so he entreth into his rules exhortatioÌ„s to the B. and Priests how they should guide their Diocesses and Churches both by reading and preaching and the Bishops to sende foorth the Priests to preach It belongeth saith he vnto your office O ye Pastors guides of Gods churches to sende foorth through out your Dioceses Priests to preach vnto the people and to see that they preach rightly and honestly that ye do not suffer new things that are not canonicall but forged of their owne minde not according to the holy scriptures to be preached vnto the people yea you your own selues preach the things that are true and honest and that lead vnto euerlasting life And instruct ye other that they doe the same c. Yea Alcuinus in his preface of his treatise on the trinitie which he being his Chaplaine dedicated vnto this French king being then also made Emperour maketh the Prince to haue so farre authoritie aboue all other ciuill persons in Ecclesiast matters that he calleth him also a Preacher and sayth that he hath as it were a priestly office in these thinges And least sayth he I should seeme not to helpe and further your preaching of the faith I haue directed and dedicated vnto you this booke thinking no gift so conuenient and worthy to be presented vnto you seeing that all knowe this most plainely that the Prince of the people ought of necessitie to know all things and to preach the things that please God Neither doth it pertaine to any man to know better or mo things than it doth to an Emperour whose doctrin ought to profite all the subiects c. All the faithfull haue great cause to reioyce of your godlines seeing that you haue a Priestly power as it is meete so to be in the preaching of Gods worde a perfect knowledge in the Catholike faith and a most holy deuotion to mens saluation This authoritie and interest euen in the chiefest Eccl. matters doth that famous Alcuinus a countriman of our owne acknowledge vnto the Christian Prince And the like doth this Emperours sonne Lewes take vppon him and it was yéelded vnto him both in the Councell that he called at Aquisgraue in Germanie and afterwarde in Italy at Ticinum where hee giuing in charge to the Bishops and Councel to consult among other matters concerning the conuersation of the Bishops the Priestes and other Eccl. persons of their doctrine and preaching to the people of writing out of bookes c. He concludeth I am very much desirous to knowe and couet to reforme them according to Gods will and your holy aduise in such sort that neither I bee founde reproueable in the sight of God neither you nor the people incurre the wrathfull indignation of God for these things How this may be searched found out brought to perfection that I committe to be treated on by you and so to be declared vnto me The lesser matters which in generall touch all but that touch some in speciall and neede reformation I will that yee make enquirie also of them and make relation thereof vnto me Whereby we sée that these Princeâ— had the chiefe authoritie in those Councelles and both made Ecclesiasticall lawes them selues with the Bishops aduise and counsell and also all the Bishops decrées and determinations depended on the Princes ratifying This then was the order and not that onely which our Brethren here say we read to be obserued by the Christian Kings of France And euen as much do we read to be obserued by the Christian kings of Spayne by whose authoritie the first second third Councell at Brachara were called and many pointes for doctrine and discipline disposed After whom Richaredus commaunded a Councel to be assembled and holden at Toledo where the king sitting among the Bishops deâ—lareth vnto them how he called them together that he might by the common consultation in the Synode repayre and make a newe forme of Eccl. discipline which had bin long time hindred by Arianisme The which impedimeÌ„t sayth he it hath pleased God to put away by my meanes whereupon he exhorteth them to giue God thankes for his so doing and admonisheth them before they enter into the consultation to fast and pray to God that he would vouchsafe to open vnto them a true order of discipline And so after a thrée dayes fast appointed vnto them the Synode beginning to enter into consultation the king commeth in with his Queene and nobles and sitteth amongest them and causeth the confession of his faith which he had written and subscribed with his and the Quéenes hands to be publikely reade before them
euerie Diocese and particular parish in the Realme the erection of a new Tetrarchie in euâ—ry seuerall congregation of Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons by which fower estates offices all matters should be directed and all crimes eccl or ciuill censured by their discipline Yea they mount vp to the highest toppe euen of the Princes supreme gouernment Since that therefore these contentions haue aspired thus farre to the imminent daunger of all our whole estate though in an other sort than do our aduersaries in religion it is more than high time against these though otherwise in Christe our well meaning but misweening Brethren to enter into the necessarie defence of these be they matters or manners of such moment I am not ignorant that vnto many this labour wil be thought superfluous either of those that would haue these matters go forwarde without misliking or of some also that allowe them not Howbeit because they haue eyther before beene sufficiently trauersed in by other alreadie both pro contra or that now these controuersies if they be not dead and buried long ago yet the feruour of them is meetly well slaked therefore according to Pythagoras wise counsell ignem opertum noli fodere it were much better to let it alone than to rake abroade the fire that is couered in the cinders these men thinke this to be the best aunswere not at all to aunswere them but to passe theÌ„ oueâ— in silence and contemne them Whereby eyther the parties contending hauing wearied themselues in vaine will the sooner giue ouer or at least other will thinke the matters not worthy to be vouchsafed any aunswere And that to aunswere yea to confute them is but to prouoke further controuersies of which wee are pestred with too many and those not a little raysed or enkinled by often and intemperate disputing aunswering and replying one to an other And in very deede with them that thinke thus in some matters and manners of proceeding I my selfe am of their opinion For this licentiousnesse of writing such reciprocall inuictiues hath bred and breedeth much vnnecessarie trouble Notwithstanding as the Preacher among all other thinges that keepe the reuolution of their seasons reckoneth vp this there is a time to keepe silence and a time to speake when a matter groweth to importance and is vrged too importunately admitting it be a wrong and daungerous errour and yet on all sides it winneth fauour to let it so passe without all controlement what were silence then but grosse negligence the very yeelding to the errour and danger yea the wilfull betraying of the truth and consenting to the ouerture of our state And euen so fareth it in this matter The Papists from whose grosse errors in doctrine we both dissent and against whome in the vnitie and substance of Gods truth we both agree and for a while conioyntly we impugned their errors idolatrieâ— and superstitions at the first in defence of them they began to write freshly and stoutly against vs but when they saw they were not able that way to mainteine the badnesse of their cause they left off writing and followed for the most part this policie to seeme to despise all further triall by disputing and writing of the matter and would seeke to vphold it onely or chiefly by countenance and authoritie but finding againe the experience of this that Voluntas non potest cogi the will of man must be perswaded can not be compelled and that nullum violentum est perpetuum the thing that is only with violence coacted can not possibly continue and that in these controuersies all men are most desirous to be satisfyed with some aunswere or other they fall againe to writing though hardly driuen thereto vsing all the shifts they can to bodge vp the insufficiencie of their cause But in a good matter there neede no such practises True it is as I sayd before that the poynts to be discussed betwixt our Brethren and vs be nothing of such waight as those are wherein our Brethren and we do varie from the aduersaries in the mayne and principall standerds of our faith but are questions most what of discipline and of the Churches gouernment Neuerthelesse since that heerein also our Brethren haue not only made a breach from vs but they haue bred such further contention for them as in which a pacification is fo requisite that without it we see what broiles and daungers dayly growe to the disturbing of our owne estate to the aduantage of the publike aduersarie to the hinderance and obloquie of the Gospell It is necessarie therefore that as God be praysed we haue the truth in doctrine and defend it well not only by the authoritie of the Magistrate but by the words owne authoritie â—â—enly in writing by the Ministers thereof set foorth to all the world against all the resisters of the same so hauing as we trust a good established forme of the regiment discipline of our Church of England if any eyther of our professed aduersaries or of our malecontented Brethren shall withstand or write against it we are all obliged after the measure of each ones calling and habilitie to maynteyne and defend it and that not onely against the breakers of it by the Magistrates execution of authoritie but the Ministers no lesse in their vocation when it is openly written against are bound by their writing againe if the goodnesse of the matter be able so to iustifie it selfe to lay open all the whole state thereof by detecting and confuting all the paralogismes and fallations of the gaynesayers and by defending it euen with the firmenesse of the grounds and the owne good nature of the cause which manner of defence being not destitute of lawfull authoritie to see it obserued not only represseth the resisters bodie but satisfyeth or conuinceth his minde which is chiefly in these contentions to be respected And although this also be true that both our aduersaries in the controuersies of our religion and our Brethren in the questions of our regiment for such matters as then were moued haue beene by other of excellent learning sufficiently aunswered alreadie yet must we be still as ready to aunswere in defence of both these causes as either of them are ready to oppugne them seeing that God be thanked we mainteine nothing in our doctrine or in our regiment whereof we can not render a sound reason and sufficient proofe from the verie foundation of Gods word to mainteine it with a good conscience Howbeit sith that our Brethren cease not but as they first began these controuersies so they hold not yet themselues contented but Plus vltra they proceede further and to further matters and as they rise higher so more eagerly they presse vpon them not onely declaiming in the Pulpits as they get any oportunitie thereunto and exclaime if they be put to silence but also put vp billes and supplicationâ— at euery Parliament compile and scatter abroade their printed treatises insomuch that
God So be it Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God Math. 5.9 AA A DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNEMENT ESTABLISHED IN THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND FOR ECCLESIASTICALL MATTERS The Preface of the learned discourse vnto the Christian Reader THE holie Prophets hauing oftentimes but searched when and at what time the foreseeing spirit of God declared vnto them the manifold afflictions and troubles of the Church to come haue therevpon entred into great lamentations for the same and haue not only wept and fasted themselues but haue compiled for the Churche whole bookes of Lamentations therein instructing them what waye to take for appeasing the wrath of God breaking out against them The Defence c. IN this applying the great lamentations weepings and fastings of the holy Prophets for the manifolde afflictions and troubles of the Church to come either in their daies or the timeâ— succeeding wherof they prophecie◠〈◊〉 the semblable manner of weeping â—asting compiling like bookes of Lamentations by the fore-seeing Spirit of God reuealing vnto these our brethren â—â—e liâ—e manifolde afflictions now to inâ—â—â— vpon the church for the like offences our brethren héere in 〈◊〉 both too much abuse the fore-seeing spirit of God and take too farre vpon them 〈◊〉 be such Prophets and offer too great an iniury to Gods Church 〈◊〉 time God be praised héere in England both in threatning vs 〈◊〉 like calamities and in burdening vs with the like causes 〈◊〉 â—hey can shew in them selues the like warrant of the fore-seeing 〈◊〉 and shew also that we prouoke the â—ierce wrath of God in like offâ—nces But what speake I of their abussingthus the applicationof tâ—â—se holâ— Prophetes when they dare also abuse the Apostle S. Peters words and his application of those Prophetes and of the for-seeing Spirite of God in them Doth Peter applie it to any such manifolde afflictions and troubles of the Church to come to prouoke any to enter into great lamentations for the same to weepe and faste and to compile for the church whole bookes of lamentations and not rather in that place heere quoted cite onely the Prophets fore-telling of our saluation and of the comming of Christ and although withall of his sufferings yet of his glorye c. to confirme our faith in him whose wordes are these 1. Pet. 1.9 c. Receiuing the ende or rewarde of your faith euen the saluation of your soules of which saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched which prophecied of the grace that should come vnto you searching when or what time the spirite which testified before of Christ which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come vnto Christ and the glory that should follow vnto whome it was reuealed that not vnto themselues but vnto vs they shoulde minister the thinges that are nowe shewed vnto you by them which haue preached vnto you the Gospell by the holye Ghoste sente downe from heauen the which thinges the Angels desire to beholde What is héere in this application of S. Peter that is not cleane contrary to that wherto our brethren do applie it This therefore is too foule a wresting of the Scripture and that in the veryâ— first entrie into the matter to stumble vpon such an vntruth or rather so to enforce it to discourage the people and to slaunder al the state of the Church thereby I note not this that we on the other side should instifle our selues as though we were not sinners or as though our sinnes were not manifold and grieuous sinnes or as though we wouldflatter any in their sinnes or lay pillowes vnder their armes lull them in the sleepe of security with singing vnto them Peace Peace No howsoeuer they burthen vs vntruly with that poynt we do by the grace of God as much acknowledge our manifold wickednesse and heauie prouocation of Gods wrath as doe our brethren though in other respectes then they doe For that which they impute to the lawes orders established in our Churche we sée not any iust cause so to diuerte the faulte from vs but rather to acknowledge in repentaunce the disorders to bee in our selues in not submitting our selues as we ought to doo in the duetie of our obedience to the lawes and orders For when we consider the sincerity of our faith whiâ—h God hath giuen vs grace by his Gospel to professe and beholde the â—â—â—uelous light of his kingdome into the which out of the power of darknâ—sse and shadow of death wherein we sat he hath translated vs the vnâ—â—ekeable ioy and consolation of the spirit of God that we receiue héereby doth recomfort and confirme vs against the feare of our sinnes and terrour of the wrath of God But when againe we consider how we walke not in this light that shineth to vs but professe to be the children of light and commit the works of darkenes how our laws be good and our liues be euill this is a great touche vnto our conscience which rebating our ioy bringeth feare least the kingdome should be taken from vs and giuen to a nation that shall bring foorth better fruits thereof When we see how these three capitall vices of the world whereof S. Iohn complaineth The lust of the flesh the lust of the eies the pride of life doth so mightily cary away the greatest parte this we crie out vpon and bewaile the euent whereof indeede wee feare and giue warning of it as much we hope to our powers as any of our brethren do at least we confesse this is our duty offer to ioyne with our brethren in the earnest reprehension of these and al other vices and in denouncing Gods righteous iudgements on all those that continue vnrepentant in their sinnes and we reioyce with them that reioice and mourn with them that thus do mourn wishing to god herein that they also would ioine with vs. But their mourning is not for such grieuances nor their thretnings for such vices For we sée many that are great fauorites of their plotformes both dwell swel in these vices and nothing by our brethreÌ„ said vnto them yea they are of theÌ„ to all apparaunce not a little esteemed as of whom they are most maintained and vpholden But our brethrens chiefest mourning is a grudging repining at their brethren preachers as themselues are professors of the Gospel with theÌ„ and the chiefest spirituall fathers in our Church be they neuer so learned godly yet are they grieued at their superior dignitie better mayntenance and greater authority Yea they maligne and burden the lawes orders and gouernment it selfe not the abuses onely Yea they spare not the authority that is giuen to the Prince their most gratious Soueraigne but are offended therewith that they cannot thereby haue the entry which they séeke for into those lawes orders authority offices and discipline which they would bring in and wherof they haue
and a point very necessary to haue beene firste if not decided yet treated on and better considered or if not firste of all albeit in good right euen first of all in this matter of Ecclesiasticall gouernment yet at least or euer yee had procéeded thus farre in the treating determining and giuing full and onelie authority to all and euerie of these 4. Tetrarks For yee can-not pleade ignorance that yee thought not thereon before nowe That yee were called to a suddaine and tumultuous reasoning where the fynest witte the beste memorye the moste filed speeche shall carrie awaye the truthe at leaste maruelouslye moue the vngrounded hearers as in your Preface yee complayned For euen there yee fore-sawe that it woulde bee obiected and among other thinges yee mentioned that obiection saying If anye shall obiect c. that it shall bee preiudiciall to the estate of Gouernement established And doe yee nowe vppon mature deliberation hauing professed to set foorth A Learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernement and hauing entred into it laide your principles and distributed all â—he parts and persons that must be Gouernours of it as though ye bethought your selues come dropping in with this obiection saying But while we speake of Ecclesiasticall gouernement As who woulde say Good Lorde howe haue wee forgotten our selues Wee speake of Gouernment and haue treated nothing of the Prince which is the supreme Governour Wel while it is in memory and while we are speaking of it let vs say something to that obiection that our selues partlye haue already moued and it is most likelie wil be by other obiected let vs therefore aunswere before hand to that obiection while we speake of Ecclesiasticall gouernment And it may bee when yee wrote this that yee thought on some suchâ— like matter Notwithstanding this is but my coniecture peraduenturâ— yea peraduenture nay but I take it this is not the worst construction Howbeit to say while yee are speaking of it and haue already giuen your resolute sentence on the matter who haue the only gouernment it may be thought your obiection and your aunswere therevnto commeth verie tardie to helpe the Princes title Except ye will reuoke or suspende your deâ—nitiue sentence or except yee haue some further warrant from the experience of their example that they say haue a custome first to giue iudgement and put it in execution and then to enquiure whether the party were guilty yea or no. But Hysterâ—n Proteron former or later let it come in question now a Gods name that wee maye see what is left to the Prince and whether the Princes supreme goueâ—nement be any whit preiudiced by this conclusion already passed foâ— the direction of all Ecclesiasticall matters to bee made onely by these foresaid Tetrarcks But while we speake say they of Ecclesiasticall Gouernement Nâ—â— sofâ—e my good and learned discoursing brethren since yee haue stayâ—â— to speake heereof al this while let mee craue pardon for a few wordeâ— to stay your speech heereon a little while more I pray you what meâ—â— yee by this tearme heere Ecclesiasticall gouernment And a three linâ—â— before yee called it also Ecclesiasticall regiment For there maie bee a great caption in these speeches which our common aduersaries vâ— against vs in all their writings and inuectiues concerning the Princâ—â— Supremacie And therefore you beeing her Maiesties true subiectes 〈◊〉 dissenting from the Papistes errours I am lothe to haue you either â—â—tangle your selues or vs with their captious and sclaunderous tearâ—â—â— which not onely darken the matter but touche her Maiesties honour 〈◊〉 sclaunder her Royall person and right of her cheefest office very neare 〈◊〉 be it you do it I dare say it for you of an ouershott zeale and not of 〈◊〉 malice as they do They slaunder her Maiestie to take vpon her an Ecclesiasticall regiment or gouernment as though she tooke vpon her to be an Ecclesiasticall person or to exercise a function or office Ecclesiasticall and to do the actions that appertaine to the Regiment Ecclesiasticall This is a manifest sclaunder of her Maiestie who neither exerciseth nor claymeth anie such Ecclesiasticall Gouernement nor the statute nameth or intendeth anyâ— such Ecclesiasticall Gouernment of her Maiestie but onelie that her Maiestie hath the Supreame Gouernement ouer all persons Ecclesiasticall and is the Supreame Gouernour of them in all Ecclesiasticall causes to ouersée and gouerne the right direction of al the persons and causes Ecclesiasticall So that where the direction of the consultation and fynding out the causes the execution and gouernement of the actions belongeth to the persons the Supreame gouernment and direction of the causes to bée authorized and the actions by the persons to be put in due execution principally pertaine to her Maiestie And if ye thinke otherwise of her Maiesties not Ecclesiasticall Gouernment but supreame Gouernment in or ouer Ecclesiastical persons causes ye do greatly mistake it And this may serue also for your third Tetrarke whoÌ„ ye cal Gouernours to whome yee attribute amisse an Ecclesiasticall Gouernement Except ye intend by the word Eccl. anie manner of wayes perteyning to the Churche And thus the widdowes of whome the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 5.9 Had Eccl. offices also by which reckoning weomen with you might be Ecclesiasticall persons and haue an Eccl. gouernment in the church And so your Ecclesiasticall Gouernours are notwith-standing populer and plebeian persons which commonly are called the laye people And by the Scottish Churches election of them and of the Deacons where they saye The Friday after iudgement is taken what persons are elected for elders and Deacons to serue for that yeere It shoulde séeme they account them not properlie Ecclesiasticall persons but rather lyke â—ur Syde-men or Church-wardens But howsoeuer yee confound these â—earmes in these your Gouernours it is not good confounding them in the Prince And yee see that great captions sclaunders and cauils may â—rise vppon such great personages by such intricate and dâ—â—btfull â—earmes Non bene definit qui non bene diuidit Speake distinolye and plaine and then we shall better vnderstand your meaning and either you or we shal quickly be driuen to a final conclusion without al starting holes or euâ—â—â—ons If yee meane by Ecclesiasticall gouernment that her Maiestie taketh vppon her an Ecclesiasticall office or to be an Ecclesiasticall person and so execute the actions of the causes that as you say are commonlie called Ecclesiasticall ye incurre the common aduersaries slaunder of her Maiestie although I trust vnwittingly and therefore will not I hope vnwillingly reclaime your errour If ye meane by Ecclesiasticall Gouernement her Maiesties Gouernement in or ouer Ecclesiasticall matters or causes we admit your sense and now procéede on concerning the obiection and your aunswere It may be thought of some that wee shoulde intreate first of the Supreame authority of Christian Princes And good reason to as I take it if you will needes take vppon yoâ— by what
warrant or licence thereto I doe not knowe to intermeddlâ— in matters of state and Gouernement Whether there were anyâ— thought the contrarie as I hope there are not many amongst vs Protestants come you in saying It maye bee thought of some as though you misliked that anie shoulde so thinke or thought not your seluâ—â— that manye amongest vs thought not so But go to some were perhaps of such a straunge opinion and what I praye you is the oâ—â—nion That we should first intreate of the supreame authoritye of Christiaâ— Princes Héere againe I craue yet another interruption for my learniâ—â— of so Learned discoursers Doe yee héere afforde Christian Princes thâ—â— title of Supreame authority by way of supposition As whether they haue anie Supreame authority in Ecclesiastical matters or no let thâ—â— fall out in the Treatie as it shall or by way of assertion acknowleâ—ging a Supreame authoritye in them For your woordes séeme rathâ—â— to carrie that they haue a Supreame authoritie Howbeit not to be first treated vpon and so likewise do your wordes in the next page saying But of the Supreame authority of Christian Princes in Ecclesiasticall causes how farre it extendeth by the worde of God we shall haue better occasion to intreate heereafter when we shall haue described the Ecclesiasticall state So then Christian Princes haue supreame authority in Ecclesiasticall causes by your own assertion But how now doth this agrée with your former conclusion There remaineth therefore of these before rehearsed onlie in the Church these Ecclesiasticall offices instituted of GOD namely Pastors Doctors Gouernours and Deacons By which the Church of God may according to his worde bee directed in all matters which are commonly called Ecclesiasticall If Christian Princes haue supreame gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes howe are all Ecclesiasticall matters or causes directed onelye by these Tetrarcks Shall the Prince be one of these fowre and bee included in the compaâ—â—â— of the Gouernours No these gouernours are such Elders as are chosen out of the people How shall we reconcile these sayings then well inough say they For these 4. are the onely Ecclesiasticall officers now we name not the Christian Prince an Ecclesiasticall officer but the supreame gouernour This is very well reconciled indéede for that point saue that it falleth out hardlie in an other that still the Lay people are made persons Ecclesiasticall But what aunswereth this the pointe in hande For if the Christian Princes haue the supreame gouernment in Ecclesiasticall matters or causes then none of all these fowre officers or offices call them Ecclesiasticall or what yee will neither diuisim nor coniunctim haue the onelie direction of all Ecclesiasticall matters or causes For the Christian Princes haue héere some direction Nay the chiefe and supreame direction in them Except yee finde out yet some other quirke betwéene matters and causes or betweene directing and gouerning But as heere Ecclesiasticall matters and Ecclesiasticall causes are taken indifferentlie so for directing and gouerning I goe plainelye and simply to worke He that dirâ—cteth he gouerneth and he that gouerneth he directeth The Christian Prince therefore beeing as our brethren graunt the supreame gouernour in Ecclesiasticall causes is also the supreame director in Ecclesiasticall matters But if now they stoppe on this point and will distinguish between direction and gouernment and they that is to saie these 4. officers will direct all the matters and the Prince must gouerne them according onlie to their direction who aâ—e indéed the Gouernours then The Prince or they when he must gouerne nay say rather when hee muste obey according to their direction For they vnderstande by directing not their counseling or shewing their iudgemente and aduise and such direction we freelie graunt belongeth vnto them But by directing they meane setting downe order prescribing commaunding decréeing and determinining and what is this else but gouerning Who hath now the more supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall matters the Prince or these fowre estates But the Prince by their owne confessions is the supreame gouernour in Ecclesiastical matters and not they except our brethren giue the prince this title onelye for a shew and kéepe the matters to them-selues For so the Pope calleth the Emperour Emperour of Roome and yet yet can hee haue no more roome in Rome then it pleaseth the Pope to permit vnto him who indeede hath all the Empire and gouernment of Rome Now if these our learned discoursing brethren graunt christian princes this title to be the supreame gouernour in Ecclesi matters in such a fashion that is a planie mockerie before God and man Nâ—n est bonum ludere câ—â— sanctis But if they trulie acknowledge the Christian Prince to beare the chiâ—â—â— stroake among them in directing prescribing decréeing confirming forbidding and commaunding· Ecclesiasticall matters then is the Prince indéede the supreame gouernour in them and not they But then stoope gallant All these iiij estates which as they said before muste beare such sway that all Ecclesiasticall matters maie be directed by them and by them onlie are topsie turnie ouertourned Wet may the Christian Prince by them though not by them onely bee directed by waye of counsell and information but when all is done hee is still the Supreame Gouernour and all they muste bee chiefly directed and gouerned by the Christian Prince in all such Ecclesiasticall matters and causes as are amongst them to be established Sith therefore our Learned discoursers haue graunted this wâ—â—â— yeelde they not without further discoursing on the matter to hâ—â— Maiesties supreame gouernement that hath confirmed by her Supreame authoritye the decision of these Ecclesiasticall causes and controuersies long agoe and maintayneth the Ecclesiasticall gouernement now established And if now Christian Princes haue supreame authority in Ecclesiasticall causes while these our Learned brethren discoursers take on them not to speake onelie but to set downe directions of Ecclesiastical gouernement maye not some thinke nay maye not moste men thinke that they shoulde treate firste of thâ— Supreame authoritye of Christian Princes If they haue the firste degree in dignity whye may they not haue the firste place in this Treatise Howbeit because this woorâ—â— Supreame may bee taken as-well for the last in order though the first in dignitie as the Princes giue their voyces and Royall assent last of allâ— and when euery bodie hath saide their voice strykes deade or quickens 〈◊〉 the matter If our brethren héere meane to reserue the Treatie of the Christian Princes Supreame authority to the purpose so to acknowledâ—â— them to bee the supreame gouernours then a Gods name procéede on Let them say as doe the Gentlemen-vshers before Princes On aforâ— my Lordes Let all these fowre estates take their places before because that these our Learned discoursers so assigne them We will not greatly stryue with them about the roome where they please to place Christâ—an Princes firste or laste or middlemoste if Christian Princes maâ—
looketh on to thinke no 〈◊〉 séeth vs if this be not And whie is the Soueraigne Prince called hereby no better terme then the ciuill Magistrate who before was acknowledged in more reuerent manner to be the Christian Prince and to haue also Supreame authoritie What and did you likewise meane herebie to graunt vnto Christian Princes that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on their Supreame authoritie and that all thinges in the Ecclesiasticall state ought to be disposed by that onely high authoritie and absolute power of the ciuill Magistrate What do ye hâ—â—e grant theâ— all this Or graunt them some thing or denie them all this and graâ—nt them nothing nor any regiment nor anie disposing at all Yee saye the ignorant persons thought thus and thus and would you for all that giue so much vnto Christian Princes as the Supreamâ— authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes Did not you feare also least yee should raysâ— a myste to dazell the eyes of ignorant persons And what did yoâ— meane when you gaue the direction of all Ecclesiasticall matters to your foure estates onely in the Church And among other termes herâ— speaking of the Christian Princes ye call their estate the onely highâ— authoritie and absolute power but it sufficeth vs if ye will abide by your graunt that Christian Princes haue supreame authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes as for the termes onely and absolute which are due onlie vnto Christ in talking of anie others vsurpation of them we knoâ—â— no Christian Princes that doth vsurpe them It is manifest that our most gratious Soueraigne the mirrour of all Christian Princes of this age claimeth or vsurpeth no such onely highe authoritie or absolute power whereby all thinges in the Ecclesiasticall state ought to be disposed Bestowe the vsurpation of these termes on the Pope or of some tyrant or looke your selues brethren better vnto it For you giue thrée thingâ— here to your foure Tetrarkes First direction and then of all Ecclesiâ—sticall matters and that onely to these foure in the Church And werâ— ye not afraide least the fourth terme that is to saye absolute power would followe in a myste to dazel the eyes of ignorant persons Well if after absolute Absolon follow not also it is the better But let vs now with-drawe our selues out of these mystes and comâ— to clearer coasts concerning some particuler pointes what is here grauâ—ted or denied to the Christian Princes by these our Learned discoursing brethren Others there be with more colour of reason that referre only indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes but in determining indifferent matters they shewe themselues not to be indifferent Iudges For whatsoeuer it shall please the ciuill Magistrate or themselues to call or count indifferent it must be so holden of all men without any further inquirie But of the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes in Eccles. causes how farre it extendeth by the worde of God we shall haue better occasion to intreate hereafter when we haue described the eccl state When vnder the name and blame of ignorant persons these Learned discoursers haue answered as they thinke sufficiently that they haue not first treated on the Christian Princes estate for feare least in giuing thâ— Prince place before they had inuested in full seazure and possession these foure Tetrarks in their offices assigned alreadie vnto them the Christian Prince might be thought to haue gotten too great aduauntage as hauing his share set â—ut before theirs and therefore hee is put backe till all these foure be serued vnder pretence that if the Prince were serued first ignorant persons would thinke that al the other had their shares froÌ„ him and all depended on him and that his power might be thought absolute and that this were a myste to dazell the eies of ignorant persons which might sound to the Princes great reproch Least now the Christian Prince or any other his wel-willers should espie that this indéede were but a myste to dazell the Princes owne eyes that pretending to staye him for feare he might séeme to haue too much they might leaue him no authoritie at all in the directing and disposing those matters wherein his Supreame authoritie most of all consisteth to wit be they politike morall or Ecclesiasticall thinges in matters indifferent least they might thus séeme to spoyle the Prince of all they come nowe to answere those men that yet would leaue to the Christian Prince a Supreame authoritie in disposing of these indifferent matters Others say they there be with more colour of reason that referre only indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes Who those others are they doe not name but we may well perceaue that these our brethren discoursers fauour not greatly those mens opinion that the Christian Princes should haue anie disposing of indifferent matters Notwithstanding because they dare not in plaine wordes denie it it is worth the sight to sée howe pretyly they fetch it about in the answering to the opinion of those others And first they clawe these others how-beit with a harde curricombe that they at least haue more colour of reason yet not reason but colour of reason Which rough or gentle yéelding somewhat to them at least of a colour must serue for a reasonable colour to seeme to giue them something though saue a colour nothing both to bereaue these others of their reason the Chr. Princes of all their Supreame auth in indifferent matters And indéede as they tell their tale they driue it to as little reason as they can for in saying they referre onely indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes they plainely insinuate that these others should say that the Princes are not onely the chiefe or Supreame but also the only disposers of indifferent matters and this also our brethren affirme of indifferent matters indefinitely as though not some but all indifferent matters were in the onely disposition of Princes at their pleasure Nowe although that in some thinges which of their nature are indifferent all lawes of God and man haue had no small regarde of those that are called Principum placita drawing néere to the kinde of her Maiesties Proclamations yet what good Prince hath euer reigned were he neuer so wise euen Salomon himselfe but he had his counsell Not to giue authoritie and life to his decrées in such indifferent matterâ— which lieth I graunt onelie in the Princes disposition but to giâ—e â—â—uise and counsell vpon waightie and mature deliberation what wâ—re beâ—â— in all respectes according to the Analogie of Gods worde the groundes and rule of reason and all other thinges to be considered for the aduancâ—ment of Gods glorie the establishment of the Princes estate and the bâ—nefite of the common-weale But howsoeuer anie other Princes haue â—bused their authoritie and followed their owne disposition rather thâ—n reason in these matters or their owne reason according to Machiauelleâ— rule rather then the aduice or consents
of their wise and goodly Counselâ—â— shall we so déeme rashly and beyonde our dutie of her Ma. our most gratious Soueraigne or of any other godly Christian Princes Well then what say our brethren these Learned discoursers here-unto hauing moued this case For it is at this day a great question toucheth the matter to the quicke what the Christian Princes authoritie is in the dispositioÌ„ of indifferent matters Let vs now listen to their answer determination in this point Wherby we shall sée what they leaue to the Christian Prince all or somewhat ought or nought in the disposing of these things Their motion is this Others there be with more coulour of reason that referre only indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes Their answer is this But in determining indifferent matters they shewe themselues not to be indifferent Iudges This answere they confirme with this reason For whatsoeuer it shall please the ciuill Magistrate or themselues to call or count indifferent it must be so holden of all men whithout any further inquirie And with this answere they breake off the matter saying But of the supreame authoritie of Christian Princes in Eccles. causes howe farre it extendeth by the word of God we shal haue better occasion to intreate here-after when we haue described the Eccl. state And is this al then that we shal looke for here concerning this so greâ—â— and important matter Who mooued here this point now Indéede it wâ—â— looked for before But why at the length was it nowe mooued and shall not nowe be throughlie answered but thus be posted off till better occasion here-after Heere was a verie good occasion and mooued by your selues and the matter waightie and necessarie and who would not nowe euen haue saide to him selfe although some great busines or frienâ—â— had called him away Nay soft I will stay a while and here these oâ—â— brethrens Learned discourse and answere in prouing and determining of this great point then be gone But we may now be gone when we liâ—t we haue our answer héere alreâ—die such an one as it is and till better occasion heereafter we must be content with this Well and there be no remedie then content we will liue in hope But then Brethren forget not the matter quite and â—leane when that better occasion hereafter commeth But it is an old saying Omne promissum est aut debitum aut dubium I doubt wâ— must take this answer for all in this Learned Discourse For heereafter when our brethren at the end of all this their Learned Discourse take their better occasion as they thinke to treate more largelée of the supreame authoritie of Christian Princes in ecclesiasticall causes how farre it exâ—endeth by the worde of God there is faire and well better and worse more and lesse ne gry quidem not so much as one word mentioned of indifferent matters And is this indifferent dealing in such a matter But since it is so least we should go emptie awaye we muste take this or none for an answer The obiection propounded by themselues was this Others there be with more coulour of reason that referre onelie indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes To this they answer But in determining indifferent matters they shew them-selues not to be indifferent iudges This answere beginning with a But is giuen rhetoricallie Ex abrupto Vttering as it were for quicker â—â—spatch in a Learned Discourse the one halfe or parte of the answere by which they would haue vs to gather their whole minde as who should saye it is tâ—ue which these others affirme that referre onlie indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes all this we gladlie graunt and yéeld vnto But in determining indifferent matters they shewe themselues noâ— to be indifferent iudges Is not this brethren the meaning of your answere For I would be loath wittinglie to misconster you Howbeit to all that shall be indifferent iudges of vs bothe I hope they will say I haue more then coulour of reason thus to conster your wordâ— You haue mooued héere a waightie obiection Your full plaine and resolute answere is expected If ye saye nothing at all vnto it either it might be thought that ye reiected it as a matter not worthie to be answered and whye then did ye mooue it Or â—lse saying nothing therevnto the old rule may hap to fasten on you Qui tacet videtur consâ—ntire He that holdeth his peace dooth seeme to consent Notwithstanding that is but seeming which though it inforce not yet still it carieth more then coulour of Reason that by all probabilitie the partie yéeldeth And it is commonlie and in some cases necessarilie taken pro confessâ— as a cléere graunt But if a man of purpose will take vpon him to â—nswere to that which is obiected either by others or by himselfe and answere onelie by waye of exception as you héere expresselie beginne with this exception But what can that intend but that ye fréelie graunt to all the obiection so farre foorth as is not expreâ—â—ed nor contâ—ined wiâ—â—in the compasse of your exception And this goeth beyond your mist of videtur it seemeth and I plainelie take it for a plaine graunt Now if ye graunte to the opinion of these whom ye call others that referre onelie indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes why do ye so minceinglie or rather odiouslie saye of them they doo it with more coulour of reason as though they had no reason but a coulour of reason for it And what reason or coulour of reason haue you to propose iâ— and graunt it and yet to finde fault with them that doo auouche it If yâ— say ye finde faulte with the abuse of it that is nothing to the obiection which was whether onelie indifferent matters were to be referred to the Princes disposition But say you in determining indifferent matterâ— they shew themselues not to be indifferent iudges So that if they shewed themselues to be indifferent iudges in determining indifferent matters then they did well and ye will allow Christian Pâ—inces to haue authoritie in the disposition of indifferent matters Who are these now that in determining indifferent matters shew themselues not be indifferent iudges If yée meane those others with their coulour of reason with what coulour of reason referre ye this to them who as ye saye referre onelie indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes And how then are they become such determiners and iudges of indifferent matters referring them onelie to the Princes disposition What iudgement or determination is that in these others that hath no disposition of the matters whereon they should iudge and determine but referreth the disposition to the Prince And what disposition is that of the Prince if these others and not the prince be the iudges and determiners of it If ye say these others finde out onelie what be indifferent matters and the Prince onelie dooth
disposed Or were by the most and best part of the assemblie so evicted that the matter hath béene sufficientlie inquired of examined Iudged determined and resolued alreadie and therevpon by the Prince also disposed Will not all this yet content you No no we will then say and still crye out that In determining indifferent matters they shew themselues not to be indifferent Iudges And whye will ye thus complaine on them For whatsoeuer it shall please the ciuill Magistrate or themselues to call or count indifferent it must be so holden of all men without any further inquirie This then I perceaue must be the fa-burden of all this song The Prince shall haue a title of supreme authoritie to dispose indifferent matters and others shall inquire iudge and determine which be and which be not indifferent matters But if the Prince or these others whosoeuer they be either inquire of or Iudge or determine or dispose otherwise of them then shall please such as these our brethren the Learned Discoursers not onelie they may course them for it and discourse these matters againe more learnedlie but it must be still free for all men when and as often and how they please to inquire further on all that is doone and reuoke all their former inquiries iudgements determinations and dispositions or else they shall haue this peale roong them In determining indifferent matters they shewe themselues not to be indifferent Iudges For whatsoeuer it shall please the Ciuill Magistrate or themselues to call or count indifferent it must be so holden of all men without anie further inquirie And now if there be any indifferent Iudge let him Iudge I beséech him indifferentlie If they deale thus with indifferent matters wherein the Princes supremacie hath the greatest force what is left to the Prince or to any of these others to enquire iudge determine or to dispose vpon And how now may not this also reach by as much not coulour of reason but substance of reason to all politike matters in the common-weale as well as to these Ecclesiasticall so farre foorth as both of them be indifferent Whereby they may as well when the Prince and all the states of the realme haue determined iudged and disposed of any such indifferent matter crie out on the Prince and all others in the Parlement and repeate this sclander in their former leoden that in determining indifferent matters they shew themselues not to be indifferent iudges For whatsoeuer it shall please the Ciuill Magistrate and themselues to call and count indifferent it must be so holden of all men without any further inquirie And thus may all the supreme authoritie of the Christian Prince both in politike and ecclesiasticall matters be cleane ouerthrowne and euerie man set at libertie to exclaime with open mouthe on their soueraigne and of all others in authoritie and vnder pretence of further inquirie God knowes how farre they will runne We sée a turbulent Comicall beginning but we sée not the lamentable Tragicall ending of these things Principiss obsta serò medicina paratur But of the Princes authoritie in these matters thus roughlie hewed at the entrie they will héere for this time make a pawse and promise for a while to go no further hauing indéed at this verie first steppe gone ouer the shooes alreadie more then a little to farre and yet would God they could héere haue made a cleanlie stoppe and not made the matter a great deale worse but haue rested at these words saying But of the supreme authoritie of Christian Princes in Ecclesiasticall causes how faâ—â—e it extendeth by the word of God we shall haue better occasion to intreate hereafter when we haue described the ecclesi state And I pray God better intreating and treating to for this was but a harde intreating of Christian Princes and a sorie treatie of their supreame authoritie But belike the moouing héere of these matters for the Prince though indéed mooued by themselues in the course of their Learned Discourse of ecclesiasticall gouernement by their foure estates to be thus but a little interrupted by touching onelie rather then by treating of the christian Princes supreame authoritie did some what perhaps disturbe and mooue their patience And therefore as they héere till heereafter take their leaue so in this perturbation at the parting declaring the cause of their departure now from them and whye they néed not and will not talke further with them at this time in stéed of shaking or rather wringing handes they giue them such a parting blow for a farewell such a volie for a vale that it were inough vnlesse they handle them gentlier heereafter at their better occasion to dashe all Christian Princes for all their magnanimitie out of countenance yea to thrust them cleane out of Christendome except they will holde themselues contented with such places and authoritie as they after they haue at large described the ecclesiast state and fullie serued all their foure Tetrarks shall please to assigne vnto them And now declaring their reasons héereof to euerie man thinking belike that euerie man hath an interest in the further inquirie of these matters they saye as followeth And that it is neither needfull nor agreeable to good order of teaching to begin first therewith it may be plaine to euerie man by this reason The church of God was perfect in all hir regiment before there was any Christian Prince yea the churche of God may stand dooth stand at this daie in most blessed estate where the Ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers By which it is manifest that the regiment and gouernement thereof dependeth not vpon the authoritie of Princes but vpon the ordinance of God who hath most mercifullie and wiselie so established the same that as with the comfortable aide of Christian Magistrates it may singulerlie flourish and prosper so without it it may continue and against the aduersaries thereof preuaile For the church craueth helpe and defence of Christian Princes to continue and go forward more peaceablie and profitablie to the setting vp of the kingdome of Christe but all her authoritie she receaueth immediatlie of God In these words our bretheren the Learned Discoursers to breake off this matter hauing alledged one of their reasons as we haue heard why they will not make their first treatie on the supreame authoritie of Christian Princes which reason was this that they would not seeme to confirme the opinion of those to whom it seemeth that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on the Christian Princes supreme authoritie and by the way answered as we haue likewise heard the opinion of others that referre indifferent matters to the Princes disposition They now conclude this point with another answere saying It is neither needefull nor agreeable to good order of teaching to beginne first therewith This scruple I perceaue sticketh yet in their stomakes peraduenture suspecting that they had hetherto sayd nothing oughtes-worth
colleague with Paule whome wee neuer read to haue exercised the office of teaching Yea who alwaies him-selfe holding his peace yeelded the partes of speaking to Paule I answere he had manie occasions inowe of speaking offered him in Paules absence that there was businesse inough for them bothe for one could not be alwaies present in all places There is no doubt but that hee faithfullie went about the parts that God commaunded nor was a dombe looker on Neither is there any cause that we should maruell whie the Sermons that he made are not in plaine wordes expressed of Luke sithe that hee scarse reciteth the thousand Sermon of those that Paule made Thus saithe Caluine Whereby it appeareth that as Paules Doctorship and Apostleship was all one bothe before and after the difference being onelie this commission of dooing the same thing in common to the Gentiles the which also was foretold before bothe to Ananias that baptised him and to himselfe in his traunce at Ierusalem as he declared after in his Sermon Act. 22.21 But héere it was enioyned vnto him And being a Doctor before he was héere made the Doctor of the Gentiles euen so his manner of teaching and executing this doctors office was euer one and the same manner that is to saye euer ioining exhortation admonition consolation rebukeing or some kinde or other application to his doctrine And this appeareth euen in the selfe-same 13. chapter verse 14. c. But when saithe Luke they departed from Perga they came to Antiochia of Pisidia and went into the Synagog on the Sabaoth daye and sate downe and after the Lecture of the Lawe and of the Prophets the rulers of the Synagog sent vnto them saying yee men and Bretheren if yee haue anye worde of exhortation for the people saye on Heere saithe Caluine is no mention made of praiers which notwithstanding it is certeine were not omitted nor neglected But bicause Lukes purpose was to rehearse the Sermon that Paule made there it is no maruell if hee onelie mention those things that apperteine to the order of teaching But this is a notable place out of which wee learne what was the manner of treating on doctrine among the Iewes in that age The firste place was giuen to the lawe and the Prophets For it was not lawefull to propound any thing vnto the Churche which was not drawne out of that founteine Heerevpon also we gather that the Scripture was not suppressed among a few but all were indifferentlie admitted to the reading thereof After this they that excelled in the grace of teaching and exhorting had the second partes as interpreters of the Scripture that was read Notwithstanding last of all Luke dooth shewe that all were not permitted to speake least of that licence confusion should spring But the office of exhorting was committed vnto certeine men whome he calleth the princes of the Synagog or the Maisters Paule therefore and Barnabas doo not by and by shooue themselues foorth to speake least they should disturbe with too muche haste the accustomed order but they modestlie expect vntill leaue bee giuen them for to speake and that by the permission of those vnto whome the authoritie thereof by publike consent belonged Wee knowe howe corrupte the state of that people at that time was and Luke at length in the end of the chapter will declare how these Antiochians in refusing the grace of Christe were more then proud froward And yet notwithstanding this goodnesse remained among them that their assemblies were ordered comelie and honestlie c. Which saying of his is woorthie to bee the more considered for that diuerse of these our Bretheren doo make an argument of proportion for the offices and orders of the Churche vnder Christe correspondent to the offices and orders of the Iewes Synagogs vnder Moises That for their sacrificing Priests wee haue Pastors for their Leuites Doctors of the Lawe we haue teachers doctors of the Gospell for theyr rulers of the Synagogs wee haue Gouernours for their Leuiticall lookers to the treasurie wee haue Deacons for theyr presbyterie wee haue Elders c Which enumeration and proportion though it be very disordered and confused and the argument thereon more weake and faultie yet to make the best of it that mought bee it appeareth if wee goe no further then this place that these Iewes obseruing their ordinarie custome were not acquainted with suche a kinde of Doctors as vsed no applying nor exhorting in their teaching but suche as styll ioyned these togither For what did they else meane in this demaunde If yee haue anye worde of exhortation But that they tooke it to bee the office of a Teacher to vse to the people the worde of exhortation with the worde of Doctrine But perhaps they did this of ignorance of their owne orders and had not béene acquainted with suche Doctors But what-so-euer they thought or conceaued or demanded aright or amisse héerein let vs sée as we began Caluins iudgement Dooth hee mislike it No This speeche saithe hee dooth betoken that whatsoeuer grace is in men to edifie the Churche it is as it were pawned vnto them Although the particle in if there bee in you anye worde of consolation according to the Hebrewe phrase maye bee superfluous and therefore I vrge not stiffelye that matter Because the sense maye bee plaine if you haue anye exhortation that is apte and profitable to the people howbeit exhortation excludes not Doctrine But this name seemeth to come of the common vse that was receaued among them For properlie the office of a Doctor is not to bring foorth anye newe thing of his owne sense but the Scripture wherein all the wisedome of the godlie is comprehended and to make it fitte vnto the presente vse of the people By this meanes they do not so muche teache as they applie the doctrine taken from another matter vnto the edification of the Churche Which I suppose to be noted by the worde exhorting What can be spoken of the office of a Doctor more plaine then this And howe plaine withall this iudgement of Caluine bothe for the Doctors of the Iewes and the Doctors of the Christians is cleane contrarie to these Discoursers distinguishing and limitting of a Doctors office from a Pastors by exhorting and applying I referre me not onelie to anye Doctors but to any godlie Christian readers iudgement be he neuer so simple yea almost be he neuer so much affectionate And with-all let the Reader marke the Geneua note héereâ—n This declareth the Scripture is giuen to teache and exhorte vs and that they refused none that had giftes to set foorth Gods glorie and to edifie his people Belike then they regarded not the nice distinguishing of the persons office but onelie respected these ends in him Gods glorie and their edifiyng To which endes they required not bare teaching but teaching and exhorting wherevnto they thought the Scripture to be giuen them But whatsoeuer they
it had béene small So they seing the truth would neuer be caried away against their consciences for worldly superiority in the which many of them were most humble But not only I say those holy learned fathers that were theirselues Bishops but those also that were no Bishops yea Ierome that was much offended with some Bishops and was a man also very passionate where he tooke offence when he saw this controuersie hote in his dayes by reason of the insolencie of some Bishops did he euer like and allow of this opinion that Bishops and Pastorall Priestes should stil be counted as names indifferent and their authoritie be alike equall in all things And but all one Or but alter and differ by toornes and on occasion of some present actioÌ„ this Priest chosen to be Bish. or be Superiour to day or at this assembly and to morrow or at the next assembly another Superiour chosen and no Superior standing Did Ierome euer like of this No read al his works ouer and whersoeuer he writeth as he often toucheth this matter many times is very vehement against bishops and fauouring Priestes himselfe being one so he alwayes acknowledgeth thâ—s difference of bish and Priest that though in substance of the Ministery they be both all one yet in degree of dignitie the bishop is superiour and the Priest is inferiour to the bishop Yea where of purpose most fauorably he setteth forth the Priests authority as in his epistle ad Euagrium wherâ— he alleâ—geth euen these examples heere alleaged 1. Phil. Act. 20. concluding thus Wherein most manifestly it is proued that a Bishop and a priest are the same c. Yet euen there also hee determineth the matter saying But that afterwarde one was chosen which should be placed before the residue it was done for the remedie of schisme leaste euerye one drawing the Church of Christ after him should breake it For also at Alexandria euen from Marke the Euangeliste vnto Heraclas and Dionisius Bishops the priests did alwayes name the Bishop one chosen from out themselues whom they placed in a higher degree euen as if an army should choose a Cheftaine Or that Deacons shoulde choose from out of them him whom they knew to be industrious call him Arch-Deacon For what doth a Bishop that a priest doeth not except it bee the giuing of Orders By which it appeareth that howsoeuer the names were taken indifferently and as all one at the first originall of them for a while in the Apostles time though there were no institutioÌ„ of the Lord for the change héereof yet as it was done for a most excellent and necessary cause so it was done in the time of the most of the Apostles euen S. Paule and S. Peter and many other of the Disciples as yet lyuing Marke deceasing as the same Hierome noteth in the 8. yeere of Nero Yea if we shal consider Ieromes wordes furder we shall fynde this change both before and also fully confirmed and begunne vniuersally to bee practised in the Apostles times And euen there also where hee alleageth all these selfe-same examples and testimonies out of the Scripture to the contrary of that which these our brethren and all on the other side at this day alleage therein As Phil. 1. Act. 20. Heb. 13. 1. Pet. â— euen as though S. Hierome had led them to these places And his wordes are their owne conclusion Therefore a priest is the same that is a bishop and before that by the instinct of the Diuell studies or factious pertakings were made in Religion that it was saide among the people I am of Paule I am of Apollo but I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by the common councell of priestes or pastorall Elders for so Ierome taketh the name Presbiter and not for such Priestes as onely gouerned and were not Teachers but after that euery one did thinke those whom he had baptized to be his not Christs it was decreed in all the worlde that one of the priestes beeing chosen should be set aboue the reste vnto whome all the care of the Churche should appertaine and the seedes of schismes shoulde bee taken awaye And when he hath alleaged for proofe that Bishops and priests were first all one al our brethrens examples afore-said he concludeth againe saying These to this purpose that we might shewe that among the auncients priestes were the same which all were bishops But by little and little that the plants of dissensions might be plucked vp all the carefull prouision was giuen vnto one As therefore priestes know that they by the custome of the Church are subiect vnto him that is placed ouer them so let Bishops know that rather by custome than by the verity of the Lords disposing they are greater than priestes And that they ought to gouerne the Churche in common following Moses who when he had in his power to rule the people of Israell alone he chose 70. with whome he would iudge the people Héere is your former example also Numb 11. but not as you alleage it that the office of the Eldership in the one is an imitation of the Eldership of the other meaning there the Ministers of the word and Sacramentes For these offices are nothing like the one being méere temporall the other méere Ecclesiasticall Neither like your other not Teaching Elders as we shall after see And yet if they were alike it would cleane beat down your aequality of dignity For though Moses took these to be assistants in Gouernment to him yet were they not equall to him but his inferiours And thus the Bishop should haue his assistant priests Minister of the word and Sacramentes in preaching and ministring the Sacramentes in ordeyning Ministers and in making any Ecclesiasticall constitutions and so rule in common but not that euery Minister or those that were chosen to be assistants should be hayle fellow wel mette equall and all one in dignity with him or else there is no imitation but manifest breach of the example of Moses and the 70. Elders his coadiutors in the burthen of the gouernment Thus equally in this controuersie then did Ierome beare him selfe both to the Bishops and to the priestes being himselfe a priest and fauouring their cause and pleading for them so farre as possibly he could Neyther would these testimonies being not taken by the way but of set purpose thus set downe be sleightly considered For if we list not to be contentious it may bee a notable paterne vnto vs sithe wee sée this controuersie so hote in these auncient and holye Fathers dayes that were néerer the time of the originall of this change then we are what was their opinion that were the best learned and holiest Fathers thereon what reasons and resolutions moued them thereunto to be the more perswaded to follow their iudgemeÌ„t or at least to beware how far we stirre moue factions and scismes for the same as then Aërius and
which was the first Bishop ordayned vnto you euen of the Apostles And anon after speaking to the Priestes or Pastorall Elders that he left at Antiochia behinde him hee sayth Ye Priestes or Elders feede the flocke that is committed among you vntill God declare who hee shall be that shall be the Gouernour among you As for me I nowe make haste that I may gayne Christe Let the Deacons acknowledge of what dignitie they be and studie to be vnreproueable that they may be the followers of Christ. Let the people be subiect to the Priestes or Elders c. And after he hath saluted manie and doone salutations from manie both Bishops Pastors and Deacons c. that accompanied him for he was of highe estimation ouer all Asia I salute him sayth be which in my place shall be-come your Prince Primate or chiefe Prelate whome I haue also begotten in Christe Which hee meant of Heron that did succéede him in the Bishoprike who was a Deacon in the Churche of Antioche These Epistles of what credite euerie thing conteyned in them is I will not pleade for them But thinke verilie that there are some Popish foystinges crept into them as also is founde out in the woorkes of other famous men But that the whole Epistles should bee vtterlie denied or suspected especially those that are not onely mentioned but parts of them also worde for worde set downe according to their manner by other Ecclesiasticall writers both by Ierome that was verie curious in finding out forgeries and also by Eusebius that was within two hundred yeares of Ignatius yea Irenaeus that was Polycarpus Scholler to whome Ignatius writeth one of these Epistles and diuerse other auncient Fathers of greate credite make mention of some of the woordes contayned in them it can not bee that they should all be forged especially this point for the distinction of the Bishops from Priestes or Pastorall Elders and the superioritie of the Bishoppe ouer them béeing concordant with all the other writers And especially to bée obserued almost in euerie one of these Epistles In the Epistle ad Trallianos hée sayeth I knowe yee haue an vndefiled minde and without deceite in perseuerance not on doubtfulnesse but on the possession of sayth as Polybius your Bishop hath signified to mee who came to Smyrna by the will of God the Father and of Iesus Christe his sonne by the woorking togeather of the holie-Ghoste and did so congratulate vnto mee beeing bounde in Christe Iesu that in him I might see all fulnesse Receauing therefore him according vnto GOD I haue by him acknowledged your beneuolence finding you to bee the followers of Iesus Christe our Sauiour Bee yee subiecte to the Bishoppe as to the Lorde for he watcheth for your soules as he that shall giue account to GOD. For which thing yee shall seeme vnto mee not to liue according to the fleshe but to liue according to Iesus Christe who dyed for vs that wee beleeuing in his deathe might by baptisme bee made partakers of his resurrection For it is necessarie that you shoulde doe nothing nor take ought in hande he meaneth concerning Ecclesiasticall causes with out the Bishoppe But submitte your selues to the Priestes or Elders as to the Apostles of Iesu Christe our hope in whome abiding wee shall be founde in him you must also therefore by all meanes please the Deacons which are for the Ministerie of Iesus Christe Eor they are not ministers in meate and drinke he alludeth to the Tables whereon they attended but they are the Ministers of the Churche of God Yee must therfore obserue that which they commaund you euen as if it were fire burning As for them let them be suche And as for you reuerence ye them euen as the Lord Iesus Christe For they are the keepers of his place Euen as the Bishop is the forme or type of him that is father of all But the Priests euen as the assemblie of God and the coniunction of the Apostles of Christe c. And againe after he hath warned them to take héede of Scismes of Seducers and those that are puffed vp with pride and exhorted them to humilitie he saithe and yet reuerence your Bishop euen as Christe according to which the blessed Apostles haue commaunded you For hee that is placed betweene the altare which worde altare is often vsed of the auncient Fathers for the Lords Table and is héere meant for the participation of the holye Communion he is cleane For the which obey your Bishop and Priests or Elders For he that is placed without the aultar is dooing somewhat without the Bishop the Priests and the Deacons Hee that shall be suche an one that is excludeth him-selfe from the participation of the diuine misteries deliuered by the Bishop the Priests and Deacons is polluted in his conscience and is woorse then an Infidell For what is the Bishop but one holding a principalitie and power ouer them all thus farre foorth as becommeth a man to holde that is made the follower of God according to vertue What is Priesthood or the Eldership but a holie institution of a counsellor and confessor of the Bishop What also are the Deacons but the followers of Christe ministring to to the Bishop as Christ to the Father and working vnto him that cleane and vndefiled worke as S. Stephan to the most blessed Iames and Timothie and Linus vnto Paule and Anacletus and Clemens vnto Peter Therefore he that shall be disobedient to these shall be altogither without God and wicked and contemning Christe and an abaser of his ordinance And in the next Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians Howbeit I deserued to haue seene you by the worthie in God your Bishop Damas and the woorthie in God your Priests or Elders to witte Bassus and Appollonius and my ghest Socion whome I haue nourished bicause he is subiect to the Bishop and to the Priests in the grace of GOD and in the lawe of Jesus Christe and it behooueth you also not to contemne the age of the Bishop and according to God the Father to giue him all reuerence according to which I haue also knowne the holye Priests to haue yeelded it him Not thinking him to be contemned for the age that appeareth in him but in the wisedom of God to obeye him Sithe that not the auncient in yeares are the wisest neither the old men vnderstand prudence but the spirite which is in men c. And in the next Epistle ad Tharsenses Yee Priestes or Elders be subiect to the Bishop Ye Deacons to the Priests yee people to the Deacons And in the Epistle to the Philadelphians Yee Princes be subiect to Caesar or to the King Yee Souldiors to the Princes Deacons and to the Priests or Elders as to the administrators of the holye things But let the priests and the Deacons and all the cleargie togither with all the people and with the souldiors and
that the Church is kept by order and lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lacke of order For which cause he hath instituted many also and diuerse orders of ministers not onely in times past in Israell but also after-wardes in the Church gathered together of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and also for the same cause hee hath left it free vnto the Churches that they might adde moe orders or not adde them so that the same may be done to aedification Whereas therefore when all the Ministers of the worde were called equally both Pastors and also Bishops also Priests or Elders and whereas they were of equall authoritie one afterwarde beganne to be preferred aboue all his Colleagues howbeit not as their Lorde but as the Rector in the vniuersitie aboue his other Colleagues to this man in principall the care of the whole Church was cōmitted whereupon and by a certaine kinde of Excellencie hee alone was accustomed to be called by the name of bishop and Pastor the residue of his fellow Ministers being contented with the name of Priests or Elders in so much that in euery City there began to be one onely Bishop and many Priestes or Elders This thing we iudge cannot be dissalowed Of which matter the declaration and the sentence of Ierome both otherwhere and also in the epistle to Euagrius and in the commentaries of the Epistle to Titus chap. 1. is of vs approued Who saith all this came rather of custome than of the verity of the Lordes disposing that the plants of dissensions of schismes might be taken away Verily by this reason those things also that were ordeyned concerning Arch-bishops yea and of the 4. Patriarkes euen before the Nicene Councell it selfe wee thinke may be excused and defended although that all thinges in successe of time afterwardes were drawen awaye vnto the greatest tyrannie and ambition which is the cause why that the neerer wee approche in those orders to the Apostolicall simplicitie so muche the more is it also of vs allowed And we iudge that euery where they should endeuour to approch thereto Nowe when Zanchius hath added certaine other Aphorismes concerning the Church and the lawfull Ministers thereof he setteth downe Aphorism 20. their authoritie saying We beleeue also that great authoritie is of Christe giuen vnto the lawfull Ministers to wit to performe those thinges whereunto also they are called to preach the Gospell to interprete the holy scriptures according to the analogie of the faith to catechise to teach the people what is the will of God to reprooue and rebuke as well the great as the small to remitte or reteyne sinnes ministerially to binde the impenitent and to loose the repentant to administer also the Sacraments which Christ instituted and according to his manner deliuered to exercise Discipline after the prescription of Christe and also by the expounding of the Apostles to conclude to all those things also which though they be not expressed in the holy scriptures notwithstanding do appertaine to order and to comlinesse and make to edification but not to destruction according to the generall rule deliuered of the Apostle That all thinges ought to be doone in order decently and to aedification For neither doe we beleeue that any authoritie is giuen to the ministers that ought to be stretched beyonde the boundes of Gods worde or vnto anie other ende than to the aedification of the Church And therefore we vtterly deny that any Bishop yea or that all of them together haue authoritie of ordeyning any thing contrarie to the scriptures of adding any thing vnto them or of takeing any thing from them of making newe articles of the faith of instituting new Sacramentes of bringing into the Church new worships of setting forth lawes that should bind the consciences and that should be made equall in authoritie to the lawe of God or of hauing dominion in the Church and consciences of the faithfull of forbidding those thinges that God hath graunted and would haue to bee free Or finally of commanding any thing that is without the worde of God as though it were necessarie to saluation sithe that it can not truely be sayde that indeede the whole Church hath not this authoritie Hauing thus in euery particuler set downe and limited the authoritie of the lawefull Ministers of the Church according to the worde of God he procéedeth Aphorisme 21. vnto this that the politike authoritie of Bishops which also are Princes is not to be denied for any thing before restrayned In the meane season we denie not that Bishops which with-all are also Princes besides the authoritie Ecclesiasticall should also haue their lawes politike and powers seculer yea euen as the rest of Princes haue the right of the commaunding seculer thinges the right of the sworde some of them the right of Electing and confirming kinges and Emperours and of ordeyning and administring other politike thinges and of compelling the people subiecte vnto them to yeelde them obedience and there-upon we confesse that vnto their politike commaundementes which with-out the transgression of Gods lawe may be kept their subiectes ought to obey not onely for feare but also for conscience For we knowe that all power is of God and who-so-euer resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God And that moreouer kinges are to be honored and we ought to be subiect to Princes and Lords in all feare not onely to those that are courteous and modest but also to the froward and wicked To conclude when he commeth to Ecclesiast Discipline which Aphorisme 36. he deuideth into popular and clericall in the 3. part of the clericall discipline Aphorisme 38. he saith The third is that they should promise peculiar obedience in things that are honest vnto their Bishop and to the Metropolitane of the Bishops Nowe although by all these Aphorismes of this excellent Learned man and great light of our age Zanchius it is most apparant what his Iudgement is of the superioritie of Bishops and with what reasons he prooueth and confirmeth the same to be in all pointes agréeable to Gods worde Yet for the further confirmation of these thinges and to satisfie all suche as shoulde or did mislike anie thing conteyned in them let vs also not thinke it tedious to peruse certaine other obseruations that he hath lastly adioyned to these Aphorismes in the foresaid confession of the faith with the preface of his reasons for the same The obseruations of the same Zanchius vpon his confession Neither fewe nor light are the causes with the which I was drawen that I had leauer adde these obseruations to my confession apart by thē selues than to alter any thing therein There are not a fewe vnto whom it is knowen on what occasion at what time by whose commaundement in whose name and to what ends I being indeede vnwilling and compelled wrote the summe of the Christian Religion But although ech man seeth that this
confession was neuer as it was hoped for set foorth in their name for whose cause it was written notwithstanding how this was done and vpon what causes it was done all men do not clearely vnderstande while many men marueile at the dooing but are ignoraunt of the true causes of the matter Heereupon howe diuerse suspitions might haue hapned vnto many howe diuerse iudgementes might haue beene made both of me and of the confession it selfe I will not say of priuate persons but also of the very Churches to conclude howe diuerse and sinister reportes might haue beene scattered among the common people what one is he among men that doth not knowe It behooueth me therefore before I shall die to stoppe the sinister naughtie supitions iudgements reports concerning my doctrine Which thing I iudged could of me be done by no better meane than if I should prouide that both my confession euen as it was of me written should be set foorth seuerally by it selfe and also seuerally by thēselues my obseruations theron by the which if any things were dark they might be made plaine if any things were doubtful they might bee confirmed and that I should leaue the iudgement of the whole busines vnto the whole true Catholike Church Moreouer I thought that to remoue false suspitions out of mens mindes if any were conceaued I should doe no little good if what iudgementes were made of learned men concerning the cōfession I should euē by their owne letters make them knowen to all the godly especially sithe that also out of the same euery man might easily vnderstande for what causes the confession was not set foorth in that manner that it was purposed A certaine greate man wrote vnto me of that matter in these words Concerning that which you write of your cōfession it was read ouer of me and of N. and of others with great pleasure Which both was written most learnedly with a most excellent Methode And if so be you except that which in the end you adde concerning Archb. the Hierarchy it liked me exceedingly well But when we did deliberate with our brethren N.N. the which are heere concerning the way and manner of entring into a concord among al the Churches of our confession they with one consent did iudge that this was both the only the safest the reddiest way that the cōfessiōs of faith already receiued set forth by the Churches of euerie Prouince should be composed compacted into one harmony because they are all of them one most like another so farre as appertaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the substance of faith and that their confession was refused of none of the Churches This their counsell when they proued it by many reasons we haue written therof vnto you and to the Reuerende brethren N.N. and to other Churches neighbors to vs who all of them greatly like the selfe same counsell These thinges out of the letters of that great man To the same opinion almost we might produce out of other mens letters also writing of the same matter But sithe it is not necessarie for breuitie sake wee omitte them Zanchius nowe being thus mooued by these considerations to iustifie all these his former Aphorismes in these pointes aforesaid setteth downe among other these obseruations following Vpon the 25. Chap. Aphorism 10. 11. When I wrote this confession of faith I wrote all thinges of a good conscience and as I beleeued so I spake also freely as the holy scripture teacheth vs to doe But my fayth first of all and simplie dothe rely on the woorde of God after which somewhat also on the common consent of the whole auncient Catholike Churche so bee that the same consent striue not with the holy scriptures For I beleeue that those thinges which were of the holy Fathers beeing gathered together in the name of the Lorde determined and receaued with a common consent of them all without any contradiction of the holy scriptures that those thinges albeit they bee not of the same authoritie with the holy Scriptures are also of the holy Ghost Hereupon it commeth to passe that those thinges that are of this sorte neither would I neyther dare I with a good conscience disallowe them But what is more certaine out of the stories out of the Counselles and out of the writinges of all the Fathers than those orders of Ministers of the which we haue spoken to haue beene ordeyned in the Church and receaued by the common consent of the Christian common weale But who am I that I should disalow that which the whole Church hath allowed No neither all the learned men of our time durst disallowe For why they knewe that both these thinges were lawefull vnto the Churche and that all those thinges proceeded and were ordeyned both of godlinesse and to good endes for the edification of the elected And for the cause of confirming this matter I thought good here to inserte suche thinges as Martine Bucer of godly memorie a man moste famous for singuler godlinesse and learning hath left written vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians As for the administration of the woorde when it is doone by the reading and reciting of the deuine scriptures finally by the interpretation and explication of the same and by exhortations taken frō thence and also by repetition and by the Catechisme which is perfourmed by mutuall questions and aunsweres of him that is the Catechiser and of the party that is catechised and by holy conferences and debatings of the harder Questions of our religion according to this manifold dispensation of wholesome doctrine the giftes or offices of this function are also multiplied For whatsoeuer belonged to the moste perfect māner of teaching that in the administration of the doctrine of saluation is to be applied with most great study because that sith thou art a man the knowledge of seeing God or liuing according vnto God which as of al other it is most diuine so also most difficult ought to be set forth they now that teach artes diligently contayned in some certain books as if a man woulde purpose out of Euclide to teach the Mathematicalles first of all they will reade and recite the booke proposed and streight waies they wil expound the particuler words that are not commonly knowe as euery Art hath his proper wordes and names and then if anye collection or argument be more breefely made they expound it by resoluing the partes thereof and make it cleare by many examples out of the generall preceptes they teache particulers and they do enforme them how farre foorth they stretch This it is properlye to teache But he that is indeede a sure or faithfull Doctor is not contente to teache these thinges although by a faythfull deliuerance of the Doctrine but also hee repeateth it and exacteth the thinges that he taughte and offereth him selfe readye to his schollers that they might demaunde a playn explication of
Church For some of these and such like meanes it hath pleased God alreadie to graunt that they may and doe take place and woulde take more place were it not for their importune hindering as I sayd before not so much of the open aduersaries of the Gospell as of our owne Brethren that fauour and professe it and yet preposterouslie doe stop the course thereof As for some of these meanes heere deuised it hath pleased God in his greate wisedome not to graunt them And therefore when we sée the will and graunt of God alreadie it were fitter we applied our wâ—lls to his than to wish hiâ— contrarie to his ordinance to become appliable vnto our wils And wheâ—e our Brethren would haue God graunt these their petitâ—ons to take place by the high authoritie of our dreade Soueraigne the Queenes Maiestie sith we manifestlie sée that by her Maiesties high authoritie GOD hath graunted such good successe to his Gospell and repaired his Church by such lawfull means of discipline as God hath both allowed and blessed which withall is by her Maiesties high authoritie established and confirmed amongst vs what a tentation is this to God not to bee content but to craue that he would graunt other new meanes And what obedience is this to her Maiesties high authoritie If her Maiestie herein haue any authoritie at all why do not we obey it If her Maiesties authoritie héere be high why doe we abase and bring it lowe If shee bee our dread Soueraigne why dreade we not thus to ouerthwart al her lawes and ordinances and without all dreade to contemne them and to cast forth such contumelious and slanderous spéeches on all the state of the Church to be most corrupt If her Maiestie be the Soueraigne that is the Supreame gouernor under Christ of this portion of the Church How doth not this defamatioÌ„ more blemish her Maiesties gouernment thaÌ„ al these faire spéeches can suffer to salue it And how call they her Maiestie Soueraigne and not acknowledge her soueraigntie or supremacie And if we inioy this coÌ„fortable peace vnder her most gracious gouernmeÌ„t why do not we coÌ„tinue it and be thankfull to God and to her Maiestie for it Why disturbe wée it and make it vncomfortable To conclude if it be a most gracious gouernment how is the state of the Church being gouerned vnder her Maiestie most corrupted Can most gracious and most corrupt agrée together What fellowship hath righteousnesse saith Saint Paule 2. Cor. 6.14 with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath â—ight with darknesse what concord hath Christ with Belial Or hath her Maiestie no gouernment at all ouer the Church but onelie ouer the Realme and ciuile pollicie Are these tearmes then giuen her as a méere ciuile Prince or is her Maiestie acknowledged indeede the supreame gouernour in all Ecclesiasticall causes in the Church of England If she be how doth shee looke vnto her gouernment in the Church of England the state of the Church standing most corrupt These things hang together like Germaines lippes Who seeth not that they speak cleane contradictions in this stammering While they woulde thus plaie on both handes and giue onelie these fayre titles to her Maiestie for fashion sake and to auoide suspition or to winne fauour but if in verie déede they meant as they saie they woulde neuer thus impugne the established gouernment orders lawes and proceedings of her Maiestie They confesse that vnder her most gracious gouernment the time hath alreadie prosperouslie passed and yet they inferre vnder hand that it hath passed so vnprosperouslie that in lesse than halfe the time they dare ieopard their liues if they might haue their deuises broght to passe that the necessitie of learned Preachers shall bee so well supplied as wee shall haue no great cause to complaine for lacke of them And yet withall they saie her Maiesties raigne is most honourable and glorious Which if it be then haue they no cause to complain But they complaine of these things with great outcries and saie they haue great cause to complaine as though her Maiesties raigne were so dishonourable and ignominious that it nothing tended the honour and glorie of God which they saie they onelie seeke in this their Ecclesiasticall regiment So that in commending her Maiesties most honourable and glorious raigne what meane they but of such an externall honour and glorie of the world as little or nought respecteth the honour and glorie of the Lorde This is not well done of our Brethren thus to slander her Maiesties gouernment and the whole state of the Church of England vnder these faire and coulourable spéeches least our Breth might séeme in anie shew to come néere to those dissembling hypocrites whome Dauid so grieuouslie complaineth on Psal. 54. saying If mine enimie had defamed me I could haue borne it and if mine aduersarie had exalted himself against me I would haue hidden me from him But it was thou O man euen my companion my guide and my familiar which diddest eate sweete meate together with mâ— yea wâ— walled together in the house of God as companions And shall it be sayde of those that not onelie liue in one Realme and are or should be gouerned by one lawe vnder one most gracious Soueraigne yea her Maiestie and wee and all vnder one Iesus Christ in profession of our religion and of one Church of God that we deale thus one against another and that as Dauid there saich verse 21. The wordes of his mouth were softer than butter and yet warre in his heart his wordes â—ere more gentle than oyle and yet they were swoordes Now as these things beséeme not the â—hildren of God so is not this commendable in our Brethren that to set the better face of zeale vppon these foresayde spéeches thus tempered with no lesse gall than honie they offer thus freshlie to ieopard their liues that this which they promise and imagine shal be done in lesse than halfe the time that is alreadie passed Well may our Brethren blemish the time that is alreadie passed as not verie prosperouslie passed though for a shewe they saie so but to determine De futurâ— contingenti for that which may happe to come to passe hereafter and to prescribe it a time saue that they presume of her Maiesties clemencie not to take the aduantage of the forfaiture they might peraduenture hazarde too farre theyr best ioyntes if theyr happe were not better in this bargaynes euent than eyther theyr learning or their wisedome in the bargens making But what good lucke so euer would betide them to haue their desires graunted or their hope and promise come to passe yet their words sauour so suspitiouslie that for all this they would not holde themselues fullie satisfied For when they saie The necessitie of learned Pastors shall be so well supplied as we shall haue no no great cause to complaine for lacke of them they séeme in these words
our Brethren héere set downe and all their platforme in this their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiastical gouernment to be the increasing of the glorious kingdome of our sauiour Christ and wilâ—uâ—lie and wittinglie contemne it or neglect it I hope none of vs doth so and if we could sée anie substantiall grounded reasons of our Breth to moue vs therevnto we praie God and hope God woulde heare our praiers that wee might forsake all worldlie liuings yea life and all rather than we should not ioyne with theÌ„ And brotherlie charitie moueth me to thinke so of them likewise that they doe not striue against their consciences or haue no conscience in that they shouâ—d but that they make conscience of that which they shuld not rather mistake than of purpose they would wittinglie misleade themselues or others Howbeit heerein they are in the greater fault that take on them to controll and teach the teachers and all and doe misteach vs and tell vs Gods word teacheth that which it doth not teach and terrifie vs with the expection of the heauie vengeance of God for this manifest contempt of his expresse commandement yet for these deuises and Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment and discipline which they so much pretend and vrge they haue not hetherto nor hâ—ere doe nor I beleeue euer can shew and proue in expresse wordes anie expresse commandement of our sauiour Christ or anie necessarie consequence to infer it which if we might once see and then should make a manifest contempt or anie contempt at all thereof then should we haue right good cause to tremble and quake to mourne and expect the heauie vengeance of God except God in the infinite treasurie of his mercies surmounting all his workes al our sinnes did giue vs his comfort and forgiue vs our sinnes through our Lord onelie sauiour Iesus Christ. But vntill this expresse commandement or anie other necessarilie inferred for this Ecclesiasticall gouernment that our breth in this Learned Discourse prescribe be shewed and made manifest I hope that in the testimonie of a good conscience being iustified by faith wee may haue peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue aceesse by faith into this grace or fauour â—herin we stand and glorie in the hope of the glory of the sonnes of God Rom 5. And as this is the anker of our hope so good Breth once againe in the feare of God I exhort you to take heed how ye pretenâ— Christs expresse commandement so peremptorilie and cannot shew it to consider with what boldnesse ye may take vpon you that sentence of S. Paule saying In the meane time we may boldlie saie with the Apostle Act. 20. VVe testifie vnto you this day that we are clâ—aâ—e froÌ„ the bloud of you al for we haue not failed to shew you the whole counsell of God concerning the regiment of his Church And dare ye indeede this boldlie vsurpe vpon you these wordes of the Apostle and adde withall vnto them as a distinct part of the sentence that in the same seuerall Charecter as the verie expresse words of the Apostle which were neither his wordes nor yet his meaning for anie thing that can be necessarilie gathered on those wordes of the Apostle these words of your owne more superfluous addition concerning the regiment of the Church But see how affection many times may carry wise learned men awaie But if this platforme be either councell or commandement either expressed or of necessitie implied Shew it as Saint Paule saith that he shewed all the councell of God and straight we yeeld Or else giue vs leaue in the name and peace of God and in the freedome of the Gospell with a safe conscience to dessent from it The Argument of the 7. booke THE 7. Booke concerneth the ministration of the Sacraments first whether they may he ministred by a Minister that is no Preacher and without a Sermon at the ministration of them Whether this be alwaies in Baptisme any necessarie part contained in the institution of it Whether the Apostles or other Preachers were alwaies their selues the baptizers of such as they conuerted How neere our Breth assertions heerein drawen to the positions of the Anabaptists Whether the Lords supper may not be truly administred though by no preacher or if by a preacher yet not preaching at the ministration thereof Whether Christ preached at the ministration of it Whether preaching were alwaies necessary in Circumcision and the Pascall lambe What the word shewing foorth the Lords death inferreth and that all the communicants are such preachers Whether the Homilies exhortations in the booke prescribed set not fully forth the Lords death What was the practise for this point in the Apostles times and in the Primitiue Church Whether the worde that is ioyned to the element to make a Sacrament is to be necessarilie vnderstod of preaching Whether our formes praescribed in the Sacraments ioyne the word and the element sufficientlie or no. Whether the Papists though they wanted the true Supper of the Lord had not true Baptisme for all their corruption of the same How many kindes of preaching Caluine maketh and what kinde is necessarie in the Lordes Supper What words by Caluine Musculus Beza Olleuian Hellopaeus c. make a true perfect Cosecration Whether in the reformed Churches of Heluetia c they are preachers onelie that minister the Sacraments How the seale and writing are to be ioyned alwaies together and we so haue them Whether our Breth prohibite none to preach whom they prohibite not to minister the Sacraments Whether we inferre womens Baptisme whether Baptisme on occasion of necessitie may be ministred in priuate places and whether there be anie necessitie at all of Baptisme and of the dangerous positions contradictions inconueniences absurdities of our Breth in these matters especiallie of this their Canon where there is no minister of the word there ought to bee no minister of the Sacraments What is principall what necessarie in the Sacraments of the affinitie coniunction separation of preaching and administring the Sacraments HEtherto saie our Brethren we haue somewhat at large set forth the principall parte of a Pastors office which is to preach the worde of God and to instruct the people committed to his charge in the same Heere followeth now in the second part of his duti which confisteth in right administration of the SacrameÌ„ts of God For seeing it hath pleased God to adde such outward signes to be helps of our infirmitie as seales for confirmation of his promises vttered by his word Rom. 4.11 Hee hath appointed Ministers of the same to deliuer them vnto his people Matth. 28.19 Luke 22.19 For no man may take vppon him anie office in the Church but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 3 4. Seeing therefore that God hath giuen some to be Pastors in the Church Ephes
excellency comprised in this compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than if he had symply sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewe yee and therefore our Brethen doe well translate it you shall shewe foorth And in a sort this may be called preaching And Musculus note theron is very good wherin also hee vseth this note preaching in an improper sense saying Neither must this bee ouerpassed that hee simply sayth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is you doe declare but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is you doe cheefely or moste of all declare For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this composition hath a force of a signification to be bent thereto The Apostle deliuered vnto them not any light memory of the Lordes death in three our foure wordes by the way and sleightly but in greate earnest and publique shewing foorth to be perfourmed and to bee preached out as of a benefite incomparable to be astonished at So that here is a kind of preaching in an inproper vnderstanding comprehended as Caluine also calleth it saying Nowe Paule adioyneth what manner of memory should be celebrated to wit with giuing of thankes Not that the whole memory consisteth in the confession of the mouth For this is the cheefest thing that the vertue of the death of Christe shoulde be sealed vp in our consciences Howbeit this knowledge ought to kindle vs vnto the confession of prayse that we should preach before men that which wee thinke within before God The supper therefore is that I may so speake a certaine memoriall which ought perpetually to endure in the Church vntill the last comming of Christe instituted vnto this end that Christe might admonish vs of the benefit of his death and that we might recognize the same before men Whereupon also it hath the name of the Euchariste Therefore that thou mayest orderly celebrate the supper thou shalt remember that of thee is required the profession of thy faith Heereupon it appeareth howe impudently they mocke God that boaste they haue in their masse any kinde of Supper For what is the Masse for I speak not of the papists but of the Pseudo-Nichodemites he meaneth those that openly come to Masse for feare of persecution and thinke it is inough that they secretelye come also to the Communion and to the gospell as Nichodemus came to Christ by night for fear of the Iewes that it is stuffed with detestable superstitions they faine by the externall gesture that they allowe them What kinde a preaching of the death of Christe is this Doe they not rather forsweare the same So that this preaching which héere Caluine speaketh of is not that which is proper to a preacher and whereof Christ saide before to his Disciples as our Brethren therein vsed the worde rightly Marke 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye forth into the whole world preach the Gospell But it is such an improper kind of peaching as belongeth in generall to all men And therefore it is far better simply to vse Pauls word who saith not neither was it his meaning yee shall preach the Lordes death but yee shall sâ—ewe forth the Lordes death till his comming Who are these that hee sayth should shewe it foorthe Doth hée speake héere vnto Preachers or not rather to all the Corinthians men and Women that shoulde bée communicanteâ— of these Mysteries So often as you who are these you You that shall eate of this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe And what shall these doe You shall shewe foorth the Lordes death vntill his comming If now hée meant Preaching by this shewing forth then must all the people men and Women bee Preachers that bée no Ministers of the Worde and Sacramentes So that héereby wée may moste playnely sée howe our Brethren to thrust in a necessity of preaching to bée alwayes had at the administration of this Sacrament spare not to wrest and abuse saynt Paules wordes to a necessary importing of that which by no direct sense they can bée drawne vnto Bullinger bréefely and as it were in a worde telleth vs in his marginall note thereon what this shewing forth meaneth Annunciare mortem Domini est laudare gratias agere domino To shewe foorth the Lordes death is to prayse and giue thankes vnto the Lord. Whereupon it is called Eucharistia a Thankesgiuing Musculus mée thinketh very well Parapharastically settes out the full meaning of these wordes This Institution of the Lordes Supper being receyued of the Lorde him-selfe haue I deliuered vnto you Whereupon yee may perceyue that yee eate not a Supper priuate of euery one of you but a common and a mysticall Supper instituted vnto the memory of our common redeemer and this can yee not bee ignorant of For so often as yee eate this breade and drinke of this Cuppe you beeing thus of mee trayned vp doe shewe foorth and preache the death of the Lorde whereof yee are partakers not some onelie seperately but all in common Whereupon yee mought inough haue beene admonished with what faith and with what concorde communicating yee ought to eate this Supper in the memory of his death This I take to bee the right sense although the vulgaâ—e translation haue these wordes in the future tence after this manner For so often as ye shal eate this Breade and shal drinke of this cuppe ye shall shew foorth the Lords death vntil he come Erasmus translateth it euen as wee read and doe expound it There are that reade the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Imparatiue moode Doe yee shew forth But this little word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for being causall or importing a cause fauoureth not that sense They doe iudge that the Apostle in these wordes expounded and withall commaunded howe the Corinthians ought to celebrate the remembraunce of the Lorde that is to witte so that as often as they shoulde eate this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe they shoulde shewe foorth his death As though he desired also this thing to haue bin in them because that in this mysticall memorial supper they did not set foorth the Lordes death Euen as wee see the sacrificers to celebrate their Masses that they make altogether no shewing of the Lordes death For those thinges that separately or by themselues they say cannot be accounted for this shewing foorth For they say theÌ„ both being tourned away from the people and in a tongue vnknowen to the Church and vnder such a silence that they can not be perceaued no not of those that knowe the latine tongue This is a manifest breach of Christes institution and of the Apostles interpretatioÌ„ If the Lords supper were so administred in any place with vs we did not kéepe Christes institution nor did it in his remembrance nor shewed foorth his death as these Corinthians and these Papistes did not But with vs God be praysed for it it is neuer administred by anie so simple a minister but though he be not able
the word of faith that we prech With the which out of doubt baptisme is also consecrated that it may be able for to cleanse For Christ being the vine with vs with the father beeing the husbandman loued his Churche and gaue himselfe for it Reade the Apostle and see what he adioyneth that he might sanctifie it sayth hee clensing the same with the washing of water in the worde This word of faith auayleth in the Church of God so much that by the same it clenseth the beleeuer the offerer the blesser the dipper yea the infant being so little a one although he be not yet able with the heart to beleeue to righteousnesses and with the mouthe to confesse to saluation This is doone altogether by the worde whereof the Lorde sayth Yee are nowe cleansed for the woorde that I haue spoken vnto you I thought it not amisse to set downe at large the whole sentence not onely for the notablenesse thereof touching other matters but for feare of cauilling least our Brethren might say I left out the word preached here twise named But that we should plainely sée he speaketh heere of preaching it in such sense as although it comprehende the proper action of the preacher yet withall we sée it stretcheth to the publike confession of all Christians And the worde that here most especially he speaketh of that the Disciples were clensed for or through the worde that Christe spake vnto them although this sentence of Christe Io. 15.3 be a part of that notable sermon that he had after his sacramentall supper yet these wordes that he maketh relation vnto supposing they were spoken before the supper were no preaching nor any part of preaching but spoken by Christe vnto Peter when he came to him among the residue to wash his féete as appeareth in the storie hereof Ioh. 13.5 c. After that he powred water into a basyne and beganne to washe the Disciples feete and to wipe them with the towell wherewith he was gyrte then came hee to Simon Peter who sayde to him Lorde doest thou wash my feete Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto him what I doe thou knowest not nowe but thou shalt knowe it hereafter Peter sayde vnto him thou shalt neuer wash my feete Iesus aunswered him if I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with me Simon Peter sayde vnto him Lorde not my feete onely but also the hande and the head Iesâ—â— sayde vnto him he that is washed needeth not saue to washe his feete but is cleane euerie whitte And yee are cleane but not all Shall we nowe saye heere that Christ made a Sermon Indéede if our Brethren meane the preaching of the worde in this sense that it is preaching though onely it be thus briefely spoken by the Minister to the ende the people may better vnderstande and beleeue the worde in that sense I holde well that in the Lordes supper the worde of God concerning the death of the L. should alwayes be so preached As Oleuianus also sayth on these words Rom. 10.8 This is the worde of faith the which we preach Note a difference between the true word of God which is preached to this end that faith coÌ„uersion may be in the hart the magical word which is pronounced vpon the thinges that it might worke something on the thinges that are set or grafted or else that a power should be ascribed to the syllables Example the gospell of Iohn is the worde that we preach In the beginning was the word sayth Iohn he teacheth to trust in Christ the true God he teacheth that all things are made by him The end is that I should beleeue not that I should driue away tempests The whole Masse is magicall although they recite the Gospell and mutter it vpon the hoast because it is not the worde of faith that is preached If it be not preached that it may be vnderstoode or that vertue be ascribed to the syllables the which resideth in God alone so that it is due to him alone and this is Magicall So they that saye when the woordes are pronounced ouer the breade then it is the bodie it is Magicall Christe pronounced not the woordes ouer the breade but preached his death at the table to his Disciples with the wordes and with the tokens and that they might vnderstande to what ende those tokens were instituted In baptisme the Papistes vse muche Magike Out of the 7. of Mark they say Ephata that is be opened as Christ said vnto the deafe man And by the vertue of wordes they will include the holy Ghost into the water Al these things are not the word of faith that we preach Paul knoweth no other word of faith thaÌ„ preching not murmured Here lighteth the absolution Auss an Boden euen froÌ„ the very bothome or froÌ„ the messengers made vpon the head by the vertue of the words Act. 10. to him giue all the Prophets witnes c. Peter muttreth not wordes vpon the heads of euery one of theÌ„ but preacheth of Christ the promise of the Gospell confirmed by the testimonie of al the Prophets and the holy Ghost fell vpon the hearers Thus sayth Oleuian So that preaching being vnderstood in this generall sense as not only it may signifie such a solemne sermon as Peter there made Act. 10. but also as may comprehende the words of our Sauiour Christ at the table when he instituted his mysticall supper If the worde want his preaching in this maner in our administration of the sacraments then indéed our brethren might haue some cause to say that we maintain the elements of the world dead beggerly elemeÌ„ts yea that although we haue the word it were but a magicall murmuring of it But becommeth it our Breth to bestowe these spéeches vpon the outward signes of the sacraments when they are animated and enriched with the worde of God in such order as Christ instituted theÌ„ and the Apostles practised theÌ„ Is this to separate either the word or preaching of the worde from the sacraments But our Breth only vnderstande by preaching such a further exposition exhortation vpon this matter as the learned Minister shal at his discretion amplifie set foorth the same with all And can our Breth proue that this maner of preaching the word is either any such substantial part of the sacraments or any such inseparable accident therunto that except it also be annexed the life that animateth the elements the treasure that enricheth them which is the promise word of God is separated from them Is not in baptisme the word of God it selfe being not magically murmured but clearely with vnderstanding spoken conceaued with vnderstaÌ„ding beleeuing of the hearer if he haue capacitie to heare and vnderstand and beleeue yea though he haue not as infantes haue not this life riches of the elemeÌ„t vnderstanding the word as it is ioyned with the spirit that animateth
the whole Church but onely such prayers as he his owne selfe eyther hath before hande made and conned by roate or such as without any premeditation or committing to memorie he doth in his head conceaue euen as he vttereth them with his mouth and so at that instant make them this we vtterly deny And not to suspect here wtout good cause that our Breth vnderstand this terme of making publike prayers in this sense not only their wordes here following do plainely expounde their meaning when they saye It apperteyneth to the Pastor to conceaue publike prayers and it is a common phrase among our Brethren that such and such a one is an excellent conceauer meaning that he can make godly prayers but also that they can not away with formall reading as in contempt they call it and a prescribed forme of prayer But to confute this and to proue that a prescribed forme of the diuine seruice for the publike prayers besides the reading of the scriptures in appointed courses and orders is a thing lawefull and profitable First the Iewes had the same before and in and after Christes time not onely as perteyning to the ceremoniall but to the morall lawe for the obedience of the first table perteyning to the worshippe of God Numb 6.22 c. The Lorde spake to Moses saying speake vnto Aaron and to his sonnes saying thus shall ye blesse the children of Israell and say vnto them the Lorde blesse thee and keepe thee the Lorde make his face to shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee the Lorde lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace c. And although they had many of their publike prayers beeing mixt with hymnes thankesgiuings not onely sayde but song also yet were they such not only as their selues made or conceaued were they neuer so learned men but such as either Moses or Samuell or Dauid or Esdras or some other Prophete especially appointed thereunto by God had drawen out and prescribed vnto them As may appeare 1. Chron. 9. where after he had shewed ver 22. c. how Dauid and Samuell the feer had established the porters and other officers ver 33. he sayth And these are the singers the chiefe fathers in the Leuites which dâ—elt in the chambers and had none other charge For they had to doe in that businesse day and night And speaking of Dauid who made the most paâ—t of the Psalmes in the 16. Chapter ver 4. And he appointed certaine of the leuites to minister before the Arke of the Lorde and rehearse and thank and praise the Lorde God of Israell And vers 7. Then at that time Dauid did appoint at the beginning to giue thankes to the Lorde By the hande of Asaph and his brethren Whereon sayth the Geneua note Dauid gaue them this psalm to prayse the Lorde signifying that in all our enterprises the name of God ought to bee praysed and called vpon psalme 105. Thus doe our brethren apply these doinges of Dauid vnto our estate And in the 25 chapter ver 2. He mencioneth those that were vnder the hande of Asaph which sang prophesies by the commission of the king Thus did Asaph then set foorth the publike prayers endited prescribed by Dauid Although he as diuers think conceiued made many psalms and Prayers and prescribed then to others Likewise 2. chron 29. verse 27. And Ezekiah commaunded to offer the burnt offering vpon the Alter and when the burnt offering began the song of the Lorde beganne with the trumpets and the instruments of Dauid king of Israell and all the congregation worshipped singing a song c. All which orders and formes of publique prayer at the Diuine seruice though the Iewes afterward corrupted Esdras after the captiuitie recollected set againe in order Which though they were eftsoones corrupted and intermingled especially with the Pharisees traditions yet til and in the time of Christe they had at the diuine seruice the ordinary courses of reading the Lawe and Prophets as appeareth by S. Luke 4. vers 16.17 c. Where the booke of the Prophet Esay was deliuered to Christ. And by that saying in the person of Abraham to the rich glutton they haue Moses and the prophets let theÌ„ hear them Luke 16.29 Which Paule testifieth in his sermon to the Antiochians Acts. 13.27 For the inhabitants of Ierusalem and their rulers because they knewe him not nor yet the wordes of the prophets which are read euery saboth day c. And that this was the auntient order Iames the byshop of Ierusalem in the determination of that famous assembly holden by the Apostles Act. 15. ver 20. sayth For Moses of olde time hath in euery city them that preach him sithe that hee is reade in the synagogues euery sabboth day And heere also is the publique reading called a preaching With which exercises they especially adioyned the reading also of the Psalmes and other solemn publique prayers of the Scripture For which principal cause Christ saith of the Temple Math. 21.13 It is written mine house shall bee called the house of prayer c. And Act. 3. Peter and Iohn went vp together into the Temple at the ninth hower of prayer Which orders were of Christe so little improoued that not onelie as Luke declareth cap. 11.1 that one of the Disciples sayde vnto him Maister teach vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples desiring that they might haue some prescribed form of praier set downe vnto them but that also Iohn baptist had taught some forme to his Disciples Which request Christe did so little mislike that he himselfe also taught his Disciples among other preceptes a prescribed forme of prayer which the Euangelists wrotte and all Christians doe vse as the Lordes prescription Which is a strong warrant vnto vs that so long as all formes of prayers are according to that platforme of prayer they may most safely be prescribed For it serueth not only for priuate but for publike prayer Nowe although besides this onely forme of prayer prescribed by Christ we finde no form set out that the apostles or the primitiue church immediately after them did vse or prescribe to be vsed because they hauing that full measure of the spirite of God namely the Apostles Euangelistes Prophets Bishops Pastors and Elders yea the moste of all the faythfull people in these dayes so that they might well make conceiue their publique prayers before the Congregation euen as the spirite of God suggested in their heart gaue them vtterance in their mouths yet because that in the publike assemblies the Apostles prescribed the writteÌ„ scriptures to be read as Col. 4. ver 16. And wâ—en this epistle is read of you cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also that ye likewise read the Epistle writâ—en from Laodicea and as they vsed that so no doubt did they vse to read in their publike assemblies the
aforesayde made altogether vnprofitable to them But they are so say they to a great number I graunt to a great number what may not be made vnprofitable both prayers priuate and publike sacramentes preaching and all Howbeit they are not directly and of themselues made vnprofitable vnto them but by the parties owne default and abuses of them I confesse none knoweth the right vse of publike prayer but they that are taught by the worde of God And may we not so say likewise of priuate prayer Tell them this that suffer not the worde of GOD to be taught among them but to haue the people in the diuine seruice to heare and to pray they wotte not what We are thankes be to God as careful that Gods word should be syncerely and plainely taught as that publike prayer should be made And therefore we ioyne these together both where preaching is where preaching is not that yet the word of God should be taught withall whensoeuer we assemble to make our publ prayers that we may not onely speake to God but may heare God also speaking in his worde to vs and teaching vs. Hereupon our Brethren séeming to wish vs well exhort vs saying let vs therefore establish publike preaching and publike prayers will followe of necessitie This séemeth to be a charitable motion of our Brethren but sée how sclenderly it is grounded vpon charitie For where they exhort vs to establish publike preaching as though alreadie it were not established among vs but suppressed or altogether neglected what can they say of vs if preaching be established among vs more vncharitable and more sclaunderous Haue not their selues before confessed that wee haue had reste and peace this 25. or 26. yeares with the the free preaching of the Gospell Pag. â—8 And in their preface that the true holy faith concerning the substaunce of religion is of vs publikely maintained And that in our profession and preaching we haue hissed out the hereticall opinion of the papistes that the sacramentes conferre grace of the worke wrought c. pag. 62. And if they woulde not confesse these things woulde not all the worlde cry out shame on them in a matter so apparaÌ„t that the very publike aduersaries of vs crie out against vs for nothing more than that publike preaching is among vs established in-deede not so publike that euery publicane nor euerye pharisee neither may be established a publique preacher but good reason hee shoulde be tried and authorized thereunto before he take vpon him publique preaching And so perhaps may a number be suppressed or rather by their factiousnes busiosity represse theÌ„selues are their own causers that they be not permitted But yet is publike preaching so far foorth established that not only all that are lawfully called thoght sit thogh they haue but the meaner gift of preaching are allowed but also the meanest of all if hee be otherwise aunswerable to his calling is assigned publikely to read both the worde of God and the preaching of it For what are else the homelies and other sermons though written by other and publikely read by him authorized thereunto but a publike preaching alsoof Gods worde and when publike preaching is al these wayes established yea euen where a learned preacher is not nor can bee alwayes present canne our Brethren rightly affirme that publike preaching is not established But say they Let vs establish publike preaching and publique prayers will follow of necessity And God be praysed so they followe And that also argueth that we haue established publike preaching For if the prayer followe on the preaching and teaching as the Disciples desired Christe to teache them howe to pray Luke 11. verse 1. And we haue true and Godly publike prayer which followeth of necessity on true and godly publike preaching It is a good argument from the effectes to the causes that the word of God is truely and Godly taught and preached publikely amongst vs and that the publike preaching of it is established So that while they cannot deny but that hee haue established among vs the effectes which are by their owne saying publike prayers will they or nill they they must needes yeelde that wee haue established already the thing that they exhort vs to establish Sith publike preaching must of necessitie go before if publike prayers doe of necessity follow But say they if we continue to vpholde formall prayers that preaching bee neglected it will come to passe that neither shall be regarded Heere our Brethren turne all againe to formall prayers and what are these formall prayers are they not publike prayers wherof they spake before or else howe speake they to the purpose and may they not be formall and publike too what woulde they haue them vnformall and deformed or doe they meane they be but pro forma tantum If they doe so they offer not onely great iniury vnto those publike praiers but also vnto many good men that with harty deuotion in true faith humility doe publikelie powre them foorth with their Minister vnto God And what if some abuse them vsing them only for an outwarde formalitie without inward affection Doe not they as ill that thus openly contemne them albeit their selues set out and that in much like form other formall prayers too yea some of them the very same formal praiers that our publike formal praiers are except here and there in very déede pro forma tantum a word or phrase or sentence a litle transformed And should their publike formall prayers too only because they are formal be thus formally flouted and reiected or must we receiue and vphold their formall praiers may we not continue to vphold ours And here by the way if we continue to vpholde them then wee haue them Which confirmeth that I said before that then haue wee much more also and doe vpholde and establish the publike preaching which their selues say is the antecedent and cause of them Yea but if we continue to vphold them say they that preaching be neglected and should we not vphold theÌ„ because preaching may be or is neglected I thinke we haue cause rather to vpholde them and to fasten better hold on them that preaching may not be neglected but vpholden For if publ prayer follow publike preaching yea now then go before preaching We hope also it wil often ioin with it and will alwaies helpe to vphold establish it And that so long as Aaron and Hur doe continue to vphold or to holde vp Moses handes the true Israelites that fight with Gods word shal preuail and vphold themselues against Amalek al the enimies of Gods church What haue our brethren forgotteÌ„ this that they granted vnto before pag. 55. to be the best means to vphold and encrease preaching Especially coÌ„sidering the greatnes of the haruest and fewnes of the laborers by praying earnestly the Lord of the haruest in this gret necessity of ours to thrust
inquirie must bee made by witnesses Signifieng that the complainers must not easilie bee beleeued Moreouer that the fame and name of those that are good must bee fauoured that they bee not openlie defaced with euerie small rumour First heere I take Priest or Elder by office and age that is the Ministers must not bee condemned except diligent inquisition be had Neiâ—her onely the Ministers but all persons of graue yeeres For vnto whome God hath giuen a good name and grauitie of age it behoueth to worshippe them in the place of parents Therefore diligent heede is to be had that the defamers bee not rashlye beleeued against such persons Moreouer because such Priests or Elders were Iudges and Senatours Ecclesiasticall that corrected other for their sinne according to the reason of their fault it is credible that they incurred the offence of many insomuch that they shoulde not want backbiters It was therefore a matter worthy of admonition that nothing shoulde rashly bee credited against them Neither followeth it therevpon that witnesses shoulde bee had onely in these and in other they must proceede without witnesses yea rather because in these grauitie is required he teacheth that the same must be had in euery Ecclesiasticall iudgement In the meane time there are many light and childish matters in which neither the integritie of the fame nor name is touched wherein there is no neede of like rigour Let vs therefore establish this for a common rule that in all Ecclesiastical iudgement the president or gouernour must haue care that in a godly and holy sorte inquisition may be made of mens sinnes Thus doth likewise Aretius drawe this precept of Paule to Timothie to a generall rule that in the consistorie in criminall causes euen agaynst a Minister whome he calleth also a Praesident ouer the people the hearing that the Bishop is a higher Praesident aboue him and hath the admittance and his iudging of the matter And what differeth Beza herein from these Against an Elder sayth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greekes referre this to men of more auncient yeeres which to mee seemeth verie absurde For although somewhat ought to be giuen to the hoare head yet I see no cause why in this point the condition ought not to be alike But in a Priest there is a farre other reason because it is certaine that Sathan layeth his snare chieflie against this sort of men And for that cause none are so much thrall to slaunders and backbitings In hearing therefore the accusations of them there is most neede of great heedfulnesse But thou wilt saie what is that Heere mee thinkes some haue stumbled while they thinke that nothing is heere praescribed of Paule which in all iudgements is to bee obserued And therefore they sweate much in vntying this knotte and doo manifestlie wreast the wordes of the Apostle insomuch verily that some which thing Erasmus out of a certayne Epistle written by Saint Ierome to Marcella rehearseth doo cleane blotte out all that member following and then expounde it receiue not that is receiue not easilie Howbeit I doo not suppose anie difficultie to bee heere for it is one thing to admit the accusation and anotherthing to absolue or condemne the accused But this is the office of a iudge to heare anie that will accuse whom afterward if they shall not throughly proue him guiltie he may chastise according to their deserts But for all this when as a Priest is accused the Apostle would haue a certaine peculiar thing to be obserued that no man shoulde bee admitted no not so much as to accuse him except before hand afore two or three witnesses he shall cause his accusation that is to come to bee beleeued So that the Priest be not straight waie condemned or the cause heard in his absence But that after it shal appare that it wil not be a friuolous accusatioÌ„ That then at the length the guiltie partie shall be called and that it shall bee lawfullie determined on the whole matter But I finde the cause of this Apostolicall constitution to be two folde to wit because as I said right now none are alike thrall vnto slaunder as are godly Doctors And then because in a manner no priuate iudgement can bee ordained against a Priest sith that it must needes bee ioyned with the publike offence of the whole Church Insomuch that although hee bee absolued notwithstanding some imfamie therevpon shall redound to the whole Church and that there should bee neede of great caution not onelie in iudging him but also in admitting his accuser Moreouer we must note out of this place that Timothie in the Ephesine Presbiterie was then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Antistes the Bishop as Iustine calleth him not that he should doe all things as he listed but that for his godlinesse and wisedome hee shoulde moderate all things that all things in the assemblie should bee well done and in order Thus doth euen Beza also not onelie acknowledge Tymothie to haue bene the Bishop of the Church of Ephesus but also that both he had and euerie Bishop by this rule ought to haue this authoritie of moderation whether anie accusation and how farre forth shoulde be admitted against a Pastoral Elder and in hearing and determining the cause to be his iudge Which authoritie in so great a Consistorie as then and there was beeing singled and separated out from other vnto him how had other anie parte with him of the same And as it was thus in triall of matters pleaded before him so if anie Pastors were found to haue openly offended Timothie againe in the next verse and in Timothie euerie Bishop hath authoritie giuen him ouer anie such pastors openly to reproue them And the reason is aâ—ded by the Apostle That the other also speaking especiallie of the otheâ— Pastors may haue feare From hence saith Aretius is this noble argument drawen Feare in the church is to be confirmed therfore Ecclesiastical iudgemeÌ„ts are grauely to be administred so that sith the Bishops authoritie should be such as shoulde strike feare in the other pastors it is apparant they had not the same nor equall authoritie with him And so Hyperius referreth all this in generall to the authoritie of Bishops though the matter be brought before the Church and that the Bishops should seeme to fauour their sinnes if he dealt not thus And hée concludes in these wordes But of what matter the Priests or Elders may be accused and reproued before the Bishop it were long to dispute And the next verse declares yet further his separate authoritie I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things without preferring one before another and do nothing partially This contestation saith Hemingius wherwith as it were with an oathe Paul bindeth Timothie declareth howe harde the office of a Bishop is And it containeth a verie serious admonition least that in
the sight of so great witnesses God the Father Christ and the elect Angels he calleth these elect for the difference of the reprobate he should doo anie of those things that pertaine to the office of a Bishoppe of priuate affections But that he should doo all things lawfully and orderlie to the glorie of God and to the edification of the Church according to the praescribed Canons preferring none to any thing for priuate causes And speaking of the diuerse readings of this sentence he saith al these readings although they differ in wordes yet they offer the same sentence that is to wit a Bishop according to the Canons praescribed of Paule shoulde doo and iudge al things esteeming more the verity of the cause than the condition of the person Which thing verilie is in common commended to all Iudges Exod. 18. Wherein saith Beza he is sayd of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to giue preiudicate iudgement that accounteth anie man as excel-cellent and choise But a Iudge ought in iudging to laie downe all these opinions as he that sitteth not to iudge of the persons but of the cause c. For a Iudge ought to weigh the rights of the pleaders as it were in a ballance so that he should incline to neither parte Otherwise it will not be a right iudgement But a Iudges authoritie in all such iudgements iâ— the chiefest on the bench whosoeuer sit with him as assistant neither doth he howsoeuer he communicate with other in councell deliberation ioyne anie with him in the authoritie of iudgement the Bishop therefore béeing such a Iudge in these matters pertaining to the Ecclesiastical regimeÌ„t and gouernance of the Church we finde by searching of the Scripture that a Bishop hath authoritie by himselfe separate from other cleane contrarie to our Brethrens saying Neither hath the Bishoppe this authoritie onely concerning their liues and conuersation But for their verie entrie and admittance also into the ministerie al the authoritie of being ordained was to passe by whom so euer they were elected by his onelie ordeining of them as appeareth further verse 23. Laie handes lightlie on no man And although Beza heere doe abridge this his authoritie in ordaining Ministers and saie Laie handes c. that is admit not euerie one lightlie to haue anie Ecclesiasticall function to wit so much as in thee is For neither all the authoritie laie in Timothie alone but by election made of the suffâ—agies or voices or the whole Church as we haue sayd Act. 14. d. 23. and appeareth by the elelection of Matthias and of the Deacons And then afterward the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bishoppe in the name of the Presbiterie did by the imposition of handes consecrate vnto the Lorde the elected partie as is abouesayde 4. d 14. But al this ouer nice mincing serueth not the turne for in the elections which Beza héere citeth for example of like manner there is great difference In the example of Matthias Act. 1. his election was by lot and not by voices nor anie laying on of hands is there mencioned In the Deacons Act. 6. the multitude chose them and the Apostles not anie of the other Elders laide their handes on them And as for the example Act. 14. whereof although we haue seene som what alreadie yet so often as our brethren leade vs to this place which is one of their principall sanctuaries to which they runne it shall not be amisse so often to shew that they claime a wrong priuiledge And first that it was done by the peoples voices holding vp their handes as a testification of their consentes vnto them which the wordes of the text doe not inforce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ordeining by the hande vnto them Priests or Elders by euerie Church although Erasmus interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quum creassent per suffragia and when they had created by voices Elders vnto them whom Caluine followeth saying The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to discerne by holding vp the handes as is wont to be done in solemnities or assemblies of the people And Beza followeth him saying This word sprang of the custome of the Grecians which gaue their voices with their hands held out Wherevpon sprang that decree noted of Cicero for Lucius Flaccus they stretched out their hands And diuerse others most excellent learned among our Brethren and vs followe that translation and albeit our Geneua translation saith And when they had ordeined them Elders by election but adding this note in the margine The word signifieth to elect by putting vp of hands which declareth that Ministers were not made without the consent of the people yet with the good leaue and reuerence of all these singular learned men bee it spoken not onelie no necessitie driueth them to this interpretation but I sée not though I woulde bée right gladde to learne howe it can stande with the sense and reason of the Lert For first the text maketh there no mencion at all of their election wherof we doubt not but that they were not made without the consent of the people But the question is who did make create or ordaine them Whether the people together with Paul and Barnabas or Paul and Barnabas onelie But it is most euident that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is referred onely to Paule and Barnabas and therefore whatsoeuer the people did in voicâ— or hands in the election the handes onely of Paule and Barnabas were in the creating and ordaining of them And although that the Heathen Grecians had such an vse that when a lawe or decree was to bee approued of the people they gaue their consent therunto in their great assemblies by holding vp their hands yet to take the word here in such a prophane sense me thinkes Caluine aunsweres himselfe sufficientlie Notwithstanding the Ecclesiasticall writers vse the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another sense that is to wit in a solemne custome of ordaining which in the Scriptures is called the laying on of hands Moreouer by this forme of speaking is excellentlie expressed the lawfull manner in creating Pastors Paule and Barnabas are sayd to choose the Elders Doe they this alone by their priuate office Yea tather they permit the matter to the voices of them all Therefore in the Pastors that were to bee created there was a free election of the people But that nothing should be done tumultuouslie Paule and Barnabas as it were moderators had the gouernment Thus ought the decree of the Councell of Laodecia to bee vnderstoode which forbiddeth the election to be permitted to the people Thus writeth Caluine Wherein he driueth all to the election But the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth by his owne interpretation and by the Ecclesicall custome in the Scripture the ordination by laying on of handes Aâ— for the election was another matter which then in parte pertayned to the people
confession of their trespasse before a Deacon also that hee laying his hande vpon them for their repentance they may come vnto the Lorde with the peace which the Martyrs in their letters giuen vnto vs haue desired The other part of the people that is fallen nourish ye thē with your presence and refresh them with your comforte that they fall not away from the faith and mercie of the Lorde c. In the next Epistle writing again to the Elders and Deacons hauing receaued letters from them of the same matter he sayth I haue receaued your letters most deere Brethren in the which yee haue written that your wholsome counsell vnto our Brethren is not wanting that setting aside this rash haste making they should giue vnto God a religious pacience that when by the mercie of God we shall come together we may treate of all kindes according to the Ecclesiasticall discipline Especially when as it is written Remember from whence thou hast fallen and repent But he repenteth that is meeke and patient to the commaundements of God and obedient to the Priestes of God and winneth the Lorde with his seruiceablenes and workers Howbeit because you haue signified that certaine are immoderate and doe vrge hastely to receaue the communion and you haue desired a forme to be giuen of me vnto you for this matter knowe ye that I haue fully written for this matter in the last letters that I wrote vnto you And so telleth them as before how they should lay their handes on them and absolue them In the next Epistle writing yet further vnto them on this matter he sayth But I haue read also the letters of all the Confessors which they would haue made knowen by me to al my colleagues and the peace that they haue giuen to come vnto them of which matters so that a reason be apparant before vs what they haue done after the fault committed which thing sithe it tendeth to the counsel and sentence of vs all I dare not iudge it before hande and claime to me onely a matter common And therefore let them stande on the Epistles which I last made an example wherof I haue also sent alreadie to my colleagues he meaneth by this worde Colleagues not the Elders of his Colledge for he wrote to thē but other his fellowe Bishops who haue written that that which wee haue decreed liketh them c. Here with some thinges he will not medle alone but with his Colleagues And yet this decrée he made alone and in his absence as appeareth by the two former Epistles In the 22. Epistle writing to the Elders and Deacons he sayth Least any thing should be hiddē from your conscience most deere Brethren what is written to me I haue sent you a copie of eyther Epistle and I beleeue that which I haue written again to you misliketh you not But this also I ought by my letters to declare vnto you that vppon vrgent cause I sent letters to the Clergie being in the citie and because I should write by Clerkes albeit I know that many of ours are absent and as for those fewe which are there do scarce suffice vnto the daily ministerie of the worke it was necessarie to constitute some newe which shoulde bee sent wit yee therefore that I haue made Saturus a reader and Optatus the Confessor a Sub-deacon Whom we had made a good while since by the last cōmon Clergie Counsell When on Easter day we gaue once and twice the reading or the lesson eyther vnto Saturus or to Optatus With the Priestes or Elders Doctors and Readers we constituted a Doctor of the hearers by the name of Doctors he meaneth the Catechisers as wee shewed of Pantenus Clemens Origene c. examining whether all thinges agreed vnto them that ought to bee in those that are appointed for the Clergie I haue therefore done no new thing in your absence but that which began long a-go by the common counsell of vs all is promoted or aduaunced further necesitie vrging it Thus again doth he in his absēce promote to higher orders in the Clergie as néede required those whom before by their Counsell he had begunne to choose into the Clergie But still for these Priestes or Elders they were in the nūber of the Clergie such as we haue before shewed being Pastors whom he placeth before the Doctors or Catechisers In the 24. Epistle allowing in his absence a portion of his own stipende to helpe the poore persecuted amongest them hee calleth Rogatian compresbyterum his fellowe Elder Not that he had like authoritie to him as Bishop but that he was of the same Priesthoode or Eldership of the worde and Sacraments that Cyprian was And the next Epistle he directeth vnto nine other Bishops whome hée calleth Coepiscopis his fellowe Bishops item Compresbyteris Diaconis in metallo constitutis martyribus c. and also to his fellowe Elders and to the Deacons placed in the mines the Martyrs of God the Father Almightie and of Iesus Christ the Lorde God our Sauiour c. And thus calling the one companie his fellowe Bishops being none of them Bishop of Carthage where he only was the B. though absent yet was not Carthage being so great a citie destitute of Pastors and calling the other sort Compresbyteros and placing these Elders betwéene Bishops Deacons and withal distinguishing them from both of these and giuing them the terme that S. Peter doth of Compresbyter fellow Elder which S. Peter ascribeth to the Pastors it is most manifest that he meaneth only by those Elders suche as were ministers of the word and Sacraments but not Bishops In the next and last booke of his Epistles he speaketh little of them and writeth seldome to them In the 4. Epistle writing to two Elders that had beene constant in persecution he citeth vnto thē as part of their dutie this sentence of Christ Mat. 28. Goe and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste teaching them to obserue whatsoeuer I haue commanded you c. when ye shall shew forth these precepts you haue kept the diuine and heauenly commandements To conclude the last of all his Epistles is not the least to cōfirme this matter what was the dignitie and office of these Elders that were assistantes to the B. in such great Cathedrall Churches such famous Cities as was Carthage Cyprian to the Elders and to the Deacons to all the people his most deere and best beloued Brethren greeting Most dere Brethr. I haue to signifie vnto you that which I haue thought appertayneth to the common reioysing and to the greatest glory of our church For knowe ye being admonished instructed by the diuine fauour that the Elder Numidicus is to be enrolled in the number of the Elders of Carthage and that he sit in the clergie being famous with
the manner of the Nouatians that are at Constantinople In like manner at Caesarea of Cappadocia and in Cyprus the Elders and the Bishops expound the Scriptures euermore on Saterday and on Sonday at euening by candle light The Nouatians that are at Hellespont keepe not in all pointes the like manner as doo the Nouatians that are at Constantinople but for the more parte they followe the order of the chiefe Church among them To conclude in all the formes of religions sects you shall neuer finde two that in the maner of their praiers agree among themselues Furthermore at Alexandria an Elder preacheth not which custome hath had his beginning since the time that Arius disturbed the Church And here at length is noted where onely and vppon what occasion the Elders preached not Howbeit he saith not that heerevpon they were prohibited vtterlie the ministerie of the word and Sacramentes For as hee shewed before lib. 2. cap. 8. the verie Deacons out of whole order the Elders were made did saie the publike praiers before the people But this the Elders ceasing of preaching how long tiâ—e after Arius troubles it began at Alexandria how long time it continued he declareth not But in noting the same as such a strange and diuerse order different from al other Churches it declareth that it directly belonged to their office and that in al other Churches the Elders were such as were not prohibited to preach that they preached there also before that occasion did fall out And whereas as a little after hee citeth for not troubling the Church about indifferent things the decree made by the Apostles the Elders and the brethren Act 15.23 it appeareth that Socrates tooke also those Elders that are therâ— mencioned to be no other kinde of Elders than such as medled with teaching And so doth the verie text insinuate that those Elders were when it saith Act. 15.6 The Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter Which matter was a great controuersie in doctrine And Caluine himself saith tâ—ereon Luke saith not that the whole Church was gathered together but those that excelled in doctrine and iudgement they that by reason of their office were lawfull Iudges of this cause it may be that the disputation was holden before the people but least anie shoulde thinke that the people wer admitted indifferentlie to meddle in the cause Luke expresly nameth the Apostles and the Elders as those that were more fit to take notice therof And to shew further who these Elders were he saith on these words When there was great disputing when as the graue men and publike Doctors of the Church were chosen neither yet could they agree among themselues c. And to shew that these Elders in all other Churches werâ— still of thiâ—â—orte Socrates procéeding to his 6. booke chap. 2. telleth that when the Bishoprick of Constantinople was vacant by Nectarius decease which tooke awaie the penitenciarie Elder aforesayde and that they laboured much about the choosing of a Bishoppe and some sought one and some another for that office that they had consulted often thervpon at length it was thought good to call from Antioche for Iohn an Elder of Antioche For the fame of him was great that he was meete to teach them very skifull in the gift of vtterance And in the seuenth booke which Danaeus citeth cap. 2. speaking of Atticus which was afterward likewise made Bishoppe of Constantinople he saith When he first obtained the degree of the Presbyterie Priesthood or Eldership the Sermons which he recited in the Church he made them with great studie and conned word by word afterward by often vse and diligence getting more audacitie he beganne to preach ex tempore on the sodaine occasion and attained to a more popular manner of teaching And in the 5. Chapter he â—eâ—â—eth of Sabatius an Elder among the Nouatians preaching in his Sermon this false doctrine Cursed bee he who soeuer celebrateth the feast of Easter without vnleauened bread In the sixth Chapter be telleth of two Arian Elders preachers and interpreters of the Scriptures Besides that Chap. 16. hee telleth of three Elders Philip Proclus and Sisinius that â—tooâ—â—or the Bishoprike of Constantinople of which Sifinius by the desire of the people hee beeing an Elder not ordained in anie Church within the Citie but of Elea a suburbe of the Citie obtained the Bishoprike Wherby it appeareth also that these Elders had seueral Congregations and Churches in and about the Citie and were Ministers of the worde and Sacraments in them And although Proclus was afterward made Bishop of Cizicum whom the Citie would not receiue but chose onâ— Dalmatius a Monke and so Proclus went not thether but continued in preaching at Constantinople and afterward was made Bishoppe of that Citie after Maximianus which did leade a monasticall life yet by degree of dignitie he was an Elder So that these Presbyters Priestes or Elders were not as Danaeus supposeth a Senate or a Consistorie chosen from among the people assistant to the Bishop and much lesse to euerie Pastor as our Brethr. affirme gouerning onelie the discipline of the Church but not medling with teaching Socrates neuer speaketh of such kinde of Elders but simplie and plainely of such as we call Priests and our brethren call Pastors To conclude this no lesse appeareth in the last Capter saue two of all Socrates Historie euen in Paulus the Bishoppe of the Nouatians Who before his death calling together all the sacred Priestes of the Churches that were vnder him sayde vnto them Prouide yee while I am yet aliue that a Bishoppe may bee appointed vnto you When they aunswered The power of choosing the Bishoppe is not to bee permitted vnto vs. For saie they while one of vs thinketh this another that we shal neuer name one and the same man But wee desire that you woulde designe whome you would haue vs choose Deliuer me then sayd hee this your promise in writing that yee will choose him whom I will name vnto you Which writing beeing made and subscribed with their hande raising vp himselfe a little in his bedde he secretlie they that were present not priuie thereto wrote therein the name of Martian which was one that had obtained to the order of the Elders and therein had learned a rigorous kinde of life and at that time by chance was absent And when hee had sealed vp the writing and had brought the chiefe of the Elders to confirme the same also with their seales he deliuered it to c. I note this onelie that these Nouatians also which were a kinde of Praecisians in that antiquitie hauing for their precise austeritie of life cut off and diuided theÌ„selues from all other Churches albeit in substance and groundes of faith and doctrine not dissenting but in profession of more seuere discipline not onely had their Bishops in the chiefe Cities and many Elders vnder them but
not mencioned Neither is there any circumstance that should encline to such opinion of them but rather to the cleane contrarie Caluine sayth out of this place we may gather that which we had in the 15. chapter that so often as any waightie businesse was to be treated vppon the Seniors were woont to come together that the consultation might bee the more orderly composed without the multitude We shall afterwarde see in their order that the people were admitted Howbeit after that the Seniors had had their Innermore Counsell Sith therefore these Seniors consultation with the Apostles was not onely about manners and discipline but about principall pointes of the substance of doctrine and withall that Caluine referreth vs to these Seniors or Elders in the counsell holden at Ierusalem Act. 15. where Caluine sayde before as he sayth here that all the Churche was not gathered sed eos qui doctrina iudicio pollebant qui ex ratione officij huius causae legitimi erant iudices but those that excelled in doctrine and iudgement and they that by reason of their office were the lawefull iudges of this cause what likelihoode is there that these Elders meddled not with teaching the doctrine which excelled in the doctrine and in iudgment and by their offices were the lawfull iudges in the decision of the controuersies of doctrine But since the oration that is made vnto Paule Act. 21. is by S. Luke set downe in the name of them all albeit some one among them spake it in their names and they were such as of whom Caluine sayth vpon these their wordes to Paule Thou seest brother how manie thousands c. Moreouer they exhort him that taking vpon him a solemne vowe he should purge himselfe c. There is no doubt but that zeale of the Lawe was faultie and verely the Elders doo sufficiently declare that they liked it not For although they do not openly condemne it neither yet complaine thereon more sharply neuertheles because they separate themselues from their affection secretly they confesse that they doo erre If it had bene a zeale according to knowledge it ought to haue begun from them But they striue not for the Lawe it selfe nor they pretend iust reuerence thereof nor they subscribe vnto them that were zealous of the same as they call them therefore they insinuate that they thinke otherwise that they like not the peoples superstition But this ouerthwarteth it that they say Paule was burdened with a false infamie Furthermore when they exact of him a satisfaction they seeme to nourish that zeale c. And againe Neither verely was the libertie of Paule vnknowen to the Elders when as therefore they knew the matter well onely this they wil that it should be witnessed to the vnskilfull and rude that Paule purposed nothing lesse than that hee should bring the Iewes to the contempt of the lawe Wherefore they looke not vpon the bare matter but knowing what was the peoples iudgement of Paule by reason of the malicious backbitings they desire to remedie it Although I knowe not whether they required this of Paul more importunatlie than was meet But heerevppon it appeareth how preposterous is the credulitie or light beleef of men in taking holde of slaunders and howe stiflie an ill opinion once rashlie conceiued cleaueth fast There is no doubte but that Iames and his colleagues did their indeauor to defende the fame of Paul And againe in the meane season wee see howe modestlie the Seniors behaued themselues in nourishing concorde while in good time they preuent the peoples offence excepte in that they beare peraduenture too much with their weaknesse in exacting a vowe of Paule But this moderation is to bee kept in the Church that the Pastors shoulde indeede excell in authoritie but they shoulde not rule proudelie nor despise the residue of the bodie For the distinction of their orders which is the bonde of peace ought not to bee the cause of discorde What can bee more cleere than this that these Elders which spake these things and tooke this authoritie in these matters vppon them were Pastors As Caluine in plaine wordes applyeth all theyr dooings vnto Pastors And yet this more appeareth in his obseruation of that which followeth on the 23. verse Doe this therefore that wee saie vnto thee wee haue foure men which haue made a vowe c. Although it may bee that these he meaneth the foure men wer as yet nouices that therfore their faith as yet were tender and scarse well framed whervpon the Doctors or teachers suffered them to performe the vow that by ignorance they had rashly vowed In these wordes the Elders that before he called Iames and his collegues and of their doings gathered the rule and authoritie of the Pastors he plainlie heere calleth Doctors and teachers And therefore what kinde of Elders these were vnder Iames and the Apostles at Hierusalem we neede seeke no further it is manifest they were not gouernours that medled not with teaching but with ouersight of doctrine and with correction of manners and discipline onelie for as they were teachers and heere taught though not so wel so their chiefest medling was with teaching And that their selues testifie in the conclusion of their Oration saying For as touching those of the Gentiles that haue beleeued â—e haue written decreeing that they should keepe no such thing c. If our Brethren replie that that decree went in the name not onelie of the Apostles and Elders but also of the brethren which in the verse before Act. 15.22 he calleth the whole Church and yet we cannot conclude hereon that therefore the whole Church were teachers Caluine referring vs to that which he noted on that decree saith on the 22. ver Act. 15. Not without the singular grace of God was that tempest ceased that the cause being well discussed all should descend into the consent of the true doctrine The modestie also of the common people is gathered herevpon that after they had permitted the iudgement vnto the Apostles to the residue of the Doctors or teachers then also the people subscribed vnto their decree The Apostles also on the other side gaue a shewe of their equity because they established nothing coÌ„cerning the common cause of all the godlie but the people beeing admitted thervnto For verilie of the pride of the Pastors this tyrannie hath sprong that those things which pertaine to the common state of the whole Church haue bene subiect the people being thrust out vnto the will that I might not saie vnto the lust of a few men But the Apostles and the Elders did prudentlie decree that Iudas and Silas shoulde bee sent to the end the matter might bee lesse suspected Concerning this complaint we haue alreadie aunswered and let them giue the people no more than the notice and approbation so that the debating and determining be referred to the authoritie of those that succéede the Apostles
fellow B a B. of so many years of my Colleague not yet of one yeare am ready to learn how we may render a iust account eyther to God or to men if we punish with spiritual punishment the innocent soules for the offence of another of whome they take not as of Adam in whome all haue sinned originall sinne For if the sonne of Classicianus haue taken from his Father the sinne of the first man that is to bee washed away in the fountayne of baptisme Notwithstanding after hee begat him whatsoeuer sinne his father committed wherein he himselfe was not partaker who doubteth that it pertaineth not to him and what then of so many soules in the whole housholde whereupon if one soule by this seuerity whereby this whole house is accursed should perish in departing out of the body without baptisme the death of the bodies of innumerable men if they bee taken out of the church and killed is not comparable to this losse If therefore you can render a reason of this matter woulde to God you woulde also by writing againe yeeld it that we also might be able to do it But if you can not why shoulde you doe that by any vnaduised passion of your minde whereof if you shoulde be demaunded you can not finde a right reason I haue sayde these thinges yea although our sonne Classicianus hath committed ought that may seeme to you to bee moste iustly punished with accursing Howbeit if hee hath written true letters vnto me neither ought so much as hee alone in his house to haue beene punished with this sentence But hereon I meddle nothing with your holines But only request that you woulde forgiue him asking pardon if that hee shall acknowledge a fault But if you shall wisely acknowledge that hee hath not offended because hee is in the house of faith hath more iustly required that fayth ought to bee kept least it shoulde bee broken there where it is taught doe that which an holy man ought to doe that if that haue happened to you as to a man which thing verily the man of God speaketh of in the Psalme Mine eye was troubled for wrath you shoulde crye out to God Have mercy on mee O Lorde because I am weake that he may reache out his right hande and represse your wrath and caulme your minde to see and to doe righteousnesse For as it is written The wrath of Man worketh not the righteousnesse of God But let vs rather thinke that because wee are men wee liue moste daungerously among the snares of tentations Take away therefore the Ecclesiasticall actes that you haue done beeing done peraduenture more on perturbation And let that charity come agayne betweene you which you had with him while you were yet Catechumenus a scholler or Learner of the Catechism Remoue the strife and reuoke peace Leaste both the man that is your freende perish to you and the Deulll that is your foe reioyce ouer you But the mercy of our God is mighty who also graunt to here mee praying leaste my heauinesse ouer you bee encreased But rather that that which is already sprung vp may be healed and that he woulde erect me by his grace and reioyse your youth not contemning mine olde age I haue set downe this whole Epistle as well for the reuerende stile thereof one Bishop thus writing to another about this matter of Excommunication as cheefely that wee may the more fully perceyue what Saint Augustine dissoloweth and alloweth in this matter For although hee finde fault with this young Bishoppes ouer-hasty Excommunicating of this Gentleman and namely of his whole houshoulde condemning other for that which hee misse-conceyued was his fault yet doth hee not dissalowe his Censure for that hee beeing the Bishop did it him selfe and not others ioyned with him But hee alloweth thereof so it had beene done deseruedly and with mature deliberation and gone no further than to the offending party Yea being done as yll as it was hee entreateth him to vndooe this Ecclesiastical act and to release the Censure of his Curse ascribing the binding and the losing to the Bishop Although therefore Saint Augustine doe often affirme the power of the keyes for opening and shutting binding and losing to bee giuen to the Church yet hee maketh the execution of the same to appertayne onely to the Bishops and Ministers of the word Chrysostome likewise in the east where he ascribeth this power vnto the Church Homilia 2. De Dauide Saule speaking against them that went to the stage-playes from the sermon hee sayth Verily I thinke that many of those which forsooke vs yesterday and went away to the spectacles of iniquity are this day present But I wish that I might openly knowe who these are that I might driue them from the sacred porches Not that they should perpetually tarry without but that being corrected they should return agayn Sith that the Fathers also driue out of the doores and from the table their sonnes that oftentimes offend not that they shoulde bee alwayes banished from thence but that beeing made better by this chastisement they may returne to their Fathers housholds company with due commendation Truely the same thing doe the Pastors also while as they separate the scabbed sheep from the whole That they being eased of their wretched disease may returne agayne safe vnto the sound Rather than that the sicke shoulde fill the whole flocke with that their disease For this cause wee desired also to knowe these But although we bee not able to discerne them with our eyes the word notwithstanding that is the sonne of God will knowe them and will easily perswade them by reproouing their conscience that they shoulde returne of their owne voluntary and willingly teaching that he onely is within which can giue a mind worthy of this exercise As on the contrary hee that liuing corruptly is partaker of this congregation although he stande here present in body hee is cast out and is remooued hence more truely than those that are so shut out of the dores that they may not be partakers of the holy Table For they being expulsed according to the Lawes of God and tarying without are yet of good hope if so bee they will amende their faultes They are cast out by the Church that they may returne againe with a pure conscience c. Heere where hee sayth they are cast out by the Church yet hee wisheth that hee might openly knowe them to the ende that he might denounce the sentence of Excommunication against them and doe as the Father with his disobedient Childe and as the shephearde with his infected Sheepe So that this Censure by these comparisons doth properly belong to the Spirituall Father and Pastor of the people But for the better and more full consideration heereof Let vs see what Chrysostome saith in his seuenty Homily against the custome then of hiring Women mourners for the deade which Homilie he also inserteth into his
in this matter or in anie other among so manie matters mencioned in that whole Epistle or in the other Epistle written to these Corinthians that in weighing withall to whom these words both the whole Epistles were written it is inough to proue for anie expresse word we can finde in them or anie necessarie argument we can gather on them that the discipline of excommunication which S. Paul vsed or willed the Corinthians to vse may be vsed well inough in our Churches without anie such Consistorie of Seniors to be ioyned in authoritie with the Pastors As for that which our Br. adde that publike repreheÌ„sion of many which being godlie refuse to eate with such a one is profitable both to driue himselfe to repentance and to keepe other in order for feare of like punishment I grant this is true But that S. Paule ment those manie to be the Elders of a Consistorie and withall such Elders as were ecclesiastical gouernors and reprehenders but not teachers and that this publike reprehension of manie if it were not of the whole Church might well ynough be made by the publike Minister before them al or in their name and so be a publike reprehension of manie to driue him to repentance and terrifie other and that refusing to eate with such an one might not yea ought not to be of all and euerie one but of such a manie meaning such a Consistorie of Elders that I vtterlie denie And therefore that which followeth Where this discipline is not no maruell if all wickednesse ouerflowe to the dishonor of God and of his Gospel to the destruction of manie and corruption of more to the griefe of the godlie offence of the weake incouragement of the wicked and reioycing of the aduersarie Sith the discipline of this Segniorie that our Brethren woulde bring in is so clean different as we haue séene from the discipline that the Apostle vsed héerein among the Corinthians we haue great cause to take good heede least these daungers might happen to vs not by the want but rather by the admission of this their gouerning and not teaching Seniors discipline And if wee permit those which in the Ministerie of the worde succeede the Apostles when anie such notorious sinners as this person was among the Corinthians shall offend to proceed against them as S. Paule did against him and the Minister to notifie his proceeding to the whole Church and they with all obedience to put in execution those sentences of excommunication and to shunne such offenders coÌ„panie and not to eate with them but rather publikelie to reprehende them this discipline is not to be misliked And our order of excommunication if it be not accidentally abused by anie particular person or occasion is in lawe and effect the verie same As for this deuise of a gouerning Segniorie of not teaching but of dumbe Presbyters Priestes or Elders to be raised vp in euerie Churche or Parish to haue the power and authoritie of this ecclesiasticall discipline as it is nothing like the Apostles practise so our Bretherns vnnecessarie sturres for it hath bredde manie troublesome euents and it is to be feared would soone brede more and greater to the manifest daunger both of her Maiesties Soueraignitie and so of her sacred person to the altering and innouating of the whole State to the disquieting of the orders established in all the Realme and in euerie Church and then what followeth but as our Br. héere conclude To the dishonor of God and of his Gospell to the destruction of many and corrupting of more to the greefe of the godly offence of the weake incouragement of the wicked and reioysing of the aduersary and therefore in my opinion this Seniory were a great deale better suppressed then erected Now vpon these premisses our brethren thus conclude Let vs therefore proceede in setting foorth the authority of the Pastor with the Elders which is first to punish offendors and bring them to repentance or else to cut them cleane from the Church as rotten and infected members This conclusion inferring the authority of the Pastor with the Elders aforesaid these Elders being not yet sufficiently proued to haue any such authority or to be any such Elders at all is a weake conclusion the Bishop or Pastor may do all this well ynough without them except our brethren shall haue better proues to inferre them then as yet we haue heard any But now as though they had already clearely proued these Seniors and their authoritie they procéede from their persons and from this their authority to the offences wherefore this authoriâ—y should be put in practise But heere say they we haue to enquire for what offences the Church may proceede to so sharp a punishment for God forbid that the sword of excommunication should be drawne out to cut off the members of our body for euery small disease that is in them but onely where the disease is deadly and the members rotten thereby for we ought as hardly to be brought to excommunicate any of our brethren as we would haue a legge or an arme cut off from our bodie God forbid as our brethren say very well therein we should proceede to so sharp a punishment that the spirituall sword of excommunication should be drawne out to cut off the members of our misticall body in Christ for euery small disease that is in them Yea rather now and then in some principall members of the naturall body though the disease be deadly and the members rotted thereby yet to cut them straight way off were to hasten the present destruction of all the body We graunt therefore that we ought to be brought very hardly to excommunicate any of our brethren especially such principall parts among them as may endaunger their whole estate Howbeit this resemblance heerein of cutting off a legge or arme from the mysticall bodie and from the naturall is very different euen from the principall point of that excommunication that we speake of and that is in vse among vs. For if we cut off a legge or arme from the naturall body it is done both for vtter despaire that it can neuer be healed and we are assured that being cut off it can by no naturall or artificiall meanes except myâ—aculous be euer againe ioyned to the body but is vtterly without all life and for euer in this world destroyed till the resurrection of the body in the life to come But it is not so in euery Excommunication except onely in the highest and extreamest degrée called Anathematization which is seldome or not at all in vse amongst vs. Whereas in the ordinarie Excommunication it is not an absolute spiritual cutting off the mysticall member but such a conditionall cutting off onely from these and those respects that it is done not only with hope but also euen to the end and purpose of amendment and of restoring Although therefore
these thinges before The Synode preaching with more eloquence and knoweledge too than many of these our Learned Discourses and yet bee no Preachers of the same vnto all others But what is their reason that they imagine none is able to knowe these thinges but teachers and Preachers of the same vnto all all others For say they it is absurde that they shoulde bee taught by such in these small thinges as ought to learne the trueth of them in all matters To an humble minded man and glad to learne this is no absurditie A godly and learned Preacher may eyther bee as ignoraunt or not so skilfull expert or prouident in some thinges yea nowe and then in some of these small things as some other may be that are no Preachers And if controuersies of them be mooued in the Synode consisting of Pastors it is a signe that all the Preachers haue not such knowledge of them but that they also may be to seeke and learne Yea the smaller things they be the Preachers may perhaps haue lesse imployde themselues in the study or search of of such smal thinges or not remember themselues so well as an other lesse learned which is no preacher may And a lowly spirit will not disdaine to learne great matters of his inferior in learning though he be no Preacher Moses learned of Iethro how to dispose his iudgemeÌ„ts more orderlie both in small matters and in great Neither is there indeede if the Preacher set aside all haughtie conceits of his owne singular doings and deuises any absurditie at all or shame herein but that it may beseeme him wel inough and he were better then he is sometimes to take notice and to bee taught of some godly wise learned and experient men that are no Preachers yea and of some women too now and then not only in some such small things but also in matters of great importance as Iudith taught the Elders and Pastors of Bethulia Although I graunt they againe ought to learn of the Preachers the trueth of Gods word in all matters Neither in these diuers kindes of teaching is any absurditie so long as their manner of teaching is not opposite nor that these laâ— persons be take vpon them as an ordinarie office nor do it of arrogancie and controulment nor do it as publike teachers preachers vnto the publike preachers and teachers of them nor do it to defaceand blemish the estimation or authoritie of their teachers and preachers nor doe it in all things but in these thinges Which heere their selues confesse are but small thinges being done in this order they ought to take no scorne to be reueuerently remembred or to be taught of them were it neuer so true that they which are no teachers and preachers ought to learn the trueth of them that are teachers and preachers in all matters which notwithstanding thus again generallie to auouch is a great ouer ouershot For there are many and those good matters besides religion and Eccl. matters and there is also a truth of them and yet men are not bound to learn the truth of them onely at the mouth of the preacher no nor the preacher is bound to know them or can or if he could ought to teach them And therefore this again is too largely spoken for all matters and seemeth to proceede of too great a reach and too high a liking of them-selues and too much incroching vpon others But what now is their conclusion hereupon This authoritie therefore cannot bee graunted vnto anie ciuill Christian Magistrate that without consent of the Learned Pastors and Elders yea against their consent of whome as in some respect hee is a feeling member hee may lawfully make caeremoniall Constitutions whereby the Church must bee gouerned in meere Ecclesiasticall matters Is there no meane but the drift of this conclusion must needes hee directed against the Ciuill Christian Magistrate howe chaunce our Brethren did not looke a litle neerer among them-selues and then they shoulde haue séene howe they had throughly payde and cleane ouerthrowne their Gouernours that are not teaching Elders whome they make to bee a greate part of the Synode in examining and determining Ecclesiasticall causes and Ecclesiasticall regiment and that the pastors can doe nothing without them But when this question commeth blustring in Who shoulde bee able to knowe what order comelinesse and aedification requireth according to Gods worde but they that bee teachers and Preachers of the same vnto all others Dare these Seniors nowe peepe out their heades and say like Gouernours indéede who shoulde we shoulde You what are you we wit ye well we are the Gouernours of all the Ecclesiasticall Discipline and regimeÌ„t Tush tush are ye teachers preachers of the same vnto al others No indeede that wee be not wee can not preach nor teach but wee can rule the matter with you that be teachers and Preachers No no go seeke your rule and Gouernment in other matters If yee bee no Teachers and preachers ye meddle not heere No wit yee well againe yeâ— are not able and much lesse worthie so much as to know what order comelinesse aedification requireth according to Gods worde and so least of all to examine decide and determine the same What ought not you though yee bee Seniors and gouernours to learne of vâ— that are your teachers and preachers wee tell you plainly and roundly at a worde It is absurde that they that are teachers and preachers shoulde be taught by such in these small thinges and it were much more absurde in greater thinges as ought to heare and learne the trueth of them in all matters Loe Howe these bigge and loftie wordes haue vtterlie blanked and giuen checke mate to these our gouerning Elders that we not teachers and preachers But whust wee pray you no more of this for we meant not this against our gouerning Elders though they be neither Preachers nor teachers but wee direct it altogether against the Ciuill Christian Magistrate Yea forsooth my learned Brethren macte virtuâ—e now ye shewe your selues indeede Yerke at the ciuill Christian Magistrate and euer so far as ye may do it with safetie spare not but still come in with one byous â—ling or another at the prince For this is plauâ—â—ble to the people as thogh ye were no accepters of persons in daring to speake almost any thing against the ciuill Christian Magistrate And doth your teaching and preaching tend to this that for feare the ciuill Christian Magistrate shoulde teach you though hee preach not to you another lesson you woulde haue it thoughâ— absurde that they shoulde teach you that shoulde be taught by you as heere you say in all matters yea that they are not able to know what order comelinesse and ediffcation requireth according to Gods worde except they them-selues were teachers and preachers I looked all this while when yet now at the length our Br. would begin to enter in
as they call them but for matters farre more importaunt and necessarie they their selues by their wilfull contumacie beeing the cheefe causes of their owne displacing The Synode therefore ought to bee carefull in ordeining of caeremonies not onely that they bee pure and agreeable to the worde of God but also that they bee expedient for the time and persons for whose vse they bee ordeyned and as wilfull contemners of good orders established by publique authoritie are worthie to bee corrected so intangling of mennes consciences or Tyrannicall coaction in these indifferente matters muste alwayes bee auoyded Still our Brethren giue the whole authoritie in ordeyning of Caeremonies to the Synode Albeit I gladly subscribe thus farre heereto that in ordeyning of caeremonies and so farre as their authoritie to ordeyne reacheth the Synode ought to bee carefull that they bee pure and agreeable to the worde of God But agayne vnderstanding this puritie of them in their owne nature and institution although by corrupting the fame institution they haue beene afterward defiled For these caeremonies that the Apostles and Elders Act. 15. did ordeyne had beene also defiled by the Iewes with great superstition of holinesse in them and erronious opinion of necessitie of the worship of God of the wrought worke of merite and of preferring them aboue fayth in God and the morall commaundements of the Law and yet for all those former so dangerous abuses yea for all the date of them was also expired The Apostles and Elders considering the weakenesse of the ChristiaÌ„s for the most part of the multitude did ordeyn those caeremonies to be vniformely generallie for the time vsed without anie of those errors or corruptions of them And so now in like maner if any caeremonies in their owne nature be not euill or be indifferent and were first instituted onely for purposes that were good though the posteritie degenerating haue corrupted with errors and superstitions thâ—se good caeremonies and so made them euill yet may the Synode now with the authoritie of the Prince confirming them not onely if they thinke it best remooue and abolish those corrupted and defiled caeremonies but also if they see there be needefull and expedient vse of them remoouing all the corruptions defilings and superstitions of them and reâ—â—ning them vnto their first good ends and institutions they haue good authoritie with the Christian Magistrates approbation to reordeine them And so may those caeremonies well be called and holden for all their former pollution pure agreeable to the worde of God But the Synode say they must not onlie haue a care of this point in them but also that they be expedient for the time persons for whose vse they are ordeyned This I graunt likewise And euen therefore wee vse the caeremonies now in our Church ordeyned because they bee expedient for the time and persons for whose vse they are ordeined And contrariwise although we improue not in other reformed Churches their caeremonies different from ours which our Brethren would bring in though their varietie of ceremonies in one state is more to be misliked yet we admit not those caeremonies euen for this because they are considering well the time and persons not so expedient eyther for our time or for our persons but woulde breede great offence to manie among vs and no lesse daunger to the state both of our Prince and of our whole Church also And therefore as we holde vs content with our good and lawfull caeremonies so we accept this that heere they say wilfull contemners of good orders established by publike authoritie are worthy to bee corrected But sith we may well take our orders established by publike authoritie for good orders till they can better than yet they haue beene able prooue them to be ill orders I speake not of the abuses of them but of the orders them-selues according to the ends and institution of them it followeth that they being both wilfull contemners and that is more not onely open breakers but al that euer they can by preaching writing and practising earnest impugners of them they are by their owne verdict worthie to be corrected although we wish rather their amending than their correction And yet let them think of this that whereas the orders that they would erect are not established by anie publike authoritie among vs. What correction then shall men iudge that they are worthy of who being but priuate persons and without all publike authoritie would establish and impose those orders vpon vs As for intangling of mens consciences or tyrrannicall coaction in these indifferent matters that it must alwayes bee auoyded we holde wel therewith neither doe we knowe or allowe of anie such intanglinges or coactions but doe as much mislike it as they doe Howbeit in those matters which in their owne nature are indifferent but not indifferent in their vse being established by publike authoritie we affirme that a dutifull obedience and reuerence may be required and is to be yéelded without anie note or touch of tyrannicall coaction in them that haue authoritie or any intangling of mens consciences that obey them when in the ordeyning of them plaine exception is made both against the opinion of necessitie and of all matter of worship religion and conscience in them and that they are ordeyned onelie for order and comlinesse sake The argument of the 15. Booke THis Booke proceedeth further on the Synods First of the Synods Eccl. Censure for faults and controuersies and whether there would not still be as many and worse then now there are and that euen in the Pastors also Of our Br. remedie by hauing two Pastors at least in euery CongregatioÌ„ and if these two Pastors contend of the remedie by the Synod Of their example in the assemblie Act. 15. Of Timothies Eccl. Censure without Synodes Of Danaeus iudgement in calling Synodes and Councels not without the Princes licence Of the Assemblies of particular and Shire Synods and what authoritie our Br. ascribe vnto them and what daunger they would breede to the whole state How the elections and ordainings of all thâ— Pastors in the Realme should bee made by these Shire Synodes Of the example that they would proue it by Act. 14. in Paule and Barnabas ordeyning Pastors by the peoples election How election by the people is not necessarilie inferred on that example How our Br. exclude their Elders that are Gouernours and not teachers from dealing in these matters Of calling a Synode where any Benefice is vacant or Pastorship voyd in all England VVhat the Synode what the Congregation hath to doe therein VVhether this be the right electing and ordeyning grounded on the word of God practized in the Church 200. yeeres after Christ. VVhether the right of Patrones presentations be prophane and preiudiciall VVhether the Bishops giuing of orders bee presumptuous and full of absurdities and of the 4. absurdities and presumptions whereof they challenge it
partie on whom the hands are laide to be made or consecrate the Pastor or els of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to confirme or strengthen is there any vnaptnesse why this worde may not bee as well and much better vnderstoode for confirming or ordeyning an Elder in his consecrating by laying the hand vpon him which was the action of the Minister onely than by holding vp the hand to his electing which was the action of the people in such places where they were in so great numbers assembled that their Suffrages could not so well be discerned by the confused noyse of their voyces as by the holding vp of their handes for a token of their liking of the partie But in euery Church where Paule and Barnabas went and ordeyned Elders there were not such great numbers of the faithfull people that they should need so to signifie their election by holding vp their handes as Beza thinketh Neither sufficeth it as we haue seene also that Caluin maketh Paule and Barnabas the chiefe moderators least any tumult should arise among the people I like better of that he sayd before vpon this 23. verse therefore Christ did not only send his Apostles to preach the Gospell but he commaunded also that there should be Pastors appoynted that the preaching of the Gospell might be perpetuall in daylie vse Paule and Barnabas doe marke that this order was set downe by Christ whē as they assigned Pastors to euery Church The assignement therefore of the Pastors was the praerogatiue that Paule and Barnabas here chalenged to themselues I graunt they did it not by any imposing Elders vpon them against the peoples liking and good willes but that the good people gaue their good assent vnto those whom Paule and Barnabas assigned to bée their Pastors And this Caluin himselfe here confesseth that Paule and Barnabas are said to choose the Elders Which if it be truely sayde then the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is spoken onely of Paule and Barnabas and not of the people And so Caluin confutes himselfe in gathering thereon a free election of the people For although we may graunt that Paule and Barnabas did not alone so choose and ordeyne them by their priuate office but that it was the consent of thē all yet was not only the moderating but the choosing the assigning and the imposition of handes which was the action of the ordeining was the prerogatiue that Paule and Barnabas here did chalenge and had euen by Caluins owne confession The other example 1. Tim 4. ver 14. Now Timothie also receiued his charge since our Brethren applye it to the example of Pastors I like it very well and this withall is to be remembred For when we alleadge Timothie as an example of Bishops whom they also doe call Pastors they repell this example saying he was an Euangelist therefore no Pastor and now their selues alleadge him as an example for the choosing of Pastors And this I like also that they say of Timothie receiuing his charge although it were through prophecie yet was it done by the imposition of handes of the Eldership 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which wordes doe well expound the other worde being of the like matter and action that y◠other were for ordeyning of Elders And was this a lifting vp of handes too or any election by voyces of the people No. But here was such an imposing of the Pastor on the people as had the imposition of hands Yea but say they of the Eldership Not of say I but with the Eldership And this I graunt but doth this debarre Paule that he only might not haue chosen assigned and appoynted him if any other Elders did in the action of ordayning lay their hands also on him with the Apostle Albeit euen by Caluins owne interpretation we haue seene how in this place the name of Presbiterie or Eldership maye be aswell vnderstood for the office of the priesthood or Eldership as for the persons of the Priests or Elders By which exposition of Caluine it is apparant that he might also well be sayde to haue in his ordeyning the imposition of hands with the Eldership although onely S. Paule alone when he ordeined him had laide his handes vpon him But howsoeuer it was done there in Ephesus where there were moe Elders before Timothie was ordeyned by S. Paule to be the chiefe Elder and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza calleth him the Prouost or first stander or B. of that Citie and prouince Yet in all the places where Paule Barnabas traueled Act. 14. there is no likelihood that they ordeyned there first other Elders to be their Gouernors that were not Pastors then ioyned those Elders with thē in the Elections of the Elders that were Pastors put as Caluine expressy saith Luke speaketh there of Pastors onely But put the election of Pastors to the peoples elections and not to the Elections in the name of the people to the gouerning Elders and then our brethren straightway crie out this were to breede confusion yea horrible confusion whereof God is not the authour pag. 83.84 These Examples therfore serue not their turne but the oftener they turne them vp to vs they returne vppon themselues with more and more manifest prooues against them Therefore as it hath bin euidently declared before the assemblie of Elders consisting of graue wise and godly men ought to enquire when the Pastors place is voide where they may finde a man meete to supplie his roome and therein to desire ayde of the Synode The man by such godlye aduise so chosen ought to be presented to the congregation of them to be allowed and receaued if no man can shew any reasonable cause to the contrary This is the right Election and ordeyning of Pastors grounded vppon the word of God and practised by the Primitiue Church two hundred yeeres after Christ vntill the mystery of iniquity grewe to worke more openly to the setting vp of the tyrannicall kingdome of Antichrist That the assemblie of Elders should consist of graue wise and godlie men they haue in deede declared before But what are these graue wise and godly men of whom the assembly of Elders should consist Are they Teachers and Preachers or are they not If not then haue they no authoritie to determine any thing in the Synode For as they haue also declared before pag. 117. who should be able to knowe what order comelinesse and aedificatiō requireth according to Gods word but they that be teachers and preachers of the same vnto all others Which rule if it be true in one place is true in all places and so in the particular assemblies of Elders Whereby it followeth that except the assemblies be of so vnwise men that they be not able to knowe what order comelinesse and aedification requireth they must bee teachers and preachers and of consequent Pastors as
likewise they haue before declared and thereto cited euen one of their last testimonies pag. 21. by the name of Elders the Pastors are called Act. 14.23 where Paule and Barnabas ordeyned Elders by election in euery congregation But if now that they may be able to knowe these matters of which the hauing a Pastor is an order both of comelines and aedification according to Gods word these Elders themselues must be Pastors How shal these Elders enquire when the Pastors place is void where they may finde a man meet to supply his roome when the roome is neuer voyd of Pastors so long as the assemblie of Elders doth continue If they continue not much lesse can they enquire for one nor choose him nor deserue therein the ayde of the Synod for him But be the assemblie of the Elders Pastors themselues or not can they not choose another Pastor to supplye his roome when any Pastors place is voyde among them but that they ought therein to desire the ayde of the Synode For wherein do they meane this therein but of that they declared before to enquire when the Pastors place is voyde where they may finde a man meete to supplye his roome and therein to desire the ayde of the Synode They declared before concerning the Pastors election that it was conuenient to bee done by the iudgement of the particular Synode both for better aduice in choosing a meete man and for authoritie in causing him to accept their election And ought they now to haue the Synods ayde also to helpe them to enquire when the Pastors place is voyde where they may finde a meet man to supply his roome So that when and wheresoeuer in all England a Pastors place is voyde we ought not onely forthwith to haue a Synode vppon that onely occasion except the roome shall stande voyde till some greater occasion of a Synode happen but the Synodesayde must bee craued before the newe election where they may finde a meete man and in the election it selfe their aduise also must be had in choosing a meete man and besides this their authoritie must be had in causing him that is the elected partie to accept their election and finally it is conuenient that it bee done also euen by the iudgement of the particular Synode And then this meete man after all this inquirie both of the assemblie of Elders of that particular Church and of the Synodes ayde in this enquirie being at last found out and the man by such godly aduice so chosen and by this authoritie so caused to accept their election and all this being thus authentically done and ratified by the iudgement of the particular Synode the man ought to be presented to the congregation and by them to be allowed and receiued What and must a new allowance of the congregation be had after all this assembling inquiring aduising and choosing of the gouerning Elders of that congregation Yea and aboue them after all the assembling inquiring and better aduising and choosing and authorizing and euen causing the man to accept their election and after iudgement and all of the particular Synode What shall we thinke hereon Hath the particular congregation an higher authoritie of allowing the Pastor then haue not onely the gouerning Elders whom the congregation their selues haue of confidence chosen and committed vnto them their authoritie pag. 84. but also then the whole particular Synode whose ayde therein was desired and must it now be ouerruled by the allowing or disallowing of euery particular congregation If they say they meane not that the man ought so to bee allowed and receiued of the congregation that he may also of them bee dissallowed or not receiued but that the congregation must allowe him and receiue him after all these allowances of him and authorities What and will they impose him vpon them and inforce the congregation to allowe him and receiue him Well may they be compelled to receiue him but they cannot compell them to allowe him except from teeth outward If they say they meane not to cause them to allowe him or receiue him but that they ought onely of their duetie so to doe doe they not say in plaine words of the Synodes authoritie ouer the elected partie and for authoritie in causing him to accept their electioÌ„ What imply these words but that he must accept their election be he willing or vnwilling to accept it And haue they more authoritie to cause him to accept their election than they haue to cause that particular congregation which haue committed their authoritie to the assemblie of Elders which assemblie haue desired the ayde of the Synod to accept the man whom they haue thus elected for them But they say that they ought so to doe not simply but if no man can shewe any reasonable cause to the contrary And what if no man can doe this must they thus therefore impose Pastors on them And is not this imposing one of their quarelles against the Bishops are they now themselues faine to come to imposing of Pastors on the congregations But what now if any man can alleadge any reasonable cause to the contrarie must euery reason of any one man ouer-rule al the reasons and authorities both of all the residue of the congregation and of all the gouerning Elders and of all the Synode See what a great sturre wee haue here had still must haue about the choosing of euery Pastor in that Realme all the seuerall congregation all the assemblie of Elders all the Synode of the Prouince or Shire must meete together with all this adoe and when all is done in comes any one man he alone vpon any reasonable though not necessarie cause may turne topside turuie all their doings And is this the right election and ordeyning of Pastors Yea say they this is the right election and ordeining of Pastors Yea and grounded vppon the word of God and practised by the Primitiue Church 200. yeres after Christ. This is stoutly auouched if now they can proue it But can they shew this election and ordâ—yning of Pastors in any places yea in any one place in al Gods word Well what of that It is grounded say they vpon the word of God What Are they soone grounded What meane they by grounded CaÌ„ they shewe vs any one rule or but any one example hereof in the worde of God No place that they haue yet alleadged sheweth any such election and ordeyning of Pastors What Synodes assembling inquiring aduising choosing iudging and causing of the partie elected to accept their election was there had in the electing and ordeyning Pastors by Paule and Barnabas Act. 14 Or what electing and ordeyning of Pastors was there in the Synode if we shall properly call that assemblie a Synode which was of the Apostles and Elders of Ierusalem Acts. 15 Or doth S. Paule in any of his precepts to Timothie or to Titus commaund not only an
being out of that place And that where such preachers are not there can bee no publike prayers nor sacraments administred c. What one of these points and a number moe hath bin prooued by anie one cleere testimonie or necessarye consequent of the Scripture or by any one substantiall reason for the proofe of them and what else in effect is this than but to order all these thinges at their pleasures And when they take on with all the Bishops as though by their former industries and labours they their selues had not receaued this light of the Gospell which God bee praysed wée haue if wee can vse it thankfully or as though they were not by the Bishops made Ministers of the Gospell if they haue anye Ministerie at all thereof and be not meere lay men is not this euen as though the Gospell so far as the light of these controuersies commeth vnto and their Ministerie thereof sprang first from them or had come vnto them onely if not to our Bishops nor to anye of our conuocations nor to all the clergie of our Church of England but onely to them that set these thinges abroache and what now shall wée conclude on them as they do on the Bishops it sauoureth nothing so much as of popish tyranny whereof sauoreth this first to put backe the Princes supremacie in Ecclesiasticall causes till all their Eccl. tetrarchie be parted among them in such maner as wee haue alredy heard and then to pull downe all the dignities and authorities of Archebishops Bishops and all other Ecclesiasticall superiour Prelates And to set vp themselues euerye one to bée a full Bishoppe in his owne seuerall congregation what though not Lordeship in name but M. Bishop yet in rule and authoritye ouer all in his congregation to bée euen a Lordeship to suffer no superiour Pastor ouer him in his iurisdiction but eche one equall to the best and hée as though hée were in his terrytorie euen another newe little Pope sitting in his pontificalibus with his consistorie of gouernors as though it were a Colledge or Senate of a newe kinde of Cardinalles as the hingins that holde vp the dores of Ecclesiasticall regiment and discipline with a new mixte kinde of gouernors semi-secular and dimi-ecclesiasticall Seniors to sit by the themselues rounde aboute this Episcopall Pastor ouer ruling all the congregation yea whosoeuer were inhabiting in the parish Knight Lord Earle Duke Prince Queene King or Emperour they must all of them for all discipline and Ecclesiasticall regiment be ouer-ruled by him by these his Gouerning Elders sitting about him Of what sauoureth this Of dominion of Poperie of tyrannie of confusion of pride of ordering all things at their pleasures besides what dangers else or worse thaÌ„ yet we see not if our bishops shoulde thus retallie these thinges vnto our Bretheren woulde they not trowe you pay home the reckoning But as thoughe they were not yet on euen handes but that there were a greate oddes in this reckoning and as though the Bishoppes were not to bee accompted comparable nor for Learning Studye Iudgemente Zeale Example they were so woorthy of their authoritye as these our Bretheren are to haue this newe kind of Eccl. gouernment they obiect vnto the bishops their non sufficiencie in these thinges Whereas otherwise saye they it is well knowne they are not all of the best learned nor all of the longest study nor all of the soundest Iudgement nor all of the greatest zeale nor all of the best Example and therefore not meetest to be the onelye determiners in Ecclesiasticall matters to the preiudice of the whole Synode As for this conclusion wee shall come to it in his turne This comparison in the antecedent is somewhat odious to vpbraide to the Bishoppes that they are not all of the best in these thinges as though there were some other in the Synode better heerein than they Belike they meane those diuerse godlye and learned Preachers that they sayde before before offered to speakâ— or else some other of themselues that they woulde haue to bee also of the Synode For although it were a pretie pollicie to commit vs together among our selues with an emulation agaynste our bishops as not so learned c. as they would haue vs of the Conuocation house thinke our selues to bée yet they lightly giue not this to â—â—y of vs to be counted eyther learned or studious or sounde in iudgement or of greate zeale or of best example But they oftentimes commende themselues for all these thinges to bée godlie wise graue and zealous men they are those that Preache moste diligentlye praye most feruentlye and minister the Sacramentes moste reuerently they are the faithfull Ministers that seeke the Churches reformation and still looke vp to the top of euery leafe and there hangeth vp this Iuie Garland to tolle on the reader A Learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment As for our Bishops tush for them it is well knowne they are not all of the best learned nor all of the longest studie nor all of the greatest zeale nor all of the best example I praye you bretheren of what sauoureth this Surely it sauoureth not all of the best learning neyther in my iudgement if not rather of that learning whereof Sainct Paule sayth scientia inflat Well howe vnsounde soeuer they shall accounte my simple Iudgement woulde God their learning sauoured a little more of lowlie humility and of Christian charitie than it doth to thinke better of other their brethren in these qualities namely of their betters than of them selues And yet if one shall examine these qualities particularly what cause haue they to vpbrayde their Learning to the Bishops Iwisse they may easilie enter comparison with many of these our Bretheren And if they shoulde all bée measured by this Learned discourse might not these wordes returne to their Maisters that neyther they are all of the best learning except they haue better learning that they keepe yet in store for an after reckoning And as for long studie in the moste of them there néede no long studie for an aunswere All the worlde may see that in the yeares of the studentes do not their selues in their preface confesse If any shal obiect that the graue authority of Archbishops Bishops shall receaue a checke whilste they are brought to deale with those whom they iudge few yong vnlearned not comparable to themselues but now they dare compare both in long studie in learning too with the B. and giue the check too as yong as they be yea in their opinion to giue theÌ„ check-mate and that with a pawne But what sayd they there to this obiection did they not say let vs graunt the greate difference which they make of yeares and learning yet the speeche of Elihu giueth them sufficient aunswere that this vnderstanding is not tyed to such outwarde respectes but to the reuelation of Gods spirite Here as it were
God except hee haue inwardlie to GOD a right Fayth And verilie hee that will not learne these thinges neyther shall haue his part of rest with the Christians after his death neyther shall heere aliue bee admitted to receiue the Communion neyther shall hee bee counted worthye to beare the name of a Christian man neyther shall hee vndertake for any other at the Font nor at the Bishops hande except hee learne these thinges and shall knowe them well We also admonish them that eche one of them studiouslie auoyde deadlie crimes and wicked deedes And if peraduenture they haue offended through the instigation of the deuil that by instruction of the preeste they amend it Moreouer wee admonish euery one to flee filthie whoredome and the vnlawful vse of the flesh and violating of the couenaunt of wedlock so long as they liue Moreouer we teache them that the feare of God be always throughly setled in the mindes of them all that day and night they feare the punishments due to wicked deeds and dread the day of iudgement and abhorre hell And suppose euen their ending day approcheth As for the Bishops they shall be the Bedels of God and the interpreters of Gods Lawe and they must openly teache the benefites of diuine matters and to set foorth them-selues to bee examples of liuing for others to followe whosoeuer will giue eare to them For hee is but an euill keeper which with his voice at least if he can do no more shall not defende the flock committed vnto him against him that commeth to spoile it But none is so euill as the Deuill him-selfe which alwayes laboureth in this one point howe hee may moste destroy mens soules Wherefore it behooueth the pastors to bee watchfull and to giue warning that by their aduertisementes the people may haue knowledge thereof The pastors wee call the Bishops and the preestes whose partes are with erudition and Doctrine to watche and defend the Lordes flock that the furious and wilde Wolfe doe not foorthwith teare nor byte the flocke of God And if there bee any that will not listen vnto the commaundements of God hee hath to reckon for that with God himselfe The name of God for euer bee glorified and loue him and praise him and honor him through out all worldes Thus did this Dane King heere in England euen at that blinde time take vpon him as it were like a Bishop or preacher him-selfe to set forth these Lawes and decrees of Ecclesiasticall matters After which hee procéedeth to those that hee calleth his worldly lawes And yet euen among them also hee inserteth some Ecclesiasticall lawes as the 3.5.36.37.38.39.40.44.46 Besides causes of Matrimonie and fornication And in the ende of all his Lawes of both sortes Ecclesiasticall and temporall hee concludeth all with a religious and diuinlike charge commaunding moste streightly in Gods name all his subiectes to conuert them selues whole to God and to â—eare their pastors and the pastors to teach and preach the worde of God vnto his people This authoritie and intermedling in the making of Ecclesiasticall Lawes both aswell for the Clergy as for the temporaltie had the Kinges in this lande before the conquest What they haue had since diuerse other haue set foorth more largely and I craue pardon that I haue beene so large in the collecting and setting downe of these But I haue doone it to this ende that we might more fully perceiue this point that the Princes did not onely make ciuill Lawes for Ecclesiasticall causes or for matters that by the Clergy onely were decreed that they should be obserued in their Dominions and appoynted bodily or pecuniarie punishmentes for offending the same of which sort I graunt many of these Lawes are that we haue collected but also that they them-selues with the aduice of their Clergie made Eccl. Lawes and that mere Ecclesiasticall or altogether pertaining to Church persons or to Church matters yea to matters of religion and Doctrine Neyther diminished it their authoritie anie whit that they did none of all these thinges without the aduise and determination of their Clergie for alwaies the Clergy so conditionally determined the same before if it were a matter but of order or ceremonie and not of Doctrine which is inflexible neyther dependeth vpon man eyther of the Prince or of them that the supreme authoritie lay still in the Prince so to conclude the finall determination that the Princes sentence doe knit vp all the matter and made that order or ceremonie to haue the life or force of a decree Lawe or constitution among them And other supreme authoritie than this with the consultation deliberating aduising and determining what Ecclesiasticall matter of order or ceremonie her Learned Clergy thinke moste méete for â—ur time and state to bee moste agreeable to order comelinesse and aedification to giue her royall assent to the confirmation and establishment of the same that it may haue the full force and nature of a decree Lawe or constitution Ecclesiasticall her Maiestie otherwise neuer tooke vpon her nor claymeth or desireth to haue nor the Statute giueth nor wee acknoweledge And if our Brethren woulde graunt thus much as I hope vpon better aduisement they will not deny it wée shoulde néede no controuersy in this matter and all these examples that wee are nowe driuen to bring foorth to satisfie them wee and they shall more cheerefully turne against the Papistes that are the professed enemies of her Maiestie and of our Brethren and of vs. But it will perhaps be sayde that for Princes to subscribe to the determination of Preestes as they call them is no supremacie but a subiection Wee aunswere it is no subiection vnto men but to God and his worde to doe nothing in these matters but by the faythfull aduise of them that knowe his will and are bounde to teache it vnto all men no more than it is to bee counted a subiection for a Prince in Ciuill affayres to followe the aduice of wise and faythfull Counsellers Wee haue shewed before in the examples of diuerse Emperours and Kinges how Princes subscribed to their clergies determinations in such sort as they beeing humblie requested thereunto had in ceremoniall matters their free choyse and might haue dashed all or in subscribing thereto they ratified the same and made it authenticall But if Princes were so to subscribe to the determination of Preestes â—s wee may well without errour or superstition call them that the Princes their selues had no kinde of determination in any Ecclesiasticall causes neyther aboue the preestes nor yet at all with them then indéede it were no supremacie but a subiection And what else doe our Brethren heere giue to Princes neither doe they heere deny but in playne wordes confesse that it is a subiection and so not a supremacie saue that they coulour it ouer with this faire shadowe Wee aunswere it is no subiection vnto men but vnto God
the Princes authority that none but the Prince can doe and this prerogatiue be to make such Ecclesiasticall lawes as some of these Princes Lawes were howe doeth not this seruice plainely include the Princes supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes And sith this seruice of the Princes vnto Christ consisteth principally in making lawes for Christ no maruell then if the holy ghost exhort Princes to be wise and to be learned and to vnderstand as the most necessary thing for them to vnderstand the state of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment So that if their Clergie forstowe to doe their duetie yet the Prince by this wisedome learning and vnderstanding might as well be able to giue aduise againe if néede be euen to his Cleargie in the making of many Ecclesiasticall lawes and orders as to take aduise of them As wee sée how diuers of the forenamed Princes did and that by their authoritie with the aduice of wise and learned men both make lawes of Ecclesiasticall matters and haue a supreme gouernment in the maintenance and direction of them Musculus writing on these woordes And now ye kings vnderstande c. The nations and people saith he and much more say I the Clergie are not excluded but Kings Iudges are by name called to bethinke them selues euen for this cause that they are the heads of the nations and of the people conteyning in the nation Clergie and al to whome it principally apperteineth to be subiect vnto the Lord and to giue themselues to bee leaders of the people that are their subiects vnto this true obedience For in two respects it standeth them vpon to be obedient to the Lord first bicause they are subiect to his power as are all other mortall men and then because they are made his peculier Ministers to this purpose that hauing receaued power ouer their subiectes they shoulde both their selues the will of God and cause their subiects to be obedient to it And Marlorate vpon these wordes Serue the Lord in feare noting out of Caluin saith Princes therefore in this place are admonished that they shall then raigne happilie when their power is nothing else but Gods seruice That is to say where in commaunding and bidding they serue not their owne lust but gods will neither vsurpe that tyrannical speech Sic volo sic iubeo stet proratione voluntas Thus wil I haue it thus I bid it be it stands for reasō that it pleaseth me But they say Sie volo sic iubeo quia sic divina volunt as mandat cui soli cuncta subesse decet thus will I haue it thus I bid it be because this is the will of Gods decree He bids it bee to whome what ere he say all creatures will they nill they ought obey Let them also note this place which deny the power of the king secular Magistrat as they cal him to haue ought to do in a cause of a religion For although the kingdom of Christ be in the harts of the beleeuers notwithstanding it apperteineth to the Magistrate to haue a care that the doctrine of the word may be retined in the Church that Idolatry and false worship may bee taken awaye that the Ministers of the church may be commodiously mainteined that the aduersaries may be repressed then to forbid the name of God to be blasphemed to bring to passe that such as leade a godly life may liue in safety but the wicked persons those that are vnquiet may be punished restrained ned This then is the Princes seruice vnto God And is not this as much as to make good Eccl. lawes orders with the aduice counsell of the wise godly learned clergy as hath done and doth her Maiestie But now our brethren after they haue tryed whether they shoulde preuaile by these two aforesaid testimonies least these should not preuail in striuing against the Princes authority in Eccl. matters they adioyn a third vnto them out of the new testament saying And especially it is to be noted where S. Paule commaundeth prayers and supplications to be made for the conuersion of kings vnto the knowledge of the truth and their own saluation that he alleageth this reason that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines honesty vnder their protection A godly honest life we may liue vnder enimies of the church persecutors but a peaceable and quiet life in all godlines honesty onely vnder a christian Prince If they do it as paraphrasts by way of some part of exposition they adde these words well vnder their protection But in that they set them downe as the words of the text me thinketh it somwhat ouer bold so to cite the holy scripture or yet as paraphrasts if they so limite the end of our prayers and supplications for Kings Princes which in these three benefites that the Apostle citeth stretcheth a great deale farther than to protection onely For as Dauid and other godly Princes were they may be both protectors and procurers of the same yea the chiefe gouernors and directors in the setting foorth and maintenance of them Neither is S. Paules exhortation to pray for Princes to be restrained onely to the praiers supplications to be made for the conuersion of kings vn the knowledge of the truth but it stretcheth further yea generally as well for those that are conuerted as those that are to be conuerted as well to giue thanks for the one as to pray for the other not onely for their owne saluation but that by their meanes all their subiects likewise may attaine to the way of saluation He reckoneth vp saith Caluine the fruits that spring vnto vs out of a principality that is well ordered the first is a quiet life For the magistrats are armed with the sword to kepe vs in peace Except they should beate downe the audaciousnes of wicked men al things would be ful of robberies slaughters c. The second fruit is the conseruation or saluation that is to wit while the Magistrats indeuour to nourish religion to plant the worship of God to require the reuerence of holy thinges The 3. is the care of publike honestie c. If these 3. things be taken away what is the state of mans life if any care therfore either of publike tranquility or of Godlines or of honesty touch vs let vs remember to haue consideration of them by the ministery of whom so excellent things do come into vs. Thus doth Caluin confesse that the Ministery of the Prince stretcheth as far foorth in procuring vnto vs the benefit of religion as of the other twain therfore he concludeth that we must pray for Princes aswell as much if not much more for this benefite as for the other Yea saith he If any man shall aske whether prayer ought also to bee made for the Kings of whom we receaue no such thing I
say wee are not able so much as to knowe them No nor yet their owne Consistorie gouernors able to knowe them but onely the teachers and preachers of the same to all others And what will they then allowe to vs If the Parliament heare this man speake thus may they not thinke that man speaketh reasons and that there was little reason in troubling them continually with those matters in the Parliament house whereof they may not according to the libertie of that most honorable assemblie speake their mynds in reuerent maner pro contra freely and no man debarred of his speech or iudgement or els the house would better aduise themselues how they permitted such fellowes to come among them or to bring in such billes or bookes among them of which they must be restrained of their libertie both of speech and iudgement Yea what if now another waxing bolder in the Parliament house would tell these faithfull ministers that the matters conteyned in this learned discourse being Ecclesiasticall matters were to be consulted vpon and determined by those that were the Bishops Pastors of the Realme and Church of England and that they had a Conuocation Synodall assemblie among themselues and that they must go to them and be tryed by theÌ„ and bee as well content to submit themselues to the determination of the Bishops and Pastors lawfully and orderly there assembled as they would to haue it tryed in the ParliameÌ„t if they were all such Eccl. persons as were the other And that if they would flee froÌ„ their owne coate Eccl. company to such as were but ciuill and politick persons saue that they were ChristiaÌ„s as other of the people were they should giue an ill example preiudice their matters and make themselues and their bookes to be more mistrusted as not daring to abide the censure of the chifest professors of those matters Tractent fabrilia fabri Ecclesiasticall matters to be tryed by Ecclesiasticall persons And that this is according to their owne â—ositions For who should be able to knowe at least wise who ought better to knowe what order comelinesse and edification requireth according to Gods worde than they that be teachers and preachers of the same vnto all others For it is absurd that they should be taught by such in these small things and much lesse in greater things as ought to learne the trueth of them in all matters And therfore go to theÌ„ and let theÌ„ determine those controuersies If our Bretheren shall heare this tale and their owne words thus duelie returned on themselues may they not then thinke they haue well helped themselues by putting vp these matters to the Parliament And if the Parliament should aunswer them thus should they not aunswer theÌ„ aright But if now they had rather reuoke some of their positions giue the ParliameÌ„t authority to deale herein than to haue them be determined by the Bishops what on the other side would they haue the Parliament do without the authoritie of the Prince Yea how chaunce they put not vp their bookes writings first to her Maiestie mooue her first for if they accounted her Maiestie indeed the supreme gouernor of all persons in al her dominions in all causes so wel Eccl. as temporall would they haue the Parliament decree those things without her Maiestie Or the Parliament wherof her Maiestie is the supreme gouernor to determine these things without any debating of them Or if they should be debated vpoÌ„ who should rather do it theÌ„ the Clergie And haue not al that haue bin assembled together alreadie both the Bishops the whole Conuocation consulted debated and determined alreadie on the matter And if they would haue her Maiestie the Parliament to deale further therein haue they not done that also Hath not her Maiestie ratefied and authorized al their articles that the Conuocation agreed vpon And hath not the whole Parliament also approued allowed so ratefied and confirmed al the Communion booke besides the acknowledgement of her Maiesties supremacie all the articles agréed and decréed vpon all or the most or chéefest of the lawes and orders Eccl. now standing in force and established amongst vs And would they haue them reuoke cancell all that they haue doone in these matters or what else would they haue the Parliament herein to doo If they offer to dispute of these matters either before the whole Parliament or before anie by the Parliament deputed to heare the disputation betwéene vs of these controuersies doo they hope to dispute better and with more deliberat iudgement of that they shall saie ex tempore than that they haue with aduisement written or can write thereon or that we can dispute woorse or not so well as they persuade themselues they can Or doo they thinke as Aeschines said Quid si ipsam belluam andissetis they shall better persuade and mooue the hearers of them more by their liuelie spéeches than by their learned writings and so win it that waies Verelie wée refuse no waie what it shall please our most gratious souereigne and hir most honorable counsell or the high court of Parliament to appoint if that would serue the turne for anie further triall of renewing neuer so often these matters by disputing and calling them in question againe and againe for God be praised in so good a cause we néed not feare the euent they that could so win the garland let them weare it But we maie easilie sée before the disputation shall begin that all this would not serue their turne in these controuersies which the word of God hath not expreslie decided but in generalitie referred to these thrée heads comlinesse order aedification Who shall iudge and determine of our disputation they haue before hand debarred the prince and all that are not teachers and preachers and both the parties in controuersie are teachers and preachers and they saie it were no reason that we being the parties in controuersie on the one side though we be teachers and preachers should be determiners iudges what is comlinesse order and edifieng in these things and maie not we saie the same to them againe that they being also parties in controuersie on the other side though they be teachers and preachers it is no reason that they should be determiners and iudges what is comlinesse order and aedifieng in these things and when shall then these matters be iudged and determined Except we would yéeld to them or they would yéeld to vs or both to some other as to hir maiesty and the ParliameÌ„t But if they shall so doo they should conuince themselues before hand that the forme is vntrue and false which they haue alredie before hand not onlie auowed to be true but so determined alredie and so before hand peremptorily prescribed both to vs and to the Parliament to the Quéens maiestie also that we must all yéeld of
here prescribed a forme vnto vs. All their chiefest mourning and lamentation is for this if indéed they weepe and mourne at all and that euery teare be not as they say as big as a milstone For God be praised they are merry inough and in good liking saue that they put on a sower visour of mourning and terrour But since their griefe and al their threats of plagues and destructions are not for our sins or contempt of Gods word but for that we followe not their misconceaued forme of reformation we are the lesse to be moued with this tragicall beginning that they tell vs héere of their mourning and lamenting as those that made their faces looke sadde and pale or for that they would take vpon them as Micheas Ieremie Ioel the auncient Prophets to prognosticate great calamities and destructions to come vpon vs for that we admit not their formes of reformation O would God that we needed to mourn for no worse matter that we néeded to feare nothing else but that But let vs lament and abhorre in vnfeined repentaunce our manifold sins and amend our liues and then recomforting our selues in the trueth of God which we professe and better estéeming and liuing after our lawes and orâ—ers of gouernnment established let vs put our whole affiauncâ— in God that for Christs sake he will extend such mercies vnto vs that he will not laie greater tentation on vs then he will make a waye for vs to passe through the same eueÌ„ to that consolation of the comforter in the militant state of his Church in this present life eueÌ„ that ioy that none shalbâ— able to take from vs til we attaine to those ioyes that we hope for though we cannot yet conceaue them that in his Church triumphant he hath for euermore prepared for vs. Which duetie in semblable manner should now long agon haue bin done of vs did not the hope we conceaued in the middest of many teÌ„pests confirme vs in such expectation of her Maiestie and her most honorable Counsel as that according to their clemency towards the poore ministers and their families but most especially according to their holy and zealous care which ought to abound for the cleane driuing out of the Cananites and planting hedging pruning and continuall preseruing of the Lords vineyard from foxes yea little foxes this ciuill warre as a man may say of the Church wherein so much of that bloud wherof S. Paule speaketh is powred on the ground should by their holy and iust authority fully be ended See how quickly our brethren haue wiped away their teares they say this duty in semblable manner should haue bene done of them now long ago did not the hope that they had otherwise conceaued so tourne their mourning from this semblable manner and whereunto to a dissemblable shewe of that which indéed they did not but made vs afrayed of For if they meant good sadnesse what was the reason that they did it not but made onelie a coppy of their countenance to do it Forsooth the hope that they had conceaued and such expectation of her Maiestie and her most honourable Councel c. Sée againe after they haue not spared to wrest Gods holy Scriptures how vnduetifully our brethren héere also forgette themselues euen almoste in the beginning of their Preface or euer they come to their learned discourse on these matters to burdeÌ„ her Maiesty her most honourable counsell for frustrating their hope and deceiuing their expectation and that they do not that which they ought to haue done should by this time haue fully ended This is a sharp onset that is héere laid vnto their charges for the breach of their duty No maruel though they spare not the lawes nor the Bishops nor the residue of their brethreÌ„ wheÌ„ they adueÌ„ture at the first dash so hardly to challenge both the Queenes Ma. al her most honorable Counsel for not answering their hope expectation as they say that by this time yea long agoe they should and ought to haue done Yea and whereas they say that they conceaued this hope expectation of them in the middest of many tempests how do they not also burden them though with a little more biows as though they had beene the causes or at least the sufferers of them to be tossed in the midst and that of many tempestes But what tempests and those many haue they bene tossed with God be praised her Maiesties raigne hath bene the daies of the Alcions sitting in the neste most frée from tempests of all other parts of Gods church insomuch that it hath euer bene a refuge and hauen to harbour at anchor many other churches that haue indéede bene tossed in the midst of many tempests al which are strangers borne to vs saue in the new birth and commonwealth of the Israel of God and hath denied succour to none and are now our own natiue people yea the pore Ministers and faithfull ministers too and their families also denied this clemency that they onely should be tossed in the midst of many tempests It is said there is a lake in Ireland in the which if a man caste but a stone it causeth tempestes and are these ministers of that nature verely it is contrary to the nature of her Maiesty whose clemencie is knowne to all Churches yea to all the world and to her enemies especially to al her louing and obedient subiects chiefly to godly Ministers be they rich or poore And also her most honorable Counsell are most ready to helpe and comfort any such godly Ministers and if any should offer any wrong vnto any the poorest of theÌ„ would vpon iust complaint quickly help the matter They should not néede to complain that they also deceaued them of their hope and expectation whiche were a great blot vnto their honours if they should so do or should willingly suffer any such wronges to be done And if this be not done of them nor by them suffered to bee done what a greate fault and vnfaithfulnesse is this then in these faithfull ministers so vntruely to burden her Maiesty and her moste honorable counsell with so greate a crime If therfore any of our brethren or any poore Minister haue bene tossed in many or any tempests in these calme daies of her Maiesties peaceable mercifull prosperous and most godly reign it is most likely that there is some matter in themselues that either they are not so faithfull and godly as they pretende nor of so quiet disposition or so obedient to her Maiesties lawes and to their superiors as they ought to be or else there is in them some such other matter as whereby they haue done or do procure their owne trouble And till we enter furder into the examining of the cause we may a while rather suspect such matter in them-selues then to beleue this their accusation of her Maiesty her most honorable Counsell to haue bene the
causes or permitters of their tempestes which they complaine they haue suffered or that her Maiestie and her most honorable Counsell haue not extended their clemency vnto them as they ought to haue done in not satisfiyng the hope and expectation of these Ministers But besides that thus no lesse vndutifully then vntruly our brethren do burden her Maiesty and her most honorable Counsel not so content they charge them further and in a higher matter saying But most especially according to their holy and zealous care which ought to abouÌ„de for the cleane driuing out of the Cananits c. No â—oubt her Maiesties her most honorable counsels care is both zealous and holy because it is so it hath we trust to their habilities abounded in performing that they ought to haue done héerein and euen therfore our brethren offer thâ— another iniury Yea if the driuing out of the Cananits had bene indéede their hope and expectation it had bene satisfied long a-go What Cananits are there remayning that should haue bene driuen out that in such sortâ— as they ought to do and might haue done they haue not done it and who are these Cananits Do they meane the Papists but they are more aptlâ— compared to the Idolatrous Israelits and Iewes not to the Cananits that were méere heathen And although in some sense they may be so coÌ„pared yet were not the Cananites so vtterlye to be driuen out but that if anyâ— would become in religion true Israelits as Rahab and the Gibeonits c. they were permitted to abide notwithstanding the expresse commaundement giuen them to the contrary Whereas Christians haue no such especiall or generall charge to driue cleane out all that haue beene Papistes or superstitious or Idolatrous or Heritikes or Insidels if they were truely conuerted to the faith and religion of Iesus Christe or else how haâ— Christ translated his Church from the Iewes to the Gentiles And so God be praised for it hath he conuerted in these last daies infinite Papists to the Gospell But if they meane those that remaine Papists I doe not thinkâ— that they can shew any such to be maintained in the Ministery Although their wordes runne at large of the cleane driuing out of all Cananits or Papistes out of the realme of what state or condition soeuer they be How much better is it in my opinion and more agréeable to the mercye of the Gospell and to the clemency of her Maiesties most holy zealous care so to abound that her Maiesty hath assayed to haue woonn those Cananits to the Gospell by letting them abide so driue out from them their Cananitisme rather than to driue out al the Cananits except they obstinatly professe themselues to be Cananites to driue out such at least out of al authority and publike Ministery Ecclesiasticall or ciuill or to restraine or punish them otherwise as they deserue although dissembling Cananits can neuer sufficiently be cleane driuen out that shew such outward conformity to the Gospell that they deceaue her Maiesty her most honorable Counsell al other saue God only Quis hominuÌ„ scit quae sunt hominiâ— nisi spiritus hominis qui in eo est As for planting hedging pruning continuall preseruing of the Lords vine-yard from foxes yea little foxes we trust also as becommeth vs and as we haue found by the benefite therâ—f good cause so to thinke that her Maiesties and her most honorable couÌ„sels holy and zealous care hath not a little abounded héerein And this before we shall enter into this learned discourse is a good hearing that they acknowledge her Maiestie ought to haue with her most honorable counsell a holie and zealous care to abounde in the planting hedging pruning and continuall preseruing of the Lords vine-yarde from foxes yea little foxes For when we shal come to this learned discourse we shal there sée that our brethren so abridge restraine this their authority héere in that they their selues haue bene a great occasion if there haue bene any defect that the Lords vine-yard hath not bene planted hedged pruned continually preserued with so full effect as her Maiesties and her most honorable Counsels holy care zeale hath endeuored to bring to passe For vnder pretence of these Cananits and foxes great or little our brethren meane not indeede so much to challenge the Papists as our Bishops and Prelates to be the great foxes and other the poore ministers of gods word the little foxes and in generall al those to be Cananits bee they neuer so zealous protestantes if they acknowledge the lawes and orders of our Church of England by her Maiesty established And to shew this they mention not the open warre with the common aduersary which is the Papist but say they this ciuil warre as a man may say of the church wherein so much of that bloud whereof S. Paule speaketh is powred to the ground should by their holy and iust authority fully be ended And so say I it might haue bene ended long ago had it not bene more by the importunity of our brethren themselues who as the old saying accordeth the Foxe the first fynder haue both made continually reniued this ciuil warre more then either the Bishops or any of vs who haue bene and are conformable to the lawes nowe established or any negligence in the behalfe of her Maiestie or of her most honorable Counsel that thei should be thus wrongfully burdened to haue bene the nourishers as it were of this ciuill warre but haue still employed all their holy and iust authority to the full ending of it And sith they giue it rightly this tearme of ciuill warre which is a great deale more daungerous warre than the forren warre with the open and common aduersarie who hath raysed this so daÌ„gerous ciuill warre We that in all due obedience acknowledge the lawes and orders established of the Churche of England Or they that haue and doo impugne them and who hath contended against her Maiesties and her most honorable Counsels holy and iust authority we or they yea indéede they haue not onely not yeelded to her Maiesties supreme authority herein but they plainly deny the full ending and determining of this ciuil warre consisting in these controuersies to appertaine vnto them but onely to themselues as God willing we shall see when wee come in this learned discourse to the examining of the authority that they giue to the ciuill Christian Magistrates in these matters Now say they when as wee at this time are subiect almost vnto all the afflictions which can come vnto a church blessed of God with such a Christian and happie regiment as to the prophane scoffing of the Hâ—monits at the building of the church as at a wall which a foxe shoulde destroy to the conspiracies of the Arabies and those of Asshod to the false charges of sedition contempt of all good lawes and proceedings like to that
theÌ„selues it is in this their humor for this Presbyterie What is héere for so excellent and godly learned men to haue alledged this tyrannical Decree or rather this very doctrine of Diuels in this superstitious Council against the law of God against the lawfulnesse of Bishops Elders and Deacons mariage against the verie Antiquitie of the Church which they pretend â—ind yet what is there in this Decree to inferre that this power and Censure of excommunication apperteineth onelie and alwaies to a Presbyterie ioyned with the Bishops But since Danaeus hath alledged this CouÌ„cill let vs sée how this CouÌ„cill directlie euen in this matter of excommunication maketh cleane against him For in the 8. chap. following it is sayd Alipius the B. of the Church of Tagasta the Legate of the Prouince of Numidia did say Neither must that be praetermitted that if perhaps anie Priest or Elder which is corrected or excommunicated of his B. being puffed vp with swelling or pride shall thinke that Sacrifices are separatelie to be offred vnto God or shall beleeue that anie other altare should be erected contrarie to the eccl faith and discipline let him not go vnpunished Valentinus of the first seate of the Prouince of Numidia said The thinges that our brother Alipius hath prosecuted are necessarilie agreeable to the eccl discipline and faith Declare ye therfore what thereupon seemeth good vnto your louingnesse Whether if anie Priest or Elder shall make a scisme against his B he should be accursed It was said of all the Bishops If anie Priest or Elder shall be excommunicated or corrected of his Prelate he ought to complaine to the Bishops adioyning that his cause may be heard of them and by them he may be reconciled to his B. Here both we sée what these Presbyters Priests or Elders were to wit such as celebrated the L. supper also that vpon iust occasion the B. himselfe might excom eueÌ„ these Priests or Elders And if we may gather an argument of absoluing or recoÌ„ciling to the Church which is equiualent to excoÌ„municating we might haue séene before in the 4. chap. that not onlie a Bishop by himselfe but also anie particular Priest or Elder in some cases might doo it Aurelius the B. that propâ—â—ded the decrée against Bishops Priests Deacons wiues which Danaeus citeth said If any man shal be in danger shal desire to be reconciled to Gods altars if the B. shal be absent the Priest or Elder ought to take couÌ„sell of the B. so at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t to recoÌ„cile the partie that is in danger If the Priest or Elder can absolue the repeÌ„tant partie at the coÌ„mandement of the B. being absent is it not likelie the B. could doo it himselfe being present And if the B. or anie one Priest could thus absolue coulde neither Priest nor B. by theÌ„selues not haue excoÌ„municated the said partie being a manifest notorious offeÌ„der So that by examining this couÌ„cil further it maketh more against Danaeus in this point thaÌ„ for him The like Decrée vnto this for a Priests absoluing restoring a penitent in the absence of the B. is also in the 3. CouÌ„cil of Carth. cap. 32. These CouÌ„cils being about the time of Siritius which Siritius was in the time of Ambrose as Danaeus coÌ„fesseth Ambrose himself without any Presbyterie ioyned with him excoÌ„municating the Emperor Theodosius how is it not apparant that in those daies a B. by himself might excoÌ„municate his excoÌ„municatioÌ„ holdeÌ„ for good lawful But Danaeus to coÌ„firme it better that a B. might not excom by himself addeth the 4. Council of Carth. chap. 22. 23. where it is said that a B. shal not ordeine Clearks without the Council of his Clerkes so that he seeke the assent the sufferance and the testimonie of the Citizens Againe that the Bishop heare the cause of none without the presence of his Clerkes otherwise the Bishoppes sentence shal be frustrate except it bee confirmed by the presence of his Clerkes What is héere that the Bishop may not by himselfe excommunicate The former chap. is onlie of ordeining Clearks yet it doth not take the power of ordeining from them but it manifestlie giueth the power thereof vnto him Though in ordeining a Priest the Council say that all the Priests present should lay their hands also on the head of him that is ordeined But the B. hand onelie on a Deacon c. chap. 3. 4. c. As for this Decrée chap. 22. is but of the Clearkes counsel to the B. And though they say also hee should seeke the assent sufferance testimonie of the Citizens yet in the action of ordeining they haue no power As for the 23. cha requireth onelie the presence of the Bishops Clerkes in the processe of his iudiciall sentences But this proueth not that they ioyne with him in the authoritie of the Iudiciall proceeding and giuing the sentence There is no Iudge can iudiciallie heare and determine anie causes temporal but he must haue his Clearkes and Registers about him to witnesse and recorde the same but neither their presence nor yet their inrolling of the acts giueth them anie authoritie in the Iudgement He is Dominus Iudex for all their presence And that doth the 28. declare saying The vniust condemnation of the bishops is voyde therefore to be retracted of a Synode But what is this to excommunication it is said euen in the next Decrée to that Danaeus héere citeth chap. 24. that the sacerdotall priest making â— speech or preaching in the Church he that shall depart out of the audience shal be excommunicated Might neither the priest nor the Bishop if they saw anie person to vse this dooing obstinatelie mainteine the same pronounce this sentence of excoÌ„munication on him But that the Bishop might so doo in this and in other greeuous crimes we may well conclude by the 55. chap. of that Council that a Bishop shal excommunicate those that are the accusers of their Brethren if they shall amend their fault he may receaue them to the Communion not to the Clergie Héere â—o is the excommunication and absolution made by the Bishop without anie ioyned with him in these actions were they present at the dooings neuer so much And that this was allowable by the ancient custome of the Church the Councill of Eliberis holden almost an 100. yeres before anie of these CouÌ„cels approoueth the excommunicating made by a Bishop himselfe saying chap. 53. It pleased them all that euerie one should receiue the CoÌ„munion of that Bishop of whom being in anie fault hee was Abstentus that is put backe separated or excommunicated But if so be anie Bishop shall presume to admit him he being not yet willing or consenting of whom he was depriued of the communion let him knowe that he shall aunswere these causes among the Brethren with the danger of his estate Concerning Cyprians Epistles we haue perused them
alreadie méetlie well to examine what the presbyters were which Cypian mencioneth and we haue still found them Ministers of the worde and Sacraments In none of his bookes of Epistles anie 12. Epistle toucheth this matter I graunt that in reconciling of Heretikes and those that were falne to Idolatrie he vsed to take the aduise of his priests of his Deacons of his Clergie and of all the people But this prooueth not that he neuer restored anie otherwise When he confesseth that not onelie a priest but a Deacon also may in necessitie restore the baptised peniteÌ„t to the churches peace But whomsoeuer Cyprian adioyned to him in anie solemne reconciliation he reserueth the power and authoritie of loosing to himselfe As for the first Councill of Antioch which was elder than those of Carthage before cited in the 23. chapter it is thus decréed It is not lawful for a Bishop to make vnto himself another successor although death approch vpon him But if anie such thing should be done the same constitution to be voyde But let the Ecclesiasticall lawe bee kept which is on this wise that a Bishop ought not to be made otherwise than with a Synode and Iudgement of Bishops who after the death of him that is departed haue power to promote him that shall be worthie What is here to abbridge the authoritie of a Bishop that he cannot excommunicate any offender without the consent and ioynt action with him of a Segniorie Where if Danaeus had but looked to the verâ—â— next chapter he should haue found another manner of matter where the Councill saith in the wordes following concerning the authoritie of him that is maâ—e Bishop Those things that perteine vnto the Church must be kept with all carefulnes and with a good conscience and faith that is in God who considereth and iudgeth all thinges Which are also to bee dispensed by the iudgement and power of the Bishop to whom the people is committed and the soules that are gethered together in the Church But to come néerer to the present purpose for excommunication The 4. chapter saith If anie Bishop being condemned of a Synode or a Priest or Deacon of his owne B. shall presume to meddle in anie thing concerning Priesthood or the holie Ministerie it shall not be lawfull for him anie more to haue hope of restitution neither anie place of satisfaction but al that communicate with him to be thrust out of the Church especiallie if they obstinatelie communicate with him after they haue knowen the sentence pronounced against him What can bee plainer spoken than this that the Bishop himselfe may excommunicate And in the 5. chapter If anie Priest or Deacon contemning his B. shal separate himselfe from the Church and priuatelie by himself gathering the people together shall dare to erect an Altare or Communion Table And albeit his B. exhorting him and once and twice reuoking him he shall remaine disobedient let this man by all meanes bee condemned nor let him hope at anie time to obteine helpe or to receaue his owne honour And if so bee hee shall persist to disturbe and sollicite the Church let him bee repressed by the outwarde powers as a seditious person And in the 6. chap. If anie man be excommunicated of his owne Bishop he ought not to be receaued of others before he be first reconciled to his Bishop c. And in the 12. chapter If anie Elder or Deacon of his owne Bishop or if anie Bishop of a Synode shall perhaps be condemned c Thus dooth this Councill also which Danaeus citeth prooue that vpon iust occassions a Bishop himselfe may excommunicate not onelie such among the people but also among the Pastorall Elders as bee notorious offenders Nowe when Danaeus hath thus farre procéeded on the parties that should exercise this power of the keyes giuen to the Church he coÌ„meth at length chap. 55. to this sentence of Christ Mat. 18. v. 17. Tel the Church Where traueling to comfort them that hold this word Church to be simplie meant for the People he pleadeth that it is meant for the Prelates of the Church And at length he coÌ„meth to this conclusion with this saying of Ambrose in librâ— dâ— dignitate Sacerdotali cap. 3. That which perteineth vnto all ought to bee done of all True it is howbeit according to the diuerse vocation of euery one in â—he Church of God By reason whereof the people are not equall to the ecclesiasticall Prelates So also Chrysostome lib. 3. de Sacerdot beyonde the middest of the booke Baptisme is giuen vnto the Church I aske therefore to whom perteineth the administration thereof and to haue the power of baptising Dooth it pertaine to euerie one of the people No but to the Pastors alone And yet this gift is giuen to the whole Church as also iâ— the power of the keyes But euen as when Baptisme and the holie Supper of the Lord is administred in the Church the force of Baptisme of the Supper is expounded to the people who all of them seeing it the seale is added to the healthfull promises of God and so the people is confirmed in their faith and each one of the people is taught and aedified To conclude when these thinges are done the Church out of the holie Supper and out of Baptisme feeleth receaueth the fruite which it ought to receaue euen so when hypocrites and wicked ones are cast out of the Church or when that the poenitent are receaued the same is done the whole people and each one of them withall perceiuing it consenting to it the authoritie of Gods word is ratified the reformation of manners in the Church established and the puritie of doctrine is conserued Which when it is done the Church and euerie one of the Church receaueth the fruite that they ought to receaue out of that power of the keyes that is graunted to the Church By this reason therefore these things the Supper of the Lord and Baptisme and the power of the keyes are of God giuen to the whole Church the administration whereof notwithstanding apperteineth not vnto euerie one but vnto them onelie that are lawfullie called in the Churche to doo these thinges Thus haue we séene at large the iudgements and reasons pro contrà of all these excellent men for these Elders and for their authoritie in this ecclesiasticall Censure Let vs now returne vnto the learned Discourse of our Brethren Therefore in euerie Church there ought to bee a Consistorie of Elders or Gouernors which with the Pastor may take charge of ecclesiasticall discipline and good order to be obserued in the Church to the punishment of vice and the aduauncement of true vertue These if they gouerne wel as Saint Paule doth testifie are worthie of double honor both that honour that is due to godlie men and that which is due to good Gouernors The premisses that our Brethren haue