needs exceed that number by many degrees Not ecclesiastical Lastly which is your 3. slanderous absurditie who told you that the gouernment ordained in the 11. of Numbers was Ecclesiasticall The very place it selfe and all the circumstances thereof doe prooue it to bee ciuill And so our men that haue written of this argument would haue taught you Master Cornel. Bertram de potialud cap. 6. if you had sought the trueth of the cause out of their writings The holy story it selfe maketh the matter to bee out of controuersie which is this in effect Numb 11. There grew an vniuersall murmuring among the people because they had not flesh to eat The authoritie of the rulers ouer thousands rulers of hundreths c. ordained by the aduise of Iethro reached not beyond the number allotted vnto theÌ„ So that the defection of the people being generall and it may bee many of their rulers ioyned with them they would not haue an answere nor bee pacified by the inferior officers but they come to Moses the chiefe gouernor would haue him to giue theÌ„ flesh Moses being sore vexed with the outcries against him expostulateth with the Lord thinking himselfe to be hardly delt with that there was none apointed for the restraining of the general â—â—â—â—itude but he himselfe alone Herupon the Lord commanded him to gather 70. of the Elders of Israell Verse 16. such saith the text as hee knew to be governors of the people the Lord would appoint theÌ„ as assistants with him to take the generall charge of the people that when the multitude would not be ruled by their inferior officers as the rulers of 1000. c. these 70. elders should be armed by the Lord with authority and gifts to beare the burthen with him and it was peformed accordingly Now M. Bancroft for whose assistance were these Elders appointed the word expresly setteth down that they were to assist Moses and therefore the offices wherunto they were ordeined were ciuil wheras if they had bin ecclesiastical they should haue bin appointed helpers vnto Aaron not vnto Moses For Moses at this time was no more to intermedle with the priesthood because Aaron his sons Num. 16.10 Exod. 28.1 were now consecrated thervnto the tribe of Leui allotted to assist Aaron euen to take the charge with him of the whole congregation Numb 3.7 in respect of the tabernacle The last time that euer Moses dealt in the office of the priesthood was at the consecration of Aaron his sons but froÌ„ the time that Aaron was receued in to the office Moses neuer medled with it any more Leu 8.90 Exod. 28.1 29.44 38.44 30.7 Leuit. 1.5 cap. 8. 9. Num. 16.10 Num. 11.23 So the cause is to clear that they who were appointed to assist Moses not Aaron wâ—â— ciuil ecclesiastical rulers Where it is said than the 70. Elders prophisied it can no more proue them to belong to the gouernment of the church then the like gift bestowed vppon Saule 1. Sam. 10.10 can make him a church-officer Seeing then M. Bancroft the platforme of Gouernment whereof you speake was neither appointed at mount Siuai nor by the counsell of Iethro nor yet ordained for the regiment of the Church but for the vse of the ciuill state and seeing you can father this exposition vpon none of these whom afterward you call the cleargie and layitie factions the consequent is that your owne ignoraunce in the cause of Christs gouernement which you oppugne hath coyned vs this most vnlearned and sencelesse exposition wherein you doe no more I grant then that which is the common custome of all your fellowes And that is to imagine that these who by the goodnes of God are seen in this cause can bring no better reasons for the defence of the same then you whose ignoraunce therein is manifest and ridiculous vnto vnto all men And indeed for your part M. Bancroft if you had any modesty in you shame of the world to omitte the conscience and sound feare of God which ought to be in a Minister of the Gospell as you would bee accounted you would giue your selfe little rest vntill either you had named vs some of these very many who affirme as you haue set downe or make open confession of your great ignorance in that cause whereunto you haue beene alwaies so great an enemy The reader may well know that you haue set downe these thinges rather of meere ignorance then of single malice only because otherwise you that are so ready to take any aduantage against your aduersaries and their arguments would haue bene glad to haue found so many breaches in one poore reason of theirs And though you would neuer so faine auoid this blot of your insufficiency yet your owne words following do witnesse that you haue spoken of the cause euen according vnto the deep knowledge that you haue thereof where you say that the Iewes in their particular Sinagogues did imitate this gouernement ordained by Moses in mount Sinai at the counsell of Iethro As though euery particuler Sinagogue of the Iewes could affoord 70. elders that were knowen to be the gouernors of the people to attend vppon the regiment of the Church It appeares that you are well seene either in the ciuill or Ecclesiasticall politie of the Iewes which appoint these elders vnto their particuler Sinagogs You might as well saye that wee in England in the gouernement of our particuler parishes by Church-wardens and Side-men doe resemble the maiestie that is in the assembly of Star chamber or at the Counsel table as that the Iewes in their particuler Sinagogues did imitate the gouernement of the 70. Elders who being ioyned in authoritie with Moses are manifested to bee the highest ciuill officers that were in all the congregation of Israel and both before and after the captiuâ—ty they are saide by the learned to haue the highest authority in the Common-wealth of the Iewes next vnto the supreame Magistrate If you had bene but meanely seene in Iosephus to omitte other writers you could not haue beene ignorant of this point The name Elder it may be is that deceiues you thinking belike that wheresoeuer wee read of any called Elders in the Scriptures wee presently take the place as making for the Eldership vnder the Gospell Wee thinke farre otherwise then so because wee finde the Gouernours of the Common wealth Reade Genesis 50.7 Iosuaâ— 6.11 as well as the rulers of the Church to be called Elders by the spirit of God Whatsoeuer then you say of false Prophets as you speake much of them in your Sermons the reader seeth that at your first assault of the cause of Christs Gouernement you haue manifested your selfe to bee of their number that speake euill of the thinges they knowe not which the holy Ghost maketh to be a marke of these false teachers 2. Pet. 2.13 by whom the way of truth in the
do the same Concerning the preheminence in ciuill causes there is no great question he wil say between vs Page 71. only in ecclesiastical matters we assume vnto our selues saith he that authoritie which by right is the magistrats This slander is general we desire the particular proofe of it wee cannot answere generalles hee repheth that the magistrate by lawe is to haue whatsoeuer priuiledg the pope at any time had with in this land by vsurpation Page 70. lin 3. what will hee conclude hereof Not I hope that the magistrate is to haue the power of remitting sinnes and dispensing with the law of God which the Pope by vsurpation had in times past within this kingdome Her Maiestie wee know detesteth al such prerogatiues from her hart But what is it that he requireth to be graunted vnto the ciuil authoritie which wee yelde not most willingly The power to establish godly ecclesiastical lawes and constitutions amongest the subiects wee are so far from denying this that wee holde it intollerable that our Bishops and the conuocation house should intrude their subscriptions aduertisements and cannons vpon the subjectes whereas no such things can be warraÌ„ted by statute And whereas hee sayth that wee claime vnto our Presbiteries the ordinary authoritie to make al lawes constitutions and ceremonies of the Church it is most false Al that wee affirme in this point is noe more then her majestie voluntarily yealdeth in all such cases when the question is whether such or such a case be statute law or not whether doth M. Bancroft think her majestie or her learned councel in the lawe as her judges Solliciters Atturneis c. to haue greatest skill in the deciding of this matter he knoweeth well enough that her Majesty in all such points will be directed by that which her aforesaid lawiers do prooue to be law and equitie and yet thinketh her royall prorogatiue no whit diminshed thereby In the like case then we say that the true gouernors of the church are meetest to direct her majesty what lawes and ceremonies are most lawfull expedient necessary for the right gouernment of the church And we say that as her majestie in worldly matters is to giue eare vnto the Lawiers which haue skill in that facultie so in the matters of God is she to establish nothing in the church but that which the true ministers and true gouernors if they may bee had shall shew vnto her to be according vnto the worde of GOD. And yet all this while wee make not the gouernours of the Church to haue power to enact laws we leaue that authoritie vnto her Majesty and the Parliament vnto whose hands the Lord hath committed it This indeed we affirme Moreouer that her majesty and the Parliament are bound to establish and erect amongst their subiects al such lawes and ceremonies as the true Ministers of the word shall prooue by the Scriptures of God to bee meet and necessary for the gouernment of the temple and house of the Lord within this kingdome And that they are bound to see that no forme of religion or Church-gouernment be in force amongst the subjectes but that alone which by the word of God may bee prooued lawfull and so that they are bound to see that the Church of God bee clensed and purified of all Idolatrous popish superstious and superfluous gouernment and ceremonies And furthermore we say that they are to prouide by law that all persons both Ministers and others doe submit themselues without contradiction vnto all such things as shall bee godly established in the Church Whether this bee M. Bancroft to weaken or call into question her Maiesties prerogatiue in Ecclesiastical causes let the reader determin We would also desire him to iudge whether her Majestie be well vsed at your hands which call her a petty Pope and say that shee vsurpeth the same authority in causes page 68. lin 2â— Ecclesiasticall with in her dominions which the pope did in times past Had we coÌ„ceiued much lesse published any such things wee had worthily smarted for it Your answere heere will be that you did bring in this reason to shew the weakenes of Martins arguments against the Bishops Let Martin in other points answere for himselfe The case of her Majestie and our Bishops are not alike He prooueth our Bishops to be petty Popes and vsurpers you denie it not And therefore you onely addresse your selfe to shew what a rebellious and absurd conclusion hee hath made by the like kinde of reasoning as you suppose And where his minor truly assumeth our bishoppes to be vsurpers and petty Popes you falsely and standerously charge her Maiestie to bee an vsurper and a petty Pope Wee are not so hastie to shead bloud as you are otherwise this your vndutifulnes is so heinous that I could easily shewe that there were no other waye of desence for you but in the acknowledgement of your rash boldnes to giue your doings no worse tearmes to flie vnto her Maiesties clemency TOVCHING SCOTLAND VVE answere that we desire not the Eldershipp to be planted in the Church of England From the. 72. to the 78. page because Scotland or Geneua enjoyeth the same but in asmuch as Christ Iesus the head king of his church hath commaunded it to bee therein And therefore we admit the gouernment of no church vnder heauen to be the pâ—â—â—â—â—e of that which we desire but only that regiment which is set downe in the word of God the perfection whereof if any Church hath attained vnto wee rejoice with them and desire to be pertakers of so great a blessing in the Lods good time But as for any thing that is amisse if there be ought either in Geneua or Scotlande wee labour no more to haue that established in England then we doe to haue the great abuses that raigned in the Church of Corinth or Galatia to be imitated The slaunder which you haue raised Page 75. both against the Kings Maiesty there in giuing out that he is a deadly enemy vnto the present gouernement established in his kingdome and watcheth but his time to ouer throw it and also against the godly ministers of that realm in making them traitors vnto their soueraign Heaue to be answered by theÌ„selues and I dout not but you wil in time be forced to answere the iniury that you haue offered vnto that godly and noble King oâ— and also vnto the whole Church with in his dominion But let it bee graunted that the true Church gouernours in Scotland behaued themselues rebelliously towards then Prince which yet is most false what is that to the Church gouernment which they enioly Doe you thinke it a good season to say that the Archbishop is a Traitour therefore the Archbishopricke is gilty of Treason You can not deny but Thomas Beckeâ— was a traitor so were diuers others that haue beene Archbishops of Canterbury but I trust you will not therefore attaint the Archbishopricke of treason
hath appointed Church seruaunts and widowes to the same purpose vnder the Gospell Heere by good reades thou seest that not onely wee but the holie ghost also saith those thinges concerning the regiment of the Church hoth vnder the new and olde Testament which Maister Bancroft is not able to gaine say with any colour of truth And yet it were season that either his answere or his consent should be had M. BANCROFT This forme of gouernement they cal the tabernacle which God hath appointed the glory of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ the presence of God the place which he hath chosen to put hi◠name there the courte of the Lord and the shining forth of Gods glory ANSVVERE Although I deny not but the true gouernement of the Church by the Eldershippe might haue the most of these titles truly attributed vnto it wherewith the visible Church vnder the new Testament is adorned yet the most of those names which you set downe being something insolent and strange I make no doubt but all modest writers would abstaine from them Especially knowing how subiect this cause in our time is vnto the godlesse cauils of suche as care not what they write to the disgrace thereof And because you haue set them down with out any authority for mine owne part I can no otherwise thinke of them then of the brood of your owne slaunderous spirite whereunto you can find no couert vnder the wings of your aduersaries whē you haue produced your witnesses to prooue them none of yours I will in this point alter mine opinion and it stands you vpon to cleare your selfe That which followeth in your Sermon doeth manifest both your ignorance in the cause and also that you haue so acquainted your tongue and pen with vntruthes that you are a stranger vnto the wordes of veritie and vprightnes your wordes are these D. BANCROFT page 6. line 13. VVhere this ecclesiastical Synod is not erected they say Gods ordinance is not performed the office of Christ as he is a King is not acknoledged in effect with out this gouernement we can neuer attaine to a right and trewe feeling of christian religion but are to be reckoned among those Luke 19.27 who say of Christ we wil not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. ANSVVERE As though we desire ecclesiastical Synods to be erected in euery congregation and parish or that we make no difference betwene a Synod which is a meeting of al the ministers and elders if occasion should require or more properly of some choise ministers and elders in a whole prouince or more generall and the Eldershippe which containeth the gouernors to wit the Pastors Doctors and elders of one only congregation The reader may se what a meet man you are to be an inueigher against the eldership whereas you knowe not what it meaneth and whether a Synod and an Eldership be al one or not Where this forme of ecclesiastical gouernement is not erected there indeed we say that Gods ordinance concerning the regiment of his church is not wholy obserued but that his whole ordinance is wanting where there is a faythful teacher we neuer as yet affirmed And therefore if by your generall speach that wee say Gods ordinance is not performed c. you meane that we denye any part thereof to be where the gouernement by the Eldership is not established you doe but followe your owne humor that is beare false witnesse against the truth and those that professe the same The office of Christ as he is a King is boath to teach and to gouerne his church by his own lawes Our Bishops doe professe them selues to robbe the church of the scepter of gouernement which they haue tyranuously wrested to them selues therefore we truly say that they suffer Christ to haue but halfe a kingdome at the most vnder their jurisdiction and that we feare ful sore against their wills we grant indeed that many congregations in the land doe enjoy Christ Iesus raigning among them by the scepter of his word and wee doe day and night according vnto our weake measure of faith heartily thanke our God for this blessing and beseeche him from the bottome of our hearts to shew mercy vnto our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth vnder whose peaceable gouernment we are partakers of so inestimable a treasure Yet notwithstanding it is too well knowen what a straunger the sauiour of mankinde is to the most part within our lande because the voyce of his gospell is neuer effectually heard among them and so wee may truly say that the office of Christ as he is a king is no wise acknoledged vnder the jurisdiction of our Bishops in many places of our land Againe we do so thanke the Lord for the enjoying of his Gospel preached as we cease not humbly to intreate his majestie that leeing hee hath vouchsafed vs the lauour to bee of his householde it would also please him that wee may bee ruled by the offices and lawes of his owne house For what hath the Temple of God to doe with the gouernement and statutes of the kingdome of Antichrist And we doe protest that wee will giue him no rest vntill hee hath vouchsaued to heare our supplications euen in this point And yet in the meane time we doe acknowledge his office as he is a king and doe professe our selues without this Gouernement which wee labour for to haue attained vnto some right and true feeling of christian religion though not to such a measure as we hope to reach vnto whensoeuer the Lord shall graunt vnto vs the vse of his holy ordinaunce which wee so earnestly desire This may serue M. Bancroft for a sufficient confutation of your loose and vnbridled tongue which are not ashamed to publish that without this gouernement we holde that men can neuer attaine vnto a right and true feeling of religion we haue euermore affirmed the contrary are able to proue the contrary For wee holde that those 3000. soules which in one day were added vnto the Church at Ierusalem Act. 2.41 before the Eldership was established among the disciples had a true feeling of religion wee say the same of the Church of Creta Tit. 1.5 euen before euer Titus ordained elders in euery citie among them The like iudgement wee haue of the church of England at this day But as the spirite of God recordeth that notwithstanding these Churches of Ierusalem and Creet had a true feeling of Christ yet it behooued them to submit themselues according vnto Gods ordinance vnto the gouernement of the Eldership which a Act. 15.4.6 Titus 1.5 they enioyed So say wee of our selues in Englande and of all other Churches in our case that although our knowledge and feeling were neuer so great as alas it is but too too slender yet are we to be built further and further and wrought vppon by all the holy ordinances of God least wee be depriued of that inheritance which is to bee had among
aduantage that you haue bene suffered to preach and to publish many grounds of popery vnreprooued vnder the profession of the gospell The Church of God we reuerence to bee wilfull in standing against her or any member therof we holde it vnlawfull but that men should stand in matters of question vnto her determination as vnto the vndoubted voyce of God she hath no authority to require any such obedience at our hands I dare say for you that you are vexed at the verie heart that any thing established in the Conuocation house should bee called in question when you prooue that assembly to be lawfull and the learned fathers as you call them there met to bee true Pastors and not rauening wolues wee will promise to giue greater reuerence vnto their degrees Poperie is so bannished from amonge vs that by the authority of those learned fathers you dare in open Pulpit and publike writinges iustifie many points thereof Answere to the 46.47.48.49 pages It is not onely lawfull but necessary that all men of what state soeuer they bee should be required yea compelled by the Magistrate to subscribe vnto true religion 2. Chron. 14.12 cap. 34 31.32 2. Kings 11.17 Nehem. 9.38 10.29 This we doe willingly confesse Howbeit we hold it vnlawfull to subscribe in that forme that our Bishops do exact at our hands Your reason that subscription is lawfull therefore the English or the Augustane subscription is lawfull is no other then if I should say that religion is good therefore the popishe religion is good But of all other points in your booke I cannot but greatly wonder that you seeme to iustifie the subscription vnto the Augustine confession and the silenceing of those that would not subscribe vnto it Page 47. lin 24 You are not ignoraunt I thinke that the saide confession is vnsound in the point of the Lords supper which hath set Germany on fire these many yeares As for the subscription which in England is required by statute our men haue beene alwaies ready to yeelde vnto it But the learned fathers whereof you speake seeing that by the same subscription they could haue no aduantage against the truth haue coyned a new one of their own which we hold vtterly vnlawfull because it requireth our consent vnto the popish hierarchie vnto the Apocripha and many other corruptions The which course of theirs because they are not able to iustifie therefore haue you done well to finde out a waye whereby they may easilie determine of any question or difficultie mooued vnto them So that now if we deny to subscribe vnto that which against law they require of vs vntill we be satisfied in the douts wee make whether it may be lawfull for vs to maintaine the proud and ambitious superioritie of one minister aboue another the appointing of ignorant and godlesse men vnto the Ministerie the crosse in Baptisme the prophanation of that Sacrament by women with other manifolde abuses which we are vrged to approoue their answere may be according vnto your rule that they beeing the learned fathers of our Church haue in their lawfull assemblies decreed that this subscription should bee called for and they see no reason why popery being now bannished c. wee should not attribute as much vnto their decrees as other men in times past haue done Looke M. Bancroft in the place set downe before And so if we were dutifull children we would submit our selues without any wilful contradiction vnto their godlie determination seeing the Lord hath by his promise tied himselfe vnto them being his Church for this purpose Now if we shall reply any thing againe as being vnsatisfied by this resolution wee are presently cried out vppon as being giddie Spirites and men that cannot bee content with any good order established by lawe and approoued by our betters euen such as gaue their bloud for the testimony of the truth And thus in stead of answering our reasons they inuent slanders against vs and fall out with our conclusion according vnto Master Bancrofts manner of dealing Whereof as I haue often before admonished the reader so nowe I haue special occasion to put him in minde of the same concerning his dealing with vs touching the booke of common prayer and the point of her maiesties supremacy Wherein he spendeth 20. pages for the most part From the 50. to the 72. pages wee shewe diuers corruptions to be in that booke wee set downe the particulars as baptim by weomen crosse in baptime ring in matriage appropriating of garmentes to the vse of religion and grosser coruptions as Arianisme where the booke maketh Michael to bee a creature The Collect on Michaels day and addeth vnto the word as psalme 14. in which place 3. verses that is the 5.6.7 are added vnto the text more then euer the holy Ghost penned in that psalme with other grieuous corruptions which I passe ouer Nowe howe doth M. Bancroft thinke you deale for the credit of the booke in answering these particulars hee toucheth not one of them but first of all hee telleth his auditors howe glad al the churches in Europ were at the establishing of religion Page 15. in the beginning of her Maiesties raigne And for our partes wee wish them confusion that doe not reioice at it Page 53. From 54.58 Secondly hauing set down what paines was taken in reforming the booke hee bringeth in diuers testimonies of godlye learned men to prooue that the booke is in a manner without spotte or wemme whereby what doth hee els but fall out with our conclusion Wee charge the booke with diuers particular corruptions we bring our proofes Page 61. he is not able to answere them Therefore our conclusion wil stand firme that the booke is corrupt The general commendations of all the men in the world is not able to cleare it when it is not denied to containe many grosse particular falts Thirdely he falleth a quarreling with a newe communion booke preferred in parliament Page 62.63 the yeare 86. and caueleth diuers waies against the same As that it had bin diuers times altered that it mencioned not the ciuil magistrate in the first edition and that it doth not tye the minister to any set forme of prayer c. Al which points I omit as friuolous and vngodly cauils not to be stood vpon Lastly he falleth to his olde bias that is to plaine slaundering Page 67. and affirmeth that one of our reasons whie wee holde the established gouernment of the church of England to be Antichristian is because the ciuil Magistrate is made a Pope amongst vs and that we cal her maiesties supremacie vnto question wherevnto wee answere no otherwise then Nehemiah did Sanballat Nehem. 6.8 It is not done according vnto these wordes that thou sayest but thou fainest them of thine own hart Looke whatsoeuer prerogatiue in ecclesiastical or ciuil causes hee or any man liuinge can truly attribute vnto the ciuil magistrate wee
Browne a knowne Scismatike is a man very fit to be one of your witnesses against the Eldership Page 75. lin 29 His entertainment in Scotland was such as a proud vngodly man deserued to haue God giue him and you repentance if it be his will otherwise you shall make and hard reckoning both of you before the iudgement feate of Iesus Christ for the slaunders which you haue raised vp against the gouernement of his kingdome heere vpon earth Your calender deceiued you for it was not the Parliament of the yeare 88. where of hee wrote Page 76. lin 4. but of another held Anno 86. or before If any thing be written amisse in any of the books that you mencion Page 78. wee haue nothing to doe therewith Bring our owne assentions and you shal be answered We holde it altogether vnlawfull for Ministers and Church officers to deale in any ciuil cause much more to depose Princes and therfore our attempts that way are not to be feared Looke you Page 79. your masters vnto those thinges who arrogat vnto your selues that preheminence which is in deede dangerous vnto the throne of the magistrate and thinke Parliaments and lawes cannot bee halfe orderly kept and enacted without Lords spirituall Your feare Page 80. lect 3 that whatsoeuer hath bene done or written in forraine Countries is laboured to haue execution with vs at home is but the ouerflowing of your gall The disease is daungerous and you may one day aunswere for your distempâ—rature in his presence before whome the imaginers of euill against their brethren shall haue their reward We holde indeede Rom. 13.2 that the Magistracie is gods ordinance bee he a good or a bad Page 81. an heathen or a Christian that is called thereunto so that the right of a Christian and an heathen Magistrate within his dominions is the same You that hold the contrary professe your selfe not to bee a subiect for conscience sake as the Apostle commaundeth but for some other respect So you would bee very dutifull belike if you were vnder an heathen Prince Ministers wee say are not to deale in ciuill causes Page 82. lin 27 and therefore in that point wee ascribe vnto the Magistrate both PotestateÌ„ juris facti that is power to make lawes to execute them If there arise anie difficultie as often as it commeth to passe of that which is agreable vnto the law of God in matters that are controverted then indeed it is the Ministers dutie to enforme the Magistrate of the mind of the Lord wherein hee doth nothing els but respondere de jure shewe what the will of God is that the magistrat may statuere de facto pronounce sentence accordingly For Ecclesiasticall matters it is the word of God onely that therein hath potestateÌ„ juris the power to determin what is acceptable in the sight of God the Minister ought to haue the knowledge thereof that he may declare the same both vnto Magistrate and people The Church officers also are appointed of God to execute all ecclesiastical maters And if you should attribute this power vnto the magistrate the imagistrate might iustly account of you as you are For will you haue the Magistrate to preach the word administer the Sacramentes take the charge of watching ouer the maners of the people and distributing to the pore within his parish or will you haue him to visite the sicke comfort the weake ordaine ministers discusse controuersies in religion exercise the church censures by excommunications c. And yet these are the only maters which wee account ecclesiasticall wherein alone we hold it lawfull for church officers to deale other punishments of malefactors as imprisoning fining or any mulct that toucheth the life body or goodes of men are only to be reterced to the Magistrates who beare the sword for that purpose Our Bishops vsurping this sword doe shewe that they and their fathers house and not wee doe labour to bring and maintaine confusion in church common wealth You exhortation both vnto people and magistrates Page 85. that the one shoulde avoide and the other punish heretical spirits we imbrace withal our harts Being ready to shewe as our writings haue done at large that your errors corruptions idlenes pride ambition slaunders and vntruthes vttered against the truth hath not only as dayly experience teacheth vs begotten and nourished the lamentable ignorance which euery where raigneth in this land but alsoe called for the wrath of God to fal vppon vs because such vnruly and wicked spirits as you are tollerated in the holy ministerye amongest vs. Page â—6 You are now come to the gathering vppe of your standers and vntruche into an heape in the conclusion of your sermon lest the readers and auditors shoulde forget that you are an impudent slaunderer And therefore that you may incense the magistrates against vs in one place especially you rake theÌ„ vp after this manner Hir Majestie is depraued hir authority is impugned and greate dangers are threatned Page 57 to 19â— M Doct. thinkâ— belike that wee are maintainers of the hierarchy Ciuil gouerment is called into question princes pretogatiues are curiously scanned the interest of the people in kingdomes is greatly aduaunced al gouernment generally is pinched at comemened The Church is condemned the auncient fathers are despised your preachers are defaced and yet these men are tollerated Whereunto I answere with the wise man that the lying tonge slayeth the soule Pron 12.6 and that the very wordes of the wicked lye in wayte for blood but the mouth of the righteous wil deliuer them And so wee doubt not whensoeuer wee are araigned for any of these heauy accusations but that wee shal bee deliuered from this bloody tonge The reader knoeth that as a noble Emperour spake in the like case if it be sufficient to accuse no man can be innocent Nowe if he hath these aduantages against any of vs let him set down his particulars and name the man or his writings and he shal be answered Otherwise we make no other account of such Epistrophaes homoioteleutaes page 88. line 4. then of the barking and dogge Rethorick of some profane Lucian or god lesse Porphirie It is no news for vs to haue our legs thighs desired to be broken Ioke 19.30 The reader is to remember that this was the Iewes requests vnto Pilate concerning our Sauiour Christ and therefore wee are not to thinke it strange that M. Bancroft is guided by their spirit whose place he supplieth But this wee are to knowe that neither he not his masters shal do any thing against vs but that which the Lord our God hath long since determined and therewith by his grace Act. 4 1â— wee hope to be right wel contented In stead of arming his hearers with reasons out of the word against vs whome he accounteth sect masters and false Prophets hee commeth
off after his wonted manner with idem peridem leauing his auditors in as great doubt as they were before And saith that the doctrine of the Church of England is pure and holy Page 89. lin 27 the gouernement thereof both in respect of her Maiestie and of our Bishops is lawfull and godly the booke of Common praier containeth nothing in it contrary to the word Her Majesties gouernement he knoweth well enough we call not in question He and his patrons haue corrupted the doctrine of our church as for the hierarchy cōmon booke when he hath made vp that holes which I haue alredy shewed to be in both besides the vncureable woundes that other men haue discouered he may build somthing vpon his conclusion which if he doe not his maner of disputation in crauing and begging the matter in cōtrouersie will in a while growe to bee a common prouerbe If we were such vnreasonable men as we would find salt with matters that are blamelesse his exhortation that priuate men would take heede page 8◠89. and the Magistrate take punishment of vs would carry vvith it some vvaight But in asmuch as both the Magistrate and people see that vvee haue cause to speake and perceiue that out aduersaries can doe litle if they cannot set a faire face vpon a crackt cause wee feare not any great hurt that his tongue can worke vnto vs. And the very same account doe we make of his speach where hee saith Page 94. that wee vse the same argumentes for the soueraigntie of our Presbiteries against the Prince in causes Ecclesiasticall that the Pope doth for his principallitie in the same and we answere as the Papists do him This is VVhitgifts quarel and answered long since But these thinges as hee saith hee cannot stand to prooue at this time onely hee thought it necessary to aduertise his hearers of it that they might the better beware of such kind of spirits Take his aduantage who list We care not how little a doo we haue at the Arches Answere and therefore we meane not to take any great aduauntage against your tongue any further then your blushing may be for the clearing of the truth The reader will thinke you worthy to be marked in the forhead according vnto the Romaine lawe except you prooue this which you haue so confidently set downe Though as it should seeme you haue a commission to vse your tongue and pen at your pleasure yet you cannot blot out the light of mens reading knowledge We are known to be so out of amitie in this case especially with all Romanists and you truly accounted to be so neerly allied vnto them that wee desire no other weapons to strike downe the hierachie then M. Luther and M. Caluine haue vse to ouerthrowe the Romaine chaire and her ministers How often shall it be tould you Page 95. that we would haue no ciuill matters handled in any ecclesiasticall meeting and therfore that we admit not anything in our assemblies to be decreed against the constitutions of Princes any further then Princes may account the truth of the word to bee against their statutes We are as far from making our owne wils Page 96. 97. to be the rules of other mens liues or from affirming that what wee speake is the very word of God as you are from being ashamed to lie in the face of the sunne you haue taken great paines in sowing the seed of most grosse vntruthes repent betimes least in the Lords iust iudgement you reape the fruits of your lying tongue Concerning M. Cartwright Page 97. 9S 100. VVE depend not vppon men Christ Iesus is our onely guide As concerning M. Cartwright whome you to keepe your tongue in vre with your naturall vaine call our ring leader wee blesse God that euer he hath vouchsafed vs such an instrument to stand in the defence of his holy gouernment and to giue your hierarchie and your high Prieste the shamefull foile But we follow him no further then he attendeth vpon the truth of his God And in that worke we are not ashamed to glaine after so worthy a man But what can you lay to his charge you say that hee alleadgeth Cyprian Ierom c. to prooue the equality that ought to be in the ministers of the word and Sacraments and that in the ancient times there was no difference betwixt a Bishop a Priest but that whosoeuer was a Bishop was a Priest also and that they had all equall authority within their own parishes whereas the cleane contrary say you is to be seene in their writings Then heauen and earth bee you iudges in this caus◠that the mouth of this slanderer may be stopped First the place of Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. calleth him a Priest Defence 355. whome D. Whitgift would haue to be an Archbishop the papists affirme to be his elder brother the pope Therefore by Cyprians iudgement whosoeuer was a Bishop was a priest Again Cyprian speaking of the election of a priest by the consent of the whole people lib. 1. epist 4. hee maketh the same maner of electing Cornelius Bishop of Rome and calleth his Bishopricke a priesthood lib. 4. epist 2. Nowe Tom. 1. Can. lib. 4 epist 9. that Cyprian condemned superiority among Bishops or ministers his sentence in the counsell of Carthage prooueth it where hee saith that none of them made him selfe a Bishop of Bishops he also reprooueth Pupianus that he made himselfe a Bishop of a Bishop As to Ierom 2. Reply 1. part pag. 591. Ierom. ad Euag M. Cartwright alleadgeth these places out of him A priest that is to say a Bishop and a little after the Apostle doth plainely teach that a Bishop and a priest are all one And in another place Ad Oceanum a Bishop and a priest are the same againe although with the ancient fathers Bishops and priests were al one Now good reader beare witnesse whether Maister Cartwright hath falsified the ancients or not whether this past shame Doctour hath not cause to sow vp his lippes for euer opening them in pulpit again For the confirmation of the equalitie of Ministers that the name Bishop was common vnto al the Ministers of the word and Sacraments in the ancient times thou maiest adde vnto that which hath bene already spoken Ignatius ad Smyrnensis First the testimony of Ignatius which saith that it was not lawful for any to baptise but for the Bishop Where then M. Bancroft was the distinction betweene him and the priest or hys superioritie ouer the priest Secondly that in the time of Gregory the great priestes did ordaine Bishops and yet this is made one of the essentiall differences betweene a Bishop and a priest Greg in Euan. a VVhitgift page 387. a that a Bishop may ordaine whereas a priest hath no such authority Thirdly that Theod. mencioneth an 150 Bb. which were met for the election of the