simplicity of the Euangelike ministery IF any man obiect that these tenures in fee are accompanied with certaine Royalties ciuill iurisdictions secular titles honors and retinewes in which thinges the auncient Nobilitie are an ornament vnto the King and the Countrey and therefore not agreeable vnto the simplicitie of the ministerie which thing the Lord him selfe taught as well by expresse doctrine as especiall example Because indeede such thinges they doe but intangle a man in extearne vanities and solicite their heartes with the cares of this world in the which it becommeth a Bishop to be secure And furthermore for that the Lord himselfe beeing requested to sit but as arbiter betweene two brethren denied the same And againe when the Apostles made the question which of them should bee the greatest hee made aunswere and sayd The Kings of the Gentils raigne ouer them and they which beare rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes but yee shall not be so but he that is greatest amongst you let him be as the least and he which is Prince as he which ministreth By which the wordes and examples of our Sauiour wee are taught that the Ministery of the Gospell hath nothing common with the Common-wealth It may suffice for an answere vnto this obiection which wee haue before noted namely that all this they talke of hath his place in that estate in the which our Sauiour and his Apostles liued not in that common-wealth in the which the chiefe Magistrates acknowledge Christ Iesus their chiefe Lord and soueraigne King For as the Magistrate is of an other calling now in the Church then before he had so is it reason also that the seruaunts of the Lorde should bee of better estate in the Common-wealth then before they were The Magistrate which before was an enemie and a persecutour according vnto the prophesie of Esaias is become a Foster-father of the Church and a religious worshipper of the Lorde Christ vnder whome were it not an absurd thing that the seruaunts of Christ should haue no more honour then vnder a persecutor But because it is not set downe expreslie in the Scripture what of what sort and how great the same ought to bee many mens mindes are heere at a maze and some are of mind so to leaue it as at a dead losse and yet notwitstanding the thing it selfe is not so hard to find out and it is in his owne nature wel enough knowen and that both by the written lawe of God and the vniuersall censure of all nations were it not for the awkewarde interpretation of those scriptures which I haue nowe cited Out of the which notwithstanding there is nothing els directie concluded but that it is not any part of the Ecclesiasticall function to intermedle in ciuil affaires the which indeed is out of all controuersie Neither is that the question but whether the same man that is a Pastor may not togeather with the ministery of the Gospell bee lawfully imployed in politique affaires for the benefite of the Church and good of the Common-wealth For when as the Minister of the church is cittizen also of the common-wealth he ought not thinke any thing not pertaining to him that pertaineth to the Common-wealth so that beeing lawfully called hee may not vndertake some part of the ciuill estate As for that which I lately cited concerning our Sauiour who refused to be an arbiter it is nothing to this question For the spirite of Christ in the mouth of Paul doth plainly teach vs that the meanest of the church are good enough to iudge of earthlie causes for that one day they shall iudge the worlde yea the Angels themselues a iudgement farre greater then this The which seeing the Apostle affirmeth of any Christian is it to bee thought that onely Christ alone was no fit man to take vp a small matter betweene two brethren if they both had bene content to stand vnto his iudgement Wee cannot therefore imagine that our Sauiour Christ simplye refused the office of an arbiter but that hee denied himselfe to bee that iudge which might command both parties to stand vnto his arbiterment And is not this then a slight testimonie for to proue it not lawfull for a Bishop who is both a Cittizen and a subiect to exercise anye ciuill iurisdiction the Magistrate so commaunding him or to execute some other pension of the Common-wealth not abhorring altogeather from his profession beeing furnished with sufficient authority to discharge it That the foure-score and second Canon commandeth him to be disordered who vndertaketh both Prouinces the Ecclesiasticall power and the secular principality for my part I say not against it if so be that it bring no inconuenience vnto the Bishoppes of the Church and that it may bee done with the good leaue of the Prince and without anie great hurt to the Church and Common wealth And thereupon we are also bolde to say that Theophilus and Cyrill Byshops of Alexandria transgressed that Canon of whome Socrates reporteth that of themselues they tooke vnto themselues the principality of that citty In like manner doe the Bishops of Rome when as they improoue vnto themselues those things which are Caesars For when as they are the vassals and subiectes of the Emperour they haue notwithstanding extolled themselues aboue their Lords and aduanced the sheepheardes croysier aboue the royall scepter But for those Bishops which vaile their bonnet to their Soueraigne and obey their Princes in honest and godly things there is not the like reason And many things many times are done in the Common-wealth extraordinarilye so that there can no lawe bee published or made which it is not lawfull for to gain-say at some time or other for the good of the Common-wealth Neither is the other example that they vrge of anye force For had our Sauiour meant to haue inthronized himselfe in that earthly kingdome which he neuer ment yet would hee haue refused that tumultuous course For what power had that part of the people to annoint him King CHAP. XX That it is lawfull for Bishops to heare ciuil causes and to determine vpon them THat Bishops had to deale in ciuill causes when as the parties submitted themselues to their iudgement it is sufficiently known by the writings of the Fathers the works of Iustinian The which although it were a matter of no smal trouble vnto the godlie Bishops yet the iniquitie many times of secular Iudges their delayes demurs and cauils in lawe were such as that the Bishops of meere charity were moued vnto this labour Neither are they therein to be so censured as if they vsurped the place of the ciuill Magistrate for he did it by the consent of the chiefe Magistrate as it appeareth in the writings of Iustinian in his first booke de Episcopali audientia the fourth title where hee commaundeth that there should be that reuerence giuen vnto their iudgement which is due vnto the hiest powers from whome it is not lawfull to appeale
the old Testament framed to him selfe a peculiar cōmon wealth the which although afterwards it might receiue diuerse formes of gouernement yet he did alwaies so prouide for the honour of the Priesthood that they alwaies retained that degree of dignity which the Lord would haue them maintain among the people of God God vnder the Gospell hath impropriated no peculiar people neyther hath he planted any certaine forme of gouernment He sent vnto all nations preachers of the Gospell priuate men without any warlike accutrements Them he appointed not to alter any form of gouernment least they might seeme to be sent rather for the subuersion then for the conuersion of the Gentiles And yet this hindereth not but that they may take vppon them a greater state and better beseeming the worthines of theyr calling where Religion it self is aduaunced by publique authority and in wisedome is made the ground-work both of the lawes and the common wealth In the old lawe the Priests Honor was especially set downe what how great after what sort in what things it should consist In the new Testament that limitation coulde not bee layd forth because it could not would they neuer so faine be like it selfe or the same among all people in all places at all times But as good christians doe take vnto them selues many other imitable examples out of the old Testament and the law of nature and the orders of nations by the which they may the better be brought vnto a ciuill conformity and a conformable ciuility of life so likewise ought we to doe in this case The minority vnder-reckoning of the ministery is not so held in the iudgements of those christians that haue their cōsciences acquainted with diuine causes but in the sight of carnall professors and the censure of the Churches enemies All indifferent harts eies may see and conceiue that how much greater Christ is then Moyses and the Gospel more excellēt then the law so much more honorable is the Euangelike ministery then the Aaronicall Priesthood the which we are abundantly taught by the manifest arguments of the Apostle Paul we may very well learne by the manifold Sermons of our Sauiour Christ Of old among the people of God it was for good cause held a great matter for any man to be like vnto Moyses or Elias For after the receite of the law and his familiar conference with God in the mount the face of Moyses is sayd to haue ben so radiant with passing all wonderous bright some rayes that the eyes of the amased Israelites by no means might indure the Sun bright lustre of his resplendent countenaunce After him was Elias no lesse honored and renowmed as well for his wonderfull acts atchieued in the zeale of God his law as also for his miraculous end translated aliue into the Paradise of Heauen Notwithstanding all this the Apostle in his latter to the Corinthians doth learnedly maintaine that the Ministery of Moyses was of the letter and of death but the Ministery of the Gospell of the spirite and of life and so much the more glorious As for the rest our Sauiour himselfe preferreth Iohn Baptist alone before all the Prophets whom he affirmeth to be more then a Prophet and yet he resolueth that the least Minister of the Church is greater then hee And therefore if Christ may be Iudge the least Minister of the lowest degree in the Church is more honorable to be honored more in his office then are any or al the Priests of the old Testamēt As for the low titles the Lord gaue to his Ministers for bidding the glorious insignes of honor as of Lord Father and Doctor I aunswere that it was not done that the Ministers should be of lesse honor among the people then were of old the Priests Leuits or that they should be debased beneath all estates be of no esteem in a christian common wealth but rather that they might retain a lowly an humble conceit in so lofty so honorable an estate For vnlesse the Lord in wisdome should temper keep vnder the ouer-weaning waiwardnes of mans nature euen in his dearest seruantes Such is the excellency of the Ecclesiasticall calling that the conceit thereof might easely ouercharge light mindes with lofty thoughts sodenly ouerturne rash heads into ruined estates But as humility is taught them in their inglorious titles so is their excellency taught vs by their magnificall statues For are not these they which are called the Salt of the earth the Light of the world Stars in the firmamēt Angels and Legats Stewards dispensers of the mysteries of God Ministers of the spirit of life what and how great is that honor and power they haue receiued of the Lord that they can binde and lose in earth what things are bound and losed in Heauen that they can remit and retaine sins that they can open and shut the highest Heauen Can there be any thing giuen to men more Honorable in this mortality As for the vse of those names Doctor Lord Father we will speake therof hereafter Now that I may determine this disputation of those things we haue here set downe I conclude That christian people are no lesse deuoted to their Pastors in al duty then were of old the Israelites to their Priests and Leuits And Where christian religion is publikely authorised that there the same degree of honor is to be giuen to the Ministers in the common welth which was vsed to the Priests Prophets among the people of God But if so be it so fall out that among vngodly people vngracious Magistrats there be no reuerend regard had of this honor due to the Minister that there the professors be not offended therewith seeing the worthines of ther Ministery is such as that no iniury of man can any waies diminish it For it becommeth them to be at this point with themselues that if so be the honor due to their ministery be giuen them they may reioyce in the religious godlines of the faithfull towards God but if it be denied them they may not grieue thereat as if them selues had lost any thing Neyther are they greatly to contend with the Magistrate for their right especially at any intempestiue season but they are to commit their causes vnto God and with Paul to expect a more conuenient time to expostulate In the mean while let them pray vnto God that he would vouchsafe thē better mindes that would be accounted for good christians The chief care of a faithfull Pastor must be this to gaine many soules vnto Christ not much riches or many honors First let them seek the kingdome of God and al these things shal be cast vppon them Wherefore seeing there are many parts of that honor which is due to the Minister I will chiefely prosecute those which the ciuil society of life doth require in a christian cōmon wealth and that aboue all others which consisteth in the maintenance of
Iniunctions For wee must vnderstand thus much also that tenthes haue beene paide of olde not onely to the Priestes but vnto the chiefe Magistrate also Haue wee not heard of certaine tributes wont to bee paid to the common treasurie which afterwardes were giuen by the Emperour Constantine vnto the Churches Namely for that albeit the superstition of the Gentiles were in many places put down by publike authoritie yet the Nobles and richer sort with the greater part of the people hauing not forthwith receyued the faith of Christ the bare oblations of the faithfull althogh bountiful were not sufficing to relieue the poore and to maintaine the state of their Pastors So that vnlesse I quite lose mine ayme those tributes were eyther tenthes or tithes For there is nothing better knowne then that the Romanes imposed the paiments of tenthes vpon those prouinces they conquered and what proportion could they more fitly giue vnto professed Churches then the tenthes of those they conquered This example did Charles the great follow who hauing ouercome the Saxons and hauing put to flight their King Windekind hee commaunded tenthes to be paid vnto him part whereof the Bishops and other Pastors of the Church had and part the Kinges officers also receiued As for the coniecture of Crantz in his Metropolis who thinketh that tenthes were giuen vnto Nobles in fee by the Bishops I cannot for my part allowe thereof seeing it so euidently appeareth out of the approued Annalies that those tenthes were receyued of the Kinges Officers before there were any Bishops and whereas yet there were none But whereas tythes seemed not to suffice the state of the Cleargie the godly Prince of a religious and wise purpose added glebes and landes vnto the vse of the Church For indeed that wilde Nation tamed onely by force armes receiued the Christian Religion for feare but in affection were so estraunged from it that they would sooner suffer the Bishops and those preachers which the Emperour sent vnto them rather to sterue among then then to thriue by them But who so desireth to reade more of this matter may reade Crantz his Metropolis and the Saxon Chronicles In the meane while wee haue thus learned that those tenthes and tythes which no religion of the Christian people but the liberalitie of the religious Magistrate hath giuen vnto the Church were properly to bee accounted among the Churches Ciuill goodes But when as at this day they are so intermingled that the manner of their first donations is not known for good cause they are now called by the more certaine and the more singular part of them and are therefore accounted among those Church goods which are not ciuill but sacred and diuine As for those goods of the Church which wee distinguish by the name of ciuill goods and humane they may be distinguished into the possession of such fearms and rents which the Church had euen vnder heathen Emperors before Constantine and into the possession of such fees and mannors which vnder the Christian Magistrate haue annexed vnto them some ciuil iurisdiction The which because some contend that no Ecclesiasticall person ought to inioy wee are in like manner to examine that matter the rather for that there are some which thinke they ought rather to liue of other mens Almes Chap. XIII That the Pastors of churches are not maintained of almes but of the due reward of their labours SOme haue beene of opinion you will very hardly beleeue it neither doe I their opinion that our blessed Lorde and his Apostles did not onely liue very bare but verie beggers and therefore that the Ministers of the Church ought to liue of meere almes according vnto their godly example But the law of God defieth this errour and forbiddeth the whole trade of begging among his people Neither doe wee read that the Lord at any time repealed this lawe and sure we are that there haue beene alwayes extant among vs certaine lawes of the Emperours also against vpright beggers Almes are giuen for pittie sake to helpe and cheare the needie but whatsoeuer is giuen as a testimonie of any vertue is eyther a stipend for certaine paines taken or a present for a certaine reuerence conceiued albeit the party be poore vnto whom it is performed When the Lord therefore sent forth his Disciples to preach hee gaue them a commission to take vp their mainteinance of them to whome they preached and hee therefore compared them to labourers and their stipend to a reward not to an almes which being due is to be charged and discharged as of right Whereby the nature of those things which the godly did contribute vnto the Lord his vse and his Apostles is easely vnderstood to be of the condition not of almes but of fees Euen as the offerings and certaine parts of the sacrifices were alotted to the Priests not as free almes but as the fruites of their labours so the godly Pastors doe receiue of the faithfull people not a doale but a duetie the one beeing of right the other of meere pittie If any man vrge that the sense of this worde Almes doth extend it selfe more largelie amongst learned Diuines that it is taken for all kind of beneuolence which is shewed for Gods cause vnto the benefit of our neighbor Howe truly they so affirme I leaue that to them which are but meanely seene in the Greeke tongue In the meane while I will not sticke with them for so much as this commeth to that in such a sense those thinges which are giuen to the Church for the benefite of the Ministers may bee called Almes also this alwaies reserued that they still differ white and blacke from those almes with the which the poore are releeued For what haue they deserued You remember where I sayd that there is no other law imposed vpon the Minister by the Lord then vnto the rest of the faithfull excepting onely the condition of their function Neither doth any man doubt that the faithfull are forbidden by any religion to become the free tenaunts of their Princes But as for the lawes and conditions which perticularlie concerne the estate of Ministers there is not any one which inhibiteth them to vse the benefite of Princes and to be deuoted to them as far as other Citizens Ouer and besides all this the Euangelique precepts are in no case an excuse vnto the right of nations or the equity of Moses law but they all and all the worlde shall witnes the same haue appointed for the Priests and sacred Ministers both fields and farmes and other ciuill estates And can they by any law or equity be sequestred from the generall priuiledges of all cittizens which are to liue now among citizens and to sustaine vnder the same Magistrate the same burdens of the commonwelth with other Cittizens And hath not God himselfe commaunded by his law that there should be giuen vnto the Priests and Leuites not onely tythes and offerings but Cities also with
neede knowen to euery man and with what face can they of the familye goe doore by doore to gather things necessary verily their credite is indangered and theyr modesty But did you euer heare that the Ministers of the Church were brought to such an exigent as that of force they must gather their relief from dore to dore among their own people In deed there was such a custome in the time of Popery for mendicant Friers brought vp among them of a certayne superstition without any precedent president of the auncient Fathers But is there no other way to gather christian oblations but so and are they not eyther brought by the faithfull of theyr own voluntary or collected by some of the honest neighbours appointed for that purpose But of the other side by the certaine stipends which depend vppon the vncertaine pleasures of the Magistrates it is very badly prouided both for the necessity of the family and the modesty of the Ministers where either so small wages are allowed or their allowance so slenderly paied that the poor Pastors pittifull complayning for meere pouerty are constrained to giue ouer theyr trade and to forsake theyr Ministery Where the people are perswaded that they owe nothing to theyr Pastors and that it pertaineth to the Magistrate onely to prouide for the Ministers alâcke poore Pastors I am ashamed to report how both people and Magistrate beare themselues towards them But furthermore they dispute that in these stipends the Ministers can vse no deceite when it shal be sufficiently knowen how much they receiue when as otherwise a couetous Minister may pretend that eyther he receiueth lesse then he receiueth or not so much as sufficeth To this I aunswere that the oblations of the which we argue the case are not so secretly giuen or so closely kept but that it is commonly knowen how much they are and what the Minister receiueth But to what purpose is al this or to what end should al know how much the minister either receyueth or hath or who can prescribe a meane for that matter The Pastor layeth out as well as he taketh in must that also needs be knowen That which they adde of the coueteous Minister who may pretend that he receyueth lesse then either he receiueth or may well suffice it proceedeth of the same errour I haue knowen many Ministers in my time among whome there is not one whose wealth is not commonly knowen and what he ordinarily receyueth euery year so that there is no other means for them to lie here then there vnlesse you would lie for them But to what end are these reasons or how thinke they did the ancient Bishops of the Church liue Ignatius Ireneus Cornelius Cyprian and such like whose memorial wil continue with their glory to the worlds end A man shall neuer preuent the cauels of malitious men whether the Ministers liue of tithes and oblations or whether they stick to theyr certain allowance both here and there whatsoeuer is receiued wil be thought too much of some A Flemishe florence or gilderne is 2. shillings sterling I haue often times heard the Boores groyn and grunt to this effect that a stipend of two three or foure hundred Flemish Florences was great wages I sayd they can keepe my family for lesse Neyther do I receyue so much of all the gayne that I can make thus vnequally comparing not them selues with them selues but theyr styes with the state of they Ministers As if ther were no difference betweene a priuate man of the basest rout a publique Minister at the hie Altar And yet two or three years wages wil scarce serue to buy him books bsides of duty he ought to be boūtifull intertainable to the needy But now they say that by this means it is well prouided for the subiects who for the most part are but poore liue hardly in theyr Villages For how should they maintain the Minister who are themselues to be maintained Here in deed is the error of our age to be noted which in some places giue to the ciuill Magistrate the goods of the Church and permitteth them to gather vp tithes which are due to the Minister But to the purpose In villages the poor which haue nothing giue nothing if it be litle which a man hath he giueth litle euery man payeth his tith according to his wealth and according to the greatnes of his increase whether the commodity lie in tillage or in herbage And in deed the poore could no waies better be prouided for that they should not relieue theyr Pastors themselues being to be relieued then thus for by this means the Pastors are mainetayned by them which haue much they maintaine them which haue nothing The increase of theyr fields for the most part keepe a certain scantline euermore the number of them is greater which receiue then of the poore which want the same But these their reasons are too blame that both poore Pastors are so badly prouided for as they are for by thē the goods which are consecrate to holy vses are betraied to prophane wretches of whom themselues must now goe beg their allowance and be glad to serue and flatter in most slauish sort for their iust reward But yet again they argue that men will seek occasion to discharge their Minister when they shal see that they must giue often shal hear their vices inueighed against so wil fain causes with greater autority contentiō to thrust him out But who seeth not here how weakely this argument is grounded euen vppon an euil grounded gouernment of the Church who leaue in the peoples hands to place displace their Pastors at their pleasure yet if it so falleth out at any time as it falleth out so often as they fall out the christian Magistrat must be but an idle auditor in this iniury haue no autority at all to compell the wicked in this case to theyr duty But let Cornelius Bishop of Rome an holy Martyr aunswere this who being destitute of the ayde of the christian Magistrate and being infested by Nouatus his faction so far forth as that he was not far from giuing vp his hold and yeelding to the wicked yet did he euer want of those his ordinary oblations euen in the midst of so much euil will and so many dissentions so that he could not maintain therewith his 500. and 50. clerkes and a 1000. 500. poore people Neither were any of the Fathers which liued of oblations euer fearefull of the wicked but were euer fearfull to the wicked and were feared Of no greater force is that which they say that euil men being reprehended wil giue nothing but will rather suffer their Minister to famish for hunger As if that were not rather to be feared least it should be done as we haue experience of the doing by the Magistrat which payeth them wages when so euer a good Minister shal displease a bad
and it hath ben handled at large also yet all little enough Such is the female misconceit of the lasciuious malecontent and the male miscontent of the learned ignoraunt of this age euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth Notwithstanding seeing in the iudgement of the most wise and best learned this Germane Booke seemed for sound iudgement inferiour to none and for graue discourse equall to any it was therfore thought by them an action no lesse commodious to the people then commendable to the Author that he who in the causes of present controuersie hath propounded his iudgement vnto all shoulde haue his iudgement expounded vnto vs. The which although it hath beene curstly censured by a certaine suspicious and suspected Criticke emulous of his betters credite who in his professed lectures hath vsed the remembraunce of his name in disdaine with Sarauia nescio quis Yet his best auditors there and others his betters elsewhere haue found this difference betweene Sarauia and him that besides his great learning and no lesse experience of the which this great Censor neuer had the one neuer will haue the other Sarauia hath made knowen to him and the whole world by this his resolute definitiue who he is whereas the other in one whole tearme hath so behaued himselfe in the same cause that albeit wee all know who he is yet we could neuer tell where to finde him So hoppeth he betweene the stone and the Altar that as a man distract betweene feare and flattery he maketh vp his doubtfull resolution with this harmelesse confession Sentio quod sentio quod nescio I know what I know what I doe not know I but now we see the aduerse part partly by theyr lawlesse outrage and partly by theyr lawfull restraint to be nowe as impotent in their faction as they are odious in their opinion to be at this time as vnable as they were at all times vnworthy to preuaile and then what neede we any longer striue when the ennemy can no longer stand I aunswer that their increase was seene long since to be at the full and their credite appeareth euen now to be in the Waine For the which as we are to giue God thankes who in taking Iustice vpon some of them hath taken pitty vpon the whole Church so likewise are we to pray for the rest that in good time we may see eyther theyr speedy amendement or their present preferment For it is time O Lord that thou haue mercy vppon Sion yea the time is come Notwithstanding in the meane time wee haue entertained this profered aide not so much to inuade the seditious brethren or to bring home the resolued recreant as to strengthen the godly Subiect and to bring forward the well affected Protestant With the which if any man finde himselfe agreeued let him shew for it but so that Sarauia may vnderstand what he saith For my part if I haue conceiued him right the fruite is yours if I haue deliuered him not right the fault is mine Sure I am the Author meant you well and my Authors And so doe I. The Translator TO THE MOST REuerend father in Christ John by the prouidence of God Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of al England and Metrapolitane To the renovvmed and most honored Heroicke Sir Christopher Hatton Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and high Chauncellour of England As also to the noble and right honorable Sir William Cecill Baron of Burghley Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and high Treasurer of England of her Maiesties most Honorable priuy Counsell my very good Lordes true felicity THe auncient receiued custome of dedicating books to men of name and authority is growne and grounded vppon many reasons great waighty all which it shal be needelesse for me to reuise in this place But for my part there are chiefly three causes mouing me to consecrat this my small trauell to you the most Honorable and honored of me my good Lordes First that thereby I might testifye vnto you the duety and deuotion of a loyall and gratefull minde towards you that find my selfe seuerally and singularly bound vnto you all and euery one of you For first one of you vppon my repaire into England disdained not to entertaine me a stranger with no straunge countenance and straunge courtesie The other also dained to accept me vnworthy into his owne family And the other of his especiall fauour brought to passe that by her Maiesties priuiledge and preferment I might be made of a forreiner a freeman of an alien a Cittizen And seeing I haue receiued all these fauours without any deede or desert of mine God thou knowest mine vnworthines I were but too ingrate and vnkinde if I should bury in darke and deepe silence your so rare and religious demerites But whereas I haue no other thing to render or repay vnto your Honors but a mine of thanks and a thankfull minde that mind wil I alwaies beare and that duety in minde so that I will not cease to worship the sacred memory of your religious loue towardes me Another cause is the very nature of the argumente I vndertake the which I could not well prosecute without some particular mention of the Church of England In the which seeing I haue now my part and portion of a pastoral prouince and praised be the Lord my lotte is fallen vnto me in a faire ground might I not seeme vnmindfull of my good neglecting my duty if when I vndertake the cause of those Churches which are alien and outlandish I should ouerslip the state of mine own Church now gremiall to me and mere English But when mine hearts desire and praier to God is that I may some waies benefite my countreymen if I forget thee O Ierusalem And yet if I should forget my duety herein the meere alliance and relation of the matters them selues is such and so great as that by ordinary course of necessary consequence I must be inforced to inferre and praefer the mention thereof in my bookes But because I am but new made of Flemish sterling that is of Outlandish English it may be happely that they which are home-bred will thinke I deale not wel with them to deale with them and that I meddle too farre when I come so neare For which cause I thought it necessarye for mee to commend and commit my selfe vnto your Honorable patrocinie that this stranger book might freely passe vnder your safe conduct Neither shall it grieue me much though it be vniustly cast by most voices if it may iustly passe your accoumpt neither shall it hurt me much though the inraged multitude in disordered throngs cast stones at mee only if your Honors vouchsafe to giue me the white stone But the last cause is for that I am in some doubt how this discourse will be taken of them for whose sakes especially it was vndertaken For it is to be feared that they
are so far from turning stones vnto bread that they will make stones of bread and that which I haue done to relieue their weakenes they will account as deuised to vndermine their estate and so take that with the left hand which I proffer with the right And in deede what other thing shoulde I looke for at their hands who in lieu of my well deseruing towards them haue sought heretofore rather to cast me off with disgrace then to giue me vp with reward How desirous I haue alwaies beene of publique peace and howe zealous ouer them that layd snares for my life I dare appeale vnto God and men and yet for my good will what great reward haue I receiued at their handes but sharp reuenge or what better meede for my paines then bitter malice But no reason I should take this kinde of cruelty vnkindly seeing it is so common a case and commonly incident to me with many my betters And therefore far be it from me that the iniuries of a few though no fewe iniuries should so far preuaile with me that I should therefore lesse regard the better health of the whole Church Should I be for priuate wronges so far inraged beyond all sence and besides my selfe as to study to bee reuenged vppon many good men being offended but of a few bad fellowes After I was last called frō hence by the Belgike Churches I conuersed among them in diuers places ten whole yeares together in what time I found by aduised experience that there were two thinges of great moment greatly missed in those Churches the which I could not then without grief and cannot now without sin conceale namely That the ministery of the Gospell receiued of them by publike authority is not adorned by them with due honor And againe That wealth and worshippe in the order of the ministery is thought a needlesse thing to aduaunce the estimation thereof in a ciuill society Men that we are misconceauing is the cause of all this For now a daies for sooth no Church is thought reformed vnlesse First all Church dignities be either thrust out at the Church porch or thrust downe to the belfry and then all the Church goods be either put in the great bagge or giuen to the greedy baggage The which errour if it doe proceed as it will if it be not nipt in the head it will one day reuele not only vpon the church but also vppon the whole state a greater misery then can easely be driuen into euery common mans head To the which this also may be added that there are many of opinion and they are of many opinions That the abolishing of Bishops is not the least part of reformation and That their authority in the Church is crept in not of any diuine institution of Gods word but that which not any Church before this time did euer auouch of the onely errour and ambition of mans wit Our elders all auncient diuines for the preuenting of Scisme and conuenting the head-strong and giddy headed rashnes of many helde the prudent moderation of one in one Citty or prouince to be ordained from aboue And they knew very well that albeit the quirke of speaking for so they speak be found in many yet the art of gouerning and the rule of well ruling is knowen but of a few How great a stay a godly and prudent Bishop may bee to any troubled or distressed State auncient histories doe plainly teach present experience might make vs learne Doe you not knowe I know you are not ignorant howe that many times many things betide in a christian common wealth which require the aduise of Ecclesiastical Prelates As also where the Gospell is publiquely authorised that there are many thinges requisite for the Church which cannot be effected with out the ciuill Magistrate And how then are not they in a peeuish and a peruerse errour which either exclude the Magistrate from causes Ecclesiasticke or sequester the Minister from affaires politike silly men that they are as if either the Christian Magistrate were no part of the Church or the sacred Minister not Cittizen of the same common wealth And yet neither the Magistrate if he be Christian is to neglect the safety of the Church nor the Minister if he be godly not to regard the safegard of the state But these two the Magistrate and the Minister so long as they shal be distracted into partes and as it were diuorsed in state the one from the other and shall not take sweete counsell together like friends or not communicate in consent for their common benefite they cannot but conceiue diuers and doubtfull surmises fonde yea and some times false opinions of each others gouernement The Magistrate that keepeth fresh in memory the new broken yoke of the Popes tiranny feareth least by any meanes he should fall againe into the like though vnlike And therfore is iealous ouer the counsels and conuenticles of the Cleargy suspecteth alwaies some snare to be laid in them to entangle his liberty Of the other side the Pastors so many as are or will bee accoumpted faithfull in their Ministery cānot but be careful for the welfare of their flocke and therefore seeke by all meanes to benefite the Church and to shun those things which may preiudice the same who when they see diuers kindes of people to preuaile in the Common-wealth and they some of them open professed enemies to the Church some but suspicious and suspected fauorites few faithfull and vnfeined friendes no woonder though they dare hardly commit their cause and their credites them selues and their safeties to such Gouernours Besides they being ignorant of the common counsels how should they bee good interpreters of such thinges as are done in the Common-wealth neither can such counsels be well communicated to the common people and yet reason would they should seeing they are common If the States in the Low-countries brought to lowe estate had their learned and reuerend Bishoppes in that estimation they ought to be in euerie well ordered state no doubt with their vigilancye and moderation they might more easily haue remedied their present miseries I did complaine not without cause to see the Church goods pilde and pilferd and learned Pastors set to their stipēds Of the which some in deed do liue releeue their families though porely God knowes and some againe for the moity of their stipēds the multitude of their familiars are by no means able to keepe open shop windowes I speake not or neede not of them which are denied their wages or serue like our soldiers for cheese flemish if that they can get it But by this meanes when as to the griefe of al good men I did see the most sacred studie of Diuinity to languishe that young wits were affraid of it and old heads a weary of it Churches without Pastors Schooles wanting professors I lamented with my selfe and sorrowed for these mischiefes and those wee might easily coniect would
at the most that they may be good in their office And by this meanes that which I account worse then all the rest the beautie of the Church is vanished and that vnited force of the brethren which in placed in one Bishop who dare with confidence and may with authoritie controule the wicked in their enterprises is vtterlie lost and languished For whilest euerie one is dispised all are contemned and likewise whilest euerie one taketh care of his owne Curch onelie they altogeather neglect the good of the whole Church generallie I spare to exemplifie this your selues suppose what and where vpon I speake it But doe you not see or can you not conceiue how that many things may daily chance in the Church which concerne all Churches in common and for the which a present remedie must be had In this case no priuate man dare vndertake the cause and why he seeth and considereth that the matter pertaineth not to him or to anie one or to a few but vnto all the rest of that whole Prouince in common But whilest hee which could find in his heart to put himselfe vpon the action for the common good yet findeth many doubts in his hart and is stil affeard least either himselfe should not be allowed or that he should perform not confirmed by the rest of necessitie the time is deferred in this necessitie and needs must a further time be expected vntil the brethren may bee assembled That a Synode should bee called for euerie such matter it is both costly and inconuenient and many times also before either they could be called or come togeather either the mischief that was feared would be receiued or the occasion that was profered would be ouer-passed whereby the euil might ether altogether or more easily haue bene remoued Amongst you the Church-goods are rifled and ruined without anie reuerend regard of sacred or prophane as if forsooth it were religion for the Church of Christ to bee woorth one dodkin in a christian Common-wealth or as if indeed it were the onely errour of the Church of Rome that they are rich Doth anie thing remaine yet vnransackt in any of your Churches the better for those Burgreeues and Burgomaisters in whose handes it is As for your selues there is not so much as one mite left to bee at your disposing you that stand so much in your ownlight and haue put out two lights with your too much lightnes can you put out mine with an half penie alas good souls if you were euerie one pore yet might you be all rich But now it is the cōmon opinion that Pastors ought of congrutie to be poore and needie and that is so deeplie infixed in the harts of the simple peple that they can hardly be perswaded to the contrary Is it possible but by such meanes it shuld one day come to passe if they thus proceed that the whole Ministery of the Church shuld fal ether into vtter decay or wretched contēpt I was purposed if I had staied with you to haue conferred about this matter with the States themselues And verely I would haue exhorted and intreated thē that they would take some better course in this cause I would haue taught them that they had no right at all vnto the church-goods I would haue prooued and protested vnto them that whatsoeuer calamities haue befallen the Low-countries they are al but the iust vengeance of God for their sacrilege that the goods of Cathedrall and Collegiat churches and also of many Monasteries were destinate and consecrated to the vse of sacred studies And last of all I would haue informed them and confirmed to them that whatsoeuer hath varied from the first institution therof ought not to be destroyed but restored by the christian Magistrate But this my good purpose was hindered first by the vntimely death of the Prince of Orange and then also for the Earle of Leycester his sake Least I might seeme to haue attempted the same either at a bad time in the greatest tumult of the countrey or els by bad means presuming vpon the fauour and furtherance of my L. the Earle In the meane while I might greatly wonder at the error of many and they not meanely conceited towards the Gospel neither should I cease to wonder were it not that I knowe the Ministers themselues whome the matter doth more neerly concerne to bee the authours of that error But when I consider with my selfe the iniquitie of these euill daies and the bad meaning of euil men I cannot wel tell whether I might rather lament or reioyce in that their foule ouersight For albeit to haue the churches spoyled left desolat of such helps with the which it ought to be releued may bring vpon both Church and State a greater misery then many can suspect or any can auoyd notwithstanding that in the beginnings of reformation there was nor mention nor motion made for the Church-goods it greeueth me the lesse for that by this meanes the aduersarie cannot well say that we rather sought the treasure of the Church then the glorie of God For had they made anie question of the Church-goods these cauils and quarrels might haue taken some aduantage of them But now when as they esteemed of whatsoeuer the Papists possessed as of things nothing pertaining vnto them and referred all the whole matter to the moderation of the Magistrate by this meanes Suspicion it selfe could not but cleare them of suspicion So God sometimes doth vse the verie ignorance of his seruants to some good end namelie when as a truth taught out of time would doe more hurt then good Notwithstanding that which sometimes hath beene obiected can neither be denied nor defended that there were some which tooke our part in hope of the pray onely And albeit these things were not altogether vnknowen vnto the godlie at that time as their writings doe witnesse yet in wisdome they chose rather to suffer and say little to that iniurie then that in hast they should goe about to offend any And in this they did imitate Saint Paule who in the rich Cittie of Corinth had rather labour with his hands and so get his maintenaunce then otherwise to giue anie occasion of suspect to a nouice people not seene into the dignitie of his right Apostolique And shall I tell you that onely consideration was not the least cause why my selfe dared not bewray vnto euery one the silence of my thoughts And yet such was my natiue weakenes or my foole-hardie forwardnes I could not hide my selfe from my brethren and companions and some also of the Magistrats of Gaunt But I spake not then so freely as I meane to doe in this discourse For I alwaies feared as I ought to do least such as were but newly wonne to the faith of Christ might be haplie lost by my indiscreet libertie and my selfe brought into a needlesse gealosie of auarice and ambition But now seeing I am in that place and condition in the
which no man can iustly accuse me as if I sought any especiall commoditie for my selfe or desired any other thing then that which is commodious and necessary for the Church I thought it my duty to speake plainely what I thinke of the goods and possessions of the Church Neither is it enough for mee that I am heere well prouided for my selfe I wish the like vnto my brethren And although I may iustlie complain my self to be iniuriouslie forsaken of you whom I ought to haue found the chief Patrons of mine innocency yet notwithstāding my loue and my Zeale both towards the Church and also vnto you-wards is not therefore either altered or alienated And how then shuld I be lesse carefull for yours your Churches good then when my selfe was in the same ship with you VVherefore seeing we haue now sufficientlie wincked at this errour as well of the people as the Magistrate which if it be suffered will bring to the Church either a deadly ruine or a desperate mischiefe we may no longer dissemble the matter the Church it selfe must be taught hir duetie towards hir Ministerie It is a perilous pernitious thing to bequeath an euill president vnto our posteritie who shall take all for reformation whatsoeuer they receaued in the name of Reformation for what cause so euer it was done Men as you know for the most part vse rather to regard the deed then to respect the cause what is doone euerie man can tell but for what cause it was doone there are few which can conceiue or well consider I must needes confesse I haue proceeded some-what farther into this matter then my purpose was when I came first hither For that I see heere in England by the euill presidents of other Countries most men are carried away with the same errors Some streine their consciences so farre and open their mouthes so wide that like dronken men they stretch and yawne after the Church-liuings and doe euen gourmandize them already in their hopes mercilesse and bottomeles conceits And some againe while they grutch the Pastors their fields and enuie the Euangelique Bishops the riches of Romish Prelates as if it were not lawefull for vs to succeed them and not exceed them would seme to eat their hearts in garlike as they say while they eat and spit their owne gall in malice A strange opinion they hold that the place power and authoritie it hath pleased her Maiestie and the rest of the states the Bishops should reteine in this kingdome is a grant vtterly auerse vnto the reformation of religion VVherefore now what honour is due in a Christian Common-wealth to the Ministers of the Church and how forforth the same may extend is to be examined more at large But it is to be feared least some will be scarcely well pleased especially such as be ignorant of the auncient Church gouernment with this my treatise of the diuers degrees of the Ministers of the Gospell and the rather for that I haue noted in their newe-come reformation two things not to be liked of namely that the autentique order of Bishops is abrogated and a nouell kinde of Presbyters intruded The which I haue the rather noted for that the common sort of people are of opinion that not the least part of reformation consisteth in the dilapidation of Church-goods in the extirpation of Prouinciall Bishops and in the creation of Demi-laicall and mongrell Presbyters The which opinion of the people I doe therefore reprehend not that I dissallow that certaine graue seniours and godlie men should consort with the Pastors that is the true Presbyters of the Church but that they may know as they shall be taught not to mistake them for those Elders of the which in the Actes of the Apostles and in Paules Epistles there is often mention and is it not needful also to point at an error betimes least it beeing by time confirmed should not afterwardes be easilie corrected If any man shall thinke my selfe in the error or that I haue gone further then he liketh well of let him teach me that which is better I will presently alter my iudgement and giue ouer the bucklers vnto him that can do best The which I speake not as if I doubted or were not thorowlie resolued that those things of the which I affirme in this book were not assumed out of gods book For I do verely beleeue that I haue not swarued frō that rule which God hath giuen me to follow But yet if any man presume he can teach the contrary out of the word and make not the word contrarie I am more ready to attend and be taught then to teach and had rather bee ouercome then ouercome condition that that onely truth may preuaile which in truth ought to preuaile In the meane while as I haue alwaies borne and beare with such as dissent in opinion from me so long as they holde intire the Lorde Iesus so likewise in the same charity may they beare with me if I dissent from them I hartelie wish and intreat earnestly If it shall please God by the counsel of christian Princes that there may be a generall and a free councell celebrated that as it becommeth me I refuse not to bee iudge of my iudgement but if otherwise neither I can bee perswaded by others nor perswade others let vs expect with one accord the iudgement of Almightie God when euery one shal render according to the moitie of his talent a reason of his Ministerie For me to contend with my brethren after a bitter manner it is no part of my meaning If in any place my stile shall seeme more sharpe beleeue me I will not fable with you the greatnes of the mischiefe not any priuat griefe hath set an edge on it And to speake reason what reason haue I to be violent or virulent in this question Seeing whatsoeuer is helde amisse I impute it to the error and ignorance of art not to the malice or euill meaning of men The horrible sacrilege of men is not so manifest to the world as the execrable authors thereof are vnknown vnto me and it greueth me not that they are vnknowen Of whome then should I exclaime Against whome should I declaime But whereas certaine vngodly men are craftely crept in amongst vs who make a shewe of religion and would seem to fauor the Gospell and that not so much of any deuotion towards God as in detestation of all godlines I am constrained many times more earnestly to inueigh against the subtiltie and impietie of such let them be of what estate they may be if they be of that condition For neither are our owne colours cleare of such staines against whome can there bee anie worme-wood too bitter This I note that if at any time I name the Hollonders I note not the whole nation God forbid but onely those that degenerate from the naturall integrity of their owne nation But are not they so much the more worthy
notwithstanding most certayne was none of the Apostles Phillip likewise may be taken for one of this order and many other who laboured with the Apostles in the work of the Gospel And seeing it is so plain a case that these all were called immediatly from God and that as we read God gaue vnto his Church Euangelists who shall wee say were those Euangelists if not these Resolue then that those seuenty Disciples were Euangelists and those Euangelistes inferior to the Apostles For why they were giuen as Legats or Lieutenants vnder those graund Capitains to vndertake with like authority theyr taske and theyr turnes And yet besides these the Apostles tooke vnto them diuerse others as fellow laborers with them But in them ther was not that valour as was in those whom the Lord himselfe did choose and infuse with an Apostolike spirite We haue read of Barnabas Iude and Sylas theyr great trauel and no smal autority in the Church In which respect they came neare and were next in deede vnto the Apostles themselues But how might this haue beene if so be the spirit of God had not wholly possessed them as it did the Apostles But we knowe how that they all met that were at the election of Mathias the same day in the same place with the Apostles themselues when the Lord poured forth of his spirite a visible shape And albeit Barnabas was no Apostle none of the twelue yet can we make no lesse of him then an Euangelist one of the seuenty As for Marke and Luke albeit theyr authority in the Church were great and theyr desertes great for their perfect and well penned Histories of the Gospell yet are they not to be reputed with the seuenty Euangelistes by reason theyr calling was by men vnto the Ministery Tertullian in in his fourth booke against Marcion writeth thus Luke saith hee not an Apostle yet Apostolique not a maister but a scholler as he was lesse then his Maister so likewise was he so much the more lesse then an other for that he was follower of a lesse Apostle As for Marke Papias in his Commentaries as Eusebius reporteth in his thirde booke hath left vs this testimony Marke the interpreter of Peter wrote in deede very diligently what so euer hee remembred yet not altogether in that order as they were spoken and performed by the Lorde Neyther in deede did hee heare the Lorde himselfe neither was hee any follower of his but afterwards as I haue sayd became the companion of Peter c. VVherefore Marke did not amisse in this that he diuulged in writing such things as before hee committed to memory seeing aboue all thinges he chiefely regarded this one thing that neyther hee would omitte any thing he heard to be true neyther committe any thing hee knew to bee false Thus saith hee of him And it is well knowen that hee was inferiour vnto Barnabas also in authority for hee was his follower and in a manner his scholler as he was also Pauls and Peters and that in no other order then were Titus and Timothy And yet notwithstanding the name and credite both of Marke and Luke for their faithfull register of the Apostles preceptes is such and so reuerend as that their Gospels are recorded among the canonical scriptures and are equaled in authority with the more exquisite labours of Mathew and Iohn And reason too For in their Euangelike recordes whome had they for theyr patternes or their patrones but the Apostles and Euangelistes So that whereas the Gospell of Ma hew may seeme to bee onely Mathewes and that of Iohn to bee Iohns onely these theyr Gospels may be reputed the Gospels not of Mark and Luke but of all the Apostles and Euangelists In the which thing verily they are worthy great commendations that they sauoured no whit at all of men as commonly they doe which pen Histories but they so nearely and narrowly followed the very spirit of the Apostles and Euangelistes as if the Apostles themselues had beene rather the penners then perusers of so greate a worke Wherefore Luke is for good cause commended of Paul in the second to the Corinth the eight chapter and eighteenth verse when as he saith VVe haue also sent that brother whose praise is in the Gospell throughout all Churches But by these you may easely conceiue who were properly Euangelistes and who not Of Prophets Chap. V. AS wee reckon none in order with the twelue Paul onely excepted so with the seuenty find we not any that may be compared And albeit we doubt not that God could haue added to the 70. others also no way their inferiors yet seeing we haue no record of sacred writte to auouch the same it were hard for man to affirme that there were any such But now when as besides the twelue Apostles and those seuenty Euangelists we read of other also who in like manner haue been honoured with the first fruits of the holy Spirite by what name or title shall they be called or by what addition shal we distinguish thē from the rest Of the number of an hundred and twenty men there remayn fix and thirty stil whom seeing we neither account with the twelue Apostles nor yet with the seuenty Euangelistes it remayneth that wee adorne them with the name of Prophets For this it is which Peter doth insinuat vnto the people out of the Prophet Ioel in his Apology for himselfe and his fellowes namely That the spirite of Prophesie promised of olde to be giuen out in the later dayes was then poured forth vppon that assembly whom then they heard preaching and prophesying in diuerse tongues to theyr great astonishement Wherefore those thirty sixe men which neyther are ascribed into the company of the twelue Apostles nor yet are recounted in the society of the seuenty Euangelists were those first Prophets whom God gaue into his Church after our Sauiour was receyued vp into Heauen In which order as it might very wel be was Ananias of Damasco reputed and Agabus both of them renowmed Prophets Iudas and Sylas are also called Prophets and for that cause are they sent by the Apostles to Antioch to exhort confirme the brethren And I am of opinion that these and such like were properly called Prophets not Metaphorically seeing they did foresee thinges to come by the spirite of God and by the same spirite reuealed things secret and recondite And albeit the interpreting of the Scripture bee a kinde of prophecying yet is that kinde more proper to the Doctor then the Prophet and more truely may a man account Doctors interpreters of the Scripture then Prophets But doubtlesse God restored to his Church in those latter dayes that true kinde of Prophecy which in Israell was familiar from the beginning and in singular wisedom did erect three kindes of Doctors in his Church and gaue them to his new people Apostles Euangelists and Prophets And these were the first Elders and Bishops of the Church of Ierusalem That the
Churches Of these things therefore I inferre That there was left of the Apostles Authoritie Apostolike to their successors whom they had disposed ouer many Churches and that partly for the establishing of such Churches as were throughly finished and partly for the finishing of such as were left not throughly formed and partly also for the planting of newe where as yet there was none founded And this was the cause why Paule beeing shortly to take his leaue of his life sent Crescens into Galatia and Titus into Dalmatia and sent for Timothie and Marke to make their repaire vnto himselfe Euen as the Lord himselfe being now readie to giue vp this life prouided for his Disciples in like manner the Apostles tooke great care for those Churches which were gathered and were to bee gathered from among the Gentiles otherwise how should the Churches haue receiued their so great increase after the Apostles Verely it is with teares to bee lamented that their holy Apostolike zeale is at this day so cooled amongst vs that no man so much as once thinketh of publishing the Gospell vnto Nations altogether estraunged from the faith of Christ But now seeing there were manie Churches lefte of the Apostles but newe begun and more not yet begun according to that power they had receyued of the Lord the work of the Gentiles conuersion which was begun by them was to be followed to the ende Of the which it followeth that the Apostolike power giuen of the Lord for the edifiying of his Church doth yet remaine in the Church And those parts of Apostolike gouernment as they were giuen of old to certain singular Bishops so are they to be giuen at this day where they are not giuen and so are they to remaine where they are giuen If any man desire some reformation to bee had in that kind for my part I am not against it The disposing of this power the Church hath as it alwayes had yet so as where the Lord hath giuen a Christian Magistrate hee bee not left out nor loose his part For they doubtlesse are those Seniors Auncients and Elders of the which there is so often mention in the Bible whom we read to haue beene ioyned of old with the Priests and Leuites in weightie matters for they are in stead of the whole people That the authoritie of Bishops ouer Priests or Elders is approued by the consent of the Churches throughout the whole world Chap. XX. THat which we read to be done of al Churches from the Apostles times and of the Fathers throughout the compasse of the whole earth and the same continued euen vnto these our daies I do alwaies holde as a sacred Canon of the Apostles not to bee repealed Neyther is it a smal presumption to abrogate that which hath beene receyued with so greate and vniuersall consent from the which to reuolt besides that it is in it selfe an vncouth declination of a conceit giddie and head-strong it will also bring with it a greater mischiefe and misery to the Church then many at the first will conceiue or any in the end can releeue Among the old Canons which for their antiquity are called the Apostles wee read this that followeth It becommeth the Bishops of euery nation to know who is the chiefe among them which is to bee accounted as it were the head without whose opinion these ought to do nothing of any great moment but that euerie man doe those things which belong vnto his owne parish and the villages which are of the same Neither let himselfe doe any thing without the knowledge of all for so there shall be concord and God shall be glorified through our Lord in his holy spirit This Canon a worde or two translated is renued in the Councell of Antioch in these wordes The Bishops which are in seuerall prouinces ought to know that he which is Bishop in the Metropolitane Cittie hath charge also of the whole prouince for that they which haue any businesse recourse from all places to the Metropolis or mother Cittie Wherefore it seemeth expedient that hee excell the rest in honour and that the other Bishops doe nothing of anie great moment without him according to the auncient decree of our Fathers but onely those things which pertaine vnto their owne precincts the Parishes subiect to the same For let euerie Bishop haue authoritie ouer his owne prouince and let him gouerne the same according to his owne deuotion and let him haue charge of the whole prouince which is subiect to his Cittie that hee may create Priestes and Deacons and dispose all things with iudgment besides this let him doe no other thing without the Bishop of the mother Church neyther hee himselfe without the opinion of the rest In which Canon renewed and reestablished I obserue two thinges the first is the Antiquitie of the Canon the other is That the prouince was not alwaies committed to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie seeing a cause is added why Ecclesiasticall controuersies are to be presented to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie rather then to any other of the which seeing the Apostles Canon made no mention the first Fathers seemed not alwaies to haue had that respect of the said Metropolis The antiquitie of this custome is sufficiently declared in the seuenteenth chapter of the Nicene councel as followeth Let the auncient custome preuaile which was in Egypt Lybia and Pentapolie that the Bishops of Alexandria haue an excellency supreme dignitie ouer all these Seeing that this is also the custome with the Bishop of Rome In like manner at Antioch and in other Prouinces primacie dignitie honor authoritie is giuen vnto those Churches But this is most plaine that if any man he made a Bishop without the consent of the Metropolitane The great Councell defineth that he ought not to be a Bishop Thus goeth the Law neither were it anye great matter to confirm the same with the Canons of other Councels and Ecclesiasticall histories But by this it may appeare what was the iudgement of all those auncient fathers concerning this matter That some are of opinion that Patriarches and Archbishops were first created of the Nicene councell or as some will haue it of the first Constantinopolitane Councell their opinion is their errour for the Nicene councell which was called about the twentie yeare of Constantine the great testifieth that it enacteth no new thing when it commaunded that the olde custome should bee continued so that it was no new thing at that time for some one Bishop to haue superiour authority ouer the rest of his brethren his authoritie being limited by certaine lawes But that some argue how that to be president ouer diuers Prouinces to haue charge of them belongeth to the office of an Apostle and an Euangelist and that one and the same man cannot bee an Apostle and an Euangelist and a Bishoppe for that these are distinct offices I may answere them that neuer yet any before these our
into bad Latine they call Superintendentes and generall Superintendentes But where also nor those good old Greeke nor these bad Latin names are in vse there notwithstanding are commonly certaine priuate especial men in whose hands in a maner is all the authoritie Wherfore now the controuersie is concerning names but seeing we doe agree in deed what doe we contend about names In the mean while as I haue not disalowed the Fathers in this matter which is nowe in question so also I cannot but loue the zeale of our brethren who therefore were out of loue with those names because they feared least with the olde names the olde ambition also and tyrannie should bee called in againe to the ruine of Churches Thus grauely diuineth that reuerend olde Zanchius with whom I could ioyne manie more testimonies if it were needfull of the best writers of our time to confirme this matter who are either wholie of our opinion or very sparingly of the contrary But for this time lonely Zanchius shal stand for the rest least I should ouercharge this smal volume with a multitude of witnesses Of one Bishop in one Diocesse Chap. XXIIII NOw that we haue proued that gouernement of the Church to be of God in the which Pastors are subiect to Pastors and Elders suppliant to their Bishops we are in the sequele of this our discourse to see and examine Whether one Church or diocesse is not capiable of two or more Bishops at the same time of the same tipe and authoritie True it is that the Church of Hierusalem had the twelue Apostles the seuentie two Disciples with the Prophets their Bishops neither are examples wanting of diuers churches which haue had ioyntly together diuers Bishops Epiphanius writing against the Arrian heresie falling into some mention of the Church of Alexandria seemeth to intimate thus much That in that age there was this custome in diuers Churches that they might haue two Bishops at once when as notwithstanding in the church of Alexandria he affirmeth there was no such custome To the which I thus answer First that the twelue Apostles the rest remained at Hierusalem for a certaine time but they were appointed Bishops Teachers not for that one Cittie onely but for the whole world Now for the custome of certaine Citties which at one time had their two bishops what manner custome that was how rare extraordinarie it was we may sufficiently learne by that one election of Augustine who was made Bishop while Valerius Bishop of Hippon yet liued The which thing was done as extraordinarie so contrary to the decree of the Nicene councel But what rule so general that suffereth no exception It is no sin I confesse for one Church to haue many Pastors of equall power but whether it be conuenient it should bee so experience will teach Indeed of old the Bishops being of great yeares sometimes would name their successor and assume a fellow-laborer in office with them and that partly to preuent the tumults which commonly infested their elections and partly also because sometimes the Bishops being disabled by age sicknes were not sufficing to discharge their duties in their owne persons for which cause it was lawfull for the new Elect to supply the aged his place sit together in the same chaire As for Valerius the Bishop of Hippon hee beeing moued thereunto by the example of foreine Churches got Augustine with much adoe to be ioyned with him but how vnwillingly hee vndertooke that place albeit hee were importuned therunto as well by the praiers as by the presidents of others he expressely testifieth in his 110. Epistle Wherein are reported what things were done at the assignement of Eradius Priest to succeede Augustine in his Bishoprike as they were taken by the notarie the people consenting and confirming the same to whom hee thus speaketh I know that you know saith he Eradius to be a fit man and worthy of a bishoprike but I would not there should bee that done by him that was done to me but what was done your selues can many of you witnes they onely cannot tel which either were not as then born or as yet had not the capacitie to know While as yet my Father and bishop Valerius of famous memory liued in the flesh I was ordeined then bishop and I sate together with him the which thing I then knew not that it was inhibited by the Councel of Nice neither did he know Wherefore that which was reprehended in me I would not should be reprehended in my sonne And thus saith Augustine Gregorie Nazianzen in an epistle to Gregorie Nyssen writeth of this custome in these wordes But if anie man contend that whilest one Bishop is liuing an other ought to bee elected let him knowe that these thinges are of no force against vs. For it is manifest and apparant vnto all the worlde that wee are president not onelie at Naziantz but also at Sosrie and that setting apart the reuerence of our auncient Fathers and graue Doctors and those that laboured the same of vs with their vrgent prayers we tooke vpon vs that presidencie as straungers Thus saith Nazianzene By the which we may vnderstand how insolent and extraordinarie a thing it was that one Church should haue two Bishops Epiphanius also made some small mention of this custome that he might shew the cause why Athanasius did not immediately succeed Alexander seeing hee was deputed thereunto by Alexander namely for that the custome of the Church of Alexandria did not permit that hee should be chosen Bishop while their Bishop yet liued Most true it is indeed that both the Bishops and the people were perswaded of this That one Church did admit but one Bishop when it was otherwise Necessitie which hath no lawe did excuse it When Constantius at the request of certaine noble Matrons had called Bishop Liberius from exile and would haue had him to gouerne the Church of Rome together with Foelix who was then surrogate and substitute in his place the people hearing the Emperours letters and scorning the contents thundred together with one voice One God one Christ and one Bishop Cyprian also writing of the lawfull election of Cornelius Seeing that after the first saith he there cannot bee a second whosoeuer is made after one who ought to be one and alone he is now no more second but none at all like manner Ignatius who was in the age before Cyprian and is accounted the second or third Bishop of Antioch after the Apostles reducing the gifts of the onely one God to an vnitie in the Church writeth thus There is one flesh of the Lord Iesus one bloud that was shed for vs also one bread which is broken to vs all and one cuppe which is giuen to vs all there is one Altar for the whole Church and there is one bishop with the companie of Elders The Fathers reason was this because God would whose will is a law to vs that there should bee
but one high Peiest in the old Testament with whome so long as he liued no other might bee surcharged vnlesse haplie hee had defiled himselfe with anie notorious crime or by chaunce had fallen into some vncleane disease which might make him eyther vnapt or vnable to perform his sacred dutie The which although it contained in it a secrete mysterie of the which the Church at this day retaineth no present memorie yet the policie of this mysterie which by no meanes is to be diuorsed from it ought not to be controlled of any that professe Christianitie If anie man heere suppose that by this reason the tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome may bee maintained to him I say that he taketh the matter amisse For there is great ods betweene a pastoral prefecture ouer one region and an emperiall prerogatiue ouer the whole world So ample and augustious is that his supreme empire and superlatiue degree in the Church as that it dilateth it selfe ouer all Christian churches wheresoeuer throughout the whole world but was the whole world at anie time demised to anie one Apostle Peter had the sea Apostolike ouer the circumcision and Paule ouer the vncircumcised but yet so as they excluded not their compeers and copartners in the same power with them For Iames also was the Apostle of the Iewes which liued at Hierusalem and in all Iudea but Peter ouer those which were dispersed among the Gentiles onely So likewise Paule limited his sea Apostolike among the Greeks of Asia and Europe leauing in the meane while other prouinces for other Apostles If in like manner the Bishop of Rome had contented and conteined himself within the precincts of his owne territorie how should any man haue accused him of any impious or vsurped tyrannie Againe for as much as it appeareth that the Apostolike traditiō so much as concerneth the regiment of the church and the outward policie thereof was taken of our Sauiour and afterwards also of the Apostles from out of the old Testament so far forth as the condition of time and place the state of the people and persons might permit can there bee any errour in this if the Fathers their successors seeme in like manner to borrowe from the same foundation certaine politike constitutions for the edifiyng of the Church Vpon this occasion Hierome thus writeth to Euagrius And in that we knowe that the Apostolike traditions were taken out of the old Testament that which Aaron and his sons and the Leuites were in the Temple the same are the Bishops Elders and Deacons in the Church I conclude therefore that ouer euery seuerall prouince or precinct which make as it were one Cittie they verie well and worthily placed seuerall Bishops and likewise ouer euery whole cuntry or regiō either Patriarchs or Archbishops or Primates or Metrapolitanes call them as you please moreouer that this was done of the antique Coūcels Fathers to singular purpose well consorting with Gods holy ordinance With the which that I may at the last determine this controuersie of those things which I haue already declared and concluded as well of the offices of the Gospell which were ordeined of the Lord and left vnto the Church by his Apostles as also of the vniforme consent of the Councels and continuall practise of the Church in all ages it shal be easie for all men to know That that gouernment is not of man or from man in the which the Elders ar subiect to their elder Bishops the Bishops to their higher Patriarchs Metropolitanes but contrarywise that the same is diuine and ordeined of God and that as well in the old as the new Testament Of the names of Patriarchs Archbishops Metropolitans Chap. XXV HAuing laid downe my reasons and proofes by the which I am taught to dissent from them vnto whom in other things I yeeld not a litle I take it now time to answere the cursing and cursed slanders of some who casting aside the modestie of ciuill Christians and neglecting the mediocritie of all learned writers do teare like mad dogs and torment the most reuerend names and religious functions of Bishops Archbishops Patriarches Metropolitans as pampred and proud titles antichristian prophane But wil you heare the reasons of vnreasonable men They alledge that the Apostle Paul in recounting the degrees of the Ministers of the Gospell in his Epistle to the Ephesians the 4. chap. maketh no mention of Patriarches Archbishops To the which before I goe any further I make them this answere That those offices are there comprised and contained in the names of Apostles Euangelists and in the 12. to the Rom. verse 8. in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruler or he that ruleth and in the first to the Corinthians the 12. chap. and 28. verse in the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gouernors by all which tearmes and titles the sacred order of superior Pastors are vnderstoode But that the aforesaid offices of Apostles Euangelists are perpetuall wee haue already proued and it may also sufficiently appeare by the sequele of that enumeration of those offices namely when he setteth down to what end our Sauiour gaue to the Church some Apostles and other Euangelists Was it not for the work of the Ministery for the edification of the body of Christ So that so long as the Church is to be edified so long those offices are to be continued in the Church which are there conteined If the Church could haue beene edified without them they should neuer haue ben ordeined in the Church But againe that part of them are thought to be temporal part particular that thought is ouerthrown by the onely end of that for the which they were ordeined which end is to be sought for continually of all the faithful euen vntill the comming of the Lord. For are they not still to edifie by these offices to grow together into one mystical body of Christ Now albeit the office of bishops archbishops primates patriarchs doth not extend it selfe so far as did the office of the twelue Apostles neither are they inriched with the like treasure or measure of the holy Ghost yet are wee to consider that this difference is in the qualitie not in the quidditie of the same function in the measure not in the matter of their commission And therfore whom at this day we call Bishops Archbishops Paul the Apostle called Apostles for that as we haue said they are ioyned in the same combinatiō made partakers of that cōmission And for this cause the calling of Archbishops Patriarchs hath beene alwaies called and is yet to be accounted Apostolike in all places Yet for as much as these names and titles doe seeme in some mens eyes to be puffed vp with the tumors of pride and ambition let vs take a further view of those principall obiects and friuolous obiections by the which they are cast into this no lesse straunge then strong
conception Their first argument is forced from the composition of the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as they take it signifieth that principalitie and power which is proper to the ciuill Magistrate only impertinent to that modestie and simplicitie which the doctrine of the Gospel requireth of a Pastor To the which they also adde the sentence of the Councell of Carthage which forbad anie Bishoppe to bee called Prince of the Priests The wordes of the Canon are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The which Gratian in his ninetie nine distinction translateth thus The Bishop of the chiefe place shall not be called prince of the Priestes or high Priest or any other such thing but onely Bishop of the chiefe place Besides all this say they the word Archbishop differeth nothing from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prince of Pastors the which name or title seeing it is only proper to Christ alone we cannot see how he should bee excused of heinous sacrilege that doth any way vsurpe the same And therefore all such names are to be cast ouer bord and vtterly to be exiled the Church of Christ Neither is the arguing of these names to be taken for trifling when as they seem so greatly to derogate from the name of Christ And last of all those names which Antichrist himselfe or the spirit of Antichrist hath either inuented or inuested into the Church are to bee auoyded but that Antichrist was the forger of these titles it is a plaine case and therefore to be auoided To that I answer That the sence true meaning of these names titles by way of composition with the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth nothing in it eyther arrogant for ambition or for custome insolent For I will teach them if they bee to learne that the greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not onely signifie Principality and Magistracie but also the first the beginning and original cause of any thing and besides this that in composition it foloweth the nature of that word with the which it is compounded and so seeing the name of a Bishop doth signifie of it selfe and in his owne nature nothing that is insolent or ambitious take the name Archbishoppe which way you wil it cannot any waies sound of any vaine or vain-glorious sense as it plainely appeareth in other wordes of like composition as Architectos Archiatros Architriclinus Archibubulcus which signifie a Maister-worke-man a Arch-phisition a Gentleman-vsher a chiefe Herds-man and such like By all which we may manifestly see that the name of Bishop being in nature good the name of Archbishop cannot be in composition euill seeing that thereby it signifieth rather the first and chiefe Bishop then the Lord and Prince of Bishops Albeit I would not nor need I greatly sticke with him for the name of Prince neither were it in vse with vs as in sense it is with the Latines onely for a chiefe and principall man But now seeing that name is aduanced to a more roiall and imperiall sense from hence-forth I will either not vse it or vse it verie thriftely The like may wee say of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that among good Grecians it doth not alwaies signifie a Magistrate or a man in authority but many times also it standeth for the first author or originall cause of any thing So that Patriarche doth no more signifie him which gouerneth in the Magistracy or exerciseth authoritie ouer others then doth Heresiarch who is so called for that hee is the first brother and brocher of that heresie not that hee exerciseth anye dominion ouer the rank kamiel of that poysonous rable In very deed a Patriark signifieth the first parent of any people or ofspring in which sence also the same word is deriued to our vse to signifie an Archbishop because that he among the other Bishops which are counted Fathers is as it were the Graundfather and that thereby also wee might further conceiue that the gouernement he hath ouer others is meere father-like not tyrannik So that for modesty sake wer they called rather Archbishops and Patriarkes then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes of the Priests that all the world might know that their power ouer their brethren and fellow-bishoppes was no other then that which Paule had ouer Titus and Timothy and they ouer others And thus at the last it may appear at the ful that here is no name giuen to the Bishop of the chief place which was forbidden by the Carthaginian Canon seeing that a Patriarke Archbishop in their proper sense doe signifie no other then the chief Bishop who if he be called Prince of the Bishops among them which write more pure Latine no man ought to bee agreeued therfore for that as I haue alredy noted the word Prince among them is no more but as principall and chiefe among vs. And this is that which Ambrose hath written vpon the fourth of the Ephesians In a Bishop saith hee are all the orders contained because hee is the chiefe Priest that is the Prince of Priests and a Prophet and an Euangelist But now againe that they say the word Archbishop doth signifie the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Peter which signifieth the Arch-pastor I can but greatly wonder and yet not sufficiently that any such thing should proceed from men that would bee accounted learned and linguists too I shewed but euen now what this worde Archbishoppe signified and what might be made of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in composition Wherefore seeing that in the construction of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also in other wordes it may bee taken as well for the first and chiefe Pastor of any people as for the chiefe Lord and Prince of all Pastours I see no reason why that also may not bee giuen to that man which obtaineth the chiefe place among the Pastors of any place But when as it signifieth Christ and that for his supreame gouernement which he alone hath ouer all Pastors as the Lord of all both people and Pastors the sense is altered and the case so that in that sense there are none of our Archbishops which in any case will suffer himselfe to bee called Archbishop Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Archpastor absolutely aboue al comparison beyond all exception without any limitation when as our Archbishoppes are not so called simply and absolutelie but such and such Archbishops Archbishoppes of this or that sea whose Suffraganes and Sub-bishops of such or such a Prouince are sufficientlie known Among whome onely they are accounted the Primates or principall moderators and ouer whom onely and not ouer all absolutely they are called Archbishops Wherefore seeing that by this name is onely signified the chiefe and principall Pastour of some one Prouince it doth no more derogat from the glory of Christ then when wee call other Elders and
well pleased Howsoeuer therefore prophane men make small account of that honour which is due vnto the Elders notwithstanding that the same is sacred and to bee compared with the sacrifices which were offered of olde in the Lords Temple it is apparantly manifest by the manifold testimonies of Scripture CHAP. VII Certaine other reasons confuted and the truth confirmed by manie testimonies of Scripture BVt it shall not bee amisse for vs to see in this place how farre out of all order the frenzie of certaine vngodly men will hurrie it selfe who will not onely not deigne to contribute of their owne to the Ministers but they hardly vouchsafe them those honest stipends which they pay vnto them out of the robberies of their owne Churches Out of that one example of Paule they thinke they may set the Minister to plough and harrow or whatsoeuer mannuarie drudgerie that by this meanes all sacred studie might languish and the little flocke of Christ being left desolate of learned Pastors might lie open to the rapine torture of foxes and cater-pillers and wolues of all sortes There is no great neede say they of any great store of Learning in a Minister it is enough if with a little zeale and a few good wordes they can exhort the people to a certaine kind of verbal deuotion and for this the Bible is extant in the mother toong as for the deepe-sprung-brestes of the learned Muses it sufficeth diuines if they may get but a smacke of them by the way or sucke them as through an hardle O diuine wisedome Christ in thy Fathers bosome is not this with that recreant Iulian to enuy thy Christian people the liberall Artes And that which not And thou seest it But let vs returne to Paule who in an Epistle to the Corinthians recounteth of the labour of his handes by the which hee got his owne liuing as a prayse to himselfe and a reproch to the Corinthians shall it followe of this that all Ministers of the Gospell ought to doe the like for so they thinke But now can not I tell whether I shal rather disclaim the impudencie or disdaine the ignorance of these men seeing the Apostle himselfe doth plainely resolue that hee did more in that case then he needed and lesse then hee might For had he not as great right to put them to as great charges as did the other Apostles But for certaine causes hee would not and therefore spared them But who seeth not heere that this the commemoration of the Apostle is a certaine exprobation vnto the people of that dutie they neglected So long as that Epistle shall bee read among men that shame will sticke fast to the Corinthians that they suffered so excellent an Apostle to want in so plentifull a Cittie Doubtlesse therefore it is but too too bad dealing both with Paule and with vs to vrge that which the Apostle was vrged to doe once or twise vpon occasion of necessitie that he might offend no man or least any being offended should say or thinke he preached the Gospell not so much for the loue of religion as for the hope of reward and to passe ouer as neuer seene the more autentike examples of other Apostles and of Paule also himselfe who else where openly testifieth that the Churches had abundantly ministred vnto him all thinges necessary that hee also freely exacted the same thing of them and that of dutie as in the fourth to the Philippians from the tenth verse to the twentie and to Philemon from the eight verse to the nineteene But what is the reason may we thinke that that one place of the Corinthes should bee so much noted which maketh mention of the labour of the Apostle his handes and that notable place of the Actes should bee so little spoken of where it is reported that the faithfull layde the price of their possessions at the Apostles feete and that they left all their substance in their handes And why is not that example of Ananias and Saphira as well quoted who for detracting somewhat of the price of their owne landes were seuerely punished by present death Ingrating couetousnes no doubt and irreligious ingratitude hath made them there as quicke sighted as Argus but here as bleare-eyed as Oules so that thereat they stare herein they are starke blind But that the intoxicate frenzie of these men may appeare the more outragious it shall well requite our paines if in this place we make regarde to the Euangelike precepts of Christ in this cause In the tenth of Mathew and the tenth of Luke wee reade and wee may remember how the Lorde when hee had sent his Apostles to preach the Gospell gaue them authoritie to feede vpon those things that they found amongst the faythfull The labourer saith hee is worthie of his reward And Paule in his first Epistle to Timothie the fift chapter The Elders which rule well sayth he are worthie of double honour especially they which labour in the worde and doctrine For the Scripture saith Thou shalt not mussle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the corne And in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter from the fift verse to the fifteene he maketh a plaine and a plentifull demonstration by seuen seuerall argumentes that they which preach the Gospell ought to liue of the Gospell His first reason is taken from the Soldiour That no man goeth to warre-fare of his owne costes and charges The second is drawne from the husbandmen Who if they plant a vine it is reason that they should eate of the fruite of the vine The third is borrowed of the shepheard Who feed their flockes and are fedde by their flockes And that no man should thinke the Apostle spake of affection he addeth Say I these thinges according to man Namely as a man moued with auarice or carryed away with couetousnesse Nay then he prouoketh of his side the law it selfe which alwayes inioyned vs a certaine ciuilitie and semblable kindnes euen vnto brute beastes if they doe vs any seruice that wee may well knowe how much rather wee ought to performe the same towards men I say towardes men which aboue all men deserue well of all men And this is the fourth argument in that place which he amplifieth by the similitude of him which ploweth and thresheth out the corne for the commoditie thereof It is written in the law of Moses sayth he Thou shalt not mussle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne Doth God take care for Oxen eyther sayth hee not this altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt it is written that hee which eareth should eare in hope and that he which thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope The fift argument is drawne from them which sowe corne in hope to make a good haruest If we haue sowne to you sayth he spirituall thinges is it a great thing if wee reape your carnall thinges There is no proportion at
their towns and teritories Or had they any lesse authority ouer these their townes and Citties then had the other Tribes ouer their Citties and fields which fel vnto them by lot The Gospell beeing receaued by publique authority the Lord hath no where forbidden the Ministers of the Gospell to possesse fields and farmes after the same manner neither hath hee inhibited that anie such realties should bee giuen them to possesse But is it possible there should bee any so base and bad minded towards religion that he could once wish the Ministers thereof to be of worse estate in a christian society then were of olde the Priestes and Leuites in the Common-wealth of Israell It is well knowen that Ministers hauing to conuerse in a ciuill societie had neede also of those helpes which are requisite in a ciuill society may reconcile them into fauor and maintaine them in authority with the common people as wisedome and wealth especiallie Seeing that whosoeuer hee bee that neglecteth either of these can by no meanes liue and liue well in a ciuill societie The wise man in his Ecclesiastes the seuenth chapter hath verie well noted the practise of this For wisedome is good saith he with an inheritaunce and the excellencie of them which see the Sunne because that man shall rest in the shadowe of wisedome and the shadow of siluer And indeed vppon these two pillers doth rest the chiefe strength and stay of a ciuill life There is one kind of life which is publique and in the common prospect of men and hath necessarilie to doe with men of all sortes and there is an other kinde of priuate and priuie life vnder an heathen Magistrate full of danger so that there hee is to deale as wel with Magistrates as with priuate men heere he may well deale with none at all I say in this case there is no comparison to be made of these two kinds betweene themselues that without distinction wee should make the like condition of the Ministers life in all places and subiect vnto the like conditions Chap. XV. Of those Lands which are held in fee and haue annexed with them anie ciuill authoritie and iurisdiction AND that which maketh all the doubt for those Landes which are helde in fee by the Church is this that manie times they haue annexed with them some Ciuill iurisdiction and Knights seruice The which thing is forbidden the Pastors of the Church by the lawes of the Church vnto whome also the power of the sword seemeth to bee forbidden by the Lord himselfe The ancient Canons which are accounted the Apostles allow not a Bishoppe to be busied in the seruice of warre or anie ciuill function The sixt Canon standeth thus A Bishop Priest or Deacon shall not take vppon him anie worldlie cares neither shall hee defile himselfe with such Cyprian also in an Epistle vnto the Priestes of Furnam writeth against one Victor for that he made one Geminus Faustinus ouer-seer of his last wil and forbiddeth them that there should bee anye oblation made amongst them for his death His wordes are these The Bishoppes our predecessours religiouslie considering and prouidentlie fore-casting of thinges enacted that no brother departing this life should appoint anie Clearke to be his guardian or supra-visor and if anie so did there should bee no offering for him neither should anie Sacrifice be celebrated for his departure Neither indeed doth he deserue to bee once named in the praier of the Priestes at the Altar of God who sought by all meanes possible to with-draw the Priests Ministers from the Altar of God These decrees of the reuerend Fathers are confirmed by that example of the Apostles who sequestred themselues from the ouer-sight of the poore which notwithstanding is a godlie and a religious action and resigned that charge vnto other godlie men least themselues should bee with-drawen from the ministerie of the woorde which thing chiefly was imposed vpon them by the Lord. Moreouer for so much as pertaineth vnto Knights seruice or anie other ciuill function the foure-score and second of the Canons which are called the Apostles decreeth thus The Byshoppe Priest or Deacon that giueth himselfe vnto war-fare and will occupie himselfe both in the Romaine regiment and also in the Ecclesiasticall gouernement let him be diuested Giue vnto Caesar those thinges which are Caesars and vnto God those thinges which are Gods The councell of Chalcidon in the seuenth Canon the fifteenth action hath laid a cursse also vppon those that dare presume to doe these things The wordes of the Canon are these VVee doe decree that those which are once ordained in the Cleargie as also all Monks shall neither come vnto anie militarie seruice or to anie secular promotion But they which dare do these things and do not with repentance returne to that of the which they made their first choyce for Gods cause they are accursed To these Canons wee maye adde the conditions of the fees themselues the which are such as by them all manner free-tenure is taken away from the Cleargie and companie of Moonks For a fee is defined by the Lawyers to bee a Militarie seruice but seeing the lawes of the Church doe forbid Church-men and Moonkes to exercise anie Militarie seruice they cannot by any right either receiue or retaine the benefite of the seruice Chap. XVI That Bishops and other Pastors of the Church are not forbidden to be Lords of fees sometimes to vndertake secular and ciuill charges TO the former obiections I first aunswere according to that I haue already proued as well by the lawes of the first christians as by the testimony of the ancient fathers that the Church long before Constantine his time had both fields and farmes the commons and commodities pertaining to the same But is there now any other reason why Ecclesiasticall persons may not also hold the same in fee if they be giuen in fee as well as did of old these Priests and Leuits those Townes and Cittyes which they receiued of theyr brethren As for those Canons before cited I aunswere and affirme that we allow nor Elder nor Bishop to be detained or withdrawen with secular cares from theyr spiritual function any further then may be beneficial to the Church and common wealth or may satisfie the necessity of our christian neighbour That the charge of domestique secular affaires is here forbidden by any Canō that a man should neglect his own family vnto whom he is bound by the right of alyaunce or affinity nor godly charity nor christian faith will suffer vs so to thinke But that the charge of a Lordship or Mayrolty or such like that a Bishop should be Consul in the field Maior of a Towne Clarke of the market Chamberlaine to the King or Factor for the state and such like we hold them to bee forbidden by that sixt Canon and we vtterly renounce the same To the fourescore and second Canon I aunswer and affirme that seruice of war is forbidden by
and more-ouer he commandeth that the execution of their iudgements be done by his ciuil iudges By reason of the statute of Praemunire as they call it against the which whosoeuer offend they are punished with is a matter of verie great daunger in England for Church-men to inuade the office of the ciuill Magistrates and therefore there is kept a most circumspeact distinction betweene the affaires of the Ciuil and the Ecclesiastical Court If at anie time anie of the Bishops or anie other of the cleargie are thought meet men to vndertake any ciuill charge they doe it not by the especiall commaundement and commissiō of the King vnder the broad seale of England But those charges are alwayes accompanied with some honour so that they may be accounted rather a help then a hurt to the proceedings of the Gospell as are the offices and dignities of a priuie Counseller a Commissioner a Iustice of peace and such like Neither as I doe thinke will any man of sound iudgement say that those charges are eyther imposed vpon any Cittizen without the chiefe Magistrate or if they be so imposed that they can of any man be deposed or laide aside If any man except that this is more abhorring from the office of a Bishop then was of olde the charge of the poore from the which notwithstanding the Apostles did abdicate themselues because they could not attend vppon that and their owne charge too and therfore vrge that it is not possible for Bishops that they should discharge both charges well for which cause they ought to sequester themselues from the one I answer first that the Apostles did not so far foorth discharge themselues of the poore mans boxe that that they thought it not appertaining to them to haue any further care thereof for they alwayes continued patrons of the poore as doe the Bishops also whom we will not so intangle with ciuill causes that they forsake their owne but that as it especially concerneth their office vpright dealing and sincere charitie may bee maintained among them whose soules health is committed vnto them But how much a godly and diligent Bishop may doe in this matter Austine alone may serue for many examples who wrote so many excellent volumes when as yet he imployed no small part of his time in these troublesome affaires Whose words I will heere infer for that they inforce a sufficient confutation of this their cauill I call the Lord Iesus witnesse to my soule saith hee in whose name I boldly speake these thinges that for so much as concerneth my commoditie I had rather worke euerie day with my hand as it is vsed in wel ordered Monasteries and reserue the other houres free to read and to pray and to exercise my selfe in the Scriptures then to sustaine the tumultuous perplexities of other causes in determining secular controuersies by iudgement or in taking them vp by arbitrement To the which troubles the same Apostle hath appointed vs not of his owne will but of his that spake in him The which notwithstanding we read not that he himselfe susteined for indeed the course of his Apostleship stood not with it Neither did he say If therefore you haue any secular controuersies bring them before vs or appoint vs to giue iudgement of them but those which are least esteemed in the Church set them vp saith he And I speak to your shame is it so that there is not any wiseman among you which can iudge betweene his brother but the brother goeth to lawe with the brother that before infidels Wherfore those wise men which were resiant in some certaine place beeing faithfull and godly not those which discoursed this way and that way for the Gospel sake I say such would hee haue to bee the examiners of those matters For which cause it is no where written of him that he at any time attended vpon any such busines from the which notwithstanding we cannot bee excused albeit wee bee of the number of those which are least esteemed because he would haue those also set vp if wise men were wanting rather then that the controuersies should bee brought into the open and ordinarie Court The which labour notwithstanding we vndertake not without comfort in the Lorde for the hope of eternall life that we may bring forth fruit with patience Thus saith Augustine whose reasons in my iudgement may satisfie any reasonable man verely they satisfie mee neither can I finde anie thing to mislike in this action of his This is one generall maxime in the rules of Christianity That whatsoeuer wee reade in the word of God eyther forbidden beeing not euill of his owne nature or commaunded beeing of it selfe not good in those thinges Christian charitie dispenseth and disposeth of the matter as the time the place and the cause doth require Vnto the which whosoeuer doth refuse to subscribe he doth it of stubborne and froward hypocrisie not of any religion or deuotion he hath of the precept Neyther is the Diuines rule vnknown concerning those things which are bidden or forbidden in the word of God namely That some thinges are forbidden because they are euill and some thinges are euill because they are forbidden suppose for some especiall purpose And againe on the contrary part That there are some things commanded because they are good and some thinges therefore to bee accounted good because they are commaunded by God who requireth such thinges of men for some especiall causes Now those things which are of the first sort and section are vnder a constant and perpetual law and not to be changed by any means but there is not the like condition of the other sort neither do they bind anie man any further then the reason and occasion of the law doth require Examples of this matter wee haue in the obseruation of the Sabaoth and the vse of the Shew-bread of the which it was not lawfull for any man to eate but the Priests onely besides many other things of like nature which we read to be either commaunded or condemned In this our case it is no crime to be a King nor to be a Magistrate a capitall sinne And therfore the reason of the commandement abating the thing it selfe abideth free and it remaineth lawfull for Princes and other Magistrates to be of power to command the Bishops of the Church in a Christian common-wealth those things which would rather be an aide and an ornament then any hurt or impediment to their holy calling I speake of calling in generall not of any one mans calling which haplie may be hindred and shall haue neede of others which may helpe him but of all theirs which are in the same calling vnto whome there ariseth any honour and authoritie from the rest So that if all things be throughly examined and all commodities with all discommodities compared together which may any waies accrue vnto the Church and common wealth I doubt not but that which wanteth in one parte shall be requited
thousand Of the which foure and twenty were appointed to bee ouerseers of the workes for the house of the Lord and sixe thousand were ordayned Rulers and Iudges in all Israell And least any man shoulde thinke that they were Iudges onely in Ecclesiasticall causes as some now a dayes would hold men in hād forcing the Scriptures to that forme of gouernement they see in some Churches let the six and twenty Chapter of the same Booke be wel read and aduisedly perused and he shal find that the Isharites Chenanas and his brethren men of might were deputed officers and Iudges for the businesse without ouer Israell Of the Hebronits Hesabias and his brethren men of might a thousand and seuen hundred were appointed Officers for Israell beyond Iordan westward in all the businesse of the Lord and for the seruice of the King And in the same Chapter it is sayd that Dauid appoynted the kinse-men of Iedijas men of might two thousand seuen hundred Princes of families ouer the Rubenites and the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasses for euery matter pertaining to God and the King To these I may adde that which I read in the nineteenth of the 2. of the Chronicles of king Iehosophat who intending the restauration of Gods worship and the reformation of the common wealth appointed Iudges Leuits and Priests and Princes of the families of Israell for the iudgement and cause of the Lord. And where as some thinke by that in the last verse of this Chapter That the Priests and Leuites were onely deputed ouer Ecclesiasticall causes because it is there written Behold Amarias the Priest shall be the chiefe ouer you in all matters of the Lord and Zebadias the sonne of Ismaell a ruler of the house of Iuda shall be for all the Kings affaires c. As if he had there put some difference betweene matters ciuill and Ecclesiastitall It is an errour growen as I haue sayde of a certaine fore-seasoned opinion of that gouernment which we see now in the Church or Rome and some other reformed churches For who seeth not that in this place the kings affaires and in the sixe and twenty of the former booke the seruice of the King doth not signify al one with ciuil matters and politique affaires but what so euer pertayned to the Kings right Such as were first described by Samuel and afterwards eyther imitated or augmented by the consent of the people as it often commeth to passe of the which ther was nothing prescribed by Moyses But what the businesse of the Lord was the tenth verse going before declareth by particulars For the Priests were interpreters of the law as well ciuill as ceremoniall and the King so appointing they were also the ordinary Iudges thereof These things I doe therfore remember that all men may know what is lawfull for the Ministers of the Gospell who succeede the Leuiticall Ministery in ciuill causes vnder a christian Magistrate not that I would wishe them intangled therewith any otherwise then the necessity of time and causes may require and that we may also know that those precepts of our Sauiour were giuen to no other end then that as I haue sayd that misconceite of his kingdom should not be strengthned in the mindes of his Disciples Least they should thinke the power which was giuen them were annexed with such autority as that they might alter at their pleasure and innouate publique estates by theyr peculiar power Chap. XXV Theyr error confuted that thinke no ciuill affaires of the common wealth ought to be committed to the Bishops and Pastors of the Church NOw a dayes this common error hath inuaded the mindes not onely of the common sort but of some part of the learned also so that there are manye of that side very strongly opinionate that the ciuill affaires of the common wealth doe nothing at all appertaine to Bishops and Ministers no more then if they were neyther cittizens nor any suppliment of the common wealth Curriers Diers Weauers Beere-brewers Smithes Fullers Marchauntes and Pedlers furnish the common house and giue their voyce in things concerning the common wealth neyther can I dissalow the same in a common wealth but that the Pastors of Churches shoulde stande excommunicate out of their generall assemblies it is a thing vtterly against the equal right of al Cittizens Seeing they liue vnder the same lawes obey the same Magistrate beare the same burdens of the common wealth Seeing in such publique assemblies they doe consult as wel of theyr liues and goods and what so euer else vpon the which not onely theyr owne estate but the publique good of theyr Churches also doth depend seeing I say they doe consult of these no lesse then of cloth and wooll and fish and felles importing and transporting any other commodities is ther any light of reason or light reason why godly Ministers ought to haue lesse care of the common wealth then common Burgomaisters If they can alledge no reason what colour can they set vppon theyr mishapen ground Why they aboue all others should be excluded the ciuill assemblies or Parliaments prouincial whom it chiefely concerneth to see least the flocke committed to theyr charge be layd open to Wolues In those things which concerne the safety of theyr soules nay but in those things also which touch the security of theyr bodies Are they not appointed of God watchmen and ouerseers as it were in a hie tower or heedeful centrenel as they which are to see from far what mischiefes are like to insue that they may admonish as well the people as the Magistrats themselues of such things as are to be auoided The which in deed they cannot doe so long as they are kept fasting from the conscience and conference of such thinges as are done in the common wealth If the Church could stand safe though the cōmon wealth fell to decay or if the one might rise by the ruines of the other I had the lesse to say but when as Church and common wealth are imbarked in the same vessell saile together in the same danger how should the deuout minister be lesse solicited for the safety of the common state then are the common Burgesses who for the most part iudge one thing cōmodious for the Church an other for the common wealth another for themselues and their own estate These are in office but for a year they neuer forsake theyr charges These may prouide many waies for themselues theyr own estate with the detriment of the Church danger of the commō wealth they can by no means preserue themselues or theirs vnlesse both Church common wealth together be preserued These consult that the common wealth sustaine no domage in corne and cattell in wares and marchaundise least themselues at any time should want their sweet return They doe not a little regard these things but besides these theyr especial care is that iustice faith godlines and true religion decay not in the
common wealth least at any time the kingdom of Christ should want his due increase But do learned BB. vnderstand lesse what belongeth to the good of the cōmon wealth then illiterat Burgreeues rank chapmen Very vnprofitably haue they consumed thēselues in their head-paine vigils and heart breaking studies if they haue learned nothing whereby they may benefite the common wealth I but Ministers are of priuate estate Burgreeues are Magistrates It is not conuenient that the same man should vndertake both an Ecclesiastique and a politique office Truth it is neyther doe I knowe any ignoraunt except them selues what is decent in this matter and what is not But to be present at the sacred Parliaments to giue a voyce and to giue aduice is not to be a Magistrate The books of the Prophets are plentifull in the precepts of peace in the policies of war and in the best counsels for al things which concerne the common wealth and sacred histories doe record of purpose how the people of God neuer aduentured vppon any action of weight and moment before they had well consulted with the Priests and the Prophets Such was the custome also of other countreis wheresoeuer there was any religion or reuerence of God What need I now againe put you in mind of the Chaldees and theyr Wise men the Egyptians and theyr Priests the Grecians their Prophets the Romaines and their Sooth-saiers the French with theyr Druidists without whose more sage aduice it was alwaies thought a thing ominous once to attēpt any notable thing in the common wealth Neither were they deceiued in their opinion For was the neglect of God euer left without reuenge Yea the opiniō of false gods contemned hath found the true God a sharp reuēger wherfore al antiquity thought well that nothing could goe well in the common wealth without due reuerence done to Religion they began theyr wars with Religion they ended their wars with Religion But whence in Gods name if it can be in Gods name is this error sprong vp among those which glory in the true religion that they disdayn in their counsels to take counsell of religion Verily where God is banished publike assēblies religion is made but a scorn to the wicked the commō wealth a priuate gayne to euery varlet happy Bishops happy Ministers of the Church which are farthest off from such Godlesse and irreligious conuenticles Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly and hath not stood in the way of sinners hath not sit in the chair of the scornful The time hath ben vnder our Lord Christ when Bishops thought it not agreable with their honor to sit in the counsels of Emperors whether it were of any superstitious error of thēselues or of any contagious misdemeanor of the consistorians I cannot wel tell but this I am sure of that it is no indecorum for the seruāt of Christ to be seen in the congregations of God God standeth in the congregation of Gods the iudgeth among Gods But it ther the counsels were held for priuat gain or priuy deceit for wicked treasons or bloudy murthers no wonder though the godly BB. were ashamed to stand in the vngodly assemblies For albeit God be there also as iudge reuenger yet the diuel is ther present as Presidēt of the coūcel otherwise ther was no reasō why it might not be a thing decent conueuient too for a B. to stand in the consistory Admitte him as a Doctor to giue aduice according to the word as Legat for the Prince or the estate as a Solicitor for the widow the orphan for the poore the oppressed for the traduced and condemned This was then also a religious custom among the most ancient best conceiued Bishops What Ambrose did what he thought in this case himself witnesseth of himselfe in his first Booke the 27. Epistle who euen then whē as he excused himself to the Emperor Valentinian for that he would not dispute with Auxētius the Arriā B. in his Pallace yet euen ther also he acknowledgeth his duty in that behalfe saing Wherfore take it in good worth gratious Emperour that I can not now come to the Consistory For I haue not acquainted my selfe to stād in the Consistory but on your behalfe Neyther can I willingly contend within the compasse of your Court who nor know nor seeke to knowe the the secretes of the Court. So that albeit Ambrose thought it not beseeming the dignity of a Bishop to stand as an ordinary man in the throng of the consistorians yet he thought it pertaining to his duety to be there present in the Princes causes and the affaires of the cōmō welth Wherfore whencesoeuer this perswasion sprong whosoeuer they be which thinke it either an vnlawfull or an vnseemly thing for any Minister to intermedle in ciuill causes they doe greatly wrong the honour of religion the welfare of Princes and the publique state whome they enuy the good vse graue aduice and louing fidelity of so necessary Cittizens and subiects of the common wealth If the honest examples of ancient Bishops might be of any autority at this day I would reckon vp many honorable Legacies vndertaken by most reuerend Bishops in ciuil causes but ther are two presidents which may sufficiently serue for our purpose The first is that of Ambrose who was twise Embassador for the Emperor Valentinian to the Tirant Maximus that not without great successe the other is that of Marutha Bishop of Mesapotamia whom the Romaine Emperour sent Embassador to the king of Persia as Socrates recordeth in his seuēth boke of Ecclesiasticall histories the which his one Embassee was aboundantly beneficiall both to the Church and also to the Emperour himselfe By these reasons and examples I am drawen to this conclusion that it is both lawful and requisit for Princes to demise certaine ciuil causes affairs to the ancients of the Clergy and that it is but the error of them which lust to go alone though they goe awrye that thinke that the Minister ought to bee sequestred from all ciuill affayres in a christian common wealth As for those wordes of our Sauiour and the tradition of the Apostles they teach vs no other thing then this That no publique ciuil authority is ioyned with the Eccesiasticall Ministery as any part thereof But the state of the Church being altered where the Church is the Common-wealth and the Common-wealth the Church there the state of the Euangelique Ministers may lawfully bee the same which was of olde in the Priests and Leuites among the people of God CHAP. XXVI Where the Church is the Common-wealth the same man as Bishop may take charge of the Church for the Lorde Iesus and render fealtie and obeisance to the King as one that holdeth by faith and homage SOme there bee which thinke that the Churche is in the Common-wealth as a certaine part thereof that the whole Common-wealth it selfe