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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19461	A modest and reasonable examination, of some things in vse in the Church of England, sundrie times heretofore misliked and now lately, in a booke called the (Plea of the innocent:) and an assertion for true and Christian church policy, made for a full satisfaction to all those, that are of iudgement, and not possessed with a preiudice against this present church gouernment, wherein the principall poynts are fully, and peaceably aunswered, which seeme to bee offensiue in the ecclesiasticall state of this kingdome. The contentes whereof are set downe in the page following.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1604 (1604)	STC 5882; ESTC S108881	174,201	234

seconded by the peaceable and happie accesse of a greater Kingdome So that in this case vnlesse to a minde that hath no Religion at all it shall bee much harder to perswade a moderation than too little For with righteous Kings and of vnderstanding as nothing is dearer than Religion so in nothing they imploy their labour and authoritie more willingly than for the preseruation and honouring of the Church it selfe all kingdomes hauing no other safetie but this Their prosperitie to flourish for no longer time than the prosperitie of the Church is maintayned among est them This being by all obseruation the truest signe of a decaying Kingdome To haue a Cleargie vnhallowed and the Church vnhonoured But whilest all men are carefull that the Church may bee well gouerned euerie man obtrudeth his owne fancy and liketh best of those Rules which haue neerest affinitie with his owne brayne Hence commeth it to passe that some men are not fully resolued to whom especially belongeth the Authoritie to prescribe with warr●nt the direct forme of the Church gonernment Other offices for the attainment of this end as to instruct and to aduise may in all re●son to make the burthen of gouernment both more vertuous and more easie belong vnto other men But to prouide for the safetie of the Church for the publicke enioying of the Word of God for the maner of gouernment for the maintenance of the Clergie all these in a strict vnderstanding are the religious duties and the honourable effects of the King so that what authoritie is deriued vnto any ●yther in a blinde and false obedience to the Sea of Rome or through a partiall affection to a new Consistorie are both if not equall yet equally vsurpers of the Kings right Nay whilest some of late haue beene earnest though ignonorant refusers of Subscription they hane showed in their actions how vncharitably they haue thought of their late Souereigns sincere Religiō For to mislike the book of Orders is indirectly to affirme that we haue no ministery which some impudently shameles haue dared to affirme plainly not to subscribe to the Booke of Common Prayer is to teach that we haue no forme of Church Liturgye And lastly to refuse to subscribe to the Articles of Faith is to make men beleeue that our Church maintaineth vnsound doctrine This as it was alleaged once by a Reuerend bishop in a Sermō so it is an accusatiō not yet cleered by any that I know by one it is slubbered ouer vnhandsomely making the Obiection stronger than himselfe was able to answere truly but this wee shall haue better occasion to confute hereafter And it is too plaine what opinion they had of Her Religion liuing whom so boldly they dare depraue being once dead But flattery looketh no further than eyther to escape punishment or receiue a benefit so that when the one is past feare and the other past hope wee dare then speake what wee thinke and more vnreuerently oftentimes of the same partie being a Saint in Heauen than we durst being a Prince in earth It were fit all men considered but especially Kings whose authoritie it doth secretly vndermine how farre the admission of a Consistoriall Gouernment in a kingdome may suddenly vsurpe vpon that right which Scripture and Lawes haue ascribed to the King That Kings ought to haue rule in all causes ouerall persons as it is warranted by the word so it is confirmed to the Princes of this Land by Act of Parliament This giueth vnto them Supremacy in Ecclesiasticall Gouernment Exempteth from Inforcement of any Domesticall or forreigne power and freeth them from the penaltie of those lawes both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill whereunto all inferiour persons in a Kingdome are tyed And howsoeuer sinnes in Princes ought to be reprooued and rights of Clayme may be recouered against Kings yet in nothing are they liable to penall lawes much lesse subiect to the Iurisdiction of Elders or Excommunication of this Tyrannous Consistorie Vnhallowed blouldnesses attempted in other Kingdomes and Imperionsly affected and vrged by some amongst vs nay the power to call Synods an Authoritie by Parliament graunted vnto the Prince some violent spirits haue attempted with that bouldnesse as if those only were Lawes which were warranted by this Consistorie Princes being but to Execute what they appoint them out of Gods word whereof notwithstanding themselues must be only Iudges Thus whilst the Prince warranted by his owne Law which is the publike Act of his whole people gaue Authority to some graue Commissioners for Reformation of Ecclesiasticall disorders They denie that any such ought to be appointed Iudges and often both in priuate and publike depraued that honorable and high Commission a thing as it is vnseemely for them to controule so if our late Souereigne in great Wisedome and care of the Church had not giuen it authoritie and strength the bolddnesse of a great number pretending a Zeale had growen to bee so strong that in all appearance There had beene little likelihood of safety to the Queene her selfe And seeing all attempts are most violent that haue their beginning and strength from a Zeale to Religion bee it neuer so false there can be nothing doubtles of greater vse either for the safetie of the Prince the peace of the Church or the quiet of the Commonwealth than the seuere and Reuerend authoritie of this high Cōmission without which assuredly long since we had miserably tasted of all those euilles which vncontrouled ignorance Hypocrisie and crueltie cculd haue brought amongst vs. It is small reason Princes should giue eare vnto these plots which leaue them naked without meanes to defend themselues or their Subiects in the time of danger nay those of the honorable and highe Court of Parliament are to thinke themselues and I doubt not but will iniured by such who haue taken from them on of the three States a State not of the least wisedome and grauitie and from them all that Authoritie which they ascribe to a number of ignorant and sillie Artificers for such some Consistories must needes bee and guided by a youth sometimes neither of wisedome nor vnderstanding It is miserable where men are ruled by no lawes seeing nothing is in man of greater daunger vnlimited than his owne will which imperiously commaundeth ouer his fancie that is able to corrupt and peruert all Rules of order Thus they interprete Tell the Church tell the Consistorie Which because Iohn Morrell did expound otherwise himselfe was excommunicated and his Booke burnt there is nothing more vsull than their pleasures to become Lawes A thing peraduenture men may affect which either desire Change or do hate gouernment but doubtles in it selfe Tyrannous and vnsufferable and so much the more odious and daungerous by how much the Rulers are base there gouernment lesse equall and once admitted not easie to be shaked of In on word There is nothing in the Lawes of this whole Land nay not in the possession of any priuate persō safe if

Euangelist Saint Marke sixe yeeres before Peter and Paul were martyred sixe and thirtie before the death of Saint Iohn in the which there is nothing that can or ought to be misliked This as it is true so it is warranted with much reason for vnlesse we suppose a thing surely not likely if possible all in a presbytery to be men without fault a power to doe harme vnto Christs Church must by this curcular reuolution fall into their hands whom wisedome of election would hardly haue called to that place Besides what men shall worthily suffer whilest they are inferiors there is some likelyhoode they will offer the like when they doe commaund Neither is this to quench ambition as they thinke but to kindle a farre greater in the whole clergie For what we giue vnto one experienced of yeeres tried in gouernment freed for the most part from the passions of young men these without difference propound to all And thus they cure this feuer of ambition by infecting many as if diseases were therefore lesse because moe were sicke For what cannot be inioyed without pride is not easily expected without sinne fruition and expectation of one and the same thing are so neere that neither can be vertu●●s where both are not Neither doe we giue vnto Archbis●ops or bishops power or honor by Gods law but what their people must needes yeeld vnto their pastors and presbyters if they will haue any We are not to limit Princes whom they shall vse in councell or to whom they shall commit the execution of their lawes especially such as are made for the Churches good seeing we finde that God hath blest those Princes and kingdomes most where vertuous Bishops haue been admitted to the Princes Councell wherein surely they haue brought a farre greater benefit to the peace and prosperitie of the Church then in reason they could by any other imployment besides Neither was it a meanes for to be idle either in Caluin or Beza both of them fit men for that place that they were both admitted as councellors of that state It cannot chuse but bee great intemperancie in them who haue so dishonorably laboured to deface that dignitie so auncient and of such vse in the Church of God as also to wound euen the best and the worthyest in that place with tearmes farre vnbeseeming as if their vngouerned humors had fully resolued to belch out poyson against all that were thought excellent It pleaseth one of them to censure them all thus Archbishops and Bishops are vnlawfull vnnaturall false and basterdly gouernors of the Church and the ordinances of the diuell Another saith they are in respect of their places enemies to God Much hath the vnwise and immodest dealings of sundrie in our Church labored to dishonor so honorable and so great an office experience hath taught vs the good of them and to these we onely make this answere that wee are sorrie to see them so skilfull and so willing to speake euill But doubtles it is loue to our present state which hath made them so zealous in this cause for saith one If we be sworne to her maiesties most lawfull supremacie ouer all persons and espie in our Church a lordly prelacie a thing brought into the Church by humane inuention by meanes weereof it is apparant that the Pope of Rome hath climed about all states both Ecclesiasticall and ciuill if now our desire extend it selfe that our lordly dignities and power of our Bishops might be examined by holy scripture and brought backe a degree or twaine neerer to the apostolike practise and Christs institution that so all occasions might be cut off hereafter that this climing vsurpation might neuer take holde vpon England any more are we troublers of the state Doubtles we are If it were not a thing possible to make a difference betwixt the clyming vsurpation of the Church of Rome and the lawfull prelacie how lordly so euer established in our Church I doubt not but all our Bishops would cast themselues at his Maiesties feete and intreate his highnes to vnburthen them of all that honour which hetherto they haue held iniurious to his supremacie and contrarie to the scriptures and the Apostles practise To men of vnderstanding things could not bee thus odiously compared that are moste vnlike The Pope challengeth authoritie ouer all christendome so doe not our Archbishops the Pope exalteth himselfe aboue Kings and Princes but our Archbishops with reuerence and humilitie acknowledg their subiection and more dutifully I doubt not then those who thus carefully are fearefull of their clyming The Pope saith that to bee subiect vnto him is of necessitie to saluation our Archbishops acknowledge no such thing and as their limits of gouernment are farre vnlike so the manner of their gonernment is farre more lawfull the one being an vsurpation which ambition sought out superstition and pollicie haue holden vp the other a necessarie authoritie which schismes and dissentions in the Church inuented the Apostles vsed all antiquitie followed and the peace of the Church did impose vpon them So that one of the most modest and most learned that seemeth to fauour the cause of discipline maketh it a principall point of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment that the inferior clergie in things honest bee obedient to the Bishop and the Bishop to the Metropolitan expressing the vse of that which others vehemently mislike and acknowledging the names and subordination of both But as it is an imputation in their opinion to the Archbishops that their place and authoritie is like the Popes so it is a blemish to our Bishops in the iudgement of these men that for learning and vertue they are not like vnto those holy fathers of the Church that haue gone before them We dare not take vpon vs to thinke that our times are better and more fruitefull in vertue then other were or that the Bishops of our land a thing to be wished are all of them without fault but seeing it pleaseth some to compare them thus I hope it shall neither be dishonour to the vertuous memories of those that are dead nor bee thought a flattery towards those that doe liue if we say considering we may say it with much truth that for soundnesse of doctrine honestie of life and the moderate vse of externall things they are not inferiour to the most reuerend of those Bishops that haue been before them For doctrine wee are loth to rippe vp the errors that the anncient Bishops were infected with Papias Bishop of Ierusalem who liued in Ignatius and Policarpus time held the error of a thousand yeere after the resurection wherein the kingdome of Christ should here remaine vpon earth Most of the auncient fathers were infected with this opinion Saint Cyprian that same clere fountaine as Saint Hierom calles him failed in the opinion of rebaptisation diuers both of the Greeke and Latin Church were spotted with the errors about freewill merits inuocation of

so that from hence was vnderstoode by the name of a Benefice A pastorall cure of soules ouer the people of some parish whereas formerly it signified some standing Ecclesiasticall reuenue taken out of the treasure of God and alotted to a spirituall person to the end hee may vse the same and inioy it as his owne for tearme of life vnlesse his default cause depriuation And wee know that the Clergie for manie yeeres after Christ had no other Benefices but onely their Canonicall portions or monethlie Diuidends allowed vnto them according to their seuerall degrees and qualities out of the common stock of such guifts oblations and Tythes as the feruor of christian pietie did then yeeld In the Apostles time Churches were onelie in the cities in regard whereof those that liued in villages beeing without instruction were called Pagans which after by the example of others both intertaining and giuing allowance for the maintenance of the same truth those to whom principall care was committed in this kind appointed meaner men of lesse learning and lower qualitie to vndertake the instruction of those places who were desirous and willing to yeelde after the example of others oblations and tithes for maintenance of those that were placed ouer them Now to say that either seuerall parishes thus distinguished might by no permission bee allotted to the care and instruction of one man or that it were not lawfull for any reason how beneficiall soeuer to Gods Church to bee absent from that particuler care committed to him were in the former to denie all better trust and reward to men of more worth and greater abilities and desert and in the latter to bee ouer Tirannous in considering and allowing the cause of absence and peraduenture in a true construction ouer rigorouslie seuere in both But seing all men know which wee doubt but our aduersaries in this cause will conffesse that this limitation of particuler parishes was meerlie positiue and the inuentions of men thought and found better for the better performance of the Clergies dutie it cannot bee the absolute transgression of a deuine ordination in that sence as if either to haue moe parishes then one or from one to be absent at somtime were a direct vnexcusable breach of the morall law For the duties commanded not to bee done in them are by no meanes not for a moment euer allowed to be done at all which thraldome if in seueritie they bring vpon Gods church let them take heede what dangers they fall into themselues that by this meanes the church receiue not a greater harme whilst peraduenture in this case their remedie is worse then the disease is Now to allow absence vpon reason without appointing those causes and such as must iudge which are reasonable were to make all men to think that they had reason that were willing neither is there any great force from the nature of Relatiues if that were all why one may not as well haue diuers parishes as one parish haue diuers Pastors And howsoeuer wee hold not the reason good that beecause Tymothie Titus had manie congregations committed to their charge therefore others may yet the reason in their opinion from this example ought not to want strength who think a Bishop and a Minister is all one In this first distribution for the best discharge of their calling and the greatest benefit to the church of Christ if some vnder the Bishops aboue their bretheren which had moe and more distant parishes then any in our church all termed by one name though some were Suffraganes to Bishops it ought not to seeme a matter of vnreasonable fauour and vnlawfull to commit seuerall churches to the instruction and gouernment of some men whose learning discretion care is more eminent and that these may whilst their labours are vsed for the benefit of Christs flock lawfully bee absent and haue inferiour men of the Clergie for a tyme to supply and to execute their roomes so that doubtlesse a zeale in these reprouers did carrie them to far when alledging those extrauagant reasons against Pluralities they yeeld them to tend to couetousnesse that one man had the stipend of many that they make non Residents that it maintaines Ambition that it is the occasion of a gadding and roaguing ministerie no small cause why others want and lastly a taking away of that recompence which belongs to others these reasons in their opinion of some force howsoeuer they haue alreadie bene profoundly answered with much iudgement yet beecause they still please themselues in the rehearsall of them we can bee content both with patience to giue them hearing and withall to hope for this fauour at their hands that they will yeeld thus much to vs that many things may occasionally bee the accidentall procurers of much euill which are originally no causes nor iustly can suffer a reproofe as vnlawfull things Neither are these onely the occasions of the euills which they lay vpon them seeing either all or most are commonly to bee found amongst thē who notwithstāding would seeme to be furthest from this sin But seeing whatsoeuer in our Church is practised in either of these two Pluralities or non Residencie is not the corruption of some priuate man but the approbation and allowance of the Court of Parliament wherein what soeuer is established all men in the eie and construction of the law are thought and deemed to haue consented we cannot but thinke it vnreasonable and vnreuerend for these men to disanull or make question of an Act of their owne making and withall wee hope it both hath and shall appeare to the world that as it is not lawfull without dispensation to haue or to doe either so that authoritie to dispence in both is most agreeable to reason and Gods truth For seeing the disposition and limitation of priuate parishes extendeth no further but to be the wise Positiue inuention and ordination of those who formerlie haue gouerned in Gods Church and that all humane lawes are dispensable by supreame authoritie a dispensation being but the relaxation of a common right made vpon knowledge of the cause by him that hath right to dispence wee hope that likewise these may and that the lawes forbidding non Residencie Pluralities are in force still notwithstanding by Priuiledge some particulers are and are fit to bee exempted from the common right Doubtlesse neuer meere human law was either made with that wisedome or was in execution of so necessarie vse but that sometimes it was fitter to receiue Dispensation then to stand in force for seeing the best lawes of men are but the euidences of Humane reason which wee finde by experience groweth from a weakenesse to bee more strong and from imperfection to bee more absolute wee cannot in reason without inthralling our selues in too great a bondage deny Abrogation and Dispensation to humane lawes which are not to bee like those of the

authority in matters that cōcerne Religion the other that the care of Princes to maintaine Religion ought only to be with these word but to cōfute errors to reforme Churches to call Synods These they thinke to be peculiar to the Pope himselfe The contrary to both these wee are taugh by Scriptures by Historie by Fathers and by Testimonie of some of the Popes themselues who haue earnestly intreated the Christian Emperours to call Councels This then being in the opinion of all that are of sound iudgement both the greatest care and honor to a Christian prince let vs consider a little those pointes that are absolutely requisite for the Religious performing of this duty the person whom wee call the Prince is hee that hath supreame authoritie according to the forme of that kingdome wherein he ruleth In humane actions that they may be performed aright it is requisite that we are willing that we haue knowledg that we haue power with out the first our knowledge abilitie do want motion without the second our motion ability shal want skill without the third our motion and skil shal want strength The first is an vnestimable benefit bestowed vpō religious princes from the powerfull Author of all pietie in this respect all men are bound to commend them to God more especially in their prayers assuring our selues that vnlesse wee or they faile hee that hath giuen them to will shall inhable them at length to performe it likewise The best assurance to discerne the Author of this wil is the considerations of the ends which are only two Gods glory and the good of others which being not the scope of their actiō it is no more possible that God should bee the Author of that will than that goodnes is possible to bee the Author of much euill Ends of doing which lye in the hart of man and are onely discerned by God himselfe are the true discouerers what is the originall fountain of that we doo For the same things are not alwaies of the same nature though the maner of performing be all one if the ends be diuers The second thing is knowledge not of much lesse necessitie than the former wherby hee may bee truely assured what things are vnfit and what are warrantable to bee reformed neither this onely in general and by others but if it bee possible in euery particular and of himselfe A happines wheresoeuer it is neither least worth nor least power to make happy both the Church Cōmonwealth This only was thought to bring greatnes ruine both at once into the Church of Rome whilst Emperors being busied with other affairs left the gouernment to the Bishops the Bishops to the Suffragans these to the Monks whose authority knowledge being much lesse all things were ruled with greater corruption lesse truth To auod this Moses cōmandeth the Princes day night to be exercised in reading the holy Scripture next to haue those about thē who are lerned honest it is a maime to a Prince to be assisted by any that do want either For to be learned without Zeal is to make aduātage to thēselues by a publick losse to be Zealous without skil is to coūsel oftētimes to matters that do much hurt As the former maketh a King cōmonly to be ouer dissolute so these other do make him to be too rigorous it is a memorable exāple of Ioas the King of Iuda whilst he had Ieboida the priest assistāt to him al things happily succeeded to him to his whole Realme but with his death the King being destitute of such all things as speedily came to great ruine To further the Kings knowledge it is a means neither of least honor nor vse to call Synods of those Churches that imbrace the truth and in them to asemble men of best learning moderation and least partiall whose consultatiō for disputatiō is a means both to contētious insolent to finde a truth may serue for resolution of such points as weaknes in humility would be glad to learn It is lost labour in any farre vnbefitting the honour of Kings to vndertake with Curiositie pride to get knowledge seeing the one is not desirous to learne the other desirous for to learne too much This hath bin the Care of all religious Emperors Constantine the great in the case of Arrius called the Councell of Nice Thus Theodosius the great in the case of Nestorius the Councel of Ephesus Valentinian and Martian the Councell of Chalcedon against Eutiches Iustinian the Councell of Constantinople against Seuerus the Patriarch of Antioch which renued the error of Eutyches Constantine the fift The sixt Synod against the Monothelyts George the Patriarch of Constantinople Macharius the Patriarch of Antioch their followers the third thing is ability which shall easily receiue greatest strength from hence if all lesser differeces remoued a perfect concord agreement be made with those of the same Religiō If Israel and Iuda be at variance both shal be caried into Captiuity the one into Assyria the other into Babilon Thus the Eternall power punisheth our pride the fountaine of our dissention with captiuity to learn vs amitie friendship in a strange land Oh that Ierusalē were built as a City at vnitie in it selfe If any man yet doubt of the authority of kings in Ecclesiasticall causes ouer s●ch persons let them know that in● al ages with good warrant Princes haue displaced and iudged men of the Church as Religiō reason desert haue moued them Salomon displaced Abyathar and placed Zadock Theodosius Valentinian made a decree that those which were infected with the impiety of Nestorius should be deposed Iustinian is cōmended for deposing Silueirus Vigilius Ieremy his case was heard of the Princes Cecilian Athanasius being wronged appealed to Constātine seeing thē this cloud of witnesses against thē let thē hereafter not so vnreuerently as some haue done account those persons Bauds to al maner of sins in Princes who maintain thē to be free frō excōmunication neither need they to fear as some of them say tha● this opinion proceedeth frō a worse cause than frō simple error But the boldnes of some to excōmunicate the Prince at their pleasure hath both giuen incouragement to seek alteration without reuerence perēptorily to call that reformation which is but their own fancies hereunto I might add which is obserued by others that this Consistory taketh appeals or the right of redresse for all wrongs offered in Ecclesiasticall Courts from the power of the Prince for they themselues sitting in Christs Tribunall seat it can be neither lawful nor warrantable to appeale from them besides the law giueth vnto the Prince the Nomiuation of Bishops some other Electiue dignities in the Church the custody of Bishops Temporalties during the vacation And patronage paramōt or right to present by the last lapse but these giue election of Church Offices to their Consistories

For in all societies authoritie which cannot be where all are equall must procure vnitie and obedience if vertue will not Now seeing that all men may easily erre that no errors are so daungerous as those which concerne religion the Church should be in a far worse case then the meanest common-wealth nay almost then a den of thieues if it were left destitute of meanes either to conuince heresies or to suppresse them yea though there were neither helpe nor assistance of the christian magistrate without which it were not possible for truth equitie any long time to harbour amongst the sons of men The remedie which in these cases the primitiue Church had when occasion was offered vsed against heresie and iniurie she deriued as well from the promise made by Christs owne words as from the Apostles example in the like case Christ willing them that were grieued by their brethren after the first and second admonition to tell it to the Church And addeth for direction and confirmation of all religious assemblies and conferences where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them and whatsoever you shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Now whatsoeuer is ment here by the name of Church in the reasonable exposition of any to me it is all one to prooue this order that from priuate admonitiō they went to witnesses and from them to assemblies and seeing there must be an end of controuersies amongst men vnlesse we will plucke vp by the rootes all charitie and right when neither priuate perswasion not frendly mediation can appease parties that violently contend what other order could be prescribed but a iudicial hearing and determining of things in question Now because Christ did not set the sword to be the generall and perpetuall rule to gouerne his Church for then without a Prince there could be no Church so consequently there was none either in the Apostles time or three hundred yeeres after though where they beleeue the defence and maintenance of the Church is committed to their charge it must of necessitie follow that either there is no iudge which were the vtter subuersion of all peace when the christian magistrate is wanting or els the pastors and stewards of Christs Church to whom this care is committed must assemble together and with mutuall conference performe those duties to the Church in generall which otherwise they are bound to do to each particular place and person By Gods law what obedieuce and reuerence the father may expect from his owne childe the same or greater must all beleeuers yeeld to the fathers of their faith the one begetteth vs to this life the other to a life that is much better Those then whom Christ hath placed to be watchmen and leaders the light and salt of his Church must not onely warne and guide but also lighten and season in their measure that whole body for when all other failes this onely is left to clense the house of God from vessels of dishonour yea when there were no beleeuing Magistrates to assist the Church this onely was left as the best meanes and after when christian Princes began to protect the truth they neuer had nor can haue safer direction amongst men then by the Synods of wise and godly Bishops Thus a Synod at Antioch about threescore yeeres before the councell of Nice condemned and deposed Paulus Samosatenus for heresie and when he would not yet yeeld to the Church but keepe it by violence vpon complaint to Aurelianus the Emperor though he were a heathen Samosatenus was with extreame shame driuen from the Church by the worldly Prince All countries in all ages haue had the benefit of this not as a thing arbitrarie and left free to those that peraduenture were careles of the Churches welfare but prescribed by sundrie councels as Nice Antioch Constantinople Chalcedon and commaunded by the imperiall lawes in this manner That all the Ecclesiasticall state and sacred rules may with more diligence be obserued we require saith the Emperor euery Archbishop Patriarch and Metropolitan to call vnto him once or twise euery yeere the Bishops that are vnder him in the same prouince and throughly to examine all the causes which Bishops Clarkes or Monkes haue amongst themselues and to determine them so as whatsoeuer is trespassed by any person against the Canons may be reformed So that wee must either cleane reiect Synods a thing doubtles of no small daunger as the times may fall out and make the presbyters in euery parish supreme iudges or else admit some which be no other but the Bishops both to call and to moderate these meetings for in all those Synods which continued in the Church euen when she mas most sharpely pursued by the sworde from the death of the Apostles to the raigne of Constantine they were assembled and gouerned by the Bishops of the chiefe and mother Churches and Cities in euery prouince who by the auncient councels were called Metropolitanes And after when Princes came to imbrace the faith the best meanes they could deuise to procure peace and aduance religion was by their lawes to referre Ecclesiasticall causes to Ecclesiasticall Iudges And least they should be long in strife they charged the Metropolitane to assemble the Bishops of his prouince twise euery yeere there to examine and order what matters of doubt should arise which happely might disturbe the Churches peace Thus the Synode of Rome called by Cornelius against Nouatus consisted of threescore Bishops and many others of the clergie In the councels of Rome vnder Hilarius and Gregorie where foure and thirtie presbyters subscribed after two and twentie Bishops infinit are the examples in this kind which teach vs that neither the Church at any time was or in deed● can safely be without tempests if Synods want nor Synods can be tightly ordered if the Metropolitans and Bishops should be wanting in them Seeing then they haue this vse if this were all to make that societie able with order to suppresse heresies and redresse wrongs without which doubtles the Church of all assemblies were worst gouerned it ought not to seeme vnreasonable to any that a thing so necessarie and auncient should with honour and reuerence be retained amongst vs. But least the name of Bishops should be offensiue to any as some haue thought it onely the ambitious title of a tyrannous gouernment these that would seeme moderate aduisers to equalitie and humilitie in this case must giue vs leaue to tell them that the name is auncient the office needefull and both so warrantable that they must needes be thought at the least malicious enuiers of the peace and prosperitie of Gods Church who are desirous or can be content that order obserued in the Apostles time and those Churches which were purest and next vnto them should be banished