1 2 16 27 28 37 5 15 16 17 18 8 9 12 Act. 10.25 16.24 25 26 27 28 29 Gen 40.8 41 14 15 16 25 40 41 42 43 44 Dan. 2.28 29 30 36 48 49 5 29 6 1 2 3. Psal 45.9 13 16 was likewise a Prince Eli and Samuel Priests were Princes and Iudges and the Priests iudged of some ciuill causes together with the other temporall Iudges The chiefe Priests which taught the people of Iuda are called Princes whom King Iehesophat had appointed to be Iudges vnder him both in ecclessiastical and temporal causes as betweene blood and blood betweene law and precept statutes and iudgements Anna called Eli the the chiefe Priest her Lord the widdow of Zarepta the widdow of Bethel the Shunamite Gentlewoman Obadiah King Achabs steward the good Captaine sent by King Ahaziah Naeamen the King of Syrta his Generall Hazael one of the Princes of Benhadad King of Aram did all of them honour the chiefe Prophets of God Eliah and Elisha with the stile of Lords and bowed before them And so did Cornelius the Captaine and likewise the Iaylor to the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul to passe ouer that Ioseph a Patriarke and a Prophet of the Church was likewise a chiefe Prince vnder the King of Egypt euen the next vnto the King Daniel another chiefe Prophet of the Church was likewise a Prince and the next person to the King of Babel Nebuchadnezzar and his three fellowes Shadrach Messach and Abednego were made Gouernours ouer the Prouinces of Babel and the same Prophet Daniel was by King Belshazzar made the third Ruler in the kingdome and by King Darius the first and chiefe Ruler ouer the whole kingdome And the Prophet Dauid prophecying of the splendour and dignitie of the Fathers of the Church vnder the Gospel vseth these words In stead of thy Fathers shall thy Children be thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth meaning that of the Children of the Church there should be chosen such as should bee Fathers and Rulers of the Church as Arch-Bishops and Bishops which should bee honoured throughout the whole Christian world as Lords and Princes For the holy Prophet as hee describeth typically Christ as the King of the Catholike Church and none but he to be King and the Church as the Queene and Spouse of this King so doth be signifie vnto vs that the Princes of this King and kingdome are the Rulers and Gouernours of the Church aboue named which of the Children of the Church should bee made Fathers of the Church and should be honoured as Princes as hath binsaid And this prophesie is most cleerly accōplished and verified in the Church of England not of Geneua nor any Geneuian vnto whose Ministers God hath not graunted so much honour as they who haue vnhappily dishonoured and debased themselues in bringing in their Lay-elders to bee Church gouernours in stead of the Bishops I say they haue debased themselues most ridiculously because that they haue submitted themselues who should be as Fathers and Schoolemasters vnto their owne children and Schollers for by those Lay-elders they are elected they are iudged and censured in matters both of life and doctrine they are suspended or remooued from their ministerie and yet they are but meere Lay-men generally voide of learning as being for the most part tradesmen and artificers and some country gentlemen So that there is as great disorder in the Geneuian Church and as grosse absurditie as if the children should command their Fathers in the house or the Schollers correct their Masters in the Schoole or as if the Sheepe should pull the pastorall crooke out of their Sheepheards hand And though that our Geneuians do deriue their Lay-elders and Eldership from the Synedrie of the Iewes for I graunt them with all my heart that the chiefe perfections of the Iewish Church ought to bee found in the Christian Church which thing if they vnderstood well they should see their grosse errours yet I must tel them that they haue nothing like but the name For first the Iewish Elders were inferiour magistrates ordained primarily by the Soueraigne and chiefest magistrate Moses to assist him in matters of Iudgemēt Numbers 11.16 17 Ezr. 10.8 Luk. 22.66 Act. 5.27 wheras the Geneuiā are not Iudges or any such publike persons appointed by the Prince but priuate persons picked out of the Parish by the Preacher and some other with him Secondly the Iewish Elders iudged and censured the Laitie and therefore were called the Elders of the people wheras the Geneuiā presume to censure correct their Clergie Thirdly and lastly the Iewish Elders concurred with the Princes of the Priests as their assistants or officers in matters of iudgement and debate but the Geneuian haue no Princes of Priests Deut. 17.8.9.10.11 12,2 Chron. 19 8 9 10.11 Ezech. 44.4 or Prince-Church gouernours as Primates Archbishops or Bishops to giue assistance vnto whereby it doth appeare that the Iudges and Iustices of Peace in England are like those Elders of the Iewes especially the Iudges of Ecclesiasticall courts called by the names of Chancellour Commissary Deane of the Arches Officiall and the like and in no wise the Elders after the Geneuian forme Moreouer as the Ministers of the heauenly Church are called Priests so are the Ministers of the Church of England honoured Reuel 4.8 9 10.11 5 8 7 10 12 8 3 4 Heb. 13.15 Hos 14.3 with the same holy title and stile Those Angelicall Priests doe offer vp vnto God the spirituall sacrifice of prayer and praise and answerably thereunto our English Euangelicall Priests offer vnto God the like spirituall sacrifice as the Apostle prescribeth saying Let vs therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name Publike prayer and praise is a sacrifice and therfore the Minister that offereth it is a Priest neither could he blesse publikely the people except hee were a Priest for Church-benediction is a part of the Priests function nor yet Minister any of the two Sacraments in both which there is a spirituall sacrifice for by Baptisme our bodies and soules are offered vnto God by the hand of his Priest Rom. 12.1 Mat. 26.27.28 29 30. 28 19 Ioh. 6.32 33 41 51 Reue l. 2 17 a reasonable and liuing sacrifice and in the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper he offereth vnto God in our name the spirituall sacrifice of thankesgiuing for giuing the substance of his blessed body both corporally for vs a bloodie sacrifice vpon the crosse and spiritually vnto vs in the Sacrament of bread wine and euen for feeding of vs in a my sticall and supernaturall manner with his flesh which is that hidden Manna of heauen Reuel 1.4 5 6 5.10 Heb. 7.15 17 21 24 26 28 8 1 2 3. promised in the Reuelation to those that ouercome To bee briefe the blessed Apostle