the Princes authority that none but the Prince can doe and this prerogatiue be to make such Ecclesiasticall lawes as some of these Princes Lawes were howe doeth not this seruice plainely include the Princes supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes And sith this seruice of the Princes vnto Christ consisteth principally in making lawes for Christ no maruell then if the holy ghost exhort Princes to be wise and to be learned and to vnderstand as the most necessary thing for them to vnderstand the state of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment So that if their Clergie forstowe to doe their duetie yet the Prince by this wisedome learning and vnderstanding might as well be able to giue aduise againe if néede be euen to his Cleargie in the making of many Ecclesiasticall lawes and orders as to take aduise of them As wee sée how diuers of the forenamed Princes did and that by their authoritie with the aduice of wise and learned men both make lawes of Ecclesiasticall matters and haue a supreme gouernment in the maintenance and direction of them Musculus writing on these woordes And now ye kings vnderstande c. The nations and people saith he and much more say I the Clergie are not excluded but Kings Iudges are by name called to bethinke them selues euen for this cause that they are the heads of the nations and of the people conteyning in the nation Clergie and al to whome it principally apperteineth to be subiect vnto the Lord and to giue themselues to bee leaders of the people that are their subiects vnto this true obedience For in two respects it standeth them vpon to be obedient to the Lord first bicause they are subiect to his power as are all other mortall men and then because they are made his peculier Ministers to this purpose that hauing receaued power ouer their subiectes they shoulde both their selues the will of God and cause their subiects to be obedient to it And Marlorate vpon these wordes Serue the Lord in feare noting out of Caluin saith Princes therefore in this place are admonished that they shall then raigne happilie when their power is nothing else but Gods seruice That is to say where in commaunding and bidding they serue not their owne lust but gods will neither vsurpe that tyrannical speech Sic volo sic iubeo stet proratione voluntas Thus wil I haue it thus I bid it be it stands for reasō that it pleaseth me But they say Sie volo sic iubeo quia sic divina volunt as mandat cui soli cuncta subesse decet thus will I haue it thus I bid it be because this is the will of Gods decree He bids it bee to whome what ere he say all creatures will they nill they ought obey Let them also note this place which deny the power of the king secular Magistrat as they cal him to haue ought to do in a cause of a religion For although the kingdom of Christ be in the harts of the beleeuers notwithstanding it apperteineth to the Magistrate to haue a care that the doctrine of the word may be retined in the Church that Idolatry and false worship may bee taken awaye that the Ministers of the church may be commodiously mainteined that the aduersaries may be repressed then to forbid the name of God to be blasphemed to bring to passe that such as leade a godly life may liue in safety but the wicked persons those that are vnquiet may be punished restrained ned This then is the Princes seruice vnto God And is not this as much as to make good Eccl. lawes orders with the aduice counsell of the wise godly learned clergy as hath done and doth her Maiestie But now our brethren after they haue tryed whether they shoulde preuaile by these two aforesaid testimonies least these should not preuail in striuing against the Princes authority in Eccl. matters they adioyn a third vnto them out of the new testament saying And especially it is to be noted where S. Paule commaundeth prayers and supplications to be made for the conuersion of kings vnto the knowledge of the truth and their own saluation that he alleageth this reason that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines honesty vnder their protection A godly honest life we may liue vnder enimies of the church persecutors but a peaceable and quiet life in all godlines honesty onely vnder a christian Prince If they do it as paraphrasts by way of some part of exposition they adde these words well vnder their protection But in that they set them downe as the words of the text me thinketh it somwhat ouer bold so to cite the holy scripture or yet as paraphrasts if they so limite the end of our prayers and supplications for Kings Princes which in these three benefites that the Apostle citeth stretcheth a great deale farther than to protection onely For as Dauid and other godly Princes were they may be both protectors and procurers of the same yea the chiefe gouernors and directors in the setting foorth and maintenance of them Neither is S. Paules exhortation to pray for Princes to be restrained onely to the praiers supplications to be made for the conuersion of kings vn the knowledge of the truth but it stretcheth further yea generally as well for those that are conuerted as those that are to be conuerted as well to giue thanks for the one as to pray for the other not onely for their owne saluation but that by their meanes all their subiects likewise may attaine to the way of saluation He reckoneth vp saith Caluine the fruits that spring vnto vs out of a principality that is well ordered the first is a quiet life For the magistrats are armed with the sword to kepe vs in peace Except they should beate downe the audaciousnes of wicked men al things would be ful of robberies slaughters c. The second fruit is the conseruation or saluation that is to wit while the Magistrats indeuour to nourish religion to plant the worship of God to require the reuerence of holy thinges The 3. is the care of publike honestie c. If these 3. things be taken away what is the state of mans life if any care therfore either of publike tranquility or of Godlines or of honesty touch vs let vs remember to haue consideration of them by the ministery of whom so excellent things do come into vs. Thus doth Caluin confesse that the Ministery of the Prince stretcheth as far foorth in procuring vnto vs the benefit of religion as of the other twain therfore he concludeth that we must pray for Princes aswell as much if not much more for this benefite as for the other Yea saith he If any man shall aske whether prayer ought also to bee made for the Kings of whom we receaue no such thing I
any Princes somewhat giuen to learning and to godlinesse they deride them Verily this Woman behaued not herself after this manner And therefore as Christe hath forespoken it in the last day he shall iudge them She came to tempt Solomon but not with a pernitious temptation Yea rather with a holie and an honest temptation wherewith shee desired to be enstructed of those things whereof she was ignorant Aenigmata hard sentences properly are called very obscure allegories which are rare in vse the which in dayly speeche doe well-neere alwayes come in vse which are easie But in this place by harde sentences we vnderstande doubtfull and difficult questions which mightily occupy the minde not about light businesse or euery kinde of matters but about great and graue pointes appertaining both to eternall life and also to the ciuile gouernment The Hebrue Worde as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to sharpen from whence the Noune beeing deducted betokeneth an oration or obscure question To the exposition whereof it behooueth to apply the sharpenesse of the witte It is likely that the Queene had aâ— home Philosophers Magitians and wise men which concerning humaine and naturall matters coulde haue easily aunswered her But concerning Diuine and supernaturall matters sithe that in them there is neede of the spirite and of diuine reuelation they were not able to satisfie her VVhereupon shee trauailed her selfe vnto Hierusalem in the which Citye GOD had placed not onely the Castle of Wisdome and pure religion but also Solomon of all Kings the moste wise Thus at large writeth Peter Martyr in the commendation of this noble Queene Whereby it appeareth that not onely shee was for worldly estate a mighty Queene not vnder her husband in that respect but aboue him and hee had shee any but her deputie vnder her in her absence albeit shée was inferior to him in the bandes of matrimony and inferior in sexe to all the men in her Monarchie but also that for religion though her people were Idolaters yet was shée a professor of the onely true and liuing God and euen one of Gods elected if we may aduenture to iudge so farre on such excellent fruits and not only a figure of bringing the Gentiles to the knowledge of God but a verie mirror and Patern for al Christians specially Christian Princes to set before them And if she be such a spectable to all Christian Princes and shall bee also a iudge to a great many of them mought not shée or such another as shee haue beene the Queene or chéefe gouernor also euen ouer the people of God and would she not haue gouerned them farre better than many or most of their kings did And verily Solomon doth no lesse estéeme of this moste excellent Lady that came thus vnto him then the goodnesse of the cause that mooued her did deserue Did he repell her out of his kingdome as a Monster For so vnaduisedly Caluine said all prudent men haue alwayes repudiated or put back the gouernment of Women as it were of a Monster Or did he mislike any whit of her the more for her supreme GouernmeÌ„t ouer men We find no such matter But that hee receiued her with all honour and heard her speake vnto him whatsoeuer she had in her hart and Solomon declared vnto her all her questions not one word was hidden from the king that he declared not vnto her And had hee misliked her estate that she being but a woman shold rule meÌ„ shold busy her head about such high questions and meddle with the administration of a common-weal and be the cheefe gouernor of a kingdome if he had thought this to bee directly or indirectly against Gods Lawe or against the Lawe of nature since she came especially to heare Gods Law and to conferre about such matters no doubt he would neuer haue concealed that matter aboue all other but haue reproued her or haue gently perswaded her at least take it how she would haue truly enformed her of the vnlawfulnes and vndecency of her calling Which thing sith he did it not yet neither he nor shee dissembled or flattered the one with the other I cannot tel what other men wil iuge quot capita tot sententiae so many heads so many wittes surely my dull wit cannot conceiue but that it is a mighty argument to confirm the supreme gouernment of a woman Neither ground I mine argument so much on Solomons doings or approbations but that the holy ghost also hath so farre allowed thereof that he hath consecrated the same both to perpetuall memory and to profitable example and therefore cannot this gouernment bee debarred euen from the people of God Especially being also approued and recommended to al Christians by our L and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Mat. 12.24 Luk. 11.31 in plaine tearmes calling her the Queene of the south not the monster or vsurper of the south Countries And here because our question of womens publike gouernment arose on womens publike speaking let vs sée also how this most excellent Qu. behaued herself in her publiâ—e speaking For after she had propounded al her questions was satisfied in his answeres to them after she had beholden al his wisdome his house that he had builded the meat of his table and the sitting of his seruants the order of his ministers their apparel his drinking vessels his burnt offerings which hee offered in the house of the L she was exceedingly astonished and said vnto him It was a true word that I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings and of thy wisdom Howbeit I beleeued not this report till I came and had seene it with mine eyes But loe the one halfe was not tolde mee For thou haste more VVisdom and prosperity than I haue heard by report Happy are thy men happy are these thy seruaunts which stande euer before thee and heare thy VVisedome Blessed bee the Lorde thy God which loueth thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel Because the Lorde loued Israel for euer made thee the king to doe equitie and righteousnesse These wordes though she spake especially to him yet as shee spake them publiquely in the audience of his subiectes for so her wordes import happy are these thy seruauntes that stande before thee and heare thy wisedome So therein shee conteineth notable matter And being before so publike a person both a king and a Prophet and before the assembly of his Court and of her troupe shee breaketh foorth into the function of a greate Prophetesse The Queen saith Peter Martyr on these foresayde wordes being no lesse Godly than prudent placeth the cheefest good neyther in power nor in riches nor in pleasure but in the knowledge of God which shoulde be had in his Worde and not onely by the contemplation of naturall thinges The Sonne of God brought foorthe this selfe same sentence but somewhat more augmented and more clearely expounded Blessed
be thought of some that we should first intreate of the supreame authoritie of Christian Princes whereupon it seemeth that all the regiment of the Church dependeth Yea but you will say if it seemeth so then it commeth not of nothing There is no smoake where there is no fire We must abstaine from all appearance of euill Who saide this Forsooth brethren that did euen I and hardily returne mine owne wordes to mine owne selfe Lege Talionis For ye sée I am bolde with you brethren in so doing Well then will you say it seemeth that all the Regiment of the Churche dependeth on the supreame authoritie of the Christian Prince in Ecclesiasticall causes and this seeming commeth not on nothing No verely doth it not For to set aside your partiall suspition and goe to the matter it selfe The Christian Prince hauing supreame authoritie in Ecclesiast causes doeth no Regiment of the Churche at all though not all the Regiment of the Church depende thereon Tush this is a thing which is such a myste say you to dazell the eyes of the ignorant persons that they thinke all thinges in the Eccles. state ought to be disposed by that onely high authoritie and absolute power of the ciuill Magistrate A ha brethren I thought it would prooue somewhat It seemed as the saying is either a foxe or a fearne brake I tooke it for smoake and it was a myste So that I myst my marke And yet till it came it reeked like a smoake And a myste will not onely dazell the eyes but so darken the obiect that wee cannot discerne the trueth till the myste bée dissipated and then if we haue good eyes we shall sée all thinges as they are But what is this which is such a myste forsooth that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on the authoritie of Christian Princes This is a foule thicke stincking sclannderous darke myste indéede Whence riseth this myste Doe we raise anie such spéeches on the Prince Doth the statute yéelde anie such authoritie to the prince Doeth her Maiestie claime or take vpon her anie such authoritie I heare of none but of the common aduersaries and you nowe which arâ— our brethren that cast foorth anie such spéeches Al-be-it I ioyne not you and them in like condition For they most malitiously doe anowe and blase it you onely say it seemeth but whether to them or to the people or to your selues it seemeth that you tell vs not But it seemeth ye will exempt your selues and I am glad thereof for I would not haue it that you who are our brethren in Iesu Christe and her Maiesties truâ— meaning subiectes as we are should haue either your eyes dazeled or the verie paper whereon you write to be stayned with the supition or but with seeming to suspect such false foggie and infectiue mystes aâ— those are If ye be Iealouse of them to driue this myste away it is well done so that in this Iealousie to driue away the myste ye driue not away withall our Mistresses Supreame authoritie It is no reason her Maiestie should loose her cleare right vnder pretence that a myste dazeleth the eyes of ignorant persons But if they be ignorant then it is for that they knowe not the trueth hereof and then is the truth of the matter cleane contrarie And although the ignorant be deceaued yet they that be not ignorant hiâ— not deceaued And can not the ignoraunt bée taught the trueth by them that are not ignoraunt The ignoraunt persons were deceaued in manie moe thinges of which ignorant persons then manie nowe thankes be to God doe knowe the trueth except such as loue mystes and darkenesse more then light But let not vs suppresse the trueth for feare of what may seeme to ignorant persons For to them truthe seemes falshoode and all that we say both of vs may seeme starke lyes But it lyeth vs vppon so much the rather to tell them the truthe and then if they will be ignorant let them be ignorant still But what is the point wherein by this myste the eyes of the ignorant persons are thus dazeled That all thinges in the Ecclesiasticall state ought to be disposed by the only high authoritie absolute power of the Christian Magistrate This indéede is a daungerous errour of ignorant persons But if any be so ignorant would this error be confirmed in them if the authoritie power of the Christian Princes were first treated vpon and throughly viewed And not rather if there be any such as holde that opinion as by our brethrens spéeches it seemeth shâ—re should hâ—â—â—nie I take it were the best waye which could be taken that this myste were first cleared and the Treatie of the Christian Princes first treated vppon least eyther the Princes should take anie such onely high authoritie and absolute power vppon them or that the people should so grossely and erroniously conceaue anie such matter of theÌ„ This is my opinion in such cases And I woulde wish you brethren to take héede howe in these your discourses let them carie what name of learning soeuer ye wil sith that the people are taught no such matter sith that her Maiestie taketh no such absolute power vppon her but as becommeth a good Christian Prince that which of right pertaineth to her Maiesties royall office and most godly with all humilitie patience and â—uldenes tempereth the Iustice of the same you abuse not too much her Maiesties clemencie that deserueth no such sclaunders nor suspitions at your hâ—ndes Whâ—e put you such surmises in the peoples heads if they were ignorant to deceaue them worse For this is the way to make the people eyther become Atheistes as only and absolutely to depende on the Prince in all matters and causes Ecclesiasticall or to grudge against her Maiestie as taking on her such an onely highe authoritie and absolute power to dispose all thinges in the state Ecclesiasticall What could her open professed enemies haue sayde worse Saue that they no lesse impudently then falsely like arrant Traytors doe not shame to affirme it and should you brethren come after those shamelesse children of Beliall and say But while we speake of Ecclesiasticall gouernment it may be thought of some that we should intreate first of the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes where-upon it seemeth that all the regiment of the Church dependeth which is such a myste to dazell the eyes of ignorant persons that they thinke all thinges in the Eccles. state ought to be disposed by the onely high authoritie and absolute power of the ciuill Magistrate What suspicious spéeches and byous glaunces vnder the name of some and of it seemeth and of they thinke are heere cast â—oorth and all this thinking and seeming to some is turned to the people and to ignorant persons they poore soules must beare the fault of all What is raysing of mystes dazeling of eyes walking in cloudes yea daâ—â—sing naked in a net and when all the worlde
looketh on to thinke no 〈◊〉 séeth vs if this be not And whie is the Soueraigne Prince called hereby no better terme then the ciuill Magistrate who before was acknowledged in more reuerent manner to be the Christian Prince and to haue also Supreame authoritie What and did you likewise meane herebie to graunt vnto Christian Princes that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on their Supreame authoritie and that all thinges in the Ecclesiasticall state ought to be disposed by that onely high authoritie and absolute power of the ciuill Magistrate What do ye hâ—â—e grant theâ— all this Or graunt them some thing or denie them all this and graâ—nt them nothing nor any regiment nor anie disposing at all Yee saye the ignorant persons thought thus and thus and would you for all that giue so much vnto Christian Princes as the Supreamâ— authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes Did not you feare also least yee should raysâ— a myste to dazell the eyes of ignorant persons And what did yoâ— meane when you gaue the direction of all Ecclesiasticall matters to your foure estates onely in the Church And among other termes herâ— speaking of the Christian Princes ye call their estate the onely highâ— authoritie and absolute power but it sufficeth vs if ye will abide by your graunt that Christian Princes haue supreame authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes as for the termes onely and absolute which are due onlie vnto Christ in talking of anie others vsurpation of them we knoâ—â— no Christian Princes that doth vsurpe them It is manifest that our most gratious Soueraigne the mirrour of all Christian Princes of this age claimeth or vsurpeth no such onely highe authoritie or absolute power whereby all thinges in the Ecclesiasticall state ought to be disposed Bestowe the vsurpation of these termes on the Pope or of some tyrant or looke your selues brethren better vnto it For you giue thrée thingâ— here to your foure Tetrarkes First direction and then of all Ecclesiâ—sticall matters and that onely to these foure in the Church And werâ— ye not afraide least the fourth terme that is to saye absolute power would followe in a myste to dazel the eyes of ignorant persons Well if after absolute Absolon follow not also it is the better But let vs now with-drawe our selues out of these mystes and comâ— to clearer coasts concerning some particuler pointes what is here grauâ—ted or denied to the Christian Princes by these our Learned discoursing brethren Others there be with more colour of reason that referre only indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes but in determining indifferent matters they shewe themselues not to be indifferent Iudges For whatsoeuer it shall please the ciuill Magistrate or themselues to call or count indifferent it must be so holden of all men without any further inquirie But of the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes in Eccles. causes how farre it extendeth by the worde of God we shall haue better occasion to intreate hereafter when we haue described the eccl state When vnder the name and blame of ignorant persons these Learned discoursers haue answered as they thinke sufficiently that they haue not first treated on the Christian Princes estate for feare least in giuing thâ— Prince place before they had inuested in full seazure and possession these foure Tetrarks in their offices assigned alreadie vnto them the Christian Prince might be thought to haue gotten too great aduauntage as hauing his share set â—ut before theirs and therefore hee is put backe till all these foure be serued vnder pretence that if the Prince were serued first ignorant persons would thinke that al the other had their shares froÌ„ him and all depended on him and that his power might be thought absolute and that this were a myste to dazell the eies of ignorant persons which might sound to the Princes great reproch Least now the Christian Prince or any other his wel-willers should espie that this indéede were but a myste to dazell the Princes owne eyes that pretending to staye him for feare he might séeme to haue too much they might leaue him no authoritie at all in the directing and disposing those matters wherein his Supreame authoritie most of all consisteth to wit be they politike morall or Ecclesiasticall thinges in matters indifferent least they might thus séeme to spoyle the Prince of all they come nowe to answere those men that yet would leaue to the Christian Prince a Supreame authoritie in disposing of these indifferent matters Others say they there be with more colour of reason that referre only indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes Who those others are they doe not name but we may well perceaue that these our brethren discoursers fauour not greatly those mens opinion that the Christian Princes should haue anie disposing of indifferent matters Notwithstanding because they dare not in plaine wordes denie it it is worth the sight to sée howe pretyly they fetch it about in the answering to the opinion of those others And first they clawe these others how-beit with a harde curricombe that they at least haue more colour of reason yet not reason but colour of reason Which rough or gentle yéelding somewhat to them at least of a colour must serue for a reasonable colour to seeme to giue them something though saue a colour nothing both to bereaue these others of their reason the Chr. Princes of all their Supreame auth in indifferent matters And indéede as they tell their tale they driue it to as little reason as they can for in saying they referre onely indifferent matters to the disposition of Princes they plainely insinuate that these others should say that the Princes are not onely the chiefe or Supreame but also the only disposers of indifferent matters and this also our brethren affirme of indifferent matters indefinitely as though not some but all indifferent matters were in the onely disposition of Princes at their pleasure Nowe although that in some thinges which of their nature are indifferent all lawes of God and man haue had no small regarde of those that are called Principum placita drawing néere to the kinde of her Maiesties Proclamations yet what good Prince hath euer reigned were he neuer so wise euen Salomon himselfe but he had his counsell Not to giue authoritie and life to his decrées in such indifferent matterâ— which lieth I graunt onelie in the Princes disposition but to giâ—e â—â—uise and counsell vpon waightie and mature deliberation what wâ—re beâ—â— in all respectes according to the Analogie of Gods worde the groundes and rule of reason and all other thinges to be considered for the aduancâ—ment of Gods glorie the establishment of the Princes estate and the bâ—nefite of the common-weale But howsoeuer anie other Princes haue â—bused their authoritie and followed their owne disposition rather thâ—n reason in these matters or their owne reason according to Machiauelleâ— rule rather then the aduice or consents
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Sacerdos Wherefore saieth Kemnitius confuting the Councell of Trent about the Popishe sacrificing Priesthoode Neither doe we striue for names Paule by a generall name calleth the ministers Doctors Pastors In the Scripture of the newe testament the name Sacerdotum of Sacerdotall Priestes and Sacerdoty of Sacerdotall Priesthoode is no where ascribed to the ministerie of the newe Testament but by the vse of Ecclesiasticall writers it is growen in custome to call the ministerie priest-hoode and the Ministers Priestes So Chrysostome calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what-so-euer pertayneth to the Ministerie of the newe Testament August de Ciuitate Dei Lib. 20. saieth Bishoppes and Presbyters or Priestes are nowe properly in the Church called Sacerdotes Sacerdotall Priestes If therefore the Papistes minded onely this that there should be in the newe Testament an externall sacerdotall Priesthoode that is to wit an externall ministerie of the woorde and Sacramentes as wee haue alreadie declared there should be no controuersie nor troubles should be mooued for the name of Sacerdotall priesthoode so that the matters that be true and necessarie may bee safe And euen thus as Kemnitius saith hereon so say we But although our Bretheren and we agrée héerein against the aduersaries of the Gospell that the Sacrificing Priest-hoode vnderstanding it as Kemnitius héere sayde for the externall function and action of reall sacrificing be translated vnto Christe and resteth in him onely For other-wise spiritually hee so communicateth both his kingdome and priest-hoode to his whole mysticall bodie that all the whole is an holy priest-hoode as Peter sayth 1. Pet. 2. and all the partes thereof Kinges and Priests in him Apocal. 5. yet can not our Brethren here iustifie this to be the cause why the spirite of God auoydeth in the ministers of the newe Testament the name of sacrificers or Priestes because the sacrificing priest-hoode of Aaron is wholye translated vnto Christe in whome onely it resteth For as they heere confesse their selues the ministers of the newe Testament succeede the sacrificing priest-hoode of the olde Testament in one principall part of their office that is to saye in teachinge as it is written the lippes of the Prieste shoulde preserue knowledge and menne shall seeke the lawe at his mouthe If then the sacrificing priest-hoode resteth wholy in Christe wee should haue no externall publique teaching of Gods Lawe And therefore our Bretheren must correct their wordes in that point Neyther sufficeth it to saye they meane it onely in respecte of their sacrificing For the sacrificing priest-hoode consisted not onely in sacrificing i◠teaching were a principall parte thereof And was not prayer an-other principall parte thereof also And both distinguished from the reall externall sacrificing parte Yea if our Bretheren seperate exhorting from teaching as they sayde before page 17. exhorting is a principall parte of a Pastors office and those sacrificing Priestes were Pastors and are oftner so called in the olde Testament then in the Newe if then in so manie and all principal partes of that priest-hoode the ministers succeede them although not in the sacrificing parte then is neither this true that the sacrificing priest-hoode resteth wholely and onely in Christe neither is this anie cause that though the name of Sacrificer be auoyded in the ministerie of the Newe Testament the name also of Prieste signifying Elder shoulde bée or is auoyded Which indéede it is not For they are often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters or Priestes in the newe Testament As for the places here by our Bretheren cited because they are afterward recited vpon more materiall occasion of questions betwéene vs and be héere onely referred to the vse of the name I deferre them to their particular answeres of them An-other name they haue in the Scripture which is Superintendentes or Ouerseers because they ought to be vigilant and watchfull to ouer-see the flocke and euerie member thereof Which name is neuer vsed in the Scripture for such Bishops as claime and exercise dominion and authoritie ouer whole Regions all the Pastors of the same but onely for those that be Pastors of euerie seuerall congregation hauing no superioritie ouer their fellowe Pastors but be all of equall dignitie and authoritie So are they named Act. 20. where Saint Luke in the 17. verse calleth them Elders of the Church of Ephesus S. Paule in the 28. verse calleth the same Ouer-seers saying Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke ouer which the holie-Ghost hath made you Ouerseers to feede or gouerne the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloude In this place all the three appellations concurre namelie of ouer-seers plainely and Pastors inclusiuely in the woorde flocke and in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to feede or gouerne as a Pastor doth his sheepe We are nowe come to the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in our vulgar English we call Bishop which name likewise by our Brethren is almost as much shunned as the name of Priest and called rather by the names of Superintendent or Ouer-seer And although these termes where they are better knowen and properly vsed for this office are not to be misliked yet because the word Superintendent is not deriued of the word so often vsed by the spirite of God but is onely a signification or exposition of the same howbeit so darke and strange to the Learned that they are not so wel acquainted therewith as with the vsuall name of Bishop and the name of Ouerseer though it be English plaine inough yet being vsed for manie meane and worldly offices as the Ouerseers of workes the Ouerseers of willes c. I take it therefore not to be so proper and apt a name as the vsuall and peculier name of Bishoppe being the verie Etimologie of the Gréeke name that the spirite of God vseth in the scripture But say our Brethren this name is neuer vsed in the scripture for such Bishops as claime exercise dominion and authority ouer whole Regions and all the Pastors of the same but only for those that be Pastors of euerie seueral congregation hauing no superiority ouer their fellow Pastors but be all of equall dignitie and authoritie This is saide onely and not prooued either out of any place before or here alleaged As for this present Act. 20. ver 17. 28. neither nameth nor inferreth any such thing But argueth rather of twaine the cleane contrarie For what meaneth this confused collection thereupon That in this place the three appellations doe concurre namely of Ouerseers plainely and Pastors inclusiuely in the worde flocke and in the woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to feede or gouerne as a pastor doth his sheepe Where is here the concurrence of the three appellations Here are two appellations by you named Ouerseers plainely and Pastors inclusiuely Where is the thirde appellation that yée speake of If ye
endued with mercy and being as it were the father of them all entreated and besought them saying let vs receiue those that are repentaunt and let vs appoint them a penaunce that they maye sitte with other at the church and let vs not cast them off nor their calling as the fame is that is come vnto vs least peradueÌ„ture those that once were of the deuil shattered and broosed vnto confusion through imbecillity and infirmity should also by reason of delaying the time bee cleane subuerted and not healed as it is written The lame ought not be ouerthrowne but rather to be cured and in deed the speech of Peter was for mercy and humanity but the speech of Meletius for the truth zeal Hereupon for the face or shew of the argument which seemed in both of them to bee godly a sect or scisme was made these affirming this thing and those that thing which was the other But when the Archbishop Peter sawe that Meletius with his company beeing too much mooued with a godly zeale resisted his counsell of humanity Peter lift vp a veyle and spreading abroade his cloake to witte a sheete or couering in the prison made an out-cry they that think with me saith he let them drawe to me and they that cleaue to Meletius opinion let them goe to Meletius and the multitude of the B. and of the monks of the Preests and of the other orders parted to Meletius very few B. at all a fewe other turned to Peter the archb after that these made their praiers by theÌ„selues also those by them selues yea and they perfourmed also their other sacrifices eyther of them seperately by themselues But it hapned that Peter suffered martyrdome and that blessed man departed leauing Alexander his successor in Alexandria for he succeeded in the throne after the foresayde Peter But Meletius and many other were sent into exile being banished into the Phenecan mines then after that those which followed were Confessors with Meletius and Meletius him-selfe in his trauaile in prisonment passing through euery region and euery place did constitute Clearks and bishops and priests and Deacons and did builde vp Churches to him-selfe neither those communicated with them nor they with those and euery of them wrote in his own Church those that succeeded Peter hauing the auncient Churches The Catholike Churche but those that cleaued to Meletius the Martyrs Churche Whereuppon also in Eleutheropolis and in Gaza and Aelia when the same Meletius came thither he elected many in this manner and it hapned that he spent much time in the foresayde mynes But in the meane season the Confessors were set at liberty from the mynes Those also that were of Peters part for many yet were aliue that were followers of Meletius and neither had they any communitie one with another in the mines or made their prayers together But it fell out that Meletius yet for a while liued in the worlde yea that he flourished vnder Alexander Peters successor and was in friendship with him and tooke heede to the affayres of the Church and of the fayth For hee often-times sayde I haue had nothing diuers and alterated This Meletius beeing in Alexandria and tarying there for a time hauing his communion with his company by himselfe founde out Arius and brought him before Alexander because he had found Arius in his declarations to haue passed the bounds of the fayth For he was a priest or Elder in Baucalide a Church so called in Alexandria for there a priest or elder was appointed for euerie day for there were manie Churches but now there are more and a Church was deliuered vnto him howbeit there was another with him but for what cause this was done we shall declare exactly in his place when neede thereunto shall be c. But now when the blessed Alexander in Alexandria after the death of the foresayde Meletius the Confessor hauing taken a zeale against the sect and discord of the Church began to seeme to trouble in all places those that were left of Meletius that had priuate community among them-selues and to restrain and compell them that they shoulde not dissent from the Church but they beeing not willing moued troubles and stirred vp tumults and when they were so pressed and restrayned of the blessed Alexander certein of the princes among them and those that helde the cheefe places both in godlinesse and also in life assembled and went vnto their company for because of communing together to the end to obtayne both that they might offer and haue communion priuately and not be impeached but there was one Paphnutius a great man an Anchoret who also was the sonne of a woman that had made the confession yea he himselfe also had in a certain sort atteyned to the Confession and Iohn their bishop being also him selfe a most reuerend man Callinicus bishop in Pelusium and certain other that did this thing who indeede going foorth beeing brought vnto the king were repulsed and reiected For those that were in the palace hearing of the name of the Meletians and being ignorant what such a kinde of name should be suffered not them to speake with the king And heerein it hapned that Paphnutius Iohn and the residue consumed much time in the parts of Constantinople and Nicomedia But then they grewe in friendship with Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia and declared their cause to him for they knewe that he had free liberty of speech with the king Constantine they besought him that by him they might be made knowne vnto the king Buâ— he after he had promised that he would bring them to the knowledge of the king and would procure the matter that they desired requireth againe of them this petition that they shoulde receiue Arius with them into their societie to wit him that faynedly and by a mockerie had made his repentance and they promised that they woulde receiue him Whereupon Eusebius presenteth them vnto the king and openeth to the king their cause and it was graunted to the Meletians that from that time foorth they shold haue their communion by them selues and be hindred by none And would to God these Meletians who shewed foorth the extreamest iustice of trueth had rather had communion with those that fell after their repentaunce made than to haue it with Arius and his sectaries For it happened to them according to the prouerbe that fleeing the smoake they fell in the fire For neither coulde Arius haue had his state nor his libertie of speeche but by this manner of occasion Which ill coniunction hath hapned to them euen vntil this day For they which in times past liued purely and were moste iust and in faith Meletians are intermingled with the disciples of Arius being in these times remoued from the fayth And although some of them abide in the true faith neuerthelesse they are not estranged from foule vncleaâ—nesse by reason of the society
a Monarche or a King euen while he is defended and protected vnder his tutors gouernment For that gouernment of his tutors is not in any respect of any right of their owne but of his right And is onely a supply by another of his infirmity Which maketh the better to proue that natural imbecility thogh it might take away the actual exercise of many things either from a Childe or from a woman yea from a Man also yet can it not take away their title authority from their right and propriety in the kingdome For though a king be continually sicke yet is he king still As when Dauid was so cold and impotent for age and broosings in the warres that he coulde no longer come abroad nor get warmth yet remained hee king Azaria or Vzia though he was a Leper and liued in a house apart and his sonne iudged and ruled the people in his stéed 2. Chro. 26. yet remained hee in right and title still the king And haue not some French kings also bin long sick weake and so distracted yet continued kings though their selues not able to execute any part of Gouernment of the kingdome Nowe although we sée this argument is more against him than with him yet it stands not on so absolute and firme a principle The Lawes doe not repell a VVoman from a Tutelship except in certaine conditions Mater filij tutelam perdit vel si incontinenter viuat vel si ad secundas nuptias transeat The Mother saith the lawe leeseth her tutelship if she liue vnchastely or if she mary againe Pan in C. vxoratus De conuer coniug So that this condition being auoyded the Lawes which holde euen in Fraunce do admitte the tutelship of a pupill as well to a woman as to a man And although in the auncient Ciuill Lawe there bee a rule of Vlpian quae tutela eo haeredit as peruenit nisi cum faeminae haeredes intercedunt wherupon that Lawe was made which sayth Mulier non potest esse Tutrix L. sâ—ff de tutelis c. Yet notwithstanding sayth Montholonius in promptuario diuini iuris vtriusque humani c. Et hoc absolute verum erat de iure antiquo nisi a principe filiorum tutelam impetraret vt dicitur in D. L. fi Quo casu priuilegium principis habebit locum non extantibus legitimiâ— seruata forma quae habetur in L. 2. C. Quando mulier tutelae offic fun poss Hodie verò etiam de iure communi foemina habilitata est vt tutelam filiorum suscipere possit Vt est texâ— in Aucten matri auiae notat Barth in L. si sub conditione Col. 3. ff de testa tutel talis tutela quae matri competit non potest sibi a patre auferri Vt notat Bald. consid 608. Testator lib. 1. Vbi miratur quod Earth dubitauerit de hoc But what néed recital of the Lawes where the practise hath euer bin stil is to the contrary that euen in the yong or infirm French kings themselues as we heard of Batildis c. and haue séen in our own daies of the Q. Mother in France which is yet liuing But that saith Caenalis some obiect of the daughters of Salphaad Num. 2. is out of the cause For wee must not deny to a woman her fathers inheritance howe wealthy or much soeuer it be so that the cheefe type of the whole Monarchie fall not to a woman being altogether vnable to defend to susteine that burden As for those women that be altogether vnable that is an other questioÌ„ So the man might be debarred too though neither of them man nor woman of their title yet of their exercise and administration of the same That all women are not vnable héereunto we haue partly shewed faire proofe and euidence and shall God willing shew yet furder Yea that none are dissabled only for the respect of their sexe euen this lawe sufficeth which is of such force that this B. granteth it holdeth in any enheritance be it neuer so wealthy or rich And then say I it holdeth in a kingdome If it bee not saith he the tipe of the whol Monarchie And where finds he this restraint in this law Or in the practise of the Iewes indéed he confesseth they vsed it not But the cause that hee thus restraines it is this that a woman saith hee is altogether vnable to sustaine this burthen And is not a woman now in the state of Christendom vnder the gospell as wel able as then a woman was in the state of the Iewes vnder the Lawe but he euer dreams of such a great Monarchie in France that a woman is not able to sustein it As though it were onely so great a Monarchie that in all Christendome or in all the world none were like it And is not Spaine as big and bigger then France and haue not the ancient Monarchies of Asia of Rome bin bigger then both and then all these parts of Christendome now are yet haue women gouerned those Monarchies But a Monarchie is a Monarchie be it litle or great And England is a Monarchie too God bee praysed that France hath felt Yea when this lawe of Pharamund was made God wot it was then a poore state vassaile and tributary to the Romaynes as I haue shewed not so much as contending for such a Monarchie but rather for a quiet state which it got afterwarde and in time grewe I graunt vnto the Monarchy that now it is but had it béene so then or be it nowe as great a Monarchy as they affirme it is yet if a Woman may gouern it in the name of the tutleship of her sonne as diuerse haue done can she not doe it as well in her owne name if shee had a right and title thereunto His fond argument of the Sunne and the Moone is in déede not worth the aunswering That as the Moone shines by the light of the Sunne so doth the Matron raies by the light of her husband But no man hath so much as thought in his dreame that the Sunne being the greater light should depende of the brightnesse of the Moone especially in the cheefe Monarchicall principality In-déede the Pope doth pleade on this wise for his superiority aboue the Emperour And therefore these Popelings may be the bolder to borow his argument But if hee compare it to a man and his wife as heere hee séemes to doe and so in-déede the Sunne Moone did signify in the dream of Ioseph Gen. 37. yet that matrimonial coÌ„parison is not to the purpose of a Monarchical state But to admit also this resemblance Though the Sun be the greater light then is the Moone yet hath the Moon a goodly light also and a proper monarchie of her owne to rule the night as wel as the Sunne to rule the Day euen by the testimony of the
Scripture Which is not ascribed so much to any other starres although they bée bigger farre than the moone is These vaine and friuolous arguments hath this French Bishop which yet both in this point and in all the French antiquities is one of the moste industrious of them all and straineth all his wits to recommend and set out this Salike Lawe wresting and writhing of the scriptures How much better in my opinion and with farre more modesty though otherwise he be also a great fauourer of the French estate aboue England doth Iacobus Meyer the Chronicler of Flaunders write of this matter Lib. 12. fol. 136 saying In the yeare of our Lorde 1335. Easter day being the 16. of Aprill the English warre began which of all other continued longest and was moste cruell And which helde out with truces betweene whiles aboue 100. yeares Which might rather be called a Domesticall sedition than a Warre The Christian common-weale is one kingdome and one house Whatsoeuer warres are made therein are made with great blemish Neither if we shoulde say the trueth they are Warres but most reprochfull seditions King Edward opposed to the Salike Law of the French the diuine Bibles which call the woman to inheritance in defect of the issue male Certaine there were in Fraunce that misliked not those argumentes of Edward Which men being put to death Edward determined to pursue his right although with long and hard warre and with most mightie force of armes to extinguish that Heathenish custome of the French The Salij are sayde while they yet liued among the Scithians to haue ordrined and kept that lawe These Salikes in the time of the decay of the Romane Empire got to themselues the surname of Frankes and began to be called Salij Francici Salike Frankons As also the Frisian Frankes the Saxon Frankes that is to saie the free Frisons the free Saxons to wit those that could bee no longer compelled to paie tributes These Salik Frāks after that they pierced first vnto the riuer of the Rhen and after that euen to the riuer of Sequana or Seine albeit that they also became Christian yet renued they and tooth and naile euen to this daie they haue held that lawe But that this is not so wee haue alreadie shewed euen by Caenalis the chiefest vrger of it Howbeit not without great detrimēt of Christian piety as me thinks And here he noteth in the margine The Lawe Salike hurtfull to the Christian common weale For if these laying aside their hatred and the superstition of that Lawe had nowe ioyned to themselues the riches of Englande thē had the French the English the Scots the Flemmish and the Burgundians growen together into one kingdome and with so mightie a power had easilie destroied that barbarousnesse of Mahomet which continued in Spaine euen almost vntill our times But after that I knowe not by what euill spirit of the French the French haue alwaies attempted to beare rule among other men all things haue bene troubled all things haue beene full of discomfort all things lamentable all thinges seditious Wee haue since that time seene peace no where no where quietnesse England was seene to offer the occasion that was most to be wished for but that Frēch blockishnesse and infelicitie could not take hold thereon being sotted by that Salike lawe And againe Fol. 148. lamenting the greate slaughter at the battaile of Chertsey where hee telleth how the French King called King Edward a Marchant of wooll and King Edward called him the Marchant and author of the Salike Lawe hee sayth The Frenth men alleadge certaine fonde causes of so great a slaughter But I thinke there ought none other to bee alleadged than wee haue before mencioned that is to witte the frinolous right of the French men which is full of controuersie vncertaine and that I may not saie false verilie most farre vnworthie of so great bloudshed I suppresse herein his vnreuerent tearmes of Queene Isabel by whom the right of this title came Onelie I note his iudgement of this pretended Salike Lawe Which sith that all the French writers so earnestlie vrge to stoppe there with the title of the Kings and Queenes of England not one-onelie then in the time of ignoraunce and superstition raigning but that also in this cléere light of the Gospell and manifestation of Gods Lawe euen these notable and excellent learned professours of the Gospell in the French refourmed Churches Caluine and Danaeus sauour yet so much of this French faction that vpon the occasion of womens publike speaking in the congregation they cannot refraine themselues from this humour of their Countrie but must also most vnnecessarilie cast forth these intemperate spéeches and disputations against the right and title of womens publike regiment and that some also among our selues snatching at their arguments with more gréedie newfanglednesse than with aduised confideration haue likewise to disturbe and indaunger our state attempted the like inuectiues I therefore thought it not amisse both for the playner manifestation of the right of that title which I haue heard many desire to bee discussed further than any yet hath done although I meddle not here with titles anie farther than defensiuely for womens right of gouernment to iustifie against all slanders the right of our Princes title for euery mans fuller satisfaction in these questiōs upon these foresaid occasions to be somwhat the larger though withal crauing pardon I confesse to be som what also the more tedious in this long processe herevpō But tedious or not the more pains was mine and they that haue lust and leasure to reade it may or may not at their owne liking I regarding chieflie the satisfying of the curious in these daies at least the staying of the simple from this curiousnesse am driuen my selfe to be rather ouer curious than ouer negligent in slubbering ouer a slight slender answere To returne nowe therefore to Danaeus further argument Of which matter also saith Danaeus procéeding on the proues of his foresayd question in his treatie on 1. Tim. 2 verse 12. folio 84. the examples are extant in Semiramis the Queene of the Assyrians Candace of the Aethiopians Act. 8. verse 27. Cleopatra of the Aegyptians vnder Augustus and Zenobia a most valyant woman vnder Adrian the Emperour To the Empire of which Zenobia many Christian Churches also did obey This argument séemeth to tende to the confirmation of that hée spake before that in Spaine England Scotland and diuerse other regions it was a right and honest matter for a woman to haue the chiefe gouernment ouer men But Danaeus dooth it so coldlie and brings out onelie héere these foure examples of Heathen women and those not of the choisest neither which among the Heathen women hee might haue founde that hée rather séemeth in so slender defending it to oppugne it But let vs take the view of these his examples that hee alleadgeth And first for Semiramis
c. We haue alreadie heard of many better haue seene also what is to be sayd of the most worst of these women But hee ought not for more odiousnesse to slander anie as that Cleopatra to raigne alone slue her brother so many credible stories testifieng the contrarie These are the best of the arguments that be maketh For all the other saue that which he hath of the Salik law are not arguments but his ouermuch intermedling in matters of estate As for the vrging of the Salike lawe wee haue séene before many better confutations of it than he alleageth anie confirmations First after he hath set downe the words of the law it self De terra vero Salica nulla portio Haereditatis Mulieri veniat sed ad virilem sexum tota tertae Haereditas perueniat to proue this law page 745. he saith At etiam Childeberti c. But also by the edict of Childebert king of the French the which is comprehended in the Salik lawes wherin the nephues are called to the succession of the grandfathers the women are remoued a farre off How doth not this deuise bewray it selfe euē as the asse in the lions skin by his ouer long eares saue that this forgerie by his ouershort reckoning of Childeberts time she weth that these Salik lawes are nothing so ancient as they pretend For if this Edict of Childebert be comprehended in the Salike laws and the Salike laws were made by Pharamund Here is not the nephue succeding the grandfather but rather the grandfather succeding the nephues nephue If not the great grandlie father to these Salike laws intruding it selfe to exclude womens gouernment But to fortifie this better saith Bodinus And verily if there were no Salike lawe when as for the tipe of the gouernmēt there was strife between Philip earle of Valois king Edward Philip maintained the Salik law Lege Voconia by the law of Voconius but Edward maintained the protection of his cause by the hereditarie laws of the Romanes a decree was made by the consent of all the Fathers and Princes that no man in that disputation should vse the authoritie of forain laws but that euery man should study to interpret the Salike lawe for his right To what purpose should they so doo if there had bene no Salike lawe What kind of reason shall we call this Might not Philip and his associates faine such a law or might they not wreast it or misconster it if there had bene anie such an one Or might it not haue ben as well antiquated and altered as long before that time Voconius lawe was For if Voconius Lawe had at that time stoode in force howe coulde King Edward haue pleaded his right frō the Hereditarie lawes of the Romanes Was not Voconius and his law Romane But such broken stuffe as Voconius lawe was good plea for Philips broken title and for the Salike laws defence As for king Edwards plea from the Romane hereditarie laws thē in force sheweth that the Romane laws were not against womens titles And that they wer in force also euen in France which was a good plea. Albeit King Edward pleaded higher euen from the law of nations and from the written lawe of God Yea but faith Bodinus when Philip made a decree with the consent of all the Fathers Princes that none should vse in this disputation the authoritie of foraine lawes but euerie one studie to interpret the Salike law for his right why wold they so haue done if there had ben no Salike lawe This is a proper proofe of the autentike force and truth of the Salike law and praise of their vpright lawes that they set out to vphold their Salike law withall When Philip sawe that king Edward pleaded the law of God the lawe of Nations and the ciuill lawe of the Romanes which law stood then forcible euen in France by by he forbad such pleas and calleth them all foraine lawes So that for this Salike lawe the French nation renounceth the lawe of all nations yea maketh Gods lawe a foraine lawe to bring in this Heathen Salike lawe Was not this Philip a most Christian king that made this decree And why thē vsed he Voconius law was not this forain But in forbidding al foreine laws did he not forbid the Salike lawe withall Which was a law if there were anie sueh of the olde Francons at that time as yet now long before of the germaines bordering on the riuer Sala not néere anie part of Gallia He forbiddeth al men to vse anie so much as disputation in these other lawes that were not forein Where learned he this example of them that forbad the Disciples to speake anie more in Christs name But Philip goeth further charging not onely to vse onlie the Salike law but to studie also how to interpret it for his right What meant he by that would he haue them studie to hale and writhe with their misconstructions the interpretation of the lawe for his purpose What a foule practise was that and indéed if we confer this with their own Chronicles we have heard how when he could not stop their mouths thus that among the French defended king Edwards title he put them to death Yea but saith Bodinus could they haue done this had there bene no Salike law And is this then Bodinus his best conclusion God wot this is but a sorie conclusion to proue the truth of this law or the force of it when Philip was faine with such vnlawfull lawes yea with death it selfe to restrain thē that called the credit therof in questiō But I wold learne what Philip meant by this law that they shuld studie to interpret the Salik law for his right Doth this law thē admit diuers interpretations that such interpretations that it may be interpreted otherwise thā Philip cōmanded thē to studie how they might interprete it for his title And that they must bee fain to studie out such an interpretation of the law Yea verilie For if we shall reade Hottomans Francogallia cap. 8. although hee also be against womens gouernment He sheweth how greatly both the Hystoriographers also the Lawiers haue erred Insomuch saith he that almost the errour hath mede the lawe To the confutation whereof after he hath shewed of the second kingdome of the Francons the one in Gallia now called Fraunce the other beyond the Rhene at the riuer of Sala from whence those Francons were called Salij or Salikes whose both kingdome name is now well neere worne out of vse he telleth of their foure peeres and Indges Wisogast Arbogast Salogast Windogast and that frō this Salogast they saie that the law was found which of him euen to this daie is called Salike of his name whereby theyr errour may bee reproued that name the Lawe Salike of Salte that is prudence or that thinke the word Gallica to be corrupted into Salica then the which
great and waightie causes will be a sufficient starting hole to saue all vpright themselues froÌ„ pronouncing the definitiue sentence against themselues that their doing is not the dutie of true Pastors No that will not helpe them For these matters beeing but ceremoniall matters as they call them and so not great and waightie what great waightie causes should moue a true Pastor by his priuate iudgement to controll publike order in those thinges that are concluded by lawefull authoritie of the Church concerning ceremonial matters for order and comlines sake for aedification Shal any priuate man thinke if he think them to be indéede the Church of God that the Churches concluding of those thinges by lawefull authoritie proceeded not of greater and waightier causes than his controllment And therefore except men shall make so litle light account of the true Church of God and of her conclusions and orders by lawefull authoritie as to preferre euerie priuate mans or Pastors priuate iudgement before hers our Brethren by this their owne conclusion must either néedes yéeld to the Church of Englandes publike conclusion and lawfull authoritie concerning these ceremoniall matters that they are to be obserued for order and comelines sake and for aedification as the Church of England hath decréed them and not to controll publike order by priuate iudgement or else let our Brethr. herken to their owne conclusiue sentence and determination that they do not the dutie of true Pastors And thus much also for these ceremonies We haue hetherto intreated of the proper dutie of a Pastor himselfe now it followeth that we likewise set foorth his authoritie in common gouernement with the Elders But least any man should mistake that which we purpose to say of his authoritie we haue need to expresse what we meane by this worde authoritie For euen those things that we haue shewed before to be the dutie of a Pastor may also be called his authoritie as to preach and teach wherein is included his authoritie to forgiue and reteine sinnes Also his authoritie to minister the sacraments and to doe other thinges in the Church which none may doe but he But in this place we vnderstande authoritie for power of gouernement in the Church Whereof the Apostle speaketh that it is one of the graces and giftes of God necessarie for the building of his Church This authority of regiment we haue declared that it ought not to be a Lordly ruling neither ouer their flocke nor yet ouer their fellow seruants and brethren and least of all that they ought to haue dominion or Lordship ouer the faith of the Church Our Brethren here promise to sette foorth that part of the Pastors authoritie which they say he hath not of the proper dutie of a Pastor himselfe but in common gouernement with the Elders But because these wordes as they are grounded on the presupposall of that Eldershippe which they make one part of their Ecclesiasticall Tetrarchie not dealing with the woorde so promising â—o treate of the authoritie of the Pastor in common gouernement they séeme their selues to doubt that except they should expounde what they meane thereby it might easily bee mistaken what they meant Neither doubt they this mistaking without a cause which of purpose shunne the plaine and vsuall approoued distinction of the authoritie or power of the order and of the iurisdiction But what-so-euer authoritie of the Pastor they will nowe sette foorth and make playne what they meane thereby when as they faye For euen those thinges which wee haue shewed before to be the dutie of a Pastor may also bee called his authoritie as to preache and teach wherein is included his authoritie to forgiue and retaine sinnes if this authoritie of the Pastor to forgiue and retayne sinnes bee included in his authoritie of preachinge and teaching and withall this bee a thing appertaining to the proper dutie of a Pastor himselfe as also is his authoritie to minister the Sacramentes and to doe other thinges in the Churche which none may doe but hee then haue not the Elders to deale in the authoritie of forgiuing and retayning sinnes For if they shoulde they shoulde intermeddle with the worde For this is included in preaching and teaching But our Brethren exclude the gouerning Elders from preaching and teaching therefore withall they exclude them from the authoritie of forgiuing and retayning sinnes And this by the way is not vnnecessarie to bee héere obserued because afterwarde they giue authoritie of forgiuing and retayning sinnes vnto the gouerning Elders which they confesse are not Teachers nor Preachers nor dealers at all with the worde But doeth not this authoritie of the Pastor belong to iurisdiction And therefore not onely the authoritie of his order to which properly preaching and teaching and ministring the Sacramentes doe appertayne but the authoritie also of iurisdiction to which the power of forgiuing and retayning sinnes appertayneth is the proper dutie of the Pastor himselfe which none may doe but he and is an authoritie separate from that his authoritie which is in common gouernment with the Elders or with any other which are not Pastors in the Church And as for that power of gouernment in the Church whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 12.28 That it is one of the graces and gifte of God necessarie for the building of his Church S. Paule maketh not all the graces and giftes of God which there he speaketh of necessarie for the building of his Church if we speake of such perpetuall necessitie as that the Church can neuer be without them For S. Paul reckoneth vp there great offices graces and giftes of God that are not necessarie in that sense As euen the first office that he beginneth there withall of Apostles besides the giftes of healinges the giftes of powers or of working mightie myracles and the gifts of diuerse kinds of languages All which are not now so necessary in our dayes nor many hundreth yeres sithence to the building of Gods Church Neither is it agréeed vppon by the best interpreters what manner of grace and gift of God this power of gouernment in the Church was which S. Paule in that place speaketh of For albeit Beza say he declareth the order of Elders that were keepers of the Discipline and policie Ecclesiasticall yet sayth Aretius it is a politicall facultie of administring the common weale and of ruling others commodiouslie and of conseruing them in order which gift is necessarie in Magistrates And while the Churche wanted a politique Magistracie certaine choosen Elders gouerned the assemblyes of the faithfull as it were an ordinarie Magistracie Héere in déede hée sayeth this gifte is necessarie but he addeth in whome to witte in Magistrates and yet he specifieth in what kinde of Magistrates to witte politicall and in the administring of the common wealth not the Ecclesiastical discipline And withall he limiteth a time how long this gift of
house hee drue awaie as many as hee was able And yet to shew further not onely that this order of Elders was aboue the Deacons but that of Deacons they were made Elders Sozomenus li. 1. cap. 14. saith Of these disputations Arius was the author an Elder of the Church of Alexandria which is in Aegypt Who although at the beginning he seemed very studious of the doctrine of Christ yet was hee a furtherance to Meletius attempting new matters Whos◠parts when he forsooke he was of Peter Bishop of Alexandria ordained Deacon And afterward of him cast out of the Church whē Peter deposed the fautors of Meletins and improued Baptisme This Arius inueighed grieuously against the Acts of Peter and could by no meanes bee quiet But when Peter had suffered martyrdome Arius crauing pardon of Achillas was not onely permitted to exercise his Deaconship but also was exalted to the degree of the Eldership Afterward Alexander had him in great estimation c. By this it may not onely appeare that the orders and Senates of Elders in such great Churches as these were Ministers of the worde but also were thereto promoted hauing before ben Deacons When therfore we reade in Socrates as in the restoring of Athanasius lib. 2. cap. 18. th◠Letters of the Emperour Constantinus directed vnto the Bishops and to the Elders of the Catholike Church saying Moreouer vnto the benefit bestowed on him this also we thought good to bee noted that all those that are inrolled into this holie number and companie of the Cleargie may vnderstand that securitie is giuen vnto all be they Bishoppes or bee they Clarkes that haue holden with him it argueth that there was indéed such a companie of Elders whom heere hée calleth Clearks but we cannot gather hereupon that they were such as ministred not at all the word and Sacraments but rather the contrarie For else if Athanasius the Bishop had beene the onely Minister of the word and Sacramente◠all the people of Alexandria had beene destitute of the worde and Sacramentes all the while of Athanasius banishment And to confirme this that these Elders about the Bishops had not onely the publike ministration of the word but also that some one or other of their number was appointed to heare the cōfessions of such as wer penitent and in token of their vnfained repentance to inioyne them to submit themselues to some bodilie chastisement which therevpon was called penance At that time saith Socrates li. 5. ca. 19. the Church thought good that the Elders which had the gouernment of the order of inioyning penitēce in euerie Church was takē awaie And that on this occasion frō the time wherein the Nouatians separated themselues from the Church refused to communicate with those which in the time of the persecution raised in the raigne of Decius had fallen the Bishops of the Churches added vnto the Canon that in euerie of the Churches there should bee one certain Elder which shuld be ouer the Penitencies to the end that those which after Baptisme were fallen should before the Elder appointed for that purpose confesse their offences This Canon as yet among other sects remaineth ratified and firme They onely which confesse the Father and the Sonne to be one in substance and the Nouatians that consent in faith with them reiected this Penitenciarie Elder The Nouatians would neuer from the beginning suffer this to be so much as a hanger by The bishops which now gouern the Churches althogh for a good space of time they haue held this institution notwithstāding in the times of the Bishop Nectarius they chaunged the same by reason of such an offence as then by chance was committed in the Church a certaine noble womā came vnto the Penitenciarie Elder confessing particularlie such faultes as after her Baptisme she had committed The Elder commaunded the woman that she should giue her selfe to fastings and to continuall praiers Wherby together with the acknowledgment of her sinnes shee shoulde declare a worke meete for her repentaunce The woman proceeding further in confessing accuseth her selfe of another fault and declareth that a Deacon had laine with her For the which offence by this meanes beeing made manifest the Deacon was driuen out of the Church and a tumult was made among the multitude of the people For they grudged not onelie against the offence committed but also for the note of the grieuous slaunder and reproch that thereby was raised on the Church Whē as therefore the sacred Priests were verie much euill spoken on for this cause Eudaemon a certaine Elder of the Church a Countrieman of Alexandria gaue counsell to the Bishoppe Nectarius to remoue the Penitenciarie Elder and to giue free power that euery one according to his own conscience should come to the participation of the mysteries For by that onelie meanes it should come to passe that the Church shoulde bee voide of all spot of infamie These things because sayth Socrates euen I my selfe had them of Eudaemon I doubted not plainly to commit them to this our historie In which wordes these Elders hauing this office among them which pertaineth especiallie to the ministration of the worde and all of them indifferentlie called Sacerdotes as well as Presbyteros it is againe apparaunt by Socrates whom◠Danaeus citeth that these Elders were not such as héere our Brethren doe conceiue or pretend but Ministers of the worde and Sacramentes which in the next Chapter saue one following doeth yet more fullie appeare Where Socrates shewing the diuersities in diuerse places concerning Easter daie Fasting Marriage Diuine Seruice and other Ecclesiasticall obseruation amongest other matters saith on this wise Moreouer I my selfe haue knowen another custome to haue growen in Thessalia that there he which is a Cleark if after he be made a Cleark he lie with his wife whom he married while hee was a laie man is deposed from his Cleargie Whereas all the famous Elders in the East yea the Bishops and all are by no lawe compelled to abstaine from their wiues except it please themfelues For euen while they gouerne their Bishoprikes not a few of them beget children of their lawfull wiues Hee that was the author of that custome in Thessalia was Heliodorus of Trica a citie of that region of whose making are the amorous bookes which hee composed when he was a young man and intituled them The Aethiopian historie hee meaneth that of Theagenes and Cariclea The same custome is kept also at Thessalonica and in Macedonia and in Hellas Besides this I haue knowen another custome in Thessalia to wit that they baptize in the dayes of the feast of Easter onely For which cause all of them except a very few die without baptisme The Church of Antioche in Syria is set contrarie to other Churches for the Altar or Communion table is not set Eastward but Westward In Hellas and at Hierusalem at Thefsalia the prayers are made while the candles are lighted after
example of goodnesse or humilitie but with all his indeuour onely seeking honours promiseth him-â—elfe witte and wisedome to springe out of his power Whereupon that of Demosthenes is true to atchiue a matter luckily besides woorthinesse is an occasion for fooles to imagine and thinke euill But our Basill as he is made a rule and example vnto other of his other vertues so also of a Priest and of the Ecclesiasticall ordination For euen froÌ„ the first swathing-bands of the Sacerdotall offices he grew vp by little and little in-so-much that hee disdayned not in anie wise to be made a Reader of the holie scriptures and then to bee made an interpreter and expounder of them euen as Dauid sayth Let those of the chayre of the Elders prayse the Lorde and so at length deserued he to be made a Bishop Which place he neuer at any time sought nor euer wished In which sentence we not onely sée the complaint of Gregorie howe many came to be Elders yea and Bishops also in those dayes as in all ages like corruptions and complaintes haue béene but especially it grewe then of the disordered and factions elections of the people so for the purpose nowe in hande we sée heereby that these Elders were the sacred Priestes whose office consisted not in gouerning only but with â—ll in the ministerie of the worde and Sacraments And how by degrees 〈◊〉 â—xâ—â—cising theÌ„selues in matters tending vnto teaching they attayned or ought to haue attained vnto this Eldership from thence such as excelled were or ought to haue béen promoted to be Bishops Except it fel out otherwisâ— by extraordinarie occasion in some rare and singular men as in Ambrose and Thalassius euen in Caesarea where Basil was Bishop c. and of other Elders than these here is no mention Nowe when Basil was thus ordeyned an Elder Gregorie sheweth how he exercised himselfe vnder Eusebius B. of Caesarea how he laboured against the Heretikes in exhorting and teaching of the people how hée sent for Gregorie to come helpe him And here Gregorie setteth downe Basils example vnto him For sayth he euen as Barnabas in times past was present with Paule to make manifest the trueth of the Gospell and common conflict of the faith so came I then vnto my Basil as his fellowe against his fight with the Arians Listen to the Epistle where-with he called me Make readie thy selfe haue regarde to deliuer me in this present conflict and with vs to meete them which desire vtterly to ouerthrowe vs whose boldnesse thou shalt bridle onely with thy countenaunce and shalt cause that they shall not make our matters goe to wracke and therefore all shall knowe howe thou onely by the grace of God dost gouerne our congregation and that thou shalt eâ—sily represse euery wicked mouth and the insolencie of them that speake against God But sayth Gregorie to returne my speech to my purpose Basill returning to Caesarea regarded nothing more than to pacifie Eusebius to the end that he might ouer-throw the Heresie and wholly to serue him and be ready at his hande in all those thinges that were of God that hee might make apparant to all men that all thinges which hee had suffred of him for Eusebius had béene heauie before vnto him proceeded from the instigation of the Diuell that the common enemies of the fayth might haue the greater aduauntage by their rageing as the Papistes get nowe by our Brethrens and our Bishops falling out though the Bishops doe all they can to pacifie them whereas Basilius laboured all that he could to pacifie his bishoppe but he when as he knewe very well the lawes of obedience and of a spirituall life hee was attendant on him in all thinges in hearing in consulting and in doing he employed his spirituall and diligent endeuour for the bishop And to say at one word he grewe as much into his fauour as before he seemed to be farre from it For which cause Eusebius helde indeede as bishop the chiefe place in the Church but Basill had the power of the Church and the authoritie The one fate in the chiefe dignitie the other went about all the businesse For there was a singular and wonderfull concorde betweene them The one helping the other and taking strength the one of the other the bishop growing strong by the counsell and wit of Basil and Basill by taking authoritie of the bishop To conclude the bishop had the people and he the bishop And euen as he that tameth a Lyon being inferiour in strength doth handle him gently and make him tame by a certaine arte by which meanes well neere he asswageth molifieth the violence and fiercenesse of the wilde beast so Basill the greate behaued himselfe about Eusebius For when he hauing ben of late a laie man and ignorant of Ecclesiasticall matters was exalted vnto this dignitie especially at the same time that the flame of Arius heresie did beare the swaie he was not fit inough for this burthen Wherevpon hee wanted Basil to be his guide and helper chieflie by whose vertue there was hope that the matters would haue prosperous and good successe And therefore it was not as some suppose that Basil was vnder the Emperor IuliaÌ„ but he was bishop after the death of Valens But wheÌ„ as he receiued the gouernmeÌ„t administration of the Church of Caesarea vnder the bishop Eusebius he appeased all discords hee remooued all priuie grudges he established their manners not onelie with his words and excellent Sermons that he vttered but also by the example of his life For hee endeauoured to helpe the people both with his spirite and his bodie with his body by labour and exercise careing for them by walking about euery waye by courteous behauiour and by helping theÌ„ with his riches spiritually by teaching by admonishing and by giuing to all men a measure and institutions of their life Thus doth Gregorie set foorth the ecclesiasticall gouernement of Basill and of his owne gouernement also being Elders vnder the bishopp in the Churche of Caesarea consisting as muche and more in teaching than in the correction and composing of manners and censures of discipline And that these were not distinct offices in the diuerse kindes of Elders but they medled with both together and both vnder the bishop â—nâ— hâ—wâ— God blesseâ— this ecclesiasticall gouernement vntill Basill him-selfe after the decease of Eusebius was made their bishop And then sayth Gregorie after hee had praysed Basill in this promotion â—s for mee all men thought when they hearde of his promotion that I would foorth-with departe he meaneth from the place where he then was and that I would goe to him and that I should haue equall power with him they knewe that there was such friendshippe and beneuolence betweene vs. But I when as I shunned enuie leaste I shoulde seeme to occupie the places of those that were neere him and with-all least they shoulde falsely iudge that Basil hauing
Bishop hear the cause of none without the presence of his Clearkes otherwise the bishoppes sentence shall bee voyde except it be established by the presence of the Clearkes Heere the Bishop is restrayned that albeit he may doe some thing alone vnto his Clearkes Ministers Seniors and Elders yet that he may not alone and without the presence of their assembly depose any of them from his liuing c. But who are these Clearkes Ministers Seniors and Elders in whose presence he must doe these thinges Doth hee admitte any other then Bishops them-selues or at least the Sacerdotall Preestes the glosse disputing this matter who should be this Counsel or Chapter or sitters by with the Bishops to proue that they must be all Clearkes referreth vs to the sixt cause Quest. 3. Scitote Knowe yee that to be a certayne prouince which hath ten or eleuen Cities and one King and as many inferior potestates vnder him one Metropolitane and other suffraganes 10 or 11. Bishops being Iudges vnto whose Iudgement all the causes of the Bishops and of other preestes and Cities may bee referred That matters may be discerned by all these Iustly and with consonant voice except they that are to be iudgd do appeal to a higher authority It must not bee that euery prouince shoulde be debased or dishonoured but shoulde haue in it selfe Iudges euery of the Preestes and Bishops That is to wit according to their orders Whereby it appeareth that these Ecclesiasticall Senates of such as sat in the Councelles and Iudgementes of Preestes were eyther Bishops or at leaste Sacerdotall preestes onely and not persons of inferior orders but euery one was Iudged according to their estate by them that were at the least of their owne orders and not Teachers by such as were no Teachers Nowe after this fiftéenth cause wherein hee treateth of Clearkes Elders Seniors Ministers and Priests indifferently This next cause to wit the sixteenth Which Danaeus citeth is altogether of Monkes and especially that first Question which he alleageth Whether they may doe that thing in respect simply they be Monkes that secular Clearkes and preests or Elders may doe This first Question is this Vtrum Monachis liceat officia populis celebrare poenitentiam dare baptizare Whether Monkes may celebrate the Diuine seruice to the people enioyne penitence and baptise To the which the answere is this They can-not And anon amongst other reasons he alleageth this out of Hierome also Ad Riparium desiderium Monachus non docentis sed plangentis habet officium A Monke hath not the office of a Teacher but of a mourner And euen immediatly before that which Danaeus citeth are these wordes Alia causa The cause of a Monke is another and another the cause of a Clearke The Clearke feede the Sheepe sayth the Monke I am fedde they liue of the Altar the Axe is put to me as at the roote of an vnfruitfull tree If I bring not my gift vnto the Altar It is not lawfull for me to sitte before an Elder if I shall sinne it is lawfull for him to deliuer me to Sathan for the destruction of the Flesh that the spirite in day of the Lorde might bee safe Idem ad Rusticum The same is in Hieroms Epistle vnto Rusticus And here commeth in that which Danaeus citeth Ecclesia The church hath a Senate the assembly of Elders without whose councell it is lawfull for the Monkes to doe nothing All this now duely considered it is manifest that by this the Churches Senate or assembly of Elders is meant onely a Senate of such Elders as did feede both the people and the Monkes also with the Worde and Sacramentes For so the glosse expoundeth the Monkes wordes Ego pascor I am fedde A sacramentis ipsorum of their Sacraments And that these Elders liued of the Altar and that the very Monks in those days were not exempted from paying tythes or offerings vnto them And that these Elders might excommunicate these Monkes so well as they might other men By all which it appeareth that this Ecclesiasticall Senate was none other but an assembly Colleage or Consistory of Preestes or Pastorall Elders And as for any other Ecclesiasticall Presbyters or Elders in all or any of the Canons either of the Councells Generall or Prouinciall or of the Bishops or of the whole body of the Canon Lawes Decrees or Decretals then such Elders as were Ministers of the Worde and Sacramentes Our Brethren shall finde but sory comfort No nor in any of the Doctors of the Church And therefore it is their best as I take it to leaue all further search that wayes for anie proofe or practise at all of such Ecclesiasticall Gouerning and not teaching Elders in the Church euen from the verie Apostles times And this withall is to be obserued that where our Bret. would now beare the worlde in hande there were such Senates and Segniories of these gouerning and not teaching Elders in the Primitiue in the auncient Church and for proofe heereof dare aduenture to cite all these testimonies and if I coulde finde that they cited any mo I woulde craue pardon to search them likewise which when they are all viewed examined there is not one Father not one Historiographer not one Canon that maketh any whit for any such kinde of Elder as our Brethren pretende to vs is worne out of vse and they nowe endeuour to haue again euiued I knowe that these our reuerend Brethren beeing both godly and learned men doe not cite these authors of any set purpose to deceiue vs in Fathering that on them which they neuer spak nor thought nor knew but as the prouerbe sayth mistaking makes misse-reckoning so they hauing conceiued this with them-selues that such a kinde of Gouerning and not teaching Ecclesiasticall Elders there was in the Apostles times and in the Primitiue Church so often as they reade in the Fathers the name of Presbyters of Elders especially if there bee any mention of Senate College or company of them and that these in any matters ioyned with the Bishop to whome they apply onely the name and office of Pastorall Elder straight-way they conceiued that which they fancied that these Elders were those Ecclesiastical Elders gouerning only and not medling with teaching Which too quick conceiuing vpon their forestalled opinion especially in the heate of zeale to haue thinges amended may fall out nowe and then for lacke of more mature deliberation and examining euen to the best learned and most holy men And that I thinke hath beene the cause of our Brethrens misliking and misseporting the Fathers meaninges in the Eldership Which when their selues shall apperceiue I doubt not for the reuerent opinion I haue of them and of all our Brethren but that they will relent in this behalf at leastwise for these fathers thus cited amisse and eyther let them all goe or séeke further in them or in other for other and better Testimonies
was burned by the Romanes and they sate in Hamih But it was not lawfull De Capite agere to deale with matters of life and death except in Gazith As it is Deut. 17. And thou shalt doâ— according to the worde of the mouth that they shall shewe vnto thee out of that place And againe Thou shalt arise and go vp to that place At the last al these Iudges also were againe killed of the Romanes And these thinges verelie haue the Thalmudists who chalenge to themselues an assured knowledge of these thinges whereof Petrus Galatinus is the Authour But vnto those thinges which they haue written hauing founde them out as it were with their eyes we adioyne these thinges out of the holie Treasuries of the newe and olde Testament and besides out of the Monuments of Iosephus by the which wee shall lay foorth the institution confirmation right and power of this Councel First of al therfore it appeareth that this tribunal or iudgment seate was ordeined of God that from the iudgement of the iudges they should come to the council of the seniors and of the preestes as it is written 17. Deut. For Moses speaketh there by the praescription of God vnto the people But if so bee thou shalt perceiue a difficult and doubtful iudgement to be before thee betweene bloude and bloud cause and cause Lepry and not Lepry and thou shalt see the Iudgements of the iudges within thy gates To vâ—ry arise and goe vp vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose that thou mightest there call vpon his name And thou shalt come to the priestes of the Leuiticall stocke and to him that shal be Iudge for that time and thou shalt aske it of them Who shall shewe vnto thee the trueth of the Iudgement And thou shalt do whatsâ—euer they shall say that rule the place which the Lord shall choose and they shall teach thee his Lawe and thou shalt follow their sentence Neither shalt thou swarue from it to the right hande nor to the left And whatsoâ—uer shal be proude refusing to obey the Preestes commaundement which at that time ministreth vnto the Lorde his God that man by the decree of the Iudge shall dye Out of these it appeareth that this Iudgement was committed to the king to the preestes and to the Elders of the people For they were the cheefe that ruled the place that the Lorde had chosen Iosephus therefore doth so rehearse this lawe that he maketh cheefe mention of the senate For then he wrot But if the Iudges want knowledge to pronounce of the matters brought before them let them sende the whole cause into the holie City and the Bishop and the Prophet and the Senate shall pronounce that that seemeth vnto them But afterward Moses nameth the Iudges them selues whome we haue spoken of preests saying in the 19. chapter If a lying witnesse shall stande against a man accusing him of trespasse they shall both of them stande before the Lorde and before the preestes and before the Iudges that shall bee in those dayes But Iosephus citeth it of the preestes themselues in his second booke to Appion when as he wrote The Preestes were ordeined of Moses the viewers of all thinges the Iudges of the controuersies the punishers of the condemned Moreouer Moses him-selfe in the counsell tooke knowledge or hearing of his cause that gathered stickes on the sabboth Leuit. 15. For so saith Philo. 3. De vita Mosu They tooke the man brought him to the Prince about whome in the Counsell sat the Preestes but all the multitude was present on the Sabboth day to heare them But Moses not knowing what punishment the maÌ„ deserued asked counsel of God who answered that he should be stoned to death By this it appeareth that all the parties that sat in this Sanedrin except the Kings and the Princes persons were Teachers of the Lawe and and word of God Yea in al the other inferior Seniories they were noble men that onely were ioyned to the Teachers But as Moses ordeined this tribunall so afterward Iosaphat King of Iuda ordeined as he also confirmed the iudgements in the cities For thus it is written in the seconde of Paral. He appointed also in Ierusalem Leuites and Preestes and Patriarches out of Israel that they should iudge the cause of the Lord to the inhabiters thereof and commanded them saying thus shal ye do in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart Euery cause that shall come vnto you of your Brethren which dwell in their cities betweene kindred kindred wheresoeuer the Question of the Lawe of the ceremonies of the iustification in the Greek translation it is of the precept commandement iustifications and iudgements He declared vnto them that they should not offend against the L. And leaste wrath should come vpon you and vpon your Brethren Doing thus therefore yee shall not sinne But Anainas your B. shal gouern in those things which pertain to God Zabadias the sonne of Israel which is Capten in the tribe of Iuda shall bee ouer those workes which pertaine to the offices of the king The Masters in Greeke the Scribes The Leuites shall be before them Into this counsell therefore as it appeareth there entred the king with the Princes of the people and the 70. seniors of the people and the Bishop with the princes of the preestes the scribes that is the doctors of the Lawe as is easy to see out of the Gospels where the iudgement made on Christ is treated vpon Wherefore Ioseph of Arimathia a senator or noble decurion the same man being a partaker of the councell for it is written that he gaue not his assent with the other to the condemnation of Christ. But I call them the Princes of the Preestes which in 24. formes of the Preestes euery one of them ruled in euery one of their turnes but the Scribes I call them that were the doctors of the Lawe whome Iosephus called Propheâ—s Afterward the Councell in the transmigration of Babilon being destroyed when the Iewes being returned into their countrie the residue of their institutions were restored the power of Iudging in the Councel was also giuen vnto the preestes Which thing Ezechiel cap. 44. did fore-warne by the commaundement of Goâ— saying The Preestes shall teach my people what difference there is betweene holy and prophane and they shal Iudge vnto them betweene impure and pure and they shall endeuour them-selues that they may iudge about the iudgement of bloud and they shall iustify my iustifications and iudge my iudgements and they shall keepe my lawes and my preceps in all my feast dayes that is they shall take notice of causes of religion and of capitall matters that is of life and death and they shall iustify men that is absolue them and iudge men that is condemne them euen as I haue prescribed in the Lawe to be done where I
Mat. â— in the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of iudgement Another was called the Little Synedrium consisting of 23. Iudges Wherein the greater and the capitall causes were heard It is thought that Christe Mat. 5. named that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ— tâ—at â—aith to his brother Racha sâ—albe guiltie of a Counsell or of the Synodrion The third was the great Synedrium or Sâ—nate of 70. Seniors ordeyned of Moses Num. 11. ouer which sate the high B. and the Elders excelling in wisedome vertuâ— leâ—â—ning and authoritie chosen out of the Priests and Leuites and of euerie Tribe were the assistants or sitters with him Vnto whom afterward by the ordinance of Dauid the chief of the Royall â—ooke which weâ—e called 〈◊〉 â—â—at is the Kings brâ—thren â—arrâ—â—ttiuâ— that is endowed with the right of succession were adioyned as the highest Counsell of the â—â—ole Common-weale chief Senate of the Kingdome To whom beloâ—ged the power of iudgeing the most weightie causes pertaining to the summe of the CoÌ„mon-weale aâ—d of Religion of the King and the Kingâ—ome of warre and peace of aunswering and pronouncing of the most difficult controuersies of opinions of other businesses To conclude of what manner the forme â—nd iâ—â—isdiction of this most high Senate was to the which they appealed from the other inferiour Iudgements in whose sentence and decrâ—e they must hold themselues coÌ„tented without anie gainsaying may for the most part cleerelie be gathered out of the reformation of the iudgements made by King Iosaphat For these are the words of the storie 2. Paral. 19. In Ierusalem also Iosophat appointed Priests c. But as in highest Senâ—te of the Iewish people the Priests and Princes of the Families gouerned together the Counsels of the Common-weale the two chiefe Presidents were the B. which gouerned the causes of religion and the ecclesiasticall businesses and the Kinges Cousin which gouerned the businesses Politicall euen so almost is the like forme in the chiefe Senate of the Kingdome of Germanie consisting of 7. Electors whereof three are Priests or Archbishops which ought to inâ—truct and with their counsels and labors ought to helpe the Emperor and conserue the CoÌ„mon-weale concerning the lawes of God for religion and the worship of God or the first Table of the x. Commandements 4. politike Princes which ought to instruct and with their counsels and labors to help the Emperor and to conserue the Common-weale concerning the Politike Lawe office of the Emperor in ordeining iudgements in warre and peace in taxes c. Thus more grauelie in my simple iudgement doth Chytreus allude not on these words Dic Ecclesia to the Sanedrin of the Iewes to haue the same or the like translated and established in euerie or in anie Congregation of the Church of Christe for that were cleane to ouerthrow all the States in Christendom But that in those places which he meÌ„cioneth Mat. 5. he alluded to the order of their lowest Senate of 3. Elders which was in euerie Citie and of their lesser Sanedrin that was of 23. in Ierusalem not of the 70. which was the highest instituted by God Num. 11. But not that Christe translated anie of all these Senates into him Church or established anie lawe thereon for adminâ—stration of gouernment in his Church Although he say almost the like form is in the highest Senate of the Kingdome of Germanie But not simplie that it is the like and much lesse the same and least of all that it was grounded on the Iewes forme otherwise than that all Estates and Kingdomes take their generall grounds from Gods lawe but wee are not tieâ— to this or that forme of Senate and Iudicials of the Iewes And so haue we also our chiefest Senate of Parliament and oâ—her Senates Sesâ—ions or Assemblieâ— both of the Clergie and of the Temporaltie and Counâ—els and Iudgements in some respects not much vnlike to the Iewes Assemblies Senates Councels and Iudgements And they draw néerer a great deale to the vncorrupted orders of the Iewes and are more fit requisit and 〈◊〉 for the State and condition of our Realms then thesâ— Consistories or Senates would be of these Seniors that our Brethren call for and thus hale the words of Christe to presse them vpon vs to be established in euerie Congregation for the administration of gouernmeÌ„t in the hearing and determining of all difficult and weightie matters amongst us 〈◊〉 so to continue for euer as long as the Church continueth in this world 〈◊〉 the great bondage of our Christian libertie by reducing vs to these Iudicials of the Iewes and to the quite ouerthrowe of ours and of all Kingdomes by reducing this Senate of the 70. Elders into all Congregations throughout Christendome Hauing nowe thus farre considered as I take it the verie grounde wherean Caluine and all our Brethren following him woulde say the foundation of this Consistorie Senate of Elders in euerie Congregation to wit vpon this construction of these words of Christ Dis Ecclesia Tell the Church that is to say Tel the Segniorie Seâ—ate or CoÌ„sistorie â—et vs now returne to the processe of our Br. learned discourse 〈◊〉 And the name of Elders dooth most aptlie agree vnto them that bee Gouernors in the Church now euen as it did to the Auncients of Israel so that the Pastors seeme to haue borrowed the name of Elders especialy in respect of their gouernment The name of this Consistorie also in the new Testament we finde to be agreable with that of the Iewes whereof our Sauiour Christe speaketh when he saith Tell the Congregation or assemblie S. Paul 1. Tim. 4.14 Despise noâ— the gift which was giuen thee through Prophecâ—â— wish iâ—position of hands of the Eldership Where the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the assemblie or Consistorie of the Elders Which word was vsed also by S. Luke in his Gospel speaking of the Consistorie of the Iewish Elders Luke 22.66 As soone as it waâ— day the whole Eldership or Assemblie of Elders came together both chiefe Priests and Scribes and brought him into their Councell In which saying their CouÌ„cell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also S. Paul Act. 20.5 â—hat he had ben a persec of christiaÌ„s taketh witnes of the high Priest and of the whole Consistorie of Elders vsing the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which it is euident that our Sauiour Christe by this word Ecclesia in that place meaneth a Consistorie or assemblie of Elders whose authoritie c. This is but descant on the name and we woulde rather heare of the 〈◊〉 The name of Elders serued to more than to those of the Segniorie which were of the Sanedrin or Synedrion And we graunt it most aptly agreeth to them that be Gouernors in the Church new and those Ecclesiasticall Gouernors to and was but borowed as well in respect of the gouernment as of the
â—et in Timothies person he gaue those precepts to all Bishops and Pastors wherein no other kinde of Elders ordinarily nor the congregation doâ— ioyne with the Bishops or Pastors in the authority of teaching though in obedience and consent of hearing And so in these matters concerning the hearing and determining of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and iudicial causes he giueth Timothy and in Timothies person other Bishops and such superior pastors as he was the charge and authority of a righteous Iudge But the Iudges authority is singuler to the Iudge and not communicated with other no though they sit on the Bench with him as his assistantes but such onely as are of his function Iudges as hee is and ioyned in the same commission with him How this authoritie was was not singular therefore S. Paule giueth to Timothy and in his person to Bishops and such Pastors a singular authority in hearing and determining of such matters Not singular I graunt as though none might heare them but hee alone or that hee might aske no counsell or consent of any other for such singularity were rather a deharre than a graunt of authority or were an insolent abuse thereof Neither so doth any Iudge if any assistants be on the bench with him But the Iudge onely hath the cheefe authority and that is his singuler authority though not absolute As for the Eldership whereof Saint Paul maketh mention a little before We haue heard also Caluines opinion thereon that it may be aswel vnderstoode in that place for the office of the Eldership as for any consistorie or company of the Elders And therfore vpon the vncertainty of that Worde they can builde little certaintie for their consistoriall Elders The conclusion which heere they make depending all vpon the premisses is no further to be graunted than the premisses do inferre The learned disc Pag. 98. 99. In steede of which Antichriste hath set vp a tyrannicall Iurisdiction of one Bishop to bee iudge of Excommunication which is practized neither for causes sufficient nor by sufficient authority insomuch as it hath bene already testified by the Scripture that the power of Excommunication is in no one man no not in an Apostle but is common to the whole Church and ought to be executed by lawfull delegats of the Church also The tyrannicall iurisdiction that Antichriste hath set vp we no more acknowledge Bridges than our Brethren But that all Iurisdiction of one B. to be Iudge of Excommunication which is practized for causes sufficient not onely to want sufficient authority but to be called tyrannical and set vp by Antichriste Is not truely spoken nor Christian like Except they will make S. Paul Antichriste As for that which they haue already testified by the Scripture doth manifestly confirme that one man as the Apostle and Timothy and in his person Slaunderous speeches Bishops and pastors in like manner may execute the power of excommunication For although this ecclesiasticall power be giuen to the Church as likewise the ciuil power is giuen to the assemblies and congregations of men How the power of Excommunication is giuen to the Church yet is neither of them common to the whole Church as our Brethren heere say but is proper to those persons in or of the Church and of the assemblies of men which persons are of God or man lawfully called therunto Neither are the persons that haue the practise and executing of the power of excommunication to be so properly calleâ— the Churches delegates as Gods delegates or Ministers in the same and represent God therein not the Church But admitting it be common to the whole church and yet ought onely to be executed by lawfull delegates of the church if that whole perticular church The Excommunicator is more properly Gods delegate than the Churches do make him that is their onely Lawfull Bishop to be also their onely Lawfull delegate in executing the power of Excommunication and doe not delegate a number of more with him then by their own confession some one man and that the Bishop may alone execute the authority and power of excommunication But so much that vsurped authoritie presumeth that the Bishoppe as an absolute owner thereof The learned discourse Pag 99. committeth it ouer to his Chauncellor or Archdeacon and the Archdeacon to his Officiall and he to his register and hee agayne to his substitute and his substitute to his seruaunts man or boy as it hapneth in so much that a learned Preacher may be excommunicated by a foolish boy If this matter seeme not to require speedy reformation God hath blinded our eyes that wee can not see the cleare light of the Sonne shining in our faces These terms of vsurpation presumption and to be as an owner and as an absolute owner of this authority Bridges are speeches considering the vntrueths and reprochfulnesse of them little beséâ—ming learned preachers And much lesse the other of committing this authorty to Registers and to substitutes and to the Substitutes seruantes man or boy I verily beleeue thad our Brethren if they were well apposed coulde not prooue any such Excommunication to bee made Which in-déede if it were done is no Excommunication at all Slanderous speeches if it bee not rather their bare surmise But perchance at the fourth or fift hand they heard of such a thing and they by and by for the good liking and opinion they haue of Bishops their chauncellers Archdeacons and Officials Charitas non est suspicax did beléeue it For the tale caried greate credit Some boy tolde them that some seruaunt tolde him that some Substitute tolde him that he had heard it tolde of some Register But who the Register Substitute Seruaunt man or boy was or is that we must go looke as the boy sayth to his dog séeke out It is proofe ynough for our Brethren that some boy tolde them that he heard say so And therefore as a matter nowe out of all doubt it must in all hast to the presse and be confirmed in print with this exclamation Insomuch that a learned preacher may be excommunicated by a foolish boy If a foolish boy had written this it had béene the more tollerable But should such Learned Preachers in the name of all the faythful Ministers Our Br. vnequall dealing in this slaunder that haue and doe seeke for the reformation of the Church of England in this their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall Gouernment thus solemnly alleage such boyish slaunders or if there shoulde by corruption haue hapned any such like thing shoulde they thus heighnously burthen or chalenge the state and authority of the Bishops for such an abuse or odde escape stollen out which our Bishops doe no lesse detest than do our Brethren their-selues No likelihood in this slaunder and would punish and reform if they can name the parties and proue the offence but that I thinke before hand they can not do Nay there is
at Cabellinum especially in the Counsell that he held at Mentz where the Counsell craueth his ayde and confirmation of such Articles as they had agréed vpon so that he iudge them worthy to be confirmed beséeching him to cause that to be amended that is found to be worthy of amendment Which Counsell also giueth God thanks that he had giuen vnto his Church a Gouernour godly and deuout in his seruice who in his time opening the fountaine of godly wisedome doth continually feede the sheepe of Christ with holy foode instructeth them with diuine knowledge c. And in his Edicts set out not only to the Layty but to the Cleargy he writeth thus Charles by the grace of God King and Gouernour of the Kingdome of Fraunce c. Wherefore I thought good to moue you O yee Pastors of Christes Churches ye leaders of his flocke and cleere lights of the world that ye would trauaile with vigilant care and diligent admonition to guide Gods people through the Pastures of eternall life c. Therefore they are with earnest zeale to be admonished and exhorted yea to be compelled to keepe themselues in a sure faith reasonable continuance within and vnder the rules of the Fathers In the which worke and trauell wit ye right well that our industrie shall workâ— with you For the which cause we haue also addressed vnto you our messengers which by our authoritie shall with you amend and correct those things that are to be amended and therefore we haue also added such Canonicall constitutions as to vs were thought to be most necessarie Let none iudge this to be presumption that we take vpon vs to amend that which is amisse to cut off that which is superfluous For we reade in the bookes of the Kings how the holy King Iosias trauelled in going about the circuits of his Kingdome correcting and admonishing his people to reduce the whole Kingdome vnto the true religion and seruice of God I speake not this to make my selfe equall to him in holinesse but bycause we ought alwayes to follow the examples of the holy Kings and so much as we can we are bound of necessitie to bring the people to follow a vertuous life to the prayse and glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. And so he entreth into his rules exhortatioÌ„s to the B. and Priests how they should guide their Diocesses and Churches both by reading and preaching and the Bishops to sende foorth the Priests to preach It belongeth saith he vnto your office O ye Pastors guides of Gods churches to sende foorth through out your Dioceses Priests to preach vnto the people and to see that they preach rightly and honestly that ye do not suffer new things that are not canonicall but forged of their owne minde not according to the holy scriptures to be preached vnto the people yea you your own selues preach the things that are true and honest and that lead vnto euerlasting life And instruct ye other that they doe the same c. Yea Alcuinus in his preface of his treatise on the trinitie which he being his Chaplaine dedicated vnto this French king being then also made Emperour maketh the Prince to haue so farre authoritie aboue all other ciuill persons in Ecclesiast matters that he calleth him also a Preacher and sayth that he hath as it were a priestly office in these thinges And least sayth he I should seeme not to helpe and further your preaching of the faith I haue directed and dedicated vnto you this booke thinking no gift so conuenient and worthy to be presented vnto you seeing that all knowe this most plainely that the Prince of the people ought of necessitie to know all things and to preach the things that please God Neither doth it pertaine to any man to know better or mo things than it doth to an Emperour whose doctrin ought to profite all the subiects c. All the faithfull haue great cause to reioyce of your godlines seeing that you haue a Priestly power as it is meete so to be in the preaching of Gods worde a perfect knowledge in the Catholike faith and a most holy deuotion to mens saluation This authoritie and interest euen in the chiefest Eccl. matters doth that famous Alcuinus a countriman of our owne acknowledge vnto the Christian Prince And the like doth this Emperours sonne Lewes take vppon him and it was yéelded vnto him both in the Councell that he called at Aquisgraue in Germanie and afterwarde in Italy at Ticinum where hee giuing in charge to the Bishops and Councel to consult among other matters concerning the conuersation of the Bishops the Priestes and other Eccl. persons of their doctrine and preaching to the people of writing out of bookes c. He concludeth I am very much desirous to knowe and couet to reforme them according to Gods will and your holy aduise in such sort that neither I bee founde reproueable in the sight of God neither you nor the people incurre the wrathfull indignation of God for these things How this may be searched found out brought to perfection that I committe to be treated on by you and so to be declared vnto me The lesser matters which in generall touch all but that touch some in speciall and neede reformation I will that yee make enquirie also of them and make relation thereof vnto me Whereby we sée that these Princeâ— had the chiefe authoritie in those Councelles and both made Ecclesiasticall lawes them selues with the Bishops aduise and counsell and also all the Bishops decrées and determinations depended on the Princes ratifying This then was the order and not that onely which our Brethren here say we read to be obserued by the Christian Kings of France And euen as much do we read to be obserued by the Christian kings of Spayne by whose authoritie the first second third Councell at Brachara were called and many pointes for doctrine and discipline disposed After whom Richaredus commaunded a Councel to be assembled and holden at Toledo where the king sitting among the Bishops deâ—lareth vnto them how he called them together that he might by the common consultation in the Synode repayre and make a newe forme of Eccl. discipline which had bin long time hindred by Arianisme The which impedimeÌ„t sayth he it hath pleased God to put away by my meanes whereupon he exhorteth them to giue God thankes for his so doing and admonisheth them before they enter into the consultation to fast and pray to God that he would vouchsafe to open vnto them a true order of discipline And so after a thrée dayes fast appointed vnto them the Synode beginning to enter into consultation the king commeth in with his Queene and nobles and sitteth amongest them and causeth the confession of his faith which he had written and subscribed with his and the Quéenes hands to be publikely reade before them
what nuÌ„ber they were why those Elders had that number The preceps the prâ—ctise of this Seniory The Leuites with their offices The matters wherin the Elders gouernors dealt * Leuirationis The vniuersall assembly of the Tribes and families Iosues orders for all these Elders * Expeditionem The proces of the story Iud. 19.20 The necessity of a king or one cheefe Gouernour The beginning of these elders corruption The Elders flattery of the people The Concion of the elders Our Brethr. defacing the state of a king Carolus Sigonius de rep Haebrae orum lib. 6. Cap. 2. The Iewes Councels Three â—â—ateâ— of the Iewes then 3. kinds of Conciouâ— Sigonius of the Iewes Senates Three kinds of the Iewes Senates Our Br. will be Seniors of the highest sort The Elders in the time of the kings The Elders since the captiui tie Sigonius The Kinges authority besides the Senate Cap. 5. The Synedrion at Ierusalem Cap. 6. What elders the Iudges of the cities were What princes the Elders were inferior to the SynedrioÌ„ Elders The Elders in the time of Iosaphat These Elderships restored after the captiuitie FroÌ„ whence the Synedrian Elders wer chosen Petrus Galatinus of the processe in the courtes of iudgment Petrus Galaâ—tnus collection of the Thalmudists concerning the Sanedrin * occidere The authoritie of the Synedrian Elders The Elders chosen with imposition of hands The power of the Sanedrin diminished in Christes time They lost their place dignitie after their fals iudging of Christ. The Romanes destruction of these Elders Gods ordinaunce Deut. 17. of these Elders power in iudgement Iosephus Iosephus li. 2. ad Appionem Philo. li. 3. de vita Mosis What manner of persons the Elders were in the Sanedrin The power of the preests in the Sanedrin The order and processe in the Sanedrin The appealants accusation The foâ—me of the accusation in Ieremy and of his acquitall The formâ— of the Synedrion in coÌ„demning Christ. Bertramsâ— confirmation of these thinges â—ert de politia Iudaica ca. 10. pag. 56 The Leuites were the gouernors in the Iewes Senats The matters that the Leuiâ—es iudged Bertram 1. Chro. 26.29 How Dauid distributed the gouernments and bounds of the Leuites Seniories Solomon maintained herein Dauids orders Iosaphats restoring â—he Iewes Seniories 2. Chro. 19. * Ad Liâ—â—m The Synedrion The diuerâ— respect of Eccl. ciuil in one and the same cause The great principality of these Elders Ierem. 2. Ieremie acquitted by those Elders Bertrams 2. example of those Elders power Ierem. 36. Bertrams 3. example Ier. 37. 38. The Elders superiour to the king The state of the tenne tribes The state of the Iewes regiment after the captiuity The speciall time of the Elders gouernment The auth of Nehemias Iosephus antiq Iud. li. 7 cap. The high Bishops authoritie 1. Mach. 12.6 The mixt estate of the Iewes common weale Gabinius erecting of mo Synedrins The SynedrioÌ„ Elders slain by Herod Our Br. assertioÌ„ of the Iewes Synedrion alters al the states in Christendome and bindes vs to the IuÌ„diciall Lawe Our Br. pretence vnder the name of eccl regiment driue at the ciuill regiment Chytreus of the Synedrion When all is done our Br. Elders that are goueâ—nors and notteachers are here also excluded except they will bee Princes Beza in confess Christ. cap. 5. Art 32. Danaetus in Iâ—ag Christ. 3. part cap. 10 Danaeus Confession for the difference of the Iewes SynedrioÌ„ our Presbyteries for gouernmeÌ„t of ciuil causes Chytraeus in Deut. 17. titulo de Iudicijs Three kindes of iudgements among the Iewes The iâ—dgemeÌ„t Triumuiral of thâ— 3. Elders The little Synedrion of 23. The great Synedrion of 70. Chytreus resemblance of the chief Senate in Germanie to the Sanedâ—in The elders of the new Testament How moderatelie Chytreus alludeth on Christes words Mat. 5. to our Senates Our Breth peremptory wresting of Christes words The learned disc pag. 88. Bridges The vse of the name Elder Christe alluded not to the Iews Sanedrin or Presbytery mencioned in the newe Testament By the name Church is not meant Senate Caluinus in 1. Tim. 4.14 Bezaes testimonie that by those elders were meant onely the Ministers of the word Our Br. coÌ„clusion of these Elders Bezaes nip of Castalion for the terme Senate The Presbyteries of the Iewes Luc. 22. Act. 20. Our Brethr. chiefe euidence for their Eldership howe weake it is The power of the keies The learned Dis. Bridges The sentences of christ Mat. 18. ver 19. and 20. not to be restrained to a Consistorie Brentius on Math. 18. Brentiuâ— in Math. 18. How these words Die ecclesiae haue ben abused A small assemblie wâ—ting a ciuile Magistrate The occasioÌ„ of Christes sentence That this rule of Chr. serueth onlie among priuate meÌ„ This senteÌ„ce cannot be vnderstood of hainous sinnes Brentius The Incestuous Corinthian The last remedy is to tell the ordinary magistrate and not to constitute an Eccl. Senate Excommunication A priuate Ecclesiasticall excommunication To whome the proper Eccl. exc doth pertaine Two kindes of Exc. ciuiâ— and Eccl. Cal in Mat. 18. The ministery of the powre of the worde pertaineth to the Minister in the expounding the worde Cal. in Mat. 18. The Minist are publishers of Gods word and setters foorth of his iudgementes How the froward are punished the repentaÌ„t receiued by them that haue the word of God Aretius 2. parte problem Tit. de Excom Ciuil and Eccl. Exc. Syntagma Tit. de clauibus The definition of the Eccl. binding The definition of the Eccl. absoluing The censure of Exc. renued by Christ. Mat. 16. Iohn 20. Tertul. In Apolog. cont Gent. cap. 39. Ext. in the Eccl. history Wherein Victors exc was reprooued What Exc. by Victor was allowed Eusebius li. 6. cap. 25. The Exc. of Philip the Emperour Theodosius of Excom Theodoreâ—us li. 5. cap. 17. Cyprianus vt supâ—a Iunii ecclesiasticus cap. 3. Hierom. in Math. 16. August of excom Aug. ad Auxilium epistola 75. Math. 16. Exech 18. S. Aug. erâ—or in the Infants dying without baptisme Iames. 1. What S. Aug. dissaloweth in this B Exc. Chrysost. Homil. 2. de Dauide Saule How Chrysost woulde Excom the contemners of the word Chrysost. of Excom Chrysost. in Homil. 70. homil 4. in Hebr. 2. The Praesidents and Elders of whome Chrysost. speaketh Chrysost. â—hreat againe to Excom Matst 18. The B. seperate authoritie in excom The excommunicator such a person as may teach Melancthon Kemnitius in exam Trident. Conâ— To. cap. 6. Melanct. in locis com de regno Christi Melanct. in aâ—not locorum com The Churches power of order Iurisdiction The poweâ— of order The poweâ— of Iurisd Aretius Aretius in locis com parte 2. de excomm The definition of excommunicâ—tion The Minister is the excommunicator and the Church consenteth Cyprianus The Eccl. Senate of Gouernors not teachers reiected The example of Saint Paul 1. Coâ— 5. Cyprian epist. li. 3. epist. 16. 2. Co. 11.29 1. Co. 12 2â— Aretius
remoouing offences and of purging the filthes which corrupt Godlinesse and obscure the maiesty of God If nowe the authoritie of the Prince stretcheth it selfe to all these thinges in the name of nourishing the Churche which is farre aboue all bodilie nourishment or mayntenaunce of liuing then is not the Christian princes authority abased any whit thereby in the making of Ecclesiasticall Lawes for these Eccl. matters but much more confirmed and encreased so that the prophetes meaning was not as our Br. heere say the prophet meaneth that kinges and Queenes shall bee so carefull for the preseruation of the Church that they shall think no seruice too base for them so they may profite the Churche of Christe withall For it is no proâ—iâ—â— at all vnto the Churche for princes to abase them-selues as they haue done vnto the Pope and his Ministers who no lesse shamefully abused 〈◊〉 prophesy than the Princes simplie in beleeuing of them did thinke indeede no seruice too base for them that they might as they thought profit the Church of Christe withall But the prophetes meaning was rather of twayne besides the comforting of the Church to foretell not onely the Princes honorable reuerencing of the Church but also that by their exaltation greate authoritie aboue it they shoulde becom of persecutors as it were euen parents to it But now if this testimonie wil not serue to make Princes stoupe vnto their bent they haue another at hand Vnto this honorable subiection say they the holy Ghost exhorteth princes in the 2. psalme after that they haue tried that they preuayl nothing in striuing against the kingdome of Christe Be nowe therefore wise O yee kinges bee learned that Iudge the earth serue the Lord with feare and reioyce to him with trembling declaring that it is a ioyful seruice to be obedient to Christ yea to serue God is indeede to reigne Our Brethren where they shoulde yet nâ—wâ— at length according to their promise wâ—en all their other tetrarcheâ— were serâ—ied haue declared vnto vs howe farre the Princes authoritie in the gouernment of Eccl. matters stretcheth they are nowe altogether fallen from describing vnto vs the Princes authoritie of which God wot wee haue hearde full litle yet to the descriptâ—â—n all of the Princes subiection For although they commende it with the name of honourable yet still it is but subiection that they speake of not authoritie Albeit I graunt this is moste true that it is a ioyfull seruice to bee obedient to Christe yea to serue God is indeede to reigne better than to reigne in any worldly kingdome without Gods seruice and therefore the holy ghoste â—oth well therein exhort those Princes which haue tried that they preuayl nothing in striuing against the kingdome of Christ to be wise and learned and to serue the Lorde But let our Br. withall remember this that they abuse not this exhortation of the holy ghost spoken to those Princes that resisted Christs kingdome by applying it here altogether to the Princes that we speak of that only are true Christian Princes haue already subiected their kingdoms to Christs kingdom For nowe we enquire of godly Princes what auth they haue by Christ allowed theÌ„ in the gouerning of his kingdoÌ„ Otherwise if they apply this sentence thus as though her Maiestie in not submitting herself and her auth to these their decrees orders did as yet resist the kingdome of Christe they offer her Maiestie no small 〈◊〉 nor she may well abase her authoritie so farre nor any other Christian Prince that hath subiected his kingdome to the obedience of the kingdome of Christe as her Maiestie God bee praysed hath doâ—nâ— Not but that I graunt there is still an vse of this exhortation euen to all Princes neuer so godly to continue in this Wisedome learning and seruice of the Lorde But her Maiestie God be praysed being wise and Learned indeede hath Learned and found out a great diffâ—rencâ— betwéen thâ— seruing of the Lorde himselfe and the seruing of the seruaunts of the Lorde For although there bee a seruice that the Prince oweth to them also in respect that they in their diuine seruice of Gods worde and Sacraments represent God yet the Princes being also the seruaunts of God as they again represent him in their seruice so their seruice is such a high and supreme gouernment as set the verie action of the spiritual seruanâ—s diuine seruice aside they are all inferiour to the Princes seruice and in some respects not onely Subiects but seruaunts also to their Princes and not the Princes seruaunts vnto them Yea euen in those diuine seruices which the Ministers Stewards or seruants of God professe the Christian Princes being also the Ministers and seruaunts of God haue an higher seruice ministerie and Stewardship in the general ouer-sight of those particular ouer-seers to ouer-see and ouer-rule them to doe their dueties and with their aduise and counsell deuising and determining what is fittest to make lawes and orders with them and aboue them not onely to rule all his temporall subiects but all his Eccl. subiects too and euen him selfe in all due subiection to those his Lawes orders that he hath made And that this seruice of the Prince to God stretcheth hereunto and to the Prince especially aboue all other we haue heard how S. Augustine expoundeth this testimonie And yet because our Br. lead vs heere vnto it let vs again mark it a little better whether it more infirme and abase or confirm and augment the princes authoritie in making decrees lawes of Ecclesiasticall matters S. Aug. in his 50. Epistle ad Bonifacium vpon this verse And nowe yee Kings vnderstand c. Howe then saith he doe kinges serue the Lorde in feare but in forbidding with a religious seueritie and in punishing those thinges which are done contrary to the commaundementes of the Lorde For hee serueth otherwise in that hee is a man and otherwise in that he is a King For in that he is a man hee serueth in liuing faythfully But in that hee is also a King hee serueth in the enacting with a conuenient vigour Lawes that commaunde righteous matters and forbidde the contrary Euen as Ezechias serued in destroying the groues and Temples of the Idolles and those high places that were builded contrary to the commaundement of God Euen as Iosias serued he also doing the same things Euen as the King of the Niniuites serued in compelling the whole Citie to appease God Euen as Darius serued in giuing it into Daniels power to breake the Idoll and in casting the enemies to the Lyons Euen as Nabuchodonozor serued of whom we haue already spoken in forbidding by a terrible Lawe all that were placed in his kingdome from blaspheming God In this therfore kings doe serue the Lord when they doe those thinges to serue him that none but Kinges can doe If this seruice then be the onely prerogatiue of