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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16832	A defence of the gouernment established in the Church of Englande for ecclesiasticall matters Contayning an aunswere vnto a treatise called, The learned discourse of eccl. gouernment, otherwise intituled, A briefe and plaine declaration concerning the desires of all the faithfull ministers that haue, and do seeke for the discipline and reformation of the Church of Englande. Comprehending likewise an aunswere to the arguments in a treatise named The iudgement of a most reuerend and learned man from beyond the seas, &c. Aunsvvering also to the argumentes of Caluine, Beza, and Danæus, with other our reuerend learned brethren, besides Cænaiis and Bodinus, both for the regiment of women, and in defence of her Maiestie, and of all other Christian princes supreme gouernment in ecclesiasticall causes ... Aunsvvered by Iohn Bridges Deane of Sarum.	Bridges, John, d. 1618.	1587 (1587)	STC 3734; ESTC S106910	1,530,757	1,400

vdder of his Cow more milke vnto my Neighbour yeeldes Our neighbours haue this our neighbours haue that and wee want● these things Fie brethren for shame what neede this emulation of our neighbours and murmuring against our owne state And yet it is not altogether so neither for them the more is the pitie if it otherwise pleased God Neither for vs thanks be giuen to God for it and for that plentifull measure of the encrease and glory of the kingdome o● Christ in this our reformed Church of England and for the suppression of the tyrannie of Sathan and Anti-christe and of his Ministers and confederates Wee haue great cause highly to magnifie God for the wōderfull and gratious works he hath wrought for vs aboue all our neighbours round about vs yea aboue all the particuler Churches néere or farre dispersed in the world at this day euen in this estate of Ecclesiasticall Gouernement established And all our neighbours where GOD hath anie Churche neuer so muche reformed doe I hope reioyce together with vs therefore yea not the beste of them but bee it spoken to the glorye of God and without vpbraiding to others haue found no small comfortable benefite at our handes and doe all most thankfully reacknowledge the same without condemning reprouing or grudging at our state of Ecclesiasticall gouernement established what other kinde of reformation soeuer in their Ecclesiasticall Gouernement they bee directed by Onelie we our selues murmur and grudge condemne and slaunder both among our selues and to all our neighbours our owne state which is so euill that woulde God were itaccording to his acceptable good pleasure the kingdome and glory of Christe and the suppression of Sathan and Antichriste though I had rather wish it did no lesse did but halfe as faste encrease and prosper then God bee glorified for it in our state it doeth And yet God graunt both in ours and in our neighbours states and all other parts of Gods true Church according as we al say in the Lordes Prayer Thy kingdome come these blessings of God may daily more and more encrease and prosper And so by Gods grace it shoulde still doe better and better Maugre Sathan and Antichriste if our owne brethren would not hindervs and all reformed Churches shoulde doe well inough notwithstanding we differ from them and they from vs Yea though both of vs differ from the state of the Primitiue and pure Church not in truthe of Faith and vnitie of Doctrine But in matter or manner of Orders Offices Rites and Ceremonies concerning Ecclesiasticall regiment so farre as they are not prescribed by any perpetuall rule other then for the time and state or for order and comelinesse For the difference of these thinges is not ●irectlye materiall to saluation neither ought to breake the bonde of peace and Chrystian concorde But they may thinke and wishe well to vs and wee in the name of the Lorde thinke well and wishe good lucke to them Yea to wishe that they had no better state then we haue on condition they had no worse and might alwayes haue as good I thinke all our neighbours reformed Churches woulde bee soone entreated to say AMEN For in what hard case God help them good neighbours they be their selues feele or feare it daily and we heare of it and cease not daily to pray for them and as we may put to our helping hands vnto them Yea our brethren their-selues vpon better aduisement since in their last supplication made to her gratious Maiestie to the high Court of Parliament assembled 1587. pag. 8. do confesse it saying The Churches of God rounde about vs goe to wracke in Fraunce Belgia and a great part of highe Dutche I woulde Scotland had continued in her first loue and that the hands of the builders were strengthened among you But in conclusion neither their state or ours howsoeuer they stande are bound to any perpetuall forme of all the orders and offices of Ecclesiasticall regiment Theirs may perhaps be better for them their aflicted state standing as it doth ours all things in our established state of Gouernment considered is best for vs. Away therefore good brethren with these disordered tearmes This disordred state of ours for they are not spéeches beséeming thankfull and faithfull ministers to God nor louing and obedient subiects to our Prince and Superiours so disorderlie cast forth on the state of Eccle. regiment Which toucheth not onely Eccl. persons against whome perhaps our brethren will make no seruple of cōscience though their mouthes runne ouer be they neuer so much their brethren their Pastors their betters their superiours their Bish or Arch. to whome their selues peraduenture haue sworne Canonicam obedientiam But these disordred speeches of theirs touch the Magistrate yea their Soueraigne very néere and therefore they are not onely disordred but daungerous speeches Neither ought our brethren to vpbraid our labours vnto vs that we● haue so long laboured with so little profit to discourage the painefull laborer in the Lords vine-yard and to make our handes weake beecause our worke prospereth not so fast in our hands as we would wishe it did And yet it prospereth God be praysed with more profit then either we see or our brethren like But profit or not profit let vs still labour and thankes be to God then we labour All are not so idle loyterers as afterwarde our brethren complaine wee labour not● and héere they finde fault with our labours But labour we or loyter we they must still labour infinding fault or else they should loyter for lack of matter in discoursing But howsoeuer they esteeme of our labours the Laborer saith the Lord Luc. 10. is worthie his rewarde And as their-selues afterwarde do note out of S. Paule 1. Timoth. ● The elders that rule well are worthie double honor especially they which labour in the worde and doctrine But they tell vs that sentence maketh for their gouerning and not teaching elders whether it doth so or no we shall God willing at large examine on their allegation of the same but admitting it had included any such Elders at that time were their labours to be honoured that ruled well among them and yet perhaps with as little profit And is the laborer in the word and doctrine to be despised and his labour to be left beecause we haue so long laboured with so little profit But for all this discouragement of our brethren let vs not be weary of wel-dooing and commit the euent profit to the Lorde and hearken rather to the Apostles exhortation 1. Cor. 16. Therefore my beloued brethren be ye stedfast vnmou●able aboundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vaine in the lorde And this is our comfort against this perswasion of our brethren to leaue that state of ours wherein we haue so long laboured with so little profit And yet we hope we haue not all bene

vnprofitable labourers saue in respect of merite towarde God wee confesse indeede as Christ willeth vs to acknowledge our selues That when wee haue done all we are able to do we are but vnprofitable seruaunts but not in all respectes vnprofitable But if our so long labour haue had the lesse profit to our more gréefe why do not our brethren looke rather to the cause and hinderance of it for perhaps it is not so much of the laborer as of the aduersaries that haue resisted vs. And haue we not aduersaries inow of Sathan of Antichriste of his ministers of the vnthankfull worlde c. but that our owne brethren wil be euen almost as bitter against vs as the worst If therefore we haue so long laboured with so little profit laie the fault where it is Remoue the impediment and then God before let vs say with Peter Luc 5.5 Though I haue laboured al night long and haue taken no●hing neu●rthelesse Lord at thy worde I will cast foorth the net And then no doubt God will blesse our labours with more profit And if our brethren when we becken to them will come and helpe vs we shall enclose such a multitude of Fishes that our nettes shall bee full And if our nettes breake let vs mende them againe vniformely together And then our state shall bee if it bee not as beawtifull and farre more beawtifull I do not doubt it then anie of all our neighbours is But God blesse our neighbours and make vs more thankfull and lesse contentious and new-fangled then we be and not onely more obedient to our Ciuill Christian Magistrates but more reuerent to the Ecclesiasticall gouernours as the Apostle Heb 13.7 c. giveth vs good counsell Remember them which haue the ouer-sight of you whiche haue declared vnto you the word● of God whose faith followe considering what hath beene the ende of their conuersation Iesus Christ yesterdaye and to daye the same also is for euer Be not caried about with diu●rse and straunge doctrines And in the 17. verse Obey them that haue the ouersight of you for they watche for your soules as they that must geue accounts that they may do it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you And if there bee any disorder in doing this their duty the fault being personall the state is not to be defaced as disordred but the faults redressed and the state stand But where the inferiours will presume to disobey yea to alter th● state of their Superiours and to set vp them-selues will not onely set out the Bishops and Archbishops but the supreame authority of their Soueraigne too If this should be suffered the state would then indéed● become a most disordered state And would worke a worse waie to Antichrists pride and presumption bringing in manie straunge kindes of false doctrine and confusion and bréede a greater mysterie of iniquitie while euery particuler congregation or seniorie among them may thus following the deuises of their owne braine and pretending vpon a bar● fact or order or office that they finde mentioned in the scriptures though perhaps cleane other wise then they take it inforce a warrant of Gods worde for them to followe Yea to thinke the onely experience of any of their neighbours successe in imitation of the like a sufficient perswasion for them to leaue the state vnder which they liue and con●meliouslie to reuile it for a disordered state and to preiudice and alter th● gouernement established and to bring in a new Quaternion of Gouernours by whome onely all matters maye bee directed which are commonly called Ecclesiasticall without any other superior ouer●ight or gouernment of Bish. or Arch. or any supreame authority of the Prince t● be admitted among them Ha brethren marke the mysterie of these deuises more aduisedlie an● I thinke you will saye at least-wise yee may saye that if our stat● were disordered these things would not bring it into better order but set it quite out of all order and hazarde the cleane ouerthrow of the whole state If the axe were gone is this the remedy to hurle the helue after it howbeit our brethren héere if the helue be not missing but not orderlie set on would cast both helue and axe and all away Now least we might perhaps mistake our brethrens wordes and so might be suspected to slaunder them in saying they woulde cleane exclu●● with the Bishops and Arch-bishops superiour authoritye the supreame authority of the Christian Prince and so of her Maiestie from the direction of all Ecclesiasticall matters albeit their words aforesaid are plain● inough yet this their resolute conclusion in these wordes make it manifeste There remaineth therefore of these before rehearsed onelie in the Church these Ecclesiasticall offices instituted by God namelie Pastors Doctors Gouernours and Deacons by which the church of God may according to his worde be directed in al matters which are commonly called Ecclesiasticall Here is the conclusion of this Tetrarchie the Prince is not at all mentioned but cleane excluded from the direction of all Eccl. matters and th● direction committed to these 4. onely which particuler on●ly debarre●● both the Prince and all other besides these 4. Yet because among these 4. estates this word Gouernours might carye such a generall sense as that they might séeme not to exclude but to include the Prince to shew therefore their meaning the plainer that they intend not to include the Prince at al in the Quadrant of these 4. kindes estates of personages vnder the ambiguous name of Gouernours our brethren procéede saying But while wee speake of Ecclesiasticall gouernement it may bee thought of some that we shoulde intreate first of the supreame authority of Christian Princes where upon it seemeth that all the regiment of the church dependeth which is such a myste to dazle the eyes of ignorant persons that they think all things in the Ecclesiast state ought to be disposed by that onely high authority and absolute power of the ciuill Magistrate In these wordes our brethren fore-séeing that some iuste o●fence might arise héereon that professing a Learned discourse and hauing delte thus farre in the Gouernement of Ecclesiasticall matters and quartered the same into these 4. Tetrarks Pastors Doctors Gouernours and Deacons and that all Ecclesi●sticall matters are to be directed only by these 4. the Christian Prince as God bee praised is amongst and ouer all vs her most excellent Maiestie is not onely all this while not mentioned but excluded and so excluded that whether her Maiesties estate be preiudiced héereby is not so much as called first in question and the Princes authority being first debated and resolued vpon then to haue procéeded to the limiting and deciding of these Tetrarks seuerall or conioyned Gouernement Therefore our brethren thinke it nowe belike highe time to mitigate this offence and to preuent this obiection And indéede brethren it is a good obiection

the word of faith that we prech With the which out of doubt baptisme is also consecrated that it may be able for to cleanse For Christ being the vine with vs with the father beeing the husbandman loued his Churche and gaue himselfe for it Reade the Apostle and see what he adioyneth that he might sanctifie it sayth hee clensing the same with the washing of water in the worde This word of faith auayleth in the Church of God so much that by the same it clenseth the beleeuer the offerer the blesser the dipper yea the infant being so little a one although he be not yet able with the heart to beleeue to righteousnesses and with the mouthe to confesse to saluation This is doone altogether by the worde whereof the Lorde sayth Yee are nowe cleansed for the woorde that I haue spoken vnto you I thought it not amisse to set downe at large the whole sentence not onely for the notablenesse thereof touching other matters but for feare of cauilling least our Brethren might say I left out the word preached here twise named But that we should plainely sée he speaketh heere of preaching it in such sense as although it comprehende the proper action of the preacher yet withall we sée it stretcheth to the publike confession of all Christians And the worde that here most especially he speaketh of that the Disciples were clensed for or through the worde that Christe spake vnto them although this sentence of Christe Io. 15.3 be a part of that notable sermon that he had after his sacramentall supper yet these wordes that he maketh relation vnto supposing they were spoken before the supper were no preaching nor any part of preaching but spoken by Christe vnto Peter when he came to him among the residue to wash his féete as appeareth in the storie hereof Ioh. 13.5 c. After that he powred water into a basyne and beganne to washe the Disciples feete and to wipe them with the towell wherewith he was gyrte then came hee to Simon Peter who sayde to him Lorde doest thou wash my feete Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto him what I doe thou knowest not nowe but thou shalt knowe it hereafter Peter sayde vnto him thou shalt neuer wash my feete Iesus aunswered him if I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with me Simon Peter sayde vnto him Lorde not my feete onely but also the hande and the head Ies●● sayde vnto him he that is washed needeth not saue to washe his feete but is cleane euerie whitte And yee are cleane but not all Shall we nowe saye heere that Christ made a Sermon Indéede if our Brethren meane the preaching of the worde in this sense that it is preaching though onely it be thus briefely spoken by the Minister to the ende the people may better vnderstande and beleeue the worde in that sense I holde well that in the Lordes supper the worde of God concerning the death of the L. should alwayes be so preached As Oleuianus also sayth on these words Rom. 10.8 This is the worde of faith the which we preach Note a difference between the true word of God which is preached to this end that faith cōuersion may be in the hart the magical word which is pronounced vpon the thinges that it might worke something on the thinges that are set or grafted or else that a power should be ascribed to the syllables Example the gospell of Iohn is the worde that we preach In the beginning was the word sayth Iohn he teacheth to trust in Christ the true God he teacheth that all things are made by him The end is that I should beleeue not that I should driue away tempests The whole Masse is magicall although they recite the Gospell and mutter it vpon the hoast because it is not the worde of faith that is preached If it be not preached that it may be vnderstoode or that vertue be ascribed to the syllables the which resideth in God alone so that it is due to him alone and this is Magicall So they that saye when the woordes are pronounced ouer the breade then it is the bodie it is Magicall Christe pronounced not the woordes ouer the breade but preached his death at the table to his Disciples with the wordes and with the tokens and that they might vnderstande to what ende those tokens were instituted In baptisme the Papistes vse muche Magike Out of the 7. of Mark they say Ephata that is be opened as Christ said vnto the deafe man And by the vertue of wordes they will include the holy Ghost into the water Al these things are not the word of faith that we preach Paul knoweth no other word of faith thā preching not murmured Here lighteth the absolution Auss an Boden euen frō the very bothome or frō the messengers made vpon the head by the vertue of the words Act. 10. to him giue all the Prophets witnes c. Peter muttreth not wordes vpon the heads of euery one of thē but preacheth of Christ the promise of the Gospell confirmed by the testimonie of al the Prophets and the holy Ghost fell vpon the hearers Thus sayth Oleuian So that preaching being vnderstood in this generall sense as not only it may signifie such a solemne sermon as Peter there made Act. 10. but also as may comprehende the words of our Sauiour Christ at the table when he instituted his mysticall supper If the worde want his preaching in this maner in our administration of the sacraments then indéed our brethren might haue some cause to say that we maintain the elements of the world dead beggerly elemēts yea that although we haue the word it were but a magicall murmuring of it But becommeth it our Breth to bestowe these spéeches vpon the outward signes of the sacraments when they are animated and enriched with the worde of God in such order as Christ instituted thē and the Apostles practised thē Is this to separate either the word or preaching of the worde from the sacraments But our Breth only vnderstande by preaching such a further exposition exhortation vpon this matter as the learned Minister shal at his discretion amplifie set foorth the same with all And can our Breth proue that this maner of preaching the word is either any such substantial part of the sacraments or any such inseparable accident therunto that except it also be annexed the life that animateth the elements the treasure that enricheth them which is the promise word of God is separated from them Is not in baptisme the word of God it selfe being not magically murmured but clearely with vnderstanding spoken conceaued with vnderstāding beleeuing of the hearer if he haue capacitie to heare and vnderstand and beleeue yea though he haue not as infantes haue not this life riches of the elemēt vnderstanding the word as it is ioyned with the spirit that animateth

in such virulent and treacherous manner as doe the aduersaries of the Gospell which her Maiestie defendeth and setteth foorth and wherein chiefely consisteth this her happines b●t in an other way-warde and not contented sorte as maintayning such a disordred corrupt and deformed state of the gouernement and discipline of Christs Church As though her reigne suppressed the reigne of Christ and the syncere aduauncing of his kingdome which in the Lordes prayer we desire If her Maiestie did thus what happinesse were there or rather what vnhappinesse were there not in her reigne But now when such as worthily are accounted to be the most learned professours of the Gospell in other Nations and suche as so hardly can brooke womens gouernment smackering too much of the frenche humor as we haue shewed shall notwithstanding giue this honorable testimony of her Maiesty and of her reigne And I hope they do it no more for flatterie than they néede for feare but euen for the truth sake it selfe for except they would suppresse it they can in conscience say no lesse shall now her Maiesties owne subiectes and those Protestantes too that féele the benefite whereat other reioyce so muche for the hearing thereof shall not they confesse as much as doth a straunger What a great ingratitude should this be Howbeit Danaeus confesseth not so much but wée finde much more the experience and benefite of this her most happie reigne God make vs with like thankfulnesse to acknowledge it For certainly if we shall consider al circumstances we shal not choose at leastwise in our consciences though we would not with our mouthes but confesse as much as doth Danaeus that the whole compasse of the worlde hath seene nothing at any time that is more happie or more to bee wished for than is her reigne or gouernement Neither the gouernement vnder the Quéene of Saba or of Gods people vnder Deborah neither yet vnder the most excellent men Dauid Salomon Asa Iehosaphat Iosias or Ezechias no not in Christendome vnder Constantine the greate or the great Charles though their reignes did in some thinges excell her Maiesties reigne yet all thinges pondered especially those kinde of good thinges wherein true happinesse most consisteth Danaeus spake heere a great word but we may well vpholde it for a truthe that the whole circle of the worlde sawe nothing at anie time more happie or blessed and a thing more to bee wished for if men might haue their wishes than is the reigne or gouernement of her Maiestie The Lorde I say againe and againe make vs thankefull to him chiefely and after him to her for the same and vouchsafe to continue and encrease this her most happie and wished reigne still among vs to his further glorie to our aunswerable thankefulnesse and to the refuge succour and comforte of other kingdomes where his Churche also is dispersed and yet by the seducinges and oppressions of Antichriste haue not atteyned to this happinesse and wished state for all their Kinges that wée in Englande vnder our Queene Elizabeth his most happie hand-mayde and our most gratious Soueraigne haue all the time of her reigne and yet God be magnified therefore doe enioye And still shall a straunger say these spéeches and our selues burie them in dumbe silence or if we speake thereof denie it or depraue it This is much to our shame to the great commendation of Danaeus if happily he had staied euen here so concluded vp this question For what could he or anie haue sayde better that coulde more fully confirme the supreme gouernement of a woman to bee lawefull in the Churche of Christe than this so manifest example and present instance of Gods so happily blessing her Maiesties supreme gouernment ouer vs his people But what shall wee foade our selues with all these goodly spéeches when the matter for all this is still impugned For to what purpose doth Danaeus driue all these great prayses of her Maiesties reigne To confirme and establish a womans gouernement Or not rather in the end euen as our Bretheren do but with a more cunning compasse to vndermine it And yet our Brethren as we haue heard cast foorth now then very fayre spéeches of her Maiestie of her happie reigne of her lawfull gouernmēt also But when it commeth to the very point they not only refuse to obey her Maiesties lawes and gouernmēt but they so cry out vpon the same as a most deformed corrupt state of gods Church that all their praysings are nothing comparable to their dispraysinges What a strange kinde of dealing is this in so high matters and with such great and noble personages It is an old saying Non est bonum ludere cum sanctis And shall wee dally thus in the chiefest matters of estate with Princes What could haue béen more auouched for confirmation of a womans lawfull gouernement then this so high recommending to all the worlde her Maiesties gouernement Solemnely pronouncing Verily for Elizabeth the Queene of Englande that nowe most happily raigneth the circuite of the worlde hath seene nothing at any time more happie or blessed and more to be wished for then is here reigne If here Danaeus haue not flattered as he had no cause but spoken as indéede we finde it the verie trueth what then can he afterwarde or all the circuite of the worlde alleage against this so excellent a president of Gods approbation for womens supreme gouernement In very déede nothing can be rightly opposed that shall euer be able to ouerturne this instance And verily if Danaeus shall nowe alleage any thing against the lawefulnesse of a womans supreme gouernment ouer Gods people he shall but contrarie and werie himselfe in vaine as we sawe howe Caenalis did And in the ende we shall sée likewise how Danaeus fayre and softly driues the matter not only to the same but to a farre worse pitche though in better spéeches and with more learning For Danaeus hauing gone thus farre dare not nowe say that the gouernement of women is a naughtie vnhonest or monstrous thing which terme Caluine vsed for then all the worlde would haue straightway séene it and cryed out vpon it as a grosse and manifest contradiction But he so fetcheth it about by little and little vnder hande that in the end it comes all to one passe as if had flat and plaine denied it And first here as he hath so highly commended her Maiesties raigne so will he not séeme to discommend but to giue at least some sober commendation to those that will admitte no such gouernment Notwithstanding sayth he those people seeme to haue wisely looked vnto their profite which haue taken heede vnto or prouided by their lawes and by a right or lawe publike least that women should rule among them and ouer them and should haue the chiefe right and gouernement If we conferre the sexe of the woman with the mans because that vnto manie offices which the