the which reformed Church of England the graue and learned Beza giues this vertuous testimony If saith hee the reformed Church of England doe persist as they are ruled by authority of Bishops whereof some of our age haue bin famous Martyrs and most worthy Pastors and Doctors let England enioy that singular blessing of God which I pray the Lord to continue with them said he Alwayes for this point we may conclude thus that in case Prelates should become Papall and Idolatrous that Presbyters might reforme with their tongues but not with hands preach reformation but not pull downe Churches perswade and illuminate mens consciences but not concitate popular tumults The third thing which we mark in these reformations of Ierusalem is that things were reduced not to the times immediately preceding nor other then vnto Primitiue Institutions for saith Daniel Wee haue sinned O Lord not against Dauid nor Samuel but against the lawe of thy seruant Moses who was their lawgiuer And here is the maine point wherein doth stand the perfection of all Christian reformation that the doctrine gouernment of the Catholike Church should be conformed with euery thing which was in the Primatiue Church whereabout there be some little diuersities in opinions but no man yet hath bounded it more narrowly then the first 300. yeeres except this heteroclite Clergie of the late Presbyterians who will precisely limitate it vnto the dayes of Christ and his Apostles taking aduantage that way as they thinke to discredite Episcopall Regiment because forsooth there was no mention then of Diocesan Metropolitan and Partriarchall Bishops And so fantasing to reduce the Church policie to the termer wherein it was immediatly after Christs ascension at which time there was no need but of Presbyters before Cities Sheriffedomes Prouinces Nations were conuerted who doth not know that the policie of the Church behooued to encrease with the encrease of faith it behooued to haue a Bishop before a Diocesan Bishop and him againe before a Metropolitan Bishop the Metropolitan before the Patriarchall authoritie But these bee headdy inuentions of poore and clandestine Synagogues who cannot pretend for themselues any learned Patron except it be falsely Not Luther not Melancton not Bucer not Zuinglius not Zanchius nor Caluine These were no dreamers they were graue and sage Diuines farre of as you shall heare by their owne testimonies from bringing into the Church of God such Anarchies and popular Tribunates yea they cannot betake themselues to any of our own Protoreformatours not to Iohn Knox who howsoeuer in the point of the Ciuill Magistrate to speake ingenuously he was somewhat extrauagant yet he was a great and good instrument of God and in this point of Bishops wise and conforme the time being considered as you shall heare hereafter CHAP. VIII A limitation of the Primitiue Church whereunto we are to appeale for Reformation which the iudgement of the best Reformators touching the meanes thereof BVt to proceede touching the Primitiue Church I say that whatsoeuer is in the Church it is either Doctrine Policie or Ceremonies what concernes doctrine doth limitate the Primatiue Church to the dayes of Christ the Apostles and Euangelists that nothing is to be admitted for doctrine but that which the Spirit of God did penne by their hands what concernes euery particular Act in policie or custome in Ceremonies it is not to be reckoned so To make this cleere we are to vnderstand a distinction in diuine institution some being more directly diuine then others as the doctrinal points of Saluation treated by the Apostles are more diuine then that which the same Apostles did concerning the policie The first is the bread of life it selfe the second is but the order how it shall be kept dispensed so that these things which our Sauiour spake out of his owne mouth are immediately diuine The Acts againe of the Apostles in establishing the Church after the ascension no man will refuse them to be diuine institutions so farre that the Apostles might say they did proceed from the holy Ghost and from themselues yet no man either must hold them equally diuine with the personall doctrine of Christ in regard whereof they hold a second degree are called Apostolike Traditions Therfore such as be strict about this distinctiō say that which did immediatly flow from Christ himselfe is a diuine ordinance and the other onely diuini Iuris that is to say hath a diuine right Now say they in regard of the first institution the difference is but small betwi◅t a diuine ordinance and an Apostolicall ordinance but in respect of continuation or perpetuitie there is a great discrepance that which is immediately diuine being absolutely and unchangeably necessarie to bee kept in the Church from Christs mouth to the consummation of the world The other againe not so but as it did not flow directly from Christs owne mouth nor from the Apostles immediately after the ascension but being traditions politicall for the Church they were peece and peece deliuered and practised according to the increase of the faith euen so they do not imply a necessary perpetuitie in the Church in that sort as some do fondly reason saying if such Policie or such Ceremonies be Apostolicall then they must be perpetuall in the Church wherevpon by way of aduantage they inferre the nullitie of many reformed Churches in France Scotland Geneua and others which is an absurd inconvenient O but it is not so The word of God and the Apostolicall traditions be of like ve◅itie but not of like authoritie nor like perpetuitie nor a like necessitie for that is to bee retained in the Church which is expedient and convenient as wel as that which is absolutely necessary but the difference is that of Christs word one Iot shall not perish it is vnchangeable incorruptible eternall Whereas these other Apostolicall institutions which were the fountaines and beginnings from whence did flow the growth of the Churches policie with the growing of the faith vnder the successors of the holy Fathers of the primitiue Church these I say albeit they be from the spirit of veritie yet hauing but a second place and being but diuini Iuris they are not so absolute incorruptible and vnchangeable as the first they are like vnto vpright gold into which an excellent Iewell is mounted there to be kept which gold if it were most fine it is with time worne diminished altered and perhaps broken but still againe renewed euen so as the Riuers which after long running doe willingly fall againe into the bosome of their great fountaine the Ocean from whence they come and which is their naturall seat so all disordered and strange courses of pretended policies and nouelties of the Church gouernment do by length of time returne againe into the fountaine of the Apostolicall institutions as experience doth shew which are not to bee limited to the daies of Christ or to the beginnings of the Apostles as the word is
and his tyranny againe intercepted by Henry the seuenth These were the infinite effusions of natiue bloud during that tempest of Naufrage wherein their Writers doe collect haue beene sixteene or 17 seuerall pitched battells the slaughter of nine Kings or Kings sonnes forty Dukes Marquesses and Earles 200000. of the popular And what extraordinary punishment haue wee in our time seene inflicted vpon the persons houses and states of diuerse disloyall subiects who haue attempted to abuse the sacred authority of our most gracious Soueraigne certaine it is a ground in reason a tryall in experience a conclusion of all politickes and warranted by Gods word in holy Scripture strengthened with the opinion of graue Doctors of the Church That Rebellon doeth euer moue greater mischiefe then Tyranny CHAP. X. A defence of Episcopall gouernment by diuerse most cleere and ingenuous reasons NOw wee come to conside◅ what affinitie the Church gouernment hath with those others whereof we haue spoken before the written Law of Moses God did elect so many Patriarckes to rule his first Church Enoc Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob and others And our Sauiour before the written Law of the Euangel or of grace hee did elect so many Apostles to rule the second whereof the former was the type when the numbers of the beleeuers did increase euen vnto Moses were adioyned seuenty to assist him in his charge so did Christ next his twelue Apostles elect seuenty Disciples In Israel there were many particular Princes and Elders of the people who did rule euery man his own Centuries and Chiliads but these seuenty were created to beare vniuersal rule as we collect frō the words of Moses Ego solus ferre omnem populum istum non possum I only cannot beare the charge of this people answere Congregatibi gather vnto you which is to be his Collegues and yet they were subordinate for while Moses went to the mountaine he left a deputation ouer the people Ecce Aaron Hur. If any man haue controuersie let him come to Aaron and Hur euen so these seuenty Disciples howsoeuer they were adioyned to the Apostles yet they were subordinate and inferiour the Apostles being still chosen to be conuersant with Christ constant witnesses of all his actions and onely intire with him like vnto Moses who onely went vp to talke with God We read in the twelfth of the Acts how the Apostles found Iustus and Matthias onely sufficient of all the rest to succeed in the place of Iudas argument enough of the Apostolicall superiority ouer them Luke againe and Marke were of good authorities among the Apostles because they were the Euangelical Historians yet were they not of the seuenty Euangelists being elected by men and not our Sauiour as Tertullian writeth of Luke Non Apostolus sed Apostolicus non Magister sed Discipulus vtique Magistro minor Not an Apostle but Apostolicall no Master but Disciple and alwaies inferiour to the Master That diuerse had the holy spirit as the Apostles who were not yet their equals it is euident after their dispersion Philip did Euangelize at Samaria but Peter Iohn were sent to constitute the churches The holy spirit without the ministery of S. Paul did come vpon Cornelius and his company for besides these two orders of Apostles and Disciples there was a third among the number of an hundred who were present at the choosing of Matthias besides the twelue Apostles and seuenty Disciples there were thirty eight who beene in neither ordination were Prophets as all the learned do affirme who treat of this point of which number was Annamas and Agabus endued with propheticall spirits to impart to the Church diuers reuelations which they had Touching these againe who were thereafter called Episcopi Presbiteri we see that in the Apostles daies the Church was a while without them the first mention of of that order we finde it in the Church of Ierusalem in the twelfth of the Acts for so long as the Apostles and Euangelists did remaine there was neither Episcopus nor Presbyter but after they were disseuered Iames being beheaded and Peter fled then did they enter from that forth Luke doth coniunctly report of them with the Apostles Saint Paul so like vnto himselfe in all his Epistles we cannot thinke that without a reason in his Epistle to the Philipians hee hath giuen salutation to the Episcopi and Diaconi and hath not done so in the rest of his Epistles In that Epistle to the Romanes hee salutes diuers whom he calles his co-operarij or fellow labourers as Andronicus and Vrbanus famous among the Apostles And of the Domestick Church which was some while at Ephesus and somewhile at Corinth to these hee giues them their owne praises yet doth he not call them Episcopi nor Presbyteri as hee doth Epaphroditus in that to the Philipians And Archippus in that to the Colossians when hee came to Rome we read how hee was receiued but by no Presbiteri which had not beene omitted if that ordination had beene then among them more then it is omitted in the 15. and 21. of the Acts where he is said to be receiued of Presbyters all this time there was no Presbiteri yet planted other then Timothy Titus Apollo Luke Stephen Fortun. Achai and a few others whom the Apostles did send vpon occasions nor these Churches had then no other Bishop but S. Paul In the meane time the Apostles and the Euangelists did at their commodities visit them as Epiphan and Ambrosiu◅ beare witnesse Epiphanius thus while the preaching of the Gospell was but resent the holy Apostle write according to the time and to things that were where there were Episcopi hee write to them and vnto Diaconi where they were for the Apostles did not ordinate saith hee al things vpon the sudden there was great neede of Presbiteri and Diaconi vnder the Apostles because by these Ecclesiasticall function is perfect Where none was found worthy of Episcopall charge that place did remaine without a Bishop for they being no great multitude of beleeuers saith he they were no great numbers found capable of the Presbyterat therefore the Church at that time did rest vnder the Apostolike Bishopricke till with time things grew to greater perfection in which words we doe obserue this that in the beginning while the Apostolicall mission was limited to Iudea Christ did onely chuse 12. Apostles and 70. Disciples but after the Legation was generall both to Iew and Gentile they tooke vnto them co-operarij Euangelists Prophets and others and when the Gospell beganne to spred they did institute Episcopi and Presbyteri So that Christs Church was planted by the like beginnings and had the like growth of policie as that of Ierusalem both hauing their originall in the persons of Moses the figure and Christ the man figured and both with time diuoluing by little and little into a diuersity of subordinate rulers of whom the Apostle setteth downe the cleere distinction and imparity giuing
the first place to Apostles the second to Euangelists the third to Prophets the fourth to Pastours and the last to Doctours Whereof the first of the number Apostolus doth comprehend in it as in genere these whole species ennumerated of spirituall functions so that euery Apostle was also a Doctour but notreciprocally By these we doe manifestly see that Christ in the foundation of his Church did follow for gouernment the same Architype which was giuen vnto Moses and that one God hath but one meaning of one order in matter of Policie as I haue sayd for if ye will hold this comparison betwixt the Iewish and Christian Church to be remote and fantasticke because the first was Typicall and is expired I answer There was in the Mosaicall Law three parts the typicall the morall and the politicall the daily sacrifice and these ceremoniall things which were figuratiue of Christs passion they are finished and haue no imitation in Christs Church but for the morall it doth remaine the same Law lieth ouer vs which did astrict them albeit we haue easier meanes to performe it by faith in Iesus Christ. And for the politicall it doth also remaine as S. Paul saith Know you not that those who minister at the altar doe liue by the Altar c But for the concordance of these two Churches in matter of Policie I bring first the testimony of S. Ambrose who expounding these words of S. Paul to Timothy Seniorem ne increpaueris doe not reproach an Elder among other things he saith also thus Vnde Synagogaprius postea Ecclesia Seniores habuit sine quorum consilio nihil agebatur first the Iewish Synagogue then the Church of Christ had their Elders without whose Councell nothing was done Next I bring the testimony of Iohn Caluine who vpon the harmony of the Euangelists hath written thus Quant au nombre de 70. il me semble auoir c. Touching the number of the 70. Disciples it appeares to me saith he that our Sauiour hath followed the same order whereunto the Iewes of old were subiect and accustomed So many Apostles were chosen who should be as Patriarkes to assemble the members of the reall body of the Church for the like respect of imitation the 70. Disciples were elected for we know saith he that Moses being vnable to beare the charge tooke vnto him seuentie to gouerne the people For of him who would obiect against the similitude of these Churches for policie that the 70. of Israel were no spirituall Rulers and therefore could not be resembled by the 70. Disciples I would aske you how then did the holy spirit come vpon them that they prophesied in the presence of the people and how was the spirit of Moses parted among them Thirdly I giue the Testimony of Doctour Beza who hath deriued his reformed discipline whereby the Elders be adioyned to the Pastours from the Iewish example But that which makes this poynt of the similitude in policie of these two Churches to be most cleere and out of doubt is the opinion of S. Ierom the pretended Patron of the Presbyterians who in the conclusion to the Epistle to Euagrius writeth thus Quod Aaron filij eius atque Leuitâ—… in templo gesserunt hoc sibi Prâ—…sbyteri Episcopi Diaconi vindicent in Ecclesia vt sciamus traditiones apostolicas de veteri Testamento sumptas esse saith hee Whatsoeuer Aaron his sonnes and the Leuites did exercise in their persons in the Iewish Church let Bishops Presbyters and Deacons take on them to doe the same that we may vnderstand saith he the Apostolicall Traditions are exemplary drawen out of the old Testament Alwaies heere it is where the Puritan and the Papist meet to vrge one thing vpon the Leuiticall imitation in policie the Puritan to inferre an inconuenient the Papist to induce his aduantage first say they if you appeale to this exemplar how can you auoid Priestly Soueraignty and a supreme Bishop next they turne it ouer thus If your bishops be in the Church for vnities sake as they are ad â—…ollenda Schismata then this argument following must be good Either there is as great vnity in a parish vnder a Minister as in a Diocesse vnder a Bishop or else the more Churches make the greater vnity If the second be true then must we allow the Hierarchall Supremacy because thereby all Churches are reduced vnder one so that vpon this the Papist will build his Popery and the Puritan will haue our Bishops to bee Antichristian Which obiection is so friuolous that Caluine himselfe alleaged by them to bee a fautor of their Presbyterian rule doth answer vnto it saying there is not the like reason betwixt a peculiar people as the Iewish Synagogue and the whole world vnder the Gospell Neither was it the meaning of our Sauiour that as euery particular Church should be vnder one Pastor so all the world vnder one head otherwise why did he choose his twelue together and in parity For howsoeuer we doe marke in the particular members of nature manifest argument of Monarchiall policie yet find we no generall vnity noâ—… absolute Soueraignty but in God As for example although the Lyon be king of beasts who did euer heare that all Lyons were subiect to one Lyon or that all Kings be ordinarily subiect to one Supreme Monarche The Lord God is onely the Center from whence the diuersitie of nature hath proceeded whereupon the Cabbalists did found that word In Centro veritas in circumferentia nihil The verity is in the Center and in the circumference nothing but shadowes which is confirmed by the holy Scripture Solus Deus verus sermo eius veritas Onely God is true and his word is only verity the 〈◊〉 of nature haue no other fountaine to returne vnto but God nor no capitall vnion to repose into but him If the Angels haue their owne Hierarchies we doe not read that they bee all vnder one head vnlesse it bee the Lord Iesus Christ called by the Prophet the Angel of the Testament and the Angel of the great Counsell as is said before As God hath reserued the Supremacie of generall nature to rest in his owne person so hath Christ in his Church reserued it to himselfe to be onely head thereof in such sort that no Bishop can be called Antichristian but in so farre as he doth depend from the Papall Soueraignty and as the setting vp of a second Bishop in one Diocesse were to be Schismaticke from the first Bishop so to introduce an vniuersall Bishop in Christes place is to make defection from him For euen aâ—… Christ did send his Twelue with equall Commission and equall graces that the establishing of our faith should be more miraculous by the vnanimity of twelue then could haue beene by the consent of one euen so hath it beene the meaning of the Apostles and their successors to mainetaine Catholike vnitie not by Hierarchall Supremacie in
the person of one no lest it might both seeme a worke of man and be the more easily corrupted but that it might seeme the worke of God and be the more miraculous by the harmony of many Bishops who atall occasions might communicate the confessions of their faith by their Canonicall Pontificall and publike letters If any man did erre they first sought him to be reformed by those failing thereof they assembled their Counsels to depose him Cyprian saiththat the Catholike Church is one not diuided or rent with Schismes Sed coherentium sibi inuicem Episcoporum glutinâ—… copulata as it were coupled together with the glew of Episcopall Concordance therefore saith he the body of Bishops is copious and tied together with the knot of mutuall vnity that if any one should be author of heresie the rest might indeuour to controle him as this was the true meaning of the Apostles so to reason still from experience it is true that vntill the comming of Papall tyranny in the yere 607 the Church of Christ was euer most free from that superstition ambition auarice and impiety of manners which siâ—…ce haue spoiled all Seeing wee haue thus truely and without inconuenience brought the Ecclesiasticall gouernement to the rules of the old Testament it may suffice to rectifie a good and iuditious mind in that matter of the Bishops yet because it is a maine point not onely of generall reformation but of our intestine vnion with that perfect Church of England of our sincere coniunction also among our selues in Scotland I will insist briefly in it not into the idle perplexities which the malice and ignorance of you who be opponents doth moue because they be exactly treated by learned diuines onely because my discourse is Empericall I will speake two or three words touching the promiscual and common vse of the names Episcopus and Presbyter which is 〈◊〉 questionis affirmed by you to haue had no difference at all in the Apostolicall dayes so that thereupon you doebuild all the Sophistrie of the question Secondly I will giue you the cleere testimonies of the Catholike and Consentient Antiquitie vpon two things one of the great vse and benefite which hath redowned to the Church by the rule of Bishops an other of their successiue continuation from the dayes of the Apostles hitherto without intermission excepting a few reformed Churches 60. yeeres agoe Lastly I will set downe to you the iudgement and meaning concerning Church Policie of all our famous reformatours beginning at Luther euen vntill now to let you see how they bee as farre against your Consistorian Discipline as are our Bishops who be now in gouernment And first concerning the communitie of the words Episcopus and Presbyter it is true they were as they are still Unus Episcopatâ—… vnum Presbyterium and if you please to say Vnus Apostolatus Oâ—…e and the same thing touching the substance of their ministerie they preach one doctrine but we must not from that homonomie of wordâ—… enforce such wrangling conceits as if we had not learned in the Logicall Schoole the definition of Equiuoca verba quorum nomen est commune ea autem quae nomini conueâ—…unt alia atque alia which haue a common name but things competent to the name most diuers in the one and in the other they labour about one subiect but they be distinguished by some accidentall points wherein they differ by reason of degree of Ecclesiastical authority Quae differunt sâ—…lummodo quantitate qualitate non differunt natura say the Philosophers the things which differ onely in quantity and quality they doe not differ in nature as to say that the Archbishop hath within his rule the same power which the Patriarke within his touching the substance of his charge excepting some reseruations to the Patriarchall degree vnto the which by reason of superioritie appellation in some cases was made from the others and to the which belongeth a power to conuocate Archbishops by reason of more ample presedence so euery Patriarchall Bishop was an Archbishop but not reciprocally And euery Episcopus a Presbyter but not reciprocally while the Episcopall power was in the Apostles themselues or in Apostolicall men they who had that power were still called Apostles as by the worthier stile and therefore Ambrose in some of his Treatises vpon the Gospell by Apostles doth vnderstand Bishops and Cyprian in like manner Apostolos id est Episcopos praepositos Dominus elegit The Lord chose Apostles that is Bishops and ouerrulers for as Theodoret hath well obserued in these words in time past saith he they called one and the same man Bishop and Presbyter and these who now are called Bishops they named Apostles but in processe of time they left the name of Apostles to those who were truely Apostles and the name of Episcopus or Bishop they tooke away from Presbyter and gaue it to those who were wont to be called Apostles by confusion of names onely saith he which testimonie conferred with many others like will make the trueth of the matter to be this while as the Bishops were Apostles or Apostolicall men for so were the first Bishops the Angels of the Churches were also called Apostles of the Churches other inferior Pastors were then called Episcopi and Presbyteri by confusion of names but when those first Bishops being dead their successors were to be chosen out of the Presbyters men neither Apostles nor Apostolicall which Ierom noteth to haue beene done at Alexandria after the death of S. Marke as you shall heare and was done in other places where no Apostolicall men did rest aliue then I say and there they left the name of Apostles to Apostles indeed who were dead and for difference from them they called the intrant successor Episcopus or Bishop and his inferiour minister againe Presbyter allowing no more confusion of names so that this cleare distinction both of names and offices was embraced in the very first succession of the Apostles For Ignatius who was Bishop of Antioch in the Apostles time after that Euodius had been there before him hee did vsually distinguish these three degrees of the Clergie as the Church hath euer done since by these three names Bishop Presbyter and Deacon the difference of which degrees and the superioritie of Bishops is witnessed by the same Ignatius writing to the Smyrnenses Let no man doe any thing appertayning to the Church saith he yea let not the administration of the Eucharist be lawfull but by the Bishop or by him who hath his authoritie from the Bishop Next touching the restimonies of Antiquitie vpon the vse and benefit of Episcopall Regiment all the Fathers doe in one voyce applaude that which Cyprian the most modest of Bishops hath written in that point affirming that all heresies and schismes haue euer flowed from discontented humours of those who contemne the authoritie of Bishops which is placed to coerce and correct them Unde schismata
hereses aborta sunt nisi dum Episcopus contemnitur homo dignatione Dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus iudicatur from whence are heresies saith he but because vnworthy men doe censure and despise him whom God hath honoured with preferment Basilius saith that the vnitie of the Church doth depend from the vnitie of the Bishop and that the erection of a second Bishop within one Diocesse vnlesse it be to help and assist him by his own consent hath euer been esteemed the breeding of schisme but of all the Auncients Saint Ierom doth best cleare the truth of this point euen hee who is pretended to be flagellum Episcopâ—… the scourge of Bishops as you shall see It is true indeed that Ierom writing vpon the first of the Epistle to Titus hath once called the Episcopall authoritie rather a custome then an Apostolicall Tradition saying thus Before that by instinct of the Deuill there were factions in the Church and that it was said among the people I am of Paul I am of Apollo and I of Cephas the Church was gouerned by the common consent of the Presbyters but after through all the world it was decreed that one of the Presbyters should be placed aboue the rest to whom should apperteine the whole Ecclesiasticall care and extirpation of schisme Thus far Iâ—…m Out of which words the Presbyterians doe extort this consequence that the primitiue Church was gouerned by presbyteriall policie without Bishops to this the answer is first if it were granted to come in by a consueted and not by a primitiue tradition Yet the consequence is voyde against Bishops vnlesse we will say that Presbyters and Deacons were not neither an Apostolicall ordination because in the beginning the Apostles did gouerne the Church without both these by consent of the people as it is manifest by the Epistle to Titus as Creta Corynth Ephesus and Philippi before they had Episcopus or Presbyter whom when they did receiue the Church did yet remaine vnder the rule of the Apostles Secondly it is answered where hee speakes of the choosing of one Presbyter aboue the rest for taking order with schismes that schismes were begun in the Apostles ownetime so that this same election hath been also then begun or otherwise that the Apostles haue not been so wise as their Successors which were absurd to hold Thirdly it is answered that reason of Ierom taketh away Deacons as well as Bishops because the murmurations of the Greekes against the Hebrewes moued that institution as wee know which was not in the beginning Fourthly it is answered this opinion of Ierom is singular and perhaps of temerarious and discontented humour hee being but a Presbyter For while he speaketh of a noueltie in the Church accepted through all the world he should haue put downe the time by particular circumstances otherwise hee leaueth his opinion weake and obnoxious Lastly the answer is The best Doctors of the Church haue erred in their writts and haue set downe their Retractions as Augustâ—… so is it of veritie that Ierom hath mended himselfe 〈◊〉 this particular 〈◊〉 hath made an ample palinode and Recantation 〈◊〉 in this argument it is ouer past and suppressed by the presbyterian Cleargie as if none but they could finde it out In his epistle to Euagrius Alexandria inquit 〈◊〉 Marco Euangelista â—…sque ad Heracliâ—… 〈◊〉 Episcopos Presbyteri vnum ex sese electum in excelsiori gradâ—… collocatuâ—… ad tollenda schismata Episcopum 〈◊〉 quomodo si exercituâ—… Imperatorem faciat At Alexandriâ—… from Saint Marke the Euangelist vntill Heracliâ—… and Dionisius Bishops The Presbyters did â—…ill choose one of themselues to bee aboue them for auoyding of schismes whom they called Bishop euen aâ—…if an armie should create an Emperour Againe in the preamble of his Commentaries vpon Mattheâ—… he saith that Markâ—… was the first Bishop of Alexandria that 〈◊〉 dyâ—… 〈◊〉 thâ—… times of the Apostles the seuenth yeare of Nero he doth testifie in his Catalogue Script ecclesinst that which is true thaâ—… Ananiâ—… suereeded him therefore it must follow of his owne words that he was 〈◊〉 by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exeroituâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—… an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ate an Emperour Thirdly in an otherplace most plainâ—… Totius Ecclesiâ—… salutâ—…m à Summâ—… 〈◊〉 dignâ—…ate 〈◊〉 câ—… si non exors abâ—…mnibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestâ—… tâ—… in Ecelesia efficereÌ„â—…r schisâ—…ta quot Sacerdâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he The Churches prosperitio doth relieâ—…n the 〈◊〉 of the chiefe Priest or Bishop of the Church 〈◊〉 if hee haue not granted vnto him a free power aboue the rest there would be as many schismes as Priests withâ—… the Church so that Ierom must confesse that â—…rke and Anianâ—… at Alexâ—… and 〈◊〉 and Ignaâ—… 〈◊〉 Antioch were constitute by the ordiâ—…ce of ouâ—… Sâ—…our or then that the Apostles did institute 〈◊〉 to the minde of Christ which is absâ—…d to holâ—… 〈◊〉 lastlâ—… the conclusion of thaâ—… Epistle as I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…lated doth referre the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Iewish Church in which speeches first and last of Ierom we doe not onely obserue the great benefit redounding to the Church by Bishops and the end why they were created for vnitie and auoyding of schismes but we doe in like manner marke the antiquitie of that policie from S. Marke and the authoritie and power thereof as if an Armie should choose an Emperour saith hee and the succession thereof to Dionisius and lastly the vniuersalitie thereof Decretum erat in toto orbe terrarum saith hee It was decreed throughout the whole world wherevpon hee hath concluded that the weale of the Church doth depend à Summi Sacerdotis dignitate from the worth of the Bishop After that some of the inferiour Clerkes who did assist the informall election of Nouatian in the place of Cornelius were againe reduced vnto the Catholike Church their penitence was declared in these words We are not ignorant that there is one God one Christ one holy Ghost one Bishop into one Church whereby wee see that vnitie was the end of Episcopall institution When Constantine at the instance of the deuout Matrons of Rome licenced Liberius to returne but withall appointed that Church gouernment to bee common betwixt him and Felix The faithfull people deriding that ordinance of the Arrian Emperour cryed aloud as Theodore writeth one God one Church one Bishop So that antiquitie doth euer ascribe the benefit of vnitie in the Church vnto that apostolicall and ancient policie Thirdly for testimonies for the succession of the Bishops in the Church from the Apostles hitherto there be so many that for a short rehearsall one knoweth not what to choose Against the Bishopricks of Titus and Timothie many things bee idly pretended which are plainly discussed by those Theologues who haue expresly handled this question but against those who doe alledge that they remained not at Ephesus and Creta numbers of Authors beare witnesse Dorothaus in Synopsi Soph in Catal in tot Ifidorus de vita morte
Sanctorum vincent li. 10. cap. 38. Anthonius ex Policrate Part. titul 6. cap. 28. Niceph. li. 10. cap. 11. who all report that they liued and died the one at Ephesus and the other at Creta And as they were ordained by the Apostles so were diuerse others institute Bishops in diuerse places Eusebius witnesseth that about the yeere 45. Euodius was created by the Apostle Peter and Paul Bishop of Antioch and Ignatius who succeeded him in the Apostles time doth witnesse that Peter and Paul ordained Lâ—…nus Bishop of Rome An. 56. whom Anacletus succeeded after him Clemens obserued by Ireneus and Eusebius By the appointment of Saint Peter Marke was first Bishop of Alexandria To whom Aniâ—…us Abilius Cerdo all in the Apostles times witnesseth by Niceph. Gregory Ierome That Iames the iust was Bishop of Ierusalem institute by the Apostles immediately after the passion of our Sauiour Ierome doth affirme it Catalog scrip Eccles. Eusebius bringeth the most ancient testimonies of the Church for the same That to Iames the brother of our Lord surnamed the iust the throne Episcopall of Ierusalem was committed In particular hee bringeth Clemens Alexandrinus testifying that Iames Peter and Iohn did chuse Iames the iust Bishop of Ierusalem after the Ascension and Higesippus whom Ierome and Eusebius affirme to be of the first successours of the Apostles doe hold the same of Iames. Eusebius in his History giueth a Catalogue of 37. Bishops in Ierusalem betweene Iames and Macarius The same is testified by Ambrose and Augustine yea and all the general Councel of Constantinople whose records proue that Iames was the first Bishop to whom the Chayre of Ierusalem was trusted Now if any would say that these were Bishops but of one Church if there was but one in Crete how was it said Opidatim coÌ„stitues sicut ego te Ireneâ—… counted among the first of the primitiue writers speaking of the Church of Rome saith that the holy Apostles Peter and Paul the foundators thereof Tradiderunt Lino potestatem administrandi totius Ecclesiae That as the numbers of Christians did increase at Rome they were diuided in seuerall paroches vnder seuerall Presbyters by Euaristus Bishop of Rome which againe were augmented the Churches I meane by Higinus in the yeere 138 as Platina and Onuphrius doe testifie de Episcopat titul and Eusebius in his sixt Booke cap. 3. doth affirme that vnder Cornelius Bishop and Martyr in the yeere 250. there was in the Church of Rome 46. Presbyters 7. Deacons 100. other Clergy men and but one Bishop But of this point there is a cleere and manifest example and most free from controuersie of the seuen Churches of Asia ouer which was appointed the seuen Angels as Bishops confessed by Doctour Beza himselfe one also of your pretended Patrons calling the Angell of the Church of Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prelate or gouernour Antistitem saith hee vt vocat Iustinus Of these Churches I say that euery one comprehended in circuite both City and Country Churches and euery one of them had but one Angell or Bishop As Polycarp at Smyrna was Bishop 13. yeeres before the Reuelation was deliuered as is obserued by Bullingerus in Apocal. and hee died a glorious Martyr as Eusebius prooueth in his 4. Booke cap. 15. by an Epistle of the Smyrnenses and Onesimus Bishop of the Church of Ephesus testifieth by Ignatius ad Epiphanium and Ignatius himselfe was at Antioch Epiphanius doth testifie that the Church of Alexandria had besides the Church called Caesarea which was burned in Iulian his time and reedified by Athanasius it had also that Church of Dionisius that of Thomas that of Pierius that of Serapion of Mepdidius of Annianus of Baucalis and Abias and that in one of those Colluthus was a Presbyter and in one Carpones in an other Sarmatas and Arrius a Presbyter in one Aps large testimonies haue wee of those of Asia that Ephesus was a great Metropolis hauing a large Countrey subiect to it That Pergamus was a famous City sometimes the seat of the Church of Asia that Smyrna Sardis Laodicia Philodelphia were great and mother Cities hauing within them many Churches Ignatius to the Smyruenses Viueremini inquit Episcepum Reuerence your Bishop saith hee as Christ and his Apostles doe command and in his Epistle ad Trallianos what is a Bishop saith he but one Qui principatum potestatem super omnes obtinet who hath power aboue the rest and what are Presbyters saith he Sed Collegium sacrum Conciliarij Coassessores and in his Epistle ad Magnetianos As Christ saith he doth nothing without the Father so must not the Presbyters or Deacons doe any thing without their Bishops Aliter iniquum est Deo odiosum otherwise it is iniquity and odious to God Cyprian who was the most indulgent Bishop we read of to his Presbyters and the most modest Prelate In the fift Epistle of his second Booke touching one Aurelius whom he did ordinate but aduice of the Church Clergy Wee vse deare brother to deliberate with you before and to weigh the manners and merits of men by your concurrence but wee need not to looke for the testimonies of men Cumprecedant diuina suffragia when wee are strengthened by diuine suffrages Like to this againe we find of him in his ordination of one Numidicus in the tenth Epistle of his fourth Booke Brethren saith he I aduertise you that Numidicâ—… by diuine inspiration is adioyned to the number of our Carthagine Presbyters and that hee doth sit with vs among the Clergy and what hath beene done by Cyprian we read not where it was retracted by any which I doe not put downe heere yet any Bishop should delight to imitate this kinde of rule but onely to shew what doth in cure appertaine to the person of a Bishop and the weight of his authority as the same Cyprian doth testifie in the 27. Epistle Indeper temporum suecessionum vices Episcoporum ordinatio Ecclesia Ratio decurrit vt super Episcopes Ecclesiam constituatur Et omnis actus Ecclesia peripsos gubernetur So hath it fallen out saith hee by length of time that the order of Bishops and the condition of Ecclesiasticall rule is such that it doth altogether rest with them and euery act thereof appertaine to them Now because I intend not to bee tedious in this discourse therefore you are to marke how of all these ancients I haue chosen out three whose testimonies and opinions in the question of Bishops is to bee esteemed most sincere for the reason following Of all the Bishops of Antiquity Cyprian was the most fauourable and most affected to his Presbyters and in his carriage more like to a Compresbyter then a Prelate Of all the Bishoppes of Antiquity whose writings are extant in the Church Ignatius is most ancient and hath drawne his knowledge out of the pure fountaines of Apostolicall wisedome and not from the riuers as his fellowes
not close and inseparable among our selues we shal be found the vncleane vessels of dishonour Vnity is the beauty of the Church now and it shall bee her triunphant song in the end to cry as the Prophet had foretold of lattet times Venite ascendamus in montem Domini Come brethren let vs goe vp together to the mount of God Therefore these exhortations are to pray the Lord God who hath formed vs to make vs vnited vessels of honour and to that effect to rectifie our iudgements that wee may esteeme no names so sacred vnder heauen as the holy names of harmony peace and vnanimity within the Church in one thing and in all things that we may thinke no opinion more Christian in this age wherein wee liue then that of the venerable Zanchius one of the brightest stars of our owne Hemispheare in his treatise De verareformandarum Ecclesiarum ratione written for that part as followeth Whatsoeuer is in the Church of Rome or in any other Church it is either agreeable to the written word or contrary or adiaphoron indifferent Whatsoeuer is besides the written word either in the Fathers in the Councels or in the Papall decrees they are in like sort vnder the same distinction Pro contra or indifferent For the first that which is agreeable with the word is to be retained or if it be reiected it is againe to be receiued for the second that which is contrary is to be refused or if it hath been followed is againe to be forsaken for the third that which is indifferent we must not thinke that it doth of it selfe belong vnto saluation but in such a case we must follow the rule of the Apostle That nothing bee brought into the Church but that which doth tend to edification order or vnity All indifferent ceremonies therefore may bee securely followed for any of those respects but so to be followed as that we stil preferre things which bee more ancient vnto those which be more late aswell for the honour of antiquity as because that which is most ancient in the Church is most true for albeit nothing can binde the conscience but canonicall Scripture yet to introduce nouelties or to banish out of the Church any of those things which from the primitiue time hath beene allowed by common and Catholike consent and confirmed by the writtes of the ancient Fathers To reiect such things with out authoritie of generall Councell it is not lawful for any Christian man who feareth God saith he Can we maintaine more sound opinions either as good Christians or as good subiects then those of Zanchius for vnity tending to the strengthening both of Church State we especially of this Isle the condition wherof if we consider truely when it lay thousands of yeres of our ancestours diuided in weake and dismembred Kingdomes and as our owne eies haue seen it subiect to the ambition of so many forrain Pharaohs as haue pressed to bring it vnder their seruitude by practises now from France now from Spaine now from Rome we shall thinke this age wherein we are to be like to that fourth generation wherein God did predestinate as he foretold Abraham to bring his posterity out of Egypt for that same God called Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis miraculous in his Saints who raised that excellent Moses to lead his people through the troublesome deserts to a glorious state in the Land of Canaan hee hath also sent to vs a mighty and extraordinary instrument to lead vs through those perilous perplexities now past vnto the ioyfull Iubile of these conioyned Kingdomes making this Isle great and fortunate in his royall person as hee made his people of Israel most blessed for the time by the like coniunction of the tree of Ioseph with the tree of Iuda saying by the Prophet Ezechiel That they should bee all vnder one King and no more a diuided people So that they who delight in disiunction be they Aaron be they Miriam be they Core Daâ—…han or Abiraâ—… who rebels against Moses especially bee they Iesuited Papists or heteroclite Puritans I speak not of any good men who obey God and the Prince but of those who carry armed hartâ—… factious and vehement spirits against the State spirits contrary to God because as the Scripture saith Non in commotions Domâ—…us The Lord is not in commotion spirits not of peace nor edification but of destruction In spiritu vehâ—…ti câ—…nteres naâ—…es Tharsis saith Dauid Be who they will who grudge against Moses euery wel disposed member of the common-wealth hath great cause to grudge against them least they cut the thred of our felicity and bring vpon vs which God of his infinite mercy forbid by our constant murmurings that euill which befell the obstinate Israelites at the waters of contradiction whose wicked rebellions made Moses to offend the Lord grieuously euen that good Moses of whom it is said Delectus Deo hominibus Moses cuius memoria in benedictione est Though hee was dearely beloued of God and men and though hee was the most meeke of all liuing flesh yet they brought the Lords indignation vpon themselues and vpon him who both were preuented by death and were not suffered to enter into the Land nor to taste the fruits of their long and painefull voyage in the Wildernesse God of his goodnes grant you to loath these waters of strife and chiefly these waters which bee poysoned with Iesuiticall wormewood and gaul wherof so many millions of people haue died within these threescore yeres that you may cry in time with that Prophet Saluum me fac Domine quoniam intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meam Deliuer me O Lord because those waters haue gone vnto my Soule God grant that like vnto the holy Doue you finde no resting place among them vntill you enter into the Arke and vnitie of the Church that we may liue together in one hope to see the further mysteries of this happy time the seale whereof is already opened to the great admiration of all the world It was forbidden anciently to sacrifice a Swan because her plumes are white and her heart black so would I wish that from this peace offering might be debarred all such whose hearts are incurably blacked with pride of stricktnesse and singularity and that it should bee onely handled of those meeke and ingenuous spirits who will bee contented to found their iudgement thereof vpon those three grounds without the which our knowledge cannot be sure as S. Augustine faith Contrarationem nemo sobrius contra scripturâ—…s nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pascificus That no sober man should make opposition to reason nor no Christian man to the Scriptures nor no peaceable man to the Church And so hoping that the modest Reader will obserue these grounds I doe submit my selfe to his discretion beseeching him that he would not looke vpmy paines with his sinistrous eye nor receiue with the wrong hand that which
that to doe miracles it is gratia gratis data a grace freely granted of God as is the gift of Prophesie according to Saint Paul and as the Saints by their praiers haue entreated God to grant them the reall gift of Prophesie so no doubt the faith and praiers of the Saints haue obtained from God for the good of his owne people to bee instruments and workers of Miracles and as the gift of Prophesie was not a constant and habituall vertue resident in their persons by the which they might Prophesie when they would As we see in Elizeus who beeing once demanded of the king vpon a secret Dominus inquit celauit a me the Lord hath hidden it from mee when King Dauid was bidden by the Prophet to build the Lords Temple because God was with him in euery thing the same Prophet did forbid him the morrow after confessing that he had spoken without Gods priuity and therefore falsely so that the gift of Prophesie is a transient passion as is the power of miracles which is not neither permanent but as the Sawe hath a vertue to cut a sunder not at all times but when the Craftesman putteth his hand to it This extraordinary gift was not onely not granted habitually but it was granted to a fewe in number and that in the beginning chiefely of Iewish and Christian religion for establishment of faith in the world which was then bewitched with Ethnicke Idolatry strenghthned with Diabolical miracles so that God well knew Quod contraria contrarijs curantur by the true miracles of his holy spirit wrought by diuers of his good Saints to the astonishment of people he did discredit the spirit of Satan and that was done in the beginning to purchase authority to the faith as our Sauiour saith Si mihi non vultis credere operibus credite si opera non fecissem quae nemo alius vnquam fecit peccatum non baberent But after the word of God and his Lawe hath beene once established and receiued as it was answered to the Rich man in the Gospel Mosen habent Prophetas and therefore they might not looke for one to come from the dead who had the holy Scripture to look vpon euen so we after so many miraculous works done by our Sauiour and his Apostles for confirmation of our faith and after the Gospell left in perfection by the Spirit of God and embraced of the Gentiles for eternall veritie we are no more to depend vpon miracles as Christ himselfe testified after the doing of all these Scrutamini Scripturas quia illa testimonium perhibent de me There is no doctrine more true then this that miracles haue beene onely appointed of God for the aforesaid vse for of themselues they are neither necessarie nor sufficient for saluation The Canancan and the Thiefe vpon the Crosse they did beleeue vvithout miracles and he himselfe hath saide Blessed are they who beleeue and haue not seene so as they are not necessarie Againe Pharoh did see a number of miracles and was euer the more hardened which makes that they are not sufficient Is it not then a great vanity that the Church of Rome should arrogate vnto her that power vvhich God thought not necessarie to leaue to his Church Yea and which he foresaw to be dangerous by reason of the vveakenesse of humane wisdome to discerne betwixt true and false miracles vvhat vvas it that did indure the heart of Pharoh vvant of beleefe in God no doubt but herewith also want of knowledge to discerne betwixt Mosaicall and Magicall miracles so that the leauing of this to the Church had beene an ambush to catch men and lead them to Idolatry and the seruice of Satan testified plainly by the Scipture The Prophet saith Seduxerunt Populum meum in miraculis mendasibus And in the Apostle Surgent Pseudo Christi pseudo Prophetae Dabunt signa magna prodigia in populum ita vt in errorem inducantur etiam Electi si fieri potest How many shall say of those Prophets in Nomine tuâ—… prophetanimus Demonia eijcimus How mightely did Simon Magus deeeiue the multitude so desirous of miracles and so ignorant of them Uir quidam Simon Magus seducebat Ciuitatem Samariae quem auscultabuntur omnes a minimo ad Summum dicentes haec est virtus Dei qui vocatur magna co quod multo tempore magicis suis signis dementasset cos The looking for miracles is a token of Iewish vnbeleeuing hearts Signa non sunt data fidelibus sed infidelibus saith the Apostle Therefore they are most proper to the incredulous Synagogue of the Iewes for the which cause aboue all the other Apostles so great power of miracles was giuen to Saint Peter the Apostle of the Iewes that he did heale the strongest diseases with his shadow which not onely was neuer done by none of his fellow Apostles but we doe not read the like of Christ himself Iudaei signa petunt Gentes sapientiam quaerunt saith Paul Secondly is it not more then madnesse in the Church of Rome by arrogating vnto her this perpetuitie of miracles which God hath made onely temporarie and personall in the beginnings shee doth manifestly cloth her selfe with those markes whereby the Spirit of God doth point forth the Antichrist Let vs heare Saint Paul Reuelabitur iniquus ille cuius aduentus erit secundum operationem Satanae in omni virtute signis prodigijs mendacibus omni seductione iniquitatis his qui pereunt And the Spirit of God in the Apocal speaking of that second Beast which had two hornes like to a Lambe and spake like a Dragon Edetquo Signa magna adeo vt faciat ignem c Coelo discendere in conspectu hominum seducet Incolas Terrae propter signa quae datum est ei vt faciat in conspectu Bestiae In which places as we see this Traffique of Miracles is plainely called Operatio Satanae and a seduction of those who must perish By these I doe appeale vnto the diuine light of your Lordships conscience whither you doe not thinke that we ought to content our selues with Moses the Prophets and Apostles following Christs owne precept Sorutamini Scripturas to search the Scriptures for the doctrine of Saluation and to contemne this ridiculous and impious profession of pretended Miracles I appeale to your Lordship as you will be answerable to him who hath said of that light which he hath giuen you Est lux vera quae illuminat vmâ—…m hominem venientem in mundum Whether you do not thinke that those who in this Sunne-shine of Gods word would ground their beliefe vpon Miracles doe not iustly merite that answere of Christ to the Scribes and Pharises demanding miracles Generatio mala adultera signum quaerit and whither you Lordship doe not hold all those who beleeue such poore and childish conceits bee not iustly giuen ouer to themselues as
not onely the soules of men but their bodies and goods yea the sacred D◅adems of annoynted Kings Was there euer a pride equall to this that a Priest shall thinke it his due that Kings and Monarks shall kisse his foote that he shall say to himselfe Sup◅ basiliscum ◅labo conoulc◅◅nem that hee shall arrogate power to sell the Kingdome of heauen and count himselfe God vpon the earth saying with Augustus Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Caesan habet stil following Gentiselime striuing as the Ethnicke Emperors did tomake it again Roma caput Mundi Such perpetual toyle busines doth that Consistory keep about this my stery that it may be said of thē as Lucianus mocking the plurality idlenes of the Poeticall gods said of Iupiter while som other god one day would haue talk't with him it was told him that he was busie quid facit parturit said one hee is a trauayling of the birth of Minerua whom the Poets faine to be bred in the braine of Iupiter Sowee may affirme of them Quod semper parturiant they bee euer bringing foorth their birth but what birth is it Minerua counsels bookes or precepts of wisedome no they doe not imitate Iupiter to bring foorth Minerua true wisedome of pietie and peace they imitate that Goddesse of wrath Nemesis who did send through the world with her Pandora the bookes of curiositie contention malignitie and dissention the bookes of vengeance and endlesse discord witnesse their Archipandora Bellarmine in his Treatise of the Papall Supremacie whereof I shall speake hereafter witnesse their Pandora Mariana the Iesuite heere you shall see what is the birth of their trauailing murther of Princes rebellion of Subiects bloud of legions desolation of Countries setting on fire the whole world for building againe that Tower of Babell which doth keepe Christian people in such desperate pacoxisme and diuision of tongues that alas wee are neuer like to speake one language so hath the Lord punished their pride their vnspeakable pride which is like vnto the pride of him who said Ascendam super altudinem nubium super moxtes Aquilonis fimilie ero altissimo They be in effect Cloudes high with proud ambition moyst and humide with letcherie bright and shining with glorious ostentation thundring with arrogance and tumults which they contriue Hi sunt nubes sine aqua quae a ventis circumferuntur saith Thaddeus this is that fatall Tower builded by that mighty Nimrod the Diuell whereof God hath concluded Tollatur in altum vt lapsu grauiore cadat It must bee mounted to great heigth that it may also haue a great fall it may be iustly called fatall the very Church doth not escape this blot but euen her first plants haue beene annoyed with these pernicious weedes of pride and ambition Aaron and Miriam grudged against Moses and did striue for authoritie The first sacred Colledge of our Christian Religion the twelue Apostles were not free of this contagion Iames and Iohn called of Saint Paul the Arch-pillers which did sustaine Christs Church they contended for the right hand of Christ. It is strange that Diuines and Prelates should not learne the wisedome of humilitie from the very stile of the Spirit of God speaking in these particulars When this Tower of Babel vnto the which I compare the pride of Rome was builded in the Land of Senair which is interpreted to stinke as is said by the posteritie of Noe the text sayes they parted from the Orient which is interpreted Christ as Zachary testifies Ecce vir Oriens nomen eius subter eum orietur lux And Luke Perviscera misericordiae Dei nostri in quibus visitauit nos Oriens ex alto they were the sonnes of Noe who went from this Orient to Sanair but from that forward the holy Spirit doeth no more call them the Sonnes of Noah but the Sonnes of Adam Descendit Dominus vidit vrbem quam edificanerunt filij Adam Euen so speaking of this pride of Iames Iohn he doth not vouchsafe them the names of Apostles nor their owne names but the sonnes of Zebedoeus Accessit ad Iesum mater filiorum Zebedei which is a notable Art of the Spirit of God to reproch pride O you blinde Prelates of Rome you sonnes of Adam and not of Noe you sonnes of Zebedeus and not Apostles why haue ye through your pride lost your names and parted from your Orient if your Tower were firmely established as that of Dauid vpon Sion no tempest were able to shake it it is but of stones taken out of the slime of the earth forged out of earthly auarice and ambition That of Dauid was founded vpon a sure rocke fundata super firmam Petram as it is said in the Gospell Ipso summo angulari Lapide Christo hauing Christ himselfe for the chiefe corner Stone therefore shall that of yours fall to the ground after the example of him who was the first author of such fabricks While I did behold at leisure in Rome this fulnesse and ouerflowing of concupiscence in mens manners one may easily gesse that it was to mee like vnto the second appearing of the Angell of God to the Asse of Balaam In that Towne which was one of the first Mother Churches where pouertie contempt miserie and glorious martyrdome had beene indured for plantation of the faith where Pastors were meerely spirituall without regard to the world after the commaundement of their Master where so many Cloystorall and Monasticall deserts of true solitude and holinesse were to bee seene of olde that now adaies no vestigium doth remaine no marke of that sanctitie yea not a cloke sufficient to couer their nakednesse nothing but an Ocean of abuses the Rulers swelling in pride and riches polluted with filthinesse and lust defiled with Idolatrie seeking the world and dominion ouer Princes contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostles Non quaerimus quae vestra sunt sed vos Contrarie to the doctrine of the Prophets mittam vobis venatores multos qui venabuntur vos saith Ieremie Vos non vestra contrarie the doctrine of Christ himselfe faciam vos piscatores hominum he saith not piscium nor yet pecuniarum The people tyed to superstition religion turned to pharisaicall ceremonies the Euangel neglected the law became Mosaicall daylie impietie of all sortes daylie sacrifices and pardons for all abominatiōs the holy deserts opened again to the world and defiled with pride and vilanons lecherie the Towne smoking in the stincke of Sodom that if those faithfull fathers their first foundatours might againe looke vpon their Successores they would cry nec nos Patres nec vos fily The first Bishops of Rome who sustained Martyrdome being in number two and thirtie before Constantine the great what would they say to the Pope who walketh vpon the neckes of Monarkes while they succeeded onlie to Christ his Crosse what would that austere Saint Francis say vnto these Idle Bellies who haue abused his simple
his pontificate Finally if we come to speake of the confirmations of councels and canons which is the last point of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction we also finde that nothing was solid vntill the imperiall approbation was conioyned to the spirituall The Rolles of the decrees of the counsell of Nice and Constantinople were presented to Constantine and Theodosius to be subscribed and authorised by them against which foresaide policie of the primitiue Church so farre depending vpon the Emperour I know not what we can pretend vnlesse we will be like those ignorant Gnostickes of whom Irenaeus doth make mention in the fourth Chapter of his third booke who held this opinion that while God did commaund vs to obey superior powers he did accommodat that command to the condition of persons and tymes and that the Church is not now in minoribus as she was then but out of Pagerie and able to commaund her selfe Certayne the lawe of God is immutable and eternall and doeth not suffer ecclipse nor is subiect to the measure of our fantasies If one will say the dealing of Arrian Kings with the church vnder the crosse is not to be drawne in example what shall we say to the Iurisdiction of Constantine the greate the first patron of the Church who tooke vpon him in his tyme to establish Bishops and had at his death Athanasius vnder his Iudicature and what shall we answere to Charlemaine a great fauourer of the Church to his son Lues Debonaire who sent to Rome to iudge a Pope for the murther of Theodore a Romane Senatour of the French deuotion wherein the Pope was forced to cleere himself by the kings owne appointment as the letters of Pope Leon to Lues to that effect doth import Thus if we haue done any thing out of purposse in that processe we are readie to amend it by your owne officers whom weâ—…treate you to send outwell disposed men to take triall of that matter The ecclesiasticall histories and the liues of Popes where they are written besoful of such testimonies and so plaine into them I thought it not necessarie to quote them particularlie So concluding this generall Theme in fauours of the lawfull authoritie of Kings I say the primitiue Church had neuer a Bishop nor Pope who did refuse to submit himselfe to the imperiall Iurisdiction after the example and doctrine of Christ in such manner that we are to esteeme all this contrary clergie of Papall parasites to be a false and bastard Theologie of ambitious monsters who striue to vsurpe that power which God hath reserued to himselfe of disposing of Kings and Diadems of the world after the way of his secret and diuine prouidence which power is so alone to him that no mortall flesh may participate of it as Daniel doth approoue in the Dreame of Nebuccadnezar Altissimus habet Potestatem super Regna hominum dat illa cuivult constituit super illa homines vilissimos The most High hath power ouer the Kingdomes of men hee giueth them to whom hee will and placeth in them most vile men And the Prophet Esay in this point in the person of the Ethnicke Cyrus he doth prophesie his victories hee calleth him the Lords Anoynted of whom God did say Whose right hand I haue holden to subdue Nations before him he ordayned him to be obeyed saying Uae ei qui litigauerit contra factorem suum Woe bee to him who doth question with his Maker Numquid lutum dicet factori suo quid facis Shall the Clay say to the Potter What dost thou make Then hee concludeth saying I haue raysed him and he shall let my people goe not for money but freely When God commanded Nolite tangere vnâ—…s meos hee did not except Saul more then Dauid Balthasar more then good King Iosias what then shall these miserable and wretched potshrads of these times reason with their Maker when he saith Dedi eis Regem in furore meo regnare facit hypocritam propter peccata Populi What shal they haue a count of him or how doe they not heare the voyce of the Prophets of Christ himselfe of the Apostles of the Fathers of the primitiue Church all consentient and contrary to that poysoned doctrine of Rome inuented and maintayned by the Iesuites where in place of these sacred priuiledges yeelded vnto Christian Princes as is said consisting in foure or fiue points of Soueraignity in the Ecclesiasticall gouernment wee shall heare foure or fiue such Maximes as these To Christ is giuen all power in Heauen and Earth and Christ hath giuen the keyes of all to Saint Peter therefore the Pope his successor hath all power also of Heauen and Earth hee is aboue Kings and may translate and destroy their authoritie he is aboue generall Councells and may inhibit them hauing all power in his owne person In place of Christian Apostolike and reuerent speeches of Monarchs Kings there is to be heard fastuous contemptible inuectiues against them serpentine insinuations to cut the throat of their Royall power to depose them spoyle their estates and inuade their liues and these by exoterick or publike writtes and who will be curious of their acroamaticke or hidden and cloysterall doctrine shall bee taught to vnderstand this ground for all that after the raigne of the Antichrist all Nations are to be collected vnder one Pastor and to obey him and to that effect God doth establish and raise some puissant Christian authoritie which should be in the occident as some Rabbins and Iewish Doctors who became thereafter Christians haue obserued by these mysticall wordes of our Sauiour vpon the Crosse Vouch chi hammassiah chesche uitlash bannesthimneth hu daieth roscho daiphen nalt sarphat dareth rachen nalcha That is to say Et erit postquam Messias suspensus fuerit in ligno ecce ipse inclinabit caput suum prespiciens ad occidentem dixit miserebor tui The French say they doth expound this mysterie of the Grandor of the French Crowne because their Princes were myraculously brought vnto the Christian faith receiuing the Flower-de-Luce sent from heauen as their Stories record with a supernaturall power to heale the Ecruelles by touching which Flower is holden sacred and in holy Scripture is recommended aboue all other Flowers being imployed in the worke of the great Candlesticke made by Moses and after vsed by Salomon who built the Temple whereof Moses drew the figure so that they esteeme this Flower to be the true hyerogliphicke of their faith and hold it yet for their Armories they haue beene mightie promoters of Gods Church by destroying flouds of Arrians Gots and Visigotti in Spaine in the daies of Carollo Martello and Pipino his sonne by their expulsion of Longobards and succouring of the seat Apostolicall vnder Carolus Magnus by their exploits in the Orient about the conquest of Ierusalem vnder the Armes of Godfred de Bullion and his partners and by their Christian enterprises against the Saracenes vnder Lodouicus sanctus
weale and when there is cause an other chosen in his stead by the greatest part of the people but then to let you see that all that processe must depend from the Pope vpon the word Tyrannus they doe reason thus Tyrannice gubernans non potest spoliari sine publico Indicio lata vero sententia potest quisque fieri Executor potestque deponi a populo qui iurauerit ei obedientiam perpetuam He who raigns Tyrannously cannot be spoyled of his dominion vntill the publike sentence bee pronounced which once done he may be depriued by any yea by the same subiects who did sweare to him perpetuall obedience This publike sentence we must vnderstand is Excommunicatio Maior proceeding from the Pope How these Aphorismes doe agree with the doings of the Primitiue Church let the most ignorant iudge whither they bee not seasoned with their wormewood Vpon these two foundations of excommunication and depriuation doth of necessitie follow the third to wit murther of Kings first thundered next eiected thirdly slaine and doctrinall grounds set downe to authorise the same Gean Guignart in his treatise vpon the murther of Henry the third a good Prince and a catholike Romane he doth stablish two propositions one that the cruel Nero was murthered by a deliuering Clement whose heroicall act inspired by the holie spirit was to be reputed iust and lawfull yea and most laudable next that the crowne of France ought to be transposed to another Race and the Biarnois so doth he disdainfullie call the french king he ought to haue a monasticall crowne that is to say to be shauen and condemned to the cloyster albeit he was become a catholike Romane which if he would not accept they should by force of armes eiect him or depriue him of his life Ambrose Varades principall of the Iesuites Colledge at Paris was found the instigatour of Barrier against the late king immediatly after his conuersion to the Church of Rome Chastell who strooke him in the mouth confessed that he was taught by Iesuites that it was an act of extraordinarie great godlinesse to kill him because he was no lawfull king although he was conuerted vntill he was receiued by the Pope A letter was found of father Commelet a man most famous among them for prudence and grauitie bearing these words we must haue an Aeod let him be a monke a souldier or a sheepheard it is no matter we must haue an Aeod for the assassinat or slaughter of King Henrie the third so did their absynthiū vniuersallie poyson all that euen in the Serbon it was concluded in fauour of the Pope that his excommunication and murther was both lawful and wel acted William Parry confessed at his death that Benidicto Paulio Aniball Codreto Iesuites did persuade him that it was a most religious act to surprise the life of the late Queene of England a good Princesse replenished with Pietie vertue And who should heare the true relation of the state of Polonia since the entrie of the Iesuites there he should heare of more wicked secret practises during that time then for hundreths of yeeres before This is the doctrine and these are the practises of Papall pride with the Christian Kings of this age which being paralelled with these of the primitiue fathers it is easie to marke the antithesis So to ende this particular touching the Maxims of the Iesuisticke schooles it is the glorie which they doe cary as a bright starre in the front of all their renoune that they be daunters of puissant kings and it is found in their owne bookes in that treatise called Summa constitutionum imprinted at Lions Anno 1859. conteyning the gouernment of that societie it is sayd Tyrannos aggrediuntur lolium ab agro Domini euellunt They inuade tyrants and roote out the cockle and filth from the Lords feild And so invincible they be in this mischeuous doctrine that albeit they vnderstood Tanquerall was condemned to vndergoe a great punishment and hardlie did escape his life Anno. 1561. for suffering this Theame touching the authoritie of kings to be called in question of the Sorbon and to be disputed there yet so bould are they that euer since that tyme they did practise the court of parliament at Paris to fauour the same motion albeit oftentimes it was despightfully reiected vpon suspition of that which in effect was found true that they had couertly corrupted the Sorbon by sliding in among them some of their owne scolers neither is there anie thing in all this more strange then to heare Cardinall Bellarmine his answere for that holy carriage of the fathers of the primitiue Church with Emperours and Kings of their Tyme it was sayth he more necessarie in that time of the primitiue Church to admonish Christian people to obey temporal powers least otherwise the preaching of the Gospell had beene hindered The case being altered now when the Church is inful authoritie power her selfe which fiefor shame is no other then to make the word of God to be a religion of Foxes a doctrine of sophistrie a profession of Equiuocation consequentlie of P◅rle quia qui dubi◅r at his me◅itur bis peiur at as Cicero saith as if vpon these words Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo Christ would say to his Apostles and successours that they should obey Princes so long as they were vnder the Crosse and could doe no otherwise but when they should beginne to floorish and get the winde vpon them that then they should change the stile of the Euangell and teach a contrarie doctrine a doctrine not of Christ but of the ambitious schoole of Machauel to the stayne of Gods glorie who hath made no law but on for kings of Israel for kings of the primitiue Church and for all who haue followed vpon which point and vpon these words of our Sauiour Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo we may heare S. August as it were vpon the Theater of the world making a procliamation to secure all authorities from such feare Iealousie Audite saith he Iudaei gentes audi preputium audite omnia Regna terrena non i◅podis domination◅ ve◅am in hoc mundo O heere yee Iewes and gentiles yee circumcised and vncircumcised heere yee all the kingdomes of the earth Christ maketh no stoppe nor opposition to your authorities temporall and we reade S. Bernard vpon this text in the 12 of Saint Luke where one said to Christ master tel my brother vt mecum diuidat here ditatem that he may diuide our heritage he answered homo quis me constituit Di◅isorem aut Iudic◅m super vos who appointed me a iudge ouer you or diuider of your lands whereupon Saint Bernard saith stetisse lego Apostolos iudicandos sedisse iudicantes non lego I read saith hee that that the Apostles stood to be iudged but that they did sit ◅o Iudge I read not Their successors indeed the Bishops of the
deceiued who say that Titus or Timothie had an extraordinary vocation for they were chosen by the Apostle and were the Schollers of S. Paul Quae accepi à Domino saith hee catradidivobis The things which were taught to mee by our Master Christ these haue I teached you Yea doe we not see how in the very time of the Apostles themselues when the extraordinary spirit was giuen to many there was iealous warnings among them against extraordinarie Pretenders Audiuimus quosdam ex nobis c. we heare saith the Apostle that some haue gone out from among vs who haue troubled you bidding you to bee circumcised quibus mandat a nulla dederamus to whom no coÌ„mandement was giuen An euident Argument that no man might enter into the Church without Apostolicall ordination notwithstanding the holy Ghost was frequently giuen and extraordinarily to manie by God himselfe immediately Briefely this extraordinary Vocation hath neuer in no time beene seene but accompanied with such miraculous graces as did sufficiently warrant it from doubt or calumnie which makes mee thinke that hee who is in this Libertine and corrupted age will pretend extraordinarie calling he had neede to qualifie the same by extraordinary markes The Lord God indeede who Master of all creation of all redemption and of all Reformation and for common doth worke by naturall and ordinary meanes in all these three when he will to shew his power and glory he will worke aboue and contrary to Nature and to her order as hee made the Red Sea to diuide for Moses and the Sunne to be fixed for his successour Iosua as he suffered by way of reformation the Asmoner to be for the time both Kings and Priests in one person as nature it selfe following the same doing of God her Soueraigne Lord albeit for the ordinary she worketh to procreation and generation of things yet sometimes she workes deuouring inundations and pestilent plagues which although they seeme to destroy yet they are necessary purgers of nature for the time euen so there hath beene in the beginnings of Christian reformation extraordinary things done by good men in case of so great exigence and necessitie as was but these extrauagant interims are neuer to bee drawen in rule The tyranny of Rome hath enforced that kinde of doing the cruell martyrdome first of Sauouarola and then of Hus for their cries of Reformation their deceiuing of Caroliu 5. and two succeeding Emperors in their designs of reformation their barbarous persecution of the Protestants of France and Germany by bringing vpon their neckes the Arms of the holy league for their protestation to haue the Catholike Church reformed These mad Christian people despairing of generall reformation by ordinary means and authoritie of Princes and Prelates to attempt it with some disorder and violence wherein some haue beene better some worse accoding to the diuers mindes and meanes of Reformatours in diuers places all tollerable for the time none perfect but that which hath beene done after these Iewish reformations whereof we speake and to speake ingenuously of all these which haue been it seemeth that no worse carriage hath beene in any then in those of Scotland and France albeit mooued by godly and reuerend men yet because they were attempted against the auctoritie Royall for the time which was the reason why they fell forth as a furious Northerne tempest threatning a common otherthrow in place to reforme Policie and Prelates they did destroy both enrage the people eiect the Prince shake the whole state and make their natiue Countries a bloudy stage of domestick and forraine ambition that it may be iustly said thereof as Cicero did reproach to the vnhappy Brut us Bona inâ—…o optima causa sed mihi crede foedissimè per acta a good cause yea a most good cause but beleeue it most miscreantly gouerned A much better act was that of George Prince of Henault who being but a ciuill man did reforme the Pontificate of Meresburgh For albeit he was not ordained by Pontificiall authoritie yet as he affirmes in his Apologie for that act he did procure vnto himselfe an ordinary vocation and canonicall Election by the whole Chapter of that Cathedrall Church who had their calling in the Church of Rome and did ordaine him a pastour with power by their aduise to reforme that seat for there be diuers of the Catholike Romane Cleargie who doe not hold euerie ordination vnlawfull which is not approoued of the Pope witnesse the late controuersie betwixt him and the Venetians for the Abbey of Policena where he did ordinate his Nephew Cardinall Burghesio they one of their own Citizens who did inioy it Better yet were these Reformations of Germany performed by Wicliffe Luther Bucer Farelluâ—… Viretus and others whereof some being questioned before the Emperor were neuer demaunded vpon their calling because they had gotten order within the Church of Rome yet perfectly good were none of these Germane reformations neither because the greatest part of them were onely Presbyters and had no Episcopall authoritie to reforme But of all these Reformations which haue beene lately in the Catholike Church that of England hath beene most vpright perfect and agreeable to the Architype of Ierusalem as you shall hereafter more cleerely perceiue where Prelates and Princes doe erre and Princes and Prelates againe to whom onely the authoritie did belong did reforme both themselues and the people retaining alwayes in their Church the Primitiue Ecclesiasticke gouernement with so many of their religious Rites and Ceremonies as were agreeable with Catholike Antiquitie and not contrary to Gods word resolued to part no further from Rome then she hath parted from the veritie which was the reason why this Reformation came not as a storme into the ayre nor in a Commotion but like vnto that Sibilus aurae tenâ—…is wherein the Lord was so that amidst the fearefull thundere and coruscations of Europe it did confirme the tranquility of that kingdome in a miraculous sort and did truely procure vnto the late Queene of blessed memorie that braue word Circundita Marte quiesco So that it might haue beene said of her feminine Raigne as it was said of the gowne of that great Orator Cuius sub iure togaque Pacificas sauus tremuit Catilina secures How many forraine machinations did she illude How many intestine Catelines did she surpresse how did shee cut the crust of the Spanish ambition with such dexterity as a second Iudith cutting off the head of Olophernes Cranmer Bishop of Canterbury Primat of the English Church Latymer Bishop of Wighorne Hooper Bishop of Glocestre Rialey Bi of London these were lawfully ordinate Bishops in the Church of Rome King Henrie the eight and his Successors Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth were lawfull Princes to both which according to the exemplar of Ierusalem and vnto that which was due to their Predecessors in the Primatiue Church did belong the power to reforme themselues and their kingdomes and Iurisdictions to
but vnto the primitiue Church vnder the Apostles and their Successors during the first three or foure hundred yeeres of her puritie so that from the estate of the Church in that time are all our Reformations to be sought apparantly and what we haue transgressed against that is to bee referred againe and ruled by that and by no later times Albeit generall Councells and great numbers of learned men were more frequent thereafter for all the world doth know that as learning grew so grew corruption and so grew curiositie to couer the same so grew contention ambition and heresie To proue by many arguments the sinceritie of the Primitiue Church or the reasons why wee should appeale to her for reformation it is not necessarie The holy and great Doctor S. Augustine giueth such a testimonie as leaueth no suspicion that saith he which the holy primitiue Church obserued although it was not concluded by Counsells but alwaies retayned non nisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissime creditur it is most rightly beleeued to haue been no other then an Apostolicall institution Againe saith he to dispute whether that which the holy primitiue Church through the world did obserue should bee now receiued or not receiued insolentissimae est insaniae it is a most mad insolence In which wee marke these two First that hee doth not limitate the primitue Church to the daies of Christ and his Apostles but hee speaketh of a primitiue Church flourishing throw the world Secondly that he doth not tye the credit of the primitiue Church to the authoritie neither of Councels although hee saith it was not concluded in Councells Yea farther all the Councells themselues which followed the primitiue Church did cloath them with the authoritie thereof their Meetings Registers Decrees Canonicall letters and whatsoeuer was were founded vpon this secundum veterem consuetudinem Patrum nostrorum according to the ancient custome of our Fathers For example long before the Councell of Nice the patriarchall Bishops were in authoritie albeit there was no such thing in the daies of the Apostles because there was then no combination of Prouinces conuerted to the faith and in that Councell it was called an ancient custome And in the Councell of Ephesus there was a question decided betwixt a patriarchall Bishop and the Bishop of Cyprus where any man may see if it was not said Secundum vetus decretum Patrum nostrorum And certainely it is an infallible argument of the integritie and vpright meaning which hath been in the proto-reformators of Germanie to heare their willingnesse to follow antiquitie where it was not contrarie to Gods word These are the speeches of Luthor and Bucer touching the retentions of indifferent ceremonies of the Church of Rome Sciant publica pacis causa non detracturos c. we will not say they be against the brooking of ceremonies and traditions receiued in the Popes Church from antiquitie vpon these conditions that the consciences of men be not thereby bound as by fundamentall grounds of faith but that the doctrine Euangelicall of free iustification by faith in Christ remaine inuiolate and that say they not only speaking of festiuall daies musicke organs clericall vestiments which be things indifferent sed etiam de ieiunio ciborum delectu qua magis pungunt but also touching fasting and choyce of meats which be more controuerted points O what a holy and Christian disposition was that what a zeale to the vnitie of the Catholike Church and how contrary to many malignant and seditious spirits which be now in Christs Church who haue no voyces as I haue said but of debate and contradiction contending for Scholasticke tryumph and victorie in place to cry to Gods people that which the Prophets were commanded to cry Annâ—…cia populo meo scelera corum domui Iacob peccata illâ—…rum Threaten my people for their sinnes and the house of Iacob for their iniquities they cry that wee should learne subtle and curious controuersies of Religion many of them bee as profound as prophane they teach Christians to bee obstinate and stubborne in trifling points they teach them to heat one another and to abhorre all meanes of pacification their voice is like vnto the voice of the Eagle in the Apocalyps who tripled her cry vae vae vae habitantibus in terra woe bee to the inhabitants of the earth because they haue broken the bonds of Christian peace and harmonie The fire of our Christian charitie is quite extinguished it is become like vnto that fire mentioned in the booke intituled Esdras which before the captiuitie of Persia was hidden in a pitt by some deuout Priest of Ierusalem that it should not dye out and being againe sought vpon the returne of Nehemiah the Text sayes non invenerunt ignem sed aquam crassam they found no fire but a grosse water In place that through the fire of mutuall loue we should seeke with the Doue to remaine together in the Arke of the Catholike faith Religious men are gone out with the Rauen to hunt carrions among the waters of this world following the sent of honour ambition and wealth Priests seeking to bee Monarches the Clergie becomming factious and irreconciliable hunting after the vaine glorie of learning Ephraim pascit ventum sequitur aestum Ephraim feeds vpon the winde that I thinke bee pastorall follies and neglect the world was neuer so pregnant and raging with the twelue abuses of the earth A wise man without works an olde man without religion a youth without obedience a rich man without almes a woman without shamefastnesse a Master of a house without vertue a poore man proud a King vniust a Bishop negligent a people without discipline a Preacher without humilitie and finally a Christian contentious These be the waters wherein wee are drowned waters whereof the Prophet Dauid hath said Saluum Domine me fac quoniam intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meaâ—… Preserue me ô Lord because the waters haue entred into my soule and all these for our proud contempt of Christian simpathie and loue whereof if our spirituall Rulers of Gods people did retaine some true sparkles aquae multae non poterunt extinguere charitatem many waters could not extinguish the heat of charitie Miserable are those Pastors who altogether want this diuine inspiration of Christian concord which was in Luther and Bucer Uaeijs qui sequuntur spiritum suum non videt woe shall be to them who follow their owne spirit and doe not see Let them remember how the Wiseman saith durissimum erit iudicium his qui praesunt most hard shall be the iudgement of those who are placed to ouer-watch people whereof the Prophet Daniel giueth the reason Egressa est iniquitas a senioribus ab ijs qui videbantur regere populum saith hee Iniquity is gone out from the Elders and from those who seemed to bee leaders of the people and how the Prophet Ezechiel doth in his
ninth Chapter practise that hard iudgement where God did command the destroying Angell saying Incipite à sanctuario meo Goe through destroy both young and old and all sexe but begin at my sanctuary and in that same place commandement was giuen to him who was clad in linnen to marke them with the letter Tau whom hee should finde mourning for the abomination of Ierusalem Most blessed are these Pastours whose delight is with the renowmed Iunius Spirare vnitatem Ecclesiae to sing as hee hath done the sweete harmony O quam bonum quam incundum est habit are fratres vna Oh how good a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnity and blessed are those Preachers who mourne for Ierusalem with those who were saued in Ezechiel for if they mourne many shall mourne with them if they shall carry that happy letter in their front multitudes shall carry it with them Secundum iudicem populi sic populus saith Salomon as the Rulers be in heart affected to peace or distracted euen so are the people God of his mercy so grant it that they may still heare in their eares that sound of the great S. Paul Si distribuero omnes meas facultates pauperibus si corpus meum ita vt ardeam charitatem auteÌ„ non habuero nihil mihi prodest If I should saith he spend all my riches on the poore if I should burne my body for zeale and haue no charitie it doth auaile me nothing But now to follow our purpose speaking of Christian reformation a more sure president and exemplar then Luther and Bucer haue wee for the peace of the Church to follow all that which hath beene obserued by antiquitie not contrary to Gods word Let vs consider the graueiudgement of the worthy learned Zanchius chiefe planet of our own spheare as you shall read it here sincerely translated from his owne Text De vera reformandaruÌ„ Ecclesiarum ratione of the true way of the reformation of Christian Churches Whatsoeuer saith hee is in the Church of Rome it is either agreeable to the written word contrary to it or indifferent For the first that which is agreeable is to be retained or if it was reiected it s againe to be receiued For the second that which is contrary is to be refused or if it hath bin followed it is again to be forsaken For the third that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or indifferent First we must not account of it as if it did belong vnto saluation next wee must follow the rule of the Apostle that nothing be brought into the Church but that which doth tend to edification order or vnitie all indifferent ceremonies and rites therefore may be followed saith hee for one of these respects but so followed as that wee doe still preferre things more ancient to those which are more late aswell for the honour of antiquitie as because of the true saying of Tertullian Quo quid in Ecclesia antiquius eo etiam verius That which is the more ancient in the Church is the more true Whatsoeuer saith Zanchius is besides the written word either in the generall Councells in the Fathers or in the papall Decrees they bee vnder the aforesaid distinction so that albeit nothing can binde the conscience but canonicall Scripture yet to introduce nouelties in the Church or to banish any thing which from primitiue times haue beene allowed by Catholike consent to doe such things without the authoritie of generall Councells it is not lawfull for any man who feareth God saith Zanchius Seeing this profound and truly reformed Diuine who was in his time Lucidum sidus a bright starre in the Church doth so reuerence antiquity is it not wonderfull that wee I know not who wee who haue scarcely beene twise or thrise in a pulpit wee who ought to say much more then Iob did hesterni sumâ—… igâ—… that we should contemne antiquitie and mock the primitiue policy ceremonies of the Church seeing the Prophet Ieremy hath so recoÌ„mended the credit of antiquity in his time as to say State super vias antiquas videte qua sit via antiqua bona ambulate in ea inuenietis refrigerinuÌ„ animabus vestris Stand vpon the way saith he and behold and aske which is the ancient good way and walke in it and ye shall finde refreshment to your soules seeing the Prophet Esay foretelling the reformation of the Church doth altogether ground it vpon antiquity saying I will restore vnto you your Iudges as they were before and your Elders as they were anciently that then you may be called a Citie of righteousnes and a faithfull Citie And Iob a man of God full of wisdome aske saith hee the former ages and enquire diligently of their Fathers and Christ himselfe did so honour antiquity for reformation that hee did reduce them thereunto saying in the case of matrimony Non sic fuit ab initio It was not so from the beginning In that speech of Zanchius we do marke this that the reiecting of any ancient Tradition which is not contrary to Gods word it is not onely to depart from the Church of Rome which also is a fault to breake any bond of vnity where it may be kept with a good conscience but it is also a departing from the primitiue Church from the which these were deriued in the Church of Rome and I doe appeale vnto the diuine light of your conscience whither you be Papist or Puritan if you doe not thinke this ground of Zanchius to bee a most sure and Christian meanes to reforme the Church of God for certainely it is not onely at Rome nor onely at Geneua where good Christians are made nor they onely who haue had the right gouernment of Christs Church Ambition and Tyranny hath spoyled the Ecclesiasticall policy there and nakednesse and pretended puritie hath made it contemptible heere and both haue the like ends to make the world to cry Great it Diana among the Ephesians and there is none but she Alwayes this opinion of Zanchius iumpe with that of S. Augustine which I haue rehearsed and with all antiquitie for acceptation in the Church of the ancient gouernment and indifferent ceremonies tending to edification or vnitie because it doth concerne vs who be subiects of Noth-britanne not onely for the hope of Catholike or vniuersall reformation which was the thing meant by those Diuines but it concernes vs more neerly for intestine vnity and coniunction with our half-arch the Church of England whose reformation because it hath beene blessed of God and most perfect of all those of later times wee are the more specially bound to embrace it seeing our opposition thereto is not onely to bee against Gods glory by maintaining distraction within the Church but it is apparantly aschismatike alienation from the state for Religion is the soule of the ciuill state And consequently dissention in religion dissention in the state therefore out of
haue done Of all the Doctours of Antiquity Ierome is most sought to by the Presbyterians The Councell of Sardica cap. 10. 13. hath decreed that if a rich man by meanes of Court come to bee a Bishop hee shall first performe the office of a Reader Deacon and Presbyter that by degrees hee may ascend to the height of a Bishopricke Nazianzene giueth testimony of Athanasius and Basil that they ascended into Episcopall dignity by the spiritual Law through all the degrees of Ecclesiasticall offices The Councell of Antioch that whatsoeuer things appertaine vnto the Church are to bee gouerned by the authority of the Bishop by whom say they people are instructed The Councell of Calcedon decreed that none should build a Cloyster or Monastery without the consent of the Bishop of the City and that all Monasticall persons should bee subiect to the Bishop And if we should search all the Doctours Fathers and Councells wee should finde that Episcopall policy accompanied with a cleere consent of all Catholike antiquitie to applaud it So farre that for the first thousand yeeres of the Church no man hath beene knowen to denie or decline it but onely Aereus who was therefore compted an Heretike by Augustine in his Catalogue of heresies and by Epiphanius also which hath not beene rashly nor with repentance affirmed by Augustine as some hold for it was written after his retractation and after his writing of 230 Bookes besides his Epistles and Homilies He saith in his preface that it is hard to giue an accurate definition of an Hereticke he reckoneth vp 53. heresies which after Christs ascenscion were contrary to his doctrine giuing the last place to that of Aereus And concluding in the end of all Omnis it aque Christianus Catholicus ista non debet credere Euery Christian Catholike ought not therfore to beleeue them The Coūcell of Nice hauing decreed that the Catharists or Nauatians or a sort of sublimitated Puritans of these daies returned to penitence vnto the Church those who had brooked any dignity of before should be repossessed of any office whatsoeuer in the Church except it were to displace a Bishop which should not bee lawfull to him who hath beene a Nouatian Bishop But hee should content himselfe to be a Priest vnlesse the Bishop would receiue him to be a Coadiutor or communicate to him the honour of the name or if hee like him not to finde him a Choro-Episcopat or Presbyterat To the end as Ruffinus sayes Ne in ◅na Ciuitate duo sint Episcopi that there should not be two Bishops in one City Augustine being ignorant of this when he was drawen from Nauationisme to bee Bishop of Hippona while yet Ualerius liued because of his great woorth when Augustine himselfe became old and nominated Euodius to be his Successour and had chosen him himselfe to be his Coadiutor yet hee held it vnlawfull during his owne life to ordinate him Bishop when Ualerius ordained me Bishop said he we were both ignorant of the decree of the Connsell of Nice but what was reprehended in me shall not be blamed in my Successour as Possidon hath it Quod sibi factum esse doluit alijs fieri noluit So did this holy man reuerence that ordinance of Nice in fauours of orthodoxall Bishops neither shall we find through all ancient Counsels or Fathers one who hath not done the like reposing still the glory of the Church vpon the authority of Bishops according to that which Dauid did foresee in his Propheticall spirit saying in his 45. Psalme Insteed of Fathers children shall be borne vnto thee whom thou shalt make Princes in all the earth which word Augustine doth interprete insteed of Apostolos who were thy fathers O Catholike Church sonnes who are Bishops are created vnto thee therefore thinke not thy selfe forsaken because thou seest not Peter nor Paul who begat thee Agnoscant quiprecisi sunt veniant ad vnitatem Let them saith hee who are Opiniators and Schismatiks acknowledge those sonnes who be borne to the Church to be her Princes ouer all the Earth The like exposition Ierom the pretended Patron of Presbyters maketh vpon the words of Esay in the 17. verse of the 60. chapter according to the Septuagint speaking to the future estate of the Church through a Reuelation I will giue thy Princes in peace and thy Bishops in righteousnesse whereon Ierome Heerein saith hee the Maiesty of the holy Scripture is to be admired who calleth futuros Ecclesia Episcopos The Princes and Rulers that were to be of the Church Bishops whose visitation is all in peace and the name of their dignity all in righteousnesse saith he So that we finde an excesse of honor and dignity which from Primitiue and ancient times hath beene yeelded to this vertuous Prelacie in the Church Doth not Tertullian who liued in the first 200 yeeres write this of Bishops not onely yeelding vnto them poynts of preeminence and iurisdiction but speaking of the celebration of the Sacrament The Bishop saith hee hath the right to minister Baptisme and then the Presbyters and Deacons but not without the authoritie of the Bishop for the honour of the Church which being safe peace is safe In regard of which Catholike and constant testimonies from time to time what shall wee say shall we not for once thinke it impossible that the successours of the Apostles all the holy Fathers so many Martyrs and Saints would haue abolished that gouernment whatsoeuer which Christ and his Apostles left vnto the Church for the next shall we not hold it impossible to fall out that any policie which was not receiued from the Apostles could be at one time embraced of the whole Christian world and approoued of all generall counsels in the Primitiue Church For the last shall we not thinke it a scorne beyond all scornes that all those antiquities and Apostolicall traditions witnessed by Apostolicall men generall counsels Fathers Doctours Catholike consent without interruption must bee condemned for follies schismes corruptions by some pure and Heteroclite braines who haue start vp more then 1500. yeeres after to impugne the credit of the Church Gouernment qualified by so many diuine men whose faith was tried in the fire of affliction and who sealed their profession with glorious Martyrdome Certainely if it must be so we may say that the true light hath endured a miraculous ecclipse and that great knowledge hath beene long reserued to bee at length vouchsafed to the Allobrogicall Doctours CHAP. XI The opinion of the Archi-Reformatours concerning Church-Policie FInally to conclude this point of the Church-Policy I come to shew what haue beene the opinions of Protoreformatours concerning the same In the Augustine confession which is the first publike Protestant act wherin wee can obserue it this Article is contained wee haue oft say they out of our great desires protested to obserue the Ecclesiasticall policie in all degrees as it is canonicall in the Chruch and to reuerence the authority of
Bishops prouiding they doe not force vs to anything contrary to Gods word which protestation shall excuse vs to all posterity that the ouerthrow of the ancient policie be not imputed to vs say they which confession Caluine among others did soone thereafter subscribe Melancthon to Martin Luther Non credis quanto sum in odio Noricis alijs You will not beleeue saith he how I am hated of the Norricians and others Alwayes it is not well that men should so abhorre the restauration of Bishops for I know not with what a face wee can refuse them If they will permit vs to haue purity of doctrine And I doe feare that Episcopall authority being dissolued wee shall haue more intollerable Tyranny in the place thereof saith he And in another place which was not written to Luther Et mecum semper sensit Lutherus And Luther did euer iudge with me who saith he knew himselfe to bee the more loued of mer because by his meanes Bishops had beene cast out and themselues set at liberty which shall be dangerous for the posterity for what state of Church shall we haue when the ancient policie shaken off there shall bee no certaine Rulers saith Melancthon which solid iudgement Camerarius doth praise in these words Quod reclamantibus multis ille hoc suadebat non modo ad stipulatore sed auctore Luthero vt restituerentur Episcopi si vsum purae doctrina permitterent that against many he did not onely by Luthers consent but by his direction perswade the Restitution of Bishops if they will grant the purity of doctrine In another little treatise of these times entituled Articuls Protestantium de vnitate Ecclesiae Gradus illos plures Episcoporum Archiepiscoporum Patriarcharum vtiles esse existimamus ad Ecclesiae salutem si ij qui presunt faciunt officium all these degrees of Ecclesiasticall policie are profitable for the Church prouiding Prelates discharge their dutie Bucer de vi vsâ—… ministerij saith thus Therefore these orders of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons established in the beginning by the holy spirit when Churches begun to be multiplyed they did ordaine to euery Prouince their owne Metropolitan And againe thereafter to shew how he thought it a diuine ordinance he saith as the people were more and more frequent in Metropolitan Citties It a dabat Dominus vt haberent ampliores Episcopos illae Ecclesiae so did God ordaine greater Bishops to those Churches Hemingiâ—…s is of that same opinion and both of them doe blame that wrested sense of Ierom aforesaid saying that howsoeuer it might bee so while Churches were not perfectly constituted yet all the other Fathers were against him froÌ„ thence forth he contented to acknowledge his error as you haue heard Philip Hebrâ—…nerus a great Protestant Theologue hauing mooued the question touching these degrees Ecclesiasticall hee answereth in fauour of them because the Apostles doe mention them in the first place the Presbyter in the next and the Deacon in the last saith he who is more famous among vs as I haue said then the venerable and learned Zanchius who hath left vs a long discourse of Episcopall gouernment in the Church which were too long to relate heere and is to be found in his obseruations 25. in titulo 38. de Disciplina clericali beginning thus Tertia pars disciplina clericalis est ea quae gradus infimi subijciuntur superioribus and it is most plaine of any for Bishops as may bee perceiued also by those his following speeches in the historie of the Augustine confession My faith saith he doth absolutely rest vpon the simple word of God next vpon the common consent of the ancient Catholike Church if it is not repugnant to the holy Scripture for whatsoeuer hath been decreed by those holy Fathers assembled in generall Couâ—…cells in the name of God if it doe not contradict his word that I take to flow from the holy Ghost albeit I doe not account it in the same degree with the written word and seeing it is most euident by all the writts of the ancient Fathers that Bishops and these other orders haue been allowed in the Church Quis ego sum who am I saith he who should take vpon me to impugne that which the holy Catholike Church hath approued Neither durst the most learned of our time disprooue them because they were instituted for good ends and for edification of Gods people Besides I haue respect to these reformed Churches who hauing embraced the Euangell doe yet retaine the order of Bishops in name authoritie meaning the Lutherians And looking to the Protestant Churches I finde they haue their Bishops and Archbishops vnder changed names of Superintendants and generall Superintendants and where neither the old good Greeke names of Episcopus and Archiepiscopus nor these new ill Latine names of Superintendant and generall Superintendent be acknowledged Notwithstanding I see their meaning of Presbyterians chiefe men who take vpon them all the authoritie where therefore these be maintayned and Bishops refused it is but a controuersie for names so when wee agree as wee doe vpon the thing it selfe why should we striue about the name Thus farre Zanchius Wherein wee see that he doth acknowledge that distinction mentioned by me in the beginning of this Article of that which is directly diuine as the word and that which is diuini Iuris as the Policie both being of like veritie but not of like authoritie necessitie and perpetuitie This sound iudgement of Zanchius is so truly naturally and holily conceiued that euen the latest and most peremptorie Reformators since be forced to haue the same opinion and to follow the same practise Caluin speaking of the primitiue church before the intrusion of Poperie during all which time saith he the Church gouernment hath nothing almost dissonant from Gods worde For the Presbyters who had the charge of doctrine did chuse one among them selues vnder the stile of a Bishop ne vâ—… fieri solet dissidia nascerentur ex equalitate that dissension should not arise of aequalitie as commonly it doth saith he And in his Epistle to Cardinall Sadolett he is contented to obey a Bishop prouiding he be reformed in doctrine Talem nobis Hierarchiam si dederint quae à Christo tanquam vnico capite pendeat The opinion of Beza concerning the Church of England I haue told already then for their practise it is manifest that all the Gouernours of the Church of Geneua since the Bishop was eiected haue wished by all meanes to replant that authoritie but could not for the State being altogether changed in a popular gouernment by repining from the Bishop who was also their ciuill head it was so farre from receiuing any image of Soueraigntie either spirituall or temporall that Caluin being altogether out of hope to get a Presbyterie established of Ministers alone was contented to comport a mixed Presbyterie of six Ministerie and twelue Citizens alwayes while he liued he was perpetuall
President in effect of the Ecclesiasticall Senate differing onely in name from a Bishop which name and authoritie both hee could haue susteyned in his person if the State had vrged him seing hee was contented himselfe to obey a reformed Bishop Beza likewise during ten or twelue yeares carried the same authoritie they did both rule ouer their brethren as a Primate ouer his Coepiscopi or a Bishop ouer his Compresbyteâ—… euen as Zanchius hath said And how many Christian Pastors of remote Nations did in all those times depend from their Oracles as Presbyters vnder Bishops If any man will say it was the merit of the men no ordination of the Church I answer if it was so it is all one to beare authoritie whether colourably or openly onely heere is the difference that lawfull authoritie is better then that which men doe arrogate without warrant and it is better to endure a lawfull Bishop then an vsurping Brother but to neither of these two doe I ascribe any disorder they were wise learned and diuine men who did comport with the policie of the time Inuita Minerua as wee say of necessitie For euen Beza finding things yet to goe farder from the Episcopall rule by the comming thither of Daâ—…aeus he did vehemently regrate it to his familiars And I say that Anthon Faâ—…us who is now Arch-Presbyter there is as wise in that kind as any of his Predecessors for I know it by experience to be so It may be indeed said that the Church of Geneua is yet in puritie without faction but who doth not see the reason of it because it is parua Respublica a small Common-wealth easily ruled where the Presbyteriall Clergie is not aboue the number of eighteen counting both Pastors and Doctors but if it were populous and grosse or if diuision should fall in that which is might it not come to passe among them as it hath done to others in the like that for want of a spirituall head the Ciuill Magistrate behooued to interpose his authoritie and perhaps ioyne him selfe to the wrong side as sundry Romane Emperours haue done in such things according as Ecclesiasticall Stories doe record And what was the doing of our owne Reformator Iohn Knox and of all those who were wise Reformators was it not like vnto the Romanes wisdome who hauing cast out their Kings did in euery case of danger clothe themselues with the absolute authoritie of Dictators Euen so did they after the expulsion of Bishops exercise the same power as Zanchius hath said vnderchanged names and euill Latine names as he calls them of Superintendents and generall Superintendents vntill by length of time as the state of Rome was neuer stayed before it fell againe into the owne naturall center of Monarchie Naturam furca expellas licet vsque recurret Euen so the Ecclesiasticall policie hath returned againe to the owne fountaine from whence it did flow All which considered I giue you my counsell who are Puritans that you be not ashamed to say with Zanchius Quis ego sum c. who are you to oppose your selues against the rule of God in nature in all her members against the rule of wisedome in the Ciuill state of Oeconomie in families of moralitie in one mans person of God in the Architype of the Iewish Church of the Apostles the Primitiue Church and all antiquitie following thereupon I giue you my Counsell to vnderstand the mysterie of time and the nature of reformation which is not compassed vpon the suddaine but with length of time euen as corruption growes with time We see in the old Law the Priesthood was one thing and the Priestly transgressions an other what did Manâ—…sses what did Ahas and other kings of Iudah How did Uziah the Priest and diuers others concurre with the impiety of their kings to defile the house of God with Idolatrie we may see it in the booke of the Kings and Paralyp did God therefore take away from the people the Priesthood no it was oft times prophaned but neuer abolished yea before the Lord should take it away hee did rather suffer both Priesthood and Principautie to be confounded in one person as is said before why should you then malitiously transgresse against so many examples to contemne Episcopall regiment because the Papall tyrannie hath prophaned it why doe you search argumens for diuision and not for vnity It is no Christian part out of the sixteene Archbishops of Antioch to obiect alone Paulus Samositanus who abused his authority to pride heresie would you thinke the like aduantage good against the Apostles to speake of Iudas out of multitudes of Bishops you haue chosen a few of the most insolent and wicked to be of your side marking the disorders of Theoph. Alexandrinus Valens Vrsatius Nestorius Macedon Phoc. What would you answere to these who would deale so with yourselues among hundreths of the like entercourses of your policie to obiect but two your great feast day holden at Edenburgh which made the seuenteenth of December so famous and again your caryage after the treason of Gowrie at Perth where the Lord God stood miraculously for the life of your most Gratious Prince and that for greater causes as you haue seene then were reuealed at that time and no doubt for greater ends then you doe yet see what can you answere to the bad behauiour of some brethren who durst challenge such a king his Maiesties reputation and fame and bring it in question before his people which things I mentioned heere out of my true affection to your reformation because the Physicians say Nulla medicamenta magis sunt salutifera quam ea qua dolorem pariunt There is no medicine more powerfull then that which breedeth dolor to the patient why doe you not therefore ouerpasse your malitious caption of mens faults to lookevpon the benefite which doth depend from lawfull policie why doe you not remember that the Archiepiscopall authority hath serued to represse the Arrian heresie the most mighty opposition that euer hath beene in Gods Church why do you not remember that Samositanus was more times in parting from the troth and more corrigiable thereafter as is said then Manicheus Marcion Arrius Pelagius and other Heresiarches who were but Presbyters why doe you not call to memorie the holy and reuerend names of Gregor Nazianz. Basil. Nicen. Athanas. Chrysost. Cyprian Ignat. Polycarp Iren. Ambros. August Whose persons were not so remote from this age of ours as the sincerity of their Christian and Catholike gouernement in the Church was different for the present rule of the Romane Bishops And notwithstanding of the corruption which is this day pregnant in the world and which you doe so much perill to fall in the state of Bishops by diuoluing of that charge in great noble personages more through the fauour of Princes then for their Merit as you say yet doe but looke a litle vpon the worthy Prelates which haue bin in the Church of
withdrawne and the mysteries and mercies of God the Father in his beloued appeare more cleerely and gloriously there bee no lesse cause of holy ioy nay vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. why should not this our ioy breake forth into the like manifestation and that the best manifesting and enhaunsing thereof is by musicke and that euen instrumentall the spirit of God beareth record as I haue noted And verily if the imployment of instruments in the Iudaicall Temple maketh them meerely ceremoniall and debarreth the Christian Church of all such vse of the like in that kinde why doth not the same reason banish also all vse of singing in our Churches because Dauid instituted singers for the Temple for as yet I could neuer heere any direct and sufficient proofe why the one should haue a morall and perpetuall vse and the other onely a ceremoniall signification Thirdly as for the time of grace if sacred musicke were onely a cloud and typicall shadow it should then haue vanished when the body came and the most glorious morning starre appeared But wee finde that euen this bright starre when it first began to appeare in the earthly Horizon chose for the blasing forth the beames of his maiesty aboueall creatures or meanes in heauen or earth a troup of inuisible yet audible Choristers who descending from the Temple of the celcstiall Ierusalem praised God and cheered vp man with a short Christmasse Caroll but of a most sweet and mysterious ditty which all Christians delight to heere still sounding in their eares and hearts nay the very Angells themselues desire to behold vnderstand The same our Sauior as he cōming into the world would be saluted with musicke so euen with that mouth whence dropped the like hony the words of grace and life he vouchsafed to honour that exercise in the end of his last supper hee and his Apostles went to Mount Oliue singing an Hymne Neither after this our bridegroome was taken away did the children of the bridechamber let fall their parts in spirituall songs but both practised and exhorted to the continuance of this enkindling of zeale and piety Ephes. 5. 19. Colos. 3. 16. An expresse iniunction for Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall Songs and making melody Which vse to haue continued in the primitiue Church not onely Tertullian and other ancient Christians but euen the Ethnicke Plinny in his Epistle to Traiane the Emperour doth testifie Christo cuidam Deo hymnos canentes antelucanes But heere may bee and indeed is obiected that hymnes and songs vsed by our Sauiour or his Apostles or continued in the primitiue Church were onely vocal and without all artificiall instrument Wherto that I may shape answere I doubt not euen granting that their melody was onely singing thence to inferre à pari a firm consequence for the addition of the other kind of musick to auouch without imputation of a Paradoxe that the modulating voyce of a man and of an instrument are in this respect eiusdem rationis For if one looke into the nature of sounds in their generall cause they are nothing but reuerberations of the aire in their forme and relation they are deductions or compositions of proportions in the distances or connexions of high and low flat and sharpe So that whatsoeuer the immediate matter and instrument be whether meerely naturall as the throat teeth and tongue or aritificially composed of pipes or strings with metall or wood the sound it selfe as it melodious or symphoniacall maketh no difference of obiect but carrieth the same representation to the eare and iudgement of the hearers To this purpose may I not vnfitly apply that elegant comparison which Theodoret maketh between the voice of a man and a paire of organs in the parts of each In man saith he the lungs are the bellowes which are mooued not with foot or hand but by the muscels af the brest the teeth and roofe of the mouth supply the place of the pipes the tongue by its nimble motion performeth the office of the Musicians hand for the distinguishing and articulating the sounds Thus in the viuacitie of his rhetorique he seemeth in this comparison to make the protasis or proposition in the artificial and the reddition in the naturall by making man a musicall instrument Then presently followes the same resemblance with the terms inuerted to the naturall order where hee plainely sheweth that art hath heerein imitated nature in Citeraes and such like instruments wherin the teeth are represented by the strings the lips by the frets the tongue by the quill the vnderstanding by the hand which mooueth and striketh or stoppeth high and low lowd and soft slow and quicke in diuerse formes The like comparison is also vsed by Gregory Nyssen in his learned Treatise De opificio hominis where he resembleth the vse and parts of the flute or fife to the instruments of speech in man Vpon which liuely and mutuall resemblances as Theodoret calleth man a liuing organe and the copy of artificiall organs so may I terme an organ a singing man made with the hand or rather a liuelesse though not breathlesse guide of many voicesand parts But heere it will bee replyd that all artificiall instruments made by man come farre short of this one made by God himselfe that none of those how elegant soeuer and cunningly handled can possibly make a sound properly articulate much lesse significant and therefore that they are to bee excluded out of the seruice of God whereto the vocall musique may bee admitted because significatiue and vnderstandable To this may answer be made first by acknowledging with Theodoret that man being the image of God in imitating his Creatonr can produce no higher workes then such as are but shadowes of the workes of God That nature is the modell after which art worketh and that art is but the image or resemblance of nature And therefore that all the most curious instruments in the world are not comparable with an humane voyce for suauity and liuely expressions neither is instrumentall musique to be opposed vnto or compared with vocall but added as an helper a wife or second or if you will an hand-mayd thereunto In which respect I doe not hold it to bee eiusdem gradus though in generall eiusdem rationis as belonging to the same army but to be ranged in an inferiour squadron a guest of the sacred feast but at a lower table Secondly as for want of signification I maintaine it that the sound and harmony of Instruments though it be not articulate yet it is significant in its owne kinde I meane and proper element by gentle steps and sweete inflexions working vpon the affections and expressely nay powerfully speaking to them euen perswading instructing nay commanding them and imprinting in them the characters of vertue and deuotion and containing the seedes of good motions in the inward seat of the minde by the outer part of the sences and passions Thirdly in vocall musique
appeare in before the world it is an interpretation not extorted but plaine and sensibly offered out of the nature of the thing it selfe And as it is necessarily required in speciall aboue the rest in the Minister that when hee vttereth to God the publique prayers of the Church to which they doe resound their Amen and administreth the holy Sacraments that then he must come with fore-thought and fore-sought purity of soule and bodie both free from other studies and other actions which at other times were not to bee blamed is it not expedient also that with his inward sanctitie hee shall bring an exterior shew thereof to purchase the greater reuerence of the people and to season their mindes with holy apprehensions and with present desires to consort inwardly in their hearts with that visible habite of puritie and integritie which they doe contemplate in his person Wherefore it was a custome in the primitiue Church as wee may read in many of the Fathers that all those who being Catechumeni presented themselues to Baptisme should be arrayed in white wherevpon this title hath growne of Dominica in albis white-sunday wherein wee may consider the iudgement of the purer age of the Church who thought it expedient that by the inward candor and integritie which the concurring grace of God the soule and the whole person of the baptized did receiue being dipped and drenched in the lauar of regeneration should be not onely infixed by faith in the inward apprehension of the minde of the receiuer but also testified by that publike and pure marke of whitenesse vnto others their spectators and brethren partakers formerly of the same new birth whereby wee see what extent the authoritie and iudgement of the guides and gouernours in Gods Church hath in things though not enacted nor imposed by the writings or constitutions of the Apostles yet afterward thought expedient for the better edifying and furnishing the people of God in externall and in a sort ceremoniall additaments which of themselues being not superstitious but hauing a holy sober and wholesome vse of instruction and reuerence in the sacred duties of the church though perhaps not onely afterward but euen then they might by some priuate misinterpretation of superstitious and ignorant men be abused were by the most and best instituted maintayned and reteyned being indeed not to be abrogated but by the same hand which set them vp But to prosequute my argument for the white vestiment of the Pastor in shewing how it is vsefull and properly significant I say all the varieties of Aarons robe were contriued by intermixing a fine white linnen as you may read Whensoeuer mention is made of Christ clothed it is either in glory and light or in white lynnen Induit enim stola gloriae amictus erat lumine sicut vestimentâ—… Ezech 9. when Commission was giuen to fixe destroying Angels against Ierusalem the man who stood in the midst hauing power to saue the Saints who wept for Ierusalem no doubt Iesus Christ he was clothed in white Lynnen It is clearely said of Christ Bissus purpura indumentum eius white lynnen and purple euen so it is said in the Apocalyps of the Church Mulier illa amicta erat purpura Bysso that woman was clothed with purple and white lynnen The white lynnen doth represent puritie and innocencie therefore it is said in the Apocalyps Byssinum sunt instificationes Sanctorum the iustification of the Saints is as white and fine lynnen pure and perfect so that if any man will say that the robe of Aaron was altogether a Iewish type and that Clericall vestiments are of no respect after the comming of Christ I thinke it idle that Candlesticke of the Arke which was clothed with the Hyacinth and celestiall colour likely might be a Type which is abolished or what did carrie the scarlet and reddish colour in that Robe it may bee holden expired because it did figure the passion which is performed or in like manner what was partie-coloured as Ioseph who alwaies figured Christ he was a Type also by reason of his coate sprinkled with blood as it is in Ezechiel sumpsisti vestiment a multicoloria and againe Quare vestimentum tuum rubrum est you haue chosen a Robe which is particoloured what meaneth it thy garments are red Certes as these colours were figuratiue so are they expired Ioseph hath changed his Coate The text of Genesis saith mutauerunt vestes eius ipsum induerunt Bisso Pharoah commanded to change his garments and to clothe him in fine white lynnen and Christ hath also changed his garments into meere whitenesse and iustification as I haue said and his Church hath changed her garments into white Bissus indumentum eius mulier illa amicta erat Bisso And therefore hath the Wiseman said in Ecclesiast omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida so that nothing can be so fitting for a Priestly and Pastorall habit as the the garment of Christ himselfe and of his Church in the holy Scripture In which respects it seemes that wee are to reuerence antiquitie and to thinke that not without graue causes they haue brought in that Ceremonie into Christs Church and left it vnto vs. For whether it was deriued from the Iewish Church or no I doe not dispute but who would not say that the Leuiticall vestiments were rather things depending from the policie then figuratiue Ceremonies expiring in the exhibition of Christ. I would aske him of those Pomgrannets Bells which were tyed to the fringe of Aarons robe to signifie that in Priestly actions there should bee continually a good smell and from their mouthes a perpetuall sound of pietie in our eares and of those twelue gemmes planted vpon the breast plate of Aaron with a Diamond in the midst which was the most principall conspicuous and pretious part of the Robe what these did figure in his person which is not yet most proper and conuenient to bee figured by vestiments in the person of a Christian Prelate wherevpon Epiphanius Archbishop of Cyprus and after him S. Ierom haue made these obseruations vpon these texts of Exod Leuit The Gemmes first being excellent things of rare constitution doe note the dignitie of the priestly Function Secondly they signifie the doctrine and christian vertues which should be in him who carrieth that dignitie that euen as those gemmes haue their secret and miraculous operations so should Prelates and Priests by the secret inspiration of Gods spirit bee able to worke in people miraculous and extraordinarie effects of Gods feare and obedience Thirdly as these Gemmes are full in our eyes of a celestiall beautie and splendor so should the cariage of religious men shine in our eyes for a cleare mirrour and example that when we looke into it we may by the light thereof discerne our owne blots and darknes Fourthly as the gemmes haue diuine and admirable formes but small matter and that a substance more coelestiall
then earthly as wee see Euen so Prelates and Priests ought not to be so earthly as other men are drowned in mortal passions spotted with ambition pride and auarice defiled with lust or other fleshly concupiscences wherevnto the greatest part of men are obnoxious but they should all consist of spirituall formes and of the puritie of exemplarie sinceritie like vnto Angelicall and diuine creatures Fifthly as the gemmes haue simpathising qualities with the spirit of man in a sort as if they were animal creatures that they will not onely change their proprieties and colours at any great chance which hapneth vnto men but they presege and forewarne our capitall dangers they redeeme vs from them as it were by giuing themselues for our ransome they cannot endure that by brutish luxurie wee should bee turned into beasts things which neither Theologie nor Philosophie make doubt of as being approued by daily experience The Corall being carried by diseased persons changeth the colour to better or worse according to the change of their disease The Turquine in great perill of mans life bursteth in peeces The Diamond hath a virtue to encourage the heart against feare or doubts The Saphir to stirre vp the mind to deuotion wherefore it is vsually carried by Prelates and religious men as wee see the Smerald to banish the spirit of lust to temper that affection in men wherunto it is opposed by a secret antipathie that Albertus writes how a king of Hungarie who delighted greatly in a rare stone of this kind one night after he had committed some acte of abominable lust he found it broken in three pieces and of Nero who tooke such pleasure in the Smerald that it was called the Iewell of Nero carrying vpon his thumbe one of huge quantitie formed in table wherein he did from his Pallace see the Amphitheatrall sports as if he had bin there and with which he did solace and helpe his sore eyes a thing proper also to that stone another night in like sort after some beastly pollution of his body hee found his Iewell rent in pieces Euen so Prelates and Priests who haue the charge of mens soules they are not only to simpathise with them by feeling of their miseries changing from ioy to sorrow for their iniquities and from sorrow againe to ioyfulnesse for their conuersion like vnto Corall they are not onely to supplie the place of the Diamond to inspire into their hearts a courage and constancie in faith the place of the Saphir to indue them with piety and deuotion the place of the Smerald to clense them from the filthinesse but if need be they must take the place of the Turquine to giue their liues for their flocke like vnto Moses who for that peoples sake wished to be raised out of the booke of life like vnto Saint Paul who wished to be made Anathema for his flocke and like vnto the glorious Martyrs in the Primitiue Church and as S. Augustine saith vpon the 86. Psalme By these twelue Gems in the Apocalips is meant the Church of Christ founded vpon the twelue Apostles and by that royall infrangible Diamond which is in the midst the eternall stabilitie of the Throne of Christ which so oft as it hath bene seene by the transported spirits of the Prophets and Apostles it appeared in their eyes as these fiery and celestiall Iewels So that seeing the chiefe doctours of the Church haue so interpreted the brestplate of Aaron we must not thinke that all the ceremonies of his Priestly habite did necessarily expire in the comming of Christ. Now if wee will say that the Brasen serpent must bee broken powder the white Surplis is daily abused to Idolatrie in the Papall Church and therefore it ought to be abolished certaine if the case were alike the argument is good but it is much different First the brasen Serpent was the proper and onely obiect of the Idolatrie committed by the Iewes putting a kind of Dietie in that Serpent but in the Popes Masse howsoeuer polluted with diuers superstitions and idolatries the idolatrous actions therein are not terminated vpon or intended to the garment which the Priest weareth the Surplis being only one of the accidentary adiuncts which as it were vpon the by doe for externall ornament and for the proper and significant representation accompany that action euen as there were tyed to the end of Aarons roabe Pomegranates bels as I haue showen before And as it was neuer hard that any spectator of the Masse did adore the Surplis worne by the Priest so I thinke none of the most superstitions worshippers of those incarnate wafers did euer dreame the supposed transubstantiation to bee wrought by the vertue of any operatiue holines inherent in that vestiment Secondly if whatsoeuer kind of attyre of distinction was then worne by the Priest in Massing must bee vtterly abandoned as polluted with idolatrie what warrant hath any Minister of the Gospell in Diuine Seruice to weare a blacke gowne while as Priests doe weare such vnder their Surplices not wholly couered but appearing commonly beneath the skirts thereof and perhaps such Priests haue thought their Masse as vnperfite without a gowne as without a Surplice Thirdly if we would onely repine at such particular and indiuiduall Surplâ—…ces as haue beene blotted with superstitious seruice the reason were more sutable and probable as for example it were euill done to vse for the Sacrament in reformed Churches that very parcell of bread which hath beene consecrated to be the Hostie of the Masse yet to take for our vse of that same lumpe or of that same loafe before the Papall Consecration therof it were no wrong nor iust scandall so to take exception against the white vestiment of the Church of England because of the Idolatrous Surplice of the Papall Church it is sophisticate Ab indiuiduo ad speciem neuer a man in the Church of England will hold that the Surplice is operatiue or doth conferre holinesse but because it is a comely habite receiued from antiquitie and found by them in their Churches most decent and most significant of any therefore doe they carrie it as also to shew their meeke and ready obedience to the authoritie of their Church and lawes of their state nor neuer a man of true Christian wisedome who doth abhorre it Eo ipso because it is in the Church of Rome Among the Babilonians there were some sacred vessels of the holy Temple as is said but alas for pittie many of vs doe build the wall of our separation from Rome to such disproportionable height that if it stand wee shall neuer returne to play the true Christians in weeping for the holy Sanctuarie Such was the simplicitie and sweet simpathy of the greatest doctours of antiquitie that they would not condemne any thing receiued from their forefathers in the Church except it was repugnant to Gods word yea they would rather turne away their eyes then looke curiously vpon that which might breed vnto
primitiue Church at the command of their Soueraigne Emperors did take vpon them to be Iudges Councellors Embassadors as I haue related and that because being Subiects of the Empire they were bound to obey as Constantine the great wrot vnto them but these câ—…ill imployments were not due to their Episcopall function Mercy God what wonderfull difference 〈◊〉 here Christ would not vsurpe so much of temporall power as to march a small piece of heritage for pacifying of two brethren being pressed vnto it the Pope doth affirme that he hath right of marching and where betwixt Cancer and Capricorne betwixt the Arctique and Antarctique circles nay betwixt the North and South Poles betwixt the Occident and the Orient he hath the right of diuision ouer all the earthly Globe â—…he hath by his â—…lls deuided the East from the West Indies and hath distributed them betwixt the Spaniard and the Portugalls first and now againe hath giuen all vnto the Spaniard Next I come to tell your Lordship how this doctrine of Papall Soueraignitie is â—…pugned by the catholicke Romanes Panormitanus that learned Bishop hath written against that opinion of the Popes being aboue generall counsels And therefore by Baronius and Bellarmin is counted a schismaticke one Nicholas de Châ—…sa in a treatise de concordia Cathol hath done the same perfectlie saying vniuer sale consiâ—…um maioris esse author it at is minoris fallibilitatis quam Papae tantum The Counsels haue more authority and lesse fall abillity then the Pope alone Paulus Venetus vpon these late distractions of Venice from the Pope hath made it plaine by many Treatises but the fountaine of that truth hath beene in France kept pure and incorruptible with many disputes at seuerall times for the libertie of their Princes as their stories beare namely in the time of Phillip the faire So that this question is cleerely handled of Gerson who for his excellent learning was Chauncellor of the Sorbon He hath expressely written forbearing to speake of particular points of the Papall authoritie De Auferibilitate Papae ab Ecclesia of certaine cases and possibilities wherein the Church of Rome ought to want a Pope and hath put it downe in twentie seuerall considerations as hee termes them from which the generall Counsels haue lawfull power to pronounce a Nâ—… of the Pope All which as any man may perceiue who doth 〈◊〉 them are founded vpon the solid conclusion of S. August Ciaâ—… Regnicaelâ—… datâ—… sunt saith he Pâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The keyes of heauen were giuen to Peter in type of â—…tie of the whole Church Whereon Gerson in his second consideration doth establish the same groâ—… saying they were giuen Non â—…sed 〈◊〉 not to one man but to the 〈◊〉 of one Church And in his 〈◊〉 consideration what Christ gaue to Saint Peter saith he It was not giuen vnto him but vnto the Church because it was giuen 〈◊〉 Therefore saith hee the whole Church may the Pope being absent 〈◊〉 authoriâ—… 〈◊〉 ese the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that twelfth consideration he doth induce the Apostolicall example when Paul Galat. 2. did reprehend Saint Pâ—… that he brought nouelties 〈◊〉 the Church A murmuration grew Act 10. so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compelled according to his owne Doctrine Paraâ—… esse as Gerson saith 〈◊〉 Ecclesia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesia es non 〈◊〉 To prepare himselfe to render an acount before the whole Church otherwise she had not beleeued him in the same consideration againe he reasons thuus The Papall power is giuen to the Church for her 〈◊〉 and not for her destruction and therfore such a power may be suspended or taken away from one who would abuse it to her perill And what else is this then to say that the Pope hath the place of a moderator so long as he is modest or that he thinks the Church could well enough want the Papall authoritie Then doth he passe from the theorick of the question to the practise by supposing what disorder or insufficiencie might fall into the person of a Pope If saith he that the Pope will teach that the holy Ghost doth not proceede from the Father the Son must not the Church resist it if said he an other Pope would orâ—…n the Kingdom of France to be sacked with fire and sword râ—…sistere debet Rex the King ought to resist And so in his tenth consideration issobe saide hee the Pope should inuade a man perâ—…ce and this man in his owne defence Si Papâ—… Mâ—… proiâ—… it if hee should fling the Pope into the Sea he doth it lawfully then should it much more be permitted and lawful saith he for the whole Church to cast out a Pope for her owne preseruation by these twenty Considerations of the occasions of the Papall Nullitie one may well see how hee thought that Popery was a foolish and dangerous humane institution as it is indeed Lastly I will in few wordes open the mysterie and designe of this Iesuiticall doctrine that euery one may know how to pull downe his maske and see the leaprous face of his ambition How this Papall Tower hath beene builded Histories bee so full of it and it is so triniall that I need not to insist in it by the weaknesse of the Empire by the remotenesse of Emperours their naughtinesse by the subâ—…ditie of Popes 〈◊〉 studying to keepe some dangerous enemies vpon the shoulders of the Empire till they might get some aduantage by their fostering of perpetuall discords among Christian Princes and neighbour States for the like end that they might haue the better meanes to ouerthrow one of the sides and ro increase themselues vpon their ruines Crescit 〈◊〉 Roma Alba ruiuis by the crafty practising of ignorant Bishops first to repayre to Rome as for the commodity of the place next to doe nothing without their consent thirdly to make appellation there still keeping the seedes of dissention among Prelates for that purpose till they contriued that inuention of the Vniuersall Bishop Alwaies the Iesuites who haue lately cropen in that the Cup of iniquitie may be the sooner full and that the world may the sooner see the reuelation of the Beast who seeketh to bee adored of all Princes and people They haue a desperate profession not to obey God nor to obey the Pope nor the Church of Rome but to obey their generall per Omnia in Omnibus tanquam Christo presenti as we read in their Summa Constitutionâ—… pag. 307. The glory of their obedience doth stand in undergoing trauailes and dangers for propagation of the Church of Rome and to that end they haue gone through the World as I haue saide like vnto Pandora that wretched and fatall Ambassatrix of fierce Nemesis carrying their boxes full of all sorts of profound and curious learning but alas rearefully infected with Absynthium to poyson the waters of true knowledge and corrupt our vnderstanding they haue braue spirits astonishing tongues and eloquent words with all kinde of