Priests For writing to the people of Smyrna in Asia he hath these expresse words Honorate Deum vt authorem omnium dominum Episcopum autem tanquam principem sacerdotum imaginem Des forentem principatum quidem secundum deuÌ„ sacerdotium verò secundum Christum Honour God as the authour and Lorde of all things and a Bishop as the Prince or chief of Priests bearing the image of God superioritie according to GOD. Priest-hood according to Christ. And in the same Epistle hee reckoneth vp seuerall degrees of Bishops Priests Deacons and Lay-men The same Ignatius in that Epistle which he wrote to the Church of Trallis in Asia hath these words Quid est n. Episcopus nisi omnem principatum potestatem omnium illorum tenens quemadmodum deceat hominem tenere imitationeÌ„ des factum secunduÌ„ virtuteÌ„ For what is a Bishop but one that hath power and rule ouer them all he speaketh of Priestes and Deacons as it becommeth a man made according to vertue to keepe the imitation of God Thus writeth this holy Father who suffered a most cruell death for the testimonie of Iesus Christ beeing cast out to wilde beasts to be torne of them in pieces for the truths-sake Of these his Epistles and Martyrdome S. Polycarpe S. Hierome and Eusebius Caesariensis doe all three yeede a most lawdable and constant testimonie such as is able to penetrate any mans heart that shall seriously peruse the same S. Epiphanius and S. Austin doe both of them enroll among heresies this opinion of Aerius that a Priest or Pastor was equall to a Bishop Cum esset presbyter inquit Augustinus doluisse fertur quod Episcopus non potuit ordinari Sequitur dicobat etiam presbyterum ab Episcoponulla differentia debere discerni Aerius saith S. Austin being himselfe a Priest is reported to haue bene very sory that hee could not be made a Bishop The same Aerius held also this opinion that there was no difference betwixt a Priest and a Bishop S. Epiphanius affirming that Aerius held the same errour confuteth it by many sound reasons amongst which this is one Dicere n igsum Episcopum Prosbyterum aequalem esse quomodo erit possibile Episcoporum n. ordo patrum generator est patres n. generat ecclesia Presbyterorum verò non potens generare patres per lavacri regenerationem generat filios ecclesiae non tamen patres aut doctores For to say that a Bishop and a Priest are equall how is it possible For the order of Bishops is the begetter of the Fathers for that order begetteth Fathers to the Church But the order of Priests is not of abilitie to beget the Fathers but it begetteth sonnes to the Church by the regeneration of Baptisme yet not Fathers or Doctors This auncient Father liued aboue 12. hundred yeares agoe at which time it was holden for a grosse errour generally to say affirme or thinke that a Priest was equall to a Bishop in degree dignitie or iurisdiction This reason which S. Epiphanius maketh touching the begetting of Fathers to the Church is invincible and neuer can be answered It is the very same in substance with that of S. Hieromes which I haue set downe alreadly viz. that a Bishop differeth from a Pastorall Elder by the power of ordaining and making Ministers And to proue the superioritie of a Bishop aboue a Priest or Pastorall Elder that which Saint Austin telleth vs of Aerius is a flat and euident demonstration For Aerius being a Priest sought by all meanes to bee a Bishop and was sorie that hee could not attaine and accomplish his desire For greife whereof hee opposed himselfe against the prudent and godly setled order of the Church affirming very desperately as Saint Epiphanius saith that a Priest was euery way equal to a Bishop Now I pray you who knoweth not this to bee true that a wise man will neuer besâ—â—â—e and busie himselfe to attaine that which he hath alreadie But 〈◊〉 it is as you haue heard already that â—â—erius being a Priest 〈◊〉 under with might and maine to be made a Bishop Ergo it must needs be granted that to be a Bishop was 〈…〉 a degree dâ—gnitie aboue a Priest But to â—hat end should 〈…〉 point and question which â—â— is a position to constant 〈…〉 generally received in the dayes of S. Hierome S. Austâ—â—e S. Chrysostome S. Epiphaniâ—s Eusebues Policarpus 〈◊〉 is I haue already proue 〈◊〉 Reader shall thinke better of moderne writers then of these auncient holy and learned Fathers I am content for his better satisfaction to alledge the â—lâ—t testimonies and expresse wordes of the best approued writers in this last age M. Caluine hath these expresse wordes Quamvis nâ— commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus For although there bee one Office common to all the Ministers of the word yet are there degrees of honour among them Againe in another place he hath these words Diâ—cimus quidem ex hoc loco non eam fuisse tunc aequalitateÌ„ inter ecclesia ministres quin vâ—us aitquis authoritate consitio praeesset nihil tamen hoc ad tyranmcum profanum collationum morem qui in Papatis regnat longe n. diuersafuit apostolorum ratio We learne by this place that there was no such equalitie among the Ministers of the Church in those dayes but that one was preferred before an other in counsell and authoritie Yet this is nothing like to that tyrannicall and prophane custome of ruling in Popedome which is faire different from the manner of the Apostles The second Paragraph of the artiquitie of Bishop Archbishops Primates Metropolitans and Patriarches in the Christian Church of God THe truth is that the Church of Christ was sometime both without the names degrees of Arch-bishops Metropolitans Primates and Patraâ—ches yet it did not long so continue but was altered in the kind of gouernment euen in the time of the Apostles This affirmance S. Hierome maketh so manifest that I cannot but wonder how any without blushing doe denie the same These are S. Hieroms owne words Quod autem postea vniâ—â—â— electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in 〈◊〉 remedium factum est ne vnusquisque adse trabens Christi ecclesiam rumperet Nam Alexandriae a Marco Evangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium episcopos presbyteri semper vnum exâ—e electum in excelsiors gradu collocatum episcopum nominaâ—bant But that afterward one was chosen to beare rule ouer the â—â—est it was done to auoid schisme least euery one should â—â—â—aw companie to himselfe and so breake the vnitie of the Church For at Alexandria from S. Marke the Euangelist vnto the Bishops Heraâ—las Dionysius the priests or elders did euer cloose one among them whom they placed in an â—agher degree and named him Bishop The same Father in an other place hath these expresse wordes Idem est presbyter qui
episcopus antequam diabeli iâ—stinctu studia in religiene sierent diceretur in populis ego sum Peuli ego Apolio ego verò Cephae communi presbytererum 〈◊〉 ecclesiae gubernabantur Postquam verò vnusquisque eos quoâ— baptizaverat suos putabat esse non Christian toto orbe accrâ—â—um est vt vâ—usde presbyteris euctus svperponeretur caeteris ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura pertineret sâ—â—iâ—matum scmina tellereâ—tur An Elder and a Bishop are all one and before dissention by the diuels procurement arose in the Church and the people began to say I am of Paul I of Apolle and I of Cophas the churches were gouerned by the common consent of the Pastorall Elders Ministers or Priests But after that euery one did thinke those to be his and not Christs whom he had baptized it was decreed throughout the whole world that one of the ministers or Priest should bee chosen and set ouer the rest to whom the whole care of the Church should appertaine that the seeds of schisme might be taken away Out of these plaine aslertions of this holy learned and auncient father I obserue first that in the very beginning of the primitiue church al the ministers were equal in degree and did gouerne the church with a general coÌ„mon consent Secondly that in very short time the diuell raised vp such dissention in the church that it was thought meete to alter the kind of gouernment to set one minister ouer the rest Thirdly that this was done to take away schisme Fourthly that this alteratioÌ„ was made euen in the Apostles dayes viz. wheÌ„ one said he held of Paul an other he held of Peter an other he held of Apollo at what time S. Marke the Euangelist was made the Bishop of Alexandria Fiftly that this superioritie among the ministers of the church was decreed by a settled lawe throughout the whole world S. Irenaeus hath these wordes Omnes n. hij valaë posteriores sunt quam episcopi quibus Apostoli tradiderunt ecclesias For all these come farre after Bishops to whom the Apostles committed the charge of churches Maister Zuinglius a famous and zealous defender of the Gospell is wholy consonant to these holy and ancient Fathers His wordes shall be set downe at large when I come to the ordering of Ministers Saint Timothy and S. Titus had superioritie ouer all other Ministers both at Ephesus and at Creta and consequently they were made Arch-bishops by Saint Paul himselfe This is constantly affirmed both by Saint Crysostome Theodoritus Oecumenius and many other famous writers Saint Chrysostome hath these expresse wordes Vnus ex Pauls socijâ— hic fuit vir probatus nequeâ—n profectò ills integram insulam permisisset neque ea quae aeerant praecepisset imâ—lenda tam multorum episcoporum iudicium commisisset nisi multùmilli confideret This worthy man was one of S. Pauls fellowes for doubtlesse he would neuer haue committed one whole Iland vnto him neither haue commanded things wanting to be accomplished nor yet haue coÌ„mitted the iudgemeÌ„t of so many Bishops vnto him vnlesse he had had great confidence in him Thus writeth this holy learned and ancient father touching the superioritie of Titus Of Timotheus the same father writeth thus Quaeri mevitò potest quomodo Timotheum adse vocet cui ecclesiae gentisque totius crediderat gubernacula It may worthily be demaunded how hee calleth Timothy vnto him to whom he had committed the gouernment of the Church and of the whole nation Marke well these wordes gentis totius of the whole nation and these wordes likewise integram insulam the whole Iland and these wordes withall Muitorum episcoporum iudicium the iudgement of many Bishops For out of the said wordes it is cleerely and euidently deduced that both Timotheus and Titus were Arch-bishops in Saint Paules time the one hauing iurisdiction ouer all Asia the other ouer all Creta two great and large countries Illyricus a very famous late writer and a most worthy defender of Christian truth iumpeth with S. Chrysostome in his iudgement and opinion These are his expresse words Harum autem tres priores scriptae ad duos praestantes doctores plurimarumque ecclesiarum episcopos Timotheum Titum potissimùm informant episcopum aut superintendentem per cum etiam totam ecclesiam ab ipso gubernandam ac instruâ—ndam But the three former of these written to two excellent Doctors and Bishops of many churches Timotheus and Titus doe specially informe a Bishop or superintendent and by him the whole Church also which must be gouerned and instructed by him Loe here gentle Reader Timothie and Titus were Arch bishops that is to say the Bishops of many Churches I here let passe the wordes of Theodoretus Oecumentus and others in regard of breuitie Saint Cyprian that holy learned and auncient Father who liued aboue one thousand and three hundred yeares agoe was not only the Bishop of the famous citie of Carthage but he had also the gouernment both of Numidia and of Mauritania two goodly regions in Affrica So doth S. Cyprian himselfe write of himselfe and therefore the storie is of good credite Many Councels of Nice Antioch Carthage Mileuitane Chaicâ—doâ— and others make mention of Arch-bishops Metropolitans Primate and Patriarches It shall suffice in regard of breuitie to relate onely master Calnius testimonie of the famous Councel of Nice These are maister Caluins expresse words Quod autem singulae provinciae vnum habebant inter episcopos archiepiscopum quod item in Nicaena synodo constituti sunt patriarchae quiessent ordine dignitate archiepitscopis superiores id ad aâ—sâ—iplinae conservationem pertinebat Quanquam in hac disputatione praeteriri non potest quod rarissimi erat vsus Ob hanc igitur causam potissimum iustituti sunt illi gradus vt si quid in ecclesia qualibet incideret quod non posset bene a paâ—cis expediri ad synodum provincialem referretur Siâ—nagnitudo aut difficultas causae maiorcÌ„ quoque discussioâ—â—◠〈◊〉 adâ—iâ—ebantur patriarchae vaa cum synodis a qubuâ— esset provocatio nisi ad vniversaie concilium 〈◊〉 sic constitutam non ulli Hierarchâ—am vocaruÌ„t nomine 〈…〉 improprio â—erè 〈…〉 veteres episcâ—pos non aliam regendae ecelesiae formam volnisse fingere ab ea quam deus verbo suo praescripsit That euery prouince had an Arch-bishop among their Bishops and that the Councell of Nice did appoint Patriarches which should be in order and dignitie aboue Arch-bishops it was done for the preseruation of discipline Although in this discourse wee may not forget that it was a thing of very rare vse For this cause therefore were those degrees especially appointed that if any thing should happen in any particular church which could not there be decided the same might be referred to a general Synod If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause required yet greater consultation then were added
Patriarches together with the Synodes from whom there could be no appeale but onely vnto a Generall Councell This kinde of gouernment some called a Hierarchie a name improper and not vsed in the Scriptures as I thinke For the holy Ghost would not haue vs to dreame of any dominion or rule when question is made of Church gouernment But omitting the name if we consider the thing it selfe we shall find that these old Bishops would not frame any other kind of gouernment in the Church then that which God prescribed in his word Thus writeth Maister Caluin of the antiquitie of degrees and superioritie amongst the Ministers of the Church Which whosoeuer shall ponder seriously all partialitie set apart together with the constitutions testimonie and approbation of the most sacred and renowned generall Councel of Nice which Councel was euer to this day highly reuerenced throughout the Christian world that man doubtlesse cannot but approoue and allowe our Bishops and Arch-bishops with their names and authorities this day established in the godly setled gouernment of the Church of England For first Maister Caluin graunteth willingly the truth it self plainly leading him thereunto that in the time of the famous Councell of Nice there were both Arch-bishops and Patriarches Secondly that that patriarches were in order dignitie aboue the Arch-bishops and consequently that there was euen then viz. aboue one thousand two hundred and fortie yeares agoe superioritie Episcopall Archiepiscopall and Patriarchall among the ministers of the Church one minister hauing iurisdiction ouer and vpon an other More then which doubtlesse our Bishops and Arch-bishops doe not this day challenge in our Church of noble England Thirdly that this superioritie and dignitie among Ministers was ordained for the preseruation of discipline in the Church and consequently that as it was then godly conuenient and necessarie for the Church so is it this day in our Church of England Fourthly that the kinde of gouernment by Arch-bishops and Patriarches was agreeable to that forme of gouernment which God prescribed in his word This is a point of great moment which may not bee forgotten To which I also adde which the Reader must obserue seriously with mee that the Councell of Nice telleth vs plainely that this superioritie of one Minister aboue and ouer an other which the Brownists cannot endure was not then first appointed but had beene time out of minde by an auncient custome of the church which the Councell confirmed and established by her decree But how doe I proue it doubtlesse by the expresse wordes of the Councell For the Councell in the sixt Cannon hath these wordes Mos antiquus perduret Let the olde custome continue And in the seuenth cannon it hath these wordes Quoniam mos antiquus obtinuit vetusta traditio Because an olde custome and auncient tradition hath preuailed c. Which olde custome had beene in the Church euen from Saint Marke the Euangelist and from Saint Timothy and Saint Titus as is already prooued And if any one will yet bee obstinate and denie that this olde custome whereof the holy and auncient Councell speaketh beganne in the Apostles time let that man or those persons which so shall say or affirme name the time before the Nicene Councell when Archbishops and Patriarches first beganne And if any man can this performe I promise to bee of his opinion If otherwise both reason and true humilitie would aduise that man and those persons who shall so say or thinke to yeelde all due obedience to their superiours and willingly to subscribe vnto the truth Which doubtlesse they will doe that heretofore haue refused to embrace the ceremonies of our English Church if this Text of the Gospell bee not truly verified in them for they loued the praise of men more then the praise of God But howe is this possible I will vnfold the case Gentle Reader protesting that I doe it of charitie and for edification sake The truth I will plainly and sincerely set downe concealing the parties name because I loue the man and haue regard vnto his credite Talking with a Preacher of mine acquaintance a man otherwise both godly learned and of singular gifts concerning the cannons of Anno. 1604. and the kinde of gouernment of this our English Church when hee seemed to mee to haue nothing of moment to say against the same hee answered mee thus that hee would neither loose his liuing nor weare the surplesse nor yet make the signe of the crosse in the childs forhead And when I demaunded how that could bee hee answered that hee would keepe one to doe it but not doe it himselfe When I replied that hee might as lawfully doe it himselfe as procure an other to doe it hee vttered these wordes How can I doe that against which I haue so often preached I proceeded and told him as a friend that his refusall seemed to tast of the spirit of the proude Pharise and not of the humble Publican c. Well I hope the partie wil be obedieÌ„t But certes I thought afore that all their proceedings had been of meere conscience which now I perceiue to be of pride in a great many of them through which manner of dealing I wil not say hypocrisie the simple sort become disobedient and are deepely drowned in errour and our Church pitifully turmoyled with schismes dissention The godly learned and zealous Patron of pure religion maister Bucer deriueth the superioritie of Arch-bishops euen from the Apostles themselues These are his expresse words I am ex perpetua ecclesiarum observations abipsis apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritu sancto vt inter presbyteros quibus ecclesiarum procuratio potissimùm est commissa vnus ecclesiarum totius sacriministerij curam gerat singulareÌ„ eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeerat alijâ— Qua de causa episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum cur atoribus est peculiaritèr attributum Now we see by the perpetuall obseruation of churches euen from the Apostles themselues that it pleased the holy Ghost that among the ministers to whom especially the gouernment of the church is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the churches and the whole sacred ministery that he in that care and sollicitued should be aboue al the rest for which cause the name of Bishop is peculiarly giuen to such chiefe gouernours of churches Thus writeth maister Bucer Out of whose words I note first that the superioritie of Arch-bishops and bishops proceedeth from the holy Ghost Secondly that this superioritie was euer in the church eueÌ„ from the Apostles The same author hath in that same Chap. much more matter to the same effect The famous doctor zealous christian Hieronymie Zanchis us in the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of his faith granteth freely that there were Arch-bishops Metropolitans and Patriarches before the Nicene Councel These are his words Cum hanc coÌ„sâ—riberem fidei confessioneÌ„ omnia ex bona
writing in this manner Nemo autem est qui non vi◠deat hac vocabula invicem confundi alterum accipi pro altero Nam apostolus etiam propheta doctor evangelista presbyter atque episcopus est Et episcopus evangelista propheta est Propheta doctor presbyter evangelista Proinde apostolus paulus varijs hisce vocabulis varia illa dona significavit qua dominus ecclesiae suae importijt ad salutem Euery man seeth that these wordes are confounded and that one of them is taken for an other For an Apostle is also a Prophet a Doctor an Euangelist a Priest and a Bishop And a Bishop is an Euangelist and a Prophet A Prophet is a Doctor an Elder and an Euangelist Therefore the Apostle Paul by these diuers names signifieth those diuers gifts which our Lord bestowed on his Church vnto saluation I therefore conclude that the pillers whereupon the presbyterie is builded are sandie rotten and vnsound and consequently that that building which is reared vpon them cannot but be vnstable and ruinous The sixt Proposition THe newe English presbyterie was not knowne or heard of in the Christian world for the space of fifteene hundred yeares together at the least This proposition is sufficiently proued by this precedent discourse if it be well marked from the beginning Yea my bare assertion is a good proofe thereof vntill the patrons of the contrarie opinion can and shall name the time and place when and where such a presbyterie was to be found The seuenth Proposition ALL Ministers created and made by the newe presbyterie are meere lay-persons and cannot lawfully either Preach Gods word or administer the sacraments This is alreadie proued I will therefore salute our Brownists Barrowists and such like as the learned and famous Writer Maister Bullinger did the Anabaptists His wordes are these Quod si dicitis vos instar apostolorum peculiarem vocationem habere probate eam signis miraculis dono linguarum doctrina apostolica quemadmodum apostoli fecerunt Hoc autem nunquam facietis ideoque vocatio vestra nihili imò pernitiosa est ecclesiae Christi Now if you say you haue a speciall and peculiar calling as the Apostles had then must you prooue the same by signes and miracles by speaking diuers languages and by doctrine apostolicall as the Apostles did Saint Hierome saith Ecclesia non est quae non babet sacerdotem Where there is no priest or minister there can bee no Church The first Obiection That not Kings Monarches and other independant ciuil magistrates haue the supreame and highest authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall but that Bishops and Priests haue that charge committed to them as their proper and peculiar function it may appeare euidently to all indifferent readers by the facts and proceedings of Bishops in the old testament Ieroboams hand dried vp Ozias was smitten with the leprosie and thrust out of the Temple king Saul deposed from his kingdome and all this befel vpon these kings because they tooke vpon them the supreame authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall Yea Iehoiada the Priest commaunded to put Queene Athalia out of the ranges and to execute the iudgement of death vpon her And king Iehosaphat affirmeth plainly that Amariah was chiefe ruler in all matters of the Lord as Zebadiah was the ciuill gouernour of all the kings affaires The Answere This obiection containeth a question of great moment and is very obscure intricate and difficult Wherefore I admonish and aduise the gentle Reader to reade my answere againe and againe and to ponder it seriously before hee giue his iudgement therein My answere standeth thus First that Ieroboams hand was dried vp and Saul deposed from his royall throne not for that they challenged a soueraigntie aboue the Priests and supreame authoritie in causes ecclesiastical but because they attempted arrogantly and presumptiously to execute priestly functiō in offering incense vpon the Altar burnt offerings peace offerings Secondly that Vzziah or Ozias was smitten with the leprosie because hee would needes burne incense to the Lord which was the Priests proper function Neither did the Priests for all that thrust him out of the Temple but dutifully as it become them told him what was his dutie and that he had offended God and therefore they willed him to surcease from his wicked enterprise and to goe foorth of the sanctuarie Which was no other vsage then S. Iohn the Baptist afforded Herode the Tetrach when he told him it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife Thirdly that the fact of Iehosaphat proueth euidently the Kings supreame power ouer all his subiects as well in causes ecclesiasticall as ciuill The reason hereof is euident because King Iehosophat by vertue of his prerogatiue royall placed both Amariah and Zebadiah in their seuerall functions and prescribed the limits of their iurisdictions Neither will it helpe to say that Amariah was ruler in the matters of the Lord and Zebadiah in the Kings affaires For the meaning is not that the Kings affaires are not the matters of the Lord seeing as is alreadie proued that the King at his inauguration receiueth the whole booke of the law and charge to see Gods true worship and seruice euery where maintained But the true sense of the text is this and no other viz. that those things which the King in his owne person may execute are precisely called the Kings affaires to distinguish them from his other affaires which himselfe cannot put in execution For albeit in the preaching of the word administratiō of the Sacraments the chosen minister hath onely the charge and authoritie to execute them neuerthelesse Gods annointed Prince hath the supreame charge souereigne authoritie to command the execution thereof as also to correct and to punish the Minister for the neglect of his dutie in that behalfe Of which point I haue spoken sufficiently in my other bookes and therefore deeme it a thing needlesse now to stand long vpon the same Fourthly touching the fact of Iehoiada the Priest I answere that it can no way proue the superioritie of Priests ouer kings For first Iehoiada was not a priuate man but the high Priest in the cōmon weale of the Iewes whose office it was to iudge not ecclesiasticall matters onely but also ciuill For the Iewes had no other lawes but the holy scriptures Secondly Iehoiada did nothing against Athalia of himselfe but with the aduise assent and helpe of the Centurions and Peeres of the Realme all which were bound by the lawe of Deuteronomie to defend the kingdome from strangers Thirdly Iehoiada was bound by the right of affinitie to defend king Ioas and to establish him in his Kingdome For his wife was the kings Aunt Fourthly God had assured by his infallible promise the Kingdome to the familie of Dauid Now Athalia was not of the stocke and Progenie of David but a stranger to the Kingdome For her mother was a Sydonian and her father
and skinnes of their subiects because kings must prouide see that their subiects liue vertuously and in the feare of God yea he saith further that if the Ministers teach not aright or doe not administer the Sacraments orderly theÌ„ the Magistrate must reduce them into order and see that they teach sincerely and doe not abuse the Sacraments nor deliuer theÌ„ otherwise then Christ hath commanded And if they liue wickedly and disorderly he must depose them from the Ministerie Thus writeth this Doctor and much more he hath to the like effect but I studie to be briefe M. Bucer an other great learned Clerke in that worthy worke which he dedicated to king Edward the 6. of happy memorie telleth him resolutely that euery soule is subiect to his Empire aswell the Bishops as the rest of the Clergie and that therefore he must be the more vigilant and carefull to reforme them and their Ministerie And M. Caluin in his Epistle to Queene Elizabeth of happie memorie ascribeth vnto her the same prerogatiue in causes Ecclesiasticall very earnestly exhorting her Maiestie in the bowels of Christ Iesus to bee carefull in purging the Church from superstition and poperie See the xj Chapter in the sixt proposition in the answere to the first Obiection and note it well CHAP. V. Of the Degrees of Ministers Bishops Arch-bishops Metropolitanes and Patriarches and of their Antiquitie in the best and purest times of the Church Paragraph first of the degrees and superioritie of one Minister ouer an other SAint Austin that famons writer and strong pillar of Christs Church who liued aboue 1200. yeares agoe affirmeth resolutely and plainly vnto S. Hierome beeing then an Elder or Presbyter of Christes Church that his authoritie and degree was aboue S. Hieromes because hee was a Bishop These are S. Austins owne words Quanquam n. secundum honorum vocabula quae iam vsus ecclesiae obtinuit episcopatus presbyterio maior sit tamen in multis rebus Augustinus Hieronymo minor est licet etiam a minore quolibet non sit refugienda vel dedignanda correctio For although according to the wordes of honour which now are of force by the custome of Christes Church the degree office of a Bishop is greater theÌ„ the degree office of a Priest or Elder yet Austin is in many things inferiour to Hierome neither may the superiour disdaine to be rebuked of his inferiour Out of these wordes of S. Austin I obserue first that to be a Bishop in S. Austins time at which time it cannot bee denied but the Church was in good state and order was an higher degree then to bee a Priest or Elder Secondly that Bishops were in those dayes honourable and called Lord Bishops which I gather out of these words secundum honorum vocabula according to the wordes of honour Thirdly that this superioritie amongst Ministers had been a long time in the Church euen before S. Austins dayes because Saint Austine saith this superioritie came by the custome of the Church S. Hierome who liued in S. Austins dayes confirmeth S. Austins testimonie touching the superioritie of one minister ouer an other these are his wordes Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos presbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus imperatorem faciat aut diaconi eligant de se quem industrium noverint archidiaconum vocent quid nâ—facit excepta ordinatione episcopus quod presbyter non faciat sequitur presbyter episcopus aliud aetatis aliud dignitatis est nomen sequitur quod Aaron filij eius at que Levitae in templo suerunt hoc sibi episcopi presbyteri diaconi vendicent in ecclesia For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist vnto Heraclas and Dionysius being both Bishops the Priestes did alwayes choose one among them whom they placed in an higher degree and called him Bishop as if an host of men should make a Generall ouer them or the Deacon chuse one of themselues whom they sawe more vigilant and should call him Arch-deacon For what doth a Bishop sauing the ordination that a Priest doth not Touching a Priest and Bishop the one is the name of age the other of dignitie That which Aaron and his sonnes and the Leuites were in the temple the same may the Bishops and Priestes and Deacons challenge in the Church Out of these wordes of this holy Father and learned writer I note first that a Bishop hath an higher degree in the Church then hath a Priest or Elder I note secondly that this superioritie among Ministers hath euer beene in the Church since the time of Saint Marke the Euangelist Thirdly that the name of a Bishop is the name of dignitie honour Fourthly that as Aaron had a degree aboue the Priestes in the time of Moses so haue Bishops now a degree aboue the other Ministers or Elders Fiftly that a Bishop onely ordeyneth Ministers Saint Chrisostome who liued in Saint Austines time had very great superioritie ouer Bishops for hee was not onely Bishop of Constantinople but also ruled many other Churches both in Thracia Pontus and Asia These are the expresse words of Theodoretus in his historie concerning this matter Atque hoc modo prospexit non illi solum civitati verum etiam totâ— Thratiae quae est in sex episcopatus divisa cunctae etiam Asiae quae vndecim habet antistites Ponticam praeterea ecclesiam quae eundem habet episcoporum numerum quem Asia eisdem legihus adornavit And Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople did by this meanes not onely prouide for that citie but also for all Thracia which is diuided into sixe Bishoptickes as also for the whole Countrey of Asia which hath in it eleuen Bishops He also ruled Pontus which hath the same number of Bishops with Asia and beautified it with the same Lawes Out of these words of this holy Father worthily surnamed the golded mouthed Doctor I obserue first that hee was the Arch-bishop of Constantinople Secondly that hee had also iurisdiction Archiepiscopall ouer 28. Bishops in Thracia Asia and Pontus And that the Reader may fully know what iurisdiction this holy Father vsed ouer these Churches two things must be remembred which are set downe in the place quoted in my Margent The one that he commaunded the Priests to liue after the Lawes The other that he did â—â—ptiue them of their Priestly function which did violate and transgresse the lawes So then it is cleare and euident that there are degrees of superioritie amongst Ministers yea that one Bishop hath iurisdiction ouer another as S. Chrysostome being a Patriarch had ouer 28. other Bishops S. Ignatius who was Bishop of Antioch and S. Iohns disciple and liued in the Apostles time A. D. 97 sheweth euidently that in his time one Minister had rule ouer another the Bishops ouer the
onely ambition and greedie desire of bearing rule ouer others Which his opinion hee prooveth to bee grounded vpon Christs owne wordes And doubtlesse it is to bee admired that any Learned man will holde the contrarie opinion See Peter Martyrs opinion and note it well His expresse wordes shall bee set downe when I come to speake of the church-discipline The Reply Maister Caluin and many other learned writers alleage this Text against that superioritie which the late Bishops of Rome doe challenge ouer other Ministers of the Church which doubtlesse they could never truely doe if one Bishop or Minister may be superiour to another The Answere I answere that M. Caluin and other learned men doe truely alledge this Scripture against the falsly challenged Primacie of the proude arrogant Bishop of Rome And yet for all that it doth not prohibite the moderate and lawfull superioritie of one Minister ouer another which is both necessarie for the peaceable managing of the Church and hath euer beene vsed in the Church as it is already prooved For the Bishop of Romes superioritie is so farre from heing moderate and lawfull that it may truely be termed tyrannicall and plaine diabolical Because as I haue proved at large in other discourses hee taketh vpon him to depose kings to translate kingdomes and in most brutish and savage manner to tyrannize ouer mens soules and consciences Idque iure divino as hee beareth the world in hand The 2. Obiection The names of Arch-bishops Primates and Patriarches are proud names disholy prophane and not to bee found in the holy Scriptures The Answere I answere First that though the names be not expressed in holy writ yet is the thing it selfe sufficiently conteined in the same as is already proved Secondly that the very names are so farre from being prophane and disholy that the most zealovs Patrons of the Presbitery doe allowe and approue the same for lawfull and holy and to haue beene ordained of the holy Fathers for a godly end and purpose Maister Caluins opinion is alreadie set downe in this present chapter Yet for better satisfaction of the Reader let him heare what the same authour saith in an other place These are his wordes Quod duodecim vnum habuerint inter se qui omnes regeret nihil mirum Hoc n. fert natura hoc hominum ingenium postulat vt in quovis caetu etiamsi aequales sint omnes potestate vnus tamen sit veluti moderator in quem alij respiciant Nulla est curia sine consule nullus consessus indicum sine Praetore sen quaesitore collegium nullum sine Praefecto nulla sine magistro societas That the twelue Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest it was no maruell For nature requireth it and the dispositioÌ„ of men will so haue it that in euery company though they be all equall in power there be one as gouernour by whom the rest may be directed There is no Court without a Consull no Senate without a Pretor no Colledge without a PresideÌ„t no societie without a maister Now it is euident that neither Bishops nor Arch-bishops in our church of England haue greater authoritie then maister Caluin speaketh of in this place For to say nothing of the dignitie of Consuls and Pretors which was very great among the Romans the maister of a Colledge as euery Scholler of Cambridge and Oxford can tell hath a perpetuall office hee is chiefe gouernour of that societie and all the members thereof owe obedience vnto him as to their head he hath authoritie to punish and to see lawes executed within his Colledge as Bishops and Arch-bishops haue in their dioceses prouinces And most certaine it is that no Arch-bishop in England hath that authoritie in his prouince which the Consul had in Rome Maister Beza confesseth that antiquitie vsed the names of Bishops and Arch-bishops and willingly admitteth of them as holy names These are his expresse wordes Nam quod pastores temporis progressu distincti sunt in metropolitas episcopos quos nunc vocant curatos id est singulis paraecijs prafectos id minime factum est respectu ministerij verbi sed potum habita ecclesiasticae iurisdictionis ac disciplinae ratione Itaque quod attinet ad verbi praedicandi munus sacramentorum administrationeÌ„ nullum est inter archiepiscopos episcopos curatos discrimen Omnes n. tenentur suos greges eodeÌ„â—ibo pascere ideâ—que communi nomine postores episcopi in scripturis passim vocantur Quae verò istorum impudentia est sacra nomina vsurpare propter ea apostolorum verorum opiscoporum successionem iactare For that in processe of time pastors were distinguished into Metropolitans or Arch-bishops Bishops and Curates it was not done in respect of the Ministerie of the word but in regard of ecclesiasticall iurisdictition and discipline Therefore touching the office of Preaching and Ministration of the sacraments there is no difference betwixt Arch-bishops Bishops and Curates For they all are bound to feede their flockes with the same meate and therfore are they called in the Scriptures by the common name of Pastors and Bishops But how impudent are these men which vnder colour of these holy names glory in the succession of the Apostles and true Bishops thus writeth master Beza iumping as euery childe may see with that doctrine which I now defend Yea the same Beza affirmeth these degrees and names to haue beene appointed by the auncient Church vpon a very good zeale These are his wordes in an other place Neque verò nos ignoramus quammulia sint a veteribuâ— constituta de episcoporum metropolitaruÌ„ Patriarcharum sedibus idque optimo zelo definitis cuinsique limitibus certaque attributa authoritate Neither are wee ignorant how many coÌ„stitutions the old fathers haue made concerning the seates of Bishops Metropolitans and Patris arches and that vpon a very godly zeale assigning to euery one his boundes and authoritie Thus the Reader seeeth how Caluin Beza Bucer Zanchius and Hemingius doe hold the same opinion which I now defend The Reply The Bishops Arch-bishops Patriarches and such like of which Beza Caluin the Councell of Nice and other councels make mention were not such as our Bishops in England Prelates of the Garter high Commissioners Iustices of Peace and Quorum The Answere I answere First that the same superioritie of one minister ouer an other was then in the olde Arch-bishops Patriarches and such like which is this day in ours here in this land yea greater by one degree at the least because England neuer had a Patriarch in it Secondly that Arch-bishops Primates and Metropolitans which are all one in effect had then the same iurisdiction in other countries which our bishops haue this day in England That is to say a superiour charge and sollicitude of all Churches within their prouinces Which thing though it be alreadie prooued sufficiently to all well affected Readers may
Saint Hierome calleth that mans ordinance which was done by the Apostles immediately for that they were men indeed as we our selues are Secondly that superiority of one Minister ouer and aboue an other was in the Apostles time and proceeded from authoritie apostolicall This is alreadie proued Thirdly that a thing may bee called de iure diuine a diuine institution or ordinance two waies First because it is of God immediately Secondly for that it is of them who are so directed by Gods holy spirit that they cannot erre This phrase of speach Saint Paul vseth in these wordes to the remnant I speake and not the Lord. Where we may not doubt but all that Saint Paul spoke was from the Lord and that his ordinance was diuine and not meere humane And in this sense the superioritie of Bishops ouer other inferiour Ministers of the Church may bee called De iure diuine or an ordinance diuine Saint Hierome calleth it an humane ordinance rather then Diuine because it was De iure diuine onely in genere and mediately and De iure humano in specie and immediately The second Obiection In the primitiue Church there was neither Arch-bishop Patriarke nor Metropolitan and yet no Church did or can excell the same in gouernment beautie or perfection The Answere I answere First that though in the very beginning of the primitiue Church there were no Arch-bishops Patriarches or Metropolitans yet were such very shortly after euen in the time of the Apostles as is alreadie proued Secondly that though Arch-bishops and Metropolitans were not expressely named yet were they equivalently implyed in the Apostles Thirdly that as the Church for a time wanted Arch-bishops and Bishops so did it also want Deacons and vnpriested Elders And as the defect of the latter did not argue the imperfection of the Church for that time so neither did the want of the former inferre any such necessarie consequence Fourthly that as the Church had authoritie for the circumstances of times places and persons to ordaine Deacons and vnpriested Seniours if any such euer were so also had it then and this day hath like authoritie to ordaine Arch-bishops and other Ministers of the church for the common good vnitie and peace of the same Whosoeuer shall read attentiuely Maister Bullingers wordes against the Anabaptists of his time shall finde and perceiue very euidently that hee constantly defendeth this my opinion and doctrine Maister Bucer maketh this case most euident whilest hee sheweth the libertie freedome and authoritie of the Church in these most pithy and golden wordes At vero de â—aeteris signis quae in sacris adhibita sunt a veteriâ—â—â— veâ— hodiâ— adhibentur a multis vt sunt ignis ad oxorcijmes catechi mos alba vestis baptizatorum sacer panis qui dabatur catechumenis pleraque alia sic sentio Siquae ecclesiae essent quae puram Christi tenerent doctrinam sinceram servarent disciplinem hisque signis vterentur simpliâ—itèr purè absque omni superstitione vel levitate praecise ad pias admonitiones easquo probè ommbus intellectas eas ecclesias non possem equidem propter signorum talem vsum condemnare Sequitur hinc fit vt homines sicut in privatis publicis actionibus faciunt ita vtilitèr etiam pleraque signa adhibeant sacris ceremorijs Iterum ibidem signum impositionis manuum etiam episcopi soli prabebant non absque ratione Sive n sic faedus domini baptizatis confirmandumâ— sive reconciliandiij qui gras viù◠peccarunt sive ecclesijs ministri ordinandi haec omnia ministeria maximè decent eos quibus summa ecclesiarum cur a demandata est Touching all other ceremonies which were vsed of ancient time in the holy misteries or are this day in vse with many as fire to Exorcismes and Catechismos the white garment of the Baptized holy bread giuen to the Catechumenes and many other things my opinion is this if there were any Churches which retained pure doctrine and sincere discipline and did vse these signes and ceremonies simplely and purely without all superstition or leuitie precisely to godly admonitions well vnderstood of all the people I verily could not condemne those churches for the vse of such signes or ceremonies Hence it commeth that as men doe in priuate and publique actions so also may they adde many signes vnto their holy ceremonies and that not without profit The signe also of imposition of hands was giuen by Bishops onely and that not without reason For whether the baptized were to bee confirmed with the couenant of the Lord or they who had sinned grieuously were to be reconciled or Ministers were to be ordained vnto Churches all these ministeries doe especially partaine vnto them to whom the chiefest charge of the church is committed Out of these golden wordes of this great learned Doctor and renowned Writer I obserue these worthy lessons First that in the auncient approued Churches were many Ministeries with which inferiour Ministers then called Priests as our Church this day vseth the same names had not to doe withall Secondly that onely Bishops who were superiours in degree could make order and consecrate Priests and other inferiour Ministers of the Church Thirdly that onely Bishops and not Priests did confirme the baptized by imposition of hands Which thing our English Church doth this day lawdably obserue howsoeuer some mal-contents more rashly then wisely impugne the same Fourthly that the Church hath authoritie to constitute symbols signes and ceremonies and to adde them vnto the holy misteries Fiftly that we may not condemne those Churches which for godly considerations without superstition doe vse such signes and ceremonies as were not knowne or heard of in the primitiue Church Oh that this doctrine were well marked and remembred for then doubtlesse all dissention would cease and all mal-contents would yeeld obedience to the godly settled Lawes of our English Church Maister Zuinglius a very learned and famous Writer and a most zealous professor of Christs Gospell is able to satisfie all indifferent Readers These are his expresse wordes Simul illud notari debet quod apostolorum nomen deposuerunt vt primùm vni alicui ecclesiae affixi illius curam continuam habuerant cum nimirum vel senecta impediti vel morbis afflicti peregrinationum molestijs periculis amplius sufficere non potuerunt Tunc n. non apostoli amplius sed episcopi dicti sunt Possumus autem huins rei exemplum imo testem adducere D. Iacobum quem nos minorem ab atate dicimus Hunc n. Huronimus omnes simul vetusti patres Hierosolymitanorum episcopum nominant non aliam ob causam quam quod ea in vrbe sedem fixam posuisset Cum n. antea vt reliqui apostoli peregrinationibus deditus fidem vbique terrarum docuisset tandem abipsis apostolis constitutus est qui Hierosolymitanae ecclesiae curaÌ„ ceu diligens aliquis speculator ageret idem de
Iohanne euangelista christi discipulo dicere possumus Cùm n. multis varijs periculis obiectus apostolieam functionem longo tempore administravisset tandem Ephesiorum episcopus factus in ea vrbe anno ab ascensione domini sexagesimo octavo è vivis excessit This also must be marked that they laid away the name of Apostles so soone as they were tyed to any one church and had the continuall charge thereof To wit when they being either hindered with old age or afflicted with diseases were no longer able to endure troubles and molestations of trauaile For then they were no longer called Apostles but Bishops We may bring Saint Iames the yonger for an example or rather for a witnesse of this matter For Hierome and all the auncient Fathers call him the Bishop of Hierusalem and for no other cause saue onely that he had placed himselfe in that citie For when in former times hee as the rest of the Apostles being giuen to peregrination had taught the faith euery where the Apostles made him as a diligent watchman the Bishop of Hierusalem The same we may say of Saint Iohn the Euangelist and disciple of Christ. For when he being exposed to many dangers had executed the apostolicall function a long time hee was at length made the Bishop of Ephesus and died 68 yeares after our Lords ascension Out of these words of this excelleÌ„t discourse I note first that in the Apostles something was extraordinarie and temporarie and something likewise ordinarie and perpetuall This is an obseruation of great moment well worthy to be engrauen in Marble with a Penne of Gold Secondly that the Apostles were some time Bishops and that their function in that respect was perpetuall Thirdly that so soone as they betooke themselues to an ordinarie calling they ceased to bee called Apostles and were named Bishops And this their ordinarie calling remaineth this day in the Church and shall continue vntill the worlds ende Hence commeth it that all the holy Fathers affirme with vniforme consent that Bishops this day succeede the Apostles in their ordinarily calling This graue Writer deliuereth his opinion for ceremonies most plainly and prudently in these expresse wordes Iam obijciebant odiose nimis salem butyrum salivam lutum alia id genus imo ipsas quoque orationes quae super infantibus fiunt quod neque Iohannes neque apostoli legerentur orationibus baptismo praeivisse Ad quae sic respondimus primùm ad ceremonias Christum interim caecos quosdam visui restituisse mediantibus tactu aut luto interim solo verbo respice neque tamen eos minùs vidisse qui tactu vel luto mediante aciem recepissent quà m qui solo verbo at nihil morari nos externa ista si ecclesia iubeat resâ—indi factumque est vt protinus iuberet non ignorantibus nobis qui verbo praesumus iam inter exordia ecclesiae horum fuisse vsum tametsi eis non tantum tribueretur atque his nostris temporibus vndè citrà negotium recidimus Now they obiected too odiously Butter Salt spittle Cley and such like yea the very praiers made ouer infants because neither Iohn nor the Apostles are read to haue preuented baptisme with prayers To which wee answered and first to the ceremonies that Christ sometime cured the blinde by touching and Clay sometime by his word onely neither for all that did they see lesse who receiued sight by Clay and touching then they which sawe by his onely word but we make no reckoning of these externall things if the church command them to be taken away and wee obeâ—ed as shee appointed albeit wee ministers are not ignorant that in the beginning of the church these ceremonies were vsed though not in such sort as now adaies and therfore without contradiction we reiect them Out of this dicourse we may learne sufficiently howe to behaue our selues touching ceremonies viz. to vse or refuse signes and ceremonies as beeing thinges indifferent as the church shall thinke it expedient and appoint to be done Hemingius an other famous late writer hath these words Augustinus Ambrosius non offenduntur ex coque aliae Remae aliae Mediolani essent ceremoniae Nam inter se iunguntur pij spiritis Christi non humanis ceremonijs Vt pios gubernatores ecclesiarum velim magno studio cavere ne ceremoniae scandalo sint infirmis it a privatos nolim quicquam mutare in ceremonijs gravi authoritate a maioribus institutis approbatis Neque est quod exactissima ratio singularum ceremoniarum inquiratur modo non manifestam superstitionem impietatem redoleant Quidam offenduntur ceremonijs nostris quas clamitant papisticas esse Dicunt nos habere sacerdotes altaria vectes candelos imagines exorcismos signationes crucis planè papistico more His ego respondeo ecclesiam veram a falsae dictingunendam doctrina cultu non ceremonijs quae per se adiaphorae sunt Neque n ceremonias adiaphoras tanti momenti esse indicamus vt propter illas schismata moveantur in ecclesia Retineatur doctrinae sinceritas retineatur purus dei cultus Alia serviant partim tranquillitati partim infirmitati hominum relinquamus prudentia quberuatorum de his rebus dispiciant Austen and Ambrose are not offended that Rome had one kind of ceremonies and Millan an other For the godly are lincked together by the spirit of Christ not by humane ceremonies As I wish the godly gouernours of Churches to be very circumspect that ceremonies doe not scandalize weakelings so would I not haue priuate persons to alter any thing in ceremonies which our auncestors with graue authoritie haue ordained approued Neither is there any cause why we should require an exact reason of euery ceremonie so that they imply not any manifest superstition and impietie Some are offended with our ceremonies crying out that they are papisticall They say we haue Priests Alters Vestures Candels Images Exorcismes Crossings euen after the Popish manner To these good fellowes I aunswere that the true Church is distinguished from the false in doctrine and worship but not in ceremonies which are of their owne nature things indifferent For we thinke not ceremonies indifferent to be of such moment that for them wee may make a Schisme in the Church Let vs retaine the sinceritie of Doctrine and hold fast the pure worship of GOD. Let other things serue partly peace and tranquillitie partly the infirmitie of men and let vs leaue these things to the prudent consideration of our superiours and let them dispose thereof Out of these wordes of this great learned Writer wee may gather all things necessarie for the decision of all controuersies about rites and ceremonies of the Church For first hee telleth vs that the varietie of ceremonies at Rome and Millan did not offend Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose Secondly that priuate persons must bee obedient to the lawes of their superiours and
not to take vpon them to alter those ceremonies which higher powers haue appointed Thirdly that wee must not be curious to demaund reasons for euery ceremonie Fourthly that all ceremonies are tollerable which containe not in them manifest superstition and impâ—etie Fiftly that Copes Vestments Candels Exorcismes Crossings and such like are not things of suffâ—cient moment to cause Schisme and dissention in the Church but that all such things must be left and wholy referred to the consideration of higher powers And both Bucer and Zuinglius teacheth the same doctrine as is alreadie proued The third Obiection Now the Church is troubled with Chauncellours Commissaries Officials and such like for defence whereof no reason can be yeelded The Answere The antiquitie of Chauncellours and Officials or of the Substitutes and Vicars of Bishops which is all one in the thing it self is such of so great authority in Gods church that both old and late writers of best iudgement moderation and learning haue acknowledged and approued the same The auncient Councell of Ancyran which was afore the Nicen councell euen almost 13. hundred yeares agoe hath these expresse words Vicarijs Episcoporum quos graci corepiscopos vocaÌ„t non licere vel presbyteros vel diaconos ordinare sed nec presbyteris civitatis sine episcopi praecepto ampliùs aliquid imperare nec sine authoritate literarum eius in vnaquaque parochia aliquid agere We decree saith this councell that it is not lawfull for the Vicars or Substitutes of Bishops whom the Greekes call fellow-bishops or coadiutors to order either Priests or Deacons neither yet to bee lawfull to the Priests of the Citie to command any thing else without the Bishops authoritie or without the authoritie of his letters to doe any thing in any parish The auncient councell of Neocaesarea and the Councell of Antioch being likewise of great antiquitie doe acknowledge and approue the saide Vicars or Substitutes of Bishops Hemingius agreeth with the Canons of the afore-named councels deliuering his opinion in these wordes Hac potestate ecclesia ordinat ministros pro commodo suo vt omnia ordinatè fiant ad instaurationem corporis Christi Hinc ecclesia purior sequuta tempora Apostolorum alios patriarchas alios episcopos alios corepiscopos alios pastores catechistas instituit Sequitur decori partes sunt duae Prior vt excitemur ad pietatem illis adminiculis Posterior vt modestia gravitas in pietatis tractatione eluceat By this power the Church ordereth Ministers for her owne good that all things may bee done in order for the instauration of the body of Christ. Hence the pure church which followed after the dayes of the Apostles appointed some to be Patriarches some to be Bishops some Coadiutors Vicars or fellow-fellow-bishops othersome Pastors Catechists Comelinesse hath two parts the first that we may be drawen to pietie by these helpes the other that modestie and gravitie may shine in the ordinance of pietie Out of these words I note first that the Church may make and constitute diuerse degrees of Ministers for her owne peace and for the building vp of Christes mysticall body Secondly that Patriarches Arch-bishops and Substitutes or Suffragans of Bishops and such like were ordained euen then when the Church was in her puritie A most worthy observation remember it well gentle Reader Thirdly that Ceremonies are some helpes to bring men vnto pietie M. Bucer M. Zanchius and M. Calvin the greatest Patrons of Presbiterie doe all agree vnto this my doctrine acknowledging it for the doctrine of the best and purest Churches next after the Apostles-dayes In regard of brevitie I surcease from recital of their words The Reply The Church of Geneva where M. Calvin was the chief in his time hath neither Patriarches nor Arch-bishops nor Suffragans or substitute vicars The Answere I answere with M. Calvin himselfe whose wordes are these Talis morositas deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus pro vniversali lege valere Such morositie is a pestilent mischiefe when we will haue the manner of one Church to be in place of an vniversall law Yea if M. Calvin were this day liuing he would not affirme the vsage of Geneva to be a fit paterne for the gouernment of our English Church Many Ceremonies and constitutions agree well to our Church which were nothing convenient to some other Hence commeth it that the Church hath authoritie as I haue alreadie prooued to constitute make and publish such Canons Rules and Ordinances as tend to the common good and peaceable government thereof The 4. Obiection The Bishops take vpon them to giue the holy Ghost when they ridiculously make Ministers For they say Receiue ye the holy Ghost The Answere I answere that the manner of ordering Ministers vsed in our English Church descended by tradition from the best most auncient and purest Churches Which thing Saint Ambrose Saint Augustin Saint Hierome and all the holy Fathers doe constantly affirme with vniforme assent Neither doth the Bishop take vppon him to give the holy Ghost but humbly and reuerently pronounceth Christes wordes according to the vsuall practise of all Churches in best approoued times thereby signifying vnto the newly ordered Ministers their principall charge and dutie and assuring them of the assistance of Gods holy Spirit if they labour in their calling as they ought to doe Which vsage of our English Church is consonant aswell to the practise of auncient Churches as to the doctrine of Saint Paul himselfe to Timothie when hee saith Wherefore I put thee in remembraunce thou stirre vp the gift of GOD which is in thee by the putting on of mine hands For albeit all things necessarie for our salvation bee contained in the Scriptures either expresly or by neceslarie consequence yet are many other things very profitable for the externall gouernment of the Church which are partly receiued by tradition from the Apostles and partly added by the authoritie of the Church as circumstances of times places and persons did require Of this point of doctrine M. Zuinglius disputeth very learnedly in a large discourse against the Anabaptists His wordes are these Apostolos baptizatos fuisse nusquaÌ„legimus nisi quod de duobus tantùm mentio fiat Iohan. 1. Vbi tamen idem hoc non disertè expressum est sed obscuriùs innuitur Quod si ergo vestro more nihil eorum factum esse dicemus quae scripturis sacris non continentur iam D. virginem Mariam ipsos quoque Apostolos baptismi signo nunquam inauguratos fuisse fateri cogemur quoa ab omni pietate religione est quà m alienissimum Sequitur caeterùm quòd ad dogmata fides spectat eas res quae fidem nostram internum hominem informant perpetuò hoc ceâ— presenti antidoto vtendum est quod Deus non praecepit credere vt credamus adsalutem necessarium non est Cultum hunc non descripsit
legem Neque Pauius obstitisset vt apparet ex Rom 13. quia vero duruÌ„erat homines christianos Ethnicis obijcere recurrit ad remedium quod christus dedit quoad iniurias privatas mat 18. sequitur potestas illa penes qâ—os erat penes totaÌ„ ecclesiaÌ„ quae tameÌ„ ne coÌ„fusio fieret per delectos agebat ex senioribus Sequitur excommunicatio n. non est ex necessarijs illis sine quibus ecclesia non consistit He made mention of the power of Christ alluding to his wordes in Mathew least he should contemne the sentence of the church And he coÌ„mandeth this to be done because they had no other meanes at that time to correct the disobedient when there were no christian Magistrates Otherwise this fellowe should haue bin punished according to the law Neither would Paul haue bin against it as appeareth by his doctrine to the Romans But because it was a very hard case to send Christians to Ethnickes he hath recourse to that remedie which Christ appointed for priuate iniuries and in whom was that power in the whole Church which for all that to auoid coÌ„fusion did execute the same by chosen seniours For excommunication is none of those necessary things without which the church cannot consist The same Doctor in an other place hath these expresse words Hodie non opus proprio seuatu ecclesiae Agnoscamus beneficium dei Esa. 49. vicissim hi aguoscant se quoque meÌ„mbra esse ecclesiae Sequitur nobis sufficiat habere pastores scholas magistratus pios qui cuitum dei tueantur pauperes curent We haue this day no need at all of the senate of the church or presbyterie Let vs acknowledge the goodnes of God and let them likewise acknowledge themselues to be the members of the church Let it suffice vs to haue Pastors Schooles godly Magistrates that will defend the worship of God and take care of the poore Maister Martyr deliuereth the same doctrine in substaÌ„ce in these expresse words fatemur deinde claves ecclesiae vniversae datas caeterum ne confusio accidat convenit vt aliqui ex omnibus deligantur quivtantur clavibus quarum vsus in omnes redundet qui christo credunÌ„t Prepositos vero ecclesiarum habent des monet Paulus non semel et christus non prohibuit qui cum iussit ne magistri et Rabbi vocaremur ambitioneÌ„ repressit voluitque vt nemo nostrum haec affectaret Sed non interdixit quin habeamus in honore et appellemus honorifice quos dominus nobis praefecit imo Paulus ad Timotheum scribit se positum esse magistrum gentium Wee likewise confesse that the keyes are giuen to the whole Church But to auoyde confusion it is meete that some out of all bee chosen who may putt the keyes in vse whose vse re doundeth to all that beleeue in Christ. Now that we must haue gouernours of Churches Paule admonisheth more then once Christ did not forbid it who when he coÌ„manded vs not to be called Maisters and Rabbies repressed ambition being desirous that none of vs should hunt after these things But he neuer forbad vs to reuerence and giue honourable names to those whom our Lord hath placed ouer vs. Yea Paul writeth to Timothy that himselfe was made the maister of the gentiles Maister Musculus is consonant to the rest whose expresse wordes are these denique curabit vt plebs ipsa viros graues timentes dei ac boni testimonij deligant quorum cura et vigilantia disciplina ecclesiae administretur et si quid grauioris momenti accidat ad ipsam ecclesiam referatur Haec tamen omnia quae ad indeterminatam potestatem referimus ad illas tan tum pertinent ecclesias quae christianum magistratum non habent quales erant olim priusquam principes christiani fierent Finally he shall prouide that the people choose graue men which feare God and haue a good report by whose care and painfull labours the Church discipline may be executed and if any thing of greater moment fall out that the same be referred to the Church Yet all these things which we referre to the power vndetermined pertaine to those Churches onely which have no Christian Magistrate such as they were sometime before there were Christian Princes The same Doctor in an other place hath these wordes Hanc cuiusvis Particularis ecclesiae potestatem reprobos scilicet excommunicands Romanus pontifex irritam reddidit e medio sustulit This power of excommunication which pertained to euery particular Church the bishop of Rome made frustrate and tooke it quite away Out of these most learned discourses of these graue Writer I obserue these memorable lessons for the benefit of the reader First that the power to excommunicate is giuen to the whole Church Secondly that the Church hath power to commit the same to others as it shall be thought meete for her good Thirdly that the Church for auoiding of confusion did euer commit this iurisdiction to some speciall persons fit for the same Fourthly that the common vulgar sort want iudgement and are often carried away with affections and so are vnfit persons to retaine such iurisdiction in their hands Fiftly that excommunication is not any assentiall part of the Church Sixtly that the moderation and chiefe power of disposing and committing resteth principally in the Christian Magistrate where the church receiueth such a blessing And thus much of the former part viz. of the power of the whole Church Let vs proceede to the latter part viz to whom the church hath committed this power Concerning this Latter member it is to be holden for an vndoubted truth and most Catholique doctrine that none saue onely lawfull Ministers of Gods word and Sacraments can lawfully denounce the sentence of excommunication For this cause was it that when our Lord Iesus gaue this authoritie to his whole church he gaue it alwaies in the name either of all or of some one of his Apostles And for the same cause was it that the Church hath euer since committed the same vnto her lawfull Bishops and Ministers of the word The practise of the Church is most cleere and apparant both by the councels and by the vniforme verdict of the holy fathers Ex concilijs This case is most apparant by the old canons comoÌ„only for their antiquitie called the canons of the Apostles There I finde these expresse wordes siquis presbyter aut diaconus ab episcopo suo segregetur hunc non licere ab alio recipi sed ab ipso quieum sequestraverat nisi forsitan obierit apiscopus ipse qui eum segregare cognoscitur If any Priest or Deacon be excommunicated of his Bishop it shall not be lawfull for any other to receiue him but onely the partie who seperated him vnlesse perchance the Bishop die that did excommunicate him By this canon it is euident that none but the Bishoppe vsed to excommunicate and yet the
glorious resurrection Whereupon it followeth by a necessarie and ineuitable consequâ—tion which neuer can be answered that the Preaching of GODS word and the administration of his holy Sacraments are not so inseperably vnited and linked together but that the one may stand intiere and peâ—fect without the other For Christs will and holy ordinance is that onely rule by which and after which all the actions policie and gouernment of his Curch must be measured ordered and disposed And this reason ab authoritate legislatoris is confirmed by an other argument drawen ab exemplo Wedlocke or Marriage instituted for a triple ende viz. for procreation of children for the avoyding of fornication and for mutuall helpe and societie is perfect and lawfull for the secondarie ends though the first cannot be atchieued For marriage is lawfull in old women quib desinunt muliedria which are past the date of bearing children as all learned men doe graunt Ergo the institution and ordering of Priests or Ministers for a triple end viz. for Preaching of Gods word for administration of his holy Sacraments and for reading of the holy Scriptures godly prayers for the comfort edification of the congregation is godly perfect lawfull for the last second ends albeit the first caÌ„not be attained The same argument is further confirmed by the testimonie of the reformed churches in Helvetia whose iudgement I think the patrones of the English desired presbyterie wil not easily reiect or coÌ„demne Their expres words are these domnanius ministros ineptos non instructos donis pastori necessarijs Interim agnosâ—omus quorundam in veteri ecclesia pastorum simplicitatem innocuam plus aliquando profuisse ecclisiae quam quorundam eruditionem variam exquisitam delicatamque sed paulo fastuo siorem Vnde ne hodie quidem reijcimus simplicitatem quorundam probam nec tamen omuino imperitam We condemne vnmeete Ministers which are not indewed with gifts necessarie for a shepeheard Howbeit we acknowledge that the harmelesse simplicitie of some shepheards in the olde Church did sometime more profit the Church then the great exquisite and delicate but a little to proud learning of some others Wherefore we reiect not now adayes the good simplicitie of certaine Ministers so that they be not altogether ignorant Loe the great learned men the maisters and rulers of the reformed Churches in Helvetia allow and approue as much as we desire The cass is cleere it cannot be denied The first Obiection Saint Paul commandeth expressely that euery Bishop or pastor should be able to teach and to conuince the gainsayers Ergo no mortal man can dispense with vnpreaching Ministers The Answere I answere first that if euery pastor must of necessitie be able to conuince the gainsayers so as otherwise he caÌ„not be a lawfull pastor then doubtlesse must many of those who are of high esteeme with the fauourrs of the presbyterie be vtterly forsaken and deposed from their ministery Secondly that hospitalitie is required in a Minister euen as is his preaching and aptnesse to conuince And yet many pastors are allowed within the presbyterie which for all that can keepe no hospitalitie Thirdly that by Saint Pauls canons he is as vnlawfull a Pastor that is an angry Minister as he that cannot Preach For Saint Pauls wordes are as plaine for the one as they are for the other me orgilon not angrie But if all bee vnlawfull Pastors that be angrie howe can wee bee assured to finde any lawfull Pastors either in the presbyterie or else where Many other conditions doth Saint Paul require in pastors which will hardly be found in the elders of the Presbyterie The true sense and meaning of Saint Paules wordes is this and no other viz. that it is meete and conuenient that a Pastor of the Church haue those qualities and conditions which he reckoneth but withall he meaneth nothing lesse then that he is no lawfull Pastor which wanteth some of the saide conditions Yea the originall Greeke word doth confirme this mine exposition For deioun ton Episcopon doth onely signifie vnto vs that a Bishop or Priest should of congruitie and if it may be haue such conditions and qualities as the Apostle reckoneth vp to Titus and Timothy not that none can be true and lawfull pastors of the Church which are not indewed with all the aforenamed qualities No no the latin word oportet and the Greeke word dei haue no other sense and meaning but that it behooueth or that it is meete and conuenient not that it must of necessitie be so or else no lawfull ordination The second Obiection Christ sent his Disciples forth to preach the kingdome of God and to cure the sicke The Answere I answere that this was a speciall charge giuen onely to the Apostles and that it proueth as well that all Ministers must be curers of diseases as Preachers and conuincers of gainsayers The second Section of Preaching without licence and authoritie The patrons of the Presbyterie affirme those canons ordinances and constitutions to be vngodly wicked and plaine diabolicall which prohibite all Ministers to preach Gods word that are not lawfully licenced thereunto And they cry out against the most reuerend Fathers because they put som to silence whom they had licenced to preach in former times But I answere to these vnworthy complaints and vnchristian exclamations first that no man may take vpon him the ministerie but he onely that is lawfully called therunto Secondly that the Church to whom this authoritie is graunted may place and displace giue licence to preach and prohibite from preaching as it shall be thought most conuenient for the peaceable gouernment thereof and for edification of the people For this cause did King Salomon Depose Abiathar the high Priest and placed Sadock in his roome But doubtlesse he that hath power to displace the Minister which is a greater thing hath power a fortiori to suspend the Minister from execution or to prohibite him to Preach seeing that is a thing that requireth lesse authoritie Againe if the Church had not power to displace suspend and prohibite Ministers from Preaching as their demeanours and circumstances of times places and persons shall require then doubtlesse would the Church abound with schismes confusion and all ataxia contrarie to the Apostolike canon which prescribeth all things to be done decently and in order Yea I protest vnto the world that I deeme the prohibition of Preaching without licence to be one of the most necessary and profitable Canons that euer were ordained constituted and established by this our English Church For since euery man tooke vpon him to Preach at his owne pleasure and was permitted to doe it when and where he would lawfull authoritie hath binso impugned new-sangled conceits so vsuall vnsound doctrine so coÌ„moÌ„ the text it self either scantly touched or so rawly vnclerkly handled that the auditors were as ignorant of the true meaning of
while the pastorall Elders could not vndergoe all the labours Loe Illyricus who vnderstood the Scriptures as well as our Brownists and Martinists affirmeth plainely and constantly that the office of Deacons euen in the Apostles time was not onely to attend on the poore but also to instruct and Preach the Gospell I proue it Thirdly because Philippe the Deacon did not onely attend the poore but was also occupied in Baptizing and in Preaching As also for that Saint Steuen another Deacon made a long learned and most godly Sermon vnto the obstinate and stiffe-necked Iewes in which he proued at large that he did serue and worship the euerliuing God aright euen that God who chose the fathers afore Moses was borne and before their Temple was built The first Obiection Steuen the Deacon did not preach at all but onely defended himselfe in a long Oration against the wicked and slaunderous accusations of the stiffe-necked Iewes which to doe is lawfull not for Deacons onely but also for all other Christians The Answere I answere first that Saint Steuen answered in the way of Preaching for edification sake not in the way of pleading for his owne defence albeit one may answere accusations in a Sermon For first hee sharpely reprooued them terming them stiffe necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares Secondly hee was in the sinagogue of the Libertines Thirdly the end and scope of his speech was to proue the true and pure worship of God neither to be affixed to the Temple nor to any externall ceremonies All which being put together it is cleere that Saint Steuen made a godly Sermon This my answere is confirmed by the verdict of Illyricus whose words are these Videtur autem hic Stephanus egressus esse metas suae vocationis qui magis apostoli quam diaconi munus vsurpaverit docendo disputando miracula edendo Sed sic deus solet suam quandam viam libere ingredi spirando suo spiritu vbi vult Steuen seemes here to haue passed the limits of his calling in vsing the function rather of an Apostle then of a Deacon teaching disputing and working miracles But thus God will vse his owne waies breathing with his spirit where he listeth Againe in another place the same Illyricus hath these words primum est longa concto Stephani vsque ad 53. Versum deâ—â—de est glortosum martyrium eiusdem First there is a long Sermon which Steuen made vntil the 53. Vers then followeth his glorious martyrdome M. Aretius and M. Gualterus doth both of them affirme constantly that Saint Steuen vsed to preach vsualy I answere secondly that if it be true which the obiection thereof supposeth that an Apologie cannot consist with a true and godly Sermon then will it follow of necessitie that Saint Paule did not Preach before Foelix the gouernour of Iurie which to hold is against M. Caluin and all learned Writers It will also followe thereupon that Saint Peter did not Preâ—ch when hee answered to those that accused the Apostles of Drunkennesse before the Iewes and all the strangers that did inhabite Ierusalem I answere thirdly that the custome of the church is of great authority for the true sense meaning of the doubtfull texts of Scripture By which custome it is euident that Deacons did Baptize and preache in the primitiue church and that both Steuen and Philip did the same although they were but Deacons Saint Hierome hath these words Non quidem abnuo hanc esse Ecclesiarum consuetudinem vt ad eos qui longè in minoribus Vrbibus per Presbyteres Diaconos baptizati sunt Episcopus ad inuocationem Sancti spiritus manum impositurus excurrat I doe not denie that this is the custome of the church that the Byshop should goe to those which in Villages a farre of were baptized by the Priests and Deacons and lay his hands vpon them with inuocation of the Holie Ghost Loe the custome of the church approoued the baptisme of Deacons which shall bee made more apparant in answere to the next obiection The second Obiection Philip that baptized the Eunuch was Philip th' Apostle not Philip the Deacon Besides hee was then an Euangelist and so baptized preached as an Euangelist and not by vertue of his Deaconshippe The answere I answere first that this Philip wherof the controuersie it made was not an Apostle but one of the seaue Deacons The reason hereof is euident because all th' Apostles as S. Luke writeth remained 〈◊〉 at Ierusalem and consequently it must needes bee Philip the Deacon who was dispersed with the rest and came to 〈◊〉 where hee now preached and baptized The words of the text are these they were all scattered abroad through the Regions of Iudaea and Samaria except th' Apostles Againe then came Philippe into the Citie of Samaria and preached Christ vnto them Againe thus Nowe when the Apostles which were at Ierusalem heard say that Samaria had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn By these seuerall Texts it is most apparant to all indifferent readers that Philippe which baptized the Aethiopian was none of the Apostles but was that Deacon which came into Samaria Philippe th' Apostle being still at Ierusalem But the Patrons of the Eldershippe vse to shuffle vppe Scriptures they care not how so they may seeme to conclude their intent and purpose Let vs heare what Maister Caluin saith whose words are these Caesareae vsos fuisse dicit hospitio Philippi quem Euangelistam vocat licet vnus esset e septem Diaconis vt visum est capite sexto Diaconiam illam fuisse temporale munuâ— hinc conijcere promptum est quod Philippo alioqui liberumnon fuisset relicta Ierosolimae Caesaream migrare He telleth vs that they lodged with Philippe at Caesarea whome he calleth Euangelist although hee were indeed one of the seuen Deacons Hence wee may gather that his Deaconshippe was but a temporarie office for otherwise he could not haue left Ierusalem and haue gone to Caesarea Where I must needs wish the Reader to obserue by the way that seeing the office of Deacons was temporarie and mutable much more may the same bee saide of vnpriested Elders if anic such were in any age place or time I answere secondly that Philip which baptized the Aethiopian Eunuch was not onely once a Deacon but still remained so and that he was called an Euangelist because he did Euangelize and preach the Gospell In which sense eâ—â—ry preacher may thus be truelie called an Euangelist as both M. Bullinger other learned writers graunt This to be so the verie expresse words of the text doe prooue it so plainly that no denyall can be made therof Thus writeth Saint Luke Eiselthontes eis ton â—icon Philippou tou Euangelistou ontos ec ton hepta emeinamen par auto Entring into the house of Philip th' Euangelist being one of the seauen wee aboade with
the church euen from the Apostles themselues That no church-laws canons ordinances or constitutions Ecclesiasticall whatsoeuer either ought to be established or can bee of force strength power or authoritie without the lawfull assent of the supreme ciuill magistrate That the church hath power freedome authoritie to dispose of all indifferent things to ordaine ceremonies and Ecclesiastical rites to appoint make constitute and establish lawes canons ordinances and constitutions whatsoeuer not repugnant to Gods holy word so that it be done for any one of these three ends vz. For order for comlinesse or for edification sake that there is grauitie decencie modestie and edification as well in the apparell allotted for the Ministers and the ministerie as in the other ceremonies of our English Church That the gouernment of euery particular Church may be altered and changed as the circumstances of times places and persons shal require That no charge is so tied to the practise of the Apostles but for her necessitie she may alter change the same Many other points of great moment are handled in this compendious discourse To which or to some part thereof all that may be reduced with facilitie whatsoeuer the aduersaries haue said or possibly can say against the gouernment of our English Church The worke such as it is most gratious Lord I humbly dedicate vnto your grace as well to giue a signification of a thankefull minde for all your graces fauours towards me namely for your great liberalitie in time of my sicknesse at my last being at London as also for your graces most Christiā zeale singular care painful endeuours employed for the good and quiet of the Church both of late dayes about the most profitable and necessarie canons of Anno 1604 and in former times euen euer since Church-gouernment was first imposed vpon you For which holy vigilancie and godly care though the Brownists the Martinists and other enuious and malitious male-contents doe both thinke and speake hardly of your grace yet are all that loue the common good and peace of our English Church bound in the highest degree to bee thankfull to your Grace for the same The Almightie preserue your Grace confirme your Godlie zeale against the disturbers of the common peace and giue you a long and happie life vpon Earth for his owne glorie and the Godlie gouernment of his Church and life eternall in the worlde to come Amen Your Graces most humble and most bounden Thomas Bell. THE REGIMENT of the Church CHAP. I. Of sundrie kinds of gouernment with the nature qualitie and condition of the same ARistotle that worthy learned famous Philosopher shewing plainly in a large politicall discourse that there be three kinds of lawful Regiment and three likewise of wicked Gouernement neither more nor fewer The first lawfull kinde is called Monarchia a Monarchy when one alone doth rule gouerne The second is called Aristocráteia an Aristocratie when a fewe of the best in the common-weale doe gouerne it The third is called Democratia a Democratie when many of the vulgar people doe rule For euery state of the Church cōmon weale doth either seeke the publique good thereof or their owne priuate gaine and pleasure If the common good be sought and intended the gouernment is godly but if priuate gaine or pleasure be either wholy or principally intended the gouernment is wicked If the gouernment be lawfull right and godly it is either by one and called a Monarchie or by some fewe of the best and called an Aristocratie or by many and called a Democratie If the King or Monarch ruling alone as our most gratious Soueraigne hath told vs most learnedly in his Basilicōdoron shal by the making and execution of good lawes acknowledge himselfe ordained for the good of his people and thereupon employ all his studie care industrie and endeuours to procure establish and maintaine their welfare and true christian peace as their naturall father and kindly maister then is hea King indeede and his gouernment a true Monarchy But if he studie to frame the gouernmēt of the common weale to aduance his priuate lucre to satisfie his own singular contentment and to serue his inordinate and sensuall pleasure he is then so farre from being a king indeed that he is become a slat tyrant and his gouernment changed into a plaine tyrannie If few doe gouerne well being of the best and wisest it is a lawfull Aristocratie but if these few gouerne wickedly seeking their own priuate not the cōmon good it is called an vngodly Oligarchie If many rule wel it is called a Democratie or popular state but if they gouerne naughtily it is termed a Timocratie Ochlocratie or Anarchy Wher the gentle reader must seriously obserue with me that paucitie and multitude are not the essential differences of Oligarchie and Timocratie but wealth and pouerty are the things indeed which work the intrinsecal distinction in these defects of pollicie These kinds of Regiment may analogically in some proportion be applied to the inferiour magistrates vnder his most excellent maiestie viz. to the LLs. of the most honourable priuie Councell the L. Chauncellour the L. Treasurer the Iustices of the Kings-Beneh Cōmon place Barons of the Exchequer Iustices of Peace c. in sundry places and causes to the cōmons of this Realme Which obseruation if it be wel remembred will be a motiue to put euery one of them in mind of their place calling that they may vse their gouernment accordingly This discourse is so cleere and euident as I decme it a thing altogether needlesse to vse further proofe therein For all learned men both Philosophers and Diuines doe with vniforme assent subscribe thereunto Obiection 1. The Law of nature teacheth vs that wee may loue our selues more then our neighbours For which respect God himselfe appointed mans own loue to be the squire rule by which he must measure his loue toward his neighbour The king therefore is not bound to regard more the good of his subiects then his owne priuate commoditie and the contentation of his mind The Answere I answere with S. Austen that kings must serue God two waies First as men which thing is performed by liuing godly soberly iustly Secondly as kings which they may performe by the making execution of godly lawes for the honour and seruice of God principally and secondarily for the cōmon good and peaceable gouernment of their people I say by the making execution of godly lawes because it is not enough for Kings to make godly lawes vnlesse they procure the same to be duly executed In the former respect kings may loue themselues more then their subiects but in the latter viz. as they are kings they must haue greater care to procure the welfare and good of their people then the welfare and good of themselues And the same may be said Analogically
into his Court and gaue him an honourable charge to ouersee his house where his purple was dyed at Tyrus Nicephorus Callistus in his Ecclesiasticall Historie telleth vs of one Philaeas a famous Bishope and blessed Martyr who as hee reporteth got great credite for his dexteritie in deciding ciuil causes committed to his charge But to let others passe let vs heare what a famous late writer saith who fauoured the presbyteriall Discipline so farre foorth as either by learning or safe conscience hee could agree therevnto These are his expresse wordes Interim non diffitemur episcopos qui simul etiam principes sunt praeter authoritatem ecclesiasticam sua etiam hebere iura politica seculare sque potestates quemadmodum reliqui habent principes ius â—â—perands secularia ius gladij nonnullos ius eligendi confirmandique reges imperatores aliaque politicae constituends administrandi subditosque sibi populos ad obedientiam sibi praestandam cogendi Ac proinde jatemur politicis horum mandatis quae sine transgressione legis divinae servari possunt a subditis obtemperandum esse non solum propter timorem sed etiam propter conscientiam Neuerthelesse wee doe not denie that Bishops which are also Princes may besides their authoritie ecclesiasticall haue also politicall right and secular power like as other Princes haue right to commaund secular matters authoritie to vse the sword authoritie to choose and confirme Kinges and Emperours to constitute and administrate other ciuill affaires as also to compell their subiects to yeelde obedience to them in that behalfe And therefore wee graunt that their subiects must obey their civill commandes which may be kept without offence of Gods law and that not onely for feare but also for conscience sake The same Zanchius in an other place hath these wordes Quis autem illis omninò obediendum esse quo iure quaque iniuria principes suerint creats ex testimonijs a me allao us non videat apertè demonstrari cur n. qui subdits sunt Moguntino Colontensi Trevirensi principibus imperij simul archiepiscopis in rebus cum pietate christiana non pugnantibus non obtemperent seditiosorum certè fuerit non obtemperare Quodsi istis cur non etiam Romano ijsdem in rebus candem ob causam qui sub eius vivunt imperio eadem n. horum omnium est ratio And who cannot see it euidently proued by the examples which I haue alledged that they must bee obeyed vndoubtedly whether they be by right or no right created Princes For why shall not subiects obey in things not against Christian pietie the Princes of the Empire being also Arch-bishops of Moguntia Colen and Trevers it is doubtlesse the properietie of sedicious persons not to yeelde obedience vnto them And if these must bee obeyed why not also the Bishop of Rome in the same matters and for the same cause of those that liue within his Empire for there is the like reason of them all Thus writeth the famous and great learned Doctor Zanchius Out of whose resolution I obserue these points for the good of the gentle Reader First that Ecclesiasticall and Civill iurisdiction are compatible and may both be in one and the same subiect at once Secondly that Bishops which are also Princes may together with their Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue also secular power and authoritie to vse the sword and such like Thirdly that the people within their dominions and liberties are bound to obey them Fourthly that they must obey not onely for feare but euen for conscience-sake Fiftly that whosoeuer shall disobey such Bishops and Arch-bishops doe shewe themselues thereby to be seditious fellowes To which I adde that this doctine of this great learned man who was a most zealous professour of Christes Gospell doth flatly confound and euen strike dead pronouncing a sharpe vae vobis to all such as shall obstinately refuse to obey our Bishops and Arch-byshops here in England For whatsoeuer can be obiected against our Bishops why wee shall not obey them the same may be alledged against those Bishops of which Zanchius speaketh in this place Yea our Bishops are as lawfully created Barons and doe this day as lawfully enioy their temporall Baronries for ought I know by the free donation of the Kings of this Realme of famous memorie as doe the Bishops of Germanie I therefore conclude from a good foundation surely layd that Bishops and Arch-bishops aswell concerning their names and titles as their authoritie iurisdiction and superioritie ouer other Ministers are both lawfull necessarie and agreeable to the practise of the Catholique Church in all Ages and consequently that none will or can denie the same but such as are either wholy ignorant in the auncient Councels holy Fathers and ecclesiasticall histories or else maliciously bent to speake against their owne knowledge and wittingly and willingly to oppose them selues against the knowne truth Yea Maister Calvin graunteth freely that hee which is Lorde of a Village or Citie may exercise the office of teaching CHAP. VII Of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent The first aphorisme of things de facto altered in the Church MAny things being in their owne nature indifferent haue beene changed in the Church by her authoritie as the circumstances of times places and persons did require First our Lord Iesus did celebrate the holy Communion and memoriall of his sacred passion in the euening after Supper Yet the Churches custome this day is and euer was to celebrate the same in the morning before Dinner Secondly Christ did celebrate the same vsing vnleauened bread therein but the reformed Churches doe this day vse leauened bread without offeÌ„ce in so doing Thirdly Christs Apostles receiued the blessed Eucharist fitting but the custome of the Church hath euer beene to receiue the same kneeling And they that would seeme to haue most spiced consciences will not sticke to receiue it standing or walking Fourthly Christ washed his Apostles feete willing them to followe his example and to wash one anothers feete Fiftly the Apostles made a solemne Decree affirming it to proceede from the holy Ghost to abstaine from blood that which is strangled And yet the church many yeares agoe haue wholy altered that holy ordinance and Apostolicall constitution Sixtly Saint Paul after hee had willed the Corinthyans and vs in them to be followers of him euen as he was of Christ telleth them and vs plainly that euery man praying or Prophesing hauing any thing on his head dishonoureth his head And yet at this day smalaccount is made therof This point will be made more plaine when I come to speake of the oath Ex officio The second Aphorisme of things not expressed in the Scriptures and yet decreed by the Church to be obserued and kept IN the church of the Hebrewes wee read of many approoued constitutions for which there was no warraÌ„t in the written word First King Salomon appointed a solemne
festiuitie for the dedication of the Temple which continued for the space of seuen whole daies Secondly Queene Hester and Mordicai appointed the Iewes to keepe a solemne feast for the remembrance of their happy deliueraÌ„ce from Hamans crueltie Thirdly the Machabees Iudas and his brethren ordained that the dedication of the Altar should be kept from yeare to yeare by the space of eight daies with mirth and gladnesse Fourthly in the daies of Nehemiah the Captaine and of Ezra the Priest the Iewes were appointed to keepe the dedication of the wall at Hierusalem with thankes-giuing and with songes Cymbals Violes and Harpes Concerning which dedication instituted by Iudas Machabaeus Christ himself honoured it with his presence and maister Caluin affordeth it this explication Ac si diceres innovationes quia templum quod pollutum fuerat de integro consecratum fuit auspicijs Iudae Machabaei ac tunc institutum fuit vt quotannis festus ac celebris esset dedicationis novae dies vt dei gratiam quae finem Antiochi tyrannidi imposuerat memoria repeterent Tunc autem in templo Christus promoâ—e apparuit vt in frequenti hominum conventu vberior esset praedicationis suae fructus As if thou shouldest say innouatioÌ„s because the Temple which had bene polluted was coÌ„secrated a fresh by Iudas Machabaeus his authoritie then was it ordained that there should be yearely a feast and a solemne day of the new dedicatioÌ„ that they might remember Gods grace and mercy which had made an end of Antiochus his tyranny At which time Christ was present after his maner in the Temple that in so great a concurse of people his Preaching might haue the better effect Yea maister Caluin granteth that the Iewes instituted their Sanheâ—rim after their returne from Captiuitie This libertie the Church hath this day as may appeare by the freedome in altering the Saboth-day For as I haue proued at large by the testimonie not onely of the ancient Fathers but also of the best approued late writers Philippus Melanction Erasmus Roterodamus Iohannes Caluinus Petrus Martyr Pellicanus Bullingerus and Vrsinus in my booke of Suruey though it be constant perpetuall to haue one day in the weeke assigned for diuine seruice that being the morall part of the Sabaoth and vnalterable yet whether this or that day ought to bee appointed for that purpose it is a thing that respects the time and may bee changed by the church If any shal hold the contrary doctrine he must perforce fall into flat iudaisme tye himselfe to the obseruaÌ„ce of dayes moneths yeares against the Apostolike doctrine For to be tied of necessitie to the time is a flat Iewish superstition intrinsecally ceremonial as all the aforenamed learned men doe will testifie with me yet I neither wish nor deeme it a thing conuenient to change the Lords day or Saboath The third aphorisme of the rules which the Church must obserue in all her constitutions ordinances and decrees THe first rule which the Church must obserue in her lawes decrees constitutions is this viz. That shee prohibite nothing which God commandeth neither coÌ„mand any thing which God prohibiteth Ye shal put nothing to the word which I coÌ„mand you neither shal ye take ought there-from Take heed therfore that yee doe as the Lord your God hath commanded you turne not aside to the right hand nor to the left Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou maiest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein The second rule is this that the decrees and constitutions of the Church bee not made a part of Gods worship nor holden as necessary vnto saluation For as our Sauiour saith they worship him in vaine who teach for Doctrines the precepts of men And therfore doth the Apostle condemne Ethelothrescêian all voluntarie worship deuised by man The third rule is this that the decrees and constitutions of the Church be onely made of things indifferent and for one of these three endes viz. either for edification or for decencie and comelinesse or for order sake and peaceable gouernment of the Church Of these endes speaketh the Apostle where he willeth all things to be done vnto edifying and to be done decently and orderly These three Aphorismes seriously obserued duly pondered all Ceremonies Ordinances Decrees and Constitutions of our English Church will find ready and sufficient approbation The Demonstration The corollarie and illation deduced out of the precedent Aphorismes may be made cleare and euident by three inuincible and irrefragable reasons Wherof the first is taken from the authoritie of the holy Scriptures the second from the practise of the Catholique Church The third from the vniforme consent of best approued late Writers The 1. reason drawne from the holy Scriptures HOly Writt teacheth vs that the Church De facto hath altered many things which Christ himselfe did both institute and put in practise That the Church ordained and Decreed many things whereof the Scripture maketh no mention And that the Church may make decrees Lawes ordinances and constitutions in all things Adiaphorois which are of their own nature indifferent so the same tend to edification comelinesse or peaceable gouernment of the Church This reason is proued throughout all the precedent Aphorismes And it will be more plaine when I come to speake of the election of ministers The 2. reason drawne from the practise of the auncient Church IF the gentle Reader shall call to minde what I haue in this discourse alreadie set downe out of the Decrees of the auncient and holy Councels out of the holy Fathers and best approoued late Writers hee cannot rest doubtfull or stagger any longer in this behalfe Saint Austen writeth so grauely and so copiously of this matter in many of his bookes extant in the world as hee is well able to satisfie euery one that will be perswaded with reason In his Epistle to Ianuarius to omit all other his manifold testimonies he telleth vs that that Catholique Church by her freedome and authoritie hath instituted certaine solemne feastes of the passion resurrectioÌ„ ascension of Christ and descending of the holy Ghost to be yearely obserued throughout the Christian world He addeth these most golden wordes Nec disciplina vlla est in his melior graui prudentique christiano quà m vt eo modo agat quo agere viderit ecclosiaÌ„ ad quamcunque fortè devenerit Quod. n. neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's iniungitur indifferentèr est habenduÌ„ et pro eorum inter quos vivitur societate servandum est Neither can there be any better discipline in these matters for a graue and discrete christan then to doe so as hee shall see that Church doe to which hee hath occasion to come For that which is neither against faith
nor against good manners may be indifferently obserued for their societie amongst whom we doe conuerse In the same Epistle the same holy Father telleth vs Saint Ambrose his iudgement concerning the varietie of fasting These are his wordes Cum RomaÌ„ venio ieiuno sabbato cum hic sum non ieiuno sic etiam tu ad quam sortè ecclesiam veneris eius morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquaÌ„ tibi WheÌ„ I come to Rome saith Saint Ambrose I fast on Satterday when I am here at Millan I doe not fast Euen so must you doe when you come to any other Church you must doe after the manner of that Church if you will neither scandalize others nor haue others to scandalize you Heere is a most golden rule how to behaue our selues in things indifferent viz to conforme our selues to the time place and persons when where and with whom we doe conuerse If our brethren would seriously ponder and duly weigh this golden aduise of this holy Father they would abandon all contention doubtlesse about the signe of the Crosse the Surplesse and such like indifferent things and for that dutie which they owe vnto the magistrate whom they are bound to obey in all lawfull things euen for conscience sake they would conforme themselues to his lawes and their brethren and not to scandalize the whole Church as they doe To this graue testimonie of Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose it shall suffice for the second reason to adde this memorable obseruation viz. that our brethren who labour so busily to enforce vs violently to receiue their newe discipline are not able to make demonstration to vs either out of the Scriptures or generall Councels or the holy fathers or ecclesiasticall histories that any Church in the Christian world from two hundred yeares before the famous Councell of Nice vntill maister Caluins daies that is for the space of a thousand foure hundred yeares together to say nothing of former times had either the same newe discipline in practise or any pastors made after their manner Which if it cannot be done they wil I doubt not after mature delibration had therein confesse willingly and truly at least in their hearts that in this Church of England there is this day a lawfull ministerie consisting of lawfull Ministers and Bishops according to the practise of the Church in all ages The third reason drawne from the vniforme consent of best approued late writers MAister Caluin hath a very large and learned discourse of this question some part whereof shall suffice at this present These are his wordes Quia autem in externa disciplina ceremonijs non valuit sigillatim praescribere quid sequi debeamus quod illud pendere a temporum conditione provideret ne que iudicaret vnam seculis omnibus formam convenire confugere hic oportet ad generales quas dedit regulas vt ad eaâ— exigantur quaecunque ad ordinem decorum praecipi necessitas ecclefiae postulabit Postremò quia ideo Nihil expressuÌ„ traeâ— didit quianec ad salutem haec necessaria sunt en prc moribus vniuscuiusque gentis ac seculi varie accommodari debent ad ecclesiae aedificationem provt ecclesiae vtilit as requiret tam vsitatas mutare abrogare quam novas instituere conveniet Fateor equidem non temerè nec subinae nec levibus de causis ad novationem esse decurrendum Sed quid â—oceat vel aedificet charit as optimè iudicabit quam si moderatriceÌ„ esse patiemur salva erunt omnia But because in externall discipline and ceremonies hee would not particularly prescribe what wee ought to followe because he foresaw that this depended vpon the state and condition of the time and did not deeme one maner to be agreeable to all ages here we must haue recourse to his generall rules giuen vs and make triall by them of what things soeuer the necessrie of the Church shall require for order and comelinesse Lastly because hee therefore deliuered nothing expressely for that they are not necessarie to saluation but must be applied diuersly to the benefit of the Church as the manners of euery nation doe require it shall therefore be convenient as well to chaunge and abolish the olde ceremonies as to institute newe as the good of the Church shall require I confesse freely that we must not vse innouation neither rashly nor often nor vpon light occasions But what shall bee hurtfull or profitable charitie shall best discerne which if we shall suffer to rule vs euery thing shall be well The same author in an other place hath these wordes Ego autem non nego quin aliquae fuerint apostolorum traditiones non scriptae sednon concedo fuisse doctrinae partes nec de rebus ad salutem necessarijs Quidigitur quae pertinerent ad ordinem poluiam Scimus n. vnicuique ecclesiae liberum esse politiae formam instituere sibi aptam vtilem quae dominus nihil certipraescripserit But I denie not that the Apostles deliuered some traditions which are not written Yet I doe not grant that they were either parts of doctrine or necessary to saluatioÌ„ What were they then doubtlesse such as pertained to pollicy and order For we knowe that euery Church hath her fredome and libertie to institute and ordaine such a kind of pollicie discipline as shall be thought meet profitable for the same because our Lord prescribed no certaine rule therein The same author in an other place hath these words Altos omnes ritus illic non vsitatos noÌ„ tantùm restuebant sed andactèr etiam damnabant Talis morosit as deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus provnivsrsali lege valere They did not onely refuse all other ceremonies not vsed in that place but did also malepertly condemne them Such Morositie is a most noysome plague when wee will make the manner and discipline of one onely Church to be a generall rule for all Thus writeth this learned Doctor Out of whose wordes I may truly gather so much as will euidently make good the question I have in hand For First he telleth vs plainly that the holy Apostle did not set downe any certaine rule or lawe concerning things indifferent Secondly that hee lest that freedome and libertie to the Church and that for this ende and purpose because forsooth he foresaw in his wisedome that such things depended vpon the condition of times and that one manner of discipline was not conuenient to all places and persons Thirdly that euery Church may either chaunge her olde ceremonies or institute new as the necessitie of the Church requireth Fourthly that charitie is the best rule to follow herein and that euery thing is lawfull which is agreeable to the same Which rule S. Augustine appointed before him as I haue proued already Fiftly that the Church hath received many vnwritten
traditions concerning the discipline order and government of the Church Sixtly that it is free and lawfull for euery Church to appoint ordaine and constitute that kind of pollicie discipline government which is most sit profitable for the same And the reason hereof is yeelded to be this because our Lord Iesus hath prescribed no setled law therein but hath left all indifferent things to the libertie of his Church Seuenthly that there can no greater plague come to the Church then to tye all Churches to one kinde of externall government Zanchius teacheth the selfe same doctrine euen in the same words Petrus Martyr after he hath distributed traditions into three orders shewing one kinde to bee expressed in the Scriptures an other plaine repugnant to the same the third neither contrary to the word of GOD neither necessarily affixed vnto it addeth these expresse words Sunt nonnullae traditiones quas neutras appellare libuit quod verbo deinec adversentur nec illinecessariò cohaereant inquibus mos ecclesiae gerendus est tribus interposit is cautionibus Primùm videndum est ne obtrudantur quasidei cultus deculiar is quaedam sanctimonia quandcquidem potius recipiendae sunt adordinum conservandum civilem ecclesiae commoditatem atque sacrarum actionum decorum alioquin in sacris literis luculentèr habemus descripta quaead sanctitatem cullum dei coÌ„ducunt Praeterea cavere oportet ne quaesic traduÌ„tur it a putemus necessaria vt pro tempore amoveri non possint Servetur ecclesiae suum ius de his medijs vt quoadilla statuat quicquid viderit magis adificationem credentium promovere Consideretur demùm saepiùs nimijs traditionibus ceremonijs in immensum auct is populum Christi sic gravari vt tantum non obruatur There bee some traditions which may bee termed uentrall or indifferent for that they neither are against Gods word neither doe they necessarily cohere with it In which ceremonies the Churches constitution must bee obeyed if three cautions doe concurre First that they bee not obtruded as Gods worship or peculiar holinesse but as pertaining to order and the ciuill commoditie of the Church and to comlinesse in divine actions otherwise all things are sufficiently comprised in the holy Scriptures which pertaine to holinesse and gods worship Secondly we must beware that they be not reputed so necessarie that they cannot be chaunged as the time requireth Let the Church keepe her interest and libertie in these indifferent things to appoint what shall be thought most necessarie to the edifying of the faithfull Lastly let it bee well remembred that the multitude of Ceremonies doth often so annoy the people that they are almost vndone therewith M. Beza hath these words Quoniam multitudo plerumque impirita est intractabilis maior pars saepè meliorem vincit ne in democratia quidem leguimè constituta omnia permissa sunt â—ffraeni vulgo sed constituti sunt ex populi consensu certi magistratus qui plebi praeâ—ant inconditam multitudinem regant Quod sihaec prudentia in negotijâ— humanis requiritur multò sanè magis opus est certa moderatione in ijs rebus in quibus homines prorsus caecutiunt neque causa est cur quisquam sani iudiâ—ij homo clamitet nullum hic esse prudentiae locum nisi hanc prudentiam de qua loquor ostendat cum deiverbo pugnare quod sanè non arbitror Neque n. simplicitèr spectandum quid sit ab Apostolis factum in politia ecclesiastica quum diversissimae sint circumstantiae ac proinde absque Cacozelia non possint omnia omnibus locis ac temporibus ad vnam candeÌ„que formam revocari sed potius spectandus est eorum finis scopus invariabilis ea deligenda forma ac ratio rerum agendarum quae rectè eò à educat Because the multitude is for the most part ignorant and intractable and the greater part doth often times prevaile against the better all things are not euen in a popular state lawfully appointed committed to the vnbridled multitude but certain Magistrates are appointed by the peoples consent to guide rule and gouerne them If this wisedome be required in wordly affaires much more is a moderation to be had in those matters in which men are altogether blinded Neither is there any cause why any man of sound iudgement shall exclaime that in such matters there is no place for pollicie except hee can shewe this pollicie whereof I speake to be repugnant to the word of GOD which I am perswaded he can never doe For we must not simply looke what the Apostles did in ecclesiasticall pollicie and Church-gouernment seeing there is so great varietie of circumstances that a man cannot without preposterous zeale reduce all things in all places and times to one and the same forme in doing things which leadeth the right way to the same Thus writeth Maister Beza who hath many like periods to the like effect which I omit in regard of brevitie Out of these words I note first that the Church is not so strictly bound to the practise of the Apostles that she must alwayes follow the same in these Adiaphorôis Secondly that the Church in things indifferent hath power to make any Lawes which are not repugnant to the word of God Which point I would haue the Reader to ponder seriously because it is very emphaticall and of great moment Thirdly that all Churches cannot haue one and and the same kind of government because the circumstances of times places and persons will not suffer it Fourthly that the Church in all the lawes and constitutions must chiefly respect the peaceable government of the people Hieronymus Zanchius is consonant to the other Doctors while he writeth in this manner De ritibus ceremonijs in ecclesia servandis eadem pietas eccle siarum aedificatio flagitat ne nimis acritér quasi pro aris focis vt dici solet sit aimicatiâ— disceptetur sed singulis ecclesijs lâ—beri relinquantur quemadmodum ettam in veteri ecclesia factum fuisse apud Socratem alios ecclesiasticos scriptoreâ— legimus Quibus ae rebus in genere probamus atque amplectimur vtramque epistolam Augustini ad Ianuarium Haec n. faciunt ad ecclesiae aedificationem Touching Rites and Ceremonies to bee obserued in the Church the same pietie and edifying of the Church requireth that wee contend not too biterly as if it were for matters of great moment but that euery Church haue her libertie therein as we reade in Socrates and other ecclesiasticall writers that it was the olde custome of the Church Of which things in generall we allow and embrace both the Epistles which Austin wrote to Ianuarius For these things tend to the edification of the Church The same Zanchius in an other place hath these words Interea tamen non improbamus patres quodiuxta variam tum verbi dispensandi tum
regendae ecclesiae rationem varios quoque ordines ministroruÌ„ multiplicaverint quando id eis liberum fuit sicut nobiâ— quando constat id ab illis fuisse factum honestis de causis ad ordinem ad decoruÌ„ ad aedificationem ecclesiae pro eo tempore pertinentibus In the meane while wee blame not the Fathers that for the diuers manner of dispensing the word and gouerning the Church they haue also multiplyed diuers orders of Ministers because they had libertie so to doe as our selues also haue and because it is euident that they did that vpon honest causes which pertained at that time to order comelinesse and edification of the Church Thus writeth the most learned Doctor Maister Zanchius who if I bee iudge was a man of as rare learning and profound iudgement as euer was any in the Church Out of whose words I of serue First that wee should not moue contention in the Church for any rites and Ceremonies in the same Secondly that euery Church hath her libertie therein to appoint what is best for her owne government Thirdly that the Church of olde time did vse so to doe Fourthly that Zanchius approueth S. Austins rule herein as M. Calvin did before him Fiftly that it was lawfull for the auncient Church to appoint sundry orders of ministers and the church this day hath the same authoritie Sixtly that the causes and respects for which the church may ordaine and make lawes in things indifferent are either edification order or decencie as I haue proved already at large The Corollarie of the Chapter FIrst the church may chaunge Christs owne practise and that in Rites and ceremonies pertaining to the holy Sacraments Secondly the church may appoint solemne feastes to be obserued as Salomon did institute the dedication of the Temple for seuen dayes Hester Mordecai the festivitie of their deliuerance Ezra and Nehemias the dedication of the wall at Ierusalem Iudas and his brethren the dedication of the Altar for eight dayes Thirdly the Iewes instituted their Sanhedrim after their returne from their captivitie in Babylon Fourthly the church by S. Austins iudgement may make any Lawes which are neither against faith nor good manners Fiftly the church saith Maister Calvin hath authoritie left her in things indifferent either to make newe lawes or to cassiere and chaunge the old so often as the necessitie of the church doth so require Sixtly the church receiued many vnwritten traditions concerning order and government of the Church Seuenthly the church saith Zanchius hath authoritie to constitute moe orders of Ministers when it is for the good of the Church Eightly the church may make any lawes which are not repugnant to Gods word So saith M. Beza telling vs plainly that we must not so much respect what the Apostles did as what the peace and good of the church requireth Much other like matter the same Beza together with Calvin Martyr and Zanchius haue deliuerd vnto vs as may appeare by this present Chapter I therefore conclude that the authoritie which this our our English church doth this day challenge vnto her in her riâ—es ceremonies ordinances lawes and constitutions is grounded vppon the holy Scriptures the practise of the Catholique Church and the best approued late writers Al obiections that possibly can be made against the lawes and constitutions of our English Church may bee answered with all facilitie by that which is plainly deliuered in this present Chapter whosoeuer shall marke it well will I thinke bee of mine opinion see the ninth Chapter and marke it CHAP. VIII Of things indifferent in particular The first Aphorisme of Chruch-holy dayes THe vulgar people for a great part what through vndiscreet zeale in some and tootoo rash preaching Ne quid gramuâ— dâ—â—a in othersome are so perswaded or rather bewitched blinded that they thinke they serue God better alas for pittie if they be quaffing in the Ale-house or sleeping in their chambers or gazing in the streets then doe their honest neighbours in going to the church on holy dayes there to ioyne with the faithfull in hearing diuine seruice and godly prayers They are not abashed to say for their vnchristian excuse that no power vpon earth can appoint an holy-day and that it is great superstition to obserue the same But certes none that are well studied or read either in the holy ecclesiasticall histories or in generall Councels or in the auncient Fathers or in the best approued late writers can ever without great blushing avouch or defend that vntimely hatched doctrine and vnsoundly conceived opinion Queene Hester and godly Mordecai appointed an holy day for the remembrance of Gods great benefit toward them in deliuering them from Hamans crueltie King Solomon ordained a solemne festivitie for the space of seuen dayes in the dedication of the Temple The Machabees instituted an holy feast to bee kept from yeere to yeere for the space of eight dayes for the dededication of the Altar Which feast Christ vouchsafed to honour with his corporall presence at Hierusalem The Iewes instituted their new Sanhedrim Synedrion or Presbiterie after their returne from their captimitie in Babylon as maister Calvin recordeth in his Harmonie vpon Saint Matthew The reformed churches in Helvetia doe right well allow the feastes or holy dayes of the Nativitie resurrection and such like If I should endevour my selfe to recount all that which may easily be collected out of the auncient councels the holy-fathers for the approbatioÌ„ allowaÌ„ce of holy-daies after the custome at this day of auncient time vsed in this church of England time would sooner faile me then matter whereof to speake I will in regard to brevitie content my selfe onely with one or two testimonies of councels as also of the graue holy auncient most learned father S. Austin then proceed to the testimonie of late writers because in this dispute they whoÌ„ it chiefly concerneth either haue not seene or read the councels and the fathers or else more rashly then wisely contemne their degrees iudgements and without all rime reason preferre their owne opinions before them The councel holden at Granado or Elebertine aboue 1200. yeares ago such is the antiquitie of holy-dayes in the Christian Church reputed the practise of the Church in former ages to be of such force in that behalfe that they deemed them Heritiques that would not obediently yeeld vnto the same These are the expresse words of the Elebertine Councel Pravam institutioneÌ„ emendari placuit iuxta authoritatem scripturarum vt cuncti diem Pentecostes celebremus Quod qui non fecerit quasi novam haresim induxisse notetur We haue decreed that the depraved institution bee amended according to the Scriptures that wee may all keepe the day of Penticost and the feast of Whitsonday Which who soever shall refuse to doe let him bee noted as one that hath brought a new heresie into the Church
ad collectas Semper vero absit omnis dierum superstitiosa observatio Next after the Lords day I cannot but like and allowe the sanctification of those daies also in which the auncient Church did celebrate the memorie of the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus Christ of the circumcision passion resurrection ascension and the comming downe of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles Vpon all other daies as euery Church shall thinke it expedient so let them call together the congregation to Sermons Sacraments praiers and collections But euer all superstitious obseruation must bee quite laide away Out of these wordes of this zealous Christian and most learned Father whose authoritie if I had nothing else to say would weigh deepely with mine owne conscience I note first that Zanchius doth highly reuerence the constitution of the Church concerning holy-daies Secondly that euery Church hath free libertie to appoint such holy-daies as are most conuenient for themselues Thirdly that no such constitution of daies is vnlawful but that onely which tendeth to superstition And maister Caluin himselfe agreeeth vnto Zanchius in many places of his workes The second Aphorisme of kneeling at the holy Communion THeir opinion who hold it vnlawfull to receiue the holy Communion kneeling on their knees seemeth to me so rediculous senselesse and voide of all Christian modestie that I deeme it needlesse to vse many words for the coÌ„futation therof King Salomon the wisest King that euer liued in the world vsed to kneele vpon his knees and to stretch out his hands when he offered vp his prayers vnto God For thus saith holy Writ of him in that behalfe When Salomon had made an ende of praying all his prayer and supplication vnto the Lord he arose from before the Altar of the Lord from kneeling on his knees and stretching of his hands to heauen Ezra when he praied to the Lord confessed his sinnes with teares and feldown before the house of God and praied to God vpon his knees and Daniel praied vpon his knees three times a day Christ our sauiour himselfe fell down on his face when he praied to his father And Saint Luke saith that when he was drawen aside from his Disciples he kneeled down and praied S. Peter praied kneeling after the example of Christ his Lord and maister Saint Steuen when the cursed Iewes gnashed their teeth against him and ran violently vpon him and stoned him to death fell to his praiers and kneeled vpon his knees And Saint Paul bowed his knees vnto God when he praied for the people These testimonies drawne from the holy Scriptures and from the very practise of Christ himselfe and his faithfull seruants were able to satisfie euery well disposed minde neuerthelesse to take away all contention and wrangling if it may be had and obtained of the aduerse part I am content to alledge Maister Caluins opinion whose authoritie with them may not be gainsaid or withstood These are his expresse wordes Hic testarioperae praetium est eas demum humanas constitutiones me probare quae dei authoritate sundatae ex scriptura desumptae adeoque prorsus diuinae sint Exemplum sit in geniculatione quae fit dum solennes habentur precationes quaeritur sitne humana traditio quam repudiare vel negligere cuivis liceat Dico sic esse humana vt simul sit divina aâ—i est quatenus pars est decori illius cuius cura observatio nobis per apostolum commendatur hominum autem quitenus specialitèr designat quod in genere fuerat iudicatum magis quam expositum Here it is worth the labour to testifie that I doe alowe approue those coÌ„stitutions of men which are deriued from Gods authoritie and the holy Scripture and so are altogether become diuine Let vs take example in kneeling which is done in time of solemne praiers The question is if it be such a tradition of man as euery one may refuse and contemne the same as he list I answere that it is so the traditioÌ„ of man as it is elso a traditioÌ„ of God It is of God as it is a part of that comelines the care coÌ„servatioÌ„ wherof is coÌ„mended to vs by the Apostle But it is of man in respect that it designeth out in specialty that was generally insinuated rather theÌ„ expounded Thus writeth M. Calvin out of whose words I observe these golden Lessons First that all constitutions are diuine which are deduced and gathered out of the Scriptures Secondly that euery ordinaunce of the Church which pertaineth to comelinesse is a coÌ„stitution divine And consequently that euery Ceremonie approved this day in the Church of England is a divine tradition and therefore must euery one reverently obediently receiue the same as the ordinance of Almightie God If this doctrine of M. Calvins were deepely in printed in euery English subiects heâ—â—â— there would not one English subiect be so â—nd in the â—and who would kicke spâ—â—â—e or once in utter against the least ceremonie in the English Church For euery childe seeth that by M. Calvins doctrine euery Ceremonie pertaining to comelinesse Est de iure diâ—â—â—o grounded vpon the generall rule of Gods law And consequently he that wil denie any ceremonie in the English Church to be divine and not approved by Gods word must proue out of Gods word which he wil neuer do that the ceremonie doth no way pertaine to comelinesse in the church For no wise man can thinke that that is rather to be accouÌ„ted comely or vncomely which a few yonglings of late dayes haue esteemed so theÌ„ that which was euer reputed so throughout the Christian world of al learned men generally for 1000. yeeres together Nay for one thousand foure hundred yeeres that is from S. Marke the Euangelist vntill a thousand and some hundred yeares were expired and if no one learned writer can bee sound for the space of so many hundred yeares that will avouch any one Ceremonie in the Church of England this day vsed as kneeling the signe of the Crosse the Surplesse and such like to bee an vncomely Ceremonie then doubtlesse such ceremonies by Maister Calvins doctrine are grounded vpon Gods word and must bee obeyed receiued accordingly I wish the Reader to marke these words of Maister Calvin Dei est quatenus pars est decori It is of God as it is a part of comelinesse I wish I say the Reader to marke them well because they are of great importance and doe proue them â—tter in controversie most euidently To which former wordes of M. Calvin let vs now adde the wordes which follow immediately in the same place Thus doth hee write Ab hoc vno exâ—mplo estimarâ— licet quid de toto hoc geâ— nere sit sentiendum By this one example of kneeling wee may easily iudge what is to be thought of all other ceremonies Loe thus the case standeth this ceremonie the church hath ordeyned iudging it to
wee say is giuen in true baptisme learne this observation to descend of that authoritie because after our Lords ascention the holy Ghost came downe vpon the Apostles And wee finde the same observed in many places rather for the honour of Priesthood then for necessitie of the Law M. Bucer that great learned Doctor is very consonant to the auncient fathers herein These are his expresse wordes Signum impositionis manuum etiam episcopi soli praebebant non absque ratione Sive n. sit foedus domini baptizatis confirmandum Sive reconciliandiij qui grauius peccarunt Sive ecclesijs ministri ordinandi haec omnia ministeria maximè decent eos quibus summa ecelesiarum cura demandata est The signe also of imposition of hands was giuen by the Bishops onely and that not without reason For whether the baptized were to be confirmed with the couenant of the Lord or they who had sinned grieuously were to bee reconciled or Ministers were to bee ordeyned vnto Churches all these Ministeries doe especially pertaine vnto them to whom the cheifest charge of the Church is committed Thus writeth learned Bucer shewing most evidently vnto all indifferent Readers that imposition of hands in the confirmation of children was an auncient and laudable ceremonie and that it pertained onely to the Bishops to administer the same and that vpon great reason Let these words of M. Bucer non absque ratione and not without reason be well marked and neuer forgotten M. Fulke a late famous writer who was a great fauourer of the Presbyterie and of good credite with the chiefest Patrons thereof hath these expresse wordes The auncient ceremonie of imposition of hands which is nothing else as S. Austin saith but prayer over a man to be strengthened confirmed by the holy Ghost or to receiue encrease of the gifts of the holy Ghost as S. Ambrose saith we do not in any wise mislike but vse it our selues Lo this godly zealous and learned writer granteth freely that confirmation is an auncient and godly Ceremonie which to be so he proveth out of S. Austin and S. Ambrose Yea he addeth the approbation of this Church of England reckoning himselfe for one of the number and members therof We doe not saith he in any wise mislike it bvt vse it our selues What then may we or can we say or thinke of the proude Brownists saâ—cie Barrowists and arrogant Puritanâ— Who either through ignorance of the practise of the auncient Churches and for want of knowledge in the ecclesiasticall Histories and Councels or else which is farre worse vppon a singular Philautia and fond admiration of their owne fansies and conceits doe most arrogantly and rashly censure and condemne all others both old and moderne writers which will not embrace their phantasticall imaginations and receiue the same as the decrees of the holy Ghost Certes I wonder that they are not ashamed of themselues For it can with no reason bee denied that God by the hartie and earnest prayers of his Church doth worke those effects in those children which bee his whereof the impositions of hands is a signe The Reply The Church hath not authoritie to institute either Sacraments or sacramentall signes The Answere I answere First that our Church doth neither ordeine Sacraments nor yet any sacramentall signes but doth only explaine and declare the effect purport and true meaning of that signe which the Apostles vsed in that behalfe Secondly that the Church hath power to ordeine Ceremonies in things indifferent for edification order comelinesse and consequently to expresse and declare the same by fit significant wordes Which thing I haue proued at large in the seuenth Chapter by the vnitorme testimonie of S. Ambrose whose words are these Accepisti post haec vestimenta candida vt esset indicium quod exueris in volucrum peccatorum indueris innocentiae casta velamina Afterward thou didst receiue a white vesture to signifie that thou art deliuered from the snare of sinne and art clad with the vaile of innocencie Bucerus Zuinglius and Homingius doe all 3. approue this custome of the Church Maister Bucer hath these words Et hic admodùm commodus ritus esse videtur si modo quid ista omnia significent populo subinde explicetur This also seemeth to bee a very fit Rite so the people bee sometime taught what all these things do siginfie Here he graunteth that Ceremonies may be appointed for signification sake Let this bee remembred well and not forgotten The sixt Aphorisme of the signe of the Crosse vsed in Baptisme IT is a thing so cleare and euident by all ecclesiasticall Histories that the heathen obiected to the Christians in reproch that the God in whom they beleeued was hanged on the Crosse as none but either tootoo wilfull or tootoo ignorant will or can denie the same In regard whereof the church in all ages even in the Primitiue and Apostolique time so to nourish and keepe among them the memorie of their redemption wrought vpon the Altar of the crosse to make it known to Iew Gentile and all the world that they were not ashamed of the true humilitie of their Saviour in that most ignominious kinde of death which he voluntarie suffered for their sinnes did institute and ordaine the comely and most christian vsage of the signe of the Crosse that all christians in their first ordinarie and vsuall vnion with Christ by holy Baptisme should receiue for that ende and purpose the signe of the Crosse in their fore-heads Herevpon the holy Fathers of best approved antiquitie S. Cyprian Saint Basill S. Augustin S. Hierome S. Chrysostome and all the rest make mention of the like vsage of that most comely christian badge every where in their most learned workes Yea the most holy and best learned fathers doe proue the same vse out of holy Scriptures Saint Cyprian hath these expresse words Omnem autem super quem signum scriptum est ne tetigeritis Quod auteÌ„ sit hoc signum qua in parte corporis positum manifestat alio in loco Deus dicens transi per mediam Hierusalem notabis signum super frontes virorum qui ingemunt maerent ob iniquitates quae fiunt in medio ipsorum Euery one vpon whom the signe of the Crosse is made shall be free and vntouched And what signe this is and in what part of the body it is made God sheweth in another place saying Passe through the midst of Hierusalem make a signe vpon the fore-heads of them that mourne and cry for all the abhominations that bee done in the middest thereof In which place the same holy Father and Martyr of Iesus Christ proueth that signe to pertaine to the future passion of Christ Iesus out of another place of holy writ These are his wordes Quod autem occiso agno praecedit in imagine impletur in Christo secuta postmodum veritate That which went before in figure
Hierusalem did of themselues make the famous Doctor Origen Minister of the Church Many like testimonies are euery where to be found in the historie of the Church but I studie to be briefe The fourth Reason drawne from the vniforme consent of late Writers MAister Caluin whose onely testimonie were sufficient in this dispute is so plaine and resolute that whosoeuer shall with iudgement and indifferencie peruse his Doctrine cannot but yeelde vnto mine opinion in this behalfe These are his expresse wordes Est quidem ilâ—ud fateor optima ratione sancitum in Laodicensâ— consilio ne turbis electio permittatur Uix n. vnquam evenit vt tot capita vno sensu rem aliquam benè componant This I confesse was with very great reason decreed in the councell of Laodicea that the Election should not bee permitted to the common people For it is very seldome or neuer seene that so many heads can agree to conclude any matter well Loe this great learned man who was the greatest patron of the new discipline graunteth freely and roundly that the Church may change the maner of election and consequently that no one certaine kind of election is de iure diuino decreed by Gods law to be perpetuall Againe in an other place the same Doctor hath these wordes Verum in caeteris consentanea fuit ipsorum observatio cum Pauli descriptione In eo autem quod tertio loco posuimus quinam scz ministros instituere debeant non vnum semper tenerunt ordinem But in all the rest their obseruation was agreeable to the discriptioÌ„ of the Apostle And touching the third point who ought to choose the Ministers they did not alwaies obserue the same order Loe the maner of chusing the Ministers was not the same in euery place but varied according to the circumstances of times and places as seemed best to euery Church Maister Beza is so plaine in this controuersie though he be deemed one of the chiefest patrons of the Presbyterie that I thinke his words indifferently poâ—deâ—ed will sufficiently confirme mine opinion and the Doctrine I defend These are his expresse words Quoniam plerumque multitudo imperita est intractabilis maior part saepe meliorem vincit ne in democratia quidem legitimè constituta omnia permissa sunt effrent vulgo sed constituti sunt ex populi consensu certi magistratus qui plebi praeeant inconditam multitudinem regaÌ„t Quod sihaec prudetia in negotijs humanis requiritur multo sanè magis opus est certa moderatione in ijsrebus in quibus ho-mines prorsus caecutiuÌ„t Neque causa est cur quisquaÌ„ sani iudicij homo clamitet nullis hic esse prudeÌ„tiae locuÌ„ nisi hanc prudeÌ„tiaÌ„ de qua loquor ostendat cum dei verbo pugnare quod sanè non arbitror Sequitur neque n. simplicitèr spectanduÌ„ quid sit ab apostolis factum in politia ecclesiastica quum diuersissimae sint circumstantiae ac proinde absque Cacozelia non possint omnia omnibus locis ac temporibus ad vnam eandemque formam revocari sed potius spectandus est eorum finis scopus invariabilis ea deligenda forma ac ratio rerum agendarum quae rectaeo deducat Because the multitude is for the most part ignorant and intractable and the greater part doth often preuaile against the better there cannot bee found euen a popular state lawfully appointed where all things are commited to the vnruly multitude but certaine magistrates are appointed by the consent of the people to rule them If this prudence must be had in humane affaires much more is a moderation required in those matters wherein men are altogether blinded Neither is there any cause why any man of sound iudgement should exclame that in such a case there is no place for pollicie vnlesse he can shewe this pollicie whereof I speake to bee repugnant to the word of God which I thinke he can neuer doe For we must not alwaies looke what the Apostles did in Church gouernment seeing there is so great diuersitie of circumstances that a man cannot without preposterous zeale reduce all things in all places and times to one and the selfe same for the but it is sufficient if respect be had to their end and purpose which is not variable and that manner and forme in Church-matters be vsed which leadeth directly thereunto Thus writeth Maister Beza Out of this Doctrine which maister Beza hath freely deliuered to our consideration I obserue these worthy documents which I wish the gentle Reader to keepe alwaies in his good remembrance First that the common people are ignorant and intractable and so vnfiit to beare any â—way in matters of great moment Secondly that in worldly matters the vnâ—uly multitude are euer gouerned by others in euery well managed common-weale Thirdly that a greater care must be had in Church-gouernment and that the vulgar sort must haue lesse dealing therein Fourthly that no wise man will or can denie that the Church must vse great pollicie in these affaires Fiftly that no private man may speake against the Churches pollicie vnlesse hee can prooue the same to bee against the word of God Sixtly that the Church is not alwayes bound to follow that in her pollicie and gouernment which the Apostles did practise in their time Which sixe points if wee shall ponder them seriously we can not but finde our English church gouernment to bee agreable to Maister Bezas doctrine Who I verely thinke if he were here and did behold the same would with applause subscribe therevnto M. Bullenger a man of high esteeme in Christs church hath these wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendi ministros Hoc autem facere potest vel tota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc elects provt commodius vtilius ad pacem conscrvanaam aptius videtur pro locorum personarum temporum ratione Nam cuncta haec ad Pauli regulam dirigenda sunt vt omnia decentèr ordine fiant Sequiturâ— ita Paulus Bernabas presbyteros seu ministros elegerunt in ecclesus Asiae Et Titus in Creta Timotheus in Ephesi ecclesiarum ministros ordinarunt Habent autâ—miâ—â—â—uam potestatem ex eo quod a tota ecclesia delecti sunt quae ex verbo dei potestatem mandatum habet eligendi ecclisiae ministros Wherfore hence it commeth that the Church hath power and commandement to choose Ministers And this commission may be performed either by the Church her selfe wholy or by some faithfull persons chosen by the Church to this ende and purpose as shall be thought more convenient profitable and sit for the peace of the Church regard being had to the places persons and times For all these things must bee referred to Saint Pauls rule that all things may be done decently and in order So Paul and Bernabas choose Ministers in the
certaine Rites which our Lord ordained as for examples sake bread and wine are the signes of the Supper by our Lords owne institution Where therefore there is either no vse at all of bread and wine or else great want for a time shall we celebrate no Supper of the Lord Yea it shall bee celebrated aright if that bee taken in the place of bread and wine which either by common vse or in regard of the time is vsed in the stead of bread or wine For this Christ intended when he chose bread and wine for these mysteries that by proposing before our eyes the signes of those things with which our bodies is nourished he might represent the true foode of our soules Therefore he swarueth not at all from Christes meaning who hauing no desire of innovation vseth in stead of bread and wine those things which though they haue not equall yet haue they like proportion of nourishment with bread and wine There wants also water and yet Baptisme neither ought nor can be differed with edification my selfe doubtlesse would baptize in any other liquor no lesse lawfully then I would in water This is maister Bezaes iudgement euen in the essentiall parts of the Sacraments Out of this doctrine thus deliuered by these two learned Doctors M. Calvin and M. Beza I observe these most important documents First that the authoritie of the church is so great that it can alter the matter of the Sacraments both of Baptisme and the Lordes supper if credit may be giuen to these great Doctors doctrine Secondly that the vse of the Lords Supper and of Baptisme is of such necessitie that this chaunge may and ought to be admitted rather then wee bee defrauded of the benefite thereof Thirdly that neither the practise of the Apostles nor the examples of Christ nor yet Christes owne institution No not in the matter of Sacraments is of such force and moment but that the church vpon good and necessarie cause may alter and chaunge the same And consequently it must needes be graunted neither can it with any colour of reason bee denied that the Church may chaunge the maner of choosing her ministers as necessarie circumstances of times places and persons shall require Especially seeing there is neither example commandement or institution of Christ to the contrarie CHAP. X. Of the ordeining of Ministers and the Ceremonies thereto apperteining THat Bishops haue and euer had authoritie to make order and admit Ministers of the Church it is so cleere and evident by the Scriptures Councels Fathers and continuall practise of the Church that I cannot but admire their audatious temeritie that doe oppugne the same Marke well the answers to all the Obiections in this Chapter Saint Paul chargeth Bishop Timothie not to lay his hands rashly on any man And the same Saint Paul telleth vs that he left Bishop Titus at Creta that he might order and make ministers in euery towne Now that Timothie and Titus ordained Ministers it is cleere by the Text it selfe But two doubts remaine The one whether Timothie and Titus had more authoritie then other common Ministers or not The other whether they alone ordained Ministers or with the ioynt-authoritie of others Touching the former I haue prooued alreadie by many testimonies that both Titus and Timotheus were Arch-bishops and had superioritie ouer many other Bishops I will heare adioyne the testimonie of Hemingius whose wordes are these Attamen Paulus gradu digns tatis ordine Timotheo Tito erat superior Timotheus gradu ordine excelluit reliquos Ephesmae vrbis presbyteros Et Titus Cretensihus praecrat Sequitur inter hos ministros agnoscit etiam ecclesia nostra gradus dignitatis ordines pro diversitate donorum laborum magnitudine ac vâ—cationum dignitate ac iudicat barbaricum esse de ecclesia hunc ordinem tollere velle Iudicat caeteros Ministros suis episcopis oportere obtemperare in omnibus quod ad adificationem ecclesiae faciunt iuxta verbum dei ac vtilem ecclesiae oeconomium Iudicat episcoposius habere in caeteros ministros ecclesiae non despoticum sed patrium But Paul in deegree and order of dignitie was superiour to Timothie and Titus Timothie in degree and order excelled all other Presbyters or Priestes of Ephesus and Titus was gouernour ouer the Cretions Among these Ministers our Church also acknowledgeth degrees of dignitie orders according to the diuersitie of giftes labours and calling and deemeth him to bee a plain rudes be that once hath but a minde to take this order out of the Church Our Church also iudgeth that all other Ministers must obey their Bishops in all things which pertaine to edification according to the word of God and the profitable dispensation of the Church Shee iudgeth that the Bishops haue a soueraigntie ouer all other Ministers of the Church yet not despoticall but paternall Touching the latter the scripture is plaine that none but Bishops did ordaine Church-ministers at any time And these Fathers of the Church affirme coÌ„stantly that this was a speciall knowne prerogative of Bishops that they and none but they could order and make Ministers of the Church S. Hierome hath these evident expresse words Quid enim facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod presbyter non faciat For what doth a Bishop which a Priest doth not the ordering of Ministers excepted Loe in this one thing doth a Bishop differ from Priests and inferiour Ministers because no other Minister saue onely a Bishop can ordaine and make Ministers of the Church Saint Epiphanius who liued aboue one thousand and two hundred yeares agoe affirmeth plainly that Bishops onely make Priests that is begetteth fathers to the Church and both he and Saint Austin enrolled the contrarie opinion among flat heresies censuring all them for Heretiques that held or defended such absurdities Saint Irenaeus who liued next to the Apostles and so could not bee ignorant what was the Church practise in their dayes maketh this my doctrine without question and beyond all exception that Bishops euen in the Apostolique time were different in degree from Priests and did create and make Priests but neuer were created of Priests No no if Priests could make Priests or if it were not an Apostolicall tradition that that charge doth appertaine onely to Bishops as it is this day laubably obserued in the Church of England then doubtlesse Aerius could neuer haue beene censured for an Heretique Adde hereunto that which I haue alreadie deliuered in the fist Chapter in the first and second Paragraph and thou shalt finde this Doctrine to be agreeable to the practise of Christs church in all former ages See Zanchius and note well his wordes Note well also the Answere to the second Obiection The first Obiection It appeareth by Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Evagrius that one minister was made superiour to an other onely by the ordinance of men The Answere I answere First that
nec iniunxit Dominus ergo illi placere acceptus esse non potest Ceremoniarum autem ratio longè alia est Nec enim dicere licebit de ceremonijs istis in Scriptura nihil proditum est ergo ceremonijs istis vsi non sunt quod ipsum in exemplo divae virginis Apostolorum abundè satis demonstratum est We reade in no place of the holy Scripture that the Apostles weare baptized saue onely that mention is made of two in S. Iohn Where for all that the same is not plainely expressed but obscurely infinuated If therefore wee shall follow your manner and denie all things which are not conteyned in the holy scriptures then certes we shall bee compelled to graunt that neither the blessed Virgin Marie nor the Apostles them selues were euer baptized which doubtlesse is a strange assertion and farre from all pietie and religion But touching doctrines of Faith and those things which informe our faith the inward mā we must ever vse this as a present preseruatiue what God hath not cōmanded vs to beleeue to beleeue that is not necessarie to our saluation Our Lord neither appointed nor inioyned this kinde of worship therfore it can neither please nor bee acceptable to him But touching ceremonies the case is farre different For wee may not say there is no mention made of these Ceremonies in the Scripture therefore the Apostles vsed them not which thing is prooued abundantly by the example of the blessed Virgin and of the Apostles Out of this must excellent discourse I obserue these worthy documents First that all things necessarie for our saluation are comprised in the holy Scriptures Secondly that many other things necessarie for Church-gouernment are receiued by tradition Thirdly that it is not a good Argument to reason after this manner there is no mētion of these things in the Scriptures therfore the Apostles vsed them not or therefore they are not lawfull This doctrine is agreeable to Saint Austins rule who calleth it insolent madnes to withstand and contradict that which is receiued by the custome of the whole Church Yea it is consonant to S. Pauls practise against the malapert saucinesse of contentious persons CHAP. XI Of the Presbyterie and Seignorie SOme otherwise learned doe this day labour with might and maine to proue that our English church ought to be gouerned with a Presbyterie that is with Pastors Teachers Laicall vnpriested Elders and Deacons These 4. as they contend are the lawfull Gouernors of euery particular congregation Pastors and teachers for procuring the aduancement of the faith of the Church Elders for the censure of their conuersation and life and Deacons for the comfort of the poore That that the truth of this controuersie of which many talke but very few vnderstand it aright may be laide open to the indifferent Reader I haue thought it good to proceed therein by way of Propositions The 1. Proposition THat kinde of gouernment which may bee altered for the circumstances of times places and persons is neither necessarie nor perpetuall But the gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons if euer there were any such kind of gouernment in the Christian world may be altered and chaunged Ergo it is neither necessarie nor perpetuall the Argument is in forme and the Proposition most cleare euident to euery childe The difficultie or doubt if there be any resteth in the assumption But I haue prooued it at large where I disputed of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent Yea there was a time euen in the dayes of the Apostles when the Church had no Deacons There was also a time euen in the dayes of the same Apostles when the Church had no vnpriested or vnpreaching Elders Who so readeth seriously the Acts of the Apostles and S. Pauls Epistles can not bee ignorant in this behalfe The 2. Proposition CHrist did not translate the Sanhedrim Synedrion or Consistorie of the Iewes vnto his Church in the newe Testament I proue it first because both their lesse kinde of Sanhedrim and their great as they did afterward diuide it was onely in one place for all the Realme viz. First at Sylo then at Hierusalem their chiefe citie vntill the worst and last alterations therein but the seekers of the newe English Presbyterie would haue the like if not the very same to bee erected in euery congregation Againe in both Consistories of the Iewish Sanhedrim aswell in the greater of the 70 as in the lesser of the 23. they were all either Priests or Doctors of the Lawe the King and the Peeres of the Realme only excepted Thirdly then Sanhedrim had partly politicall partly eclesiastical iurisdiction both together but our Presbyters haue onely ecclesiasticall seeing as they graunt to be Iudges in ciuill places is onely the Office of the ciuill Magistrate The 3. Proposition THe English supposed Presbyterie is not compatible with a Christian Monarchie but must perforce despoyle her and bereaue her of her royall soueraignitie I proue it because the sayd Presbyterie challengeth vnto her selfe all authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall the supreme ouer-sight of which causes pertaineth to the ciuill Magistrate as is already proued The 4. Proposition THE English desired Presbyterie is not grounded vpon the word of GOD. I proue it because the Scriptures alledged by the Patrons thereof doe conclude no such matter The Textes are fiue in number being all that any way seeme to make for their purpose The first is out of the Gospell tell the Church To this Text I answere in this manner First that wee for the true meaning of this portion of Scripture will giue credite to Saint Chrysostome and the rest of the auncient Fathers The Church to which this complaint must bee made doth signifie the Bishops and gouernours of the Church who according to all generall Councels auncient Canons and the continuall practise of the Church were euer to this day reputed acknowledged and taken for the Church representiue Secondly that if we will be ruled by M. Calvins censure Christ doth not here say any thing of the church of the New Testament but alludeth to the order of the Church of the Iewes Thirdly that by the iudgement of the graue and learned writer M. Bullinger a great Patron of the Presbyterie Christ speaketh here of the whole congregation and not to a fewe persons of whom consisteth the supposed Presbyterie And this exposition is so agreeable to the Text as none with right reason can denie the same Yea this sense is indeed agreeable to the verdict of S. Chrysostome and of all the auncient Fathers and to the continuall practise of the Church in all ages These are M. Bullingers wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendiministros Hoc autem facere potest veltota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc electi prout commodius vtilius ad pacem
conservandam aptius videtur prolocorum personarum temporumratione Nam cuncta haec ad Pauli regulam dirigenda sunt vt omnia decentèr ordine fiant Wherefore hence it commeth that the Church hath power and commaundement to choose her Ministers And this may bee performed either by the whole Church or by faithfull men chosen of the Church for this ende and purpose as shall bee thought more commodious profitable and fit for the conseruation of peace respect being had to places persons and times For all these things must bee reterred to Pauls rule that all things be done decently and in order And a little after the same Writer hath these wordes Habent autem istisuam potestatem exeo quod a tota ecclesia detecti sunt quaeex verbo Deipotestatem mandaâ—nÌ„ habet eligendi ecclesiae ministros But these men haue their authoritie for that the whole Church hath chosen them which by Gods word hath power and commandement to choose the Ministers of the Church Thus writeth this learned man Out of whose words it is most apparent cleare that all power is graunted vnto the whole Church who to auoyde confusion and for order sake committeth her authoritie to certaine chosen persons Which persons are the Bishops and Prelates of the Church say I and all antiquitie will confesse the same with me For neither Councels Fathers nor auncient Canons doe make any mention of the late vpstart presbyterie The Second text is fathered vpon Saint Paul where he saith let him that ruleth doe it with diligence The third text is drawne from the same Apostle where he telleth vs that God hath ordained in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some teachers some workers of miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours To these two texts which are of one and the same effect for the establishing of the presbyterie I answere in this maÌ„ner First that the Apostle in both places may be vnderstood indifferently either of ciuill gouernours and gouernment onely or of ecclesiasticall onely or of both ioyntly consequently that the text cannot be racked so that it must perforce be vnderstood of the vnpriested Seniors of the Presbyterie especially seeing it may as fitly if not more truly be vnderstood of Kings Monarches and other ciuill christian Magistrates to whom the chiefe care and ouersight appertaineth of all persons and causes within their kingdomes territories and dominions Secondly that the original Greek word Cubernesejs signifieth gouernments not gouernours So that thereupon cannot be inferred necessarily any distinct gouernor from the afore-named Apostles prophets and Doctors For diuers offices may bee and often are coincident in one and the same officer And for this respect when the Apostle commeth to the repetition of his former assertions and should by order haue mentioned the gift of gouernance he passeth it ouer in silence albeit he reckoneth vp the other seuerally Wherby hee giueth vs to vnderstand that hee containeth the same either in all or in some one of the former offices or gifts Thirdly that none of the holy Fathers in their Commentaries did euer gather out of these texts or the like any vnpreaching Seniors Fourthly that both maister Caluin maister Bucer and maister Martyr doe extend these places to all kinde of gouernment The fourth text is taken from the Epistle to the Ephesians which proueth nothing at all because there is no mention made in that place of any gouernours saue onely of Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors and Doctors None of which doubtlesse can be their vnpriested Elders The Fift text is borrowed from Saint Paul to Timothie where he saith the Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the word and Doctrine This text I graunt hath some colour though no truth of that which is in question But I answere that the Apostle vnderstandeth by Elders such as are ministers of the word or else of the Sacraments I proue it first because Saint Hierome Saint Chrysostome and Saint Ambrose yea and maister Caluin himselfe where hee speaketh purposely of Seniors doe so vnderstand the word Elders Secondly because the originall Greeke worde Coptôntes which signifieth to labour painfully doth argue a differeÌ„ce betweene Elders of the same calling whereof some laboured more painfully then others did the meaning of the Apostle is this and no other that laborious and painfull Elders are so much the more worthy to be graced with greater honours by howe much greater paines and troublesome turmoyles they vndertake in their ministerie For by the word labour Saint Paul vnderstandeth no ordinarie vulgar and meane exercise but an extraordinarie vehement and most painfull labour such as Timothie Titus Luke Marke and others were well acquainted withall Thirdly because the Apostle if hee had meant that some Elders did neither preach nor administer the Sacraments would haue added which labour in the word and administration of the Sacraments for it had been as easily said as which labour in the word and doctrine but because there were some that laboured onely in the word and doctrine and other some likewise who laboured in administring the Sacraments hee saide Coptôntes which labour painfully to distinguish them from such as laboured in the same kind and office though not in so laborious and painefull maner The fift proposition THe constitution of the earnestly wished and long expected English presbyterie doth ouerthrowe it selfe and can no way be defeÌ„ded I proue it first because diaconesses or widowes are no lesse required in the holy scripture then are Deacons neither are the one more extraordinarie or temporarie then are the other And consequently the frame or building of the presbyterie is not perfect seeing it consisteth onely of these foure Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons And to answere as some doe that there must bee godly poore widowes when they can bee gotten is not to the purpose For if Gods appointment and order may bee altered in widowes because sit women cannot bee gotten euen so may wee excuse the want of their ruling vpriested Seniors as also the want of their Preaching Ministers For the necessitie and want of sit persons is equall in them all I proue it Secondly because Pastors and Doctors or Teachers are not distinct officers but are taken in holy Writ for one and the same For Saint Paul hauing seuered Apostles Prophets and Euangelists addeth to them Pastors and Teachers by a coniunction copulatiue which hoe would not haue done doubtlesse if hee had deemed them to bee different orders Saint Hierome is iumpe of mine opinion and reasoneth after the selfe same manner And Saint Austen beeing demaunded of Peulimis what difference was betwixt Pastor and Doctor a pastor and a Teacher answered in this sort viz. That they were all one because hee cannot bee a pastor who hath not Doctrine wherewith hee may feede the flocke committed to his charge Maister Bullinger decideth the controuersie in plaine tearmes
church may be altered according to the circūstances of times places persons Fiftly that the English long expected presbyterie can not stand with our English Christian Monarchie For she challengeth that as her proper office which as Musculus truly saith doth properly pertaine to the ciuill Christian Magistrate I say thirdly that it cannot be concluded out of the holy Scriptures that any annuall vnpriested Elders had the rule of the Church with the Pastors and Bishops I say fourthly that for want of Christian Princes laicall Elders may be assumed to the Church-gouernment to help and assist the pastors Yea I further graunt that the said Elders may remaine vnder a christian prince so it be with his assent good pleasure and moderation But I constantly denie that such kind of gouernment must of necessitie bee had in and vnder a Christian Monarchie The first Reply S. Ambrose writeth plainly that the Synagogue and after the Church had Seniours without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church The which saith hee by what negligence it was left of I can not tell except happily it were through the slouth or rather the pride of some pastors because they alone would seeme to bee somewhat The Answere I answere first that S. Ambrose did not thinke those Elders of whom hee speaketh to be necessarie for the government of the Church I prooue it because hee being a most learned zealous and godly Arch-bishop would for his zeale and pietie haue laboured to restore them and could for his great authoritie haue effected the same Secondly that Saint Ambrose speaketh of Elders in yeares not of Elders in Office that is of wise graue and olde men of great experience whom the Bishops in former times tooke in counsell with them as did also the auncient Synagogue Our Church-wardens in this age doe in some sort resemble them It something grieued holy Ambrose that graue men auncient in yeares whom the Apostle would not haue reproued roughly did not remaine in like esteeme with the pastors of the Church as they were of old This is the true meaning and sense of S. Ambrose concerning those Elders he speaketh of I prooue it out of S. Ambrose his owne wordes which are these Nam apud omnes vtique gentes honorabilis est senectus For among all nations olde age is honoured For which cause both the Synagogue of old and the Church afterward had alwayes certaine old men without whose aduise nothing was done in the Church Loe he speaketh of honouring Elders and auncient men in regard of their yeares But he neuer meant to equalize them with those who were Elders in calling and gouerned the Churches vnder him No no the blessed man Ambrose that graue and holy Bishop of Millan neuer dreamed or once conceiued in minde that any order of the Ministerie set downe by Christes Apostles was worne out of vse in his time The 2. Reply S. Hierome who followed S. Ambrose immediately telleth vs most plainly that in his time the Presbyterie or Eldership was in the Church The Answere I answere first that if wee suppose your Presbyterie to haue beene in Saint Hieroms time and not in the dayes of Saint Ambrose it will fauour vs and wholy make against your helpes The reason is euident because that which may bee vsed at some time and be wanting at other times is not of necessitie to be vrged at all times and this is all that wee desire Secondly Saint Hierome speaketh of Priested Elders and not of men in no degree of the Ministerie His wordes are these Et nos habemus in ecclesia senatum nostrum caetum Presbyterorum And we haue in the Church our Senate a companie of Elders or Priestes Loe hee speaketh of Priestes and of Colledges of Cathedrall Churches I proue it by two reasons First for that himselfe telleth vs in his words afore-going that he speaketh of those Elders whose election Saint Paul describeth vnto Timothie Againe because it is vnpossible that those vnpriested Elders should bee in Saint Hieromes time who were worne out in Saint Ambrose his time because Saint Austin S. Ambrose and S. Hierome were all at one and the same time The 3. Obiection The long expected Presbyterie is no way preiudiciall to the Christian Monarchie but giueth to him so much as the Scripture alloweth The Answere M. Gualter a zealous vertuous and learned Writer of high esteeme in the reformed Churches sheweth plainly vnto the world what right and authoritie the new presbyterie ascribeth vnto Princes These are his wordes The Donatists of our time ought to consider these things more diligently which doe ouer rashly condemne whole Cities and Countries where the word of God is preached the sacraments rightly administred publique praier celebrated the poore sufficiently prouided for and vices by good and godly lawes for bidden and punished All these things they esteem as nothing except there be a certaine new magistracie appointed which should haue authoritie ouer Princes also The same learned writer in another place discourseth in this manner There be sundry that will needes institute Elders or an ecclesiasticall Senate according to the example of the Primitiue Church which also should haue authoritie ouer the Magistrates themselues if at any time they did not their dutie But it behooueth them first to shew that those their Seniours haue this power whereof Paul doth presently speake which thing seeing it doth by no meanes appeare and yet they deliuer vnto Satan whome they will they doe like as if some would goe about to cleanse the leaprous raise the dead and worke other miracles because these things were vsually done in the primitiue Church The same learned Doctor in another place writeth thus Their ambition is reproued which goe about to bring all Churches to the forme of their discipline and government cry out that there is no discipline there where all things are not agreeable to their traditions and orders But these mē receiue a iust reward of their arrogancy when they that come frō them to other countries goe beyond all men in fancinesse bring nothing from home but a vaine and intollerable contempt of all good men neither can they abide to be corrected by any admonition of others The zealous godly and learned Doctor Musculus hath these expresse words We thinke otherwise then they who denie to Christian Magistrates authoritie to make ecclesiasticall Lawes We boldly affirme that all power of making authenticall Lawes which binde the consciences of the subiects whether they be ciuill or ecclesiasticall doe neither pertaine to the multitude of the faithfull nor to the Ministers of Gods word but properly to the Magistrate onely to whom more power is giuen ouer his subbiects Wherevpon they are called in the Scripture Gods who doe execute the Magistracie which name of honour we doe not reade that it was giuen vnto the Priestes The very reason and nature of gouerning can not suffer that there be 2.
authentique powers in one people two diuers law-makings and dominions vnlesse it be by subordination euen as there is no place for two heads in one body The same Musculus in another place hath these golden wordes but we without dissimulation thinke thus Like as the Christian Prince hath chiefe power care in religion so hath he also power to constitute and make ecclesiasticall lawes to reforme abuses in religion The very nature of making lawes doth not suffer that they command make Lawes who haue not power to defend the Lawes and to take punishment of the transgressors and that the Magistrate should protect the lawes and punish the offendors who shal not haue power to make the lawes which he doth defend But Certes among men he that hath power to command hath also power to take reuenge I know it appertaineth to the magistrate to punish not onely the transgressors of his owne commandements but also of Gods But the case is altered if the question be made of lawes ecclesiasticall neither divulged by God immediately neither yet by his Apostles but by men within the ministerie of the Church Here doubtlesse it is not sit that they which are of meaner authoritie shall make Lawes and they who are of higher power must see them kept Men of meaner degree may cause lawes to be obserued but superiours onely can make lawes whose authoritie cōpelleth to obey them and who haue power giuen thē of God to punish the disobedient While therefore they ascribe the constitution and promulgation of ecclesiasticall lawes to those whom they call gouernours of the church to wit the presbyterie and leaue only to the magistrate power to see them kept and to punish the offenders what other thing do they but giues that to inferiours being subiects which of right belongeth to higher powers and taketh it away from superiours to whom euery soule must be subiect And so they peruerting the ordinance of God make of subiects Lawe-makers and of Law-makers subiects Thus writeth this learned man Out of these learned discourses of these two most learned and famous Writers I note these worthy documents First that vnder most Christian Princes where the Presbyterie beareth no sway the word of God is soundly preached the Sacraments rightly administred publique prayer duly celebrated the poore sufficiently relieued and vices sharply punished Secondly that all these things will not content the maisters of the Presbyterie vnlesse they may haue Princes at their commaund Thirdly that if the Patrons of the Presbyterie will needes haue all things after the manner of the Primitiue Church then must they cleanse the leaprous raise the dead worke miracles as the Apostles did Fourthly that the authors of the Presbyterie are arrogant contentious froward and saucie fellowes To which the Doctrine of our gracious soueraigne in his Bazilycon Doron is right consonant when he telleth vs very grauely besides many other vices which he there reckeneth vp that we shall neuer finde with any Hic-land or border-theeues greater ingratitude and moe lyes and vile periuries then with this kinde of people Fiftly that they denie vnto Princes authoritie to make ecclesiasticall lawes Sixtly that not the Presbyterie but the ciuill magistrates kings Emperours Monarches and other independant superiours haue power to make canons and ordinances ecclesiasticall Seuenthly that whiles they assigne vnto princes onely the execution of their Lawes they make of inferiours superiours and of subiects Law-makers and so peruert the holy ordinance of God The 4. Obiection The gouernmēt of the church in the time of the Apostles was the best most perfect Ergo no reason why it should be changed The Answere I answere First that the Church in the Apostles time was most perfect indeed concerning faith and doctrine absolutely as also touching external gouernment if regard be duly had vnto that time Secondly that there was not alwaies in the Apostolicall time one and the same externall gouernment of the Church as is alreadie proued Thirdly that the externall pollicie of the Church may admit alteration and change without all preiudice of faith and conscience according to the circumstances of times places and persons And consequently that Christian Princes enioy this day very lawfully and laudably the chiefe care and supreame ouer-sight thereof Men of best account in the reformed Churches doe in plaine tearmes approue and confirme this my doctrine Maister Caluin hath these wordes Scimus autem politiam pro varietate temporum recipere imò exigere varias mutationes Wee knowe that the pollicie of the Church receiueth yea requireth diuers alterations according to the varietie of time Maister Musculus a man of great zeale singular learning care and gifts confirmeth Maister Caluins opinion in these words The state of the Church was such at that time that the ministers could not be chosen otherwise because they then were without a Christian magistrate If thou wilt call againe the manners of those times thou must first call againe their state and condition Againe in an other place the same author writeth thus I answere that the Churches of God were at that time destitute of a Godly and faithfull magistrate Wherefore all iudgements betweene brethren brethren were then exercised by the Seniours in the ecclesiasticall senate as the custome also was in those christian churches which the Apostles planted But the condition is farre otherwise in those Churches which by the benefit of God haue christian Princes and Magistrates in whom resteth authoritie power law-making and gouernance not onely in prophane but in holy things also It is a most pestilent errour that some thinke no otherwise of the christian magistrate then of a prophane gouernance whose power reacheth onely to things prophane Haec ille Maister Beza hath these golden wordes We must not simply looke or regard what the Apostles did in the gouernment of the Church seeing the circumstances are most diuers and variable and therefore without preposterous zeale Cacozelia all things cannot in all places and times be called to one and the same forme or order but rather the ende and inuariable purpose of them must bee looked vnto and that manner and forme of doing things must be chosen which tendeth directly thereunto Haec Beza Out of these most excellent and golden discourses of these great learned men who were very famous and highly renowned in the best reformed churches I gather these memorable obseruations First that the Church is not fixed or tied to any one setled kind of gouernment but may be changed in her gouernance as the circumstances of times places and persons shall require Secondly that it is very fit and conuenient sometimes to alter the gouernment of the church Thirdly that the church may not bee gouerned now as it was in those daies when there were no christian magistrates Fourthly that wee must not respect so much what the Apostles did as their intent and purpose the scope and marke which they aimed at CHAP. XII
same Canon is confirmed as very authenticall both by the councell of Antioch and by the first councell of Nice celebrated in the time of Constantine the great The auncient and famous councel of Sardica hath these wordes Hoc quoque omnibus placeat vt siue diaconus siue presbyter siue quis clericorum ab episcopo suo communione fuerit privatus et ad alterum perrexerit episcopum et scierit ille ad quem confugit cum ab episcopo suo fuisse abiectum non opertere vt ei communionem indulgeat Let vs all agree hereunto that if a Deacon or a Priest or any of the Cleargie be excoÌ„municated of his own Bishop and shall flee to an other Bishop then he may not giue him the communion if he knewe that his owne Bishop did excommunicate him The secoÌ„d councell holden at Carthage hath these words Placet vt si presbyter excommunicatut aut correctus a suo episcopo sacrificare praesumpserit anathematizetur We agree that if a Priest being excommunicated or punished by his owne Bishop shall presume to celebrate accursed be that man And the selfe same decree is to be read in the sixt councell of Carthage Ex Patribus Saint Ambrose that graue learned and holy Bishop did alone excommunicate the Emperour Theodosius Theototus Bishop of Laodicea did himselfe alone excommunicate two Apolliâ—aries the father being a Priest and the sonne being a Reader The cause thereof was this viz. because they kept companie with a prophane Sophister Epiphanius and heard his vngodly rimes which he had made in the honour of Bacchus Alezander that godly and famous Bishop of Alexandria did by himselfe alone excommunicate Arrtus as both Sozomenus and Nioephorus doe contest in their stories Nicephorus hath these expresse wordes Alexander illum et cum eo qui partes cius sequereÌ„tur clericos omnes excoÌ„munie avit Alexander did both excommunicate Arrius and all the clerkes that held his opinion Yea this was a rule so receiued and a practise so common in the auncient Churches that when a controuersie arose about the celebration of Easter Victor that zealous Bishop of Rome about one thousand and foure hundred yeares agoe would haue excoÌ„municated all the Bishops of Ausâ— if Irenaeus the good Bishop of Lyons had not disswaded him from that attempt The first Obiection Saint Paul did not alone excommunicate the incestuous Corinthian but together with the whole congregation For he saith when ye are gathered together and my spirit The Answere I answere first that though Christ gaue the keyes and the power of remitting and retaining sinnes vnto the whole Church yet did he commit the vse and execution of that power vnto his Apostles and their successors til the worlds end Secondly that the Apostle himselfe alone did excommunicate the Corinthian and required the presence of the people no otherwise then the same is this day required in our English Churches viz that the sentence be pronounced in the hearing of the congregation that they may therby auoid his companie that is excommunicated and be terrified from the like offence I proue it because Saint Paules words are these for I verely as absent in body but present in spirit haue determined alreadie as though I were present By which words it is most apparant that the determination of the matter resteth onely in himself and not in the people For otherwise he could not haue dicided the matter in their absence and without their assent And it is confirmed to be thus because he alone excommunicated Alexander the Copper Smith and the same may bee thought probably of Hymeneus and Philetus The second Obiection Theodosius confessed his fault before the congregation and asked forgiuenesse of the same and thereupon was obsolued And so it appeareth that Ambrose alone did not excommunicate the Emperour The Answere It is the vsuall practise in our English Church that no excommunicate person be receiued into the Church again vntill he haue made publike confession and asked pardon for his offence And this notwithstanding the Bishop alone doth excommunicate as S. Ambrosius did the Emperour The Replie You say that the execution of excommunication pertaineth onely to the successours of the Apostles so consequently it must pertaine to all Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments and not onely to your lordly Bishops The Answere I answere first that no such consequence can be inferred vpon my graunt For though I graunt and that truly that none but Ministers of Gods word and Sacraments can lawfully denounce the sentence of excommunication yet will it not follow thereupon that I giue the same power to euery Minister in generall For it is one thing to say that none but Ministers can doe it an other thing to affirme that euery Minister Promiscuè may doe it Secondly that all Ministers haue power habituall to excommunicate but those Ministers onely haue actuall power to doe it to whoÌ„ the Church hath committed that iurisdiction For seeing the Church hath all the power graunted to her dispensation shee may giue to this or that Minister more or lesse as shall be thought conuenient in her discretion CHAP. XIII Of Preaching and other things coincident The first Section of the vocation of Ministers which cannot Preach ALthough it were to be wished that all Ministers of Gods worde and Sacraments should be able to Preach and to deuide Gods word aright vnto the people yet where and when sufficient men of that abilitie cannot be had others of meaner talents and honest behauiour may not be reiected And to hold that none may be ordered and admitted to administer the Sacraments and to reade the Scriptures and godly Prayers in the Church for the comfort and edisication of the people is not onely against Christs institution but also against the vsual practise of the church in all ages Neither is it possible to alledge for the ground of the contrarie opinion either any sound reason out of holy Writ or any one testimonie of any of the holy fathers or any canon out of any ancient councell The latter member viz. that it is against the continuall practise of the church is as cleere as the Sunneshning at noone day therfore I deem it a thing needlesse to spend wordes in that behalfe The former member viz. that it is against Christs holy ordinance I prooue out of Christs owne words in his last supper when he said to his Disciples Hoc facitè in mei memoriam Doe this in my remembrance By these wordes as all the holy fathers and Doctors affirme constantly Christ made his Apostles Priests or Ministers giuing them power and authoritie onely to consecrate the blessed Sacrament of his body and blood and to deliuer the same vnto his people Neither could they lawfully haue either baptized or preached remitted and retained sinnes vntill they had receiued further authoritie so to doe which was not granted to them indeede vntill Christs
Saint Chrysostome in these golden wordes Neque ideo solum sed vt tu disceres quontam super te quoque cum Sacro Fonte dilueris Sanctus Spiritus veniat iam vero non visibils specie qua vtique non egemus cum nobis pro cunctis sola fides sufficiat Nam signa non credentibus sed incredulis dantur Neither did the Doue appeare onely for that end but that thou also mayst learne that the Holy Ghost commeth vpon thee when thou art washed in the holie Font bu that appearance is not nowe adayes in any visible shape whereof wee haue no neede seeing sole faith sufficeth for all For signes are not giuen to the faithfull but to the incredulous persons These things well pondered the obiection against the booke of Common prayer will bee to no purpose vnlesse perhaps it will bee a caueat for the Author which I heartilie wish to write and speake more circumspectly in time to come For I verily am perswaded that all things contayned in the booke of Common prayer are agreable to the holy Scriptures the practise of the Church in the purest times and composed with such Iudgement Pietie Learning and Religion that all the wisedome in the worlde is not able iustlie to controll the same In so much that I wonder and greatly admire the audacious temeritie of manie who being of small reading and learning and of no iudgment and experience if they bee compared to those auncient graue Godly wise and learned fathers that compiled the booke of common prayer dare presume to condemne the same with theyr bitter invectiues vntimely censures and vnchristianlike Anathematizations True it is that Saint Hierome saith Nec sibi blandiantur si de Scripturarum capitulis videntur sibi affirmare quod dicunt cum Diabolus de Scripturis aliqua sit locutus Scripturae non in legendo sed in intelligendo consistunt Neyther must they slatter themselues if they seeme in their owne conceits to prooue so much as they say seeing the Deuill himselfe alleadged Scripture against our Lord Iesus and the Scriptures doe not consist in bare reading but in true Sense and meaning Would God this graue aduise giuen by this holy auncient and learned Father might be a president and constant rule in this doleful age to all nouices superficiall diuines and young students in Diuinitie who more rashly then Clerklie take vpon them to controll not onelie our most Reuerend Fathers the graue wise and learned Byshops but euen the whole Synode assembled in the Conuocation house yea and the King himselfe to walke circumspectlie to liue obedientlie to think modestlie of their own gifts not to esteeme better of themselues and their iudgements then there is cause but to thinke that a learned Synode can see as farre as they and would as gladly goe to Heauen as they and consequently to ponder with themselues seriouslie that it is a too too malepeart saucinesse for young heads and superficiall Diuines of slender Iudgement and lesse reading of the holy Fathers auncient Councells and Ecclsiasticall hystories to censure and controll not onely the Godlie setled Lawes of our Christian Kingdome but euen of the continuall practise of the Churche in all ages I my selfe am about three score yeares of age I haue endeuoured by Prayer and painefull Studie to attayne good literature euer since I was fiue yeares of age I haue liued conuersed studied disputed in manie famous Vniuersities aswell in England as in forraine Countries I haue employed my whole care industry and diligence now for the space of thirty yeares and odde to vnderstand Gods word aright to know what hath bene the practize of Christes church in all former ages and for that ende and purpose I haue for the space of thirtie yeares and odde prouided all the auncient Fathers Councells Hystories Ecclesiasticall and Chronographycall so far forth as my abilitie was able to extend and reach and that nothing should be wanting in this behalf I haue borrowed bookes where I could and haue also had recourse to the best Libraryes both in the Vniuersities els where to the end I might gather notes out of such bookes as I was not able to buye and prouide In which behalfe not my selfe onely but all such as reape anie commoditie by my painfull labours are more then a little beholden to these most Reuerend Fathers Iohn the late Arch-byshoppe of Canterburie Richard now the L Arch-byshoppe of Canterburie and Tobye the L Bysh. of Durham who haue for themselues the good of others most excellent costly and goodly Libraries to which I haue found free accesse at all times when I desired All this beeing performed I haue verie seriouslie weighed pondered and considered what the Papists Arrians Macedonians Eutichians Nestorians Donatists Carpocratians Ebionites Tatians Manichees Brownists and other Sectaries doe and can say for their opinions and this notwithstanding I finde the Doctrine and the Godlie setled Lawes of this Church of England amongst which I place the late Canons of Anno. 1604. to bee consonant to Gods word to the vsuall practise of the Church in all former ages These things I vtter in these tearms because I heartilie wishe to perswade all such as are carefull of their saluation to yeeld obedience to higher Powers and not to bee carryed awaye with the Sugred words of superficiall Diuines but to learne that obedience is better then Sacrifice I am now likelie euen by the course of Nature shortly to forsake this worlde and therfore I doe not seeke any preferment for my paines which I neuer to this daye hunted after and much lesse doe I seek to draw men into errrours and so to make shipwracke of mine owne Soule No no my purpose God is my witnesse is farre otherwise as who am perswaded so fullie of the Doctrine which I deliuer that I am not affrayde to ende my life in the same The second member of certaine Rites and Ceremonies vsed in Baptisme New-fangled oddely conceited persons do scornfullie inueigh against interrogatories ministred at Baptisme against Godfathers Godmothers Fonts and otherlike Ceremonies as things vnknowen in the time of the Apostles To whome I answere in this manner First that manie things are this day lawfully done in the Church which were not in vse in the Apostles time This is already prooued Secondly that the custome of the Church in things indifferent is to be esteemed among Christians for a Law This is likewise prooued And let him that holdeth the contrarie opinion tell mee by what lawe hee can iustifie that formall coniunction of men and wemen in holy wedlock which is vsed not onely in our Church of England but also in purest reformed Churches euerie where Hee shall neuer bee able to alleadge any ground in that behalfe but the vnwritten traditions of the Church Of which traditions th' Apostle spoke as learned interpreters tell vs when he said he would set other things in
him Loe S. Luke speaketh not in the preterperfect tense or preterplusperfect tense who hath or had bene one of the seaueÌ„ Deacons but he saith in the present tense who is euen now one of the seauen For so the Originall Greeke word ontos must needs be expressed seing it is a participle of the present time or time euen now beeing And the holy Fathers together with the practise of the church haue euer so vnderstood this text of Scripture Saint Epiphanius deliuereth his minde in these plaine tearmes Omnes verò praeter ipsum susceperunt magnorum A. postolorum praesentians per impositionem manuum ipsorum acceperunt Spiritum sanctum Nam quum Philippus Diaconus esset non habebat potestatem imponendi manus vt per hoc daret Spiritum sanctum They all hee onely excepted receyued the presence of the mightie Apostles and by imposition of their hands they enioyed the holy Ghost For Philip being a Deacon onelie had not power to impose hands thereby to giue the holy Ghost S. Austen hath these expresse words Iterum multum distare inter Diaconum sacerdotem liber approbat queÌ„ dicimus actus Apostolorum Cumn ex Samaria credidissent Philippo praedicanti Diacono ab Apostolis ordinato miserunt inquit ad eos Petrum Ioannem vt venirent his qui crederâ—t darent spiritum sanctum per manus impositionem Again the booke which wee call the Acts of the Apostles prooueth that a Deacon differeth much from a Priest For when they of Samaria had beleeued the preaching of Philip the Deacon ordeined of th' Apostles they sent saith the booke Peter and Iohn vnto them that they might giue the holy Ghost by imposition of hands to those that did beleeue Thus wee see the iudgement of S. Epiphanius and S. Austen who both iointly affirme Philip to haue bene but a Deacon and yet to haue baptized and preached Yea Maister Gualter Maister Aretius and the Magaeburgenses doe all constanthe and vniformely contest the same truth with the auncient Fathers and continuall custome of the Church in all ages They write plainely that although Deacons were chieflie occupied about the dispensation of the churches goods yet did they employe their labours so far forth as they might in the other ministeries of the church The fourth member of Deacons promoted to Priesthood The Church of England is charged to doe against the word of God while shee vseth to make one and the same person first a Deacon and afterward a Priest To which calumnie I answere in briefe in this manner First that it is not against the word of God but very consonant and altogether agreable to the same For no Scripture can bee alleadged to prooue that a Deacon maye not become a Priest Maister Caluin affirmeth constantly that Philippe was first a Deacon and afterward an Euangelist Priest or pastorall elder Secondly that the church of England vsing the Deaconshippe as a steppe or degree vnto Priesthood doth nothing against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers but followeth the vsuall practise of the church in all ages The reason hereof is and euer was this viz. that there might be some time of try all of their behauiour in the Deaconshippe before they were or could bee admitted to the order of Priesthood No Councell no Father no hystorie Ecclesiasticall no time no place no person since the Apostolike age can be named to the contrary To the continuall practise of the Church from age to age th' Apostles words may sitly be applied when he saith the deacons that haue ministred well get themselues a good degree For sun 〈…〉 writer of high esteem in the church do 〈…〉 the word Degree a steppe vnto the 〈…〉 or Priesthood This notwithstanding it is not of necessitie that euery Deacon become a Priest by any canon or constitution of the church For his behauiour in the Deaconship may be such that the church will deeme him vnmeete to be preferred vnto Priesthood And therefore I conclude with these words of S. Hierome Et si scripturae authoritas non subesset totius orbis in hanc parteÌ„ consensus instar praecepti obtineret NaÌ„ multa alia quae per traditioneÌ„ in Ecclesijs obseruantur authoritateÌ„ sibi scriptae legis vsurpauerunt Although they were no authoritie in Holy Scripture yet should the consent of all the Christian worlde haue the force and strength of a law in this behalfe For many other things which the church obserueth by tradition are become equiualent to the written law Loe S. Hierome affirmeth boldly constantly as do also S. Augustine M. Caluin and others as I haue already prooued that the custome tradition of the church must bee in steede of a lawe vnto Christians Which euer is to be vnderstood in things not repugnant to the word of God or as M. Caluin speaketh which are neyther partes of doctrine nor necessarie to saluation The fyfth member of the generall confession made by priuate persons in the Church The Patrons of the expected Eldership or Presbyterie exclame against the booke of common prayer because it giueth libertie to the Laycall communicants to make a generall confession of their sinnes before the congregation then present as if therby the Laicall communicants should presently become publique ministers of the church To these men I answere in this manner first that they seeme to theÌ„selues to be the onely wise men in the worlde to condemne all the rest of follie For otherwise they would not so roundly peremptorily take vpon themselues and that without either Scripture Councell or Father nay without all time or reason to controll condemne the book of publique praier which I verily think to haue bene composed by the assistance of the Holy Ghost consequently to condemne all the ancient Byshops those glorious martyrs of our Lord Iesus the most famous Byshop of Sarisburie the Iewell of England in his time the Byshops that now liue who are both wise vertuous learned all the residue of the learned Cleargie of this our English Church Secondly that by their grosse assertion ioyned with a most vnchristian reprehension the lowly Publican highly commended in the Gospell should bee made a Minister of the Church or haue intruded him himself into the function of publique Ministerie when hee knocked vppon his breast said O God be mercifull to me a sinner Thirdly that by the same reason the notorious sinners which were put to open penance in the primitiue Church and confessed their faults before the congregation should bee in the same predicament Fourthlie that publique penitents this daye who are for all that approoued of the Patrons of the Presbyterie should be caught in the same nette Fyftlie that the same may bee saide of Women singing Psalmes in the Church and that with more probabilitie who for all that are approoued in so doing not onely in this Church of England but
THE Regiment of the Church AS IT IS AGREABLE WITH Scriptures all Antiquities of the Fathers and moderne Writers from the Apostles themselues vnto this present age I. Cor. 14. v. 40. v. 26. Let all things be done decently and in order Let all things be done to edification I. Cor. II. v. 16. If any man iust to be contentions we haue no such customes nor the Churches of God TC LONDON Imprinted by T. C. for William Welby and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Grayhound 1606. TO THE MOST REVEREND FA ther my very good Lord Richard by Gods holy ordinance the Lord Arch-bishop of England grace and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. AS many things most reuerend father are both comely and profitable so neither is there neither can there be anything more necessarie in any well managed church or christian common weale then godly vniformitie and christian vnitie in pure Religion the proper and peculiar worship of the euerliuing God Which vnitie and vniforme conformitie for all that not onely the cruell and blood-thristie Papists in former times but the Brownists also and the Martinists cursed broodes untimely hatched detested of God and irkesome to the world haue of late daies endeuoured with might maine to disturbe extinguish it to take it quite out of the way For the speedie conuersion or else for the vtter confusion of which professed enemies of the godly vnitie and true christian peace of Gods Sion I deeme them right happie who can in any small measure concur by way of redresse and put to their helping hand Against the former sect I haue published many books challenging all English Iesuites Seminaries Iesuited Papists yea prouoking and adiuring them all ioyntly and seuerally to frame some answere either to all or to some one of the saide bookes But wil ye haue the truth their harts faile them their own consciēces accuse them they are at their wits end know not in the world what to say or write They will not answere and why I pray you because forsooth they cannot but to their owne shame and confusion euerlasting For if they could they would vndoubtedlie answere mee so to saue their owne credite and the life of their late harched Romish Religion About three yeeres agoe a railing Iesuit an odde swaggering Diuine terming himselfe E. O. in his detection against Maister D. Sutcliffe and Maister Willet taketh notice of the bookes which I haue published against them and telleth his Readers if they may beleeue him that the confutation of my workes is vndertaken But what followeth and the said confutation must be published if it shall be thought expedient By which words with the circumstances annexed thervnto wee may easily vnderstand three memorable points First that the Papists are mightilie troubled about the answearing of my bookes Secondly that they can not tell in the worlde how and in what sort to answere them Thirdly that they would haue all their Popish Vassalls to think that they haue alreadie answered them and that they are not published because it is not thought a thing expedient to bee done But I pray thee gentle Reader who will beleeue these Iesuits what wise man will euer thinke that the Iesuits haue for the space of eyght or nine yeares considered howe to answere my bookes and after the answere is vndertaken cannot tell if it bee expedient to publishe the same for as the Philosopher can tell them Vltimum in executione debet primum esse in intentione That which is the last in execution must bee the first in intention Yea the very light of Nature and daylie experience teacheth vs that in all our actions wee must chieflie and principallie respect the end for the which wee intende to doe them They dare not fight the combat valiantly neyther with the long sworde nor yet with the shorte They dare not encounter mee and cast mee their Gauntlet No no Negry quidem can bee extorted from their pennes Against the latter sect because they whollie dissent from the Papists and agree with our English Churche in the chiefest fundamentall points of Doctrine an other manner of methode and a different kinde of proceeding must bee vsed against them They exclaime with open mouthes and crie out against our English Church flying from our companies and detesting vs as prophane polluted and forlorne people They vse Conventicles Whisperings and meetings in Woodes Fieldes and odde corners They beare the simple people in hand that our Temples are prophaned our Doctrine corrupt our Sacraments impure our Byshops Antichristian and our kind of Church-gouernment repugnant to that sacred forme and order which our LORD IESVS prescribed in his holie worde They say of themselues but Laus propriioris sordescit that they are inspired of the holy Spirit that they are sent from Heauen to reforme our Church and to direct it into all Truth With which faire speeches and sugred words alas for pittie they seduce the rude vulgar sorte steale away their hearts and make them disobedient to higher powers And while these good fellowes the Brownists and Martinists seeke to bee reputed the onely wisemen vpon Earth they neither knowe what they say nor yet whereof they affirme but doe open a large window to all disloyaltie and sedition euery where and giue the Papists some comforte and hope once to enioye theyr long expected daye In regarde hereof most Reuerend Father and worthie Prelate my selfe though the meanest of manie thousands in this our English Churche haue thought it operaepretium to vse my Penne in my plaine and simple manner for the vnitie and true peace of our English Sion and for the manifestation of the lawfull gouernmēt thereof I haue in this present discourse most honourable constant wise and christian Patron of the Churches libertie power freedome auncient prerogatiue which the Brownists and foolish Martinists would turne vpside downe made euident demonstration of the lawfull gouernment of our Church And that is done in such compendious manner as neither the Reading can be thought tedious nor the price of the book chargeable with such perspicuitie as the most simple euen very babes and children may with al facility understād the same with such sufficiēcie as no Brownist or Martinist or other malitious aduersarie of our churches godly setled gouernment whosoeuer shall euer be able while the world indures either with Scriptures Councels Fathers or Ecclesiastical Histories to gain say or with stand the same I haue succinctly and euidently set down before the eyes of the indifferent Reader that the monarchical gouernāce of our English church is both the best and the most laudable of all others That there is euer hath beene in all former ages of the church superioritie of one church-minister aboue and ouer another and that one may this day lawfully haue iurisdiction ouer another That Bishops Arch-bishops Primates Metropolitains Patriarches haue euer beene in
Of the discipline of the Church The first Section of the multiplicitie of Church-discipline THe Authors Patrons and seekers of the new English presbyterie reckon vp three parts of church-discipline viz 1. the election abdication of ecclesiasticall officers 2. the excommunication of the stubborne and absolution of the repentant 3. the decision of all such matters as rise vp in the church whether it be touching corrupt manners or peruerse doctrine For answere whereunto marke the next Section The second Section containing an answere vnto the former There is but one onely kind of publique church-discipline which is called in the new testament by the name of excommunication I say publique because I grant priuate admonition and reprehension to be a certaine kind of priuate discipline I say church-discipline because I acknowledge also ciuill discipline Discipline consisteth intrinsecally in the punishing and correcting of vice It is one part of the churches pollicie farre different from the election of ministers and decision of controuersies The third Section of the essence nature and condition of church-discipline The Patrones of the English presbyterie doe make it an essential part of the Gospell so necessarie to saluation as no Church can bee without it but the truth is otherwise I proue it first because S. Paul giueth a singular commendation to the Church of Corinth although it wanted at that time the Church-discipline which is excommunication Secondly because we may stay and continue in that Church which is destitute of excommunication Which doubtlesse we could not doe if excommunication were a part of Christs Gospell and necessarie vnto saluation For we must flee from that Church which wanteth any thing necessarie to saluation This notwithstāding many learned men euē of best accoūt in the reformed churches do think it lawfull to remaine in those Churches where excommunication is not in vse Maister Bullinger writing against the Anabaptists hath these words This the Anabaptists vrge that there is no true Church acceptable vnto God where there is no excommunication To whom we answere that the Church of Corinth was a true Church and so acknowledged of Paul before there was any vse of excommunication in it The same doctrine is taught vniformely of maister Caluin maister Gualter and others Thirdly wheresoeuer the word of God is truly preached and his Sacraments lawfully administred there is Christs Church vndoubtedly For these are the true markes by which best learned Writers discerne the Church of God The case is euident enough it is needelesse to spend much time about it Vide sententiam Gualteri in fine sectionis subsequentis The fourth Section of the persons that must excommunicate Excommunication precisely and chiefely pertaineth to the Church and secondly to those to whom the Church hath cōmitted the execution thereof I proue it by Christs owne wordes in his holy Gospell where hee willeth his Disciples to tell the faults of their brethren if they will not heare them vnto the Church that is to say vnto the whole congregation And forthwith Christ addeth these wordes Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Againe in an other place he giueth the same authoritie of binding and loosing vnto Peter alone which hee gaue in the other place to all the Apostles ioyntly Thirdly in an other place he giueth power to remit retain sins vnto his Disciples onely soly Out of which three seuerall commissions of our Lord Iesus I gather and conceiue two generall rules and settled lawes The one that onely the successors of Christs Apostles and Disciples haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen that is of opening and shutting of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining sinnes as also the power of excommunication touching the vse and execution thereof I say touching the vse and execution thereof because it is one thing to execute excommunication and the keyes of heauen an other thing to commit the execution thereof to others The other that the whole Church hath authoritie to commit the execution of the keyes and of excommunication to some speciall persons fit for that purpose for comlinesse and order sake and for auoyding of confusion This my resolution I will proue to be grounded vpon the doctrine of great learned men highly renowned in the reformed Churches two things I haue to proue first that the whole Church hath power to commit the keyes and excōmunication to some certaine fit persons chosen for that end and purpose Secondly that onely the Ministers of the word Sacramēts can denounce the sentence and put the same in execution Concerning the former Maister Bullinger hath a long and learned discourse which is able to satisfie any indifferent Reader These are his expresse wordes caeterum video controversum inter quosdam nostri aevi homines c. But I perceiue it is a controuersie among certaine men of our age who should haue power to punish sinne and to execute the discipline of the Church some ascribing it to the whole Church other some to speciall men chosē for that purpose Doubtlesse I cannot perceiue that they offend who giue this power to certain men chosē for that end wtout doubt they doe not offend against Gods word But they obiect if he shal not heare you tel it to the church Now some chosē men are not the church But these men perceiue not that Christ his Apo. vsed the figure Synecdoche For Paul saith you being gathered with my spirit And in the latter Epistle he saith it is sufficient to the same man that he was rebuked of many If they wil stand vpon Christs words literally we wil see when they wil bring the whole church together But we speake say they of the particular Church We therfore haue the victory who say that Christ vsed the figure Synecdoche We graunt that this power is giuen to the whole Church but we call the congregation of good men the Church For it followeth forthwith in the very words of our lord where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the mids of them Therfore if Christ as they graunt committed the ecclesiasticall discipline to a particular church two or three much more eight or twelue make a particular church what letteth that christ cōmitted not the same to chosen men who are consecrate to Christs name seeing the authoritie of ecclesiasticall discipline is more intiere renowned among chosen godly men then among the confused vulgar sort who as they lack iudgement so are they often carried away with affections Haec Bullingerus Maister Gualter hath these words potestatis christi meminit alludeut ad mat 18. ne ille ecclesie sententiā cōtemneret et hoc iubet quiatunc non erat alia tales coercendi quādo magistratus non erant christiani ali◠qui iste paenas dedisset secundum