among the Apostles we must then say by the contrarie that the virgine Marie is the last and least of all women bicause in the first chapter of the Actes Act. 1.13.14 where also S. Peter is set the first in the catalogue or nūber she is set the last after others Which matter the Romish Catholikes will not at any hand say or affirme which if they should it would be found in deede a verie absurde thing Thirdly we read in many places that S. Peter is not named first And S. Paul in the second Chapter of his Epistle to the Galathians Gal. 2.9 placeth Iames before him Iames then by this reason should haue authoritie ouer Peter bicause he is named before him Besides in the Councel of Ierusalem the speach aduice of Iames which was had after that Peter had giuen his Act. 15.13 c. had such weight with it that all consented and agreed to his iudgement And thus much concerning the first point Let vs come to the other which concerneth the Pope who saith that he is Saint Peters successor and so by consequent the head of the Church First if it manifestly appeare by that which hath bene said heretofore that Saint Peter was neuer established head of the Church and that he neuer had any such preheminence and authoritie attributed vnto him by what title or right can or will the Pope who saith that he is his successor pretend at this day any such Lordship rule and authoritie Let vs also on the other side well marke this S. Peter died as they say vnder Nero and there succeeded him Lucius Cletus Clemens in the time of S. Iohn who liued vnder Domitian and euen vnto Traian his dayes Now if they of the Church of Rome will say that the Popes which succeeded S. Peter were the heads of the Church to whome all the rest of the Bishops ought to be subiect they must of necessitie be driuen to confesse that S. Iohn was subiect to Lucius to Cletus and to Clemens Moreouer if S. Peters successors be the heads of the Church Clemens who succeeded him in the third place as they say was so likewise But let vs heare what he him selfe saith in an Epistle which as some say he writ to Iames Bishop of Ierusalem Tom. 1. Concil pag. 135. col 2. The title or inscription is this Clemens to Iames the Lords brother Bishop of Bishops gouernour of the Church of Ierusalem and of all other Churches which by the prouidence of God are throughout all the world If Clemens were the vniuersall Bishop why did he spoyle him selfe of his owne titles to attribute ascribe and giue the same vnto Iames to whome they did not belong Furthermore who is he that hath lifted vp the Pope into this goodly degree of honor Is it Iesus Christ or his Apostles No in deede for we reade that Bonifacius the third of that name Bishop of Rome was by the Emperour Phocas ordained the first souereigne or chiefe of all Christendome and the Chuuch of Rome established head of all the Churches in the world this was about the yere of Christ sixe hundred and foure This Phocas as the historie writers rehearse and record was a traitor and an vnfaithful murderer of the Emperor Mauritius his master for as the said Mauritius at a certaine time shewed him self ouer seuere and rigorous against his souldiers they being giuen to debate and contention chose Phocas for Emperor who in Calcedonia immediately caused to be cut off the forenamed Mauritius his owne head his armes also and his three sonnes named Theodorus Tiberius and Constantine But he receiued his paiment and reward for it afterwards For hauing reigned eight yeares he was at the last slaine by the common people in the yeare of Christ 612. Behold and marke by whome the primacie of the Romish Church was established and the Romane Bishop made an vniuersall Bishop there being before not so much as any newes of it For as concerning a certaine Edict or decre which they alledge by which Constantine the great a Christian Emperor gaue vnto Siluester the Bishop of Rome about the yeare of Christ 317. spirituall domination and gouernement ouer all the Churches of the whole world also the iewels and kingly ornaments yea the Empire it selfe and politike gouernement ouer all the West parts it is a writing found and forged for and at their pleasure full of lyings also and falshoodes which may be easily proued by these reasons There are none of all the approued historiographers during certaine ages which make mention thereof after any sort as Eusebius Eutropius Ruffinus Socrates Theodoretus Beda Euagrius Paulus Diaconus Zonaras Nicephorus Orosius either other the like yea they which haue written the liues of the Emperours and Popes haue not any whit at all spoken thereof No more haue the auncient Doctours Athanasius Basilius Saint Ambrose Gregorie Nissenus Gregorius Nazianzenus Optatus Milenitanus Saint Augustine Chrysostome which is more the Bishops of Rome them selues haue not saide any thing thereof no not in Councels when they haue taken vpon them the care and charge to maintaine their primacie which would notwithstanding haue bene a good buckler and shield of defence for them If Constantine gaue to the Romane Bishop the primacie ouer Constantinople Antioch Alexandria Ierusalem and all other Churches what reason had he to suffer in the Councel of Nice whereat he him selfe was present that the contrarie should there be determined and concluded Concil Nic. Can. 6. habetur tom 1. Concil pag. 342. For in that Councel it was concluded that the Bishop of Rome should not be preferred before the Bishop of Alexandria or of Antioch or of Ierusalem If the foresaid Emperour ordained that the Bishop of Rome should be helde and taken for the head of all the Churches of the world wherefore then did Bonifacius demaund and seeke the same of Phocas whereas he should rather haue required to haue kept the same to himselfe and his successors which was long before graunted by Constantine to his predecessors With what conscience would Constantine giue vnto Siluester lordship and gouernment ouer the Churches and the Empire he him selfe being a Christian and therfore by cōsequent knowing very well that there was a distinction and difference betweene the office of the Pastors of the Church and the charge and duetie of Magistrates Eusebius euen as Eusebius witnesseth of him that he was accustomed to say that the Lorde had giuen and committed the inwarde charge of the Churche to the elders ministers but the outward to him If wee woulde consider Siluester with what conscience also coulde hee accepte the saide donation or gift the vse whereof as he well inough knewe Iesus Christ had forbidden him Luk. 22.25 Matt. 22.21 for hee was not ignorant of this sentence The kinges of the nations beare rule c. but it shall not bee so amongest you Also Giue vnto Caesar the thinges which are
that must rule and guide others that must bee guided and gouerned In man there are two thinges the soule which gouerneth by reason the body which submitteth it selfe and obeyeth otherwise if in an armie all were souldiers or all Captaines what hope were there of victorie and good successe If in a ship all shoulde bee alike all marriners who shoulde stande at the Helme who shoulde guide the compasse If in a Citie all were equall who shoulde make decrees prescribe lawes and execute the same If the whole bodie were a head what disorder Or if the members were without a head what confusion The learned therefore send vs to learne order to the heauens to the earth to the angels amongst whom there are degrees Angels Archangels vertues potestates principatus dominationes throni Cherubin Seraphin to the Sun to the moone to the stars which in glory brightnes excell one another To the Bees which haue their graūd captaines at whose buzzing they go forth they follow cluster together to the trees wher you see of a great stocke many braunches arise and spring Our naturall appetite and affection acknowledgeth the gouernmēt of reason vnderstāds And so in the Church of God ther hath been alwayes gouernours and they gouerned chiefly and souerainly as in the ciuill estate Seth Enos Sem ruled the Church in their time the Church acknowledged obeyed their gouernment The best writers affirme that the first borne had the rule of the whole familie Noah alone ruled in making and ordering the Arke in which there were cleane and vncleane beastes tame and sauage of all kindes to signifie the church gathered together of both Iewes Gentiles and gouerned by Iesus Christ only as by a second Noah The Church vnder the lawe had diuersitie of orders as may appeare in sundry places In the third of Numbers where the Tribes are mustered the three families of the Gersonites Kohathites Merarites had their Prince or head which they called Nescha In the first of Kings the 4. Azaria is called the Prince of the Leuites Obadiah that worthie Counceller meeting with olde Heli disdaineth not to call him lord Gregorie Nazianzen writeth to Gregory Nissien which supposed him to be angry because they had ordeined one without his consent saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no mā bely vs nor any of my lords the brethrē Good Gregorie an humble and simple man weighed not titles nor cared for any worldly honour but was carefull that order should bee prescribed in the Church and that one should goe before an other in honour S. Iames saith Be not yee many masters And Chrysostom saith that equalitie of dignitie and place bringeth forth schisme Likewise Ierome writing to Euagrius saith that from Marke to Dionisius and Heraclas there was one alwayes set in higher place of dignitie aboue the rest and this he saith was to auoid schismes which seeing they lacke skill and be in the Church and shal be to the end sith the disease remaineth still what great folly is it to condemne or refuse the remedie In the Counsell called Gangrensse the holie fathers assembled there writing to the Bishops of Armenia vse these wordes Honoratissimis dominis To our most honourable Lordes The late writers most of them allow and affirme a primacie of order though not in degree of ministration M. Caluin writing vpon the 2. Cor. 10. Etsi omne commune sit c. Although one and the same office be common to all yet be there degrees of honor And the same Authour writing vpon these wordes out of the 2. to the Philipp Sicut patri filius ita mihi Timotheus seruiuit in Euāgelio As a father his sonne so hath Timothie serued mee in the Gospell Wee learne saith hee in this place that no such equalitie was amōg the Ministers but one did rule and gouerne the rest by counsell and authoritie Againe in his 4. booke 8. Chapter sect 54. He saith that euerie prouince had among their Bishops an Archb. and that the Councell of Nice did appointe 4. Patriarches which shoulde be in order and dignitie aboue Archb. it was for the preseruation of discipline Wherefore it is apparant by testimonies of holie scripture by light of reason and by practise of the Church by the necessitie of the thing that distinctiō of degrees superioritie is necessarie in the church as without the which law would soone grow to libertie faith wold soone be deuided the coat of christ Iesu which is his church rent and torne in sunder so many fancies so many faithes would follow Nowe whereas many make much adoe about the titles of Bishops Metropolitans Archb. and the scripture is still alledged as an aduersarie in this quarell containing expresly no such names Thus may they make our Sauiour Christ inferiour to his father concerning his diuinitie because the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where literally expressed although the same by sūdrie places may be well and iustly gathered Therefore to conclude to them that list to be contentious Vbi de re constat puerile est de verbolitigare And to the discreete Reader that hee peruse this booke to profite his conscience and not to please his affection Seeke peace and the God of peace shall blesse you increase his grace amongst you to the terrour of your enemies and comfort of your soules Amen A TREATIE OF the Church containing a true discourse in which a man may clearely behold and see what is the nature forme gouernement and guiding of the true Church together vvith the infallible markes and tokens by vvhich a man may knowe it and discerne the same from the Romish Church and all other false and counterfeited congregations CAP. I. Of the diuers significations and acceptions of this word CHVRCH and how the Church is commonly distinguished MEN are accustomed to say that euery worde which may be taken in many senses and in diuers significatiōs shuld rather be distinguished then defined For a man can not otherwise rightly declare the nature vertue and disposition of any thing vnlesse he be first resolued of the sense and meaning in which it ought to be taken For as much therfore as this word Church is of that sort being a Greeke word which signifieth an assemblie or congregation is taken or deriued from a word which in that tongue signifieth to call or to cause to come it is meete and necessarie that before we giue the definition thereof we declare after howe many sortes men vse to take it 1 Nowe men sometimes take it for a companie or assemblie of wicked persons as Psalme 22.16 Psal 22.16 The Church or the Synagogue of the wicked haue inclosed me and in Psalme 26.5 Psal 26.5 I haue hated the Churche of the wicked that is to say the companie For there is in the Hebrue text two words which the Greekes haue turned Synagogue and Church which doe signifie as much as a companie troupe
Caesars Wherefore seeing that Iesus Christ hath distinguished the offices of the Magistrates and the charges of the pastors of the Church Siluester did verie ill to confounde and iumble them together in his owne person Yea also there is a certaine Canon to this purpose Distinct 96. Can. QuuÌ„ ad Nico. c. auouched and alledged vnder the name of a Pope and that these offices are distinguished by Iesus Christ If so be that Constantine gaue the empire of the west partes to Siluester they must say that Siluester possessed the same and left it to his successors and that if his successors doe not any longer hold it they must say that they haue beene thrust and driuen out of the possession thereof But let them shew if they can any matter touching this point in the histories Verilie so farre is it that Siluester those which succeeded him euen vnto Hildebrand who was named Gregorie the seuenth was created Pope about the yeare of Christ one thousande seuentie foure did holde the Empire of the West that indeed they had not rule or authoritie ouer the Citie of Rome but did peaceably and quietly acknowledge the Emperors for their Lords and were subiect to their lawes neither was there at any time a Pope choseÌ„ or created without the authoritie of the Emperor The charge came in in the time of the foresaide Gregorie It is about fiue hundred yeres agoe since the Pope haue by litle litle incroched vpon the Empire haue at the last brought into their subiection the Citie of Rome and since they did accomplish that there is not passed about a hundred threescore and nine yeares or there about I holde my selfe contented to haue set downe and declared this as it were by the way He that woulde more fullie see the falshod subtiltie which is in the deuice of this donatioÌ„ or gift may read theÌ„ which haue coÌ„futed the same Marsili c. as Marsilius of Padua in his booke which hee intituled the defender of peace who liued about the yeare of Christ 1324. Moreouer Laurentius Valla Laur. Valla. who liued about the yere 1440. Antonius Archiep. Also Antonius Archbishop of FloreÌ„ce in his historie Cardinal Cusanus Cusanê° Cardinal in his third booke second chapter who sent his opinioÌ„ to the Councel of Basill about the yeare 1460. Raphael volater Raphael Volateran who liued about the yeare 1500. Moreouer it is written in the ecclesiasticall historie that Liberius and Felix Niceph. lib. 9. cap. 37. both two together at one and the same time gouerned the seate apostolicall and did in common the duetie of a Bishop at Rome Sozo lib. 4. cap. 15. and that by the consent of the Church yea by the ordinance and decree of the Councel of Syrmia which of these two then was at that time the onely and vniuersall head of all the Churches But let vs see whether the bishop of Rome were by the auncient fathers aduouched or acknowledged for the high or chiefe bishop S. Cyprian writing to the Bishoppes of Rome as Cornelius Stephanus Cypria lib. 1 epi. 1. 2. Cypria lib. 2. epi. 1. c. some others doeth not in any sorte call them either Popes or vniuersall Bishoppes but brethren and fellowes Cipria tract 3. de Simpli praelat Hee himselfe saith in an other place that there is no more but one Bishoprike wherof euery bishoppe in his owne charge holdeth a whole and sounde portion Cypria in Synod Carthu August recitat haec verba lib. 3. de Baptism contra Donatist cap. 3. And againe none of vs sayth hee is appointed bishop of bishops to inforce his fellowes by tyrannous terror vppon necessitie to obey him Polycarpus Bishoppe of Smyrna came to Rome in the time of Anicetus Bishop of Rome not to frame some appellation before him neither yet to kisse his feete or to receiue his decrees but to conferre with him touching the feaste of Easter and hee alledged for him selfe the authoritie and custome of S. Iohn and of other Apostles of Christ But Anicetus did not alledge either S. Peters authoritie or his owne but onely saide that it stoode him in hande to obserue the custome of the Elders which were his predecessors neither did he constraine Polycarpus to doe the like or excommunicate him therefore and Polycarpus on his side did not thinke he had coÌ„mitted any offence in not consenting with the bishop of Rome in this matter touching the feast of Easter which hee woulde of a suretie haue done if he had acknowledged him for the heade or for the vicar of Iesus Christ constituted and placed in that office by the authoritie of God Irenaeus Euseb lib. 5 cap. 26. of whome wee haue spoken a litle before calleth Soter Anicetus Higinus Pius Telesphorus Xistus Elders as Eusebius in his fifth book and sixe and twenty chapter Dionysius the Bishoppe of the Corinthians writing to the Romaines calleth Soter not Pope of Rome or high prelate but Bishoppe Marke what he saith Soter your good Bishoppe hath not onely obserued this custome but also hath augmented it Euseb lib. 4. cap. 23. Eusebius hath extracted or taken this out of the Epistle of the saide Dionysius Lib. 4. cap. 3. Hierom. ad Euagr. Saint Ierome in an Epistle to Euagrius saith thus If a man dispute or reason of authoritie the worlde is greater then a citie In what place soeuer the Bishops be whether at Rome or at EugubiuÌ„ or at Constantinople or at Alexandria or else where they are all of equall ministerie and degree Chrysostome Chrys hom 43. in Saint Matt. ca. 23. whosoeuer saith hee shal amonge the Bishops desire primacie on earth shall finde confusion in heauen and he that shal affect or seek to be the first shal not be counted amongest the seruantes of Christ. Gregor lib. 4. epist 16.32.34.36.38.39 Gregor lib. 6. epist 24.28.29.30 S. Gregorie in diuers of his Epistles saith That he is an Antichrist that will attribute or giue vnto him the title of vniuersall Bishop But aboue al he putteth down a notable sentence in the two hundred and seuen and thirtie epistle to Eugenius the Bishop of Rome Gregor ad Eugeni epist 237. saying If Christ haue sent thee thou shouldest iudge that thou arte come not to be serued but to serue The true successor of Saint Paul will say with S. Paul Not that we haue Lordship ouer your faith but that we are aided and comforted with your ioy Saint Peters heire â— Peter 5.3 wil heare S. Peter saying Not as though yee were Lords ouer the Lordes heritage but being made ensamples to the flocke In the third Councel of Carthage whiche was helde about the time of Pope Syricius in the 26. Conci Cart. tertium Can 26. habet Distinct 99. Ca. prima sedis c. Canon which is also alledged distinct 99. The fathers ordeined that the Bishop of Rome should
not be called the prince or chiefe of priestes or the high priestes or any such other like thing but only the Bishop of the first seate and that he himselfe shoulde not bee called vniuersall Bishoppe whiche laste clause Peter Grabbe the compiler or gatherer of the Tomes of the Councelles hath lefte out either by deceit or negligence I know not whether You see testimonies inowe gathered out of the most approued olde Doctours and such as bee best worthie of credit by which you may easily perceiue that this rule or authoritie ouer all Churches was not in their time attributed to the bishop of Rome and that the Churches themselues had not anie superioritie or authoritie one of them ouer an other but that they were all associated and vnited together that some obteyned not neyther more or lesse power then othersome yea wee reade that when the Romish Bishop woulde sometimes haue vsurped more authoritie than did appertayne vnto him other Bishoppes did stronglie and stedfastly resist him which appeareth by the historie following that Socrates an ecclesiastical historiographer writeth in his seconde booke and fifteenth Chapter and Sozomenus in his thirde booke and eight Chapter A certaine man named Athanasius one Paulinus being deposed from their charges by the Bishoppes of Asia assembled and mett together with their Metropolitane would needes complaine to the Bishop of Rome who easily gaue thē letters by which he did place them againe in their firste offices and did greeuously reproue and chide them who had put them therefrom But the bishops of Asia tooke this in such sorte that they obteyned of the councel of Antioch that letters should be written to Iulius Bishoppe of Rome by which there should be declared vnto him that he did attribute and take vnto himselfe an authoritie which did not at anye hande belong vnto him and that in so doing hee offered greate wronge to other Churches and other Bishoppes And there was added to the letters that he should no more meddle with them whom they had deposed thē they medled with those whiche were deposed by the Bishop of Rome and others which were ioyned with him therein To which purpose they alledged the example of Nouatus which was as yet verie freshe and newe For when this Nouatus was reiected by the bishoppe of Rome none of the rest of the Metropolitanes and Bishops of other prouinces did gainesay the same neither any manner of way intermedled therein Furthermore if that which is maintained and practised at this day amongst the Romish Catholikes touching the large iurisdiction soueraigntie of their Pope were in force by Gods lawe as they would persuade the simple people therof should not then all the foresaid Bishops all others together with their Councels and Churches which haue not at any time confessed the Bishop of Rome for their head be verie grieuously censured or punished and worthie of a verie seuere and sharpe reprehension It is true that men may find that some amongst the auncient Fathers haue sometimes called the Bishops of Rome high Priest Pope but they did heretofore call after the same sort all Bishops For as touching the name high Priest Theodo lib. 2. cap. 7. Theodoretus in his second booke chap. 7. speaketh on this maner that two hundreth and fiftie high priests were assembled together in Sardis And Athanasius in his first Oration against the Arrians Athanasius oratio 1. cōtra Arrianos doth not only cal Iulius and Liberius the Bishops of Rome high Priests but also he calleth by the very same name the Bishops of Grecia Dacia Cappadocia Affrica Ruffin lib. 2 cap. 26. Italie Sicilia and Armenia Ruffinus also in the second booke sixe and twentie Chapter calleth Athanasius the great high Priest As concerning the name Pope we wil speake thereof by Gods grace and aide hereafter in the ninth Chapter Moreouer let vs consider by what tokens and markes the Pope of Rome saith that he is Saint Peters successour It is say the Romish Catholikes bicause that Saint Peter had his seat and chaire in the Church of Rome being there the Pastour and hauing borne rule there a long time and that after him there came in order his successors the Bishops of Rome hauing the same authoritie which he had before But touching the first it is vncerteine whether Saint Peter was Bishop of Rome or no at the least whether he bare rule there and helde the seat They are not able plainely to proue the same neither to approue it as truth at what time it was neither vnder what Emperour neither howe long bicause that out of the holie scriptures they are not able to bring so much as one onely probable coniecture Caluin li. 4. Instit cap. 6. sect 14. but rather the contrarie as Caluine hath well sufficiently declared in his Institutions Secondly if S. Peters abode at Rome hath giuen this authoritie to the Romish Bishops to the heads of the Church and vniuersall Bishops from whence commeth it Concil Nic. Can. 6. Concil Antioch Can. 13. that the Councels haue limitted to all the Patriarches who were many diuers yea euen after that thei were brought to foure their seueral charges making them Metropolitanes euerie one in his own prouince the Bishop of Rome hauing no more authoritie ouer others than others ouer him For at that time the Bishop of Rome might verie wel haue alledged S. Peters seate and the other Bishops Councels would very wel haue confessed and allowed the same if it had bene true and if the same could rightly haue giuen the title of primacie to the Bishop of Rome On the other side what an argument is this S. Peter was Bishop of Rome there suffered martyrdome therfore it followeth that this Church is the mother and mistresse of al the rest and that the Bishop therof is the vniuersall and general head of all Christendome Verily if in this respect the question be to establishe and set vp a primacie it ought rather to be placed at Ierusalem than at Rome For Saint Peter preached there Act. 2.14 Act. 2.12 yea the first after Christes ascention where he together with his fellowes and brethren builded vp the Church Act. 4.3 did great miracles was imprisoned Act. 5.18 and sundrie times persecuted The Prophets likewise preached there and all the Apostles yea which is more Iesus Christ him self Ioh. 2.13 7.14 8.2 c. 18.20 died there and rose againe and from thence ascended vp into heauen There also was the first Synode that euer was held in the Christian Church assembled of all the Apostles There also Iesus Christ sent downe his holie spirit vpon his Apostles and disciples Act. 15.6 c. Act. 2.1 c. And to be short from thence it was that the doctrine of saluation should come foorth to be spread abroad throughout al the world Isai 2.3 Michah 4.2 euen as the Prophets had before told which
is that when in old time they were to set out an armie or to doe some exploite by souldiers they had in the Campe certaine speciall tentes to say masse in which tentes were couered ouer with goates skines Nowe a Goate in latine is called Capra or Capella that is to say according to the portuise of the Priestes which are at this day Chappel Wherefore because these tentes were couered with goates skinnes they were named Chappelles and the Priestes which had the keeping of them and who did therein singe their masses were called Chaplaines Behold verilie two reasons to shewe from whence this name Chaplaine is taken which reasons are verie high and full of great speculation or insight conteining verie great mysteries and such as are maruellously deepe but we leaue them to be meditate or looked into diligently to the priestes which are the Popes Chaplaines to the ende that they shoulde aduise take counsell to see whether they can bee willing that their reuerende name should be fet and drawen from the base beginnings Curates Curates haue an other fountaine In olde time according to the order established by Iesus Christ the pastors were ordeined and placed distinctly and without confusion in seuerall Churches For to the ende that euerie pastor might knowe his owne charge and be able to yeelde a better account of his flocke and that one should not any whit at all incroch vpon or intermeddle with others also to the ende that the flocke sheepe might know where they might seeke for and finde their owne pastors they deuided the people into certaine circuites and countries or rather parishes indeede whereof some were committed to the charge of certaine pastors othersome to the charge of certaine other pastors From thence came the name Curate although some would haue it deriued from Cura that is to say from the care that the pastors ought to haue ouer their flocks which were giuen committed vnto thē in charge And the abuse comming on growing vp more and more they called the benefice or renewe that was assigned thē to maintaine themselues vpon for the doing of their office by the name of cure And from thence it commeth that when any one goeth about to get such a benefice they diligently enquire of the value thereof and that whereof they seeme to haue the greatest regarde is to know how much the cure is worth As concerning Bishoppes and Elders Bishops and Elders or according to Papistes Priestes or as they call them priestes we haue before shewed and seene that these two names signifie one and the selfe same office or charge Hierom. ad Euagrium And Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Euagrius witnesseth that in the time of the Apostles there was no distinction or difference betwene these two degrees but afterwardes whiles schismes were in the Churche one was chosen from among the Elders and placed in the highest roome and called Bishoppe because hee differed from the Elders onely for the executing of order Now by these words wee may easily know and gather that this difference beganne in the Church about that time and in that the office of a Bishoppe is helde and accounted for a more high or more excellent office thā the office of Elder or as they terme them priestes it was not don by the institution ordināce of God but rather by mans authoritie and that for the maintenāce as they suppose of order and discipline Archbishop or Metrapolitanes The names of Archbishoppes and Metropolitanes which were taken for one and the same estate were vnknowne to the Apostles and to the olde auncient Churches but marke howe they were brought in Princes hauing put certaine degrees betweene their Cities and townes and making a difference betwene some of thē in respecte of dignities priuiledges they called those which they woulde establish aboue the reste Metropolites as if you woulde say Concil Calcedon Canc. 12. Mother cities as wee may gather out of manie histories and namely expressely out of the Councel of Calcedonia where it is saide that they ought not to account any townes or Cities for Metropolites but onely vnto those to whom Kinges and Princes haue shewed giuen this honour by their Edictes and statutes Nowe as princes lifted vp their Metropolitane cities to beare rule ouer others vnder their obedience so the Bishops placed in those cities vsurped iurisdiction and authoritie ouer others they being fauoured by their princes and magistrates who easily accorded and consented to this that their Bishops should be placed in authoritie aboue others For this cause the Bishops of those places Conc. Nice can 6. Conc. Calc can 8. were named in the Councel of Nice Metropolitanes and their seats were called in the Councel of Calcedon the first seats You see then what was the fountaine beginning of Archbishops or Metropolitanes who at the beginning were lifted vp to such a degree for a good end purpose in outward shew for they were so placed and established as it were Ecclesiastical presidents and rulers in their prouinces to the end they might guide gouerne the affaires of the Churches and direct and cal Synods in good order and without cōfusion when there was neede therof yet none among them had any authoritie one ouer an other Conc. Nice can 6. Conc. Anti. can 13. For that effect and purpose the Councels ordained that al Metropolitans should haue like power and equall authoritie Conc. Sardi can 19. Conc. Constantinopolita can 2. euerie one in his owne prouince that the Bishop of Rome who was also Metropolitane had at Rome in the Churches which were vnder his charge Whereby it appeareth that the Bishop of Rome was not then Pope and vniuersall Bishop ouer all Churches but that he had his charge limited and bounded hauing no more authoritie and iurisdiction ouer other Metropolitanes than the other had ouer him Cardinals Touching Cardinals I knowe not what we may speake of certaintie bicause there is not so much as one onely authour who liued or writ while the church was in some puritie that maketh any mention therof at all Yet we cannot be deceiued in speaking of that which we find touching it We read in Nauclerus Nauclerus that in the time of Pontianus Bishop of Rome who was about the yeare of Christ 235. there was at Rome 36. Priestes Cardinals that is to say principall and chiefe among the rest Volateran lib. 22. Antropolo For as Volateranus saith in his Antropologie the name Cardinal was in olde time taken to signifie as much as principall and was saith he giuen to the Priestes as they call them and Deacons of the Church of Rome bicause that as the Bishop of Rome was helde and taken for the principall chiefe of Bishops bicause he was in the principal citie of the Empire so the Priestes as they call them and Deacons of that citie were helde and
taken for Cardinals that is to say for principall and chiefe among other Priestes and Deacons Wherevpon he addeth some examples There is a certaine epistle saith he of Gregorie the first to them of Peloponezus who demaunded a Priest to minister the sacraments vnto them wherein he saith we send vnto you our beloued sonne A priest Cardinal Also there is amongst the auncient Charters in the Church of Aretinum a donation or gift of a certaine Romane Senator named Zenobius which was made vnto the saide Church in the time of Damasus the high Bishop wherein there is contained this subscription And I Io. S. R. E. Deacon Cardinall doe on the behalfe of the high Bishoppe Damasus approue and confirme c. And of these Priestes or Deacōs Cardinals Marcellus Bishop of Rome ordained fifteene to baptise children Petr. de Nat. lib. 2. cap. 83 Polydor. lib. 4. cap. 9. and to burie the dead about the yere of Christ 301. If the Cardinals of these dayes would take their beginning from these let them marke then what is their charge and calling without taking that vpon thē which belongeth not vnto them But we knowe what great differēce there is betwene their estate these bicause at this day we may in euerie place behold it to be an estate or calling of honor not of office charge as it was then Beside when was it that they were so lifted vp and by whom A thousand yeares and more were spent before that the Church was burdened with such Cardinals as we haue at this day hauing benefices without exercising or executing offices It is affirmed that Pope Innocentius the fourth of that name about the yeare of Christ 1244. did so exalt their estate and calling that he commaunded by Edict that from that time foreward they should goe on horsebacke and should weare a red cap or hat a scarlet robe for a signe and witnesse that they ought to be always readie and prepared to suffer and shead their bloud for the defence of Christian religion And Paule the second about the yeare 1470. hath ratified the same Edict and in some point augmented and inlarged it But some will set vp him selfe and say that these Priestes and Deacons of Rome which were called Cardinals obtained that name bicause at that time they were such as the Cardinals at this present are that is to say hauing authoritie and iurisdiction ouer all other Bishops and Priestes I aunswere that the case goeth not so For we find this that the Priests and Deacons of Rome were in times past much lesse and inferior to the Bishops in steede whereof at this day they goe before them in honour and dignitie And that so it is we read that whē the Bishop of Rome sent two Embassadors or Legates to the Councel of Carthage whereof one was a Priest of the Church of Rome he was set the last of all Also that in the Councel which S. Gregorie held the Priestes of the Church of Rome were set last and made their subscription apart by them selues and the Deacons had not so much credite as to subscribe Touching the foure Patriarches Patriarches we haue spoken thereof in the beginning of the 7. Chapter Nowe we must vnderstand that the names of Patriarch and Metropolitane wer in time heretofore takē for one charge or office as appeareth by this Socrates lib. 5. cap. 8. that Socrates the historiographer speaketh of the Coūcel of Constantinople wherein mention is made of Metropolitanes These Patriarches then or Metropolitanes being lifted vp in degree of honour aboue all the rest of the Bishops in processe of time thrust on foreward with ambition haue so incroched one of them vpon an other that at the last they haue brought all the Patriarches euen to the number of foure as we haue named and described them in the aforesaid seuenth Chapter And this hath principally come to passe bicause that either for the antiquitie of the Churches or for the renoune of the cities and excellencie also of the Bishops men haue reuerenced and honoured Rome Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch aboue all other cities and by consequent the Bishops of those places as those that were the principall or chiefe The Pope Nowe these foure Patriarches haue yet in such sort so robbed one an other that the Patriarch of Rome and he of Constantinople haue quite and cleane taken away the roome and place of the other two And as touching the two of Rome and Constantinople we knowe what iarre and contention there hath bene betwixt them which is not as yet well compounded or ended In the time of Gregorie the firste of that name about the yeare sixe hundred and two there was great controuersie and stirre for the primacie of the Church For Iohn Bishoppe of Constantinople was declared and published in a ful and solemne Synode of the Grecians vniuersall Patriarch and the Emperour Mauritius commaunded Gregorie to obey the said Patriarch of Constantinople But Gregorie would not indure or suffer this presumption that any Bishop should be an vniuersall Bishop ouer all the rest and in his Epistles he yealdeth reasons thereof First he saith Greg. lib. 6. epist 76. If he fall that is called the vniuersall Bishoppe the whole Church falleth from her estate Secondly None of my predecessors hath euer desired to haue or vse this prophane worde For if there be one Patriarch that is called vniuersall the name of Patriarch shall be taken from all the rest To consent to this execrable and accursed name is no other thing but to betraye the faith and to destroy Christianitie Thirdly Greg. lib. 7. epist 196. I speake freely and boldly that who so euer calleth him selfe vniuersall Bishoppe or desireth to be called by that name the same is in his pride the forerunner of Antichrist bicause that by his pride he preferreth him selfe before all This controuersie being betweene these two Patriarches of Rome and of Constantinople it fell out and was agreed that the Patriarch of Constantinople was appointed head of the Churches of the East and the Patriarch of Rome head of the Churches of the West and this latter was afterward so established and lifted vp by Phocas about the yeare 604. as we haue declared in the seuenth Chapter that he was created Pope and vniuersall Bishoppe of all Churches And as touching the name Pope it hath bene heretofore generally attributed and giuen to all Bishops as may be proued by these testimonies Aurelius Bishop of Carthage is called by this name Pope in the beginning of the Councel holden at the saide Carthage of which Councel he was President In the hundreth fiftie and one Chapter of the same Councel Innocentius Bishop of Alexandria is called Pope Saint Cyprian in certaine Epistles which he writ to the same Bishop calleth him Pope The Elders and Deacons of Rome Cyprian li. 2 Epist 7. called Cyprian Pope in their Epistles Saint Ierome oftentimes calleth Augustine Pope in
to proue the contrarie The Romish Catholikes thinke that the Church can not erre although she doe and appoint any thing without the worde of GOD for being guided by the holie Ghost she may goe and walke without the order and direction of the word and although she goe and walke yet she can not erre or goe astray But they separate that which ought alwayes to remaine and abide ioyned together for if the Churche followe not the word of God it is impossible to keepe her from error as on the other side if she followe it therein she doth well and can not erre The reasons wherby they would persuade men that the Church can not erre are these following The first is this Iesus Christ doeth not at any time forsake his Church which is his spouse or wife Wherefore it followeth that it can not erre I aunswere by a distinction So farre forth as the Church foloweth Iesus Christ it can not be forsaken of him and can not erre but in as much as it liuing in the world doth stray from Christ and goeth aside from Gods commaundements it is forsaken of him and doth erre The second reason The Church is called The piller and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Wherfore it can not erre I answere that there is in this argument a double error the one touching the word Church For Saint Paule meaneth the Catholike Church not any particular one The other is concerning the meaning of the Apostle For he calleth the Church the piller and ground of truth not that it is so simplie and indeede of it selfe but in respect of vs bicause that the trueth of God hath not place in the world saue onely in the Church For as much therfore as God maintaineth his trueth amongst men and maketh it alwayes to goe it right course Chrysost in 3. cap. 1. ad Timothae by the ministerie of the Church therefore is the Church called the piller and ground of the truth To be short bicause that God him selfe commeth not downe from heauen and doth not euerie day send his Angels to maintaine his trueth among mē to publish it to the world but vseth the ministerie of the Church for this effect that is to say the preaching of the word for this cause it is called the columne or pillar of trueth because that by the preachinge of the worde it is reteined amongest men countergarded to the ende that it decaie not or perish from the memory or remembrance of men The thirde reason The Church is gouerned and guided by the holy ghoste how then can it erre I aunswere that so farre foorth as the Church is gouerned by the holy ghost suffering it selfe to bee guided by him and obeyeth him shee can not erre but if shee doe the contrarie she may erre and doeth erre The fourth reason In the kingdome of heauen no error can haue any place Matth. 13.24.16.19 For trueth reigneth therein but the Church is the kingdome of heauen it followeth then that in the Church no error can haue place All this is true of the Catholike Church yea and of particular Churches also so far foorth as they shew themselues to be the kingdome of heauen and not the kingdome of this worlde and of the fleshe that is to say so farre foorth as they are assemblies subiect in al things to Iesus Christ the king of heauen But were is that particular Church so obedient to Iesus Christ the king of heauen that it erreth not faileth not in any points particular duties The fifth reason Councelles cannot erre but the Church consisteth of Councells therefore the Church cannot erre This Syllogisme pretendeth and laboureth to proue an vncertayne thing by another thing yet more vncertayne For many examples doe plainely testifie that the Councelles may erre as indeede they haue oftentimes erred And touching the first the Councell that Ahab assembled of foure hundred prophets did not it erre It is written that they being come to this wicked king to flatter him 1. kings 22.6 c. Sathan was sent out by and from God to be a lying spirite in their mouths so al of them with one consent condemned the trueth Michaiah alone withstanding them who was reproued as an heretike beaten put into prison Iohn 11.47 The Councell which the high priestes and Pharisees assembled in Ierusalem against Iesus Christ did not it erre wee see how they condemned Iesus Christ litle regarded yea much dispised his doctrine And what shall wee say of the Councelles and Synods which were helde kepte after the death of the Apostles euen vnto our age whereof some haue reproued and vndone that which was established and done by others for of necessitie either the one or the other haue erred they beeing repugnant and contrarie one of them to an other Examples hereof The Councell of Carthage in whiche Saint Cyprian was president did decree Con. Carthag that those which were baptised by heretikes shoulde bee baptised agayne Which decree was broken and ouerthrowen Concil Carthag by an other Councell of Carthage holden after The seconde Synode of Ephesus Synod Eph. consented to Eutyches his error and imbraced the same and receiued it in this that hee confessed in Iesus Christ but one onely nature that is to saye the diuine nature which error was afterwardes confuted and caste downe to the grounde Conc. Chalcedo by the generall Councell of Chalcedonia The Councell of Constantinople Conci Constant called by the Emperor Leo about nine hundred yeares agoe ordeyned that men should throw down breake in peeces al the images that were in Churches which ordinaunce the Councell assembled at Nice Con. Nicen. by the commaundement of Irene the Emperors mother was immediately after broken and cracked and commaundement giuen that Images shoulde be set vp againe Con. Neoce Con. Maien Con. Carthag 2. The Councel of Neocesaria and of Maience the second Councel of Carthage did forbide mariage to the Ministers and Elders of the Church The Councell of Nice decreed the contrarie Con. Nicen. permitting ministers to marie Con. Braca Con. Tole 3 Con. Roman The Councell Bracara did pronounce curse against those that abstiened from eating fleshe and this decree was confirmed by the thirde councell of Toletum but the councell of Rome ordeined the contrarie forbidding the vse of the fleshe vpon certaine dayes of the yeare August lib. 2. de Baptis contra Donatist cap. 3 To be short S. Augustine plainely declareth that which I speake to wit that coūcels may erre for hee expressely saith that the letters and Epistles of particular Bishoppes are corrected by prouinciall Councels and the prouinciall Councells by vniuersall and the former vniuersall Councells annihilated and disanulled by the latter when by some certaine experience of thinges that which before was secrete is opened and that which was hiddē is made euident and plaine neither shall it stād thē in
authoritie of the Church The fourth reason Aug. cont Max. lib. 3. cap. 14. S. Saint Augustine openly declareth that the holie scripture is aboue the Councels and so by consequent aboue the Church represented by Councels For writing to Maximinus the Arrian touching the word Homousios that is to say consubstantiall or of the selfe same substance together with the father which word was confirmed by the Councel of Nice and on the other side disallowed by the Councel of Ariminum in the time of the Emperor Constantine he saith thus Nowe I haue not to vse or alledge the Councel of Nice neither thou the Councel of Ariminum to preuaile thereby one of vs against an other For as I am not bound to the Councel of Ariminum so art not thou bound to the Councel of Nice We haue the authoritie of the scriptures which are not partiall or particular witnesses for the one or for the other but are common witnesses to both of vs. Let vs therefore by them dispute and reason of the matter in controuersie betweene vs. CHAP. XIIII Of the Discipline of the Church NOWE we must speake of the Ecclesiasticall discipline in which notwithstanding we will be briefe and short bicause there is of this matter a verie large and sufficient treatie extant alreadie which may satisfie and content all good mindes and is intituled The confirmatiō of the Ecclesiasticall discipline The confirmation of the Ecclesiastical discipline obserued in the reformed Churches of the kingdome of France And also he that will read the Institution of M. Caluin Caluin li. 4. Inst Beza in confess fidei specially in his fourth booke and Theodorus Beza his confession shall finde there all that which may be saide touching this point or matter if so be it that he will content him selfe with reason Wherfore then we haue in this matter of the Ecclesiasticall discipline for this present time to consider of foure principall heads or points The first is Discipline is necessarie in the Church the discipline is most requisite most necessarie in the Church if we will not haue all thinges mingled and disordered therein yea full of confusion For euen as there is no citie nor towne nor house which can be without discipline or policie or some order for the gouernement thereof so the Church which is the citie house of God cannot at any hand be without his policie and spiritual gouernement And therefore Saint Cyprian hath sometimes called the discipline of the Church Cyprian de tract virgin The keeper of faith and the mistresse of vertue For if it shall be lawfull for euerie one to doe what they will without being helde backe by some bridle what confusion and disorder shall we see in the Church The same Doctor compareth also the discipline to the rudder or helme of a ship Cypr. lib. 2. epist 7. thereby to declare not onely how profitable the same is for vs but also howe necessarie and needfull For seeing that the Church is in this world as a ship vpon the sea that is to say subiect to the billowes waues and tempestes of tyrants and persecutors yea to windes and whirlewinds of false doctrine how could it be able to subsist and stand if together with the word of God it had not for the ordering and guiding therof her discipline to be as it were a rampart ground worke foundation and stay Wherefore those which either disallowe or despise this remedie which serueth to preserue the Church from dissipation or scattering abroad to keepe men in the obedience of God and to holde euerie one in his order and calling labour and indeuour no other thing what so euer they will pretend than to ouerthrowe the state of the Church and to bring into the same all beastly excesse and barbarous disorder and that they are to be esteemed in the number of them of whom is spoken in the fiftieth Psalme Psal 50.16.17 who giuing them selues to all iniquitie hating correction and discipline or to be reformed are reproued for this that they tooke vpon thē to speake of rehearse the ordinances of God to take his couenant and word in their mouthes The second head or point is The discipline doth not so much as set a foot into the Magistrates office that the Ecclesiasticall or Church discipline incrocheth not any thing at all vpon the magistrates charge and office For first the iurisdiction and gouernement of the Churche and the ciuill iurisdicton or gouernement differ greatly one of them from an other bicause that the one is spirituall and reacheth to the inward man and the other is bodily and outwarde Therefore Saint Paul said 2. Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mightie through God to cast downe holdes The Church then hath not prisons or sergeants or swords thereby bodily to punish euill doers neither vseth it force of handes confiscation or losse of goods or amercements to punish thē in their goods and riches but onely draweth out and occupieth Ephe. 6.17 the spirituall sword of Gods word to correct men and to bring them to amendment as the Magistrate draweth out and vseth his materiall sword to punish them either in their goods or in their bodyes And so both of them doe their duetie the one of them not bringing any preiudice or hurt to the other but contrariwise verie well ayding them selues betweene them selues and helping one an other and being most necessarie and needfull in their seuerall charges and offices the one not being able to do that which the other doth One example to make the matter plaine If some one haue committed whordome and so by that meanes and fault the ciuill lawes shall be transgressed broken and the Church also offended Nowe in reformed Courtes and places of lawe such a one shall be punished either by imprisonmēt or by whipping or by some other punishment and so the offender shall haue satisfied the Magistrates lawes but yet the offence shal not be repaired or reformed in the Church For it may be that such an euill doer will in steede of giuing or shewing some signe of repentaunce murmur be angrie and despitefully deale with the Church In such a case the Church before that it receiueth him to the holie supper shall require of him a publike testimonie and open token of this repentance and by consequent as the Magistrate shal haue his iustice satisfied and aunswered so shall the Church haue her discipline satisfied and aunswered In summe the Magistrate in the exercising and executing of his office respecteth mens goods and their bodyes but the Church in the exercise execution of her discipline regardeth simplie and onely the soules consciences of men Secondly so farre off is it that the discipline of the Church derogateth or taketh any thing at all away from the Magistrate that contrariwise she maintaineth the obedience that is due vnto him For if she tend to no other
or assemblie 2 Sometimes it is put for the assemblie of citizens and burgesses of a towne in which meeting they intreate of the common and ordinarie affaires of the common wealth and so doth Saint Luke vse it Act. 19.32.39 Actes 19.32.39 3 It is also taken for the place whether the assemblie is called together as Iudeth 6. Iudeth 6.16 verse 16. And they called together all auncients of the citie and all their youth ranne together to the Church or assemblie that is to say to the place of the congregation or assemblie 4 Also for the Senate or consistorie of the Church that is to say for the Pastors and Elders of the Church who are indeed the conductours and guiders thereof Matt. 19.17 as when Iesus Christ saith Tell the Churche Chrysostom Hom. 62. vpon Matth. that is to say euen as Chrysostome also expoundeth it the Pastours leaders and gouernours of the Churche according wherevnto we see that Saint Iohn making mention of the consistorie of the Iewes in which it was sometimes determined to thrust out of the Synagogue euerie one that would confesse Iesus Christ Ioh. 9.22 he saith generally that the Iewes made this decree although it was indeede the Consistorie onely 5 But in the question or matter of Christian religion it is taken for the companie and assemblie of faithfull people which make profession of the true pure religion of God Of this Church speaketh S. Paul when he saith to the Pastors thereof Take heede to your selues Act. 20.28 and to all the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made you Bishops or ouerseers to feede the Church of GOD which he hath purchased with his owne bloud But here we must obserue certaine distinctions for euen in this signification the Church is commonly distinguished into three sortes First it is called triumphant or else militant The Church triumphant is the companie of blessed spirites who hauing gotten victorie through Iesus Christ against their enimies the diuell the world the flesh sinne death and hell triumph at this present on high in heauen praising God and celebrating the glorie of his name with all ioyfulnesse We haue a goodly description of the Church in the Reuelation Reu. 7.9.10 Cap. 7.9.10 The Church militant is the assemblie of all the faithful people who as yet on earth fight vnder the banner or standard of Iesus Christ their head against the foresaide enimies whose armours or weapons are set out by S. Paule in the Ephesians Ephes 6.13.14 c. chap. 6. For it is not the Lords will that so long as we are to walke here belowe we should be without afflictions but he will haue vs to be continually in the battell and alwayes troubled and tormented through the malice of men yea so much the more by how much we shall earnestly indeuour to serue him in all godlinesse and holinesse Act. 14.22 this matter also being alreadie concluded that by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God Wherevnto do appertaine also Ioh. 15.20.16.2 2. Tim. 3.12 the sentences of Iesus Christ and S. Paul Ioh. 15.20 Ioh. 16.2 2. Tim. 3.12 But hereafter we will speake more largely of the afflictions of the Church The second distinction is that the Church is called either Catholike that is to say vniuersall or generall being dispersed thoroughout the world and comprehending vniuersally all the faithfull and elect people of God or else particular which is a part of the vniuersall for we vse to call them particular Churches or congregations which are limited within a certaine number and inclosed in certaine places being as it is said before partes and members of the vniuersall such in former time were the Churches of Corinthus Rome Ephesus such are at this day the Churches of Fraunce Germanie England Switzerland and other places of all which together consisteth the vniuersal which notwithstāding is but one as anon we shal see The third distinction is that the Church is sometimes said to be inuisible and sometimes visible The inuisible Church is streitly and narrowly considered and is the verie same which before we called Catholike or vniuersall comprehending only the faithfull and elect in which number they also are to be accounted that be already dead The visible Church is considered more largely and comprehendeth al them which are called by the preaching of the Gospel to be of Christes flocke August in Psal 64. S. Augustine vseth this distinction in his writings For writing vpon the 64. Psalm he saith that the Church which is signified by Ierusalem tooke beginning from Abell and Babylon from Caine and yet notwithstanding in his booke of Baptisme against the Donatistes chap. 16. August li. 1. cont Donatist cap. 1.6 taking the Church in a more generall signification he saith that the same which begate ingendered and brought foorth Abell Enoch Noah Abraham and the Prophetes did also begette ingender and bring foorth Caine Ismael Dathan and others such like But we must more narrowly and deepely search this matter declare what it is which doth properly belong to the Church as well Catholike and invisible as to other which I saide was visible But first of the Catholike and inuisible Church CHAP. II. Of the Catholike and inuisible Church which indeede is but one albeit it haue many particular partes and members BY that which hath bene said before it is an easie matter to gather and make a good and certaine definition of the Church Wherefore first we say that the Catholike and inuisible Churche is the companie of all faithfull people scattred throughout the whole world whom God hath chosen to euerlasting life With this definition agreeth that which may be gathered out of that which Saint Paule saith to the Corinthians to wit that the Churche is the companie of all those 1. Cor. 1.2 that being sanctified through Iesus Christe and called to be Saintes doe call vpon the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe in euerie place The Church then is not an house of wood or of stone builded by mans hande but the congregation commonaltie and fellowship of all those which followe the trueth of faith Which matter also we may confirme by these reasons following Gal. 1.13 Act. 9.14 First S. Paul confesseth That he persecuted the Church of God Ananias saith that he had authoritie from the high Priestes to bind all those that called vppon the name of the Lorde that is to say Christians Here we see that Saint Paul calleth those the Church whome Ananias nameth Christians or such as did call vpon the name of the Lord. Ephe. 1.23 1. Cor. 12.27 Secondarilie the Church is called the bodie of Christe and the companie of faithfull people is also called the bodie of Christ wherevpon it followeth that the Church is no other thing but the companie of the faithfull Ioh. 10.16 Thirdlie Iesus Christ him selfe calleth the Church a sheepefolde wherevnto sheepe appertein and
Titus 1.7 c. describing what qualities and conditions ought to bee alwayes in those which shoulde be chosen for pastours of the Church make any mētion at all of this succession No indeede And yet notwithstanding it had beene verie fit yea necessarie if the succession whereof we speake had beene wholie required in a Bishop or Pastor to make his vocation sure certaine and lawfull But that we may not speak confusedly of this point we must distinguish betwene the succession of persons or that which is of the chaire and place and betweene the succession of doctrine and office As concerning the succession of doctrin we say that it is altogether on our side no whit at all on the Romishe Catholikes side for we make profession to teach the pure worde of God alone following therin the Prophetes and Apostles whereas they of the Romish Church staying them selues vpon their inuentions teach for doctrine Matt. 15.9 the traditions and commaundementes of men which thing Iesus Christ expresly forbiddeth And as touching that succession which concerneth the execution of the office or of all the chardge and dutie of Pastours which consisteth in preaching the gospel purely in administring the sacramentes lawfullie in caring for the poore in visiting the sicke in redressing offences in exhorting comforting teaching reprouing and such like exercises trueth it selfe and experience doe sufficiently shewe who do indeede and verilie succeede the Apostles therein whether the priestes of the Romish Church or we Lib. 19. cap. 19. de Ciuitat Dei Saint Augustine hath sometimes saide That the name of a Bishop is a name of charge or burthen and not of honour that he indeed is a Bishop which desireth to profit his flocke in teaching them and not simplie to beare rule ouer the same Aug. cont Cresco Grāmat lib. 2. cap. 11. Also in an other place We are not Bishops of our selues but for them to whō we administer the word Sacraments Now here I speake vnto all Cardinalls Bishops Abbots Priors Curates and other priestes together with their Pope himselfe and will them to examine and iudge themselues in their owne conferences and see whether they can with good right boast themselues to bee the Apostles successors in sound doctrine and in faithfull execution of their charge and office and to marke how they obserue these canons which they attribute to the Apostles whereof the fiftie eight canon Can. Apost can 58. excommunicateth the Bishoppes and Elders who haue not anie care either of their cleargie or of the people the charge of whome is cōmitted vnto them and which doe not teach them in the doctrine of true religion which canon also ordeineth that if such continue in their negligence and carelesnesse they shoulde be deposed There resteth the succession of persons or that which is of the Church or place touching which first we say that the auncient doctours did not alwayes aide themselues with this argument when they were to fight with heretikes for hauing to deale with such as did receiue and allowe the worde of God as well as themselues the dispute and matter in controuersie betwen them being onely in the true interpretation thereof they contented themselues to alledge scripture expounding places one by an other euen as Saint Augustine saith That that which is darke in one August is cleare and manifest in an other But when they were to reason against them that would add to the holy scriptures as Manichaeus who woulde that men shoulde receiue his Epistle which hee called fundamentable euen as it were the Gospell it selfe there and in that respect they serued their turne with the argument of succession And yet when they vsed it it was not either their onely or their principall defence For in the first place they shewed by the worde of God that they were in error and afterwardes added as a good bulwark or meane of resistaunce the consent of the Church witnessed by a continuall succession of all ages and times Also they helped themselues therewith as with a verie likely or probable argument and good inough in the defence of trueth against errour but yet not so as though it had a like force and strength for the maintenance of error against trueth it selfe Lastly when they demaunded of heretikes from whence they came from whome they descended who were their predecessours c. they meant not to speake of their vocation or calling which they neuer called into doubte or question for the greatest number of them were Bishoppes as Nestorius was Bishop of Constantinople Samosatenus of Antioche all lawfully called and hauing right and authoritie to teach in the Church but they meant to speak of their doctrine whiche was newe and not hearde of before Wherfore when they alledged or layd succession for them selues they did not so much meane the occupying of the chaire or enioying of the place as the continuance conformitie and agreement of the doctrine whereas on the otherside our aduersaries do not demaund of vs who were the authours of our doctrine but inquire of vs touching our vocation and calling and are contented with this to declare that their Bishoppes are descended from al antiquitie but not their doctrine and yet notwithstanding they deceiue them selues For neither in the primitiue Church neyther long time after such Bishoppes as be nowe in the popedome had any place so that a man may safely say they are not descended from the Apostles nor from the true successors To conclude we say that it is verie certaine that such a succession of the pastors in the primitiue Church was of greate weighte and importance because the pastors at that time had not onely the name and title of pastors but did withall faythfully exercise the Charge and office thereof But what is at this day the dutie of Bishops and priests of the Church of Rome Let the most sounde iudge thereof Is the controuersie in the Church touching succession to some inheritaunce to haue the possession and enioying thereof No but rather for men to set their hands to worke and labour as the Apostles haue done to watch diligently ouer Christes flocke and to minister vnto it the foode which is necessarie and meete for it As S. Paul saith If any man desire the office of a Bishop 1. Tim. 3.1 he desireth a good or excellent worke And againe speaking vnto Bishops Act. 20.28 Take heede to your selues saith he and to the whole flock whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Bishoppes or ouerseers to feede the Church of God And S. Peter The Elders 1. Pet. 5.12 which are among you I beseech which am also an elder with them feede the flocke of Christ which is committed vnto you caring for it not by consent c. The succession then of the Chaire or place is nothing without the succession of doctrine dutie Cyprian lib. 1. epl 4. For if the Bishoppe be deade as saith S. Cyprian when no
sound goeth foorth of his mouth If he be deade as saith S. Gregorie when he preacheth not Greg. epl 24 by what title may a man say that the Romish Bishops and priestes succeded the the Apostles and haue the possession of their chaire or place if they be deade or altogether dumbe or else not the followers of the Apostles in doctrin truth for let vs a litle beholde howe the auncient fathers haue ioyned and knitte the succession of person or place with the succession of doctrine and office Irenae lib. 4. cap. 43.44 Irenaeus saith Wee are commaunded to yeeld obedience to the elders which are in the Church who haue their succession from the Apostles and together with the succession of the office of a Bishoppe haue receiued according to the good pleasure of the father certaine grace and knowledge of the trueth Tertullian saith also If some heresies dare be so bolde to intermingle them selues with the times of the Apostles thereby to make men beleeue that they were deliuered from the Apostles them selues because they were vnder the Apostles or in their dayes we may say let them shew then the beginnings of their Churches let them vnfolde or discouer the succession of their Bishops in such sorte running and flowing by continuall order from the beginning that the first Bishoppe hath had some of the Apostles for his author and predecessor or some one of them who were the folowers of the Apostles who also did notwithstanding perseuer and continue with the Apostles And a litle after The Churches saith he which were planted after the Apostles time those which are yet planted at this day although that they bring not any author for them from amongest the Apostles themselues or Apostolicall persons yet notwithstanding being found consenting in the same faith they are not to be helde taken or acknowledged for any other then Apostolicall pro consanguinitate doctrinae saith he that is to say for the nighnesse in bloud or by reason of that doctrine which they maintaine keepe and holde with the Churches which the Apostles them selues ordained and set vp S. Augustine writing to one Generosus Aug. epist 156. doth so extoll the succession and continuall order of Pastours that he nameth thirtie Bishops of Rome putting Anastasius for the nine and thirtieth but he addeth euen presently or immediately after In all this ranke or band there was not to be found one Donatist Epist fundament cap. 4. And against the Manichees he writeth thus There are very many things which holde and keepe me in the lappe of the Catholike Church the consent of people and nations the authoritie which was begunne by miracles nourished through hope augmented by charitie and confirmed by antiquitie moreouer the succession of Pastours euen from the seate of Saint Peter to him that is at this day present And a little after But on your parte saith he to the Manichees ye alledge or bring foorth no such thing but onely ye retaine or stand to a promise of truth which indeed if it did declare it selfe so euidently that a man could not any more dout therof I confesse consent that it ought to be preferred before antiquitie succession and all other things Hierom. epist 1. ad Heliodor habetur S. Hierome they are not saith he the sonnes and children of holy men that hold and possesse the places of holy men but they which followe their doctrine and practise their workes Distinct 40. Can. And Chrysostome in a certaine place There are saith he many Elders and fewe Elders many in name and fewe in deede Behold my brethren how ye are placed and set in the chaire For it is not the chaire or place that maketh an Elder but the Elder the chaire or place Behold after what maner and sort the auncient writers haue spoken But would we knowe in one word by the word of God of what value is the most common and old succession that a man can suppose if the puritie of doctrine be wanting S. Paule teacheth it vs Gal. 1.8 writing to the Galathians when he saith If we our selues or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Moreouer I would gladly demand of the Romish Catholikes for what cause they holde not the Churches of the East for true Churches They will not say that it is bicause that succession is not on their side for they want not that but it is on their side euen as olde and auncient at the least as in the Romish Church Wherefore they must needes say that it is by reason of the doctrine receiued amongest them to wit bicause they hold not the Pope for their head bicause thei deny Purgatorie bicause their ministers be married bicause they celebrate and minister the holy supper with leauened breade bicause they giue both kindes to the people and such like things Nowe if as touching the East Churches the Papistes iudge of the Churches not by succession but by doctrine wherfore do they when they dispute with vs stay themselues rather vpon succession then vpon the doctrine seing that the question in controuersie betweene vs is to examine the markes of the Church Secondarily touching the matter of succession we say that if we shall enter into the sifting of the succession of Popes Bishops in the Church of Rome we shal easily finde that if men will thereby iudge of their vocatiō or calling it shall not serue their turn very much or stand them in any great stead For this we shal be sure to find that they haue oftentimes succeeded tyrants schismatikes excōmunicate persons and Bishops or Popes not lawfully called For what was Gregorie the seuenth who was named before he came to the popedome Hildebrand Vispergens Vispergensis witnesseth that he vsurped the Papall seate through tyrannie and not by a lawful vocation And the Councel holdē at Wormes Concil Wormat. in the yere 1080. saith also of the said Hildebrand that he was not chosen by God but that he did without shame thrust in him selfe thether by deceit and money that he ouerthrew the Ecclesiasticall order that he was an offensiue person a mouer of debate and an obseruer of diuinations and dreames yea a manifest Necromancer or coniurer What was the woman Pope Ioan about the yere 854 Platina Platina in her life saith that she was an English woman who in her youth followed and accompanied a young scholler in studies and profited so well therein that at Rome she was esteemed amongest the most skilfull and learned for which cause she was exalted to be Pope they supposing she had ben a man But she was found great with childe and at the last deliuered in an open streate and as they were going in solemne procession vpon the shoulders of those that caried her where also she died What was Benedict the ninth The storie writers declare that after he
was accused of many crimes by the Romanes he was driuen away and in his place was ordained the Bishop of Sabina called Siluester the third who likewise was deposed and put downe bicause he was an idiot ignorant and vnprofitable and the saide Benedict recouered the seate againe from whence through couetousnesse he put him self downe and ordained in his place Iohn the Archdeacon of Saint Iohn port Latin who was named Gregorie the sixt to whom he solde the Popeship for verie much money paid downeright Iohannes Maior Mare Historiarum Nauclerus Platina as witnesseth Iohannes Maior The sea of histories Nauclerus Platina the same Gregorie being Pope was iudged as well by the Cleargie as by the people to be a murtherer and a symoniakal person What was Siluester the second Platina saith that being a Frier he gaue him selfe to the diuel vpon condition that he would aide and helpe him to obtaine that which he desired and so by that meanes he came to be Pope What was Eugenius the fourth He by the definitiue sentence of the Councel of Basil was condemned for a schismatike rebell and stubborne person and so deposed and one Aimus Duke of Sauoie substituted in his place in the yeare 1439. the 16. of Nouemb. Notwithstāding he being supported vpholden by the fauour of certaine princes abode in the possession of his Popedome and Aimus his election passed into smoake and was of no force or value But without passing to any other exāples for this can not be done but in long time may we now affirme first that in all the time of these Popes there hath not bene some interruption or breach of personall succession in the seate of Rome verily we must confesse it vnlesse a man would say that heretikes and notorious schismatikes were the heads of the Church Secondly that the Bishops Priests which haue succeeded these reuerend Popes others which were created and established by thē haue had a good and lawful succession Let vs now come to the vocation or calling wherevpon the succession it selfe dependeth We affirme that our calling is without comparison more certaine more lawful then is that of the Bishops Priests of the Romish Church For the better proofe whereof let vs mark what things are requisite to a right and lawfull calling First right and authoritie to chuse appertaineth to the Pastors and that not to one alone but to diuers lawfully assembled at which election notwithstanding one ought to beare rule to guide and gouerne the action and to auoyde all confusion and disorder 1. Tim. 5.22 Titus 1.5 and so must these places 1. Timoth. 5.22 and Titus 1.5 of necessitie be vnderstoode Secondly the election ought not to be made without the plaine and expresse cōsent of the people Act. 14.23 as S. Luke sheweth the same by example Act. 14.23 and as heretofore the Church hath ordained it euen from Leo his time Leo. epist 87 90. Nicol. Dist 23. Can. In nomine Yea Nicolas the second hath written that it is a manner and fashion which is meete necessarie needfull to keepe in the election and choice of the Bishops of Rome Cyprian lib. 3. epist 3. Yea Saint Cyprian writing to Anthonie rehearseth that Cornelius was after such sort and manner ordained Bishop of Rome For as concerning that which the decree of the Councel of Laodicea ordaineth Concil Laodic Can. 13. Dist 63 can Non est permittendum that the election and choice of the Pastours should not be made by the people that must be vnderstood of the people alone to the end that the election should not be made confusedly and without good order Thirdly those that are to be chosen should be wel and duely examined touching both maners and doctrine according to the rule which S. Paul hath giuen therefore 1. Tim. 3.1.2 Tit. 1.5.6.7 c. writing to Timothie Titus For the bishop ought to be of very good life and holy conuersation so that the very strangers them selues such as are without may not iustly haue any thing to reproch or vpbraid him selfe withal also he must not be a yong scholler but able sufficient in doctrine knowledge to teach such as are apt to learne to convince yea stop the mouthes of such as shall speake against the truth Cyprian lib. 1. Epist 4. Herevnto accordeth that which Cyprian saith we must faithfully keepe saith he diligently hold that which hath ben left vnto vs by diuine apostolical tradition that we may keepe it also amongst ourselues yea that in a maner throughout al prouinces touching the vocation calling of Bishops to wit that all the Bishops of the prouince nearest vnto the place where the election is to be made do meet together that they chose the Bishop in the presence of the people which doth fully know the life and cōuersation of euery one And that also agreeth herevnto which is spoken by Saint Augustine in a certaine Dialogue betweene him and Orosius Q. Orosij Dial. Quaest 65. Wherein Orosius demaundeth How may we knowe them which are sent from God and Saint Augustine aunswereth knowe that he is sent from God which hath not beene chosen by commendation or flatterie of some small number of men and desireth not to beare rule and giueth not any monie to atchieue or get the bishopp like dignitie and honour but which is praysed and commēded by his holy life and good manners and also by the workes or deeds belonging to a pastor and by the approbation and allowaunce of all the people Wee reade also Concil Laodic Can. 12. that it was ordeyned in the Councell of Laodicea that none shoulde be chosen Bishops but they whiche had a long time beene knowen to bee of a good life of holy conuersation and who had also bene well proved tried in the worde of GOD and in good workes And in the first Councel of Paris Concil Parisi Can. 8. is was decreed that no bishoppe be ordeined against the will of the Citizens of the citie but onely hee which shall bee chosen by the full will and consente of the people and of the cleargie and not by the commaundement of any prince nor by any other condition against the wil of the Bishops of the prouince Hee that shall bee otherwise ordeined and that shall come to this honour by the authoritie of the kinge or prince let him be driuen out and deposed by all the rest Conc. quintum Anicl Can. 10. In the fifth Councell of Orleans Let not any man pretend to bee a Bishop neither by buying purchasing or rewardes but let the election be made according to the kinges will the cleargies the peoples and the bishops of the prouince There is almost an infinite number of like Canons in the Councels which if we woulde put downe here wee shoulde be ouertedious and long Nowe after right examination lawfull election or choise
which are two very essentiall points and commanded by gods lawe with which none in the world may dispense there cōmeth in the third place the imposition or laying on of hands whiche is a ceremonie by which the ministers that were lawfully chosen were offered dedicated as it were to the seruice of God and the Church But let vs nowe examine the Romish priestes vocations first I aske whether the election which is made amongst them be deferred and put ouer to the postours and the Churche yea or no Euerie man seeth what place and authoritie they giue to their resignations as they call them to their permutations collations presentations donations c. and also howe the Magistrates and greate men giue Bishopprickes Abbotshippes personages vicarages and other benefites as it pleaseth them selues If the pastours or to speak more rightly they that vsurpe the place of true pastours indede meddle in the election then it appertayneth to the Pope alone to choose the Cardinalles the Bishoppes and Archbishoppes and to giue the greatest and the fattest benefices And it belongeth to the Bishoppes to choose the simple or fingle priestes and to bestowe or giue the other inferiour and lesse benefices And where is then the holy consent and agreement amongest the Pastours which is of necessitie required in the election Secondarilie is the people called to it or is the people aduertised or forewarned to bring thither and giue their aduise and consent thereto Euerie one knoweth that this is not performed Thirdly as concerning them whome they choose what serious or earnest examination make they either of their manners or of their doctrine Sometimes they chose infantes and children at no hande fit or meet to exercise the least charge of the Church whatsouer it be Sometimes they chose men altogether ignorant and verie often also of wicked life this they doe through fauour mony robberies spoiles factions and other lewde and naughtie practises ouerthrowing all order and subuerting all good pollicie and discipline And yet notwithstanding the Canons which they attribute to the Apostles ordeyne and determine Can. Apost Can. 29. 30. that euerie bishop Elder or Deacon that shall haue obteined his office by monie or giftes or by the fauour of the princes and potentates of this worlde shoulde not onely be deposed frō their estates and offices but also excommunicated and cast out of the Church and that not onely they themselues but also they which shal admit and receiue thē into such charges and which shall shewe them fauour and shall communicate with them Nowe let men marke howe these Canons are at this day obserued and practised in the Romish Church and by consequent howe right and lawfull the vocation is of the Bishoppes and priestes of that Church It is true that they vse indeed the imposition or laying on of hands but euerie one knoweth with howe many trifling toyes and supperstitions it is accompanied And indeede this is the onely poynt whereof they can vaunt themselues which is not so necessarie but that we may verie wel ouerpasse or litle regard it as hauing no expresse commaundement touching the vse thereof For touching the two substantiall pointes they wante them wholy Titus 2.7 contrarie to the ordinaunce of Saint Paul Titus 2.7 But touching our vocation it is an easie matter for euerie one to iudge whether it be true and lawefull euen by the proceeding which they that chose vs keepe hold in the right examination diligent inquirie that they make as well of our doctrine sufficiencie meane and manner of teaching as of our life manners and conuersation also by the allowance and manifest consent of the people who do receiue vs after that they haue a certayne space hearde and tryed vs. For wee holde and teach that none ought of himselfe to teach and haue charge in the Church vnlesse he be lawfully called therevnto It apperteineth to the Lorde of the haruest Matt. 9.38 to send foorth workemen into his haruest And S. Paul touching this matter asketh Howe shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 And therefore in the Prophet Ieremiah they are taxed and reproued as false Prophets Iere. 14.14.23.21 which did runne not being sent And Iesus Christ saith also Iohn 10.1 That they which enter not in by the dore into the sheepefolde but climb vp some other way are theeues and robbers But perhappes the Romish Catholikes will not so much examine our calling as that of the firste reformers and restorers of our Churches and will demaunde of vs from whome it is that they receiued imposition of handes and finding in their owne indgemēt as they suppose that they had not any certaine vocation therevpon they woulde inferre that then they could not chuse cal vs to our charges so by consequent our vocation shoulde be none at all wherevnto we answere two things The first is that we ought to exercise our calling according to the visible state of the Church which is either altogether or else abiding safe and sound If then the state of the Church abide in her puritie whiche is then when pure doctrine is kepte therein and the lawfull administration of sacramentes with the right vse of the discipline we say that an ordinarie calling that is to say the way and manner of chosing pastors prescribed by the worde of God according to which we haue beene called placed in our charg ought to be obserued followed But if the state of the Church be altogether corrupted we say that then an extraordinarie vocation hath place euen accoding as it shall please God to raise vp his seruauntes and to employe them to reforme the Church and to bring it to her olde puritie For God is alwayes not boūd to ordinarie meanes which he vseth notwithstanding whēn it seemeth so good vnto himself And this was practised in former time euē then whē the ten tribes of Israel were altogether become bastards and corrupted through their idolatries For God did extraordinarily stirre vp 1. King 18.19 vnto them Elijah to reforme them and to indeuor to bring them into good order touching his seruice yea I say Elijah who was not a priest and had not in that respect any succession So likewise we holde and affirme that God hath dealt in our time in the choise and sending of some of our ministers who were inspired and stirred vp by GOD to streatch out the hande vnto the Church which in respect of the outwarde and visible state was wholy almost beaten downe and ouerthrowen And these men neither could nor ought to looke to be sent from or to be approued by the pope his people whose intollerable abuses and false doctrines they had in charge to reproue no more then they that woulde take vppon them to reforme a companie of Women who had openly fallen to whordom fornication c. ought to wait to be stirred vp or required therevnto either by altogether or
and lawfull succession of the chaire or place is on our side For there the ordinarie Bishops haue receiued the Gospell and preach it so that we shall not neede to dispute of their vocation no more then for the calling of the Priestes which are at this present in the Romish Church called by the Pope but euen only of their doctrine CHAP. VI. That the Church hath bene alwayes from the beginning is now and shall be euen vnto the worlds end but that it ought not to be esteemed or acknowledged by the great number WE must not thinke that the Churche had her beginning where the Apostles began to preach the gospel throughout all the world at which time the disciples were first named Christians in Antiochia but that she began to be in the world euē from the verie time of our first parents Adam and Heuah For in them and by thē God began to be serued on the earth hauing blessed them and cōmended vnto thē his seruice and after their fall hauing preached vnto them repentance and assurance of victorie against the serpent through Iesus Christ his sonne But the world increasing the Church also was augmented seruing God For as S. Paul saith God created the world Act. 17.26 hath made of one bloud al men that they might seeke and serue him And he himselfe saith in Isaiah This people haue I formed for my selfe Isai 43.21 they shall rehearse and shewe foorth my praise GOD then created in the worlde and that from the beginning a Church thorough free adoption to this ende that his name might be duely praised by conuenient fit and meet witnesses for so excellent a worke For this cause also the Church is called the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Isai 61.3 Isaiah 61.3 Moreouer this Church notwithstanding the sharpe and hard persecutions which it hath suffred hath not yet ceased alwayes to be as it is at this present and shal be vnto the worldes end For as Dauid saith The Lord hath chosen Sion Psa 132.13 c. that is to say the church and hath desired it for his seat it hath bene saith he my rest for euer Matt. 28.20 Iesus Christ also hath promised his disciples to be with them alwayes euen vnto the end of the world But chiefly Saint Paul hath declared and set out the perpetuitie and continuance of the Church when he assureth vs Ephes 3.21 that GOD shall be glorified in the Church through Iesus Christ throughout all generations for euer and euer They then are ouermuch past shame which limit the continuance of the Church to a certaine time as those of whome Saint Augustine speaketh August de ciuitat Dei lib. 18. ca. 54 who durst boldly affirme that the christian religion should not last but 365. yeares They likewise doe abuse and deceiue themselues which thinke that by the assaults which they giue vnto the Church they are able to beate it downe consume it wholy take it away out of the world for is it possible that God should be without a Church Psal 100.1 c. hath not he himselfe promised that his sonne shall raigne and beare rule for euer ouer all his enimies Verily the Church which is the spouse or wife of Christ is become or made so mightie and stronge through her husbande that being euen one bodie with him she is more forcible and mightie in her weakenesse then al the world in his pride and hautines But as we haue alreadie saide once heretofore we will hereafter speake more amplie and largely of the Churches force and power in persecutions To bee short amongest so manie and so diuerse chaunges of the kingdomes of this worlde God alwayes preserueth his Church and bringeth to passe that nothing in al the world is durable and perpetuall but she not that she is alwayes florishing or hath a continuance which followeth al by one threede that is commeth altogether but because that God not minding that his name shoulde be put out in the worlde doeth alwayes in his Church raise vp some of whome he is sincerely and purely serued Nowe when the question is to discerne the true Church from the false some there are that stay themselues vpō the multitude and great number But they are very farre from their right reckoning or account For GOD measureth not his Church by the number Matt. 18.20 He loueth his faithful people keepeth himselfe in the middest of them although they be a verie small number on the otherside he hateth those that doe dispise it and disdayneth them though the number of them be neuer so great And indeede on the side of the multitude and great number the false and bastardly Church is rather founde than the true and lawfull one And that it is so let vs first marke the places of scripture which withdrawe vs from the multitude and teache vs to stay and cleaue to the little flocke Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not followe a multitude to doe euill neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and to ouerthrowe the trueth Matth. 7.13.14 Enter in at the straite Gate for it is the wide gate and broad way which leadeth to destruction many ther be which go in thereat because the gate is straite and the way narrowe that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that find it Feare not litle flocke Luk. 12.32 for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Wee see by these places that the greatest number is not alwayes the best neyther the soundest and that the Church of God is founde rather amongest the small number then among the multitude Secondly let vs note the reasons following which are taken frō examples that we finde in the scripture touching this verie matter On which side was the Church Gene. 7.1 Heb. 11.7 when Noah alone with his litle familie which was not in all but eight persons followed the true religion God approuing him by his faith condemning all the rest of the worlde On which side was the Church 1. Kin. 19.10 when Elijah saide O Lord the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant they haue destroyed thine Altars and slaine thy prophets with the sworde and I am left altogether alone and yet they seeke my soule to take it away On which side was the Church when the foure hundred prophetes deceiued Ahab ◠King 22.8 and Michaiah being alone and contēned did yet notwithstanding resist them and speake the trueth On which side was the Church when Ieremiah was sent frō God to say Iere. 4.9 In that day the heart of the king shall perishe and the heart of the princes and of the priestes shall bee astonished Iere. 10.18 and the Prophetes shall wonder and that therefore the Prophetes resisted him layed crimes vnto his charge and imagined mischeife against him On which side was the Church when the chiefe Priestes and scribes
doctrine of saluation confirming his Gospell by excellent miracles and authenticall signes worthie of credite by which he did euidently shewe vnto them that he was the verie Messias promised in the lawe and the true and onely redeemer of the worlde but howe did these miserable people gouerne and behaue them selues in that behalfe Their obstinacie and rebellion was so great that they were not onely content desperatly to reiect and throwe from them the doctrine of the holie Gospell slaundering it and accusing it of falsehood but which is worse they killed and cruelly murdered the onely sonne of GOD and outragiously persecuted the Apostles as before that they had put to death also euen their owne Prophets and other Christians Who is he then which will affirme that these wicked people did not through their rebellion and pride iustly deserue to be deliuered and giuen ouer for a pray vnto Sathan and to be deceiued through the subtilties and craftes of his false doctrine The same is fallen out in our time and continueth yet euen euery day For there are diuers which are in such sort blinded before hand possessed with the darknesses of the prince of this world that they doe not onely despise all true religion and doctrine but also they inforce and straine them selues to bring into credite and estimation all the dreames dotages raylings and false opinions of Antichrist and his instrumentes in so much that for to attaine thereto they cease not to make warre vpon the poore faithfull people desiring with a burning affection the sheading of their bloud Who is he then which dare say that such people are not verie worthie and meete to be deliuered vnto Sathan that they may be so made drunken with the deadly poison of his false doctrine as they may neuer after be able to taste or smel the sweetnes pleasantnes of the word of God To be short then in that the diuell hath so great a sway in the world it is a very manifest signe or as a man would say a banner displayed of the iust vengeance of GOD and of his horrible and fearefull furie vpon all those who reiect and persecute the Gospell of his sonne For the vngodly perseuering in their vnbeliefe deserue to be couered and clothed with so great abhomination seeing that the trueth of GOD can finde no place amongst them CHAP. VII That Iesus Christ alone is the head of his Church and not Saint Peter neither any Pope what so euer EXperience teacheth vs what euill it bringeth vs when we turne aside from the worde of God be it neuer so little In olde time all the Pastors of the Church were commonly called Elders Auncients Bishops and they were all brethren and fellowes equall also and of like authoritie in their ministeries And this continued vntill such time as he that was chosen in the assemblies of the Pastours there for the time to be president and to gather the voyces came at the last to be especially and as it were only named a Bishop Hence the diuell beganne to frame and spinne as it were the tyrannie of Antichrist in the Church euen such as we beholde it at this day so that the man of sinne 2. Thes 2.3.4 and sonne of destruction reuealed is set downe in the temple of God as God shewing him selfe as though he were God For from Bishops they came to Metropolitanes who also are called Archbishops that vnder goodly shew and great pretence For these Metropolitanes were not but as it were Presidents or rulers to set the other in order and to call them together when it was needfull to haue some Synode for the affaires and businesses of the Churches of the Prouince and in good order and without confusion to redresse and guide matters in the assemblies made From Metropolitanes they leaped to foure Patriarches as though the whole Christian common wealth ought to be diuided into foure partes and be ruled and gouerned by foure Prelates These Patriarches were one of Antioch who bare rule ouer Syria one of Alexandria who gouerned Egypt Ethiopia one of Constantinople bearing rule ouer Asia Grecia and Illyricum and one of Rome ruling all the West that is to say Italie France Spaine Germanie Herevpon afterwardes there arose contentions and stirres betwene these foure Patriarches touching their iurisdiction and primacie in so much that they in such sorte set them selues one of them against an other with the hurt and losse indeede of the poore Church that at the last two to wit that of Antioche and that of Alexandria gaue place and yelded their roomes to the other two that is Constantinople and Rome the controuersie betweene which endureth as yet euen vnto this day For it is not yet well determined nor made plaine which of these two ought to be head and vniuersall Bishop In some sorte to quiet them and to make them contented and to keepe them selues within their owne boundes men haue limitted their charges thus the Patriarch of Constantinople to beare rule ouer all the Churches of the East and the Patriarch of Rome to beare rule ouer all the Churches of the West Wherefore the laâ—ter of these two is he whom the Romish Catholikes make them selues to beleeue that he is the head of the vniuersall Church as being the Vicar of Iesus Christe on earth and the lawfull or right successour of Saint Peter But we haue here two pointes to examine and sift the one touching Saint Peter The other touching the Pope who saith that he is his successour Concerning the first we shall not finde in all the scriptures that S. Peter was ordained at any time to be head of the whole Church and to beare rule ouer it neither that he him self did at any time either pretend or vsurpe such a iurisdiction and primacie bicause it did not at any hand belong vnto him but vnto Iesus Christ alone as we hope to proue and manifestly to shewe it by the reasons following The first reason is this Iesus Christ alone is called the head of the Churche Ephesians 1. verse 22. Ephesians 5. verse 23. Ephes 1.22 Ephes 5.23 Saint Peter then is not otherwise the Churche should be a bodye with two heads If they wil replie and say that Iesus Christ indeede is the onely head of the Church bicause that he alone reigneth ouer it and that by his owne onely authoritie yet that this nothing hindreth but that there may be an other head ministeriall as they call it that is to say one in respect of the execution of the charge and office vnder him who should be his great Vicar and liuetenant generall for to gouerne the Church I will demaund of them to shewe me when and howe this ministeriall head was ordained by Iesus Christ for if Iesus Christ be God liuing for euer Rom. 9.5 what neede hath he of a successour If we haue all his will in writing Ioh. 15.15 Act. 20.27 Matt. 18.18.28.20 and if he
be alwayes present in the middest of his Church to rule and gouerne the same what hath he to doe for a Vicar or Lieuetenant And as concerning charges and offices we know what executors he hath established and left S. Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians affirmeth Ephes 4.11 c. that Iesus Christ being ascended into heauen hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors some teachers to whome he hath giuen in charge and committed his Church to order and guide the same This is not spoken onely for two or three or for some other small number neither yet for one age but for all the Pastours of the Church generally and for all times Nowe you may see what lieutenantes Iesus Christe hath substituted in his place but that he shoulde giue vnto Peter a primacie to bee Pope and heade of the Church is a meere leasing The seconde reason is this Iesus Christ onely is the foundation of the Church 1. 1. Cor. 3.11 Corinth 3.11 Wherevpon it followeth that the Church is founded vppon Iesus Christ and at no hande vpon Saint Peter and by consequent that Iesus Christ alone is the heade of the Church and not Saint Peter Touching that which Iesus Christ speake vnto Peter Thou art Peter Matt. 16.18 and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church we wil anon declare the true and naturall sense thereof The thirde reason S. Peters charge office was limited and set within certaine bondes For S. Paul witnesseth of himselfe and Peter thus Galat. 2.7 That he was the Apostle of the Gentiles and Saint Peter of the Iewes And saith that this diuision was made by the reuelation and ordinaunce of GOD. It followeth then that Saint Peter was not an vniuersall Apostle nor a soueraigne high bishoppe ouer all the Church Otherwise Saint Paul shoulde haue done ill in so limiting hedging in as it were the the charge and office of his Apostleship yea and that eighteene yeares after the death of Iesus Christ But I would wish the Romishe Catholikes to take some better viewe of and heede to this reason For if their Pope snatch and take vnto himselfe the primacie for this reason because hee is Saint Peters successors he must then exercise his primacie or popedome ouer the Iewes and preach vnto them the Gospell that hee may gaine them and drawe them to Iesus Christ leauing vnto him whosoeuer he bee that will take vppon him to be called the successor of Saint Paul primacie ouer the Gentiles The fourth reason One wife hath but onely one husband which is her head But the Church is the spouse of Christ 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephe. 5.22 Reue. 21.9 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephesians 5.22 Reuelat 21.9 The Church then hath none other but Christ alone for her husbande and head The fifth reason It is certaine that Saint Peter vsed the power and authoritie which Iesus Christe gaue him for otherwise hee shoulde haue neglected his charge and hidden his talent in the ground and so by consequent haue disobeyed his Master not seruing him purely and faithfully But so it is hee neuer vsurped any primacie ouer the other Apostles or ouer the Church for hee maketh himselfe equal to the other pastors 1. Peter 5.1.21 c. naming himself a pastor and an Elder with them and hee hath saide also that it is not lawefull at anie hande for anie man to haue Lordship ouer the Lordes inheritaunces Then it followeth that hee receiued not anie primacie or Lordshippe from Iesus Christ ouer the Church of God The sixth reason Act. 8.14 Saint Peter was sent together with Iohn into Samaria by the other Apostles Nowe if hee had beene the head of the Church and had had rule and authoritie ouer the Apostles it had apperteined vnto him to sende others not to others to send him The seuenth reason If Saint Peter had had the right of primacie to what end woulde he haue suffered himselfe to haue beene reproued by S. Paul and that before the people In sext decr de Con. cap. Licet distinct 19. ca. si Roman in Glossa de conces prae tit 8. ca. pro. posuit alibi for this was done euen then when hee both might and ought to haue shewed his authoritie and rule As at this day the Pope who saith that hee is aboue right neither is helde or bounde by lawes that he may preferre through his interpretation equitie vnwritten before lawe writen that wee ought to allowe or dissallow all that he alloweth or disalloweth that he is not subiect to any censure hauing all lawe and right in the coffer of his breste and stomacke Now Saint Peter did not alledge any whit or parte of all these blasphemies but tooke in good worth Saint Paules censure and reproofe acknowledging himselfe his companion and fellowe and one that was ioyned with him the other Apostles in felloweshippe of office yea inferiour to the whole bodie and subiect to the admonitions and censures of his brethren The eight reason So it was that among the Apostles in the time that our Sauiour Christ was bodily conuersant with them Luk. 22.24 c. there was a controuersie which of them shoulde bee esteemed or iudged the greatest but Christ laboreth to bring them to humilitie and to take from amongest thē all ambition saying thus The kinges of the nations beare rule and they which exercise authoritie ouer thē are called Gratious lords but ye shall not be so But let the greatest among you be as the least and the cheifest as he that serueth And afterwardes hee setteth himselfe foorth for an example For who is greater he that sitteth at Table or he that serueth is not he that sitteth at the table And I am among you as he that serueth and ye are they which haue continued with mee in my temptations Lastly he concludeth Therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed to me These are our principal reasons to declare that Saint Peter was not appointed Lorde ouer the Church and that hee had no more authoritie or preheminence in it than the other Apostles his companions and fellowes had Nowe let vs heare the contrarie reasons which the Romish Catholikes make The firste is this Matt. 16.18 Iesus Christ hath said to Saint Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church It followeth then that Saint Peter is the foundation of the Churche and by consequent the head thereof I aunswere that the holy spirite is not contrarie to it selfe but hee hath spoken plainely to the Corinthians That Iesus Christe alone is the onely foundation of the Church 1. Cor. 3.11 and that none can lay anie other than that which is laide alreadie Therefore he affirmeth not in that place of S. Matthewe the contrarie to this And marke this deed Iesus Christ hath not said and vpon thee O Peter I will builde my Church but vpon
this rocke I will builde And what meaneth this vpon this rocke Let vs heare S. Augustine The Church saith he is founded vpon the rocke August in Iohan. tract 124. ca. 21. of which rocke Peter hath taken his name for the rocke is not so called of Peter but Peter is so named of the rocke as Christ hath not taken his name of Christiās but Christians of Christ Therefore the Lord saith vpō this rocke I wil build my Church because that Peter had confessed thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God He saith therefore vpon this rock which thou hast confessed I will build my Church For the rock was Christ vpō which foundatiō Peter also himselfe was builded Marke what S. Augustine saith S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome vnderstand this to be spoken of the faith which is Christ not as the Pope doth of the person of Peter S. Ambrose saith thus Amb. in epl ad Ephe. ca. 2.20 Iesus Christ said to Peter vpon this rocke I wil build my Church that is to say vpon this confession of Catholike faith I will establishe the faithfull vnto eternall life Chrysostome saith also Chriso Ser. 21. de Pentecost Iesus Christ saith Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church Hee saith vppon this rocke and not vpon Peter For he hath founded or set his Church not vppon man but vpon the faith and confession of Peter And what was this faith and confession Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God The seconde reason is Matth. 16.19 Iesus Christ hath giuen the keyes vnto Peter he hath therefore appointed him head of the Church I denie the consequent For by the vse of the keyes is vnderstoode not the rule or ouersight of the whole Church but the power to binde and loose or else to pardon or not pardon sinnes as it is declared Matt. 18.18 Iohn 20.23 in the 18. Chapter of the Gospell after S. Mathewe and Chap. 20. after S. Iohn Now seeing that so it is that power to remitte or to retaine sinnes was giuen not vnto Peter onely but equally vnto all the Apostles it followeth well that the vse of the keyes was not giuen to Saint Peter alone but also to all his companions fellowes by consequent if he were the head of the Church to whō the power of the keyes was giuen it would follow that the Church had so many heads as it had then Apostles But some will say Iesus Christ speaketh onely to Peter It is true indeede Howe beit by the name of Peter is vnderstoode the whole Church For euen as Iesus Christ was willing to heare what iudgement not onely Peter but also all his fellowes had of him when he demaunded of them But what say ye that I am Matt. 16.15.16 And that Peter alone in the name of all answered and made this confession Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God So on the other side Iesus Christ giuing the power of the keyes vnto the Church addressed his speache vnto Peter alone although he meant to speake as wel vnto all the rest Augu. in Iohan tract 50 And so doth Saint Augustine vnderstande it for beholde howe he speaketh Peter saith hee signifieth the whole Church For if that in Peter there were not the figure of the Church Christ would not haue saide vnto him I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And agane when Iesus Christ saide vnto Peter I will giue vnto thee the keyes c. Hee ment without doubt the whole Church And the reason would be marked why Iesus Christ in the person of one spake vnto all that is to the ende hee might cōmend and set the vnitye of the Church euen as also the ancient writers haue marked obserued the same Cypri tract 3. de simpli praelat S. Cyprian saith thus Our Lord in the person of one man hath giuen the keyes vnto all thereby to denote and set out the vnitie of all The other wer the same in deede that Peter was fellowes in equall honour and in equal power But Iesus began with one man to the end to shew that the Church is one And Augustine August in Iohan. tract 11. So it was saith he that all were asked Peter alone answered him thou art Christ c. to him was it said I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as though power to bind and lose had bene giuē vnto him alone But as he answered for al so he receiued the keyes together with all bearing as it were the person of vnitie Wherefore he alone was named for all bicause there was vnitie among all 3 The third reason is Ioh. 21.16 Iesus Christ commaunded Peter aboue al the rest yea and the three times to feed his sheepe He then did constitute and make him an vniuersall Bishop and head of all Churches I aunswere that this consequent is false for there is a very great not only differēce but contraritie betwene these two to haue charge to feed the sheepe of Christ and to haue a most high Empire vniuersall rule ouer the whole Church Besides if to feede the sheepe of Christ be no other thing but to minister giue vnto them the spiritual foode of their soules by the preaching of the Gospel Matt. 28.19 Mark 16.15 as it is indeed and seeing that it is most euident and plaine that Iesus Christe hath giuen this commission to all his Apostles generally it followeth verie well that he hath not giuē it to Peter alone And indeed Peter him self doth wel confesse the same 1. Peter 1.5 c. when he exhorteth his fellow ministers to feede the flocke of Christ which is cōmitted vnto them And Basil cōfirmeth the same saying Iesus Christ him selfe teacheth vs this to wit that he is the only head of the Church who did cōstitute appoint Peter the pastor of his church after him For he saith Peter louest thou me feede my sheepe and consequently he hath giuen this verie same power to all Pastors teachers and hereof this is a certaine signe and sure token that all bind and lose without any difference as well as he The fourth reason S. Peter is diuers times in the Scripture named the first among the Apostles Therefore he was chosen to haue rule aboue the other his fellowes yea aboue or ouer the whole Church I answere first that this argument is friuolous and vaine yea worthie to be mocked and hissed at For be it that we confesse that S. Peter was the first and chiefe as it were amongst a fewe people that is to say amongst the twelue Apostles yet very farr fet is this that it should therefore followe that he was the first or chiefest ouer all Christians or that he did beare rule ouer all the world Secondly if bicause that S. Peter is the first named he is therfore the first chiefest
for which the Apostles haue spred abroad all the doctrine with their bloude where Saint Peter suffered such a death as the Lorde him selfe did where Paul was crowned with martyrdome where Iohn the Apostle was put into burning or flaming oyle yet was taken out of the same without any hurte or blister and afterwardes sent into exile Let vs looke vpon that which she learned and that which shee taught and what concorde and agreement she hath had with the Churches of Affrica She hath acknowledged confessed and allowed one onely God the creator of all thinges Iesus Christ the sonne of God borne of the virgine Marie shee hath beleeued also the resurrection of the fleshe she hath receaued the law and the Prophetes with the writinges as well of the Euangelistes as of the Apostles and from thence she draweth or fetcheth faith she marketh hers with the sacramente of baptisme and shee clotheth them with the holy Ghoste shee nourisheth them with the sacramentes of the supper shee exhorteth by martrydome and she receiueth not any person against such instruction Beholde Tertullian his wordes wherefore wee haue not forsaken this auncient Church of Rome but the newe and particular Romish Church which since hath lifted vp her selfe which aduoucheth the Pope for her heade and alloweth him for the Vicar of Iesus Christ on earth which worshippeth him and obeyeth his lawes againste the lawes of GOD. For shee hath degenerated and gone out of kinde and hath loste all her authoritie euen as the cleargie of the saide Church hath sometimes foretolde writting to Saint Cyprian saying Cyprian lib. 2. epist 7. Rom. 1.8 That the prayse that Saint Paule gaue to that Church to wit that their fayth was spreade abroad and published throughout all the worlde should bee turned to their shame dispraise if they went out of kind became bastards and if they continued not to bee heires of the same faith And by this departure from her we haue declared the obedience which wee owe vnto God who hath commaunded vs to doe so saying Goe out of Babylon my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues And haue receiued the counsell of Saint Ambrose who saith If there bee any Churche which refuseth the faith and keepeth not the foundation or groundworkes of the Apostles preaching wee must leaue her least she bring with her the infection of error and vnbeliefe This hee hath written vppon the ninth chapter of the Gospell according to Saint Luke But some will say ye account the reformed Churches of Germanie for the true church though ye find there many things to be amended as concerning the supper it selfe and some other ceremonies why thē make you not the like accoūt of the Church of Rome I aunsweare that it is very true that there is some controuersie betwene the Germaines and vs touching some poyntes of religion but it is not in respecte of the essentiall or substantiall poyntes thereof I call them essentiall or substantiall points that are so of the substance of religion that if men erre in one point the same cannot subsiste or stande for euen in that which concerneth the holy supper wee all beleeue that wee are partakers of the bodie and bloude of Christ The difference is not but in that Consubstantiation whiche they maintaine which is not of such great importance and weight as transubstantiation which the Romish pretendeth which euen in that one point ouerthroweth and vtterly bringeth to nothing godlinesse putting an idole of bread in the place of the sonne of God making of the creature a creator a Christ subiect to corruption rasing frō the foundation turning topsie turuie as wee say that which concerneth the proprietie the nature and the glorie of Iesus Christ his bodie All which abhominations and idolatries the Germans that are reformed doe detest and set them selues against as well as we But if some that are willing to make diuorce as it were and separation between the Germanes and vs will alledge that the foresaide Germans haue not the like opinion of vs that we haue of them and that they holde and account vs for heretikes as may bee seene and proued by certayne writinges which they haue set abrode and published we answere that the passions affections and heates of some particular persons who haue written somewhat more freely thē they should ought not so to be regarded and esteemed that thervppon they will make a generall conclusion of all the rest and so prooue that there is a diuision betweene all them and vs. For albeit there bee some diuersitie betweene them vs in this point touching the supper and in some certayne ceremonies yet vnitie doeth not therefore cease to continue and remayne alwayes amongest vs. Socrat. lib. 5 cap. 22. Socrates who writ the Ecclesiasticall historie sayth thus There is not any religion which obserueth the same ceremonies though it doe receiue and admitte one and the selfe doctrine touching ceremonies And indeede they which haue the same faith sometimes differ amongest themselues touching some ceremonies and obseruations Irenaeus writing to Victor the Bishop of Rome Euseb lib. 5. cap. 26. rehearseth that there was great diuersitie in the Churches touching fasting and the celebration of the feast of Easter afterwards he addeth Notwithstāding though there were diuersitie amongest all these touching ceremonies yet so it was that they did alwayes agree with vs and the discord or difference about fasting did not breake the concord or vnitie of faith So then following these places wee affirme that we leaue not of to acknowledg the companie of the reformed Germanes for the true Church although that we be not in euerie poynt and throughly agreed with them touching some matter considered in the supper and some ceremonies obserued amongest them And the rule of charitie teacheth vs this as Saint Paul hath giuen vs a good example thereof 1. Cor. 1.2 2. Cor. 1.1 Galat. 1.2 when he calleth the Corinthians and the Galathians Saintes and faithfull ones and giueth vnto them in generall the name of the Church although there were amongest them great and greeuous faultes as well in ignorance of the doctrin as in their owne life and manners This is that also which hee hath set foorth in an other place saying That all they which hold and keepe the foundation do not alwayes build gold and siluer and pretious stones but haye stubble But some say why follow you not the same rule on the behalf of the church of Rome we answere that in the ceremonies seruice of the Romishe Church the puritie of religion is not there obserued kept but the whole seruice of God is amongest them corrupted and falsified and therefore can not with out offending God applie or frame our selues vnto them And Saint Augustine hath giuen vs this lesson teaching vs howe farre wee may communicate in the ceremonies and seruice of other Churches
the first place had an excellent gift and singular grace to interprete the scripture 1. Cor. 11.4 also they were such as were indued 1. Cor. 14.1 c. with great wisdome and readinesse well to prouide for the necessitie of the Church and to speake properly they were as interpreters of the will of God In this ranke or order were comprehended the Prophetes that had the gift to vnderstand foresee reueale things to come Act. 11.28 such a one was Agabus who by the holie Ghost foretolde that a great famine should fall throughout all the world which also came to passe in the Emperour Claudius Caesars dayes also that Saint Paul should be bound at Ierusalem Act. 21.10 c. Act. 13.1 There is mention made also in the thirteenth of the Actes of certaine Prophetes of the Church of Antioch to wit Barnabas and Simion who was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manahen which had bene brought vp with Herode the Tetrarch and Saul And in the one and twentie Act. 21.9 mention is made of Phillips foure daughters which did prophecie These degrees or this office of Prophetes was ordained by GOD to indure but for a time onely as the Apostles Euangelists Euangelistes generally are those which performe the office of an Euangelist that is to say which preach the Gospell Sometimes also this name Euangelist is referred to those foure who haue written the storie of the Gospell that is to say S. Matthewe S. Marke S. Luke and S. Iohn But in this order of the Church the question is of an other charge or office These men of whome we speake were as it were fellowe helpers to the Apostles whome they did followe and were almost continually in cōpanie with And their office came somewhat nigh to the office of an Apostle the difference was onely in the degree of dignitie Of this sort were Silas Timothie and such like In the one and twentie of the Actes Philip is called an Euangelist Act. 21.8 And Saint Paule admonisheth Timothie in one of the Epistles which he wrote vnto him 2. Tim. 4.5 to continue to doe the worke of an Euangelist These likewise had their time and are no more in vse at this present Pastors are they Pastors that haue the charge of some certaine flockes and of some certaine Churches to rule and gouerne the same preaching the Gospell administring the sacramentes and exercising discipline in those Churches This degree and office must haue his course and continue in the Church euen vntill the end of the world Doctors Doctors are they which the Church in olde time called Catechisers that is to say instructors or teachers whose charge and office was plainely and simplie to expound the scriptures that men might haue the right sense and vnderstanding thereof and namely to teach the Catechumini that is to say those that were yet to be instructed in the pointes and principles of Christian religion Of this sort are the Doctors and teachers of our age which teach youth in schooles expounding vnto them the scripture And their office consisteth herein carefully to prouide that sound doctrine may be kept published to the end that pure religion may continue and remaine in the Church Some suppose that the office of Pastor Doctor is all one as Chrysostome and S. Augustine yet there is no dout but that they are two distinct offices which men may not confound and mingle together For albeit that this be the charge and office of al Pastors to teach yet they go somewhat further than the Doctors do For first and formost they preach and exhort applying the doctrine to the necessities of the Church next they administer the sacraments and in the third place they haue the charge gouernement and execution of the discipline to which matters the Doctors charge reacheth not they being only ordained to expound the scriptures to the end that pure and sound doctrine may alwaies be preserued maintained in the Church And indeed such a one may be verie apt to execute the office of the Doctor as hath not the gift to preach such a one on the other side may very well haue the gift to preach as shall not at any hand be meete or fit to exercise the charge and office of the Doctor although that sometimes he that shall be the Pastor may also well be the Doctor but yet this is to be marked that they are diuers and seuerall charges or offices And these be the fiue degrees or orders of ministers to whome the Lord hath cōmitted the gouernement of his Church to feede the same of which fiue the last two onely remaine to be alwayes vsed in his Church Saint Paule indeede maketh mention in other places of some other names Bishops and Elders or Auncients as of Bishops that is to say watchmen or ouerwatchers and of Elders that is to say Senators or Ancients but these two names signifie one and the selfe same thing as the Apostle him selfe declareth Titus 1.5 writing to Titus For marke what he saith For this cause left I thee in Creete that thou shouldest continue to redresse the things that remaine that thou shouldest ordaine Elders that is to say Auncients in euerie citie as I appointed thee And afterwardes he addeth an excellent description of true Elders and Auncients For a Bishop saith he must be vnblameable as the guider or steward of Gods owne house and so foorth We see that those whome he named Elders or Auncients in one verse he nameth the same Bishops in an other verse Nowe these two names of Bishop and Elder and the name also of Pastor are taken in the scripture to signifie one and the selfe same estate For the charge and office of the Pastor is to feede the sheepe as appeareth by that which the Lorde saith in the foure and thirtie chapter of Ezechiel Ezech. 34.2 Woe be to the sheepheards of Israel which feed themselues Should not the sheepheards feede the flockes But the Bishops and Elders are called to the same thing Act. 20.28 as both Saint Paule and Saint Peter doe declare Saint Paule speaking thus Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke ouer which the holie Ghost hath made you Bishoppes or ouerseers to feede the Churche of GOD which he hath redeemed with his owne bloud And Saint Peter thus 1. Pet. 5.1.2 The Elders which are amongest you I beseech which am also an Elder with you Feede the flocke of Christ which is committed vnto you caring for it not by constraint c. If one would knowe the reason why the Pastours are called Elders or Auncients it is for honours sake not as though when in olde time they chose Pastours they were all auncient in age and yeares but bicause that they specially chose them from amongest the Auncients and also bicause they ought to be men both ripe wise and also verie well experienced Olde age
commonly hath more wisedome more experience and grauitie But yet it doth not alwayes fall out that white or grey haire maketh men wise yea sometimes we shall finde yong men which are farre more fit to exercise and execute the charge and office of a Pastour such a one was Timothie than those that be of greater yeares It is true that there are two sorts of Elders that is to say Ancients One sort haue charge and office to minister the worde of GOD and sacraments and to watch ouer the discipline and ouer the whole Church The other are ioyned vnto these to ayde them in the exercising and execution of discipline without medling any whit at all in the preaching c. Saint Paule setteth out this order when he saith to Timothie 1. Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine For in that he maketh mention of bearing rule he giueth vs well to vnderstand that those whome he nameth Elders or Auncients that is to say the Pastours and such as are ioyned vnto them are chosen to haue charge and office in the Church ouer the people And in that he more commendeth those which minister the word and doctrine than the other he euidently declareth that al haue not one and the selfe same charge We may behold this order euen at this day obserued in the reformed Churches Deacons The Apostle maketh mention likewise of Deacons which word is taken in holie scripture in two senses or sortes Somtimes generally for euerie minister or seruitour In which sense S. Paule calleth the Magistrate the Deacon of God that is to say Rom. 13.4 Ephe. 3.7 Rom. 15.8 the seruaunt or minister of GOD and hee nameth himselfe the Deacon that is to say the minister of the Gospell as also he calleth Iesus Christ the deacon of Circumcision that is to say the minister thereof Wherefore being so taken and referred to the estate calling of the pastor it is commonly translated and turned by this worde minister or seruaunt Coloss 1.7 1. Cor. 3.5 as in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians and the third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians But sometimes it is taken more straitely for thē which haue a charge and office to gather the almes to dispense or bestow thē among the poore The first occasion that was giuē to chose these deacons in the Church was this because the Apostles could not verie wel prouide for our furnishe both the charge of preaching the worde and of distributing the goods of the poore And for this cause were the seuen Deacons chosen Actes 6.2 of whom is spoken Actes 6. And the conditions and qualities which ought to bee in the Deacons that men will chose are there described and set out and also in the third chapter of the first Epistle to Timothie 1. Tim. 3.8 c. These are the degrees of the Church or ecclesiastical orders which Iesus Christ him selfe sette vp and his Apostles after him established for the regiment and gouernment of the Church which order was afterwardes in the Popedome by litle and litle not onely corrupted but vtterly ouerthrown For in that tyrannous king dome after that corruption had once craftilie ouertaken or stolne vppon the doctrine of the Church they diuised and forged a stewardshippe dispensation and bestowing of ecclesiasticall offices and charges which was altogether farre of and estraunged from the former simplicitie plainenes whereof we haue spokē Wherin first they made a sacrament without the warrant of Gods worde of the orders and degrees of ministers Afterwards they diuised a certaine kinde of creame or oyle to anoint thē as they say but indeed it is to grease or smeare them fetching that though a false zeale from Aaron and that which was done in olde time vnder the lawe Also shauing or sheering specially of the crowne of the heade against the custome both of the Apostles and of the primitiue Church Actes 18.18 It is true indeed that S. Paul did once cause his heade to be shorne in Cenchrea after the manner of the Iewes but it was by reason of a vow which he had made and not that he was then ordeined into some ministery but a great while after his calling And in that hee caused himselfe to be shorne he did it not for any other purpose but to applie himselfe thereby to the Iewes who were as yet verie rude and not well instructed 1. Cor. 9.20 as hee himselfe protesteth in the Epistle to the Corinthians That of his owne accorde and willingly hee became vnder the Lawe although hee were deliuered therefrom to the end he might winne the Iewes Orders of the Romish Church Next they established or made seuen orders of the Church the first Porters or doore keepers the second Readers the thirde Exorcistes or in playne english Coniurers who as they faine had power giuen them to lay their handes vpon mad men and men possessed with diuels and to heale them the fourth Acoluthes that is to say followers who waited vpon the Bishop in his houshold seruices and did continually accompany him first for honours sake and then that no suspicion should arise of them the fifth Subdeacons or vnderdeacons the sixt Deacons and the seuenth Priestes of which last sort they haue made many degrees whereof they call some simple or single Chaplaines Others Curates and Vicars others Bishops others Archbishops or Metropolitanes other some Cardinalls And afterward they came to the foure Patriarches and lastly to the Pope himselfe But from whence commeth this goodly hierarchie or order of Priests who hath established it set it in nature or being Did Iesus Christ or his Apostles the scripture maketh no mentiō therof But let vs discourse a little vpon the fountaine and beginning of these goodly degres I say and meane onely of those which they conteine vnder the name Priest For the others keepe not the place of true Bishops and pastors of the Church as these would seeme to doe And yet notwithstanding hee that will heare speach thereof Theod. Beza lib. Confe Punct 7. cap 11. let him reade the confession of Theodorus Beza As concerning Chaplaines Durandus in his booke called Rationale diuinorum offic alleageth two reasons to shew why priests were so called The one is because the kings of France in time heretofore when they went to warre were wont to carrie with them Saint Martins capp or hoode which they kepte vnder a tent which of the cap kept in it was named Capella that is Chappel and the Clerkes or Priestes that had the keeping of this Chappel were called Chaplaines and afterwardes in continuance of time this name was in some countries giuen generally to all Priestes And these litle Cabbines or corners or rather high places which were in the Popishe Temples wherein the Chaplaines saide their masses were called Chappels The other reason
his epistles Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria in the third Epistle to Philemon calleth Heraclas his predecessor Pope as we may see in Eusebius his seuenth booke Euseb lib. 7. cap. 7. seuenth Chapter There may be many such like testimonies founde which declare that the name Pope was in auncient time commō to all Bishoppes If the question be touching the signification of the name Suidas saith that it signifieth in the language of Syracuse as much as father But we haue disputed and discoursed heretofore largely inough of this primacie Now let vs returne to our first purpose speach who is he the hath ordeined these orders and ecclesiasticall degrees by what dore haue these pastors entered into the Lordes sheepefolde who hath called and placed them in their charges was Iesus Christ who is the chiefe sheepeherde the Prince of Prophetes the wisedome of the father so ill aduised or so carelesse that he hath not placed so many degrees and offices in his Church as hee sawe and knewe to be needefull for the rule and gouernement thereof seeing hee loued it so much and esteemed it so deare and precious vnto him selfe that he deliuered him selfe vnto the most cruel most shamefull death of all others to saue it Let these reuerend Prelats put downe their authors Let them shewe from whence they are come from whome it is that they be as it were installed established and set in the Church Let them bringe foorth and alledge the worde of GOD if they can or if they can not let them leaue off and cease at the least to strengthen them selues so much with their succession and so often to oppose and set against vs their vocation and sending The ende wherefore the lord sent his workmē into his haruest Matt 28.19 Mark 16.15 1. Cor. 11.23.24 But wil we examine the end for which the Lord of the haruest hath sent forth his workemen into his haruest Hee himselfe hath declared it when he cōmanded them to preach the Gospel and to minister the sacramentes after his example Which in an other place is signified by the worde of feeding the sheep Ioh. 12.15 euen as Iesus Christ said vnto Peter Peter louest thou me feede my sheepe And S. Paul speaking to the Bishops of Ephesus Act. 20.28 Take heed to your selfe saith he and to all the flocke ouer which the holy ghost hath made you Bishoppes or ouerseers to feede the Church of God Also S. Peter The elders which are amongest you I beseech 1. Pet. 5.1.2 who am also a fellow elder feede the flock of Christ which is committed to you Wherefore cursing and woe is by the Lorde pronounced against the pastors which feed themselues Ezech. 34.2 and feede not their flockes or sheep And Saint Paul hauing regarde thereto Rom. 1.1 saith in his Epistle to the Romaines That hee was called and sent by Iesus Christ to preach the Gospell of God And to the Corinthians Necessitie saith hee to preach the Gospell 1. Cor. 9.17 is laide vppon mee and wo is vnto me if I preach not the Gospell because the dispensation therof is committed vnto mee In the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is saide Heb. 13.17 that the Pastors and guiders of the Church ought to watch for the soules of them that are committed vnto them as they that must giue account thereof And that is it that the worde bishop importeth meaneth that is to say a watch man or an ouerwatcher because the Pastors ought to bee as it were watches or watch men Ezech. 3.17.33.2 according to the Prophecie of Ezechiel that they maye watche ouer the flocke S. Paul in other words setteth out this ende when hee saith to the Ephesians Eph. 4.11.12 That Iesus Christe hath giuen Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes pastors and doctors for the gathering together of the Sainctes for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ that is to say the Church 1. Cor. 4.1.2 And writing vnto the Corinthians hee saith in one worde That it is required of the ministers of Christ who are the disposers of the secretes of God that euerie man be founde faithfull behauing himselfe faithfully diligently and rightly in the execution of his charge and office Nowe according to this rule can the Popes Cardinals Bishops other priests of the Romish Church say that they occupie themselues in their charges to feede the flocke of Christe to preach the Gospell to administer the sacramentes to assemble the saintes to giue ouer themselues wholy to the worke of the ministerie to edifie the Church Howe doe they satisfie and aunswere the ordinance and commandement of Iesus Christ Howe can they excurse thēselues that they should not be almost all accused according to the testimonie of Ezechiel and S. Paul whereof wee spake not long sithence what can they say or alledge for themselues that they should not be excommunicated deposed if the Canons which they attribute to the Apostles of which wee spake in the fifth chapter were well and rightly obserued amongest them as they say they should be indeede But behold their vngodlinesse they say that they exercise and execute their foresaide offices and charges by their vicars deputies whome they haue substituted and appointed vnder them in their places ouer their Parishioners Yea but when Iesus Christ called and sent foorth his Apostles did he say vnto them goe and be the pastors of my Church teaching it and feeding by Vicars substitutes and Lieutenantes which ye shall put in your places It is certaine that hee did not so but hee gaue vnto them in their owne persons the speciall charge of his Church and commanded them in plaine expresse termes to preach the Gospell themselues and to administer the sacraments Moreouer what sufficient vicars or deputies are they wont to haue and how faithful meet and able to doe the duetie of Pastors Such Bishoppes and persons such Vicars and Liuetenants that is to say one of them as ignoraunt foolish and vnskilful as the other But why doe they take vppon them the name and charge of an office which they will not exercise and execute why take they the hire wages and reuenue of that labor worke which at no hand they doe neither indeed will doe For they haue no care to haue vicars and Lieutenauntes but that thereby they may enioy prebendes and the reuenewes of their benefices and yet they wil seeme to haue them as though it were to do their dueties Yea which is more then this they make accursed and more then profane diuision of their offices betweene them and their Friers vilanously separating that which Iesus Christ hath ioyned together For to whome was it that Iesus Christ committed the office to minister the sacramentes but euen to them themselues and to them alone also whome he enioyned and commaunded to preach the Gospell But these men to wit the Bishops parsons other Priestes
Origen in Iohan. Hom. 7. that hee whiche hath bene three times admonished and yet afterwards amendeth not should be cut off from the bodie of the Churche by the gouernours of the Churche And Saint Cyprian Cypr. lib. 3. epist 10.14 27. making mention of the custome and manner vsed in his time touching the publike and open censures of the Churche saith that nothing at all was done by the Bishoppe without the counsell of the Cleargie and the consent of the people Wherefore the Pope of Rome declareth him selfe to bee a false dealer and indeede a tyrant when snatching away and that by violence from the Churche the right and power that belongeth thereto hee arrogateth to him selfe and to his power and authoritie to cut off from the Churche and to excommunicate whome so euer hee or any of them shall thinke good The fourth consideration is touching the ends which men ought to set before them in the corrections of the Church and namely in excommunication Nowe there are three speciall ends thereof The first is that those which be of wicked life and conuersation may not haue any place amongest true Christians to the contempt of Gods name The second is that good people may not be corrupted by the conuersation of the wicked 1. Cor. 5.6 for a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The third is that they which haue fallen and offended may be confounded and ashamed in them selues and afterwardes lifted vp againe comforted and reconciled to the Church 2. Thes 3.14 That is it which S. Paul setteth out and meaneth when he saith If any man obey not our saying note him by a letter and haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed 1. Cor. 5.5 Also speaking of the incestuous person I haue determined saith he that he should be deliuered to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus These three ends are verie largely laid out at length discoursed vpon in the fourth booke of M. Caluines Institution Cap. 12. Sect. 5. Calu. lib. 4. Inst cap. 12. sect 5. Whereof the summe is that in corrections and censures men must regard and looke to three endes that is to say the glorie of God the edification of the Church and the repentance and conuersion of sinners The fift consideration is that men in the reprehensions and censures of the Church looke well to this that they haue not such cōsideration regard or respect to the outward appearance and shewe of mens persons that they tread the little ones or poore people vnder their feete and support aide and hearten the great and rich Deut. 10.17 Gal. 3.28 For as God accepteth no mans person and in the Church there is neither Iewe nor Grecian bond nor free male nor female but all are one in Iesus Christe so the gouernors of the Churche ought alwayes to walke with an vpright and equall foote without turning aside any manner of way in receiuing and allowing some and in refusing and disallowing others It is verie true that corrections ought alwayes to be tempered measured and accompanied with gentlenesse softnesse and courtesie to the end as Saint Paul saith that he that is reproued or blamed 2. Cor. 2.7 may not be swallowed vp with ouer much heauinesse For otherwise we shall turne the the remedie into poyson and hurt And therefore the same Apostle doth exhort vs Gal. 6.1 That we should restore with the spirite of meekenesse such as be fallen into or ouertaken with some fault 1. Tim. 5.12 And againe Rebuke not saith he an Elder vnreuerently but admonish or exhort him as a father the young men as brethren the elder women as mothers the younger as sisters with all purenesse and chastitie We must therefore moderate with gentlenesse and meekenesse the rigour or hardnesse of the discipline least we hurt rather then profite But so farre off is it that they ought to spare any man that the corrections must be equally and indifferently applied and administred to all them which shal haue neede thereof whether they be men or women whether they be great or small whether they be masters or seruantes whether they be Gentlemen or of the common sort We knowe with what earnestnesse and heate Chrysostome was angrie against the Pastours in his time who for feare of great and rich men durst not reiect or put from the supper any of them when they offred them selues thereto nor before they were admitted thereto Chrysost Hom. 3. in Matth. The bloud saith he of these men shall be required at your handes If you feare mortall men for their greatnesse and riches verily men shall mocke you but if so be that you feare the liuing God he will bring to passe that euen men them selues shall haue you in honour and estimation And those which are lifted vp in dignitie An admonitiō to great men not to reiect or despise the discipline ought not to refuse to submit them selues and to make them selues as it were subiect to the discipline and they ought not to refuse the corrections of their Pastours and Elders seeing that by this meanes the Lorde will set them againe vpon their feete after they are fallen There is I knowe not what manner of pride in many which hindereth them from submitting them selues vnto the discipline There is besides I knowe not what maner of foolish and filthie shame which when it hath once seised or taken holde of them they loue rather to continue in their vices than to be aduertised or admonished thereof to the end that they may keepe them selues there from But the Emperor Theodosius was better aduised and of a more godlie minde For we reade Ambr. lib. 1. epist 3. in oratio Theodosij that when Saint Ambrose had excommunicated him by reason of much innocent bloud which was spilt and shead at his commaundement he tooke such a censure in good part and so farre off was it that he was stubborne and selfe willed against his Pastor and his Elders to recoile backe againe or to withdrawe him selfe from the Church that on the other side approuing the same correctiō and censure he vnclothed him selfe of his kingly ornaments and openly bewailing his sinne in the Church he did with teares gronings and sighes demaund and aske forgiuenesse thereof Certainly this is not in vaine that Iesus Christ hath said to the Pastors of his church What so euer ye shall bind or loose in earth Matt. 18.18 shall be bound or loosed in heauen For thereby he hath authorised his Church in the vse of the keyes by the word of God to condemne the peruerse stubborne and vngodlie and by the same word to reconcile and receiue to mercie all true penitent sinners Which authoritie of the Church is not restrained or hedged in to be exercised and executed among the common people only but also vpon Lordes and Magistrates Whereupon it
There is none but God alone that can institute and ordeine a lawfull seruice which may be agreeable to himselfe and acceptable in his sight for this cause he him selfe saieth Deut. 12. 8.32 Yee shall not doe after all these thinges that yee doe heere this day that is euery man whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eyes but whatsoeuer I commaund you take heed yee do it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom And in Ieremiah Ier. 7.22 23 I spake not saieth he vnto your fathers nor commaunded them whē I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices but this thing I commanded them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and yee shal be my people and walke yee in all the wayes which I haue commaunded you that it may be well vnto you He saieth also by his Prophet Samuell 1. Sam. 15.22 Thinkest thou that the Lord hath as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when his voice is obeyed Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fatte of Rammes Wee may read many such or the lyke sentēces but specially this is notable and excellent that the sonnes of Aaron were horribly burned and consumed with the fire which was sent out from the Lord Leuit. 10.1 c. because they offered straunge fire and which in deede was not commaunded them But wee adde that the lawes which concerne doctrine and by which mens consciences are tied apperteine to the seruice of God And therfore it foloweth that there is none but God alone which can make and establish such lawes The third reason Lawes concerning doctrine and such as binde mens consciences ought to bee vnto vs a testimony pledge of the wil of God But God alone by his word can giue vnto vs this testimony and at no hand or by no meanes men as of them selues Isaiah 40.13 c. Rom. 11.34 For who hath instructed the spirite of the Lord or was his Counsellor or taught him as the scripture saith It followeth thē that God alone may make establish lawes concerning doctrine and which shal serue to binde mens cōsciēces The fourth reason If it belong to the Church to make lawes concerning doctrine the seruice of god this must needs be that she hath receiued the prerogatiue and authoritie from God him self for mē haue not here in their life any power so to doe But so it is that the Church hath not receiued from God this prerogatiue authoritie For cōtrariwise God hath expresly plainly forbidden them to ioyne or adde any thing to his lawe Deut. 4.2.12.32 Wherefore it followeth that it doeth not apperteine to her to make lawes touching doctrine and the seruice of God The fift reason It is necessary that they which make lawes shoulde haue Lordship rule authoritie ouer thē to whom they giue those lawes But the church hath no Lordship or rule ouer the consciences of the faithful 1. Pet. 5.3 for S. Peter speketh with a loud voice plainly That the Pastors Bishops haue not any Lordshippe ouer the Lordes inheritance that is to say ouer the faithful of whō the church is composed made 2. Cor. 1.4 And S. Paul plainly protesteth touching himself that hee hath not any dominion ouer the faith of the Corinthians Wherefore it followeth that the Church may not make or establish lawes to binde the consciences of faithfull people Mat. 15.9 The sixt reason The Lorde saieth In vaine they worship mee teaching for doctrine mens precepts and commaundements 1. Tim. 4.1 c. And S. Paul calleth lawes traditiōs touching forbidding of marriage and vse of meats the doctrine of Deuils Collos 2.16.18 Also he saieth Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an holy day c. Let no mā at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of minde and worshipping of Angels By these sentences it is most plaine and euident that the Church ought not nor may not establish any such lawes to binde tye or restraine mens consciences The seuenth reason The lawes which take away from vs that Christian libertie which Christ hath gotten and purchased for vs ought not in any case to be established or tollerated For S. Paule exhorteth vs Galat. 5.1 to stande fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and that we should not be intangled againe with the yoke of bondage But the lawes giuen by men not from God him selfe touching matters which are commended vnto vs with an opinion of necessitie which are required of vs as workes meritorious or as the seruice of God take away frō vs the christian libertie and freedome which Christ hath purchased for vs of this sort are the lawes made touching the obseruatiō and keeping of lent celebration or keping holy of certaine feasts not to eate flesh vpon Friday Saturday and certain other dayes such like things Wherfore it followeth that such lawes ought not in any case to be established set vp tollerated or borne withall But wee wil make or put an end to this Chapiter with two sentences which make altogether for vs Tho. Aquin. in summa part 3. in additio 46. Artic. 6. are altogether against the Romish Catholikes The one is Thomas of Aquine his owne saying thus Because that the church is founded alreadie and grounded in the faith in the Sacraments it doth not belong to the Ministers of the Church to make newe Articles of faith or new Sacraments or to take away those which are alreadie made and established For this is the excellencie and power which belongeth onely vnto Iesus Christ who is the foūdatiō of the church The other sētēce is of Alphōsus de Castro his own conteining these wordes Alphons de Cast aduersus omnes bareses lib. 1. Cap. 8. It may not at any hand bee either done or suffered that the church should establish a new article of faith but that which was in former time the true faith and which notwithstanding was hidden from vs the Church bringeth to passe by her testimony and witnes that the same is made knowne vnto vs And the Abbot is verie much deceiued in the decretals expounding the Chapiter which beginneth Cum Christus that is when Christ c. in the title of Heretikes when he saieth That the pope may make newe articles of faith Hee knew not nor vnderstood not what it was which hee spake and therefore erred and was deceiued as a Shoomaker should be if hee would take vpon him some matter ouer and besides his occupation The sixteenth Chapter Of the afflictions and persecutions of the Church THere are diuers which woulde faine haue a Church of sugar or of veluet as you wold say that is to say that in seruing God they might be exempted from all afflictions Suche were Zebedeus his sonnes Iames
humilitie and in the feare of God and to remaine and abide vnited and ioyned together one of vs with an other diligently keeping thorowe the bande of peace that spirituall vnitie which God commaundeth vs if wee will liue in tranquilitie and enioye some rest here belowe on the earth in the midst of a peruerse and crooked generation And thus muche touching the tenne great and generall persecutions of the Church as wee haue beene able to gather them out of the Historiographers But as we haue before noted that before this the Church was persecuted in the time of the Emperours Augustus Tiberius Caligula and Claudius so we haue to marke that in the time of other Emperours who raigned betweene the time of whom wee haue spoken in the generall persecutions the faythfull people and Christians did not so liue at their ease but that euerie day some newe assaultes were made against them and laide vpon them And after these Emperors yet was not the Church in rest but was afterwards almost euery day assaulted and tormented as for example vnder Galerius a cruell Tyrant who increased the persecution begunne by Dioclesian and vnder certaine others Nowe this is to bee noted that from the first Bishop of Rome vnto Siluester the first of that name who was constituted set vp in the yeere of Christe 314. there were thirtie and two Bishoppes of Rome all them suffered martyrdome Since that time the other Bishops of Rome for the most parte yea almost all haue duely gouerned and behaued themselues in the execution of their charge and offices and in steede of the vowe of martyrdome which their predecessors had they haue vsurped another very trimme haunte they themselues making themselues in steede of the Pagane Emperours Tyrants and persecutors of the Church But yet notwitstanding there were also certaine cruell Emperours vnder whom Iulian the Apostata or in whose dayes the Church suffered very much Iulian the Apostata about the yeere of Christe 363. reigned Emperour about two yeeres He ordeined that the Christians shoulde not bee receiued to warfare and that they should not haue any temporall office touching criminall iudgement meaning thereby any authortie to iudge touching life and death saying he in deed mocking them that by their lawe it was forbidden to vse the sword He made a law by which the goods of the Galileās for so he called the christians should be cōfiscate saying that Christ had commanded them pouertie Hee ordeined and set a certaine punishmente by money vpon them which would not offer Sacrifice and therby founde the meane to get and catche a great some of money and when the christians complained therof it belongeth to you woulde hee say to suffer euilles for your Galilean hath so commaunded you Socrates reciteth all this Socrates lib. 3. cap 13. 14. Valens in his Ecclesiasticall historie lib. 3. Cap. 13. 14. Valens being created Emperour about the yeere of Christe 366. reigned fifteene yeere Hee sent many Bishops Elders and Deacons into exile and caused them to be greeuously tormented vsed great crueltie against the Christian Church Touching which wee will note and put downe a history meet to bee remembred Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 18. Sozom. lib. 16.8 which fel out about the yere of Christ 380 whereof Socrates the historiographer and Sozomen both make mention There was say they in the Citie of Edessa in Mesopo tamia a temple of S. Thomas whereto the Christians did commonly come and wherin they had their ordinary assēblies which thing the Emperour Valens seeing and knowing that this multitude detested his heresie he gaue the Prouost of the Citie a blow with his hād because he had not giuen order to driue from thence the saide Christians Now this Prouost hauing receiued that blow being ready at the point to execute the Emperors commandement against his will and affection not willing also to commit so great a murther against so great a multitude secretly aduertised them and gaue them intelligence to withdrawe them selues that they might not be foūd but none would yeeld to his counsel not fearing any threatning insomuch that on the morrow all assēbled themselues meet together in the aforesaide place as they were accustomed Then as the Prouost of that Citie wente with a great company of souldiers to the saide Temple to put in execution the Emperors commandement a pore woman holding a little child of hers by the hād made hast to goe to martyrdome with her brethren and with the haste which shee made shee brake the ranckes and rowes of the souldiers Wherwith the Prouost being angrie and much moued caused the said woman to come vnto him to whom he saide O cursed woman whither runnest thou so vnorderly thither saith shee whither all the other make hast to goe Doest not thou saith hee vnderstande that the Prouost goeth thyther to murther and kill all those that hee shall finde there I vnderstood it saith shee very wel therfore I make hast that I may be found with thē And whither leadest thou this litle childe said hee The woman saide thither also to the ende that hee likewise may receiue the crowne of martyrdome When the forsaide Prouost vnderstoode these things he maruelled at the courage boldnesse of the Christians and returned towardes the Emperour declating vnto him that al were prepared and readie to indure and suffer death for their faith and that it was not reasonable or meete too put to death in so litle time so great a multitude of people By which worde hee persuaded Valens to moderat and stay his wrath and so the aforesaide faithful people of Edessa escaped death Notwithstanding it is saide in another place that they were afterwardes throwne out of the Citie sent into banishment Wee might in deed easily bring foorth in this place many other examples of persecutions vnder the Emperours but then this discourse or Treatise woulde be ouerlong And also it is certaine that the greatest persecutions haue sithence the abouenamed fallen vpon the poore Church by them that pretended themselues to be the gouerners thereof who had on their side worldly kings and Princes who also gaue them all and shewed them all fauour as the histories of the Martyres both in former ages and also in our time doe yeelde sufficient credite and witnesse thereof so that it is not needefull to insert or alledge in this place any examples thereof But touching this matter of the persecutiōs of the church Points to be marked touching the persecutions of the Church wee haue to obserue and marke certaine points The first reason is that persecutions afflictiōs come not without the prouidēce and appointment of God To this end are to be referred these places Isaiah 45.7 I am the Lorde that forme the light and create darkenesse I make peace and create euill I the Lorde do all these things Amos. 3.6 this is in Isaiah And Amos saith Shall there bee euill
recompence that slownesse as it were long forebearing by very terrible torments yea it commeth and draweth nigh by little and little with feete of wooll as it were but being once arriued and come it declareth that it hath an arme of iron to bruise in peeces beat downe all vnrepentant wicked persons O blessed is he as a certaine Poet hath sayde who is made wise by an other mans daungers and examples I wishe that this might open the eies of the men of our time who doe openly bande and set themselues againste God and his Church For some there bee who are so arrogant and presumptuous that they take pleasure delight in no other thing then to murther and persecute poore innocent people as though they had made a couenant or agreement with death it self as Isaiah saith They lift vp thē selues aboue the clowdes Isaiah 28.15 neither haue they any tast or feeling of the iudgement of God and therefore they harden them selues in a cursed kinde of licentiousnesse But so much there is that their ende if they amend not shall make manifest an alteration and chaunge not looked for by which the Lorde when so seemeth good vnto himselfe knoweth rightly to execute his own iudgemēts yea that his hande although it appeare not that it seemeth as thogh hee had it shut vp in his bosome is notwithstanding nigh to ouerwhelme them and where as they lift vp them selues against heauen that hee will in a moment and twinkling of an eye make them to fal backwarde to the earth yea and cast them headlong to the deapth or bottome of Hell O that tyrants persecutors would thinke well of these matters But what What should a man doe to hard heartes and to blinded eies The wicked become more proude through the prosperitie which they haue in this worlde as though that no punishmēt for their cruelties were prepared for them It fareth with them as with Dionysius the tyrant who after he had spoyled and robbed a temple went to the Sea and seeing hee had a good wind beganne to say that the Gods fauoured Churche robbers or spoylers of temples So likewise these men when they beholde that their offences remaine vnpunished that their villanies wickednesses are not corrected immediatly they giue them selues ouer to worke wickednesse outragiously and to conclude in their carnal fleshly vnderstāding that there is no iudgement of God at all and that hee hath no punishments redy and prepared for their iniquities But as the holy Scripture determineth and pronounceth the quite and cleane contrary so ordinary and common experience of the examples of gods wrath doeth sufficiently shew vnto vs that when god spareth the wicked persecutors of his people for a time and maketh as though hee seemed not to looke vpon their extortions outrages and violences it is not because hee is fauourable vnto them neither because hee reacheth them his hande and helpeth them for it cannot otherwise bee but that one day as hee is a iuste iudge hee wyll giue vnto the enimies of his glorie and the good and saluation of his Children suche recompence and hyre as they shall haue deserued first in this life if it bee expedient that they may shamefully and wickedly ende their daies and afterwardes in the other worlde that they may vtterly perishe if they repent and amend not in this life and may bee tormented eternally in Hell fire where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth FINIS ¶ A Table conteining the principall matters handled in this present booke A AFflictions and the causes thereof Page 333. c. Afflictions of the church 274. Afflictions of the Church and the ends which God respecteth therein 340. Afflictions of the Church increase when the deliuerance thereof is nigh 325. Afflictions of the Church is alwayes ordered and gouerned by Gods hande 321. Afflictions come not without the prouidence of God 318. Afflictions and their issue in respect of the faithfull 345. Afflictions and their issue in respect of the persecutors 357. Ancientes 133. Antiochus 359 Apostles 128. Archebishops 69. 144. Aurelian 304 372. Augustine and in what sense he saide that hee would not beleeue the Gospel without the authoritie of the church 222. Auncient fathers did not acknowlege the bishop of Rome for Pope 92. c. B BBaptisme of the Roman Church 115. Bishop 69. 133. 143. Bishop vniuersal is a title of Antichrist when it is giuen to men 94. C CAlling see Vocation Cardinals 146. Censures 247. Censures three endes thereof 252. Censures of the Church must be applied with out respect of persons 255. Chaplines 140. Councels 202. Consistorie 241. Corrections and censures 247. Curates 142. Church whence it commeth 2. Church how many waies taken 2. Churche which is true hath two substantiall markes 15. Church and her continuance 55. Church and her head is Iesus Christ alone 68. Church and her holinesse 184. Church compared to a Palme tree roses lilies and to a Vine 332. Old Church of Rome what a one it was according to Tertullian his iudgement 106. Church catholike is one alone 11. Church catholike inuisible what it is 7. Church distinguished into three sortes 4. Church in what sense called the piller groūd of trueth 200. Church in what sense saide to be without spot or wrinckle 189. Church whether aboue the scripture 213. Church whether more old then the scripture 220. Church must not be iudged by the great number 58. Church whether it may erre 197. Church why called catholike 9. Church why saide to bee inuisible 12. Church represented by a bright lampe or firebrand in the middest of a burning or smoking furnace 330. Church represented by the burning bush 330. Church of Rome hath not the markes of the true church 19. Church of Rome is not the true church 102. Church of Rome hath not true vnitie 113. Church increaseth in the middest of persecutions 330. Church visible what it is 14. D DEcius 299.370 Deacons 136. Diaconisses 244. Dioclesian 305. 373. Discipline necessarie in the Church 235. Discipline incrocheth nothing vpon the magistrate 237. Doctors 132. Domitian 283. 365. Donation of Constantine to Siluester 87. E EVangelistes 130. Excōmunication 3. endes therof 252. Exposition of Scriptures and two principles necessary therein 20. Elders 135. G GAlerius 376. Galien 302. God deliuereth his church out of afflictions when it is time 327. God why he afflicteth rather his church then other people 319. God why he sendeth not succour to his church so soone as it is afflicted 323. H HEad of the church is Iesus Christ alone 68. Herode Agrippa 362. Herode Antipas 362. Herode the great 360. High or chiefe Bishop 97. Holinesse of the Church vnperfect 187. I IGnorance excuseth not 125. Iulian the Apostata 313. 377. K Keyes in the Church and the vse thereof 79. L Lawes Ecclesiasticall 258. M MArcus Aurelius 293. 357. Maximianus Herculien 305. 373. Maximinus 298. 369. Metropolitanes 69. 144. 149. Ministerie and howe much shoulde bee giuen thereto 179. Ministerie of the worde ordeined by God for our weakenesse sake 177. Ministerie necessary in the Churche 160. Ministers considered after two sortes 180. Ministers of the church their degrees or orders 128. Miracles are not sufficient to proue a calling 53 Multitude maketh nothing at al for the church 58. N Nero. 184. 364. O Orders of the Pope his cleargie 139. P POpe 97. 152. Pope and his blasphemies 75. Popes two at Rome at one time 91. Pastors 131. Patriarches 69. 149. Paule shoulde rather bee taken for Pope then Saint Peter 100. Persecutions of the Church 274. Persecutions of the Church ten great and general a discourse thereof 279. Persecutions come not without Gods prouidence 318. Persecution the first vnder Nero. 281. Persecution the second vnder Domitian 283. Persecution the third vnder Traian 284. Persecution the fourth vnder Marcus Aurelius 293. Persecution the fift vnder Seuerus 296. Persecution the sixt vnder Iulian Maximinus 298. Persecution the seuenth vnder Decius 299. Persecution the eight vnder Valerian and Galien 302. Persecution the nienth vnder Aurelian 304. Persecution the tenth vnder Dioclesian and Maximianus 305. Pharao 358. Peter whether he were Bishop of Rome is vncertaine 98. Peter was not the head of the Church 71. Pilate 363. Pontifex or high Bishop 97. Predecessours of ours who died in the faith of the Romane church whether saued or condemned 126. Priestes 140. Prophetes 129. Parsons 158. S SAbaoth changed to the Sunday 228. Sanctitie or holinesse of the churche is vnperfect 187. Sanctification how wrought in vs. 186. Sanctification and three degrees of it 69. Saincts in what fense wee are called 185. Sancherib 358. Seuerus 296. 269. Succession and three sortes thereof 26. Succession to what ende and in what sense the auncient Doctors vsed an argument taken there from 28. Sucession personall hath some times had a breache in the seate of Rome 35. Succession and calling of persons 24. T TRaian 284. 356. Teachers 132. V VAlens the Emperour 314. 378. Valerian 362. 371. Vicars 140. Vnitie in veritie is not in the Romishe church 113. Vocation of Pastors three thinges necessarie therein 39. Vocation ordinarie and extraordinary 47. FINIS