manner of man hee is and woe will be to him that would bring such a shame vpon Israell without a cause if hee repent not As for mee I thanke God I was neuer stained with couetousnesse nor filthy lucre I defie all flesh Lord gather not thou my soule with the sinners nor my life with bloudie men in whose hand is wickednesse and their right hand is full of bribes but I will walke in mine innocencie redeeme me and be mercifull to me my foote stands in vprightnesse therefore will I praise thee O Lord in the Congregation Now you goe on THE ADMONENT TOuching our Church and Bishops being in it before you were borne if so be so is Popple among Wheate before it be shorne of great auncientnesse Coâ—uall springing vp with it and in the ground perhaps before it And incontinent You will finde it difficult enough to proue that Bishops were receuied in our Church wittingly willingly by choyse and free consent c. THE ANSVVERE IF I proue it not without difficultie and make it plaine to the iudicious indifferent Reader let mee be blamed Your refuge that Bishops were in our Church as Popple among Wheate will not relieue you for you will finde them planted in this soyle watred nourished and defended by the best Fathers of our Church In your scorning of vniting or revniting Bishops and Presbyters Weedes as yee call it with wine speaking oft-times so barbarously for want of better you doe but shew your selfe most worthy to be scorned as ignorant of all Antiquitie which could very well informe you that a Bishop without a Presbyterie is an head without a bodie and a Presbyterie without a Bishop a body without an head Where by a Presbyterie I vnderstand that which Ignatius cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Consistorie of a Bishop subordinate to him afterward called his Chapter because they were instar Capituli Episcopo which serue for assistance of him in waightie matters as also to take care that the possessions of the Bishopricke should not haue beene dilapidated Then is it well when they both goe together euery one in their owne place to doe the worke of God But no maruell Mr. Dauid denies that Bishops were in the Primitiue church or that our owne church once allowed them for hee is bold to denie that any Father or Brother of our present Church approueth the Office of Bishops but esteemes it as followeth THE ADMONENT 1 THe Office of a Bishop is vnlawfull in it selfe 2. More vnlawfull in this Church of Scotland 3. Vnprofitable in it importing tyrannie and is it selfe tyrannie 4. Doth and shall import more libertie and loosenesse of life in it selfe and in the Countrey with Papistry senslessenes Atheisme some that thought wel of it in the beginning thinke worse of it now Consider the experience in boldning Papists in so vnlookt for manner so many witnesses in our chiefe Towne since Bishops got gouernment as was not nor durst not be in all Scotland when Presbyteries had gouernment Now Corruption flowes and ouer-flowes the whole Country and defaceth the face of a most beautifull Church THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid continues yet in his humour adhuc in Aegiptum euagatur patitur se in Assyriam pertrahi framing himselfe to the manners and fashions of Egypt and Assur hee raileth against Israell forgetting all pietie and modestie and truth that becommeth the holy people whereof hee professeth himselfe to be one Hee denyes that any eyther Father or Brother of the Ministrie in Scotland allowes the office of Bishops except it be Bishops themselues this is a notorious vntruth hee still affirmes it is vnlawfull and vnprofitable but vpon what reason wee will see when we come to the Question If yee had spoken this out of knowledge that the Episcopall Office in it selfe is vnlawfull and tyrannicall you would haue giuen some reason for it but when you come to the point you shew your selfe a coward turnes your shield on your shoulder and farely flyes the combat You would seeme a great Captaine and make your fellowes beleeue that you were matchlesse but strike not one stroke to defend their cause or hurt the contrarie but if crying may win the field then should be beare away the victorie for still hee cries it is vnlawfull tyrannicall and what not the reason is Mr. Dauid saith so and any silly wife could say as much to a cause as you doe here for you bring but words and so could shee suppose hardly so many as you In your other speeches you shew your selfe so full of malice that before you want doung to cast on the face of your Brethren whom you seeke to disgrace you had rather rake it out of the bellie of your Mother for what say you Is not the whole Church ouerflowed with Papistrie God forbid but rather the deluge of waters which was before is begunne to fall See you not the tops of many mountaines discouered and by all appearance if the Lord by the care of a prudent Prince had not prouided this remedie of Episcopall authoritie it might well haue fallen out as you say that the spawne of Papistry would haue ouer-flowed all Otherwise tell mee what would you haue done to preuent it Excommunicate them so might you quickely haue equalled the sicke wiâ—â— the whole or 〈◊〉 haue infected the whole with the sicke What else could you doe vnlesse it had beene to draw the matter to the needlesse hazard of a battell as seemes by you words They durst not say you what is it to keepe a man that hee dare not The Ecclesiastique sword you know was contemned the 〈◊〉 sword that is the last remedie praised be God wee haue a better all your Physicke is violent Cut off cut off but a prudent Prince in more moderate manner can effectuate peace giue authoritie to truth and falshood fals to the ground And where you say that the face of a most beautifull Church is defaced meaning the Church of the first towne in the Kingdome how vnrighteous vndutifull and inconsiderate are you Is it your pleasure to spit in the face of your Mother delight you to vncouer her shame if you could finde it and where you cannot is it your sport to blacke her face with the soote of your calumnie and then call enemies to looke vpon it What say you Mr. Dauid to the Church of Edenburgh Is it not still a Mother Church Is not the way of God truely taught in it Hath it not learned and famous Preachers of whom you are vnworthie Is there any defection in it from any point of truth How then defaced By Masses say you said in it Were they publicke You dare not affirme it Were they stollen in secret You cannot denie it and yet discouered by the vigilant care of their Bishop and Pastors Thankes to God such abhomination dare not be auouched there Is this a defacing of that Church No it is a detracting of yours no defacing of
not a Bishop for hee is a Bishop who is first among the Presbyters there they are distinguished and vnited Ioyne to these Cyprians complaint Aliqui de Presbyteris nec Euangely nec loci sui memores nec futurum Domini iudicium nec sibi praepositum Episcopum cogitantes quod 〈◊〉 sub antecessoribus nostris factum est cum contumelia contemptu praepositi totum sibi vendicant c. Si vltri in sâ—â—dem perseuerauerint vtar ea admonitione qua me Dominus vti iubet vt interim prohibeantur offerre In his sixt Epistle hee professeth he was determined to doe nothing without counsell of his Compresbyters but because some Presbyters had receiued some that had fallen to the peace of the Church inconsulto Episcopo without knowledge of the Bishop neyther fearing the future iudgement of God nor the present Bishop set ouer them which hee saith was neuer done by any Presbyter vnder any of his Ancestors not without contumelie and contempt of their Bishop he warneth them if they continue in it hee will vse that censure against them which the Lord commaunded him and suspend them from their Ministrie How vnwise you were to alledge the authoritie of Cyprian for you this one place among many may witnesse for he not onely affirmes that the power of a Bishop ouer Presbyters is more auncient then his time but that it is warranted also by diuine authoritie I could to this same purpose bring many others if at this time I might attaine to my owne minutes collected for helpe of my memorie But let these suffice for the present If they content you not then I send you to the fourth Booke of Douname wherein hee proueth Episcopall Function to be of Apostolicall institution because it was generally receiued in the first three hundred yeeres after the Apostles If you be purposed to dispute this question you will finde him there with very formall and forcible reasonings defending Episcopall gouernement if you will not as I thinke you will not meddle with him because hee is too strong for you then you shall doe best to let alone your whisperings in the eares of simple people and your triuiall arguments which seeme good enough to them that know no better but in very deede are like the Cuties of bone wherewith Children shoote in the streetes that may well make a little fize with powder but are not able to carrie any Bullet and it will be long before you hurt a Bishop with such You carp at my Argument fol. 9. that I bring to proue the externall Dâ—scipline to be arbitarie and changeable as may best serue for edification because the Apostles in a greater matter dispensed with Circumcision for edification some of them retayning it some not admitting it as they saw best for the state of their people You neede not tell mee that Circumcision was a Sacrament and no point of Church-gouernment I know that very vvell but must tell you againe that as quicke as you thinke your selfe you mistake the argument for it is from the more to the lesse If the Apostles vsed a diuersitie in a greater thing for the good of the Church and did not all keepe one rule concerning the Sacrament of Circumcision why shall it be thought euill now to see diuersitie in the Church about a lesse thing some Churches vsing externall gouernment one way others another way as the state of the time and people requires Besides that I beleeued your Doctorship had beene so acquainted at least with the recent Writers of this age that you would haue soone perceiued the Author of the words alledged by mee to be Musculus on 1 Tim. 1. and his probation of it is not from auncient Augustine as you take it but from the latter Augustana Confessio put on your Spectacles and reade it againe Thus while as like a blinde man you would strike at mee you strike a more worthy man then euer you were and a vvhole reformed Church also Yet for all this your vvords are oracles good enough I warrant you in your owne Conuenticles and with them the simplicitie of many Christians is abused whose eyes I pray the Lord open that as they know the truth of the Gospell so they may know the truth of this question also and leaue off to rend this Church by so vnlawfull a diuision That you affirme no Schisme was in our Church till Bishops came I must tell you this is but your calumnie and the contrarie is notoriously knowne to mee it is cleare as the light with a mourning heart many a time haue I looked vnto one I could make it cleare to the world but I will not for all your prouocation I say no more but if you be ignorant of this you are a great stranger in S. Andrewes Your Discourses fol. 10. 11. 12. 13. are answered alreadie In the 14 you condemne the calling of the Bishops of this Church they neyther haue it from the people nor the Church nor the generall Assemblie Surely you are a pert affirmer of any thing you please for you will not finde any Bishop of Scotland whom the generall Assemblie hath not first nominated and giuen vp in lytes to that effect or else by such as haue authoritie in the Church to doe it In your fol. 15. you vsurpe the iudgement of my conscience and therein vtters the pride of your spirit but impaires not mine honest inward testimonie in the contrarie I affected no Bishoprie no creature can conuince me of Ambitus directly nor indirectly but you must be like your selfe affirme falshoods confidently that your simple ones may beleeue you neuerthelesse know that God will bring you to iudgement and you shall be countable if for your idle words much more for your false lying words spoken and published for the corrupting of others My words against the lying Libeller you wickedly and most wrongfully wrest against my brethren God forgiue you I haue answered it alreadie And where in your last leafe you runne out vpon your comparisons that those who haue laboured more faithfully and fruitfully in the worke of GOD then I haue done could teach mee how to behaue my selfe in the house of God though now say you I seeme to my selfe a great Doctor in Israell All this is but needlesse talke I refuse not to be taught of any in the Church I haue learned some good from any that euer I heard and haue taken paines to keepe it but what I seeme to be in mine owne eies is hard for you to know When in the secret of my heart I deale vvith my God I know my roome that I am the chiefe of sinners and least of Saints and in truth I so esteeme my selfe but where you will come in and out of your pride runne ouer mee and treade my gift vnder your feete I will not suffer you It is not mine owne and I got it not from you I will speake in defence of it and not let you disgrace
them yea rather it is their great commendation that in so populous a Citie scarce twelue are found miscarried by seducers and those also of no credit nor countenance who vvhen they are tryed and examined professe they had done it of simple ignorance and that they abhor the Masse so much the more because they haue seene it offering themselues most willing to declare their publicke Repentance to remoue all offences giuen by them out of the hearts of others and among them seeing there was not one Burgesse of Edenburgh deprehended in this fault why blame you the townâ— for it Tell mee I pray you was the Church of Ephesus defaced because some false Apostles did creepe into it find you not the contrarie that the Bishop of Ephesus called there the Angell is commended for that he had examined them and found them to be lyars If the Church of Edenburgh had fallen away which GOD auert as the Church of Thyatyra did and suffered Iezabell a false Prophetesse to teach and deceiue the Seruants of God there then you might say it were a defaced Church I suppose which I hope in God shall neuer fall out that Sathan had a Throne there as he had in Pergamus yet seeing there is a Church that will not denie the faith no though Antipas should be slaine how say you the face of the Church is defaced But the contrarie is manifest Satan may creepe in there like a thiefe thanks be to God he hath no throne there what villanie can hee worke which they punish not Can you say any of their Magistrates Councellors Ministers Elders Deacons or any honourable man of the body of their Citie is stained with that Heresie How then is the face of their Church defaced And truely though that many such were among them as you haue said which yet is not it were no maruell to mee when I remember the Apostles saying There must be Heresies that such as are approued may be tryed Where there is no winde to carrie chaffe away how shall the Corne be discerned where there is no Heresie how shall they be knowne who are confirmed in veritie rooted and grounded so in Christ stablished and built vpon the rocke that no winde of contrarie doctrine can carrie them away Traduce as you will this is the truth for many reasons is that Church worthy to be commended but in my iudgement this is the greatest commendation that euer it got that subtle Heretiques with the seed of false doctrine creeping in into her bosome to seeke an aduantage can finde either none at all or verie little Yet your other Assertions are more impudent it contents you not most wrongfully to haue defaced a chiefe Church in the Kingdome now you proceede to doe the like vnto all other Pastors and Professors in our Church THE ADMONENT I Know many doe countenance Bishops because they haue to doe with them and giue them obedience as a man would giue his goods to arobber let not the comparison seeme odious for in this they are alike that hee take not his life also because hee is not able to resist him I know some feare their menaces of Deposition Suspending Silencing putting them from their flockes takes it for a iust feare and so a compulsion so themselues to be excused but that from their hearts like of that Office I know none such as you speake of THE ANSVVERE THE words of the righteous are stedfast and what is it that you can iustly reproue in them I haue spoken it I speake it ouer againe and I know it that many worthie Fathers and Brethren of our Church are of that same minde concerning Church-gouernment that I haue here declared As for those whom you say you know to be otherwise minded looke what a miserable Patron you are vnto them if any such be for in this you haue lost credit you make them all temporizers dissemblers sillie timerous bodies that countenance Bishops not from their hearts but for feare and for compulsion Mr. Dauid I suffer you with the greater patience miscalling me at your pleasure since I see your tongue spares none nay not those whose hearts you grant your selfe are with you you spare not to call them dissemblers c. Since so it is that you take libertie to speake of all men as you please neither sparing those who are in heart with you nor yet those that in heart are against you in your opinion what remaines but that it be publickely proclaimed The Good man of Gods Croft his tongue is no slander THE ADMONENT AND that which you pretend of the aduise of this present Church comes vnder the same count nothing voluntary nor by â—hoyse but forced by such feares iust or apprehended for iust neyther by the Church customably assembled but by a number propped out for the most part by Bishops to that effect THE ANSVVERE THat Mr. Dauid may be knowne for a compleate Conuitiator as he hath hitherto spared no estate vntouched for hee hath set out the King hauing eies and eares not his owne that may deceiue him as though wee had so inconsiderate a Prince as to iudge by the eyes and eares of other men Bishops hee hath painted out for Tyrants Bribers Libertines Vsurpers Pastors reuerencing Bishops hee hath made false dissemblers sillie bodies The whole Church hee hath giuen out to flow and ouer-flow with Heresie The principall Church in the Kingdome he hath described to be a defaced Church so now as if those were too little in his last furie debacchatur in supremam Ecclesiae Synodum binding vp all his former railings in one bundle The Assemblie was conuocated by his Maiesties will and authoritie a part of his Christian and Kingly power the Bishops of the Church present in it Pastors hauing commission to vote from their Presbiteries many Noble men honestly affected to religion vnspotted yea vnsuspected in it many Commissioners from the most famous Churches and Townes of the Kingdome All these assembled together Mr. Dauid not with powder but with his penne blowes vp into the ayre as a corrupt assembly compelled budded bribed not rightly assembled and wherein nothing was rightly done yet was there some aged Fathers who subscribed plainly to the Episcopall gouernment now after better aduisement of whom it is knowne that before they suffered imprisoning for impugning of it whereof I doe but warne him by the way In the remanent of your Sections after your owne disordered manner to tell you as the truth is like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you compasse about mine Apologie without order making a proffer to many places in it not lighting nor resting vpon any to speake it in Scots you flie bumming a throat after the manner of a drone Bee making a great sound and noise but little labour no honie no solid reason no truth no learning vttered here onely iterate Inuectiues not worthie to be insisted in except I would Actum agere Your misconstruction of Iosephs preferment for the
no reasonable man will denie the Assumption will be this But Episcopall gouernement is such Embraced of the Catholike Church not instituted first by any Councel for it was before the first Oâ—cumenick Councell of Nice retained by all Councels not reiected nor impugned by any and this assumption is verefied by consent and testimonie of the Church in all ages which the learned Fathers of our time Zanchius and Beza plainely confesse the words of Zanchius here follow Fides autem mea nititur cum primis simpliciter verbo Dei deinde nonnihil etiam communi totius veteris Ecclesiae consensu si ille cum sacris literis non pugnet Credo enim quae a pijs patribus in nomâ—â—â— Dominâ— congregatis communi omnium consensu citra vllam sacrarum literarum contradictionem definita recepta fuerunt ea etiam quanquâ—m hand eiusdem cum sacris literis authoritatis a Spiritu Sancto esse Hinâ— fit vt quae sunt etusmodi ego ea improbare nec velâ—m nec audeâ—m bona conscientia Quid autem certius ex Historijs ex Conâ—lijs ex omnium patrum scriptis quam illos ministroruÌ„ ordines de quibus diximâ—s communi totius republicae Christianae consensu in Ecclesia constitutos receptosque fuisse Quis autem ego sum qui quod tota Ecclesia approbâ—uit improbâ—m My faith leanes first of all and simply vpon the word of God thereafter also it something depends vpon the common consent of the whole ancient Church where it is not repugnant to the holy Scripture For I beleeue those things which by godly Fathers assembled in the name of the Lord haue beene concluded decreed and receiued not contradictorie vnto holy Scripture and that those same things also albeit they be not of equall authoritie with the holy Scripture haue proceeded from the holy Spirit whereof it comes to passe that I neither will nor dare in a good conscience contradict them For what is more certaine out of Histories Councels and the writings of all Fathers then that these orders of the Ministrie whereof we haue spoken were by common consent of all Christendome concluded and receiued into the Church And who am I that I should dâ—sallow that which the whole Church hath allowed Zanch. in his confession To this same purpose serues the testimonie of Beza who hauing declared the reasons that moued the auncient Church to elect one of the Presbâ—terie who in place and dignitie should be aboue the rest and to whom the name of a Bishop in speciall manner should be giuen by the remanent hee subioynes as followes Neque enim quicquam est quod in hac Prostasia reprehendi potest aut debet for there is nothing in this presidencie or supereminence of one Pastor aboue the rest which either can or ought to be reproued And the reason he giues for it is worthy marking Quum praesertim vetustus hic mos primum Presbyterum deligendi in Alexandrina celeberrima Ecclesiaiam inde a Marco Euangelista esset obseruatus Especially saith hee seeing this ancient custome to choose out the first of the Presbyters to gouerne the rest hath beene obserued in the famous Church of Alexandria euer since the dayes of S. Marke the Euangelist Now it may be collected that S. Marke died in the eight yeere of the Emperour Nero the holy Apostles Peter Paul and Iohn being yet aliue whereof it followes that this policie hath had the Apostles eyther authors or approuers of it and so will fall to be of diuine authoritie Now then the proposition being manifest in it selfe and by the testimony of Tertullian and Ambrose confirmed The assumption also cleare and confessed by the testimonie of Zanchius and Beza that one Pastor was in place and dignity aboue the rest called by the name of a Bishop in a speciall sense proper to him not common to the rest the conclusion followes sure that this policie may and should be receiued as descended from authoritie But now we come to speake of them who albeit they thinke not that Episcopall gouernement is diuine yet they reuerence it as a necessary and profitable policie for the Church That Episcopall gouernement is a good and profitable policie for the Church in the iudgement of most learned and modest Doctors in our time AND as concerning these worthy Diuines of our time who thinkes not Episcopall gouernement to be of diuine authoritie yet they reuerence it as a godly and most necessary policie and all of them condemnes you that nourishes a Schisme for it I cannot now attaine to them as I would being absent from my Bookes but you shall haue some notable testimonies to this purpose Zanchius hauing set downe Ieroms iudgement concerning it subâ—oynes as here followes Non damnat Hieronimus consuetudinem hanc vtpote vtilem ferme necessariam vt fit ordo in Ecclesia Adde quod non prohibetur verbo Dei si igitur liberum est Ecclesiae possunt ex totâ— Presbyterorum Collegio Presbyterum vnum eligere qui peculiarem Ecclesiae curam â—uscipiat in Conâ—istorio â—it seâ— Consul in Senatu politico at que vt ab alijs decernatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocars potest Episcopus vel Superintendens vel Inspector vel alio quoâ—â—s nomine Episcopus Certe Ecclesiae vnitas scindi non debet propter huius cemodi titulorum aut nominum differentias Zanchius epist. ad Philip. cap. 1. Ierome condemnes not this confuetude of the power and preferment of a Bishop before a Pastor as being profitable and almost necessary for conseruation of order in the Church Besides that it is not forbidden in the word of God Seeing therefore it is free the Churches may chuse out one of the Colledge of Presbyters to haue the peculiar care of the Church and who may be in the Consistorie of Presbyters as a Consull in the politique Senate and to the end he may be distinguished from others he may in more excellent manner then the rest be called Bishop Superintendent or Inspector or by any other such name Certainely the vnitie of the Church should not be rent for any such titles or differences of names See you not here that in the iudgement of this worthy Doctor Episcopall gouernment is not forbidden in the Word and so is not against any point of Faith as you affirme See you not that the name of a Bishop is not abused when it is giuen to one and not vnto the rest And thirdly doth hee not condemne you that â—end the vnitie of our Church for such a matter Iunius in like manner O 〈◊〉 haec vt iuris humani atque 〈◊〉 si ita placet ecclesiastici concedimus fuisse iâ—m olim absâ—ruâ—ta nec dâ—mnamus ea simpliciter si non abusus accessâ—â—it Wee confesse that all these haue beene of a long time obserued in the Church as being of humane authoritie or if you please Ecclesiastique neyther condemne wee them simplie if they be not abused
Iunius in Bâ—llar Controuers 5. lib. 1. ca. 24. But no such moderation is in you you are not content to fight against the abuse of the Office you will haue the Office it selfe abolished but without any reason To this same purpose is the testimonie of Heâ—â—mingius Tametsi tempore Apostoli nondum receptus fuit proâ—â—â—endi ritus qualis nunc in vsu est sciendum tamen est piâ—s Ecclesiarum Scholarum gubernatores bono vtili conâ—iliâ— instituisse promotionum gradus tum vt arrogantes 〈◊〉 vsurpâ—rent sibi hunc honoris titulum siâ—e Ecclesie iudiâ—â—â— tum vâ— idonei ex testimonio publico agnoscerentur acâ—â— precio haberentur Neque hoc est contra Hierarchie Ecclesiastiâ—â— diguitatem quae nobis a S. Sancto commendatur Nam cum S. Sanctus or dinâ—m detorem commendat Ecclesiâ— ius ipsi relinquit or dinandi ritus qui ad ordinem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 facere videantur Quâ—ere non est quod moremur superborum Spirituum voces contemnentium hos ecclesiasticos gradus meminerinâ— eos non contemptus aliorum aut arrogantis supereminentiae symbola esse sed potius publica testimonia officij quod Ecclesiae debent ad quod tanquam publico Sacramento obstringuntur Albeit saith hee in the time of the Apostles this custome of promotion now vsed in the Church was not then receiued yet we must know that godly gouernours of Churches and Schooles by good and profitable counsell haue ordained degrees of promotion partly that arrogant men should not vsurpe this title of honour without approbation of the Church partly also that they who by publicke testimonie of the Church are thought meete for it may be knowne and had in reuerence Neyther is this against the dignitie of Ecclesiastique Hierarchie commended to vs by the holy Ghost for in that hee requireth order and decencie in his Church the power to ordaine Rites pertaining to the Church hee leaueth to the Church Wherefore we must not stand vpon the voices of some proud spirits contemning Ecclesiasticall degrees for those degrees are not giuen them eyther for contempt of others or to nourish any arrogant supereminence in themselues but onely to be publicke testimonies of that dutie wherein they stand bound and obliged to the Church Sed obijciunt Ecclesia Christi nesciat pompam habeat fidei sanctimoniae probationem preces manuum impositioneâ— respondeo minime indignum esse Christianis pijs ac eruditis viris testimonia doctrinae honestatis conferre vt sciâ—t Ecclesia quibus possit tuto gubernationem curam doctrinâ— commendare Nec obstat quod huiusmodi promotiones longo tempore in abusu fuerint modâ— sordibus abstersis res Ecclesiae â—tiles retineamus But they obiect there should be no pompe in the Church of Christ but Faith and holines prayer and imposition of hands I answere that it is not vnseemely for Christians to giue vnto godly and learned men publike testimonies of doctrine and honesty that the Church may know to whom the care of Doctrine and Gouernement of the Church may safely be committed Neyther should it be any impediment that these degrees of promotion haue of a long time beene abused prouiding the abuse be remoued and that which is good and profitable for the Church be retained Rursus dicunt Dominum prohibuisse appellari Rabbi Magistros super terram Respondeo idem Dominus dicit non appellandum esse Patrem super terram c. Quare non de appellatione sed de alia re interdictum est intelligendum deiâ—de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loâ—i satis conumcit quis sit huius loci sensus addit enim Qui maximus est vestrum erit minister non vult sua interdictione sublatam appellationem Patris Magisâ—â—i aut Doctoris sed arrogantem fiduciam Hemming in Epist. ad Ephes. cap. 4. Againe it is obiected that Christ hath forbidden that any should be called Lords or Masters vpon earth I answere that the same Lord hath also forbidden that any should be called Father vpon earth Wherefore the interdiction is not to be vnderstood of the appellation of any by such names but of some other thing Againe the circumstance of the place proues plainely what is the meaning thereof for hee addes He that is greatest among you let him be the seruant of the rest he will not therefore take away the stile of Master Father or Doctor but onely the arrogant conceit of any greatnesse in themselues for it And in another place to this same purpose saith Zanchius Cum prius omnes verbi Ministri tum Pastores tum Episcopi tum Presbyteri ex aequo appâ—llarentur equalis etiam essent authoritatis quod postea vnus caperit alijs omnibus praefici collegis quanquam non vt Dominus sed tanquam rector in Academia reliquis collegis huic imprimis cura totius Ecclesiae commissa fuerit eoque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quandam is solus Episcopi Pastoris nomine appellari consueuerit reliquis Symmistis nomine Presbyterorum contentis it a vt in vnaquaque ciuit ate vnus tantum caeperit esse Episcopus multi Presbyteri hoc minime improbari posse iudicamus Whereas before all Preachers of the word were called equally Pastors Bishops Presbyters and were also of equall authoritie that thereafter one was set ouer the rest albeit not as a Lord but as a Gouernour of an Academie and that to him was committed the charge of the whole Church who for that in a more excellent and singular manner was called Bishop the rest of the Preachers contenting themselues with the name of Presbyters so that in euery Citie there vvas but one Bishop and many Presbyters or Ministers This is a policie which in my iudgement cannot be disallowed Hac saue ratione quae etiam de Archiepiscopis imo de quatuor Patriarchis ante Concilium Nicâ—num creatis constituta fuerunt excusari defendique posse sentimus Zanch. de Ecclesiae militantis gubernatione cap. 11. And by this same reason also that which is said of Archbishops yea and of the foure Patriarkes created before the Counsell of Nice wee thinke may be not onely excused but easily defended And least as commonly is obiected men should thinke that this distinction of degrees tends to establish also the Superioritie of one aboue the whole Church Marke what this same Father hath in the Chapter following Ceterum quod vnus tantum caput omnibus per vniuersum terrarum orbem Ecclesijs praefeci iusque plenitudinem vt vocant potestatis in omnes habere debeat illud non solum non possumus probare sed contra non possumus non execrari But that one as head should be set ouer all the Churches in the world hauing right and plenitude of power ouer all others that is an iniquitie which not onely we cannot approue but also cannot but curse Whereof it is euident that if the
iudgement of Zanchius be any thing worth it must be eyther a grosse ignorance or great malice that stirreth vp many to cry out against Episcopall gouernment as if it were Antichristian It is to be wished that wee had many such wise humble learned and sober minded men among vs for the cause of our trouble is the ignorance of some the pride of others a very few excepted and these are the Parents of needlesse contention And yet more cleare is that other part of Zanchius his testimonie cited by vs before which now followes Quis autem ego sum qui quod tota Ecclesia approbauit improbem Sed neque omnes nostri temporis viri docti improbare ausi sunt quippe qui norunt licuisse haec Ecclesiae ex pietate atque ad optimos fines pro Electorum aedificatione ea omnia fuisse perfecta ordinata fuit praeterea mihi habenda ratio earum etiam Ecclesiarum quae licet Euangelium complexae sunt suos tamen re nomine habent Episcopos Quid quod in Ecclesijs quoque Protestantium non desunt reipsa Episcopi Archiepiscopi quos mutatis bonis Graecis nominibus in male latina vocant Superintendentes generales Superintendentes Sed vbi neque vetera illa bona Graeca neque haec noua male Latina verba obtinent ibi tamen solent esse aliquot primarij penes quos fere tota est authoritas De nominibus ergo fuerint Controuersie verum de rebus conuenit quid de nominibus altercamur Who am I that I should disallow that which the whole Church hath allowed yea neyther dare all the Doctors of this time disallow it knowing that this policie is lawfull in the Church and that for good ends namely the edification of the Elect it was receiued and ordained It behoued mee also to haue respect vnto those Churches which haue imbraced the Gospell with Bishops both in name and office Yea also in the Churches of Protestants there wants not in effect Bishops and Archbishops whom by changing good Greeke names into euill Latine names they call Superintendents and generall Superintendents And euen there where neyther the good auncient Greeke names of Bishop and Archbishop nor the euill Latine names of Superintendents haue place yet is there some principall men who haue the authoritie and chiefe credit of Church-gouernment So that the Controuersie is onely about names but where men agree in the matter why should there be an vnnecessarie strife about words And vnto this same purpose saith Beza Neque tamen huius tyrannidis omnes Archiepiscopos seu Episcopos â—odie vocatos accusamus quae enim fuerit hâ—â—c arrogantia imo cunctos sic hodie appellatos modo sanctorum illorum Episcorum exemplum imitentur tam misere deformatam domum Dei ad amissim ex verbi diuini regula pro viribus instaurent vt Ecclesiae Christianâ— fidos Pastores cur non agnoscamus obseruemus omni reuerentia prosequamur nedum vt quod falsissime impudentissime nobis obijciunt â—uiquam vspiam Ecclesiae sequendum nostrum peculiare exemplum praescribamus imperiti ssimorum illorum similes qui nihil nisi quod ipsiagunt rectum putant Ber. de grad Minist cap. 21. Sect. 2. Wee accuse not all Archbishops and Bishops so called this day of this tyrannie for what arrogancie were this yea those who are so called prouiding they follow the example of former holy Bishops to reforme the deformed house of God according to the rule of Gods word why shall wee not acknowledge and reuerence them as faithfull Pastors of the Christian Church so farre are wee from that which most falsly and without shame is obiected against vs to make our particular example a rule which other Churches are bound to follow which is the fashion of wilfull ignorant men who thinke nothing well done but that which they doe themselues And againe albeit saith hee of old the gouernement of Presbyters was by course Attamen prostasias hic modus paulatim postea visus est ita mutandus vt vnus Presbyterio prâ—estos esset permaneret cap. 23. sect 25. yet this forme of presidence was in such sort changed that one was set ouer the rest as constant and perpetuall Gouernour Ita factum est vt Episcopi nomen ad hunc prestota proprie significandum quidem suorum Compresbyterorum respectu sit translatâ—m cap. 23. Sect. 9. And so it came to passe that the name of a Bishop was translated properly to signifie this president of the Presbyterie not onely in respect of superioritie ouer the people but ouer his Compresbyters also Postremum hunc ordinem vel modum ordinis humanum non simpliciter tamen sed comparate nulla cum Patrum tot Ecclesiarum iniuria appellauero Sect. 10. And this last order or manner of order without any offence of the Fathers or of so many Churches I call humane yet not simply but in comparison Absit autem vt hunc ordinem etsi Apostolica mere diuina dispositione non constitutum tamen vt temere aut superbe inâ—ectum reprehendam Sect. 13. Farre be it from mee rashly or proudly to reproue this order albeit it be not established by Apostolicke or meerely diuine disposition Cuius etiam magnum fuisse vsum quandiu boni sancti Episcopi Ecclesijs praefuerunt quis inficiari possit fruantur igitur illo qui volunt poterunt Sect. 13. And it cannot be denyed that this policie was very profitable vnto the Church so long as good and holy Bishops were Presidents ouer it Let them therefore enioy it who so will and may haue it This is the iudgement of these modest and reuerent Doctors of thereformed Churches who albeit they see not clearely that the Episcopall function is diuine yet they reuerence it as a necessarie and lawfull policie which may make most iustly the malecontents of our time ashamed who haue nothing in their mouthes but that the office of a Bishop is Antichristian that the name is abused when it is giuen to one Pastor and not to all the rest wherein if they will not be reformed by vs I wish at least that laying all preiudice aside they may follow in their iudging and speaking this moderation of these learned and godly Fathers of our Church A short answere to the Tripartite Antipologie of some namelesse Authors AS a little sparkle of fire kindleth a great flame and one waue in the waters causeth many or as the barking of one dogge in a Village wakeneth the rest to barke also excuse mee to vse this comparison for in this as Mr. Dauid his word is the case is alike so Mr. Dauid by his example hath prouoked others his complices to imitate him in his manner of doing For since my comming to Edenbrough for directing away my Dikaiologie to the Presse there was deliuered to mee three sundry Treatises inuectiue coincident for the most part with Mr. Dauid his Parologie and where
their Religion This cannot be but the bolt of some enemie or the birth of the braine of some friend ouer-farre miscaried with opinion If it hath done euill to any it is an argument their light is weake for why doth diuersiue of externall gouernment import a difference in Religion Are there not many famous Churches in Europe flourishing this day vnder the Episcopall gouernment haue not many Bishops themselues beene honoured with the honour of Martyrdome and sealed the truth of the Gospell with their blood since the reformation of Religion Latmer Ridley Cranmer and many moe in our neighbour Church may stand for examples I will beseech all such weake Christians to take none offence where it is not giuen Ad vâ—itateâ— fidei sufficit vt â—adem sit doctrina Euangelij Sacramentorum administratio It is sufficient for the vnitie of faith that the Doctrine of the Gospell and Sacraments be one and the same in other externall things there may be diuersitie yea often times the diuersitie of times and states of people will require a diuersitie of externall things for the furtherance of the worke of edification 7 The Apostles did all teach one and the selfe-same Doctrine but did not all gouerne their Churches in one and the selfe-same manner for Iames and Peter among the Iewes tolerated Circumcision which Paul among the Gentiles would not doe yea the Disciples of S. Peter and S. Iohn testifie how these blessed Apostles kept the Feast of the Passâ—ouer on diuers dayes as both Eusebius and Socrates doe write yet was this diuersitie no impediment to the propagation of the Gospell by them both It is euer to be considered what the worke of edification requires For that kinde of externall gouernment which some Churches of Christ hath and others hath not shall there be entertained a Schisme in our Church and an vnnecessarie and vnkindly contention betweene a Christian people and their most Christian King Since to speake in most modest termes to giue contentment to such as are not contentious there is no question of Faith in the Church of Scotland Christian people might be ignorant of this disputation about Discipline come to heauen neuerthelesse if so it might please some of their Pastors neither is there a question betweene good euill but betweene good and better betweene two whereof either of them haue had their course to be when the other was not euen in this same Church I doubt not the iudicious Reader will consider this Wisedome shall be iustified of her children 8 But here I know it is obiected by men euen of moderate mindes if such gouernment were better vsed and these who haue receiued it did more good with it then it would soone purchase credit to it selfe and be the better liked These men I see haue nothing against the thing it selfe but against the vse of it by which kinde of argument now commonly it is impugned To these it were sufficient to answere that Artisicum errata artibus attribuâ—â—â— mon sunt the errors of Artisans are not to be ascribed to the Arts themselues or to such as more wilfully reason in this manner to answere as Naziâ—â—zen did the Eunomians Cum in se â—ihil prâ—â—â—â—ij habeant in nostra illud 〈…〉 Where in themselues they haue no strength they seeke it in our imbecillitie Et de malorum in 〈◊〉 sciutilla flammam exâ—â—tant ad 〈…〉 afflandâ— tollunt vt longè 〈◊〉 Babiloâ—â—â—â— superet Of a little sparke of euill in vs they kindle a great fire by blowing vpon it with their secret surmisings and publike reproches till they make the flame which they haue raised out of a sparke to mount vp higher then the furnace of Babel thus is it the manner of men to blame readily where they loue not 9 But to goe further with them as with all reason I require that the faults of persons be not imputed to their Offices so with my heart doe I wish in all that are imployed with Ecclesiasticall authoritie so moderate a behauiour that no offence should be giuen to the weake nor cause of contradiction to the contrary minded but that as Iosephs preferment tending to the good of all his brethren forced them who enuied it at the first to thanke God for it at the last euen so credit may be conquest to vs in the hearts of them that feare God by feruent and faithfull aduancement of the Gospell of Christ Iesus We should neuer forget that warning which Ierome gaue to a certaine Bishop Rusticus Narbonensis vide ne minor inueni ar is in Chrisâ—◠〈…〉 in hoe seculo Take heede that thou be not found lesse in Christ then thou art named in this world thou art called a Bishop so liue that Christ that great Archbishop may approue thee for one 10 But yet by some carnall and contentious spirits who liue as if they were Demi-gods and in their tongues God had set his tribunall or had made them Iudges of the consciences of their brethren it is obiected published and carried from hand to hand in a Libell as full of lies as lines thatâ— corrupt respects of gaine glory hath moued me to embrace it a fearefull crimination if I were as guiltie of it as they are bold to affirme it I know it is a horrible sinne to abuse an holy calling to filthie luere the Apostle said that godlâ—nesse is great gaine that is to say that great gaine is godlinesse Questum 〈◊〉 piâ—tatem It is a peruerse order Terrena coelestibus â—ercari to buy earthly things with heauenly where the spirituall Ministriâ— teacheth vs to exchange earthly things for heauenly such impietie as this will be punished with a worse leprosie then that of Gehazi And no losse abhominable is it to abuse it to vaine-glory and affectation of honour it is a grosser idolattie then that of the Israelites who of the gold and siluer which they reserued from the Lord made a Baal to themselues 11 To such I will answere as Augustine did to Petilian I am a man appertaining to the floore of Christ if I be good I am there as corne if I be euill I am there as chaffe Sed non est huius areae ventilabrum lingua Petitiani But your Petulant tongue like the tongue of Petilian is not the fanne of this floore If any man thinke hee knowes me better then I doe my selfe let him giue iudgement as he pleaseth and others beleeue him as they list if they will credit me of my selfe my witnesse is in heauen and my conscience within me beareth me record that I was not moued with gaine or glorie and I trust to declare it by Gods grace But what Bene sibi conscius non debet falsis moueri nec putare plus esse Ponderis in alieno coâ—â—itio quam in suo testimonis Hee that hath in himselfe a good conscience should not be moued with false conceptions in others nor esteeme that there
is greater waight in other mens traducing then in his owne testimonie 12 Now here I know it is expected that as I haue declined the causes falsly imputed to me so I should declare the true causes that moued me which now shortly are these 13 First I perceiued a Christian King by all meanes possible seeking the aduancement of the Gospell for the which it is griefe enough that his Maiestie sustaineth the greatest hatred and contradiction of the aduersaries but more then enough his Highnesse should want the comfort of his subiects professors also which when I considered I thought it a matter of conscience to refuse to serue and follow his Maiestie in so good a course 14 Secondly I saw the weake hearts of many well affected Christians through misconception offended at the very name of a Bishop not able out of light and knowledge to giue any reason of their misliking notwithstanding though it be so highly honoured by the Apostle and commended by the famous lights of the Primitiue Church who not onely accepted the name but exercised the office thereof to the great good of the Church and that this offence might be remoued at least so farre as my credit may carrie me I haue embraced it 15 Thirdly I perceiued a perillous Schisme and vnnecessarie diuision in our Church for this matter of gouernment to the great aduantage of the common Aduersarie which gap I resolued for my owne part not to enlarge by contention but so farre as my weaknesse may to close it vp at least to make it the lesse 16 Fourthly I considered that the same reason that of old forced the Fathers of the Primitiue Church in the iudgement of Ierome to induce this gouernment in the Church that is in Remedium Schismatis did more then manifestly require that it should be restored vnto vs but of this the lesse I speake for duties sake the more I leaue to be considered of them who know the truth hereof 17 Fiftly the question among vs when I searched as narrowly as I could is about Ierusalems wall whether it should be circular or quadrangular round or foure-squared so the Citie be well is this a matter for which we should make contention it being better for the good of the Church that any one of them should be then that thus they should striue together to the great hinderance of the Gospell 18 Sixtly and I doe verily thinke that the most famous and reformed Churches in Europe who want this gouernment would be glad to accept it vpon this condition that with it they might enioy the puritie of the Gospel which they haue with vs together with that libertie fauour and protection of a Christian reformed King which we haue and they want 19 For these reasons as I was determined before in the priuate calling of a Preacher to reuerence and obey others my brethren clad with the office of Bishops the proofe whereof I gaue in these Prouinciall assemblies moderated by Bishops whereat I was bound to be present so haue I at length embraced it in my owne person being called there-vnto by the most Christian King and Church of this Kingdome without any motion affection or petition of mine owne if there be so much charitie in my aduersaries as to beleeue me I could with greater contentment and willingnesse of minde haue giuen obedience in all dutifull submission to any of my brethren nor to haue had any more publike charge in the Church if the matter had beene in my choice And this doe I witnesse out of the very truth and simplicitie of mine heart 20 If Shimei still will raile and charge mee with a corrupt affection let him be doing till his owne iniquitie reproue him I am sure no well aduised Christian will fight with any such armour for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall As for others who like barking Dogges and Birds of the night chatter to themselues in secret confused sounds which can bide no triall back-biting those whom they dare not looke in the face for such as these why shall a man turne out of the way It is a sufficient punishment to such as this way with their will would hurt mee that against their will they shall helpe me Qui volens detrahit same mee nolens additmerâ—â—â—â— meae For he that with his will empaites my name against his will shall encrease my reward 21 But if such busie idle-bodies will come and labour with mee in the worke of God I hope to teach them to bestow their time more profitably not to disquiet as they do their vnsetled braines with such vanities as vanish so soone as they are conceiued and brought forth leauing nothing behinde them but a guiltinesse to themselues for mine owne part I haue determined not to be contentious for that is not the custome of the Church of Christ but haue resolued to spend my time and talent I haue saued to the vantage of my Master and good of my Brethren after my weake measure Aurâ—us vtluteas minuat sic malleus vrnas 22 As for others my Brethren whom I loue in the Lord and will alwaies reuerence for the graces of God in them I wish from my heart that precept of the Apostle were fulfilled in vs. That wee did all speake one thing and there were no dissension among vs but that we were knit together in one minde and one iudgement for since the first beginning of this question I euer thought it a lamentable thing that they whose hearts are ioyned in one resolution to die for Christ if so the Lord should call them vnto it cannot liue together in the vnitie of one minde But this hath in all ages beene Sathans policie where hee cannot disturbe the peace of the Church with externall euasion he creepes in like a subtile Serpent to disquiet it with internall perturbation that oft-times vpon vnnecessarie or small occasions where-vpon hath proceeded this great rupture in Ierusalems wall heere among vs which as it is seene of vs all and more then enough talked of by many so would to God our hearts did pitie it and all of vs endeuoured by humbled hearts toward our God by meekenesse of minde euery one of vs toward another to repaire and close it vp againe And seeing such in the condition of our humane infirmitie that our knowledge in this life is but in part and so our iudgements in all things cannot be vniforme let vs take heed to the next that difference of iudgements worke not distraction of affections remembring that the wisedome which is from aboue is peaceable and that the zeale of God fights not with the weapons of flesh such as hatred debate emulations wrath contentions Iâ— we liue in the Spirit let vs also walke in the Spirit expressing the fruits of it in our liues which are loue ioy peace long suffering meekenesse goodnesse wherewith the Lord more and more endue vs all for Christs sake AMEN Yours in
into it But since there must be a winde and a firie Chariot to carie Elijah into heauen Since there must be an Angell of Satan to buffet Paul and keepe him from pride Since there must be a fire to purge the sonnes of Leui I meane of affliction which vnto the godly is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Purgatorie fire of Pisida since gold cannot be fined but by Lead which consumes and finishes it selfe in the fining of it let it come by any instrument by you or any other the Lord pleaseth to stirre vp so it bring forward his worke in me I care not THE ADMONENT MOreouer I am sure ye know it is with the oppugning of the Discipline of Scotland the defence of the office of Bishops This is more then any mans fame the fame of the whole Church of Scotland these many yeeres the fame of the best reformed Church in Europe It is yet more a matter touching the Church in lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse in obedience or disobedience to their God to their Prince as you would make men beleeue Also of the estate of the Church in profit flourishing or not flourishing and many such things of great importance of what weight should fame be here And againe If fame be ioyned with the truth and that which is right in the sight of God let that truth and that right haue the sway in our hearts let it appeare in our profession In our pretences in our actions let vs auow it before the Sunne and Moone not because of our fame but because of it selfe we shall haue no losse thereby our fame shall be cleared by clearing of it If our fame be ioyned with errour or what is wrong in the eyes of that diuine Maiestie so that it cannot be borne out but by bearing out of errour let vs not seeke to maintaine our fame by maintaining that errour let vs stoope to him and renounce that foolish fame and count it our honour so to confesse our shame THE ANSVVERE HE that is first in his owne cause saith Saloman is iust then commeth his neighbour and makes enquirie of him You haue heaped vp heere a multitude of words huing a faire shew not vnlike the words of the friends of Iob good enough in themselues but wrongfully applied as will be seene by mine answere Farre be it from mee Mr. Dauid to seeke honour with the dishonour of my good God I will still vse the words of those fortie Martyrs mentioned of Basile Nolo honorem vnde nascetur ignominia Neither will I maintaine my Name by impairing his Truth Nay nay God forbid I should so doe but it is for his truth and for the honour of his name that I contend to maintaine my poore name Since the Lord hath counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice since he hath called me to be a witnesse of his truth and since he hath blessed my Ministrie to doe good by it will you not suffer me to defend the honestie of it against a lying Libeller that hath sought to dishonour it But I know where you are Satan would haue me a witnesse of no value nor credit because through grace I stand vnder the banner of Christ against him and so would you because I am against you in this question of Church-gouernement you seeke so farre as you may to disgrace the man that his testimonie may be the lesse regarded Here is your policie but it will not be for you I thanke God among men I haue more to stand with me witnesses of the honestie and effcacie of my weake Ministrie then you are able to bring against mee neither am I in doubt but the same also who for the present are with you if it pleased God I were knowne to them as I am to others who haue felt the comfort of my Ministrie would stand vp to iustifie mee against you But to leaue men and come before the Lord Mr. Dauid I dare not speake presumptuously since our Lord in the weakenesse of one haue pointed out the infirmitie of all yet in some measure I may say I haue name and life and all that I haue to giue vnto the Lord for the glory of his name and fealing vp of his truth if his Maiestie require it I trust hee will giue grace to performe it Neither care I what shame befall me so it may serue to hold vp the honour of my God If this inward testimonie of mine owne heart sustained mee not it had beene impossible for me to haue borne the manifold contempts of flesh I haue suffered and this of yours among the rest but to goe from my selfe The discipline of the Church of Scotland is not oppugned by Bishops as you would make the simpler sort beleeue but rather it is stablished and confirmed by them Neither will you euer be able to proue that the discipline of our Church at any time disalloweth the office of Bishops but onely fights against the corruptions thereof as the monuments of our Church search them when you will shall make manifest vnto you And if you be able to make it good that it is a hurt to a family to haue a kindely Father ruling ouer it then may you also proue that it is a harme to the Church to haue an honest Bishop president in it This is for the honour and name of the Church of Scotland which now I maintaine according to truth and set it downe in this assertion The Church of Scotland with the puritie of Doctrine not stained with any blot of Heresie hath also kept a sound and constant forme of gouernement without alteration of any point of Discipline in substance mending onely some circumstances as time required to make them serue for the greater edification of the Church This is the point I promised to cleare vnto you I hope to make it plaine or I end and should haue cleared before now if your Katagoric Pamphlet had not distracted mee This Mr. Dauid is the state of the controuersie This is a truth which neither you nor your Trident Fathers nor your Sorbon Doctors none with you none by West you none by East you none about you will euer be able to impugne And if you or they haue any compassion of this Church if you be her Sonne a Christian borne againe in her bosome if you haue sucked out of her breasts the milke of consolation then I am sure you will feare to impugne it Since as I said it is a truth it is the honour of your Mother who in all times hath kept one constant tenour of Doctrine and Discipline since it procures peace in her bowels since it stops the aduersaries mouth and remoues offences from the weaker ones THE ADMONENT I Am sure you know that this defence of your name is with the touch of many mens fame euen all those who are of a contrarie minde in matter of Discipline but you thinke you care not for that it is lawfull for you
that I haue learned that now which I knew not before M. Dauid it is the glorie of Angels that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter gratiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnchangeable through the grace that is giuen them being otherwise of their owne nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutable of will With their first creation they receiued full vnderstanding of all truth which their Creator thought needefull to communicate to them and in it by grace they abide without change not subiect to any errour but is it so vvith man vpon earth attaine wee at the first to perfection of knowledge must we not learne and come to it by degrees I pray you whose words are these when I was a childe I spake as a childe I thought as a childe Now I haue put childish things from me Is it with euerie one as it was with the Baptist he was Renatus prius quam natus Regenerate ere he was borne he had not yet come into the world by the first birth he is made partaker of the second Were wee all with Ieremie sanctified in the wombe Get we all with Salomon knowledge of right and wrong in our younger yeeres he was wonderfull wise before hee was twelue yeeres olde Is it with all Preachers as with the Apostles who within fiftie dayes after that they were sent out by Christ his Ambassadours to the world they receiued the Spirit to leade them in all truth Thanks be to God when he entred vs into his holy Ministrie he gaue vs such measure of his Spirit as did teach vs all substantiall points of faith needfull to saluation and gaue vs gifts profitable in their measure for edification of the Church But Mr. Dauid it was spoken to one and it stands for all Attende lectioni intentus esto tibi ipsi doctrinae Take heede vnto learning Timothie had learned the holy Scriptures from his youth yet the Apostle will haue him to learne still for so saith he to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may be manifest to all men how thou profitest and shall it then be a blame to mee to professe I haue learned that which I knew not Correct your selfe M. Dauid what you call inconstancie will be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not inconstancie but encrease of knowledge O but this Inquisitour will not take this for an answere he will needes haue me guiltie of negligence and sloath in my calling That in so great so high so speciall a question as it yet neuer searched to know the truth of that matter till now of late Mr. Dauid my calling is to be a Preacher my commission is the whole word of God whereof I acknowledge with Augustine Tantam esse profunditatem c. The depth to be so great that the quickest Engine though hee should liue Methusalems yeeres and doe no other thing but read it continually yet vvere not able to plum it nor to learne all the great and high and speciall questions concerning it There are many points in holy Scripture which most excellent Preachers know not and will you for that conuince them either for false Teachers or carelesse Students Know you not that Iacob at the first vvas called Israel the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one a name of learning and profiting the other of perfection and preuailing Now is the time of our wrastling a time wherein we should learne and grow in knowledge Encreasing with the encreasings of GOD stepping forward euery day a new step and so walking till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion The time is at hand when wee shall come to the measure of perfect men in Christ No darknesse no error shall then be left in our mindes but we shall then know euen as we are knowne But it being a principall point of your calling and you so long a Pastor saith the admonent it cannot be but a great sloath that you haue neuer searched to know the truth of that matter Truly Mr. Dauid I doe verily thinke that a man may proue both a faithfull and fruitfull Minister in the Church all his daies and neither busie himselfe nor his people with any question of externall Church-gouernement that is amongst vs. I thanke God being now a man neere-by of fourtie and sixe yeeres I haue liued in the Church twenty and foure yeeres a Pastor without rebuke of any till the Libeller and you yoaked against me and beleeue me if this matter of Church-gouernement had not beene wakened to mine hand and the compassion I carie to this Church wherein I was borne a Christian and honoured to be a Pastor whose bowels are vnnaturally rent by vnnecessarie contention of some of her vnkindely children If these reasons I say had not moued mee I thought all my daies few enough to spend in the matter of Doctrine as being of greatest importance for edification of the Church and wherein I haue found greatest comfort to mine owne heart remembring that vvarning of Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vita breuis ars longa And in this though I haue not come with such speede as I would yet that I haue neither beene sloathfull nor carelesse I haue some workes for my witnesses which how weake so euer they be in themselues or little worth in your eyes yet are they the encrease of my talent wherein I haue found comfort to mine owne heart and others of the Saints of God in all parts of the I le haue found comfort also Ab homine exigitur vt prosit hominibus si fieri potest multis siminus paucis si minus proximis si minus sibi And where you tell me I could not but know this same matter to haue beene agitate before in the persons of Bishops Adamsone and Montgomrie This is like all the rest of your bold and rash assertions for they vvere both dead ere euer I was called to be a Preacher and what you would haue mee to learne at them I can hardly coniecture for if the equitie of their cause was obscured either by the iniquitie of their actions which I know not or the violent course of that time what is this to the matter now in hand The one of them I neuer saw that I know the other I heard when I was verie young at Schoole in St. Andrewes and now must tell you that if you were either so learned or such a louer of learning as you pretend you would haue spared to rake the ashes of the one for the honour of his learning There vvere sundrie other Bishops in this Church beside them who liued and died honest men and vnrebukeable but you passe by them still like the venomous Flie that lights vpon the sore part as if the faults of one or two were sufficient to discredit all the rest of the fellowship And I cannot meruaile how still you obiect the example of
two as vndoubted proofes in your consistorie to improue the honestie of all the rest Since in mine Apologie I remitted you to three renowned Bishops in our neighbour Church Latimer Ridley Cranmer lately euen in our Fathers daies honoured vvith the honour of martyrdome that you who cannot endure to see any honour vpon a Bishops head may lay downe your combe of contempt and thinke more honourably of them This cannot be but an euill affection in you that you haue an eye to see the euill of the one and not an eye to see the goodnesse of the other Nay you will not suffer it to be thought that such grace or godlinesse or conscience can be in a Bâ—shop as to make him a worthie Martyr of Christ but rather which I told you before as the ignorant Gentiles were seduced of olde to esteeme it a iust cause of persecution of a man if he had once been named a Christian so are the simple people abused by you and such as you to disdaine a Preacher were he neuer so honest otherwise if once he be named a Bishop Aâ—d because your horne cannot reach vnto all you thinke to trie your manhood in the killing of oâ—e and when you haue loadned me with your contumelies then you lay on this as one ouer-laid vpon it That I am an abhominable man for if so be not you haue done me wrong to conceiue so abhominably of me as you haue confessed you doe What shall I say Anger is cruell wrath is raging but who can stand before enuie But Mr. Dauid you are not the first Egyptian who hath esteemed an Israelite an abhomination nor the first Pharisie that hath abhorred a Publican Are you the great Chamberlaine of the house of God Are all the vessels of honour in it committed to your custodie Are â—ou keeper of the Booke of life wherein the names of the heâ—es of grace are registred Haue you the balance of the Sanctuarie or is the fan put into your hand to seperate Chaffe and Corne Speake no more presumptuously and let not such arrogancie come out of your mouth leasâ—it proue true vpon you which Augustine hath to Parmenian Quonâ—am patientiam miseri isti perdâ—derunt festinant se ante tempus velut a palea separare leuissimam paleam vento de area ablatam seipsos demonstrarâ—nt Because you haue lost patience and make hast before the time to separate the Chaffe and Corne counting at your pleasure some men abhominable and some men approued you haue declared your selfe to be but chaffe and most light chaffe carryed out of the compasse of charitie by the winde of your owne pride Trie your selfe M â— Dauid and see what spirit doth leade you It hath beene Satans pollicie in all ages to vent out his wares of hatred enuie and strife vnder colour of Religion and to cause weake Christians to breake the band of brother-hood and loue for small causes or rather conceits What pittie was it to see such a Schisme in the Church of Constantinople for the space of thirtie yeeres betweene some that allowed the banishment of Iohn Chrisosâ—ome and others who allowed it not that the one would not communicate with the other And againe to see such a pride in some Catharans of Ierusalems Church as to separate themselues from the fellowship of other Christians as vnworthie of their companie and all through a vaine conceit of their owne puritie and sanctitie beyond others wherein they proceeded so farre that they would not keepe companie with Gregorie Nyssen a worthie Bishop and excellent teacher the Brother of Basill the great who hauing come vpon the expenses of the Emperour Theodose for reformation of some Churches in Arabia and afterwards visiting by this occasion Ierusalem hee found a miserable Schisme in it and because the Schismatickes sought to strengthen their faction by drawing Ambrosia and Basilissa women reputed notable for pietie among the people vnto their opinion he preuented it by his Letter to them disswading them from fostering any diuision in the Church his reasons I wish were pondered by you I bring but one of them Vnum odium sanxit cum Serpente vitae nostrae Legislator at â—athari isti foedus cum Serpente faciunt odium mutuum in seipâ—os conuerâ—unt There is but one hatred which the Law-giuer of our life hath allowed namely that Christians should hate the Serpent but these Catharans make a couenant with the Serpent while they turne their hatred against Christians Perceiue out of this how farre oftentimes good men vnder a shew of godlinesse are carryed out of the compasse of Christian dutie Learne you by other mens example to become wise doubtlesse they were godly learned and professors of the truth yet you see to what extremitie the high conceit of their owne puritie and holinesse did carrie them I wish we had none like them in our bowels but though I would not point at you your owne words bewray that you are sicke of this same disease in that you dare call your brother abominable who worshippeth the Trinitie with you professeth and beleeueth all the Articles of Faith which you professe This in the iudgement of Nyssen will proue you to stand with the Serpent against Christ not with Christ against the Serpent Turne you turne you Mr. Dauid turne the penne and edge of your sword turne the hatreâ— of your abhorring heart against the Diuell not against any that stand for Christ Angues vorando sana fit Ciconia suffer not foster not nourish not such Serpents in your bosome worrie them deuoure destroy them with the Stroke so may you happilie recouer of this euill But now you proceede THE ADMONENT AND if you will needes delight in learning wee may by your learning learne to speake learnedly and shall not despise to take any good lesson from you concerning learned writing eyther of Grammer Rhethoricke or Logicke or any point of Philologie Shortly I lay open my stuffe and permits it to your cenâ—uring and I shall consider and correct at your admonition THE ANSVVERE COnsider I pray you whether it be your shame or no that your deedes should be so far contrarie to your words Here you say yee will not despise to take a good lesson and after this you pray mee to communicate to you any light that I haue but if it be as you say that you would be a Disciple how presume you to condemne your Master before you heare him Let your skill in Grammer Rhethoricke Logicke be as great as you suppose it and then I thinke no man shall match you yet you know these are but hand-maides to Theologie Though Hagar be with childe let her not despise her Dame shee is but a seruant and will neuer get that honour as to bring out an heire of the promise God hath learned me that which all the Grammer and Rhetoricke of East-Lowthan could not haue learned mee hath not learned you nor many others that brag with you
returned from Court so clipped as it did but some streames of his royall liberalitie flowed ouer it to water it and make it encrease then should not the Crowne be impouerished But what Crowne I told you not And now that it may be manifest how vnrighteous Mr. Dauid is in this imputation wee will looke backe a little to the state of our Church of olde how oft did our Fathers seeke maintenance of Superintendents and Ministers how oft craued they that the Patrimonie of the Church which sacrilegious men had taken away might be restored againe They sought it and could not obtaine it Now a Christian King freely offers it and Mr. Dauid contradicts it leauing other probations I will onely present to you a view of Mr. Knoxe his last Letter that he wrote to our generall assembly The mightie Spirit of Comfort Wisedome and Concord in God remaine with you DEere brethren if ability of body would haue suffered I should not haue troubled you with this my rude enditement I haue not forgot what was laid to my charge by famous Libels the last assembly which I pray you patiently to heare and iudge of me as you will answere to God for vnto you in that head I submit my selfe being assured that I neither offended God nor good men in that which hitherto hath been laid to my charge And now Brethren because the daily decay of naturall strength threatneth vnto mee certaine and sodaine departure from the miserie of this life Of loue and conscience I exhort you in the feare of God I charge and commaund you that you take heede vnto your selues and to the Flocke ouer the which God hath placed you Pastors To discourse of your owne behauiour I may not but to commaund you to be faithfull to the Flocke I dare not cease Vnfaithfull and Traytors to the Flocke shall you be before the Lord Iesus if that with your consent directly or indirectly you suffer vnworthie men to be thrust into the Ministrie of the Church vnder whatsoeuer pretense it be Remember the Iudge before vvhom you must make account and resist that tyrannie as you would auoid hells fire This battell I graunt will be hard but the second part will be harder that is that with the like vprightnesse and strength in God you gaine-stand the mercilesse deuourers of the Patrimonie of the Church If men will spoile let them doe it to their owne perill and condemnation but communicate you not with their sinnes of whatsoeuer estate they be neither by consent nor yet by silence but by publicke protestation make this knowne vnto the world that you are innocent of such robberie which will ere it be long prouoke Gods vengeance vpon the committers thereof whereof you will seeke redresse from God and man God giue you wisedome and courage in so iust a cause and mee a happie end S. Andrewes Aug. 3. 1571. Your Brother in Christ Iesus IOHN KNOXE OVr first Fathers knew that robbery of Church-liuing was a Iulian persecution fore-saw it would bring on a decay of Religion if it were not preuented but now Mr. Dauid grudges that honour credit or maintenance should be giuen to the Church by a Christian King THE ADMONENT NEuer a one of you that are Bishops can be said to haue done any good or gracious action THE ANSVVERE A Sore calumnie a grieuous imputation doubtlesse if it were true none of you hath done any good All their persons all their actions none excepted condemned by you in one sentence It is written of Nero that Monster of Nature that he wished all the people of Rome had but one necke that hee might at one stroke cut off all their heads There is little more fauour I see to be expected at M. Dauids hands if hee might as easily dispatch Bishops by the sword as hee hath done here at one word such is his zeale you may be sure they should trouble Israel no longer Thinke it not strange that I say this none of my words are aboue the wickednesse of your deedes you haue slaine vs all in our name you haue taken conscience and honestie away and without these life is worse then death But I pray you tell vs what angers you whereat are you offended Is it at the Office or the persons of Bishops your owne speech will lead vs ere it be long You grudge at the persons it will be found so yet you pretend it is at the Office you would perswade the people that Bishoprie is a noysome weede a barren tree that neuer bare good fruit and neuer will but that it hath done good in the Church will easily be shewed Many famous Bishops haue beene fruitfull trees in the Lords Vineyard and admit that now they are not so fruitfull as they should be or had done no good wherein you will be disproued also yet it agrees with no reason that the calling it selfe should be discredited for the infirmitie of persons that beare it you might rather doe as they did in Lacedaemon when an eloquent man but an euill man had giuen ouâ— a good decree in a doubtfull matter the decree most equitable in it selfe was misliked by many for the iniquitie of him that gaue it such is the humour of people that they looke rather to the person then to the cause to remedie this euill they caused the same decree to be pronounced by a good man so was neither sentence taken from the mouth of an euill man nor a good decree iniustly reiected It is not the office of a Bishop I hope you vvill condemne when you are well aduised It will be found a good thing and well warranted this offends you that it is come in at such a time and in such a manner and in the persons of such and such men where if Bishopricks were in the hands of good men all were well enough this is the matter for as strange as you make it and your selfe hereafter doth not denie it for these are your words If God hath astricted ruling to gifts and to greatest gifts for you will not say it is to smallest then ought these greatest gifts to rule and where they rule not be it in Bishops or whatsoeuer there is confusion and plaine contrarietie to the ordinance of God which should not be suffered in the Church neither is it pride to the greater gifts if they claime the higher place but iustice in claiming their owne place Mr. Dauid you haue once tolde out the truth plainely and honestly and truly I wish it were euen as you say suppose I see not by what rule this triall of greatest gifts shall be made to content all you will finde some that haue gifts for the Schooles vnmeete for the Pulpit and by the contrarie some againe godly and zealous but not learned others learned but without that experience and wisedome which may make them meete for gouernment and it will not be so easie to place euery gift in the owne roome as you suppose yet
for my part I could agree with Nazianzen to be cast ouer boord as Ionas was depriued of all preferment in the Church if this might stay the storme of strife which as may be seene by your words contention for the greatest gifts hath raised in it Though in this also I rather thinke you speake out of your owne conceit not out of sound iudgement as wherein others will allow you But howeuer it be till a better reformation come let mee tell you you haue here also spoken what you should not Neuer one of you haue done any good say you What if I should say you are in the wrong to some of them requiring fruit ere euer the tree be fastned to others very malicious that cannot see fruit euen where it abounds hauing still an eye to see euill not to see good Mr. Dauid tell mee who planted the Churches of Annandail and other countries in the South border who made the Gospell to be preached there where it was not heard in our daies nor in the daies of our Fathers was it any Presbyterie I doubt not they would but could not you will finde it was the diligence and fidelitie of a Bishop I may say further that in sundrie parts of the high Land the name of Christ is brought in reuerence by the care of Bishops where it was not knowne before in such bounds as haue not beene visited by any Superintendent Bishop Commissioner nor Presbiterie before this I could tell you of a meane Bishop who hath made a constant prouision of three thousand Markes by yeere to his Ministers more then their former stipends and this care of the continuance of the Gospell after vs you cannot denie to be a good action Besides that many professed enemies haue rendred themselues professed friends by the care and diligence of such as vnder God and his Maiestie haue speciall charge in the Church None of the rest want their owne witnesses some more some lesse wherein I could be particular but before we with the Pharises would proclaime by Trumpet our good deedes wee will rather keepe silence contented to let this blast of yours blow by vs also yet the winde encreaseth and blustereth out these mightie blasts which follow THE ADMONENT AND is any man so impudent as to say that his Maiesties good course against Papists is deerer to you then to them better fauoured by you or are you more earnest in it Doe any of you dare any of you doe more for it or for his Maiestie in it Alas how poore a power is that of Bishops in that case but that it is vnderpropped by them THE ANSVVERE SEeing by your owne confession Bishops are vnderpropped by Preachers why come you to vndermine them whom Preachers vnderprop vnlesse you be minded to fight against them both It is true Bishops are the stronger in that they haue worthie Preachers assistors vnto them in the combat against the enemie and they in like manner finde themselues more strengthened by authoritie of Bishops and it is best when they goe ioyntly together to doe the worke of God why then complaine you hereafter of an vniting or revniting to be made betweene them and rage at a mixture as you call it your selfe betweene Bishops and their brethren of the Ministrie and here and euery where throughout this Eristic Libell of yours doe what you can to stirre vp the one against the other and set them by the eares together for what language is this of yours Doe you dare you Know you what spirit leadeth you to speake so if you know not looke to your selfe in this glasse And there came out a man whose height was sixe cubits and an hand bredth and hee had an helmet of brasse on his head and a Brigandine vpon him which weighed fiue thousand Shekels of brasse and hee had bootes of brasse and a shield of brasse and a speare like a weauers beame and hee stood and cryed Doe you dare you Is any of you able to fight against me And so also railed Rabsache Are you able to ride the horses of my Master Thus did these Infidels in their pride despise the people of God and vilifie them sore And with no lesse carnall confidence doth this great Giant come out against vs as if with his threatning voyce of Doe dare yee hee would afray vs all But Rabsache stay your railing glorious Goliah get you backe againe to your Tent lay downe your Speare and waightie Brigandine put off your carnall armour of vaine windie and bragging words and vnder pretence of loue to some of Israels armie reproach not the rest Through grace we both doe and dare doe to the glorie of our God when you if you continue in this Pharâ—saicall boasting will proue but a phantasticall phraser Take you therefore in time to a more wise and sober minde or doubtlesse some stone out of the Riuer of God will beate out your braines And this for your intended confutation of my first reason in effect no other but a digression from it I absolued it in sixe lines and you haue heaped vp a multitude of words Commendations Comparisons impertinent to the purpose and no way touching my reason but you goe on in your owne conceit as followeth THE ADMONENT HAd you said you had laid downe a Bishopricke for his Maiesties comfort and obedience you had said something but to take it on for that end is a pretended excuse which no man will approue for who will not take it on that thinkes it lawfull THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid if for obedience of a Christian King you thinke it good a man should lay downe a Bishopricke why thinke you it euill that for his obedience he should accept it Beleeue me if the Church shall thinke it expedient and his Maiestie shall declare it to be his pleasure and in this require a proofe of mine obedience I shall doe the one more speedily more willingly then euer I did the other not for any vnlawfulnesse or misliking of it but for the loue I haue to a more quiet life my selfe And thinke you Mr. Dauid that no man hath or doth accept a Bishopricke being rather willing to want it So you speake out of your carnall minde of things which yee know not measuring other men with your spanne but I am sure the minde of an honest Bishop or Pastor is a more high and diuine thing then that you G. are able to iudge it How many worthy men of the Primitiue Church notwithstanding that they thought the office lawfull yet haue fled it and denyed it till they haue beene forced by the Church to accept it yea some haue dismembred themselues that they might eschew it I know their preposterous zeale is not commendable yet good enough to improue you that euery one who alloweth a Bishoprie is not euer willing to accept it But you thinke these men are not now adaies and seeing it is so that such as like it will make no scruple to
accept it you might soone doe worse then fall to and studie the lawfulnesse of Episcopall Gouernement your selfe Beleeue mee if you lay aside your preiudicate minde you will easily learne it and then without difficultie I see you will accept it your selfe if you may get it Poesie prospers not with you I meane it renders you not wished contentment though you haue skill in it yet you know there is one before you that hath the praise of Prince of Poets but if once you could be content to be a Bishop who doth know what good you might doe to your selfe and the whole Church There is no impediment but that you are not a Pastor yet the consideration of your learning wherein you excell many Pastors might purchase to you some speciall priuiledge and be a motiue to others to draw you out in publike like another Ambrose who for his singular learning and pietie was taken from the Barre and placed in the Pulpit and of a ciuill Iudge incontinent ordained to be a Bishop onely you must be remembred that the motiue which moued the people to elect Ambrose was an Orison of concord which he being then Gouernour of Liguria had made to pacifie a tumult that was raised in Medeolanum about their Bishop and you if you would come to the like honour must not as you haue done blow the bellowes of Sedition the subiect of your eloquent Oration must be concord no more discord And truely for all your conâ—ending this is the worst I wish you neither doe I despaire that you may change your minde if not to be a Bishop yet at least a Bishops fauourer But whether this be or not boast mee no more with a dismission of my Bishopricke Quem nulla cupidit as traxit ad ambiendum is ab eo soliâ— non formidat deturbart He will neuer be afraid to be cast downe from his dignitie who by no ambition of his owne was aduanced vnto it Now you proceede to improue my second Reason but with no better successe then you had in the former THE ADMONENT THE second is like vnto this to remoue say yee the offence the people haue conceiued against the honourable name of a Bishop If this be worth the answering euen in your owne eyes I trow I shall answere it THE ANSVVERE MY reason is more weightie then that you are able to answere it and therefore you shift it and put it by you with impertinent words My reason the Reader may see in my Apologie and now this I adde vnto it that the people are abused through your wrong information and others of your humour to thinke no otherwise of a Bishop then of an Heretike and that he who once becomes a Bishop is no more to be accounted a Brother Among the auncient Fathers Martyrs and Confessors of the Church primitiue a Bishop was honoured as Ornamentum Ecclesie And now you will haue our Church so farre degenerate from them that what they thought honourable you will haue it abhominable and so a stumbling blocke is laid before simple people and they are made to contemne that which they should honour Is not this an euill or rather manifold euils crauing remedie that an innocent man vnder a misliked name be not condemned that people be not abused to persecute that which they know not and if they knew would certainely honour it and that the Church be not defrauded of an office receiued in all ages of all Orthodoxe Churches good and profitable for conseruation of the Gospell with peace and order Now let vs see vvhat you answere to this THE ADMONENT ALas are we so carefull of names and if we should haue we not a better way Explicate it onely and let it be vsed rightly let them be called Bishops that the Scripture so calls Euery Pastor a Bishop so shall all men honour the name who now offends at this abuse of it and thinke you to honour this abuse of it THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid why talke you so idlely when I speake of the name doe I disioyne it from the matter signified by the name Doe I not in my speech expresly knit the name of a Bishop and his office together But you will haue all Pastors called Bishops and then the name will be honoured of all Mr. Dauid we know that in a generall sense all Pastors comes vnder the name of Bishops Prophets c. Which for all that derogates nothing to the distinction of their places and offices and powers in gouernement This is a common argument vsed against Episcopall authoritie but in truth of no strength for why Doth Communion of names take away proprieties of things The blessed Spirits in heauen are called Angels the faithfull Bishops of the Church in earth called Angels also Will you inferre of this an equalitie among them All Christians are called Kings and Priests to their God will it therefore follow that there is not a peculiar kingly and priestly Office proper to some not common to all And thinke you that the name of a Bishop when it is giuen vnto one Pastor it being his calling to ouersee the rest and not vnto all is abused know you not that the name of a Bishop and Superintendent are one in the pith of signification the one being but a Latine word expressing the equiualent of it in Greeke and as their names are one so their powers also are one as you will finde hereafter declared by act of generall assembly Was the name then abused when some Pastors were called Superintendents and all Pastors not so called I hope you will not affirme it you will be loath to condemne your Fathers so lightly how euer beyond dutie you be liberall in setting light by vs that are your brethren But to goe vp higher with you was the name of a Bishop abused by the auntient Fathers of the Church primitiue when they gaue both the name and the honour of Bishops to some Pastors which they gaue not to all Was it abused by Policarp Martyr and Bishop of Smyrna by Ignatius Martyr and Bishop of Antiochia by Phâ—tinâ—s Irenaeus Bishops of Lions by Ambrose Bishop of Millane by Chryfostame Bishop of Constantinople by Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria by Cyprian Martyr and Bishop of Carthage by Augustine Bishop of Hippon with innumerable more whom I cannot rehearse were they all abusers that receiued this name and was the whole Church abusâ—rs of that name when they gaue it vnto some Pastors and not vnto all calling them Bishops that is Superintendents and ouer-seers not onely of their Flockes but of their Brethren of the Ministrie within the bounds of their Diocesse Will you pull out the eyes of all these men Did they see nothing Or will you make them all abusers of that holy name Aduise better good man and be not so sodaine as with one dash of your priuate Penne to condemne all the worthie lights of the antient Churches And where you would draw vs vp to be iudged by
in word you might now make it knowne by your deedes But now my fourth reason you gaine-say in this manner THE ADMONENT THe fourth to enduce Bishops ad remedium Schismatis that is to say the Authors of Schisme for the remedie of Schisme if this be not mockerie I know not what is mockerie for are not Bishops the onely Authors of Schisme in our Church Were they not the first occasion formers mouers forgers ftirrers vp and yet entertainers of it It was not till they came put them away and it is gone loe the right remedie of our Schisme c. Mâ—tter not therefore these suspitious words which you professe to speake lesse of for duties sake THE ANSVVERE SHall men hold their peace at thy lies and when thou mockest others shall none make thee ashamed It was Ieromes iudgement that Episcopall gouernement vvas brought into the Church inremedium Schismatis and I said the like rupture now required the like remedie This argument you vnloose not with your tongue but your teeth biting at that after the manner of beasts which offends you not answering it with reason What is mockerie say you if this be not mockerie Is it mockerie to say that a Bishop was brought in inremedium Schismatis since it is Ieromes saying charge him as a mocker and not me and after your owne manner trample all men vnder your feete be they auncients or recents that agrees not with your humour this vvas Ieromes Iudgement but when wee come to the point Episcopall gouernement will be found elder then Ieromes dayes and maintained by greater authoritie where-vnto also that I doe him no wrong I thinke his owne words shall leade vs. But say you there was no Schisme till Bishops came they haue made it not remedied it This double calumnie is answered very well by affirmation of the contrarie and where you vrge mee not to vtter such suspitious words as to say the lesse I speake for duties sake the more I leaue to be considered of them who know the truth heereof Mr. Dauid you may prouoke as you please and tempt as you will but you shall neuer preuaile to make mee vncouer nakednesse which should rather be concealed and couered And if of weakenesse I were moued so to doe yet as Calanus the Indian Philosopher said to Alexander what praise were it to you to force me to doe that which I like not Where Bishops are reuerenced there is a comely vnitie pleasant to see such as should be in the Familie of God mutuall loue among brethren and of them all loue and reuerence to their Bishop as vnto their Father This haue I seene and haue reioyced in it What needlesse diuision hath beene before is knowne also but shall not be knowne for me to them who know it not Now you proceede to the improbation of my first Reason by sixe Interrogatories THE ADMONENT NOw of the fift what shall I say when you haue searched all the question is about Ierusalems wall whether it should be round or foure-squared euill searched certainely who searcheth well will finde more to-wit the first question is whether the wals that are built already should be pulled downe and built in another fashion Secondly which are strong built with stone and lime at the least I might say with brasse and Iron bands already if they should be pulled downe and built with sand and grummell THE ANSVVERE BOth these questions are resolued with one answere Let the auncient wals of our Church-gouernment stand where they decaied let them be repaired not with sand and grummell of promiscuall regiment these are weake defences for a besieged Citie but with Episcopall Authoritie which is able to procure greatest reuerence to Ecclesiastique Censures which otherwise by the impietie of this age men would draw into contempt and make them but like the Spiders Web hauing some strength to hedge in the weaker but easily broken through by the stronger And this the Aduersarie findes in experience that the wall which they haue besieged so long is stronger now then euer it was where-through many of their chiefe Captaines are moued to forsake their Campe and enter themselues into the Citie And if our good Ezechia had not thus carefully repaired the wall doubtlesse you had felt the weakenes of it long ere now the charge being so great that was giuen by the enemie and I may well say that all those who are not bewitched with some sinister conceit finde peace procured to the Citie in her owne bowels and greater strength against the common enemie so that others also of the meaner sort who oft before contemned our greatest censure of Excommunication in all parts of the Kingdome are faine now to render themselues obedient to Discipline this is a knowne truth howsoeuer Mr. Dauid would obscure it THE ADMONENT BVT if the question be light and of so small importance as you would make it seeme by that fashion of speaking as a difference onely betweene round and square why is so much trouble so much strife such trauell such charges â—â—ugre the indwellers with such compulsion of the worke men better let it stand as it stands then trouble all the Countrey or hurt a simple Labourer if there were no more c. THE ANSVVERE INdeede because you are the people onely Wisedome must remaine with you If the good man of Gods-Croft counsell had been craued and his consent obtained all should haue gone well But Mr. Dauid for all your malecontentment it is better then you apprehend it your errour proceeds from the wrong vptaking of the question if you had to do with your companion or the Controuersie were onely among the workemen themselues then to speake as you haue done were somewhat tolerable suppose-not absolutely best But here Mr. Dauid you haue to doe with your Master with your Soueraigne Lord with whom it becomes you not to stand vpon as good And here the question is feeing the great Maister of the worke vnder God with aduise of many skilfull and worthy workemen will haue the wals repaired and of circular made quadrangular knowing this to be best for the safetie of the Citie and that vpon his owne expences not troubling the whole countrey vnlesse you and your Diocie be the whole not maugre the indwellers but with consent and approbation of the most wise and auncient inhabitants in it Whether is it meeter that the rest of the Worke-men here should follow him or otherwise resist him and tell him to his face they will not doe it for him and not content onely to with-draw their owne seruice in this worke and obedience from him will not suffer if they may stay it any of their fellow-workemen to serue him in that worke or if any will doe murmure and grudge against them speake euill of them and esteeme them for enemies and so make a fearefull diuision in the Citie for a needlesse cause But to leaue the Parable and to speake plainely seeing a Christian
King requires the wall to be repaired and that vpon reason yea forced thereunto of necessitie is it not better that Pastors and people in this should obey their King then otherwise by refusing and resisting should procure and continue a needlesse debaite betweene a Prince of such knowledge and pietie and his people betweene a King and his Church and betweene faithfull zealous godly and learned Pastors among themselues And now Mr. Dauid thinke shame that you professe to haue so great respect to a simple Labourer but no respect to a singular King no more then if hee had not to doe with the worke at all rather then a simple Labourer be hurt say you let the building stand rather then a singular King be offended say I let the wall be renued Where pride is where fectlesse and needlesse contention is whether with you or vs I leaue it to the consideration of the Christian and iudicious Reader What regard the auncient Fathers of our Church had to his Maiestie in his minoritie how loath any way to make his Highnesse regent and the Lords of Counsell their partie by giuing them any cause of offence the monuments of our Church can witnesse But now the pleasure or displeasure of a Christian King in his old age is nothing regarded yea it is maintained for an Axiome that Christ his Kingdome is dishonoured when helpe is sought from the arme of a Christian King I thanke God what euer my minde was in Church-gouernment I knew not I loued not such foolish pride Then I thought out of simplicitie that euery mans minde had beene like mine owne seeing I see it is otherwise and far otherwise they must excuse me to mislike in them that which I neuer loued in my selfe that is a proud conceit of singular sinceritie a disdaine of others a delight in needlesse contention and a misregard of a Christian King of whom we haue neuer esteemed as we should and as time will force other ages to acknowledge Your third interrogatorie now followeth THE ADMONENT VVHether the wals should be retained in that estate wherein they are built and as they are after the direction of him who is both Lord and chiefe builder a cunning master of the worke or if wee should cast them downe and build them againe after the pleasure of the Prentises and conceit of the Labourers THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid is so forward in his owne purpose that he forgetteth his speech or else his tongue runnes before and tarries not on his minde A labourers office is the basest of any who are imployed in a building Mr. Dauid came neuer to this honour as to bee a Labourer in Gods house yet hee dishonours it so farre that where in the former Section hee said hee will rather haue the Master of the worke albeit hee were a King offended then a Labourer be offended now hee saith the Master of the worke his word should bee a Law and a Laboures conceit should not be regarded Doe you not here proclaime your inconfiderate folly But now to your Interrogatorie take this for an answere Your question is out of question to vse your owne words in this you are your owne Antigonist you shall haue none of vs your contradictor turne your question into an Assertion wee assent to it Let the Tabernacle be built after the patterne which God shewed Moses in the Mount let the forme of Church-gouernment be learned from Christ and his Apostles let the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church be followed where they are followers of Christ and such as will doe otherwise let them be accounted Nouices Prentises ignorant Builders whose conceit may not should not be a warrant in so great a workemanship Your fourth Question followeth THE ADMONENT IF we should pull downe the wals quite with our owne hands and dismantle the towne wholy THE ANSVVERE THis is as needlesse a question as the former and nothing else but an idle conception of your owne braine yea worse then Idlenesse an exceeding great malice that because the Citie is not gouerned after your humour you will encourage the enemie to besiege it and signifie to them by your warning Peece that the towne is dismantled and hath no wals to hold them out Is not this to encourage them boldly to set on But though such vnnaturall Mutiners as you would betray it bewraying the weakenesse of it to the aduersarie your euill hart may foome out your owne shame and procure your selfe the iust reward of such vile treason but the Lord for his names sake will protect the Citie build vp the wals thereof and loue it still And now if any truth Mr. Dauid remaine in you concerning this matter tell mee doth this Citie want any wall that euer it had or rather are not the Towers and strengths of the wall fortified that the Samaritanes Tobie Sanballat and their complices grudge and murmure to see Ophell Mariamne Phaselus built vp againe To be plaine with you wants there any Ecclesiastique Session want wee Synods Prouinciall or Nationall Is any censure of Admonition Suspention or Excommunication taken away they are rectified roborated but not remoued how then say you the towne is dismantled Your fift Interrogatorie followeth THE ADMONENT YEa in effect if wee should receiue in the Plague that hath proued so that hath beene cast out and cut off for corruption THE ANSVVERE SPeake more sparingly if you meane not to proue a pestilent man in the Church You call Episcopall gouernment a pestilence so you say but you proue it not Much take you in this Treatise vpon your tongue as if it were a sufficient warrand for all your Assertion The goodman said it for if you come to probation how hath it as you say proued a Pestilence the common argument you thinke is knowne well enough that the Episcopall degree was a step to Antichrist then must you graunt it was in the Church before Antichrist yea truely long before Papall tyrannie was hatched which is the worldly and wicked Hierarchie our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement was in the Church and you haue no more reason to condemne Episcopall superioritie although as you alledge Papall primacie had come of it then you haue to condemne Veritie because Heresie came of it per accidens If man had neuer beene ordained sinne by man had not come into the world if the word of truth had not beene preached the people of heresie had not followed if there were not a bodie there should not be a shadow if there had neuer beene a Bishop there should neuer haue beene a Pope as you say What then because sinne is euill is the man made by God not good because Heresie is abhominable is not Veritie approuable because the shadow is a vaine thing is the bodie so because the Pope is a Plague in the Church is the Bishop so also If this be a proofe of your best Logicke what will the rest be But say you it hath beene cast out of the
Church and cut off for corruption I know you meane out of our Church and that by act of Assembly It might serue you for an answere that the first Ecclesiastique gouernment which our Church euer allowed by act of generall assembly was Episcopall gouernment as shall be cleared by Gods grace The last Ecclesiastique gouernment approued by act of our generall Assemblie is Episcopall gouernment also neyther shall you finde in the meane time betweene these two any Act of Assembly disallowing the office of Bishops but onely the corruptions thereof and being forced for remouing the corruption to suspend the office for a time they neuer simply reiected it but by plaine act left a power of reuocation thereof to their Successors to bring it in againe when they should see the good of the Church required it The probation of this followeth hereafter This is it which according to your minde you call a cutting off for corruption but our Fathers were neuer so inconsiderate as you haue affirmed Mr. Dauid it is no good Chirurgie to cut off the hand for corruption where the corruption may be cured and the hand preserued it may be vnable for the present and yet able afterward to doe good Cut not away an Office from the Church for corruption thereof but cut away the corruption and conserue the Office that it may doe good againe So hath our Fathers done like wise Phisitians but you in your furie will cut all away and make the simple beleeue that our Church had done it So vndutifull are you that you spare not without all respect of reuerence to rip vp againe the bowels of your Mother that you may lay open her nakednesse to the opprobrie of the aduersarie and where you can finde none you faine lyes Your last Interrogatorie is to the same purpose THE ADMONENT SHould wee receiue the plaine aspiring Tyrant and enemie knowne and proued so in the middest of the Citie place him in the Citadell giue him the Keyes in custodie giue him all credit to open and shut the Ports let in and thrust out at his pleasure giue him a command of the watch the Centinels to command controll that they mute not stirre not doe what hee list yea euen binde vp all the Dogs and mussell their mouthes that they bite not barke not but at his pleasure No light matter c. THE ANSVVERE SHall there be none end of the words of winde What haue wee here the same tale tolde ouer in new words hee still cals Episcopall authoritie a Tyrannie an Enemie knowns proued so but hee proues nothing The Bishop of Rome became a tyrant shall the fault of one be a sufficient reason to impute tyrannie to all Did all the remanent famous Churches and Orthodoxe Bishops in Christendome reiect the paternall gubernation of Bishops because the Bishop of Rome had turned his into tyrannie Mr. Dauid would haue it but be not so inconsiderate as to hold your Father at the doore for feare of a tyrant The rest of your words are more specious then substantious there needes no more to improue you but to turne them backe vpon your selfe Is it not meeter that some one man hauing Commission from the Gouernour and Counsellors of the Citie should haue the Keyes of the Ports then that euery one in thâ— Citie should haue libertie to open and shut let out and in at their pleasure Is it not meeter that some haue power to checke the Watch and command them then that they should haue libertie to slumber and sleepe at their pleasure not fearing the controulement of any Is it not meeter that Dogges that is vndiscreet and contentious men should be kept vnder commandement then that they shall haue libertie to barke and bite at their pleasure euery one that commeth in their way What shall a man euen of common wit say but that your words faire in shew fectlesse in purpose make against your selfe when they are well considered In the end of this section you haue another question proposed the answere whereof wil giue you light for resolution of the maine controuersie wee haue in hand and till then I leaue it And now you proceede to improbation of my sixt reason which was this That other reformed Churches in Europe wanting Episcopall gouernement would be glad to accept it vpon condition that with it they might enioy the puritie of Gospell which they haue with vs together with that libertie fauour and protection of a Christian King professing the Gospell truly which we haue and they want This you impugne after this manner THE ADMONENT I Verily thinke this is but a bad reason why a man should change his minde in so great a matter and for my part I easily thinke that assertion is as easily denied as auowed and I haue more for me to denie it then you haue to auow it as I beleeue their owne profession and declaration of their mindes against Bishops But what doe you meane by that word Condition haue we that puritie libertie and Christian King by Condition I hope we haue them simply and purely without condition c. THE ANSVVERE MY reason is better then you consider If we had liued among the Christians of the Church primitiue sore persecuted three hundreth yeeres for Religion by Emperours who should haue protected them or if we had liued in the Church of Fraunce our necks daily vnder the sword of the enemie and then it had pleased God to turne the heart of the Emperour and King not onely to protect vs but to professe the Gospell with vs we would haue been loath to haue discorded with them for such a matter You ponder not this benefit but waxe insolent and thinke it nothing to entertaine a diuision betweene a Church and a Christian King for a matter without which true faith in Christ in all the articles thereof may be retained In my iudgement the Church of France or antient Churches sore bitten with affliction would neuer haue discorded vvith their Christian Rulers in such a cause You alleadge you haue a declaration of their minde in the contrarie but you must remember priuate letters are not sufficient to proue the minde of a Church You are offended at this word vpon condition you demand Haue we puritie libertie and a Christian King on condition What needes you peruert my words I am sure it can be no ignorance onely malice caries you to this cauilling know you not that his Maiestie will not be drawne into your opinion of Church-gouernement you speake as if the King were of your minde or at least would make the simple beleeue so or that I had ouer-seene my selfe so farre as to say that wee had a King by condition You know his Maiestie will not be drawne that way for you it were more agreeable to reason you should quit your conceit and goe after your Soueraigne Lord but if still you will stand in contradictorie termes yet blow vs not all so blinde as to make
in our Church for disturbance of the peace thereof by men of your humour abusing the simplicitie of some Pastors that it was needlesse to me to crie any more yea of purpose I fled it and thanke God I euer delighted to handle my Text for edification of the hearers in the matter of saluation and had no pleasure in digressions or other discourses yea not in an open rebuke of the sinnes of them who were not present to heare me Neither is it any reason that euerie vveakenesse seene in the State or in the Church should be proclaimed in Pulpit incontinent you cannot be ignorant that many things are rather to be tollerated then mended with vntimely remedies Ne dum volumus importune ruimis subuenire alias maiores multo videamur parare Mr. Dauid we haue had more then enough of this stuffe among vs Men that will suffer no Bishops and yet in Presbyteries will either gouerne all or else nothing goes right yea some as if they were Episcopi Episcoporum sit in their land-ward Pulpits as in chaires of censure giuing out iudgement of King State Church Countrey and all ranks of men condemning them in the hearts of their hearers with iniust and vntimely rebukes that neuer come to the knowledge of them vnto whom they are directed this is a proud vsurpation couer it with the cloake of zeale who will which for my part I neuer approued yet this is one of the Alarums Mr. Dauid cries for THE ADMONENT TO take vp things then in grossest and simplest manner you misliked Episcopall gouernement say you because you feared tyrannie libertie and other euils should follow on it what is this to say that you misliked it not for it selfe but for the consequences of it THE ANSVVERE SInce it is notoriously knowne and I haue plainely confessed that I misliked Episcopall gouernement what needes all this enquirie of the causes of my misliking Sure it is I misliked it vpon misconception Now I know it but I knew it not then and is it any reason that I should for this be restrained from embracing a clearer light when God offers so that you take here but needlesse paines and yet you will be doing and to proue that I misliked Episcopall gouernement for the vnlawfulnesse of the Office it selfe which you will neuer be able to make good you bring foure arguments The first from a priuate speech of mine spoken to a friend at the Parliament in Perth which this way you repeat THE ADMONENT VVHether you behaued your selfe so or not let it be weighed by this little suruey of your speech first priuate then publike in priuate I will cite but one said to haue beene in Perth at their first riding there Let vs goe said you to your friend and see these proud Prelates ride which friend of yours afterward as is reported at your first riding in Parliament being come to Edenburgh and demanded of you wherefore hee was come in detestation of you answered you with your owne words hee was come to see the proud prelates ride I know others report this somewhat otherwise and that it was a Bishop that repeated your words in Edenburgh to that same your friend concerning you to giue you a meeting for that you said of him in Perth THE ANSVVERE NOW Mr. Dauid comes in to giue the Reader a proofe of his skill in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for lacke of Canonicall probations he turnes him to Apocrypha and makes vp a tale here so ridiculous by his owne narration as may make men maruell what hath made a reputed wise man so foolish hee saith I spake it to a friend in Perth and a Bishop heard it was I so inconsiderate as to speake that in my priuate house that time I was not out of it that a Bishop might heare in the streetes Why name you not the friend vnder generals you may say what you list yet you distrust your selfe for you say the tale which you bring here was said to haue beene in Perth said to haue beene what certaintie is here is this ground good enough say your selfe and indeede in the next word you shame your selfe It is say you otherwise reported yet you make them both all one in effect that is in truth both of them false and fectlesse Is this solid reasoning thinke you Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Without wood the fire is quenched and without a tale-bearer strife ceaseth Haue you no matter wherewith to fill vp your paper but a tale of hee said and she said and you cannot tell who said it You will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Iudge to iudge mee and is ignorant of the Law for it stands in all ages a Law to a Iudge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should not iudge by hearing and yet hee will receiue against me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vaine report Thou painted wall thou sittest to iudge mee according to the Law and smitest mee against the Law yet wee must vnderstand that Mr. Dauid is a learned man who will denie this that knowes him and how euer this subiect seeme small yet his skill is the greater to make such a long and learned Commentarie vpon so little a matter and seeing hee hath taken this paines vpon it wee must all thinke it worthy of the reading or else wee doe him great wrong for so hee saith himselfe THE ADMONENT THe words of the fable are short and seeme to import little but let vs consider them they may giue vs light perhaps and perhaps no sufficient to this matter concerning all these chiefe points whether it was feare of euill to come or euils present you spake of whether vncertaine feare or certaine sight c THE ANSVVERE HItherto haue wee heard Mr. Dauid his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now followes his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it a cunning and most eloquent Orison vpon a fabulous narration How euer the matter seeme little Mr. Dauid warnes you hee can make it much Nouit tenuiter diducere and can out of it draw many prettie Quiddities and Illatiues vpon whethers and what ifs and can shew himselfe a Rhethorician vpon Niff naffes Mr. Dauid is no grosse spinster giue him the grossest stuffe you may get hee can twine it small so skilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of little hee can make much yea and could if neede required secare cuminum not vnmeete to be Steward to some Italian Lord that would haue many dishes vpon small allowance but that it were a losse to take such a good engine from the Schooles wherein if he continue the world will see that Scotus subtilis is reuiued in him againe But howeuer it be I pittie you that you should not haue some better subiect to trye your wits vpon for you shall beleeue me who euer reported this tale vnto you in speaking of it was but a lyar the thing it selfe is a false fiction you haue not done Christianly to
and not onely consented vnto it but the more I looked into it the more I loued it reioycing at the preferment of Preachers for this end and in honouring of them esteemed my selfe honoured And if the subscribed Supplication hath that in it which you affirme that the office of a Bishop is slanderous in the Church which I can hardly thinke that any learned or well aduâ—sed Preacher will affirme then I make it knowne vnto you it neyther had nor hath any approbation of mine This being the simple truth I doubt not but the indifferent Reader will thinke any ouer-sight that hath escaped mee very easily excused Your fourth Argument now followeth THE ADMONENT MIght I not adde also the Assemblies of Dundie 1580. at which it is likely you were as being within your twenty yeeres that you haue beene a Pastor where the office of a Bishop is called folly corruption mans inuention vnlawfull c. THE ANSVVERE IT is shame to see you alledge such notorious falsehoods I was not at that Assembly yea I was no Minister then at all being but twelue yeeres old I was newly taken from the Grammer Schoole in Dunbar and entred into the Colledge in S. Andrewes With many such false lies as these fighteth your Fellowship against mee which yet are currant for truth in your Colledge of Doâ—atists whose Spirit I iustly called alying Spirit for notoâ—ious â—alshoods are carried among you in secret from tongue to tongue and receiued in your meetings for vndoubted truths This I could qualifie by sâ—tting downe a particular catalogue of your â—alumnies but I will not at this time I haue onely to â—raue of sucâ— as feare God that howsoeuer many spare not to carie Satan in their tongue by false reports that they also lodge him not in their eare by hearing and receiuing a false accusation for this is required of them who shall dwell in the tabernacle of God and rest in his holy mountaine that they receiue not a false report against their neighbour and therefore rests assured that they vvill reserue an eare to heare mee before they condemne me These are the foure pillars of your great building so rotten in themselues that they fall as soone as they are touched with the finger and what then becommeth of your long discourses inferred vpon them Are they not Bullatae nugae bellering bablings watrie bels easily dissipate by the smallest winde or rather euanishes of their owne accord THE ADMONENT HOw is your change then and what causes are of it This had neede to haue beene cleerely shewed declâ—red and proued c. THE ANSVVERE IN this Section you returne againe improbitate muscae to the point from which euen now you haue beene repelled and you are not ashamed to be tedious to your Reader Eaâ—â—em semper canenâ—â— Cantilenam Still demanding how is your change It were more time you should bethinke you how to change your talke or if still you will multiply words in vaine I contend no more in that which I haue answered alreadie There be foure things saith Salomon which cannot be satisfied the graue the barren wombe the earth and the fire Whether you be the fourth of these for your fierie humour or a fifth to be ioyned to them for a hunger you haue and I cannot satisfie I rest resolued to take no more paines vpon you for this part of our question Two things onely you haue here which must be answered In the first you would proue that I haue much more cause to feare the euils may follow Episcopall gouernement now then I had before and your reason is THE ADMONENT CAn any humane carefulnesse suffice vnto that care it is true Princes haue long eares but other mens eares they haue many eies as Argus yet are they the eies of others and these others may be brought a sleepe by some cunning Mercurius Can his Maiestie in such distance see the whole proceedings of Prelates the whole and naked truth of things by such informers by themselues or their agents doth he now know the deepenesse of misteries euen the scurfe of many actions shall he hereafter The pride that may be that tyrannie libertie as it happens to grow their neglects sloathes bribes partialities how much lesse fore-see how they shall be eschewed c. THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid you should haue aduised with your warrant before you had reuiled your Rulers you haue opened your mouth and giuen out false accusations Are you able to qualifie them but thou louest all words that may destroy O deceitfull tongue if you were put to probation vnder paine of suffering punishment due to these sinnes it would goe hard with you Neither can it be well when euery man takes libertie to accuse such as are in authoritie either in Common-wealth or Church and is not able to make it good that yet they goe away not the lesse without controlement what you sâ—eake concerning feare I confesse if that may please you I am neuer without feare Euen the most pure Doctrine the most perfect Discipline who can secure himselfe that none euill shall follow it Since in Paradise in the state of innocencie a Serpent followed Adam and Euah and corrupted them We are vpon earth like Passengers on the Sea were the winde and weather neuer so faire yet are they not without feare till they come to their harbourie because they know there may be a change and shall wee get vpon earth a state exempetd from feare or is it possible to set downe that forme of gouernement in the Church of the which wee may be sure without all feare none euill shall follow it Is none euill to be feared to follow Presbyteriall gouernement what you haue enquired of the one let me aske of you the other can all the faults offences sloaths of Presbyteries in not assembling to the weekely exercise with diuisions disobediences be knowne to his Maiestie it is more apparant the faults of one are sooner knowne sooner dilated sooner corrected then the ouer-sights of manie neither is it likely that Bishops shall escape with their smallest offences so long as you and such as you are their captors and inspectors dogging them at the heeles treading after them in all their foot-steps glad when you may heare or see any weakenesse in them that you lay hold vpon greedily making much of little that you may disgrace them Is not this to imitate Satans nature is it not contrarie to the conditions of elect Angels they reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner you with Satan reioyce at their fall it doth you more good then your meate or drinke to heare any blame you may impute to a Bishop God forgiue you But to returne sure it is no carefull no conscionable man can liue in any state without feare for why Satan seekes most carefully and cunningly to corrupt Offices most excellent and most profitable for the Church and the greater good be in them so long as they abide good the greater euill
comes of them when they begin to change Euen as the finest wine turnes into the sharpest vinegar How then shal a man be without feare but I nothing doubt it is in his Maiestie his chiefe cares to establish it and that by fensing it against all euils specially tyrannie libertie briberie partialitie sloath which you haue obiected and where desperately you insinuate that the Office of a Bishop will neuer doe good A Wolfe say you will be a Wolfe and all the world had sworne it and will worrie too when the Shepheards backe is turned you but speake of your owne either ignorance or euill set affection considering how many famous Bishops without the reuerence of a Christian King liued as Fathers to the Church faithfull Preachers of the Gospel and died constant Martyrs for the testimonie of Iesus but Mr. Dauid will haue all these rauening Wolfes The other cause why my feare should be greater followes THE ADMONENT THe Office of Bishops then pretended no preheminence now it doth then it was subiect to Presbyteries now it is freed from them then it was bound with caueats now it is let loose Then euery Preacher might speake against it now none reproues then were all alike friend and good fellow with their Pastors now his Lordship c. THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid wee know better what was wont to be in our Church then you there was neuer all alike as you say in it our gouernement was alway Aristocratick for albeit by constitution for that time paritie was allowed yet was it not practised there was euer some leaders rulers honoured and reuerenced by other Pastors and good reason so should bee what else see you now if the persons liked you the purpose is the same Since the beginning of our Church Bishops Superintendents vvere neuer subiect to the iudgement of their brethren in the matter of their office nay not to their Synods but were reserued to be iudged onely by the generall assembly but you affirme the contrarie pertly enough looking for no controlement Bishops are not let loose suppose they be not left to your teddering But this offends you that they are called Lords let me enquire at you Is honour giuen to any in the Church but for the honour of all if they could looke to it with loue and humilitie euery one might say Honoris vestri participes et nos sumus Will any member of the bodie grudge to see another honoured or rather in the honour of one doe they not all reioyce and esteeme themselues to be honoured Mr. Dauid there is a pride which loueth honour and preferment Our Lord condemnes it there is another pride that disdaines to giue it and I may well say it is the worst pride of the two I will not thinke that either Elijah or Samuel were vaine-glorious when the one was stiled by Obadiah and the other by Anna My Lord Surely it is a weake and vaine minde that is puft vp with so small a winde and yet I am sure both Anna and Obadiah in giuing them this honour did but their dutie But I thinke M. Dauid in this will not be contentious for in the backe of his Letter directed to Bishops he writes To his verie good Lord And then in the subscription within Your L. or wisedomes What he meanes by this I know not he will giue his owne reason hee saith it is a nouation and corruption to call one Pastor a Bishop more then the rest yet hee doth it and here hee practises in secret that which he impugnes in publick and so decâ—iues his complices giuing honour himselfe to Bishops which he saith should not be giuen them they haue cause to feare least sometime hee forsake them Now you proceede THE ADMONENT YOu make a faire shew by bragges to corroborate all by the word of God and example of the Church Primitiue iolly words sooner said then proued strings much harped on by diuers but to little vse and wherein the more men diue the more they cleare the contrarie it may be easily seene through all the subtilties clouds and colours that they cast on it who haue busied themselues in that matter euen your Sarauia euen whosoeuer whom the more men reades the lesse effect they see in him they I say who haue not their eies blinded with some other thing such as blindes not the eies of the wise THE ANSVVERE VVHether it be a faire shew or a solid substance wee will trye when it comes to the point You will not haue it heard that the Primitiue Church had Bishops you may aswell denie that the Sunne shined vnto them you call this a Subterfuge and a large field whereunto we runne to eschew the chocke of the question which say you is this Whether these Bishops that now are and as they are now be lawfull in the Church of Scotland or if the oath hinder But prouoke at leasure ere we part you will finde vs by Gods grace at the chocke of the Question and your selfe chocked with it for all your boast but I must first goe through this hedge of Bryers and Brambles which you haue laid in my way You set light by our Sarauia as you call him but you deceiue your selfe if you thinke our strength is in Sarauia for mine owne part I neuer read him so much as I haue done you and of that which I haue read I see Sarauia will stand for himselfe for all you are able to say your little Dagger will not reach to him and it were shame for you now though you might to strike at a dead man as I heare hee is it were greater manhood to encounter with Downame you dissemble that you know him but if you doe and mislike him hee is readie to fight with you in that cause till your Logicke panne be cleane dryed vp or the cause renounced One thing you haue that no man can see any thing in Sarauia but Sophistrie and falshood except those whose eyes are blinded with some other thing such as blindes the eyes of the wise you would seeme here to be modest yet of purpose as mordent as you may be whom you would insimulate of briberie Aduise with your selfe if you be seeking any such here as the By-word is You are in the wrong Close I told you before you were acquainted with the Muses onely the Dorit Muse hath beene strange vnto you you were capable enough of her instruction but shee tooke no paines vpon you it is meetest you should meane you to Melpomene her mourning moodes might procure you pittie but out of your pride and male contentment to blot such as you are bound to honor and secretly to insinuate that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as gaue iudgement for gifts is intollerable presumption I protest before God I know none such in the Church I would not say it for all the world If any such be of all men they are the most miserable if they be not Mr. Dauid declareth what
good of his Brethren as if I had so spoken of my selfe confirmes me in that which I perceiued before that you are but a vaine discourser pleasing your selfe in Argutijs silly fectlesse and impertinent conceptions and speeches And therefore being loath to wearie the Reader and my selfe both any longer with your Battâ—log-Tautolâ—gies I presently commit them to the South winde to be carried away from your Peele-house at Preston with the remaâ—ent smoke of your pannes to the water of Forth and so bid farewell to Mr. Dauid in his furie and now turne mee to speake with him in his more sober minde THE ADMONENT VVHat is there then to be done here will you say euen this certainely as you said sometime your selfe If you haue gotten new light which you had not before communicate it to others your Brethren that they also may follow you in their hearts and know they yeeld to you in a good conscience c. Let bitternesse be remoued let the cause with calmnesse and meeknesse be considered THE ANSVVERE NOw at length M. Dauid the euill blood begins to fall from your heart God be thanked and you are come to some coolnes suppose not kindly enough yet of your former Feauer wherein you raged yet it puts vs in hope you may recouer of this disease betime what you haue here said I receiue â—buijs vlnis any light I haue I will willingly communicate bitternesse â— agree be remoued Perit enim iudicium vbires transit in affectum I wish therefore perturbate and preiudicat affection may be laid by It is onely these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fights against Episcopall gouernement To be short I embrace all your conclusion and euery condition of it except onely where you will me not to disguise my speech by sought out sentences and oâ—tentation of reading to iuggle the iudgement of the simple I must warne you that whether your word stand for a iâ—gulator or a deceiuing Iugler your deede comes too soone against your protestation euen now you craued bitternesse may be remoued and you cannot leaue it but to vse your owne Prouerbe A Wolfe will be a Wolfe Naturam expellas furcalicet vsque recurret And as to my manner of writing I cannot change it I want not my owne reasons neither haue you any cause to complaine of it Now we goe to the question THE ADMONENT I Goe from all that long disputation 1. Whether Bishops be lawfull 2. Whether they were and how they were in the Primitiue Church which you claime to 3. How they were in our owne Church at the beginning or leaues it to a fitter time and alledgeth how euer these things were they are not lawfull now to vs 1. In respect of our oath since our oath 2. in respect of our Discipline more profitable for vs. THE ANSVVERE NOw Mr. Dauid hauing of a long time trauelled with wickednesse and conceiued mischiefe at length bringeth forth a lye When all is reckoned and counted the matter comes to iust nothing Et magno conatu murem tandem peperisse videtur Who could haue looked but that Mr. Dauid who so largely and liberally hath condemned Bishops in word would haue brought at least one argument against them hee doth it not but rather destroyes all that hee hath said before You cannot eschew this you haue multiplyed words and by most sharp Inuectiues haue condemned Episcopall gouernment you haue called it tyrannie and vnlawfull in it selfe and now you remit the lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse of it to be disputed Truely good man you haue wronged the partie and abused the Reader for according to reason you should haue disproued Episcopall gouernment before you had condemned it but after that you haue condemned it is it not your shame to remit it to further reasoning In the one you haue shewed superfluitie of malice mouing you to speake euill of it in the other penurie of knowledge that you haue no reason to iustifie you in the condemning of it Thus haue you shewed your selfe in initio confident em in facto timidum one that feareth to fight but is bold to bragge You will not simplie giue ouer the combat but declines it farely for this time and puts it off to a better time but in my minde a better time could you neuer haue had then this seeing you haue gathered your friends and haue mustered you Armie and ordered it out of your ripest wits in sixe sheetes of paper before you what a shame is it that in so feeble manner you should turne your backe and leaue all that you haue sent and said before You haue braued a Bishop in presence of your friends now hee stands before you and you dare not looke him in the face nor strike one stroke at him in this quarrell that the office of a Bishop is vnlawfull in it selfe But to pursue you euen to the vttermost point wherevnto you haue fled in this also you shew your selfe weake yea ridiculous for now you haue drawne all your speech to this Assertion and I pray the iudicious Reader to consider it Howsoeuer Episcopall Gouernment in it selfe be lawfull or vnlawfall to other Churches or sometime lawfull in our owne Church yet it is not lawfull now A Paradoxe indeede I thinke Mr. Dauid speakes not simplie but grants it by concession But taking it as hee giues it let vs heare it ouer againe Though Episcopall gouernement in it selfe were lawfull lawfull to other Churches lawfull once to our owne Church yet now it is not lawfull To proue this Mr. Dauid brings two Reasons which had neede to be very strong it being a strange Position they haue to defend but the Reader shall by Gods grace see it made plaine that there is no more truth worth nor value in his two Reasons then in the rest of his Assertions And since the whole weight of the Controuersie stands vpon these two Reasons I set them downe truely to you as Mr. Dauid hath set them downe to mee The first REASON We may not receiue Bishops because the oath in conceiued word is against Hierarchie The second REASON In respect of our receiued Discipline more profitable for our Church The Confutation of these reasons BEfore I come to a iust examination of these Reasons I will onely present a view of their weaknesse to the Reader in these words In the Confession of faith sworne and subscribed by the Preachers and Professors of this Land they haue abiured the Popes wicked and worldly Hierarchie Mr. Dauid leauing out the differences of Papall wicked worldly makes mention onely of Hierarchie which in it selfe signifies an authoritie or imperatiue power in things sacred Who will abiure this but to declare their meaning they added these three differences Papall worldly wicked but Mr. Dauid to declare how hee distrusts his owne cause deceiueth the simple by putting in into his Reason the Word Hierarchie onely By this any indifferent Reader may see that Mr.
Dauid deales not truely nor faithfully nor like a man defending a good cause but fore-seeing that these words would destroy his Assertion of purpose he leaues them out His second Reason is without reason and against the very rules of reasoning This is Petitio principij he begs the question and takes it for a principle which is the Controuersie it selfe as shall appeare in our improbation I will not be presumptuous to dispute that which is concluded alreadie and past in a Law Onely to cleare the proceedings of our Church from the wrongfull imputations of malecontents I giue an Answere to all their Obiections in these Positions following 1 Episcopall gouernment in it selfe is lawfull and of all other hath best warrants in the Word Mr. Dauid hath declined this question yet will I giue to him and others such light in it as God hath giuen mee 2 No Church since the dayes of Christ vnto our Fathers dayes was without Episcopall Gouernment and Mr. Dauid cannot shew one instance to the contrarie for howsoeuer in some reformed Churches Superintendents were placed the name being onely changed the matter remained 3 The Church of Scotland in her purest estate enioyed the Gospell with Episcopall gouernment for the space of twentie yeeres as may be proued out of the Monuments of our Church for there you will finde by Acts of generall Assemblie Ministers ordained to be subiect to Superintendents A Law craued from the Lords of secret Counsell for punishment of such as disobeyed Superintendents Power to hold Assemblies twice in the yeere giuen to Superintendents Power to transport Ministers giuen to Superintendents Power of diuorcements taken from Ministers and giuen to Superintendents Power to admit â—inisters and depose them giuen to Superintendents No religious Bookes to be printed but by adâ—ise of Superintendents This was the order of our Church all the dayes of Iohn Knox c. Here you obiect first that the offices of Bishops and Superintendents are not one and why I am sure you know in power of signification they are one in power of Iurisdiction they are declared to be one by Act of generall Assemblie Anno 1573. what power a Superintendent had by the law of our Church that same power a Bishop had by the same Law And those Countries which had Bishops of the reformed Religion president ouer them were neuer committed to the care of Superintendents but the Bishops exercised all points of Iurisdiction partaining to them vvithout any contradiction made to them by our Assemblies To â—ay yet further there was appointed by the generall Assemblie some Commissioners to be assembled with other Commissioners appointed by the Regent and Lords of Councell to entreat of Ecclesiastique Iurisdiction establish it Commissioners for the church beside sundrie Superintendents were Mr. Iohn Knox M. Iohn Craig M. Iohn Row M. Dauid Lindsay with others that were in the yeere 1564. The same Commission renued againe by the Church Anno 1567. and againe 1568. a Supplication from the Asâ—emblie to the Regent M. Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West being then Moderator was directed desiring that such as were appointed by the Lords of his Highnesse Councell and by the Church might meet for setling church-Iurisdiction After this in euery assemblie the same sute is renued till at length An. 1571. the gouerâ—ment of Bishops is ratified by act of assemâ—lie Thus M. Dauid you see Bishops willingly recâ—iued into our Church Your other Obiection is Superintendents had their Office from the Church did their Office by aduise of their Brethren and were countable to the Church for it Tell me I pray you what else see you in Bishops Their Office and power is from the Church their temporall preferment their rent and maintenance is conferred by the King yea good reason it is that his Maiestie haue the nomination of a Bishop out of lytes of honest men giuen in by the Church What nouation is here You will finde the nomination of Superintendents referred to his Highnes Counsell in his Maiesties minoritie becausâ— they gaue them their maintenance see Act of Assemblie An. 1562. Againe Superintendents did by aduise good reason see the Law prescribed to Bishops of olde An. 1573. that no Bishop admit any Minister without aduâ—se of three well qualified Ministers of the bounds The same stands now and can you say that any Bishop in our Church stands against this except onely that where the Law bindes them to vse the aduise of three they vse the aduise of sixe or tenne or thirteene if they may get them What can you say against this Mr. Dauid See you not here a constant forme of gouernment in our Church See you any other Bishops now then were in the dayes of Iohn Knox Here say you Superintendents were changeable but you should haue cleared your selfe not deceiued the simple people vnder ambiguitie of words Tell the truth were any of them changed in their time or was there any cause might haue taken from them the office of a Superintendent but such as might haue also depriued of the Office of Preaching and all other offices in the Church In which case Superintendents Bishops and Pastors both might and should lawfully be deposed but God be praised such examples feil not out in our Church Oh but Superintendents were subiect to their Brethren Here also you luâ—ke vnder the shadow of doubtfull speeches Will you say that Superintendents were subiect to the censure of Ministers ouer whom they had the inspection The contrarie is true our Fathers foresaw the perill of that and exempted them from it reseruing them to be iudged by the generall Assemblie as I haue cleared before and doubtlesse there could be no order where such as should correct the faults of others are put vnder the censure of thosâ— that should be corrected by them You still reply there is now say you no generall Assemblie to censure them but you may know that the same Law which restoreth the Iurisdiction of Bishops ratifieth also generall Assemblies howbeit in a reformed State the power to call it belongs to the Christian Magistrate and seeing it is the Parliament of the Church the great Ecclesiastique Councell of the Church the calling of it except vpon very vrgent occasions proueth often more hurtfull then helpfull but where great and weightie causes require it you may be sure the Prince will not refuse it But your great grudge is here that Bishops are not vnder the power of Ministers to be cast out of their places by pluralitie of voices You dreame of an assemblie that would finde the authoritie vnlawfull and depose them all but you are deceiued our Ministrie are not so affected they see the necessitie and vtilitie of this calling they who disliked it at the first are now brought by reason and experience to allow it and where you will finde one discontented with it I warrant you tweâ—tie who are pleased with it and thanke Goâ— for it Speake no more
then of the exemption of Bishops from censure there is a Christian King there is a Councell of Bishops till necessitie require a Nationall Assembly and it is not denyed to any in the Church or Kingdome to complaine accuse delate Bishop or Archbishop that hee may be brought to his answere and tryed yea some that haue complained haue beene answered with Iustice to their satisfaction In a word let it be told you in name of all the Bishops of our Church our Calling is of God allowed by the generall Assemblie ratified by our most Christian King and States of the Kingdome Our care is to discharge it in the best sort wee can when wee haue done all that is possible for vs there are many of you ready so farre as you may to vndoe it out of an euill humor more narrowly looking to negligences then to obserue paines and good diligence wee are men and may fall as others but our faults should not be abused to condemne our function more then the faults of Ministers condemne their Ministrie We claime no liberty but are readie by Gods grace to answere all our Superiours and be censured by them as the meanest in the Church And we carrie this humble minde that if you or any other in loue and good affection will signifie to vs wherein wee offend wee will either satisfie you by reason or willingly amend it yet so that wee will maintaine the honour of our charge and calling and not leaue it free for euery man to raile against lawfull authorities whereof I pray you consider in time and be more sparing to spread such inuectiue Libels for it will be thought a contempt of them whom you are bound to honour and if you suffer punishment for it you will not suffer as a Martyr but as a malefactor which I wish may no befall you 4 So long as this Episcopall gouernement stood in vigour there was nothing but comely order in our Church Fathers honoured as Fathers Ministers agreeing in pleasant Vnitie without any Schiâ—me among them singular peace betweene the King his Maiestie and the Church tâ—ey going together like Moses and Aaron to doe the worke of God without grudging anger or diuision then the Gospell flourished and no professed Papist was in the land but with decay of the one ensewed a lamentable change of the other which cannot be mentioned without griefe and I wish for euer may be buried in silence Alway at this doore of vnhappie diuision Papistrie creeped in againe into our Church it was sowen then it tooke roote then it buddeth now and by a false kinde of reasoning A non causa pro causa it is imputed to Bishops now but as with the decrease of Episcopall gouernment it entred so I hope in God with the credit and authorâ—tie thereof it shall goe to the doore againe Onely the Lord cloath his seruants with his righteousnesse and saluation let his Vrim and Thummim be with his holy ones The Lord set our hearts rightly to seeke his glorie then shall his helping hand be with vs. There is no fault in the cause God graunt it be not found in our persons 5 Episcopall gouernement beganne first to be withstood An. 1575. This is the first time that Commissioners for eschewing of alleadged ambition are appointed to be changed yeerely The same time authoritie of Bishops is called in question some with it some against it the matter is referred to the aduisement of three for euerie opinion whose names are inserted in the act they resolue on these conclusions It is not thought expedient the question be answered at this time but if any Bishop be chosen who hath not such qualities as Gods word requires let him be tried by the generall assembly and so deposed 2. That the name of a Bishop is common to all Preachers whose chiefe function is to preach the Word minister the Sacraments and execute Discipline Yet of this number some may be chosen to ouer-see and visite other bounds beside his owne Flocke with power to ordaine and depose Ministers with aduise of the brethren of the bounds Perceiue here how loath wise men in our Church were to quit all grip of Episcopall gouernement 6 And againe the Office it selfe comming in contempt for the euill qualities of them that had it whereof some were professed enemies of Religion it was laid by and suspended An. 1580. But not simply abrogate as will appeare by this three-fold consideration First not the Office but corruption of the Office in Bishops is impugned so beareth act An. 1578. For as much as there is great corruption in the estate of Bishops as they are presently made in this Realme where-vnto the Church would prouide remedie in time comming therefore further admission of Bishops is discharged till the next assembly An argument by the way to Mr. Dauid that they were before in the Church and had their ordinarie admission of the Church Then in the next assembly holden that same yeere Iune 11. Sect. 3. It is concluded that the former act shall be extended for all time to come aye and while the corruption of the estate of Bishops be remoued and that all Bishops alreadie elected be enquired particularly to submit themselues to the generall assembly concerning the reformation of the corruption of that estate of Bishops Nothing here you see against the Office but against the corruptions Secondly albâ—it anno 1580. Episcopall gouernement was disallowed yet that it was not done with full consent or approbation of the Fathers of our Church will appeare by that act of reuocation which if a man will consider hee shall finde procured by the wisedome and fore-sight of some wise and honest men of the Ministrie who contenting to submit themselues to the present gouernement and loath to trouble the Church for that matter with Schismes and diuisions which you and yours cannot doe did notwithstanding leaue an open doore to their posteritie to bring in againe Episcopall gouernement when they should see it expedient for the Church See the act An. 1583. Sessâ— Concerning thâ— question moued to the assembly if the generall Church haue power to prouoke whatsoeuer things done by them or any particular member of the same to the hurt and preiudice of the Church or not The brethren after reasoning and disputing at length voted affirmatiue in the question that the Church had power to doe the same No exception here of any act made either for Bishops or against them Thirdly the abdication of Episcopall gouernement which was made was made without consent yea contrarie the will of them by whom it was concluded in the Church for Episcopall gouernement being practised in our Church from the beginning was established by act of assembly An. 1571. Whereat vvere present Commissioners from the Regents grace and Lords of secret Counsell in his Highnesse name being also required specially and to this same purpose by the Church there it was agreed to stand during the Kings minoritie and
therefore when first his Maiestie perceiued an intended nouation in Church-gouernement his Highnesse discharged it and protested against it by his letter registred in the Bookes of generall assembly An. 1579. â—ul 7. What can you finde out of all this why Episcopall authoritie should not be restored againe or rather see you not many reasons that should moue vs to receiue it 7 As for your alleadged oath whereby you make the simpler sort beleeue that our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement the strength of your cause is in it but it shall be knowne to be as weake as the rest of your defences For first of all an Oath should be defended by the lawfulnesse of the thing that is sworne and it is no good ground in Diuinitie to defend the thing that is sworne by pretence of the sacred authoritie of an Oath This order you keepe not Secondly since the most part of Preachers in our Church gaue no Oath for Discipline at all for mine owne part it was neuer required of mee and I know there 〈◊〉 many others in the same estate What reason is it that the Oath of some albeit they had made it as you say which will not be found should binde others that made it not Thirdly when it was appointed by act of Parliament An. 1572. Ianuar. 26. that the confession of faith which therein at length is exprest should be sworne and subscribed by all Church-men the gouernement which then was in our Church was Episcopall for the Oath and subscription is ordained to be made in presence of the Archbishop Superintendent or Commissioner of the Diocie as the words of the Act plainly imports so that this Oath makes no renunciation of Episcopall authoritie but rather ratefies and approues it Fourthly concerning the latter Negatiue confession whereof it is most likely you meane what will you finde there against Episcopall gouernement Nothing at all it is a good confession many Pastors professours of our Church haue sworne it subscribed it Othere say you an Oath is conceiued against Hierarchie Mr. Dauid speake as the truth is Now Rahel takes the Idols and hides them in Cammels litter Now Rachel blushes for shame Now Mr. Dauid steales away the chiefe words of the confession and hides them for feare they should tell the truth and shame him will you say M. Dauid Hath our Church renounced Hierarchie simply all sacred authoritie all order all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say it not for shame there are the words looke what we haue renounced these are the verie words of the Oath We detest and refuse the vsurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist his worldly Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie Therefore saith Master Dauid we detest all Hierarchie Why mutilate you the words and why falsifie you the words which you bring by a corrupt sense of your owne which I will proue was not the Subscribers minde Will you condemne Episcopall gouernement vnder the name of Papall vsurped worldly wicked Hierarchie Is it ignorance hath moued you who would thinke you were so ignorant or if you know better what malice is this to beare downe a good thing vnder an euill name Were not Bishops in the Church before a Pope vvas in Rome at least before Antichrist was hatched in it Haue any sort of men in the Church done more suffered more to destroy Antichrists Kingdome then Bishops yet you will haue all Bishops Antichristian Let vs first see the iudgement of the Fathers of our owne Church plat contrarie to M. Dauids it may be he will reuerence them and thinke shame of his owne folly when M. Iohn Knox got license from our generall assembly to goe into England they wrote a Letter with him of this tenour The Superintendents and Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to their brethren the Bishops and Pastors in England that haue renounced the Romish Antichrist and doe professe the Lord Iesus with them in sinceritie the perpetuall encrease of the holy Spirit See it registred in our assembly Bookes An. 1566. M. Dauid did our Fathers esteeme Episcopall gouernment Antichristian Hierarchie Do they not plainely disioyne them writing to Bishops that had renounced the Romish Antichrist O but it will be said Our Church was then in her infancie it may be you make them all Infants all the worthie learned and vnspotted Superintendents of our Church Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West Iohn Winram of Fyfe Iohn Spotswood of Lowthian Iohn Erskin of Din Superintendent of Angus Iohn Row Superintendent of Galloway make Infants also of M. Knox M. Craig M. Lyndsay M. Hay with many more I cannot name present at the writing of that Letter all these may well be Infants where a man of your experience comes out but beleeue me wee haue not seene many such olde men in our Church since Now as this sense which you make of the word Hierarchie is against the minde of our first Fathers so is it against the minde of the swearers and subscribers and are you not a foule abuser to inforce vpon them a sense whereof they thought neuer This is cleere as the light For why did not his Maiestie sweare and subscribe that confession of Faith This was his royall and most Christian oath offered to God in defence of his truth Did not his Highnesse there and at many other times professe openly a renunciation of that wicked Hierarchie Will you inferre vpon this that his Maiestie therefore abiured Episcopall gouernement I dare appeale to your owne knowledge hath not his Maiestie kept one constant iudgement concerning Church-gouernement euer from his young yeeres doth not the inhibition of nouation in Church-gouernement cleere this doth not the publike printed Declaration of his Highnesse intention proue it doth not all his Highnesse speeches and actions before the subscription since the subscription declare his Highnesse approbation of Episcopal gouernement and yet you would make it to be beleeued of the people that his Highnesse renounced Episcopall gouernement when his Maiestie renounced Hierarchie vsurped Papall wicked this or else a worse must be the drift of your language Truly you may thanke God you haue to doe with a clement and gratious king And that this same which is his Highnesse mind of that Article is also the minde of most part of the ancient teachers and other brethren learned godly vnspotted who haue well deserued of the Church present by fidelitie in their ministrie will bee cleared also I will not goe about in any inordinate manner to seeke subscriptions to this purpose but when it shall be required by order in the Church you will finde a cloud of witnesses standing against you to improue this calumnie of yours yea many times in my younger yeeres haue I heard famous and auncient Fathers of our Church who haue seene the first beginnings thereof affirme that our Church could not consist vnlesse Episcopall gouernement were restored againe this they spake when there was no appearance of it and when Episcopall
gouernement was in greatest disdaine and at that time being vnacquainted with Church discipline I thought strange to heare it And here againe Mr. Dauid I am in doubt with my selfe what to thinke of you seeing I know no other oath you meane of and you haue touched none other in your Treatâ—se admonitorie what hath carried you to tâ—is absurd affirmation that the oath conceyued against Papall vsurped wicked wordly Monarchie and Hierarchie is against Episcopall authoritie shall I thinke ignorance hath done it You are giuen out and bragged of for a learned man and a Writer Or shall I thinke malice hath done it you are counted for a Christian and so I thinke you be what euer hath moued you sure I am it hath miscarryed you for let mee tell you when Zorimus Bishop of Rome sent ouer his Legates to the councell of Africke wherein were assembled two hundred seauenteene Bishops among whom it is thought Augustine was one to proue that it was lawfull to appeale vnto him from all Bishops in the world alleadging this power was giuen by the Councell of Nice after long deliberation and inquisition of the most auncient Copies of the Councell of Nice his fraudulent vsurpation was discouered and he warmed by these Fathers neuer to attempt any such thing in time to come Many reasons they gaue him as indeede they had all reason for it specially this that the grace of the holy Ghost had not with-drawne it selfe from all other Prouinces to rest in one alone to discerne there the right of all causes wherefore they willed him to abstaine from such ambition Ne fumâ—sum saeculi typhum inducere in Ecclesiam Dei videatur Here Mr. Dauid you see a solemne reiection of the wicked Hierarchie of the Bishop of Rome Did these Fathers by so doing reiect Episcopall authoritie exercised by themselues allowed accepted embraced and reuerenced in their Churches Thus haue I made cleare that you haue fained a sense of that article contrarie to his Maiesties minde contrarie to the minde of the first Fathers of our Church contrary to the minde of the present Fathers of our Church and contrary to the mind of the ancient Fathers of the Church primitiue in the foure hundreth yeere And if I should draw you vp higher are you able to denie that Episcopall gouernment was in the Church before that Romish Hierarchie was hatched out of the the shell What hath the one of them to doâ— with the other Hath the Romish Church beene more impugned by any then Orthodoxe Bishops Or hath any sort of men beene more persecuted by the Romish Hierarchie then reformed Bishops Why are you so vnrighteous as to oppresse the one vnder the name of the other Were all the Bishops who suffered Martyrdome in the first three hundred yeeres guiltie of that Hierarchie which you haue condemned And if I should draw you yet vp higher I see as much light in the word of God as giues warrant to me of the lawfulnesse of Episcopall Gouernment and I doubt not will serue to content reasonable men when they shall heare it You prouoked me to this point but you turne your backe and flie from it and I haue not any leasure to pursue a flying man hauing better studies I would more gladly ouer-take yet something will I subioyne for discharge at least of my dutie 8 These things therefore so standing the Question will be thus Seeing Episcopall gouernment in it selfe is lawfull seeing all Christian Churches haue had it seeing our owne Church had it ratified by acts of generall Assemblie for many yeeres with an happie successe of the Euangell seeing it was laid by against the will of a Christian King in his minoritie against the will of his Highnesse Regent and Lords of Councell well affected to Religion and that not simplie but with a power of reuocation queritur whether if or not a Christian King in his maioritie requiring a restitution of it the present Church hath done well to receiue it in againe especially seeing it is done without destruction of that policie so long aduised and added at length by the Fathers of the middle age of our Church for strengthening of our Discipline To contract then all the matter which you haue spread out with a multitude of idle words into a short summe There is no new Discipline brought into the Church but the auncient restored to thâ— former strength no point of later policie abolished but established and an happy vnion made euery way betweene them who should agree in one to do the worke of God This is my iudgement and I esteeme by it the name of the Church of Scotland honoured a Christian King in his most reasonable desire satisfied the peace of the Church happily procured the mouths of aduersaries stopped offence from weake and simple ones remoued and much more good easily effected if contentious and vaine spirits would not hinder it Thus is the very state of the question cleared vnto you so that you haue no cause to cry out as you doe Who should teach vs but Bishops and if they will not our bloud be vpon their heads You seeme to be very earnest here but all men may see it is but your Orpit or Ironic conceit so like as M. Dauid will be taught of Bishops a sort of profane men without either learning or grace in your account But you neede not make the halfe of this stirre you might be ignorant of Church-gouernement and your bloud in no danger for all that but if indeede you stand in feare least you loose your soule follow our counsell and we shall lay our life for yours Repent of your sinnes Beleeue in Iesus the Sauiour of the world Amend your life Decke the hid man of your heart with a meeke and quiâ—t spirit which before God is a thing much set by Put on loue and meeknesse leaue off strife and contention be content with your owne calling meddle not with things without your compasse whereunto albeit you might reach yet are they not so profitable as to repay your paines nor yet absolutely necessarie for your saluation doe this and it shall be well with you if not your bloud shall be vpon your owne head and none of the Bishops of Scotland shall be guiltie of it The rest of your discourses of paritie and imparitie in Church-gouernement are answered by that which I haue said neither doe you here your selfe insist in them but remit mee by particular quotations to your Epistles foureteene in number written to seuerall men contayning eight sheetes of paper bound vp in forme of a Booke and sent to mee to peruse them But you must remember it is an vnreasonable request to require a Bishop employed in daily teaching and other necessarie charges in the Church to reade ouer all your missiue Letters yet haue I looked to them as I had leasure and answered them as cause requires in this my Defence As for your Epistles if your conceit be such
to the President of the Brethren There wee haue a Pastor President both of Pastors and people 8 And here because the custome of some is to create enuy to Episcopall gouernement by stirring vp other Pastors to grudge mislike it as being preiudiciall to their libertie Let them know that no tyranny with contempt yea or neglect of other Pastors is here allowed Neither yet are other Pastors debarred from the participation of this same power when by authoritie and order of the Church they shall be called vnto it 9 Neither are here condemned other Churches who through necessitie of time cannot haue Episcopall gouernement for howsoeuer it be the best yet God forbid wee should thinke but that without it there may be a true Church whole and sound in all substantiall points of Faith 10 These grounds being so cleare it is euident out of them that to haue one in the Church clothed with the power aforesaid to exercise it for the benefit of the rest is an Apostolike ordinance 11 The common obiection against this is that Timothie was not a Bishop but an Euangelist because the Apostle exhorts him to doe the worke of an Euangelist 2 Tim. 4. 5. but it is knowne that the name Euangelist is common to al that are employed in the propagation of the Gospel whether it be by them penned as the foure Euangelists who were by the Spirit to write the History of the Gospel or else by preaching it from place to place as extraordinary Euangelists did or preaching it in a certaine place as ordinary Euangelists then did and yet doe 12 In the iudgement of Caluin it is vncertaine whether S. Paul call Timothie an ordinarie or extraordinary Euangelist he thinks that he was aboue vulgar Pastors yet so that he was a Pastor 13 And truly whatsoeuer Timothie was before he trauelled through sundry Countries to water Churches planted by the Apostles yet now by reasons furnished out of the Text it appeares That Timothie is setled at Ephesus a resident ordinary Office-bearer and not an extraordinary I passe by many and touch but one 14 The Apostle warnes Timothie that he neglect not the gift giuen him by imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie eyther this place renders no warrant for a Presbyterie as ye take it or else it must proue that Timothie was an ordinary and not an extraordinarie Office-bearer in the Church of Ephesus 15 For by a Presbyteric here you must vnderstand either the Office it selfe of a Preacher whereunto Caluin enclines or else the Office-bearers as most part of ancients and recents thinkes And then whether you take a Presbyterie in your sence for a fellowship of equall Pastors or for a Colledge of Bishops as consent of Doctors takes it the Argument is still against you 16 For seeing you affirme that a Presbyterie is an ordinary Indicatorie or call it as you please and Presbyters are ordinary Office-bearers in the Church how can it bee that an ordinary office in the Church can giue calling or admission to an extraordinary Neque enim fas erat vt inferior ordinaret maiorem nemo tribuit quod non accepit But it shall be best rather then you take away a Presbyterie from the Church you should confesse that Timothie was an ordinary Office-bearer in the Church and stands here for a Paterne to such as succeeds him in this ministration to the worlds end and who must haue such power as he had 17 But it is needlesse for our purpose to dispute this question whether Timothie was an extraordinary Euangelist or an ordinary Bishop whatsoeuer himselfe was the question here is whether this instruction giuen him for gouernement of Gods house be extraordinary temporarie and to endure but a â—ime or are they continuall and should this rule of gouernement be kept in the Church till Christs comming againe 18 And if it should be as I thinke no man will denie it that this rule should continue then it cannot be eschewed that it is most conformable to the Apostolike ordinance that there should be in the Church a Bishop or Pastor hauing power of admission deposition iudging and censuring of Pastors for the conseruation of true doctrine vnitie order and loue in the Church 19 Besides this it is not to be neglected that in the Postscript of the second Epistle Timothie is called the first Bishop elected of the Church of Ephesus and Titus in the end of that Epistle The first Bishop of the Church of the â—retians 20 Against this it is obiected that the Post-script is no Scripture and why because some ancient Copies haue it not A dangerous assertion I meddle not with it The contents of Chapters and marginall Notes are no Scripture but inscriptions of Prophecies and Epistles such Post-scripts also as haue beene found in most autentique Copies from which wee haue the Epistles themselues let men beware to reiect them for any fauour they carrie to their owne priuate opinion 21 The Post-script in the Geneua Bible beares that Timothy and Titus were Bishops the Bible of the Spanish learned translator hath it Arrius Montaâ—â—s the Latine hath it the Greeke hath it which is the language wherein the newe Testament was written the Scots and English Bibles haue it and howsoeuer men now make bolde eyther to deny or infirme it we must thinke it is of greater authoritie to proue that Timothy and Titus were Bishops then eyther Mr. Dauid or Mr. Iohn or Mr. Robert or Mr. William their assertion in the contrary 22 Specially seeing so many both ancient and recent Fathers of the Church are of this same iudgement that Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus Titus Bishop of Creta it were long to rehearse all their testimonies any man that pleaseth will finde them cited by D. Whitgift Bilson and Douname in their learned Treatises written in defence of Episcopall gouernement If there be any prettie man contrarie minded that hath learning and leasure to write I doe but here poynt out vnto him where he may finde a partie what needs new prouocations till these be answered who haue written already Now vnto these arguments gathered out of holy Scripture let vs but ioyne this one argument furnished vnto vs by the Fathers and seruing for this purpose Constat id esse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud ecolesias Apostolorum fuerit Sacrosanctum without doubt that must haue beene deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles which in Apostolike Churches is holily obserued Tertul aduers. Marcion lib. 4. Quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia nec Concilijs institutum sed semper retentum fuit non nisi apostolica authoritate traditum rectissime creditur That which is receiued of the whole vniuersall Church not instituted nor ordained by any Councell but reteined as being before Counsels is rightly beleeued to haue beene deliuered vnto vs by Apostolike authoritie August de Bap. cont Donast lib. 4. cap. 24. This being the proposition warranted by Tertullian and Augustine containing a truth which I thinke
they differ from him a particular answere is here returned vnto them The Authors of them I know not their names are suppressed the first and the third goe together and seemes to be some Preachers of Fyffe they reckon out some sundry indwellers of Fyffe to proue a certain alleagance concerning the late Bishop of S. Andrewes their intelligence also with Perth bordering with that Prouince from which reports of my Sermons are so easily carried vnto them insinuates also the same but for their persons be what they will the matter is all one Great brags were made be Mr. Dauid of many answeres and many Inquisitors that were to search mine Apologie before they came some great thing was expected but no such thing is found doubtlesse they haue manifested the weakenesse of their cause that so many labouring about one thing haue not brought among them all so much as one argument to defend it An Answere to the first THE first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he is vnacquainted with mee onely hath heard mee teach oftentimes and beene as sundry others were comforted thereby for which hee thankes God for truely the glorie of that good which God worketh by the ministrie of his weak Seruants belongs vnto himselfe for wee are not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought And to the end that such as haue gotten good by my Ministrie may be further confirmed I thought it my dutie after I had considered the matter of Church-gouernement rightly to informe them that there is no cause why our Church should thus be diuided for it And I may and now doe with a good warrant of the word and mine owne conscience say to it I should not I will not I dare not be an author nor maintainer of diuision in our Church for it If any will let them doe it vpon their owne perill wherein I will be loath to communicate with them In your third Sect. you mislike the boldnes of others that vsurpe the Iudicatorie of other mens consciences I wish the like moderation had beene vsed of the rest of your Complices This onely you say that albeit God be onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart yet men may iudge of other men by their fruits whereunto I willingly agree for it is the rule of our Sauiour By their fruits you shall know them If a man condemne the life of another let him disproue it by his euill deedes or if hee will impugne the opinion let him doe it by strength of reason but to vsurpe the Iudicatorie of an other mans conscience is it not intollerable presumption yet commonly practised by your Complices for whom it were good they remembred Nazianzen his warning Multa versanda sunt animo priusquam aliâ—m iraepiet atis condemnes Sect. 8. You graunt that from the beginning of reformation till the yeere 1575. Our Church contented themselues with Bishops and Superintendents why then is it counted so odious a thing that Bishops should be in it now You affirme also that I can bring no warrant for Episcopall gouernment neyther from Gods word nor practise of the primitiue Church for the first three hundred yeeres The Answere you will finde in my Reply to the last Opponent Sect. 11. You alledge that they who assembled at Glasgow came vpon priuate missiues from his Maiestie and vpon promises of gaine Mr. Dauid obiected that before and I answered it in my Dikaiologie onely you adde that I know it to be so but if you hope to make your Assertion good you shall doe well to vse some other probations for in truth I know not any such thing Sect. 16. The argument I vsed mistaken by you concerning the Apostles dispensation of Circumcision shall be cleared in mine answere to the last Opponent who also impugnes it Sect. 17. 18. You would proue that you are not the Authors of Schisme but Bishops why because they haue departed from the gouernment whereunto you stand say you but this middes will not draw on that conclusion For wee stand to the gouernment of our first Fathers confessed by your selfe from the which who so shall be found to haue departed let the blame be theirs Sect. 19. Your alledging of the growth of Papistrie now that was not before is as I told you a Sophisme A non causa pro causa Kingdomes and Churches haue their owne periods of times whereinto sinnes long contracted before doe bring iudgement vpon them which honest and godly men cannot hold off By this same reason Daniell and Ezekiell might be blamed for Babels Captiuitie which the sinnes of former ages had procured It were but folly for you or vs eyther to charge one another with the causes of this wrath There are none of vs free by our sinnes wee haue deserued iudgement God giue vs grace ioyntly to preuent it by vnfained repentance in all holines and loue Sect. 28. You charge mee for comparing my brethren of the Ministrie to Shimeies if I had so done I were worthie to be blamed but in truth you haue mistaken mee God forbid My words are plaine against the Libeller and such as hee who if in their calling they were laborious as I did hope to giue them example if they were acquainted with mee they should finde no time for such idle toyes and I maruell how men can so farre misconstrue my words for I affirmed plainely that I was perswaded no well aduised Christian would fight with such armour as lying Libels and if no common Christian will doe it farre lesse euer thought I that a Christian Preacher would doe it And where you say they are very idle if they be not more laborious then I my answere is let the Worke beare witnesse And so fare you well in the Lord. Edenburgh Nouemb. 24. 1613. An Answere to the second THE second to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth in like a swaggerer breathing out many brawling speeches without either truth or modestie â—he shoots his fectlesse bolt and hideth himselfe which is the fashion of a feeble coward hee conceales his name but by his speech may be discerned to be some Lucius Blastus a furibund but a figuline fellow loadned with railings lyings fabulous fictions wherewith he ouer-burdens himselfe I leaue him where I found him vexing himselfe with his owne anger tumbling and weltring in the puddle of his tumultuaâ— thoughts whereof hee cannot rid himselfe bragging most vainely but bringing nothing that may be counted worthie of an answere saue onely that for lacke of any other thing wherewith to charge me Hee carps at my Commentarie vpon the eight to the Romanes and passing by as the manner of enuious men is all the good that is in it hee findes fault with the Grammaticall construction of the seauenth verse A great matter indeede I thanke the Lord these labours of mine published in twelue or thirteene seuerall Treatises hath done good to the Church and howsoeuer they be disesteemed by you and some of
auaritious and ambitious are but words of winde neither able to moue the mountaine of Episcopall dignitie as you call it nor yet one whit to commoue me at all but so much the more confirmes me that I see you fight with lies and vntruths You denie that Superintendents and Bishops are one Fol. 6. And why Because Superintendents rode not at Parliament A strong argument forsooth as if this pertained to the substance of their Office but it is good enough you wot where Your anger at Episcopall garments and their riding at Parliament with Foot-cloathes would be the lesse if your care to redresse vanitie of apparrell in your selfe and your complices were greater As for Bishops their apparrell and riding where-vpon you gnaw so much if the honour of their place in that supreame Court of this Kingdome wherein now they haue by his Highnesse fauour that benefit to sit craued so long by our Fathers and not obtained till now if this I say moued them no more then any respect of honour to themselues I doubt not they could willingly content to be without it And if I should answere you in this as I could well I know I might iustly make you asharned Bishops you graunt Fol. 6. were once set vp in our Church with consent of our Church so your first brother confessed before you what aileth you then at a Bishop now why make you such a stirre for receiuing that which our best and oldest Fathers embraced before vs. Why call you hereafter Episcopall gouernment The Romish Hierarchie Fol. 10. Did Mr. Knâ—x and our Fathers set vp Romish Hierarchie this must follow if you be a true man God forgiue you and lay it not to your charge that rends the Vnitie of our Church for that which you are forced to graunt our Fathers had before vs you blame them who haue departed from you but considers not they haue ioyned themselues to the Fathers of our Church older then you the blame is not theirs but shall be yours if you also follow them not for my owne part it repents me I knew not the truth of this matter sooner but as now by searching the monuments of our Church and former Churches I know it If I had knowne it no man should haue beene confirmed by my example in the contrarie There may be personall faults in Bishops present they are but men but I am sure the insolent pride euident in many of you that will follow none but be followed of others together with your hote contentions and needlesse strife whereby you rend the bowels of this Church without compassion bending your tongues in publicke and priuate against your brethren is a sinne more abhominable in Gods sight then any wherewith you are able to charge them Let alone therefore this conceit and standing vpon your reputation Thinke it no shame to submit your selfe to Episcopall gouernement to receiue it in the Church which the plaine euidence of truth forces your selfe to confesse that it was set vp in our Church by the oldest and best Fathers that euer our Church had But if still you will be contentious and foster a diuision if you will depriue this poore Church of the good wee might haue vnder so Christian a King so long as wee haue his Highnesse for the establishing of the Gospell if you haue no respect to encrease his Highnesse ioy be our Vnion nor to vnite the present estate of our Church with her first estate for the honour thereof If you haue no care to stoppe the mouth of the common aduersarie and will diuide Ierusalem within when it is besieged without stand in feare least God require this at your hands You denie that the Episcopall and Presbyteriall gouernement were euer vnited You may as well denie that the Sunne shined in the Primitiue Church Your fellow Writer wishes he had the benefit of Printing I wish the same you care not what you write in priuate but if you were to publish them by Print I hope it should be some awband to you to restraine you from your accustomed rash affirmations of such Paradoxes vntruthes fables or otherwise it would turne to your greater shame But now if you will credit Ignatius from Peter the third Bishop of Antiochia through all his Epistles hee euer distinguishes a Bishop and a Presbyterie and yet makes them sweetly concurre to doe the worke of God let it be you doubt of some of his Epistles but I hope you will not reiect them all hauing exhorted the Traellians to obey their Bishop and Presbyters he defines them both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is a Bishop but hee that hath power and rule in the Church so farre as a man can haue it and is according to his power a follower of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is a Presbyterie but a sacred consistorie of Counsellours and Assessors to the Bishop See you not heere a Bishop and Presbyters distinguished see you them not vnited the one hauing power to rule the others dutie being to counsell and assist And this testimonie of their Vnion fifteene hundreth yeeres old Many other cleare testimonies out of all the Epistles of Ignatius Bishop of Antiochia Martyr at Rome might be gathered to this same purpose but that it were too long to rehearse them Take with this another of Nazianzen Nos omnes vinum corpus in Christ◠〈◊〉 ac singuli tam Christs sâ—muâ— membra quam alter alterius nimirum imperat praesidet hoc illud duâ—â—tur necidem efficunt vtraque siquidem imperare ac subieâ—tum esse imperâ—â— non sunt idem fiunt tamen vtraque vnum per vnum spiritum conglutinata in vnum Christum Wee are all one bodie in Christ and euerie one of vs the members of another as also the members of Christ one is president and commaunds another is gouerned both these effectuates not one thing for to commaund and to be subiect to commaundement are not one and yet these two becomes one being conglutinate and conioyned by one Spirit into one Christ That Nazianzen meanes here of the distinction of Ministers whereof the Superiour hath power to rule the Inferiour his place to obay yet both happily vnited in Christ to doe the worke of God See Elias Commentarie vpon this place Looke againe the fourth Councell of Carthage holden about twelue hundred yeere since Presbyter ordinatur Episcopo â—um benedicente manum imponente capiti eius qui adsunt presbyters manus suas iuxta manus Episcopi teneant A Presbyter is ordained the Bishop laying hands vpon him and blessing him and let the Presbyters which are present haue their hands beside the hands of the Bishop There they are distinguished yet vnited Omnes Episcopus Presbyter est sed non omnis Presbyter Episcopus hic enim Episcopus est qui inter Presbyteros primus est Euery Bishop is a Presbyter said Ambrose but euery Presbyter is