episcopus antequam diabeli iâ—stinctu studia in religiene sierent diceretur in populis ego sum Peuli ego Apolio ego verò Cephae communi presbytererum 〈◊〉 ecclesiae gubernabantur Postquam verò vnusquisque eos quoâ— baptizaverat suos putabat esse non Christian toto orbe accrâ—â—um est vt vâ—usde presbyteris euctus svperponeretur caeteris ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura pertineret sâ—â—iâ—matum scmina tellereâ—tur An Elder and a Bishop are all one and before dissention by the diuels procurement arose in the Church and the people began to say I am of Paul I of Apolle and I of Cophas the churches were gouerned by the common consent of the Pastorall Elders Ministers or Priests But after that euery one did thinke those to be his and not Christs whom he had baptized it was decreed throughout the whole world that one of the ministers or Priest should bee chosen and set ouer the rest to whom the whole care of the Church should appertaine that the seeds of schisme might be taken away Out of these plaine aslertions of this holy learned and auncient father I obserue first that in the very beginning of the primitiue church al the ministers were equal in degree and did gouerne the church with a general coÌ„mon consent Secondly that in very short time the diuell raised vp such dissention in the church that it was thought meete to alter the kind of gouernment to set one minister ouer the rest Thirdly that this was done to take away schisme Fourthly that this alteratioÌ„ was made euen in the Apostles dayes viz. wheÌ„ one said he held of Paul an other he held of Peter an other he held of Apollo at what time S. Marke the Euangelist was made the Bishop of Alexandria Fiftly that this superioritie among the ministers of the church was decreed by a settled lawe throughout the whole world S. Irenaeus hath these wordes Omnes n. hij valaë posteriores sunt quam episcopi quibus Apostoli tradiderunt ecclesias For all these come farre after Bishops to whom the Apostles committed the charge of churches Maister Zuinglius a famous and zealous defender of the Gospell is wholy consonant to these holy and ancient Fathers His wordes shall be set downe at large when I come to the ordering of Ministers Saint Timothy and S. Titus had superioritie ouer all other Ministers both at Ephesus and at Creta and consequently they were made Arch-bishops by Saint Paul himselfe This is constantly affirmed both by Saint Crysostome Theodoritus Oecumenius and many other famous writers Saint Chrysostome hath these expresse wordes Vnus ex Pauls socijâ— hic fuit vir probatus nequeâ—n profectò ills integram insulam permisisset neque ea quae aeerant praecepisset imâ—lenda tam multorum episcoporum iudicium commisisset nisi multùmilli confideret This worthy man was one of S. Pauls fellowes for doubtlesse he would neuer haue committed one whole Iland vnto him neither haue commanded things wanting to be accomplished nor yet haue coÌ„mitted the iudgemeÌ„t of so many Bishops vnto him vnlesse he had had great confidence in him Thus writeth this holy learned and ancient father touching the superioritie of Titus Of Timotheus the same father writeth thus Quaeri mevitò potest quomodo Timotheum adse vocet cui ecclesiae gentisque totius crediderat gubernacula It may worthily be demaunded how hee calleth Timothy vnto him to whom he had committed the gouernment of the Church and of the whole nation Marke well these wordes gentis totius of the whole nation and these wordes likewise integram insulam the whole Iland and these wordes withall Muitorum episcoporum iudicium the iudgement of many Bishops For out of the said wordes it is cleerely and euidently deduced that both Timotheus and Titus were Arch-bishops in Saint Paules time the one hauing iurisdiction ouer all Asia the other ouer all Creta two great and large countries Illyricus a very famous late writer and a most worthy defender of Christian truth iumpeth with S. Chrysostome in his iudgement and opinion These are his expresse words Harum autem tres priores scriptae ad duos praestantes doctores plurimarumque ecclesiarum episcopos Timotheum Titum potissimùm informant episcopum aut superintendentem per cum etiam totam ecclesiam ab ipso gubernandam ac instruâ—ndam But the three former of these written to two excellent Doctors and Bishops of many churches Timotheus and Titus doe specially informe a Bishop or superintendent and by him the whole Church also which must be gouerned and instructed by him Loe here gentle Reader Timothie and Titus were Arch bishops that is to say the Bishops of many Churches I here let passe the wordes of Theodoretus Oecumentus and others in regard of breuitie Saint Cyprian that holy learned and auncient Father who liued aboue one thousand and three hundred yeares agoe was not only the Bishop of the famous citie of Carthage but he had also the gouernment both of Numidia and of Mauritania two goodly regions in Affrica So doth S. Cyprian himselfe write of himselfe and therefore the storie is of good credite Many Councels of Nice Antioch Carthage Mileuitane Chaicâ—doâ— and others make mention of Arch-bishops Metropolitans Primate and Patriarches It shall suffice in regard of breuitie to relate onely master Calnius testimonie of the famous Councel of Nice These are maister Caluins expresse words Quod autem singulae provinciae vnum habebant inter episcopos archiepiscopum quod item in Nicaena synodo constituti sunt patriarchae quiessent ordine dignitate archiepitscopis superiores id ad aâ—sâ—iplinae conservationem pertinebat Quanquam in hac disputatione praeteriri non potest quod rarissimi erat vsus Ob hanc igitur causam potissimum iustituti sunt illi gradus vt si quid in ecclesia qualibet incideret quod non posset bene a paâ—cis expediri ad synodum provincialem referretur Siâ—nagnitudo aut difficultas causae maiorcÌ„ quoque discussioâ—â—◠〈◊〉 adâ—iâ—ebantur patriarchae vaa cum synodis a qubuâ— esset provocatio nisi ad vniversaie concilium 〈◊〉 sic constitutam non ulli Hierarchâ—am vocaruÌ„t nomine 〈…〉 improprio â—erè 〈…〉 veteres episcâ—pos non aliam regendae ecelesiae formam volnisse fingere ab ea quam deus verbo suo praescripsit That euery prouince had an Arch-bishop among their Bishops and that the Councell of Nice did appoint Patriarches which should be in order and dignitie aboue Arch-bishops it was done for the preseruation of discipline Although in this discourse wee may not forget that it was a thing of very rare vse For this cause therefore were those degrees especially appointed that if any thing should happen in any particular church which could not there be decided the same might be referred to a general Synod If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause required yet greater consultation then were added
Patriarches together with the Synodes from whom there could be no appeale but onely vnto a Generall Councell This kinde of gouernment some called a Hierarchie a name improper and not vsed in the Scriptures as I thinke For the holy Ghost would not haue vs to dreame of any dominion or rule when question is made of Church gouernment But omitting the name if we consider the thing it selfe we shall find that these old Bishops would not frame any other kind of gouernment in the Church then that which God prescribed in his word Thus writeth Maister Caluin of the antiquitie of degrees and superioritie amongst the Ministers of the Church Which whosoeuer shall ponder seriously all partialitie set apart together with the constitutions testimonie and approbation of the most sacred and renowned generall Councel of Nice which Councel was euer to this day highly reuerenced throughout the Christian world that man doubtlesse cannot but approoue and allowe our Bishops and Arch-bishops with their names and authorities this day established in the godly setled gouernment of the Church of England For first Maister Caluin graunteth willingly the truth it self plainly leading him thereunto that in the time of the famous Councell of Nice there were both Arch-bishops and Patriarches Secondly that that patriarches were in order dignitie aboue the Arch-bishops and consequently that there was euen then viz. aboue one thousand two hundred and fortie yeares agoe superioritie Episcopall Archiepiscopall and Patriarchall among the ministers of the Church one minister hauing iurisdiction ouer and vpon an other More then which doubtlesse our Bishops and Arch-bishops doe not this day challenge in our Church of noble England Thirdly that this superioritie and dignitie among Ministers was ordained for the preseruation of discipline in the Church and consequently that as it was then godly conuenient and necessarie for the Church so is it this day in our Church of England Fourthly that the kinde of gouernment by Arch-bishops and Patriarches was agreeable to that forme of gouernment which God prescribed in his word This is a point of great moment which may not bee forgotten To which I also adde which the Reader must obserue seriously with mee that the Councell of Nice telleth vs plainely that this superioritie of one Minister aboue and ouer an other which the Brownists cannot endure was not then first appointed but had beene time out of minde by an auncient custome of the church which the Councell confirmed and established by her decree But how doe I proue it doubtlesse by the expresse wordes of the Councell For the Councell in the sixt Cannon hath these wordes Mos antiquus perduret Let the olde custome continue And in the seuenth cannon it hath these wordes Quoniam mos antiquus obtinuit vetusta traditio Because an olde custome and auncient tradition hath preuailed c. Which olde custome had beene in the Church euen from Saint Marke the Euangelist and from Saint Timothy and Saint Titus as is already prooued And if any one will yet bee obstinate and denie that this olde custome whereof the holy and auncient Councell speaketh beganne in the Apostles time let that man or those persons which so shall say or affirme name the time before the Nicene Councell when Archbishops and Patriarches first beganne And if any man can this performe I promise to bee of his opinion If otherwise both reason and true humilitie would aduise that man and those persons who shall so say or thinke to yeelde all due obedience to their superiours and willingly to subscribe vnto the truth Which doubtlesse they will doe that heretofore haue refused to embrace the ceremonies of our English Church if this Text of the Gospell bee not truly verified in them for they loued the praise of men more then the praise of God But howe is this possible I will vnfold the case Gentle Reader protesting that I doe it of charitie and for edification sake The truth I will plainly and sincerely set downe concealing the parties name because I loue the man and haue regard vnto his credite Talking with a Preacher of mine acquaintance a man otherwise both godly learned and of singular gifts concerning the cannons of Anno. 1604. and the kinde of gouernment of this our English Church when hee seemed to mee to haue nothing of moment to say against the same hee answered mee thus that hee would neither loose his liuing nor weare the surplesse nor yet make the signe of the crosse in the childs forhead And when I demaunded how that could bee hee answered that hee would keepe one to doe it but not doe it himselfe When I replied that hee might as lawfully doe it himselfe as procure an other to doe it hee vttered these wordes How can I doe that against which I haue so often preached I proceeded and told him as a friend that his refusall seemed to tast of the spirit of the proude Pharise and not of the humble Publican c. Well I hope the partie wil be obedieÌ„t But certes I thought afore that all their proceedings had been of meere conscience which now I perceiue to be of pride in a great many of them through which manner of dealing I wil not say hypocrisie the simple sort become disobedient and are deepely drowned in errour and our Church pitifully turmoyled with schismes dissention The godly learned and zealous Patron of pure religion maister Bucer deriueth the superioritie of Arch-bishops euen from the Apostles themselues These are his expresse words I am ex perpetua ecclesiarum observations abipsis apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritu sancto vt inter presbyteros quibus ecclesiarum procuratio potissimùm est commissa vnus ecclesiarum totius sacriministerij curam gerat singulareÌ„ eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeerat alijâ— Qua de causa episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum cur atoribus est peculiaritèr attributum Now we see by the perpetuall obseruation of churches euen from the Apostles themselues that it pleased the holy Ghost that among the ministers to whom especially the gouernment of the church is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the churches and the whole sacred ministery that he in that care and sollicitued should be aboue al the rest for which cause the name of Bishop is peculiarly giuen to such chiefe gouernours of churches Thus writeth maister Bucer Out of whose words I note first that the superioritie of Arch-bishops and bishops proceedeth from the holy Ghost Secondly that this superioritie was euer in the church eueÌ„ from the Apostles The same author hath in that same Chap. much more matter to the same effect The famous doctor zealous christian Hieronymie Zanchis us in the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of his faith granteth freely that there were Arch-bishops Metropolitans and Patriarches before the Nicene Councel These are his words Cum hanc coÌ„sâ—riberem fidei confessioneÌ„ omnia ex bona
certaine Rites which our Lord ordained as for examples sake bread and wine are the signes of the Supper by our Lords owne institution Where therefore there is either no vse at all of bread and wine or else great want for a time shall we celebrate no Supper of the Lord Yea it shall bee celebrated aright if that bee taken in the place of bread and wine which either by common vse or in regard of the time is vsed in the stead of bread or wine For this Christ intended when he chose bread and wine for these mysteries that by proposing before our eyes the signes of those things with which our bodies is nourished he might represent the true foode of our soules Therefore he swarueth not at all from Christes meaning who hauing no desire of innovation vseth in stead of bread and wine those things which though they haue not equall yet haue they like proportion of nourishment with bread and wine There wants also water and yet Baptisme neither ought nor can be differed with edification my selfe doubtlesse would baptize in any other liquor no lesse lawfully then I would in water This is maister Bezaes iudgement euen in the essentiall parts of the Sacraments Out of this doctrine thus deliuered by these two learned Doctors M. Calvin and M. Beza I observe these most important documents First that the authoritie of the church is so great that it can alter the matter of the Sacraments both of Baptisme and the Lordes supper if credit may be giuen to these great Doctors doctrine Secondly that the vse of the Lords Supper and of Baptisme is of such necessitie that this chaunge may and ought to be admitted rather then wee bee defrauded of the benefite thereof Thirdly that neither the practise of the Apostles nor the examples of Christ nor yet Christes owne institution No not in the matter of Sacraments is of such force and moment but that the church vpon good and necessarie cause may alter and chaunge the same And consequently it must needes be graunted neither can it with any colour of reason bee denied that the Church may chaunge the maner of choosing her ministers as necessarie circumstances of times places and persons shall require Especially seeing there is neither example commandement or institution of Christ to the contrarie CHAP. X. Of the ordeining of Ministers and the Ceremonies thereto apperteining THat Bishops haue and euer had authoritie to make order and admit Ministers of the Church it is so cleere and evident by the Scriptures Councels Fathers and continuall practise of the Church that I cannot but admire their audatious temeritie that doe oppugne the same Marke well the answers to all the Obiections in this Chapter Saint Paul chargeth Bishop Timothie not to lay his hands rashly on any man And the same Saint Paul telleth vs that he left Bishop Titus at Creta that he might order and make ministers in euery towne Now that Timothie and Titus ordained Ministers it is cleere by the Text it selfe But two doubts remaine The one whether Timothie and Titus had more authoritie then other common Ministers or not The other whether they alone ordained Ministers or with the ioynt-authoritie of others Touching the former I haue prooued alreadie by many testimonies that both Titus and Timotheus were Arch-bishops and had superioritie ouer many other Bishops I will heare adioyne the testimonie of Hemingius whose wordes are these Attamen Paulus gradu digns tatis ordine Timotheo Tito erat superior Timotheus gradu ordine excelluit reliquos Ephesmae vrbis presbyteros Et Titus Cretensihus praecrat Sequitur inter hos ministros agnoscit etiam ecclesia nostra gradus dignitatis ordines pro diversitate donorum laborum magnitudine ac vâ—cationum dignitate ac iudicat barbaricum esse de ecclesia hunc ordinem tollere velle Iudicat caeteros Ministros suis episcopis oportere obtemperare in omnibus quod ad adificationem ecclesiae faciunt iuxta verbum dei ac vtilem ecclesiae oeconomium Iudicat episcoposius habere in caeteros ministros ecclesiae non despoticum sed patrium But Paul in deegree and order of dignitie was superiour to Timothie and Titus Timothie in degree and order excelled all other Presbyters or Priestes of Ephesus and Titus was gouernour ouer the Cretions Among these Ministers our Church also acknowledgeth degrees of dignitie orders according to the diuersitie of giftes labours and calling and deemeth him to bee a plain rudes be that once hath but a minde to take this order out of the Church Our Church also iudgeth that all other Ministers must obey their Bishops in all things which pertaine to edification according to the word of God and the profitable dispensation of the Church Shee iudgeth that the Bishops haue a soueraigntie ouer all other Ministers of the Church yet not despoticall but paternall Touching the latter the scripture is plaine that none but Bishops did ordaine Church-ministers at any time And these Fathers of the Church affirme coÌ„stantly that this was a speciall knowne prerogative of Bishops that they and none but they could order and make Ministers of the Church S. Hierome hath these evident expresse words Quid enim facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod presbyter non faciat For what doth a Bishop which a Priest doth not the ordering of Ministers excepted Loe in this one thing doth a Bishop differ from Priests and inferiour Ministers because no other Minister saue onely a Bishop can ordaine and make Ministers of the Church Saint Epiphanius who liued aboue one thousand and two hundred yeares agoe affirmeth plainly that Bishops onely make Priests that is begetteth fathers to the Church and both he and Saint Austin enrolled the contrarie opinion among flat heresies censuring all them for Heretiques that held or defended such absurdities Saint Irenaeus who liued next to the Apostles and so could not bee ignorant what was the Church practise in their dayes maketh this my doctrine without question and beyond all exception that Bishops euen in the Apostolique time were different in degree from Priests and did create and make Priests but neuer were created of Priests No no if Priests could make Priests or if it were not an Apostolicall tradition that that charge doth appertaine onely to Bishops as it is this day laubably obserued in the Church of England then doubtlesse Aerius could neuer haue beene censured for an Heretique Adde hereunto that which I haue alreadie deliuered in the fist Chapter in the first and second Paragraph and thou shalt finde this Doctrine to be agreeable to the practise of Christs church in all former ages See Zanchius and note well his wordes Note well also the Answere to the second Obiection The first Obiection It appeareth by Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Evagrius that one minister was made superiour to an other onely by the ordinance of men The Answere I answere First that
glorious resurrection Whereupon it followeth by a necessarie and ineuitable consequâ—tion which neuer can be answered that the Preaching of GODS word and the administration of his holy Sacraments are not so inseperably vnited and linked together but that the one may stand intiere and peâ—fect without the other For Christs will and holy ordinance is that onely rule by which and after which all the actions policie and gouernment of his Curch must be measured ordered and disposed And this reason ab authoritate legislatoris is confirmed by an other argument drawen ab exemplo Wedlocke or Marriage instituted for a triple ende viz. for procreation of children for the avoyding of fornication and for mutuall helpe and societie is perfect and lawfull for the secondarie ends though the first cannot be atchieued For marriage is lawfull in old women quib desinunt muliedria which are past the date of bearing children as all learned men doe graunt Ergo the institution and ordering of Priests or Ministers for a triple end viz. for Preaching of Gods word for administration of his holy Sacraments and for reading of the holy Scriptures godly prayers for the comfort edification of the congregation is godly perfect lawfull for the last second ends albeit the first caÌ„not be attained The same argument is further confirmed by the testimonie of the reformed churches in Helvetia whose iudgement I think the patrones of the English desired presbyterie wil not easily reiect or coÌ„demne Their expres words are these domnanius ministros ineptos non instructos donis pastori necessarijs Interim agnosâ—omus quorundam in veteri ecclesia pastorum simplicitatem innocuam plus aliquando profuisse ecclisiae quam quorundam eruditionem variam exquisitam delicatamque sed paulo fastuo siorem Vnde ne hodie quidem reijcimus simplicitatem quorundam probam nec tamen omuino imperitam We condemne vnmeete Ministers which are not indewed with gifts necessarie for a shepeheard Howbeit we acknowledge that the harmelesse simplicitie of some shepheards in the olde Church did sometime more profit the Church then the great exquisite and delicate but a little to proud learning of some others Wherefore we reiect not now adayes the good simplicitie of certaine Ministers so that they be not altogether ignorant Loe the great learned men the maisters and rulers of the reformed Churches in Helvetia allow and approue as much as we desire The cass is cleere it cannot be denied The first Obiection Saint Paul commandeth expressely that euery Bishop or pastor should be able to teach and to conuince the gainsayers Ergo no mortal man can dispense with vnpreaching Ministers The Answere I answere first that if euery pastor must of necessitie be able to conuince the gainsayers so as otherwise he caÌ„not be a lawfull pastor then doubtlesse must many of those who are of high esteeme with the fauourrs of the presbyterie be vtterly forsaken and deposed from their ministery Secondly that hospitalitie is required in a Minister euen as is his preaching and aptnesse to conuince And yet many pastors are allowed within the presbyterie which for all that can keepe no hospitalitie Thirdly that by Saint Pauls canons he is as vnlawfull a Pastor that is an angry Minister as he that cannot Preach For Saint Pauls wordes are as plaine for the one as they are for the other me orgilon not angrie But if all bee vnlawfull Pastors that be angrie howe can wee bee assured to finde any lawfull Pastors either in the presbyterie or else where Many other conditions doth Saint Paul require in pastors which will hardly be found in the elders of the Presbyterie The true sense and meaning of Saint Paules wordes is this and no other viz. that it is meete and conuenient that a Pastor of the Church haue those qualities and conditions which he reckoneth but withall he meaneth nothing lesse then that he is no lawfull Pastor which wanteth some of the saide conditions Yea the originall Greeke word doth confirme this mine exposition For deioun ton Episcopon doth onely signifie vnto vs that a Bishop or Priest should of congruitie and if it may be haue such conditions and qualities as the Apostle reckoneth vp to Titus and Timothy not that none can be true and lawfull pastors of the Church which are not indewed with all the aforenamed qualities No no the latin word oportet and the Greeke word dei haue no other sense and meaning but that it behooueth or that it is meete and conuenient not that it must of necessitie be so or else no lawfull ordination The second Obiection Christ sent his Disciples forth to preach the kingdome of God and to cure the sicke The Answere I answere that this was a speciall charge giuen onely to the Apostles and that it proueth as well that all Ministers must be curers of diseases as Preachers and conuincers of gainsayers The second Section of Preaching without licence and authoritie The patrons of the Presbyterie affirme those canons ordinances and constitutions to be vngodly wicked and plaine diabolicall which prohibite all Ministers to preach Gods word that are not lawfully licenced thereunto And they cry out against the most reuerend Fathers because they put som to silence whom they had licenced to preach in former times But I answere to these vnworthy complaints and vnchristian exclamations first that no man may take vpon him the ministerie but he onely that is lawfully called therunto Secondly that the Church to whom this authoritie is graunted may place and displace giue licence to preach and prohibite from preaching as it shall be thought most conuenient for the peaceable gouernment thereof and for edification of the people For this cause did King Salomon Depose Abiathar the high Priest and placed Sadock in his roome But doubtlesse he that hath power to displace the Minister which is a greater thing hath power a fortiori to suspend the Minister from execution or to prohibite him to Preach seeing that is a thing that requireth lesse authoritie Againe if the Church had not power to displace suspend and prohibite Ministers from Preaching as their demeanours and circumstances of times places and persons shall require then doubtlesse would the Church abound with schismes confusion and all ataxia contrarie to the Apostolike canon which prescribeth all things to be done decently and in order Yea I protest vnto the world that I deeme the prohibition of Preaching without licence to be one of the most necessary and profitable Canons that euer were ordained constituted and established by this our English Church For since euery man tooke vpon him to Preach at his owne pleasure and was permitted to doe it when and where he would lawfull authoritie hath binso impugned new-sangled conceits so vsuall vnsound doctrine so coÌ„moÌ„ the text it self either scantly touched or so rawly vnclerkly handled that the auditors were as ignorant of the true meaning of
see what subtiltie and craftie dealing contentious Satan vseth who goeth about by these dissentions in external matters to make againe a most ready way and passage for Poperie to enter into our gates But in such matters doubtlesse the Apostles rule must be obserued Whose vse and administration he saith is in our arbitrement and power yet so that we doe nothing against Gods ordinance neither haue any desire to trouble the publique peace whereof we must haue an especial care for these externall matters It is therefore this day lawfull for vs also to institute and ordaine a newe the baptisme of infants although it had not hither to bin vsed in the church if any commoditie or good successe of peace and concord might insue thereupon Out of these learned discourses of these graue and learned Writers I obserue these memorable rules for the benefit of the gentle Reader First that the ceremonies this day of our English Church are the same that were vsed in the church in the purest times 2 that in things which are neither against faith nor against manners the custome of the church must be a rule for vs to follow This is a most worthy lesson a most excellent rule and a most necessarie obseruation Thirdly that the dissentions and schismes stirred vp about externall rites and ceremonies proceede from the crastie and deceitful dealing of the diuel Fourthly that the Church hath power to make and constitute any lawes which are not repugnant and contrarie to the word of God Fiftly that our Church hath this day power to haue instituted the Baptisme of Infants although it had not beene vsed in former ages And consequently that it hath power a fortiori to set downe orders and lawes for the apparell of Ministers for surplesles square Caps interrogatories in baptisme and bowing of the knee at the name of Iesus for kneeling at the holy Communion for giuing thanks of women for their deliuerance from the perill of child-birth for prohibiting to Preach without licence for Reading of Homilies and the like Which rules and obseruations if they were wel remembred and duly obserued all schismes dissention whisperings and mutinies would wholy surâ—â—ase in this Church of England The third member of Deacons and their office in the Church In the booke of orders there is an office called the Deacon whose description is not to be found in Gods booke namely consisting in helping the Priest in diuine seruice especially when he ministreth the holy Communion in reading holy Scriptures Homilies in the congregation instructing the youth in the Catechisme in Baptizing and Preaching if he be admitted thereunto by the Bishoppe Thus Write the patrons of the Eldership and earnestly wished Presbiterie to whom I answere in this manner First that if it were true which they say as it is not indeed yet would it not followe that the office of a Deacon this day vsuall in the Church should be a thing vnlawfull to be vsed The reason is euident because as I haue already proued the Church hath authoritie to constitute make and ordaine any lawes ceremonies canons ordinances and orders which are for the good of the Church and not against the word of God for the better confirmation whereof let vs heare the verdict of maister Zanchius that most famous Writer These are his expresse words interea tamen non improbamus patres quod iuxta variaÌ„tuÌ„ verbi dispensandi tum regendae Ecclesiae rationem varios quoque ordines ministroruÌ„ multiplicarint quando id eis liberum fint sicut nobis quando constat id ab illis fuisse factum honestis de causis ad ordineÌ„ ad decoruÌ„ ad aedificationeÌ„ ecclesiae pro eo tempore pertinentibus Neuerthelesse we doe not discommend or reproue the fathers because they did multiply and increase the orders of the ministers according to the various manner of dispensing the word and of gouerning the Church Seeing that was in their libertie and power as it is also in ours And seeing also it is euident that they did that for honest causes for order comlinesse and edification of the Church as that time did require Out of these golden wordes I obserue first that the holy fathers in former ages did institute diuers orders of Ministers which orders though they be not found expressely in Gods booke yet this great learned man dareth not disalowe or reproue the same But our young maisters who for learning are vnworthy to carrie his bookes after him dare condemne them roundly and make hauocke of the Lawes of the ancient Church Secondly that the Church both then and now had and still hath full power and authoritie to constitute diuers orders of Ministers in the Church Let this obseruation bee well marked for it is of great importance and no small moment Thirdly that such orders and constitutions doe pertaine to the order comelinesse and edification of the Church Fourthly that these things may be changed at the discretion of the Church as the circumstances of the times places and persons doe require I answere secondly that the office of Deacons is no otherwise this day in our English Churches then it was of old in all Churches throughout the Christian world I proue it for that both ancient councells of Nice Carthage and others and also the holy fathers doe testifie the same so copiously as none but younglings of no reading can be ignorant thereof Thirdly that Deacons in the Apostolique time and primitiue Church did not onely serue the table and minister to the poore but also baptize and preach the Gospell I prooue it first because there were Deacons at Ephesus at Philippi and in Crete as may euidently be gathered of the Epistles which were written to Timothie Titus and the Philippians And for al that there was in those places at that time such paucitie of Christians as there could bee either small neede or none at all for Deacons to attend vpon the tables Secondly because the solemnitie of imposition of hands vsed in the ordering and consecration of Deacons doth argue a further and more excellent function then the bare and sole ministerie of the table This was well obserued by the great learned Doctor Illyricus whose wordes are these Hinc autem apparet eos non tantum ad dispensationem elemosynarum alimentorumque sed etiam ad institutionem auditorum fuisse adhibitos sicut illi Act. 6. etiam simul docuerunt non tantum aeconomiam administrarunt sed nimirum munus illorum fuit tantum rudiores instituere seu catechismum tradere dum presbyteri omnibus sufficere laboribus nequeunt Hence it is apparant that the Deacons were ordained not onely to distribute almes and reliefe to the poore but also to instruct and teach their auditors as they also of whom mention is made in the acts were occupied in teaching and not onely in houshold-businesse For their office was to instruct the ignorant and to Catechise
Churches of Asia So Titus choose Ministers in Creta and Timotheus choose pastorall Elders at Ephesus And these persons haue authoritie so to doe because the whole church hath chosen them there vnto which by Gods word hath power and commission to choose the ministers of the Church Thus writeth this famous Doctor Out of these wordes I obserue these golden Lessons First that the authoritie to choose and elect the ministers of the church pertaineth vnto the whole church Secondly that the church hath this libertie and power granted to her either to choose them her self by general voices of all or else to appoint some special persons for that ende and purpose Thirdly that the manner of electing church-ministers may be chaunged as the circumstances of times persons or places shall require Fourthly that this varietie of election is grounded vpon Gods word Fiftly that Paul Bernabas Titus and Timotheus did of themselues choose the ministers of the church and consequently that the manner of electing church-ministers this day vsed in the church of England is agreeable to the word of God and also to the Apostolique practise of the Primitiue church For our Bishops doe not exercise any authoritie at all saue that onely which the whole church assembled in Parliament did by vniforme assent committed vnto them The first Obiection S. Cyprian telleth vs that the people haue interest in the Election of Ministers which was giuen them by diuine authoritie Ergo it is not in mans power to take away that freedome from them The Answere I answere First that S. Cyprian meaneth nothing else by diuine authoritie but divine examples not any divine precept commanding it so to be done Uiz. that there are examples in the Scripture by which wee may learne that the common people were present at the election of the Ministers to giue testimonie to the church of their life and conuersation as witnesses of their honest behauiour not as Iudges of the Election This my answere is grounded vpon S. Cyprians owne words which I proue sundry wayes First because he proueth his assertion onely by examples viz. For that Eleazar Matthias the 7. Deacons were chosen in the sight presence of the people Now we know that examples onely shew what may be done but they are not a law which doe or can commaund a thing of necessitie to bee done Christ ministred the holy Eucharist after Supper but wee doe it before dinner The Apostles receiued it sitting but wee take it kneeling Christ ministred it in vnleauened bread but wee in bread that is leauened So we see a great disparitie betwixt examples and precepts The former doe instruct vs but not compell vs the latter doe not onely teach vs but they also commaund vs. Againe because S. Cyprian hath these words Quod ipsum videmus de divina authoritate descendere vt sacerdos plebe praesente sub omnium oculis deligatur dignus atque idoneus publico indicio ac testimonio comprobetur Which thing wee see descends from diuine authoritie that the Priest may bee chosen when the people are present in the eyes of them all that he may be proued worthy by publique iudgement and testimonie And a little after he sheweth more plainly the cause why the people are present at elections Et Episcopus deligatur plebe praesente quae singulorum vitam plenissimè novit And that the Bishop may bee chosen in the presence of the people who know best what euery mans life hath beene Thirdly because S. Cyprian confesseth in that very place that some Prouinces had an other custome whom hee reproueth not I answere secondly that if the Antecedent bee admitted and wee also graunt the peoples interest to be De iure divino yet can nothing be inferred therevpon against the practise of the Church of England The reason is euident because nothing is done in our Churches of England to which the people haue not yeelded their assent as is alreadie proued The 2. Obiection The example of the Apostles saith M. Calvin is to vs Uice praecepti Ergo wee may not chaunge or depart from their practise in any wise The Answere I answere first that I haue proued the contrary both out of Maister Calvin and M. Beza yea M Calvin himselfe granteth freely that Christes owne practise may bee chaunged and that in a matter of greatest moment euen in the blessed Eucharist These are his owne words Nihil a Christs consilio ac voluntate alienuÌ„ facere videri qui non contemptu neque temeritate sed ipsa necessitate adacti provino aliua in ijs regionibus vsitatae potionis genus usurparent Hoc domini Calvini responsum vt optima ratione nixum Christi consilio consentaneum noster catus adeo comprobavit vt eos superstitiosè sacere censuerimus qui a vini symbolo vsque adeo penderent vt alter aÌ„ caenae partem omittere mallent quaÌ„ Analogon aliud symbolum ita cogente necessitate vsurpare M. Calvin saith M. Beza answered to his brethren in America which haue no wine that they should not doe contrary to Christes will and meaning who not vpon contempt but constrained with necessitie would vse insteede of wine some other kinde of drinke vsuall in that countery Which counsell of M. Calvin our congregation did so well like as grounded vppon good reason and agreeable to Christes counsell that we iudged them to be superstitious which did so depend vpon the Symbole of wine that they had rather omit the one part of the Supper then to vse vpon necessitie an other Symbole proportionable vnto wine This was M. Calvins opinion in this important and most weightie affaire M. Beza likewise deliuereth his iudgement in another subiect of like moment These are his expresse words Secundi generis sunt ipsa signorum materia nonnullorum râ—uum a domino institutorum forma vt exempti gratia panis vinum sunt caenae signa ex Domini institutione Ubi igitur panis aut vini vel nullus est vsus vel nulla certo tempore copia num caenae Domini nulla celebrabitur Imò ritè celebrabitur si quod panis aut vini vicem vel ex vsu communi vel pro temporis ratione supplet panis aut vini loco adhibeatur Haec n. mens fuit Christi quum panem ac vinum ad haec mysteria deligeret vt propositis earum rerum signis quibus corpus nostrum alitur veram alimoniam spiritualem velut ob oculos representaret Itaque a Christi sententi a nihil aberrat qui nullo prorsus novandi studio pro pane vino substituat quae etsi non parem similem tamen alimonia analogiam habeant Desie etiam aqua tamen baptismus alicuius differri cum adificatione non possit nec debeat ego certè quovis alio liquore non minus ritè quam aqua baptizarim Of the second kinde are the matter of the signes and the forme of
proportionally of all inferiour magistrates To which I must needs adde that the honour wealth and preseruation of a king is indeede the honour wealth peace and good of his people So that euery way the kings owne loue is respected and his own honour and good procured Obiection 2. If the king by his vngodly gouernment may become a tyrant then may his subiects resist his proceedings then may they depose him from his royall Diademe Scepter and Regalitie The Answere I answere that a kingdome may be possessed two waies viz by election and by succession or discent of blood royall They that are kings the first way as the Emperour of the Romans the king of Polonia and if there be any others of like sort if they change their gouernment into tyrannie and violate the lawes to which by couenant oath and promise they stand obliged in their election they I say may be deposed by the same power authoritie by which they were inuested into their throne The reason hereof is euident because the possession right and vse of their regall authoritie is not independant absolute but conditionall and relatiue and consequently such a King degenerating from his oath and promise standeth at the curtesie of his electors concerning the interest possession and vse of his prerogatiue royall But they who are Kings by discent and succession in blood royall as is our most wise pious learned and religious Soueraigne who happily this day raigneth ouer vs haue an absolute and independaÌ„t soueraigntie ouer their subiects which neither doth nor euer did stand in the curtesie power and pleasure of their people For Kings by succession and discent in blood royall are Kings Ipso facto so soone as their auncestors are deceased euen before the act of their annointing and Coronation as also before the oathe which vsually they take for the godly administration of their kingdomes Such ceremonies though they be very comely and expedient for sundrie respects yet are they not any essential part of their princely rights and royall prerogatiue how necessarie soeuer some esteeme the same deeming them no Kings without them And consequently their proceedings may not vndutifully be resisted much lesse may their authoritie begain said and least of all may their sacred persons be deposed from their Sâ—â—ptâ—rs and prerogatiues royall No no not though they should degenerate and fall into tyrannie or flat Atheisme and Apostaâ—â—â— And yet I freely graunt that as the king is aâ—â—â—â— his Bishops in respect of his royall Regiment and hath power to correct and punish them yea euen to depose and displace them as King Salomon deposed Abiathar if the cause so require So semblably is the Bishops power in respect of his Ministrie touching exhortation and rebuking aboue the Princes In regard whereof the good Bishop Saint Ambrose is highly commended for his Godly zeale and Christian courage in reprehending the Emperour 〈…〉 But withall this must euer be remembred and most loyallie obserued of all Bishops in Christes Church that the Prince though full of notorious crimes may neuer bee shunned neither of the people nor yet of the Bishops because he is appointed of God to be their gouernour Much lesse may the people for sake their obedience to his authoritie because they must forsake their obedience to his vices Hee may be shunned priuatelie and his vices detested generallie but loyall obedience and faithfull seruice may neuer be denied him Hec may bee admonished by the Bishoppes in the court of Conscience concerning his publique offences but he may neuer be iudged in the court of their Consistorie touching his Royal power and Princely prerogatiue He may be reprooued if his faults be publique and notorious but his subiects may neuer depose him because their authoritie stretcheth not so farre Hee hath no Iudge that can punish him but the great Iudge of all euen the God of Heauen Of which subiect I haue elsewhere disputed more at large The generall councel of Constance where was present that great learned Doctor Iohannes Gerson then Chauncelour of Paris condemned it for a notorious heresie and him for an Heret que that held the same viz. to holde and maintaine it to be a thing lawfull for the subiects to kill euery Tyrant that reigned tyrannically ouer them Where wee must obserue marke seriously the word euery For the Councell condemneth not the killing of those Tyrants which raigne tyrannicallie by violent intrâ—sion and vnlawfull vsurped possession but the killing of those Princes though raigning tyrannically and liuing most licentiously who were inuested and â—thronized into their kingdomes by lawful descent of blood royall and auncient hereditarie succession CHAP. II. Of the chiefest and best kinde of Gouernment ARistotle that famous Philosopher hauing reckoned vp the three former kindes of Gouernment adjoyneth forthwith these golden wordes Atque harum optima quidem est regnum deterrima verò censuum potestas And the best of these Gouernements is a Monarchie or Kingdome but the worst is a Democratie The Israelites and people of the Iewes were euer gouerned by a Monarchie euen from Adam vnto Christes most sacred Aduent For first the Patriarkes had the rule and gouernment Secondly Moses and Iosua were the leaders and gouernours of the people Thirdly Gedeon Iair Samson and others did rule and iudge the Israelites Fourthly Kings Saul Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Ioas and others Fiftly Zorobabel and the Machabees were gouernours And this gouernment continued euen from the Captiuitie vntil Christ. This kinde of gouernment to bee the best may easilie be prooued as well by the manner of Mans creation as by the naturall propension giuen vnto him Touching the manner wee are all framed of one not of many The Protoplast Adam of the earth of him Eue of them twaine all the rest Herevppon Saint Chrysostome who for his great learning and Eloquence was surnamed the golden mouthed Doctor concludeth a Monarchie or Kingdome to bee the best kinde of Gouernment vppon earth His wordes are these Equidem si quanquam hoc sint pacto geniti primus tamen statim hominum semine parentum procreatus adeo insaniuit tantam rixam tantam inuidiam Diaboltes seminauit quid put as fecisset si non ab eadem prorsus radice pullulasset genus hâ—marum deinde hunc imperare illam subesse iussit esse n. inter aquales amulationem nouit itaque noâ—uit esse Democratiam sed Regnum For although they be thus be gotten yet if hee that was the first man produced by the seede of his parents did so rage and was so furious and if the Diuell also did raise vp such contention and enuie what thinkest thou would hee haue done if mankinde had not issued out of the same â—oote He therefore commanded the one to rule the other to obey For he knew that emulation would arise among equalls He therefore would not haue a Democratie or popular state but a Kingdome Thus writeth this learned â—ather
Touching naturall propension which must needes bee referred to God the author of Nature it appeareth by it that a Monarchie or rule of one is most agreeable to nature it selfe For first in euery house the Father of the familie doth gouerne all the rest the wife the children and the seruants Againe the greatest part of the whole worlde a gouerned by kings Thirdly Monarchies and Kingdomes are farre more auncient then either Aristocraties or Democraties For proofe hereof the onely testimonie of she excellent Historiographer Iustinus may suffice These are his words Principio rerum gentium nationumque impeâ—ium penes reges erant quos ad fastigium huius maiestat is non ambitio popularis sed spectata inter bonos moderatio proueheâ—at In the beginning of the world the gouernment of people and nations was vnder Kings whome vertue not popular ambition aduaunced to that high seate of Maiestie Fourthly the creatures which are without reason and haue onely sense seeme naturally to desire the gouernment of one The holy Fathers doe so testifie of them and experience it selfe doth shew it to be so S Hierome hath these words Nulla ars absque magistro discitur Etiam muta animalia ferarum greges ductores sequuntur snos In apibus principes sunt Grues vnum sequuntur ordine literato Imperator vnus Iudex vnus prouinciae Roma vt condita est duos fratres simul habere reges non potuit parricidio dedicatur No Art is learned without a maister Yea euen the dumbe cattell and slockes of wilde beastes doe all follow their leaders The Bees haue their gouernours the very Cranes follow on in order in forme of a letter There is one Emperour There is one iudge of a prouince Rome was no sooner built then it abhorred to haue two kings at once to rule ouer it so as without cruell murder the dedication thereof was not accomplished But what neede is thereof further proofe in this dispute seeing it is euident to al that hold the Christian faith aright that God omnipotent is the supreme Monarch in heauen and earth and gouerneth by that kind of regiment which is neither Democraticall nor yet Aristocratical but monarchicall and consequently a monarchy must needes be the best kind of gouernment And whosoeuer can and list to read that holy auncient and learned father S. Ciprian shall finde this discourse so apparant as he can neuer stand long in doubt thereof I therfore conclude that whosoeuer shall denie a simple monarchie to be the best kind of gouernment must perforce fall vnawares into the error of the Marcionistes of the Manichies and of the Ethnickes For if it be true as it is most true as all Christians must confesse that the world is ruled in the best maner and best kind of gouernment by God that made it it must follow of necessitie that neither a Democratie nor yet an Aristocratâ—e is the best forme of Regiment For otherwise doubâ—lesse there must be many makers of this world and many Gods CHAP. III. Of the kind of gouernment of the Church and common weale of England NOw seeing it is true as is alreadie proued that a Monarchie is the best kind of gouernment and that the Church and common-weale of England is gouerned by a most wise most learned most vigilant and most religious Monarch Gods saithfull seruant and our gratious and most happie Soueraigne it followeth by a necessarie consequence that the kind of gouernment vsed in the Church and common-weale of England is the best and most laudable of all other For as our gratious soueraigne writeth most learnedly paritie is an enemy to vnitie and the mother of confusion The selfe same saith S. Chrysostome when he auoucheth degrees and superioritie to haue therefore bene appointed because equalitie engendreth strife and contention The same sai h S. Cyprian when he affirmeth boldly that heresie or Schisme did not rise of any other occasion but onely vpon this that there was not one Priest and one Iudge for the time appointed in the Church in the stead of Christ to whom the whole brotherhood should yeelde obedience The same saith S. Hierome when he auoucheth one to haue beene chosen among the Bishops to rule ouer the rest least euery one according to his own fansie should teare in peeces the church of Christ. Yea a Monarchicall gouernment is so necessarie euery where and in all sorts of creatures that S. Chrysostome acknowledgeth it amongst the bruite beasts in the Bees Cranes slockes of sheepe and Fishes of the Sea And therfore after a long discourse he concludeth in these wordes Libertas â— illa dissoluâ—a ac moderamine carens vbique mala confusionisque causa est For dissolute libertie without gouernment is euery where euill and the cause of confusion But because the excellencie of English gouernment shall be proued by degrees throughout this whole discourse thus much shall suffice for this place because I endeuour to auoide tautologie and not to bee tedious to the Reader CHAP. IIII. Of the supreame government of the ciuil magistrate ouer all persons and all causes within his Realmes territories and dominions OF this theame I haue written more largely in other treatises and therefore I purpose now to speake no more therof then I deeme conuenient for the matter I haue in hand For which purpose it were enough to well effected Readers to call to minde that the godly Kings as well in time of the law of Moses as in the time of the new testament and lawe of grace did manage all matters both of Church and Common-weale and therefore the ciuill magistrate was commanded to reade the booke of the whole lawe as well of the first as of the second table and to studie the same night and day Therefore was the ciuil magistrate commaunded to goe out and in before the people and to leade them out and in that the congregation of the Lord bee not as sheepe which haue no shepheard Therefore was the booke of the Lawe deliuered into the Kings hands at such time as hee receiued the crowne and was annointed Musculus a great learned man and famous writer affirmeth resolutely that the care of reforming and maintaning religion doth more appertaine to the ciuill magistrate then to the Ministers of the Church His expresse wordes are these Moses Primus catholicus Israelis magistratus personam gerens non sacerdotis quae Aaroni imposita fuit sed superioris potestatis similem regiae omnem in populo dei religioneÌ„ constituit ipsique Aaroni levitarum ordini facienda vitanda praescripsit In quo manifestè videmus disponendae religionis curam magis ad superiorem magistratum quà m ad sacerdotum ordinem pertinere Sequitur post mortem Mosis cura religionis vâ—â cum magistratis devolutae est non ad Eleazarum sacerdotem sed ad Iehosuah filium Nun de triba non Levi sed Ephraim Huic mandabat
dominus vt filios Israel secundò circumcideret Frat autem circumcisio signum faederis dei omninò ad religionem pertinens Sequitur in persona Samuelis cohaesere quidèm magistratus sacerdotium veram moderandae religionis curam sustinuit ille quoque non vt sacerdos sed vt magistratus quo tum non erat in Israele superior vt magistratus indicabat Israelem ac disponebat publica omnia tam sacrae quam prophana vt sacerdos sacrificabat pro populo orabat illumque docebat Moses the first Catholique Magistrate in Israel bearing the person not of a priest which was imposed vpon Aaron but of an higher power like vnto a Kings appointed order for all manner of Religion in the people of GOD and prescribed to Aaron himselfe and to the order of the Leuits both what they should doe and what they should auoide and leaue vndone Wherein we see euidently that the care of ordering Religion doth more pertaine to the higher magistrate then to the order of the Priests After the death of Moses the care of Religion together with the Magistracie was devolued not to Eleazar the Priest but to Iosuah the sonne of Nun who was not of the Tribe of Leui but of Ephraim To him God gaue coÌ„mandement that he shoâ—â—â— circumcise the second time the children of Israel But circuâ—cision doubtlesse was the signe of Gods couenant which pertaineth wholy to religioÌ„ In the person of Samuel there did cohere both the Magistracie the Priesthood but he receiued the charge of moderating religion not as hee was a Priest but as hee was a Magistrate greater then whom there was none at that time in Israel As a magistrate he did iudge Israel and ordered all publique affaires as well sacred as prophane ecclesiastical as ciuill but as a Priest hee offered sacrifice prayed for the people and taught them Out of these wordes of this great learned writer I note these golden lessons for the good of the well affected Reader First that Moses was a ciuill magistrate hauing authoritie like vnto a king Secondly that his power was greater then was the authoritie of Aaron the hie Priest Thirdly that Moses ordered all matters in religion and not Aaron who was the hie Priest Fourthly that he appointed to Aaron and to the whole order of the Leuites both what they should doe and what they should leaue vndone Fiftly that the charge care of religion doth appertaine more neerely to the magistrate then to the order of the Priests Sixtly that the magistrate hath the charge and care of ordering religion inseparably annexed to his ciuill office in that hee is a magistrate Seuenthly that a Bishop may haue authoritie to deale in ciuil causes as Samuel did Eightly that Samuel disposed all ecclesiasticall affaires not as hee was Priest but as hee was the ciuill Magistrate All which obseruations this learned writer proueth by the examples of many kings of Dauid Salomon Asa Iosaphat Ezechias and others And of King Dauid hee addeth this most golden and memorable sentence Dauid quoniam sciebat hanc primam curam pertinere ad reges magistratus vt religio Deiritè disponatur hortatus cos est ad id offiâ—ij Dauid because he knewe this chiefe care to pertaine to magistrates to see religion rightly ordered he exhorted them to that office saying Now ô Kings vnderstand be learned yee that iudge the earth Whosoeuer readeth this learned writer seriously throughout his whole discourse can no longer stand doubtfull of the truth of this question Zanchius a most learned writer and a man of singular iudgement in that booke which he left for a testimonie of his faith and Christian beliefe vnto the world and therefore the more to be regarded hath these expresse wordes Improbamus illos qui authoritatem in religione necis tantum causa attribuuÌ„t magistratibus dum illos negant authoritatem habere convocandi synodos deliberandide religione reformandiecclesias quae ad populorum salutem pertinent e sacris literis statuends aliudque eo esse nolunt quà m eorum quae ab episcopis definiuntur exequntores Wee reproue in like manner all those who yeelde and giue authoritie in religion vnto Magistrates onely in Capitall matters touching death whilest they denie them authoritie to call Synodes to consult of religion to reforme Churches and to appoint out of Gods word the things that pertaine to the saluation of their subiects and will onely haue them to bee the bare exequutors of those things which the Bishops doe decree Thus writeth this learned Doctor a man of as great a iudgement as any is in the christian world Out of whose words I note first that he condemneth many who now adaies thinke themselues very wise Secondly he auoweth that magistrates haue authoritie to call Synodes Thirdly that they haue power to deliberate of religion Fourthly that they haue authoritie to reforme the ministers and church-affaires Fiftly that they haue power to order those things which pertaineth vnto mans saluation Maister Martyr a very learned writer discourseth at large both of the authoritie of the minister and of the magistrate He sheweth most excellently both how the minister ought to exhort and rebuke the magistrate and how the magistrate ought to reforme gouerne and punish the minister Some part of his golden discourse I will briefely set downe referring the reader for the rest to the place quoted in the margent Nihil est in toto mundo ad quod verbâ— dei se non extendat quocirca longè falluntur qui clamitare solent quid conscionator cum rep quid cuÌ„ armis quid cum pharmacopolis quid cuÌ„ cocis at dicat c. There is nothing in the whole world to which the word of God doth not extend it selfe Wherefore they are farre deceiued that are wont to exclaime and say What hath the Preacher to doe with the Common-weale what hath he to doe with warres what with the Apothecaries what with cookes but let these good fellowes tell vs why the Minister of Gods word when he perceiueth Gods law to bee transgressed in these things may not rebuke the same out of Gods word why hee may not admonish the malefactors why he may not exhort them to desist from sinne it is his part doubtlesse to reproue sinners not with the sword not with Pecuniarie mulct not with imprisonment not with the sword not with exile but with the force power of Gods word Then this learned man proceeds and telleth vs that the ciuill Magistrate must see and prouide that the Bishops Pastors Doctors of the Church doe teach Gods word purely rebuke sinners fatherly and administer the Sacraments reuerently After this he telleth his Reader that kings haue not charge onely of the bodies of their subiects but of their soules also For saith this great learned Doctor we must not make princes swineheards and heardmen for keepers of cattell who haue care onely of the bellies flesh
and skinnes of their subiects because kings must prouide see that their subiects liue vertuously and in the feare of God yea he saith further that if the Ministers teach not aright or doe not administer the Sacraments orderly theÌ„ the Magistrate must reduce them into order and see that they teach sincerely and doe not abuse the Sacraments nor deliuer theÌ„ otherwise then Christ hath commanded And if they liue wickedly and disorderly he must depose them from the Ministerie Thus writeth this Doctor and much more he hath to the like effect but I studie to be briefe M. Bucer an other great learned Clerke in that worthy worke which he dedicated to king Edward the 6. of happy memorie telleth him resolutely that euery soule is subiect to his Empire aswell the Bishops as the rest of the Clergie and that therefore he must be the more vigilant and carefull to reforme them and their Ministerie And M. Caluin in his Epistle to Queene Elizabeth of happie memorie ascribeth vnto her the same prerogatiue in causes Ecclesiasticall very earnestly exhorting her Maiestie in the bowels of Christ Iesus to bee carefull in purging the Church from superstition and poperie See the xj Chapter in the sixt proposition in the answere to the first Obiection and note it well CHAP. V. Of the Degrees of Ministers Bishops Arch-bishops Metropolitanes and Patriarches and of their Antiquitie in the best and purest times of the Church Paragraph first of the degrees and superioritie of one Minister ouer an other SAint Austin that famons writer and strong pillar of Christs Church who liued aboue 1200. yeares agoe affirmeth resolutely and plainly vnto S. Hierome beeing then an Elder or Presbyter of Christes Church that his authoritie and degree was aboue S. Hieromes because hee was a Bishop These are S. Austins owne words Quanquam n. secundum honorum vocabula quae iam vsus ecclesiae obtinuit episcopatus presbyterio maior sit tamen in multis rebus Augustinus Hieronymo minor est licet etiam a minore quolibet non sit refugienda vel dedignanda correctio For although according to the wordes of honour which now are of force by the custome of Christes Church the degree office of a Bishop is greater theÌ„ the degree office of a Priest or Elder yet Austin is in many things inferiour to Hierome neither may the superiour disdaine to be rebuked of his inferiour Out of these wordes of S. Austin I obserue first that to be a Bishop in S. Austins time at which time it cannot bee denied but the Church was in good state and order was an higher degree then to bee a Priest or Elder Secondly that Bishops were in those dayes honourable and called Lord Bishops which I gather out of these words secundum honorum vocabula according to the wordes of honour Thirdly that this superioritie amongst Ministers had been a long time in the Church euen before S. Austins dayes because Saint Austine saith this superioritie came by the custome of the Church S. Hierome who liued in S. Austins dayes confirmeth S. Austins testimonie touching the superioritie of one minister ouer an other these are his wordes Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos presbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus imperatorem faciat aut diaconi eligant de se quem industrium noverint archidiaconum vocent quid nâ—facit excepta ordinatione episcopus quod presbyter non faciat sequitur presbyter episcopus aliud aetatis aliud dignitatis est nomen sequitur quod Aaron filij eius at que Levitae in templo suerunt hoc sibi episcopi presbyteri diaconi vendicent in ecclesia For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist vnto Heraclas and Dionysius being both Bishops the Priestes did alwayes choose one among them whom they placed in an higher degree and called him Bishop as if an host of men should make a Generall ouer them or the Deacon chuse one of themselues whom they sawe more vigilant and should call him Arch-deacon For what doth a Bishop sauing the ordination that a Priest doth not Touching a Priest and Bishop the one is the name of age the other of dignitie That which Aaron and his sonnes and the Leuites were in the temple the same may the Bishops and Priestes and Deacons challenge in the Church Out of these wordes of this holy Father and learned writer I note first that a Bishop hath an higher degree in the Church then hath a Priest or Elder I note secondly that this superioritie among Ministers hath euer beene in the Church since the time of Saint Marke the Euangelist Thirdly that the name of a Bishop is the name of dignitie honour Fourthly that as Aaron had a degree aboue the Priestes in the time of Moses so haue Bishops now a degree aboue the other Ministers or Elders Fiftly that a Bishop onely ordeyneth Ministers Saint Chrisostome who liued in Saint Austines time had very great superioritie ouer Bishops for hee was not onely Bishop of Constantinople but also ruled many other Churches both in Thracia Pontus and Asia These are the expresse words of Theodoretus in his historie concerning this matter Atque hoc modo prospexit non illi solum civitati verum etiam totâ— Thratiae quae est in sex episcopatus divisa cunctae etiam Asiae quae vndecim habet antistites Ponticam praeterea ecclesiam quae eundem habet episcoporum numerum quem Asia eisdem legihus adornavit And Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople did by this meanes not onely prouide for that citie but also for all Thracia which is diuided into sixe Bishoptickes as also for the whole Countrey of Asia which hath in it eleuen Bishops He also ruled Pontus which hath the same number of Bishops with Asia and beautified it with the same Lawes Out of these words of this holy Father worthily surnamed the golded mouthed Doctor I obserue first that hee was the Arch-bishop of Constantinople Secondly that hee had also iurisdiction Archiepiscopall ouer 28. Bishops in Thracia Asia and Pontus And that the Reader may fully know what iurisdiction this holy Father vsed ouer these Churches two things must be remembred which are set downe in the place quoted in my Margent The one that he commaunded the Priests to liue after the Lawes The other that he did â—â—ptiue them of their Priestly function which did violate and transgresse the lawes So then it is cleare and euident that there are degrees of superioritie amongst Ministers yea that one Bishop hath iurisdiction ouer another as S. Chrysostome being a Patriarch had ouer 28. other Bishops S. Ignatius who was Bishop of Antioch and S. Iohns disciple and liued in the Apostles time A. D. 97 sheweth euidently that in his time one Minister had rule ouer another the Bishops ouer the
Priests For writing to the people of Smyrna in Asia he hath these expresse words Honorate Deum vt authorem omnium dominum Episcopum autem tanquam principem sacerdotum imaginem Des forentem principatum quidem secundum deuÌ„ sacerdotium verò secundum Christum Honour God as the authour and Lorde of all things and a Bishop as the Prince or chief of Priests bearing the image of God superioritie according to GOD. Priest-hood according to Christ. And in the same Epistle hee reckoneth vp seuerall degrees of Bishops Priests Deacons and Lay-men The same Ignatius in that Epistle which he wrote to the Church of Trallis in Asia hath these words Quid est n. Episcopus nisi omnem principatum potestatem omnium illorum tenens quemadmodum deceat hominem tenere imitationeÌ„ des factum secunduÌ„ virtuteÌ„ For what is a Bishop but one that hath power and rule ouer them all he speaketh of Priestes and Deacons as it becommeth a man made according to vertue to keepe the imitation of God Thus writeth this holy Father who suffered a most cruell death for the testimonie of Iesus Christ beeing cast out to wilde beasts to be torne of them in pieces for the truths-sake Of these his Epistles and Martyrdome S. Polycarpe S. Hierome and Eusebius Caesariensis doe all three yeede a most lawdable and constant testimonie such as is able to penetrate any mans heart that shall seriously peruse the same S. Epiphanius and S. Austin doe both of them enroll among heresies this opinion of Aerius that a Priest or Pastor was equall to a Bishop Cum esset presbyter inquit Augustinus doluisse fertur quod Episcopus non potuit ordinari Sequitur dicobat etiam presbyterum ab Episcoponulla differentia debere discerni Aerius saith S. Austin being himselfe a Priest is reported to haue bene very sory that hee could not be made a Bishop The same Aerius held also this opinion that there was no difference betwixt a Priest and a Bishop S. Epiphanius affirming that Aerius held the same errour confuteth it by many sound reasons amongst which this is one Dicere n igsum Episcopum Prosbyterum aequalem esse quomodo erit possibile Episcoporum n. ordo patrum generator est patres n. generat ecclesia Presbyterorum verò non potens generare patres per lavacri regenerationem generat filios ecclesiae non tamen patres aut doctores For to say that a Bishop and a Priest are equall how is it possible For the order of Bishops is the begetter of the Fathers for that order begetteth Fathers to the Church But the order of Priests is not of abilitie to beget the Fathers but it begetteth sonnes to the Church by the regeneration of Baptisme yet not Fathers or Doctors This auncient Father liued aboue 12. hundred yeares agoe at which time it was holden for a grosse errour generally to say affirme or thinke that a Priest was equall to a Bishop in degree dignitie or iurisdiction This reason which S. Epiphanius maketh touching the begetting of Fathers to the Church is invincible and neuer can be answered It is the very same in substance with that of S. Hieromes which I haue set downe alreadly viz. that a Bishop differeth from a Pastorall Elder by the power of ordaining and making Ministers And to proue the superioritie of a Bishop aboue a Priest or Pastorall Elder that which Saint Austin telleth vs of Aerius is a flat and euident demonstration For Aerius being a Priest sought by all meanes to bee a Bishop and was sorie that hee could not attaine and accomplish his desire For greife whereof hee opposed himselfe against the prudent and godly setled order of the Church affirming very desperately as Saint Epiphanius saith that a Priest was euery way equal to a Bishop Now I pray you who knoweth not this to bee true that a wise man will neuer besâ—â—â—e and busie himselfe to attaine that which he hath alreadie But 〈◊〉 it is as you haue heard already that â—â—erius being a Priest 〈◊〉 under with might and maine to be made a Bishop Ergo it must needs be granted that to be a Bishop was 〈…〉 a degree dâ—gnitie aboue a Priest But to â—hat end should 〈…〉 point and question which â—â— is a position to constant 〈…〉 generally received in the dayes of S. Hierome S. Austâ—â—e S. Chrysostome S. Epiphaniâ—s Eusebues Policarpus 〈◊〉 is I haue already proue 〈◊〉 Reader shall thinke better of moderne writers then of these auncient holy and learned Fathers I am content for his better satisfaction to alledge the â—lâ—t testimonies and expresse wordes of the best approued writers in this last age M. Caluine hath these expresse wordes Quamvis nâ— commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus For although there bee one Office common to all the Ministers of the word yet are there degrees of honour among them Againe in another place he hath these words Diâ—cimus quidem ex hoc loco non eam fuisse tunc aequalitateÌ„ inter ecclesia ministres quin vâ—us aitquis authoritate consitio praeesset nihil tamen hoc ad tyranmcum profanum collationum morem qui in Papatis regnat longe n. diuersafuit apostolorum ratio We learne by this place that there was no such equalitie among the Ministers of the Church in those dayes but that one was preferred before an other in counsell and authoritie Yet this is nothing like to that tyrannicall and prophane custome of ruling in Popedome which is faire different from the manner of the Apostles The second Paragraph of the artiquitie of Bishop Archbishops Primates Metropolitans and Patriarches in the Christian Church of God THe truth is that the Church of Christ was sometime both without the names degrees of Arch-bishops Metropolitans Primates and Patraâ—ches yet it did not long so continue but was altered in the kind of gouernment euen in the time of the Apostles This affirmance S. Hierome maketh so manifest that I cannot but wonder how any without blushing doe denie the same These are S. Hieroms owne words Quod autem postea vniâ—â—â— electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in 〈◊〉 remedium factum est ne vnusquisque adse trabens Christi ecclesiam rumperet Nam Alexandriae a Marco Evangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium episcopos presbyteri semper vnum exâ—e electum in excelsiors gradu collocatum episcopum nominaâ—bant But that afterward one was chosen to beare rule ouer the â—â—est it was done to auoid schisme least euery one should â—â—â—aw companie to himselfe and so breake the vnitie of the Church For at Alexandria from S. Marke the Euangelist vnto the Bishops Heraâ—las Dionysius the priests or elders did euer cloose one among them whom they placed in an â—agher degree and named him Bishop The same Father in an other place hath these expresse wordes Idem est presbyter qui
conscientia scripsi sicut credias sic etiam isberè loquutus sum vt facienduÌ„ esse docent sacrae litera Fides auteÌ„ mea nititur cùm primis simplâ—citèr verbo Dei Deinde nonnihil etiam communi totius veteris catholica Ecclesia consensu si ille cum sacris literis non pugnet Credo n. qua a pijs patribus in nomine Domini congregatis communi omnium consensu citra vllaÌ„ sacraruÌ„ litorarum contradictioneÌ„ definita receptafuerunt ea etiam quanquaÌ„ haud eiusdem cum sacris literis authoritatis a spiritu sancto esse Hinc fit vt quae sunt huinscemodi ea ego improbare noc velim nec audeaÌ„ bona conscientia quid autem certius ex Historijs ex concilijs ex omnium patrum scriptis quà m illos ministroruÌ„ ordines de quibus diximus communi totius reipublicae christianae consensu in ecclesia constitutos receptosque fuisse Quis autem ego sum qui quod tota ecclesia approbavit improbem sed neque omnes nostri temporis docti viri improbare ausi sunt quippe qui norunt licuisse haec Ecclesiae ex pietate atque ad optimos fines pro electorum aedificatione ea omnia fuisse profecta ordinata When I worte this Confession of my Faith I wrote euery thing with a good conscience and as I beleeued so I also freely spoke as holy writ teacheth me to doe My beliefe is principally simply grounded vpon Gods word then some-what also vpon the coÌ„mon consent of the auncient Catholique Church so it doe not swarne from the holy Scriptures For I belâ—eue that such things as that holy Fathers gathered together in Gods name haue with common consent defined and receiued without any contradiction of the holy Scriptures do proceed from the holy Ghost though not of the same authoritie with the holy Scriptures Hence comes it that my selfe neither will nor with safe conscience dare reproue such kinde of decrees But what is more cleare and euident by Histories by Councels and by the writings of all the Fathers then that those orders of Ministers wherof we haue spoken haue bene appointed receiued in the Church euen with the common consent of the whole christian Common weale And who am I that I should reproue that which the whole Church hath approued yea which all the learned men of our age durst neuer reproue to this day as who knew right well that both the Church might lawfully doe these things also that they proceeded of pietie that all things were ordained to very godly purposes for edefication of Gods elect Thus writeth this learned godly zealous and iudicious Father who for his rare learning profound knowledge pure zeale great iudgemeÌ„t was inferior to none of his age in Christs Church if not superiour to all Out of whose words I obserue many more excellent worthy documeÌ„ts for the help of the wel affected Reader First that this godly learned man was fully resolued to die in that Faith which he heare speaketh of Secondly that he published this his Confession of Faith with a good conscience constantly beleeuing as he wrote Thirdly that his Faith was grounded vppon the word of God Fourthly that the Decrees of the holy Fathers assembled in Christes name defined by the common consent of all and not repugnant to the Scriptures were not simply the Decrees of men but also of the holy Ghost Fiftly that the Degrees of Ministers and superioritie of Bishops Arch-bishops Primates and Patriarches were approued and receiued by vniforme and common consent throughout the whole Church of Christ. Sixtly that this great learned man neither durst nor could with good conscience reproue the same Seuenthly that the Church had authoritie to appoint constitute ordaine such degrees and superiority amongst the Ministers of the Church Eightly that such constitutioÌ„s proceeded of pietie were ordeined for edisicatioÌ„ of the Church To the testimony of this graue writer I deeme it worth the labour to adde that which the same Doctor hath in another place These are his words Hoc ego ingenuè denuò profiteor talem esse meam conscientiam vt a veteruÌ„ patrum sive dogmatibus sive scripturarum interpraetationibus non facilè nisivel manifestis sacrarum literarum testimonijs vel necessarijs consequentijs apertisque demonstrationibus convictus atque coactus discedere queam Sic enim acquiescit mea conscientia in hac mentis quiete cupio etiaÌ„mors I againe professe freely my conscience to be such that I cannot easily depart either from the Doctrines of the auncient Fathers or from their interpretations of the holy Scriptures vnlesse I bee convicted and compelled therevnto either with the manifest testimonies of holy Writ or with necessarie consequences and manifest demonstrations For so my conscience is at rest and in this quiet of minde I desire to die Out of which wordes I note two things both memorable and of great importance wishing the gentle Reader to marke them attentiuely First that the auncient Fathers haue decreed according to the holy Scriptures superioritie among Ministers in the Church and the degrees of Bishops Arch-bishops Primates Metropolitans Suffragans and Patriarches Secondly that this learned Doctor thinketh himselfe bound in conscience to acknowledge receiue and obey such decrees and constitutions of the holy Fathers and therefore earnestly desireth to ende his life in that beliefe Nicolaus Hemingius affirmeth constantly that the pure church which followed the Apostles-time ordeyned diuers degrees of Ministers for the peaceable Regiment of the Church as Metropolitans Arch-bishops Patriarches The 1. Obiection Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them and they that are great exercise authoritie ouer them But it shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant The Answere I answere that these wordes of our Sauiour Christ doe only condemne ambitious desire of rule and the tyrannicall vâ—â—ge thereof but not simply all superioritie and lawfull authoritie of one aboue an other I proue it first because Christ saith not the Lords of the Iewes but the Lords of the Gentiles beare rule ouer them As if hee had said you may not haue that tyrannicall kind of gouernment which the gentiles vsed nor such ambitious desire and sinister affection of rule as was found among them And therefore is it significantly said it shall not be so He saith not it shal not be at all but it shall not be so as it was among the Gentiles Secondly bcause it is the frequent custome of the holy Scriptures to forbid things simply without exception when it doth in deedes and true meaning prohibite onely the abuse and the inordinate desire and vsage of the same Call no man your father vppon earth saith Christ for there is but one your Father which is in heauen Bâ—â— not called Doctors for one is your Doctor euen Christ But
onely ambition and greedie desire of bearing rule ouer others Which his opinion hee prooveth to bee grounded vpon Christs owne wordes And doubtlesse it is to bee admired that any Learned man will holde the contrarie opinion See Peter Martyrs opinion and note it well His expresse wordes shall bee set downe when I come to speake of the church-discipline The Reply Maister Caluin and many other learned writers alleage this Text against that superioritie which the late Bishops of Rome doe challenge ouer other Ministers of the Church which doubtlesse they could never truely doe if one Bishop or Minister may be superiour to another The Answere I answere that M. Caluin and other learned men doe truely alledge this Scripture against the falsly challenged Primacie of the proude arrogant Bishop of Rome And yet for all that it doth not prohibite the moderate and lawfull superioritie of one Minister ouer another which is both necessarie for the peaceable managing of the Church and hath euer beene vsed in the Church as it is already prooved For the Bishop of Romes superioritie is so farre from heing moderate and lawfull that it may truely be termed tyrannicall and plaine diabolical Because as I haue proved at large in other discourses hee taketh vpon him to depose kings to translate kingdomes and in most brutish and savage manner to tyrannize ouer mens soules and consciences Idque iure divino as hee beareth the world in hand The 2. Obiection The names of Arch-bishops Primates and Patriarches are proud names disholy prophane and not to bee found in the holy Scriptures The Answere I answere First that though the names be not expressed in holy writ yet is the thing it selfe sufficiently conteined in the same as is already proved Secondly that the very names are so farre from being prophane and disholy that the most zealovs Patrons of the Presbitery doe allowe and approue the same for lawfull and holy and to haue beene ordained of the holy Fathers for a godly end and purpose Maister Caluins opinion is alreadie set downe in this present chapter Yet for better satisfaction of the Reader let him heare what the same authour saith in an other place These are his wordes Quod duodecim vnum habuerint inter se qui omnes regeret nihil mirum Hoc n. fert natura hoc hominum ingenium postulat vt in quovis caetu etiamsi aequales sint omnes potestate vnus tamen sit veluti moderator in quem alij respiciant Nulla est curia sine consule nullus consessus indicum sine Praetore sen quaesitore collegium nullum sine Praefecto nulla sine magistro societas That the twelue Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest it was no maruell For nature requireth it and the dispositioÌ„ of men will so haue it that in euery company though they be all equall in power there be one as gouernour by whom the rest may be directed There is no Court without a Consull no Senate without a Pretor no Colledge without a PresideÌ„t no societie without a maister Now it is euident that neither Bishops nor Arch-bishops in our church of England haue greater authoritie then maister Caluin speaketh of in this place For to say nothing of the dignitie of Consuls and Pretors which was very great among the Romans the maister of a Colledge as euery Scholler of Cambridge and Oxford can tell hath a perpetuall office hee is chiefe gouernour of that societie and all the members thereof owe obedience vnto him as to their head he hath authoritie to punish and to see lawes executed within his Colledge as Bishops and Arch-bishops haue in their dioceses prouinces And most certaine it is that no Arch-bishop in England hath that authoritie in his prouince which the Consul had in Rome Maister Beza confesseth that antiquitie vsed the names of Bishops and Arch-bishops and willingly admitteth of them as holy names These are his expresse wordes Nam quod pastores temporis progressu distincti sunt in metropolitas episcopos quos nunc vocant curatos id est singulis paraecijs prafectos id minime factum est respectu ministerij verbi sed potum habita ecclesiasticae iurisdictionis ac disciplinae ratione Itaque quod attinet ad verbi praedicandi munus sacramentorum administrationeÌ„ nullum est inter archiepiscopos episcopos curatos discrimen Omnes n. tenentur suos greges eodeÌ„â—ibo pascere ideâ—que communi nomine postores episcopi in scripturis passim vocantur Quae verò istorum impudentia est sacra nomina vsurpare propter ea apostolorum verorum opiscoporum successionem iactare For that in processe of time pastors were distinguished into Metropolitans or Arch-bishops Bishops and Curates it was not done in respect of the Ministerie of the word but in regard of ecclesiasticall iurisdictition and discipline Therefore touching the office of Preaching and Ministration of the sacraments there is no difference betwixt Arch-bishops Bishops and Curates For they all are bound to feede their flockes with the same meate and therfore are they called in the Scriptures by the common name of Pastors and Bishops But how impudent are these men which vnder colour of these holy names glory in the succession of the Apostles and true Bishops thus writeth master Beza iumping as euery childe may see with that doctrine which I now defend Yea the same Beza affirmeth these degrees and names to haue beene appointed by the auncient Church vpon a very good zeale These are his wordes in an other place Neque verò nos ignoramus quammulia sint a veteribuâ— constituta de episcoporum metropolitaruÌ„ Patriarcharum sedibus idque optimo zelo definitis cuinsique limitibus certaque attributa authoritate Neither are wee ignorant how many coÌ„stitutions the old fathers haue made concerning the seates of Bishops Metropolitans and Patris arches and that vpon a very godly zeale assigning to euery one his boundes and authoritie Thus the Reader seeeth how Caluin Beza Bucer Zanchius and Hemingius doe hold the same opinion which I now defend The Reply The Bishops Arch-bishops Patriarches and such like of which Beza Caluin the Councell of Nice and other councels make mention were not such as our Bishops in England Prelates of the Garter high Commissioners Iustices of Peace and Quorum The Answere I answere First that the same superioritie of one minister ouer an other was then in the olde Arch-bishops Patriarches and such like which is this day in ours here in this land yea greater by one degree at the least because England neuer had a Patriarch in it Secondly that Arch-bishops Primates and Metropolitans which are all one in effect had then the same iurisdiction in other countries which our bishops haue this day in England That is to say a superiour charge and sollicitude of all Churches within their prouinces Which thing though it be alreadie prooued sufficiently to all well affected Readers may
yet bee further confirmed with such a plaine and manifest testimony of the auncient Councell of Antioch which was holden aboue a thousand and two hundred yeares agoe as euery child may behold the truth thereof These are the wordes Persingulas regiones episcopos convenit nosse Metropolitanum episcopum sollicitudinem totius provincia gerere Propter quod ad metropolim omnes vndique qui negotia videntur habere concurrant Vnde placuit eum honore praeceâ—lere nihil amplius praeter eum caeteros episcopos agere secundum antiquam a patrio bus nostris regulam constitutam nisi ea tantùm quae ad suam diocaesim pertinent possessionesque It is meete that the Bishops of euery countrie doe know that the Metropolitan hath the charge of the whole prouince For which respect al the Bishops round about him which haue any busines must haue recourse vnto that citie wher the Arch-bishop or metropolitan doth reside Wherefore we haue decreed according to the auncient Law of our Fathers both that he shal excel in honour and also that all the other Bishops shall doe nothing at all without him sauing those things onely which appertaine to their owne diocesse and possessions Thus decreeeth this auncient and famous Councell out of which doctrine I obserue these worthy lessons First that an Archbishop or Metropolitan had in old time the charge of the whole prouince And consequently that our Arch-bishops and Metropolitans in the English church haue no new Ministerie nor other authoritie then was had and practised by the holy Fathers in auncient time euen in the primitiue church Secondly that this authoritie of an Arch-bishop to rule a whole prouince was not first constituted by this Councel though it were of very great antiquitie but was receiued by an auncient rule from their forefathers Thirdly that all the Bishops of the prouince must bee directed by the Metropolitan or Arch-bishop Fourthly that the other Bishops could doe nothing without the authoritie of the Arch-bishop such things onely excepted as pertained to their owne diocesse and possessions Let thus much be graunted to our Bishops which good reason will affoord them and they will desire no more But because the testimonie of the best Patrons of the presbyterie cannot but prevaile much in this controuersie let vs heare the verdicts of the chiefest Doctors herein Maister Caluins testimonie is already knowne touching the authoritie of Arch-bishops in forrein countries but I wil alledge and set before the Readers eyes his plaine testimonie for our Bishops heere in England These are his owne wordes in his Epistle to Arch-bishop Cranmer Calvinus Cranmero Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi S. D. sequitur suÌ„ma est in te authoritas quam non magis tibi honoris amplitudo conciliat quà m concepta pridèm de tua prudentia integritate opinio Caluin to Cranmere the Arch-bishop of Canterburie sendeth salutations The supreame and highest authoritie resteth in your selfe which your great honour did not more procure then the opinion lately conceiued of your prudence and integritie The same Caluin in his Epistle to Doctor Grindall the Bishop of London hath these wordes Quod tamen curam popularium nostrorum qui in praecipua episcopatus tui vrbe habitant suscipere dignatus es non soluÌ„m vt libertas illis daretur reginae beneficio dei purè invocandi sed vt pastorem fidum hinc accerserent nisi hac de causa me tibi obstrictum faterer stullitiae inhumaintatis essem damnandus Yet that you haue vouchsafed to take care of our vulgar country-men which reside in the chiefe citie of your bishopricke not onely that by the Queenes fauour they might haue freedome to serue God aright but that also they might call from hence a faithfull pastor if I should not confesse my selfe bound vnto you herein I might iustly bee condemned both of follie and of nhumanitie Out of these wordes I obserue these corollaries Frst that heecalleth the Bishop of Canterburie Arch-bishop and consequently that hee did not thinke the name to bee either antichristian or vnlawfull Secondly that hee did acknowledge the chiefest authoritie to be in the Archbishop and consequently superioritie to be among our ministers Thirdly that he granted one man to haue the charg of many Churches that is the Bishop of London For hee saith in the chiefe citie of our Bishopricke and that it may appeare yet more euidently that he graunteth the charge of a whole prouince to one onely Arch-bishop I will alledge some part of that his Epistle which he addressed to the Potent and mightie king of Polonia Thus doth he write Que admodum si hodie illustrissimo Poloniae regno vnus praeesset Archiepiscopus non qui dominaretur in reliquos velius ab illis ereptumsibi arrogaret sed qui ordinis causa in synodis primum teneret locum sanctaÌ„ inter collegas suos fratres vnitatem foveret Euen as if this day one Arch-bishop should be the president of the most honourable Kingdome of Polonia not as one that should haue dominion ouer the rest or should challenge to himself the right taken from others but as one who for order sake should haue the chiefe place in synodes and should preserue holy vnitie among his sellowes and brethren I heâ—e are the words of this great learned man who was the greatest and chiefest patrone of their presbiterie the first man in the world that set it abroach and brought it into the Church And yet doth he graunt plainly as much as our Bishops will require For hee graunteth as wee see that one Arch-bishop may haue a superioritie ouer all other Bishops in the large kingdome of Polonia The exception that he maketh I willingly admit and so will all our Bishops likewise doe As who neither doe nor euer did once make or giue the least signe of any such superioritie ouer their fellowes and louing brethren No no no such thing can truly be imputed to them For with vs euery minister in his Parish and euery Bishop in his Diocesse hath the charge of their owne flockes and Parishes to Preach the word and to administer the Sacraments vnto them in as ample and large manner as Maister Caluin heere requireth Which his wordes immediately afore-going doe declare beeing these Vetus quidem ecclesia patriarchas instituit singulis etiam provineijs quosdam attribuit primatus vt hoc concordiae vincuâ—o meliùs interâ—e devincti manerent episcopi The ancieÌ„t Church did constâ—â—ate Patriarches and assigned for euery prouince one primâ—â—e that by this bond of concord the Bishops might be more firmely vnited among themselues Like as if one Arch-bishop should be the chiefetaine of the whole Kingdome of Polonia and so foorth as is alreadie saide Where wee see or may see if wee will that Maister Caluin acknowledgeth the same superioritie both in the auncient times of the Church and more lately in the Arch-bishop of Polonia which is this day giuen and allotted
to the Arch-bishop of Canterburie ouer the other Bishops and Ministers in England Now for aunswere to the other part of the obiection touching high Commissioners Iustices of Peace and Quorum I haue referued the next Chapter CHAP. VI. Of civill offices in Ecclesiasticall persons THe authoritie in ciuill matters committed to the ministers of the Church is not made a thing intrinsically incideÌ„t to the ministerie or as a part thereof but it is coÌ„mitted to them by the Prince whom his subiects are not to limit what persons he shall vse in counsell or to whom hee shall commit the execution of his lawes and it is added to their ministerie as profitable and necessarie for the present state and good of the Church Which good to bee procured by that meanes rather then by any other imployment besides it may appeare both by experience and practise By experience for that wee see those Kingdomes Princes and people most blessed of God where learned and godly Bishops haue beene receiued into the Princes Counsell By practise because I haue both heard and read that maister Caluin and maister Beza were admitted to be Counsellours of the seate at Geneua being thought sit men for that place Who doubtlesse would neuer haue yeelded thereunto if they had thought it a thing either vnlawfull in it selfe or incompatible to their function No no it is neither vngodly nor yet vnseemely for a Minister to come from the Pulpit to the correction of vice sinne and wickednesse But contrariwise it is so godly so comely and so necessarie that it euer hath beene vsuall both in the Lawe of nature in the Lawe of Moses and in the Lawe of grace for First in the lawe of nature Melchisedech was both King and Priest So reporteth holy Moses in his booke of Genèsis and Saint Paul to the Hebrewes And Saint Hierome telleth vs that all the eldest sonnes of the holy Patriarches were both Kings and Priests Aiunt hunc esse Sem filium Noe supputantes annos vitae ipsius ostendunt eum ad Isaac vsque vixisse omnesque primogenitos Noe donec sacerdotio fungeretur Aaron fuisse pontifices The Hebrewes saith Saint Hierome affirme this Melchisadech to bee Sem the sonne of Noah and reckoning the yeeres of his life they shewe vs that he liued vntill Isaac and that all the first begotten of Noah vntill Aarons Priest-hood began were Bishops Yea whosoeuer will denie that Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob and others did rule ouer those who were committed to their charge as wel in ecclesiasticall as ciuill causes they may truly be said to knowe nothing in the scriptures Secondly in the Lawe of Moses Moses himselfe was both the ciuill Magistrate and a Priest For Moses iudged the people from morning vnto euen Hee put the Malefactors to death who had committed Idolatry Hee consecrated Aaron and his sonnes and burnt sweet incense on the golden Altar Heli was both the high Priest and iudge of the people for the space of 40 yeares together Samuel likewise was both a Priest and iudge ouer the people for the space of 30. yeares together The good king Iosaphat made the Priests iudges both in ecclesiastical and ciuil causes And after the captiuitie of the Iewes the Machabees were rulers aswel in ciuil as in ecclesiastical causes Read the books of the Machabees Iosephus Egesippus and this truth will soone appeare But what neede many words in a case so cleere and euident God himselfe made a general law that the priests the ciuil magistrate shuld iontly determine iudge and decide all controuersies These are the expresse wordes of the Law if there rise a matter too hard for thee in iudgement betweene boold and blood betweene plea and plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersie within thy gates then shalt thou arise and goe vnto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse And thou shalt come to the Priestes of the Levites to the iudge that shall be in those dayes and aske and they shall shewe thee the sentence of iudgement These wordes are so plaine as all interpretation may be thought needlesse Thirdly in the Gospell and newe Testament wee haue a pluralitie of examples in this behalfe S. Paul when he made his abode at Corinthus with Aquila and Prescilla whom Claudius the Emperour had driuen from Rome he wrought with his hands being of the same craft with them and made tents as they did S. Augustine thought it a thing so lawfull for a Bishop to be iudge in causes Ecclesiasticall that I wonder how any man hearing or reading his owne words can any longer stand in doubt thereof Thus doth he write Quis plantat vineam de fructu eius non edit Quis pascit gregem de lacte gregis non percipit Tamen Dominum Iesum in cuius nomine securus haec dico testem invoco super animam meam quoniam quantum attinet ad meum coÌ„modum multo mallem per singulos dies certis horis quantum in bene moderatis monasterijs constitutum est aliquid manibus operari caeteras horas babere ad legenduÌ„ orandum aut aliquid de divinis litteris agendum liberas quam tumultuosissimas perplexitates causar uÌ„alienarum patide negotijs secularibus vel iudicando dirimendis vel interveniendo praecidendis quibus nos molestijs idem affixit Apostolus non vtique suo sed eius qui in eo loquâ—batur arbitrio quam tamen ipsum perpessum fuisse non legimus Aliter n. se habebat apostolatus eius discursus Sequitur quem tamen laborem non sine consolatione domini suscipimus prospe vitae aeternae vt fructum seramus cum tolerantia Servi n sumus cius Ecclesiae maxime infirmioribus membris quanta libet in eodem corpore membra sumus Omitto alias innumerabiles ecclesiasticas curas quat for tasse nemo credit nisi qui expertus est Non ergo alligamui onera gravia humeris vestris imponimus quae nos digito non attingimus quandoquidem si officil nostri sarva ratione possemus videt ille qui probat corda nostra mallemus haee agere quae vt agatis hortamur quà m ea quae non agere cogimur Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof who seedeth a flocke and receiueth not of the milke of the flocke Yet I call the Lord Iesus to witnesse vpon my soule in whose name I boldly vtter these words that touching mine owne commoditie I had much rather euery day to worke some thing with mine hands as it is appointed in well gouerned Monasteries and to haue the houres free to read and to pray and to doe some exercise in the holy Scriptures then to suffer the tumultuous perplexities of other mens causes touching secular affaires either in determining theÌ„ by iudging or in cutting theÌ„ off by intreating to which molestations the Apostle hath tyed vs not by
his own iudgemeÌ„t but by his iudgement who spake in him which troubles for al that himself did not vndergoe because his course apostolicall had an other respect Which labour notwithstanding we endure with consolation in the Lord for the hope of eternall life that we may bring forth fruit with patience for we are seruants of the Church and especially to the weaker members how mean members so euer we are in the same bodie I let passe innumerable other Ecclesiasticall cares which perhaps none will beleeue but he that hath tryed the same We therfore doe not binde grieuous burdens together and impose them on your shoulders which we doe not touch with our finger seeing we had rather do those things which we exhort you to do then which we our selues are compelled to doe if we could so doe with the discharge of our dutie as knoweth God the searcher of our hearts Thus discourseth this holy auncient and most learned Father Out of whose doctrine I obserue many golden worthy and very necessarie documents for the instruction of all indifferent Readers First that he delt much in secular causes and affaires of the world Secondly that he had rather haue wrought with his hands and haue done much bodily labour in the monasterie then to haue beene so tossed and turmoyled in hearing and determining ciuill causes of his people Thirdly that he vsed sometimes to ende matters by way of intreatie as a friend and sometime by absolute authoritie as a Iudge Let this point be well marked because it is of great moment Fourthly that the Apostle had bound him so to deale in secular affaires Fiftly that the Apostle did not impose that secular charge vpon him by his owne iudgement and authoritie but by the counsell and iudgement of God himselfe who spake in him Which charge he proueth out of the Apostles doctrine in the place and chapter quoted in my Margent Sixtly that S. Austin did vndergoe the molestations of secular businesse because hee hoped thereby to attaine eternall life Seuenthly that hee could not doe his bounden dutie vnlesse hee were sometimes occupied in deciding ciuill causes So farre was this holy Father from their opinion who more rashly then wisely affirme it a damnable thing and an Antichristian marke for a Bishop to be a Iustice of Peace or of Quorum and yet cannot any learned writer be named for the space of a thousand and two hundred yeares who reputed not S. Austin for a very holy man and a most graue learned writer Let all such persons therefore consider better of the matter and either wilfully condemne that holy Father and mighty pillar of Christes Church or else let them henceforth be more sparing of such savage loquacitie and approue the Christian and laudable offices of Iustice of Peace and Quorum in the reuerend Fathers the Lord Bishops of the English Church For Saint Anstin was both a Lord bishop and as it were a Iustice of Peace as is apparant by that which is already said since the beginning of this discourse The same Saint Augustine in the presence of Religianâ— and Martinianus his fellow bishops and Saturninus Leporius Barnabas Fortunatianus Ructicus Lazarus and Eradius Priests declaring to the people what paines hee had taken many yeares for them being greatly occupyed molested and troubled in their secular affaires earnestly required of them for Christes sake that now in his olde age they would bee content that hee might commit some part of his secular care vnto one Eradius a yong man but a vertuous Priest to which request when the people had yeelded Saint Austin added these wordes Ergo fratres quicquid est quod ad me perferebatur adilluÌ„ perferatur vbi necessariuâ— babuerit consilium meum non negabo auxilium absit vt subtraham Therefore brethren whatsoeuer was wont to bee brought to my hearing let it hence-foorth come to him and when he shall haue neede I will not denie my counsel God forbid I should with-drawe my helpe By which words of this Holy father it is most apparaÌ„t to euery child that hee was very much encombred with secular busines both in the foore-noone and in the after-noone and yet for all that he durst not wholy withdraw himselfe no not with the consent of the people least in so doing he should of fend God And therefore he said Absit God forbid Let the word absit be well remembred Saint Epiphanus the Bishop of Salamina a Citie of Cyprus behaued himselfe so worthily and Christianly while hee was occupied in politique and ciuill affaires that is short time he became famous among many Nations Hermias Sozomenus in his Ecclesiastical Historie writeth of the said Father in these words Nam cum in multitâ—dine hominum in vrbe ampla eaque maritima sacerdotâ— fungeretur ob praestantiam virtutis qua etiam negotijs civiliâ—â— occupatus vsus est breâ—i cum civibus tum peregrinis cuiusâ—â—â— nationis notus factus est illis quidem vt qui eum coram vidissent eiusque piae vitae fecissent periculum his autem vt qui iâ—â—â— idem de eo narramibus fidem adiunxissent For when hee executed his priestly function in a most populous and large citie which was an hauen towne neere vnto the Sea in a short space he was famous among all Nations for his great vertues which he made vse of while hee was busied with secular affaires To the Citizens he became famous because they knewe him familiarly and had made good tryall of his holy life To the Strangers in that they beleeued the constant report of the Citizens Loe this auncient writer holy Father and learned Doctor who liued aboue one thousand two hundred yeares agoe was either a Iustice of Peace when he was the Bishop of Cyprus or else had some other ciuill office equivalent to the same Dorotheus a vertuous and learned Priest of Antioch did serue the Emperour in ciuill affaires Eusebins Caesariensis writeth of this auncient Priest who liued more then one thousand three hundred yeares agoe in these wordes Dorotheum dignitate sacerdotali tum Autiochiae donatum virum sanè disertum cognovimus Hic in sacris literis exquisitè eruditus fuit linguae hebraicae diligentèr navavit operam adeò vt scripturas hebraicas scientèr posset intelligere Erat honestis ac liberalibus parentibus prognatus humanioris literaturae neutiquam expers eunuchus reverà natus vti illum imperator propter incredibilem eius naturam in suam familiam a sciverit praefectura purpura tingendae quae apud Tyrum est honorificè donarit We knowe Dorotheus a Priest of Antioch an eloquent man in deede He was very skilfull in the holy Scriptures he had profited so in the Hebrew tongue that he could perfectly vnderstand the Scriptures in Hebrew hee was descended of honest and liberall parents not vnseene in humane literature He was indeede an Ennuch borne so that the Emperour rauished with his excellent nature receiued him
into his Court and gaue him an honourable charge to ouersee his house where his purple was dyed at Tyrus Nicephorus Callistus in his Ecclesiasticall Historie telleth vs of one Philaeas a famous Bishope and blessed Martyr who as hee reporteth got great credite for his dexteritie in deciding ciuil causes committed to his charge But to let others passe let vs heare what a famous late writer saith who fauoured the presbyteriall Discipline so farre foorth as either by learning or safe conscience hee could agree therevnto These are his expresse wordes Interim non diffitemur episcopos qui simul etiam principes sunt praeter authoritatem ecclesiasticam sua etiam hebere iura politica seculare sque potestates quemadmodum reliqui habent principes ius â—â—perands secularia ius gladij nonnullos ius eligendi confirmandique reges imperatores aliaque politicae constituends administrandi subditosque sibi populos ad obedientiam sibi praestandam cogendi Ac proinde jatemur politicis horum mandatis quae sine transgressione legis divinae servari possunt a subditis obtemperandum esse non solum propter timorem sed etiam propter conscientiam Neuerthelesse wee doe not denie that Bishops which are also Princes may besides their authoritie ecclesiasticall haue also politicall right and secular power like as other Princes haue right to commaund secular matters authoritie to vse the sword authoritie to choose and confirme Kinges and Emperours to constitute and administrate other ciuill affaires as also to compell their subiects to yeelde obedience to them in that behalfe And therefore wee graunt that their subiects must obey their civill commandes which may be kept without offence of Gods law and that not onely for feare but also for conscience sake The same Zanchius in an other place hath these wordes Quis autem illis omninò obediendum esse quo iure quaque iniuria principes suerint creats ex testimonijs a me allao us non videat apertè demonstrari cur n. qui subdits sunt Moguntino Colontensi Trevirensi principibus imperij simul archiepiscopis in rebus cum pietate christiana non pugnantibus non obtemperent seditiosorum certè fuerit non obtemperare Quodsi istis cur non etiam Romano ijsdem in rebus candem ob causam qui sub eius vivunt imperio eadem n. horum omnium est ratio And who cannot see it euidently proued by the examples which I haue alledged that they must bee obeyed vndoubtedly whether they be by right or no right created Princes For why shall not subiects obey in things not against Christian pietie the Princes of the Empire being also Arch-bishops of Moguntia Colen and Trevers it is doubtlesse the properietie of sedicious persons not to yeelde obedience vnto them And if these must bee obeyed why not also the Bishop of Rome in the same matters and for the same cause of those that liue within his Empire for there is the like reason of them all Thus writeth the famous and great learned Doctor Zanchius Out of whose resolution I obserue these points for the good of the gentle Reader First that Ecclesiasticall and Civill iurisdiction are compatible and may both be in one and the same subiect at once Secondly that Bishops which are also Princes may together with their Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue also secular power and authoritie to vse the sword and such like Thirdly that the people within their dominions and liberties are bound to obey them Fourthly that they must obey not onely for feare but euen for conscience-sake Fiftly that whosoeuer shall disobey such Bishops and Arch-bishops doe shewe themselues thereby to be seditious fellowes To which I adde that this doctine of this great learned man who was a most zealous professour of Christes Gospell doth flatly confound and euen strike dead pronouncing a sharpe vae vobis to all such as shall obstinately refuse to obey our Bishops and Arch-byshops here in England For whatsoeuer can be obiected against our Bishops why wee shall not obey them the same may be alledged against those Bishops of which Zanchius speaketh in this place Yea our Bishops are as lawfully created Barons and doe this day as lawfully enioy their temporall Baronries for ought I know by the free donation of the Kings of this Realme of famous memorie as doe the Bishops of Germanie I therefore conclude from a good foundation surely layd that Bishops and Arch-bishops aswell concerning their names and titles as their authoritie iurisdiction and superioritie ouer other Ministers are both lawfull necessarie and agreeable to the practise of the Catholique Church in all Ages and consequently that none will or can denie the same but such as are either wholy ignorant in the auncient Councels holy Fathers and ecclesiasticall histories or else maliciously bent to speake against their owne knowledge and wittingly and willingly to oppose them selues against the knowne truth Yea Maister Calvin graunteth freely that hee which is Lorde of a Village or Citie may exercise the office of teaching CHAP. VII Of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent The first aphorisme of things de facto altered in the Church MAny things being in their owne nature indifferent haue beene changed in the Church by her authoritie as the circumstances of times places and persons did require First our Lord Iesus did celebrate the holy Communion and memoriall of his sacred passion in the euening after Supper Yet the Churches custome this day is and euer was to celebrate the same in the morning before Dinner Secondly Christ did celebrate the same vsing vnleauened bread therein but the reformed Churches doe this day vse leauened bread without offeÌ„ce in so doing Thirdly Christs Apostles receiued the blessed Eucharist fitting but the custome of the Church hath euer beene to receiue the same kneeling And they that would seeme to haue most spiced consciences will not sticke to receiue it standing or walking Fourthly Christ washed his Apostles feete willing them to followe his example and to wash one anothers feete Fiftly the Apostles made a solemne Decree affirming it to proceede from the holy Ghost to abstaine from blood that which is strangled And yet the church many yeares agoe haue wholy altered that holy ordinance and Apostolicall constitution Sixtly Saint Paul after hee had willed the Corinthyans and vs in them to be followers of him euen as he was of Christ telleth them and vs plainly that euery man praying or Prophesing hauing any thing on his head dishonoureth his head And yet at this day smalaccount is made therof This point will be made more plaine when I come to speake of the oath Ex officio The second Aphorisme of things not expressed in the Scriptures and yet decreed by the Church to be obserued and kept IN the church of the Hebrewes wee read of many approoued constitutions for which there was no warraÌ„t in the written word First King Salomon appointed a solemne
nor against good manners may be indifferently obserued for their societie amongst whom we doe conuerse In the same Epistle the same holy Father telleth vs Saint Ambrose his iudgement concerning the varietie of fasting These are his wordes Cum RomaÌ„ venio ieiuno sabbato cum hic sum non ieiuno sic etiam tu ad quam sortè ecclesiam veneris eius morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquaÌ„ tibi WheÌ„ I come to Rome saith Saint Ambrose I fast on Satterday when I am here at Millan I doe not fast Euen so must you doe when you come to any other Church you must doe after the manner of that Church if you will neither scandalize others nor haue others to scandalize you Heere is a most golden rule how to behaue our selues in things indifferent viz to conforme our selues to the time place and persons when where and with whom we doe conuerse If our brethren would seriously ponder and duly weigh this golden aduise of this holy Father they would abandon all contention doubtlesse about the signe of the Crosse the Surplesse and such like indifferent things and for that dutie which they owe vnto the magistrate whom they are bound to obey in all lawfull things euen for conscience sake they would conforme themselues to his lawes and their brethren and not to scandalize the whole Church as they doe To this graue testimonie of Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose it shall suffice for the second reason to adde this memorable obseruation viz. that our brethren who labour so busily to enforce vs violently to receiue their newe discipline are not able to make demonstration to vs either out of the Scriptures or generall Councels or the holy fathers or ecclesiasticall histories that any Church in the Christian world from two hundred yeares before the famous Councell of Nice vntill maister Caluins daies that is for the space of a thousand foure hundred yeares together to say nothing of former times had either the same newe discipline in practise or any pastors made after their manner Which if it cannot be done they wil I doubt not after mature delibration had therein confesse willingly and truly at least in their hearts that in this Church of England there is this day a lawfull ministerie consisting of lawfull Ministers and Bishops according to the practise of the Church in all ages The third reason drawne from the vniforme consent of best approued late writers MAister Caluin hath a very large and learned discourse of this question some part whereof shall suffice at this present These are his wordes Quia autem in externa disciplina ceremonijs non valuit sigillatim praescribere quid sequi debeamus quod illud pendere a temporum conditione provideret ne que iudicaret vnam seculis omnibus formam convenire confugere hic oportet ad generales quas dedit regulas vt ad eaâ— exigantur quaecunque ad ordinem decorum praecipi necessitas ecclefiae postulabit Postremò quia ideo Nihil expressuÌ„ traeâ— didit quianec ad salutem haec necessaria sunt en prc moribus vniuscuiusque gentis ac seculi varie accommodari debent ad ecclesiae aedificationem provt ecclesiae vtilit as requiret tam vsitatas mutare abrogare quam novas instituere conveniet Fateor equidem non temerè nec subinae nec levibus de causis ad novationem esse decurrendum Sed quid â—oceat vel aedificet charit as optimè iudicabit quam si moderatriceÌ„ esse patiemur salva erunt omnia But because in externall discipline and ceremonies hee would not particularly prescribe what wee ought to followe because he foresaw that this depended vpon the state and condition of the time and did not deeme one maner to be agreeable to all ages here we must haue recourse to his generall rules giuen vs and make triall by them of what things soeuer the necessrie of the Church shall require for order and comelinesse Lastly because hee therefore deliuered nothing expressely for that they are not necessarie to saluation but must be applied diuersly to the benefit of the Church as the manners of euery nation doe require it shall therefore be convenient as well to chaunge and abolish the olde ceremonies as to institute newe as the good of the Church shall require I confesse freely that we must not vse innouation neither rashly nor often nor vpon light occasions But what shall bee hurtfull or profitable charitie shall best discerne which if we shall suffer to rule vs euery thing shall be well The same author in an other place hath these wordes Ego autem non nego quin aliquae fuerint apostolorum traditiones non scriptae sednon concedo fuisse doctrinae partes nec de rebus ad salutem necessarijs Quidigitur quae pertinerent ad ordinem poluiam Scimus n. vnicuique ecclesiae liberum esse politiae formam instituere sibi aptam vtilem quae dominus nihil certipraescripserit But I denie not that the Apostles deliuered some traditions which are not written Yet I doe not grant that they were either parts of doctrine or necessary to saluatioÌ„ What were they then doubtlesse such as pertained to pollicy and order For we knowe that euery Church hath her fredome and libertie to institute and ordaine such a kind of pollicie discipline as shall be thought meet profitable for the same because our Lord prescribed no certaine rule therein The same author in an other place hath these words Altos omnes ritus illic non vsitatos noÌ„ tantùm restuebant sed andactèr etiam damnabant Talis morosit as deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus provnivsrsali lege valere They did not onely refuse all other ceremonies not vsed in that place but did also malepertly condemne them Such Morositie is a most noysome plague when wee will make the manner and discipline of one onely Church to be a generall rule for all Thus writeth this learned Doctor Out of whose wordes I may truly gather so much as will euidently make good the question I have in hand For First he telleth vs plainly that the holy Apostle did not set downe any certaine rule or lawe concerning things indifferent Secondly that hee lest that freedome and libertie to the Church and that for this ende and purpose because forsooth he foresaw in his wisedome that such things depended vpon the condition of times and that one manner of discipline was not conuenient to all places and persons Thirdly that euery Church may either chaunge her olde ceremonies or institute new as the necessitie of the Church requireth Fourthly that charitie is the best rule to follow herein and that euery thing is lawfull which is agreeable to the same Which rule S. Augustine appointed before him as I haue proued already Fiftly that the Church hath received many vnwritten
the holy Ministerie Fourthly that such garments may bee ordained for decencie and for edification Fiftly that the vse of such garments cannot be condemned by any Text of Scripture nor yet they iustly accused of any sinne who appoint them to be worne Sixtly that no abuse of man Antichrist or the maister-divell of hell can so pollute them but they may this day be lawfully vsed of the faithfull Seventhly that the Church may ordaine ceremonies for honest and godly significations The ancient Councel of Carthage which was holden about the same time and at which S. Austin was present hath these expresse words Vt diaconus tempore oblutionis tantum vel lectionis alba induatur Let the Deacon weare a white ga men onely in the time of oblation and reading Do the Deacons did we are Albes Surplesses or white vesâ—ores name them as yee list so you agree in the thing it selfe aboue a 1200. yeares agoe and that in the time of divine seruice At this councell were present 214. Bishops of which S. Augustin was one and yet all these holy men living in those dayes when no corruption of Religion had crept into the Church affirme constantly with vniforme consent that it was the custome of the Church to weare white garments in time of divine seruice M. Beza in his Epistle to certaine Englishmen demaunding his opinion touching the wearing of cappes and garments aswel in the common vse as in the Ministerie and Church seruice answered in these wordes Respondemus etsi ista nostro quidem iudicio non recte revehuntur in ecclesiam tamea quum non sint ex earum rerum genere quae per se impie sunt non videri nobis illas tanti momenti vt propterea vel pastors iâ—is deâ—crendum sit potiùs minislerium quà m vt vestes illas assumant vel gregibus omitt endum publicum pablnum potiùs quà m ita veslitos pastores audiant We answere that albert as we thinke these things are not well brought into the Church againe yet seeing they be not wicked or euill of themselues and of their owne nature they seeme not to vs to be a matter of so great moment that therefore either the Pastors should forsake the Ministerie rather then weare them or the sheepe want their publique forrage rather then heare their pastors so atâ—yred The same Beza in another Epistle to M. Grindal then Bishop of London being demaunded whether the Pastors ought rather to refuse the Ministerie then to weare caps surplesses this cautele being added that they are not made for any holinesse Religion or worship but for order and pollicie answereth in these wordes Respondeo minimè mihi videri deserendas ecclesias propter vestes aut pileos aut aliquid eiusmodi verè medium indifferens I answere that in my opinion they ought not to forsake the Church for cappes garments or for any like thing which is indifferent of it selfe indeed Thus writeth M. Beza when his counsell and opinion was required concerning the wearing of the surplesse and other Ceremonies in our English Church Out of whose words I note First that M. Beza did not fully vnderstand the state of our Church which I gather by the word Revehuntur are brought into the Church againe Where indeed if true information had beene giuen let them looke vnto it that report to forren countries so sinisterly of their Soveraigne and natiue couÌ„tries he would haue iudged better of the case Secondly that the ministers ought not to refuse the ministerie nor to make such coÌ„tentioÌ„ for the wearing of that surples such like things Thirdly that the cappe surples the like ceremonies are things truly indiffereÌ„t of their own natures in theÌ„selues Which point if it be wel marked wil make good the vse of al ceremonies in our English church To coÌ„clude M. Beza in the end closing vp of his Epistle exhorteth our English brethren to obey the Q. Maiestie all the Bishops in the land Idque ex animo and that sincerely Which counsel they neither followed then nor yet do now follow the same they seemed then willing to reply vpon his resolution But no man can please them that speaketh not Placentia and as they shall appoint him to say and do The Surples Tippit Cappe and the like are popish ceremonies and haue beene prophaned by the papists and therefore may not now be vsed I answere both with S. Austin and with M. Calvin to this in soluble so supposed obiection whâ—h indeede is of no force at all to moue any man to disobey the lawes of the Church S. Austin writing to Publicola who desired to be resolved in such kinde of questions hath these wordes Cum templa idola luci si quid huiusmodi data potestate evertuntur quamvis manifestum est cum id agimus non ea nos honorare sed potius detestari ideo tamen in vsus nostros privatos duntaxat proprios non debemus inde aliquid vsurpare vt appareat nos pietate ista descernere non avaritia Cum vero in vsus communes non proprios ac privatos vel in honorem dei veri convertuntur hoc de illis fit quod de ipsis hominibus cum ex sacrilegis 〈◊〉 impijs in veram religionem mutantur Hoc deus intelligitur docuisse illis testimorijs quae ipse proposuisti cum de luco alicnorum deorum iussit ligna ad holocaustum adhiberi Et de Hiericho vt omne aurum argentum aeramentum inferretur in the sauros Domini When temples Idoles groues and such like things are by authoritie overthrowne although it bee manifest that when we doe that we honour them not but detest them yet for all that we may not therefore conuert them to our owne private vses onely and commoditie that it may appeare that we destroy them for Religion-sake and not for couetousnesse But when they are not converted to our owne priuate vses but into common vses or to the honour of the true god then that is done in them which is done and brought to passe in them which is wrought in men themselues when of idolaters and wicked persons they are chaunged into true religion This God himselfe taught in those testimonies which thou thy selfe hast vsed when hee commanded that the wood of that grove which was dedicated to strâ—nge Gods should be taken and vsed for his sacâ—â—tices And of Hiericho that all the gold siluer and brasse should be brought into the treasurie of the Lord. M. Calvin is of the same iudgement whole words are these Neque n. nobis hodiè religio est templa retinere quae polluta fuerunt â—delis accommodare in meliorem vsum quae nos non obstringit quod propter consequentiam legi additum est Fateor quidem quaecunque ad superstitioneÌ„ fovendaÌ„ spectant è medio tollendaesse modò ne praecise vrgendo quod per se medium est
committed the managing of his house Which point is likewise proued aboundantly in the Chapters aforegoing The 4. Aphorisme of ceremonies vsed id Wed. locke or marriage IN the solemnization of Matrimonie two things are much reproued viz the Ring and the simbolicall signification To the former I answere that seeing Wed-locke is a vassible ciuill contract there is great reason that it should be assured with some ciuill permanent and externall signe Hereupon the Church which hath authoritie to ordaine ceremonies as is alreadie proued doth appoint a round Ring as a ceremonie best beseeming such a contract For the Ring being round and without end in it selfe is very fit and meete to signifie to the married couple that they ought to be ioyned in the perpetual band of loue the one to the other To the latter I answere semblahly that S. Paul may as iustly be reproued therein as the Church of England For after he hath discoursed at large of the high misterie of matrimonie assuming the husband and the wife to be one flesh hee foorthwith addeth that hee speaketh of the great misterie betweene Christ and his Church Which symbolicall signification â—s approued by Saint Austin S. Chysostome S. Ambrose S. Hierome and many others It shall suffice in this so cleere a case to alleage S. Ambrose his words for all the rest Thus doth bee write Mysterij Sacramentum grande in vnitate viri ac foeminae esse signifiâ—at sed aliam causam quae non discordet a memorato mysterio flagitat quam scit ad prosectum humani generis pertinere hoc est ecclesiae salvatoris vt sicut relictis parentibus home vxori suae adhaerdt it a relicto omni errore ecclesia adhaereat subijciatur capiti suo quod est Christus He signifieth that there is a great mysterie in the vnitie of the wife and her husband Neither doth hee reveale this onely but he also requireth an other cause which differeth not from the said mysterie which hee knoweth to appertaine to the profit of mankinde that is of the Church and of our Saviour That as man forsaking his parents adhaereth to his wife so the Church leauing all errour must adhaere and be subiect to her head which is Christ. M Bucer approveth and highly commendeth euery ceremonie which our church vseth coÌ„cerning holy wedlock Hieronimus Zanchius a most zealous and learned writer singeth the same song with Saint Ambrose These are his words Talis fuit eductio Evae ex latere Adae dormientis Item coniunctio Evae cum Adamo in matrimonium Res in se fuit visibilis sub sensum cadens sed aliam occultam representabat eductionem creationem ecclesiae ex latere Christi in cruco mortui vnionem ecclesiae cum Christo. Such was the eduction of Eve out of the side of Adam when he was a sleepe So also was the coniunction of Eve with Adam in the matrimoniall contract the thing in it selfe was visible and subiect to our sence but it did represent another secret thing euen the eduction and creation of the Church out of Christes side being dead vppon the Crosse and the vnion of the Church with Christ. The fift Aphorisme of the Symbolicall signe vsed in the confirmation of Children IT is greatly disliked and highly reprooued that our Bishops doe lay their hands vpon children to certifie them by this signe of Gods fauour towards them To which I answere that the fact and vsage of our Bishops in confirming children is according to the practise of the church in al former ages and therefore ought it not either to bee so lightly reiected or so rashly condemned S. Cornelius writing to his brother Fabius sheweth evidently how one Novatus being baptitized in his bed regarded not after his recoverie the rest of the ceremonies whereof he should haue bene partaker according to the rule of the Church no not so much as to be sealed or confirmed by the Bishop for that cause did he not receive the holy ghost Now this Cornelius liued above 1100. yeeres agoe at what time the church was free from all herisies errours superstition And yet did the church even then vse to confirme children in the selfe same maner now vsed in our English Church S. Augustin deliuereth the custome of the Church in his time in such golden excellent words as I verely thinke he is able to satisfie every one that shall with a single eye and vpright iudgement all parcialitie set apart duely ponder the same These are his words Numquid modo quibus impenitur manus vt accipiant spiritum sanctum hoc expectatur vt linguis loquaÌ„tur aut quando imposuimus manus istis infantibus attendit vnusquisque vestrum vtruÌ„ linguis loquerentur cùm videreâ— cos linguis non loqui ita perversocorde aliquis vestruÌ„ fuit vt diceret non acceperunt isti spiritum sanctum naÌ„si accepissenâ— linguis loquerentur quâ—aamodum tunc factum est si ergo per haec miracula non fiat modo testimonium praesentiae spiritus sancti vnde fit vnde cognoscit quisque se accepisse spiritum sanctum interroget cor suum si deligit fratrem spiritus Deimanet in illo Is it this day expected that they speake with tongues vpon whoÌ„ the Bishop hath laid his hands that they should receiue the holy Ghost or when we imposed hands vpon Infants did euery one of you marke if they spake with tongues and when he sawe they spake not with tongues was then any of you so way wardly affected as to say they haue not receiued the holy Ghost for if they had they would speake with tongues as it came then to passe If therefore we haue not the testimonie of the presence of the holy Ghost by miracles how knoweth euery one that hee hath receiued the holy Ghost Let him dispute the matter with his owne heart and if he loue his brother the spirit of God abideth in him Thus write these holy Fathers shewing plainly vnto vs the practise of the Church in their dayes and that the holy Ghost is giuen in confirmation as also that the imposition of hands is a signe thereof in Gods children though not giuen in such miraculous manner as in the Apostles-time Saint Hieromie teacheth the selfe same doctrine which Cornelius and Saint Austin haue deliuered These are his words Quod si hoc loco quaeris quare in ecclesia baptizatus nisi per manus episcopi non accipiat spiritum sanctum quem nos asserimus in vero baptismate tribui disce hanc observationem ex ea authoritate descendere quod post ascensum domini spiritus sanctus ad Apostolos descendit Et multis in locis idem factitatum reperimus ad honorem potiùs sacerdotij quà m ad legis necessitatem If thou heere demaund why hee that is baptized in the Church receiueth not the holy Ghost but by the hands of the Bishop which
wee say is giuen in true baptisme learne this observation to descend of that authoritie because after our Lords ascention the holy Ghost came downe vpon the Apostles And wee finde the same observed in many places rather for the honour of Priesthood then for necessitie of the Law M. Bucer that great learned Doctor is very consonant to the auncient fathers herein These are his expresse wordes Signum impositionis manuum etiam episcopi soli praebebant non absque ratione Sive n. sit foedus domini baptizatis confirmandum Sive reconciliandiij qui grauius peccarunt Sive ecclesijs ministri ordinandi haec omnia ministeria maximè decent eos quibus summa ecelesiarum cura demandata est The signe also of imposition of hands was giuen by the Bishops onely and that not without reason For whether the baptized were to be confirmed with the couenant of the Lord or they who had sinned grieuously were to bee reconciled or Ministers were to bee ordeyned vnto Churches all these Ministeries doe especially pertaine vnto them to whom the cheifest charge of the Church is committed Thus writeth learned Bucer shewing most evidently vnto all indifferent Readers that imposition of hands in the confirmation of children was an auncient and laudable ceremonie and that it pertained onely to the Bishops to administer the same and that vpon great reason Let these words of M. Bucer non absque ratione and not without reason be well marked and neuer forgotten M. Fulke a late famous writer who was a great fauourer of the Presbyterie and of good credite with the chiefest Patrons thereof hath these expresse wordes The auncient ceremonie of imposition of hands which is nothing else as S. Austin saith but prayer over a man to be strengthened confirmed by the holy Ghost or to receiue encrease of the gifts of the holy Ghost as S. Ambrose saith we do not in any wise mislike but vse it our selues Lo this godly zealous and learned writer granteth freely that confirmation is an auncient and godly Ceremonie which to be so he proveth out of S. Austin and S. Ambrose Yea he addeth the approbation of this Church of England reckoning himselfe for one of the number and members therof We doe not saith he in any wise mislike it bvt vse it our selues What then may we or can we say or thinke of the proude Brownists saâ—cie Barrowists and arrogant Puritanâ— Who either through ignorance of the practise of the auncient Churches and for want of knowledge in the ecclesiasticall Histories and Councels or else which is farre worse vppon a singular Philautia and fond admiration of their owne fansies and conceits doe most arrogantly and rashly censure and condemne all others both old and moderne writers which will not embrace their phantasticall imaginations and receiue the same as the decrees of the holy Ghost Certes I wonder that they are not ashamed of themselues For it can with no reason bee denied that God by the hartie and earnest prayers of his Church doth worke those effects in those children which bee his whereof the impositions of hands is a signe The Reply The Church hath not authoritie to institute either Sacraments or sacramentall signes The Answere I answere First that our Church doth neither ordeine Sacraments nor yet any sacramentall signes but doth only explaine and declare the effect purport and true meaning of that signe which the Apostles vsed in that behalfe Secondly that the Church hath power to ordeine Ceremonies in things indifferent for edification order comelinesse and consequently to expresse and declare the same by fit significant wordes Which thing I haue proued at large in the seuenth Chapter by the vnitorme testimonie of S. Ambrose whose words are these Accepisti post haec vestimenta candida vt esset indicium quod exueris in volucrum peccatorum indueris innocentiae casta velamina Afterward thou didst receiue a white vesture to signifie that thou art deliuered from the snare of sinne and art clad with the vaile of innocencie Bucerus Zuinglius and Homingius doe all 3. approue this custome of the Church Maister Bucer hath these words Et hic admodùm commodus ritus esse videtur si modo quid ista omnia significent populo subinde explicetur This also seemeth to bee a very fit Rite so the people bee sometime taught what all these things do siginfie Here he graunteth that Ceremonies may be appointed for signification sake Let this bee remembred well and not forgotten The sixt Aphorisme of the signe of the Crosse vsed in Baptisme IT is a thing so cleare and euident by all ecclesiasticall Histories that the heathen obiected to the Christians in reproch that the God in whom they beleeued was hanged on the Crosse as none but either tootoo wilfull or tootoo ignorant will or can denie the same In regard whereof the church in all ages even in the Primitiue and Apostolique time so to nourish and keepe among them the memorie of their redemption wrought vpon the Altar of the crosse to make it known to Iew Gentile and all the world that they were not ashamed of the true humilitie of their Saviour in that most ignominious kinde of death which he voluntarie suffered for their sinnes did institute and ordaine the comely and most christian vsage of the signe of the Crosse that all christians in their first ordinarie and vsuall vnion with Christ by holy Baptisme should receiue for that ende and purpose the signe of the Crosse in their fore-heads Herevpon the holy Fathers of best approved antiquitie S. Cyprian Saint Basill S. Augustin S. Hierome S. Chrysostome and all the rest make mention of the like vsage of that most comely christian badge every where in their most learned workes Yea the most holy and best learned fathers doe proue the same vse out of holy Scriptures Saint Cyprian hath these expresse words Omnem autem super quem signum scriptum est ne tetigeritis Quod auteÌ„ sit hoc signum qua in parte corporis positum manifestat alio in loco Deus dicens transi per mediam Hierusalem notabis signum super frontes virorum qui ingemunt maerent ob iniquitates quae fiunt in medio ipsorum Euery one vpon whom the signe of the Crosse is made shall be free and vntouched And what signe this is and in what part of the body it is made God sheweth in another place saying Passe through the midst of Hierusalem make a signe vpon the fore-heads of them that mourne and cry for all the abhominations that bee done in the middest thereof In which place the same holy Father and Martyr of Iesus Christ proueth that signe to pertaine to the future passion of Christ Iesus out of another place of holy writ These are his wordes Quod autem occiso agno praecedit in imagine impletur in Christo secuta postmodum veritate That which went before in figure
is granted to the Church in the Election of her Ministers This veritie may easily be proued by foure reasons of great importance viz. By apostolicall practise decrees of auncient Councels the testimonie of the holy Fathers and the consent of best approoued late Writers The first Reason drawne from the practise of Christ and his Apostles CHrist himselfe as his holy Gospell teacheth vs did of himselfe alone without the consent and voices of his people both call and choose his Apostles And in like manner himselfe alone did cal choose his disciples whoÌ„ he sent abroad to Preach the Gospell into euery citie and place whither he himself should come But most certain it is that we are bouÌ„d to imitate Christs facts deeds before all other mens For euery his action is and ought to be our instruction For this cause doth the Apostle exhort the E phesians and in them all other Christians to be followers of God as deare children And the same Apostle willeth vs to be followers of him euen as he followed Christ. The Apostles themselues in their Elections of ministers did not euer obserue one and the same manner For in one place we reade that they presented two Barsabas Matthias whereof the one was chosen by Lot In an other place we find that this course was altered For the people presented seuen to the Apostles who all were chosen without Lots vpon whom the Apostles also laid on their hands Wee reade in an other place that this forme was like wise changed and that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas ordained ministers in euery citie in which ordaination they neither obserued casting of Lots nor yet any presentment by the people We find in an other place that S. Paul Elected and ordained both Timothy and Titus and gaue them authoritie to ordaine others Hereupon I inferre this euident conclusion that there is no certaine forme prescribed for the Election of ministers which is to be obserued for euer in the Church but that euery Church is free to change the same according to the circumstances of times places and persons Which doctrine wil better appeare when I shal come to the fourth Reason The second Reason drawne from the Decrees of auncient councels THe Councell of Laodicea holden in the yeare of our Lord 370. hath these wordes Non est permittendum turbis electionem eorum facere qui sunt ad sacerdotium promovends The people may not be permitted to haue the Election and choise of them who are to be preferred to the Ministerie of the Church The Councell of Cabilon hath these wordes Si quis episcopus de quacunque civilate fuerit defunctus non ab alio nisia comprevâ—ncialibus clero civibus suis alterius habeatur electio Sin autem huius ordinatio irrita habeatur If any Bishop shall dye of what citie soeuer he be let not an other be chosen by any other saue onely by the Citizens Cleargie and bishops of the same prouince If it be done otherwise the ordination shall be of no effect The Councell of Antioch teacheth the selfe same Doctrine The councell of Nice after it hath pronounced the Election of the people to be voide and of none effect addeth these wordes Oportet n. eum qui est promo vendus ad episcopatum ab episcopis eligi For he that shall be made a Bishop must be chosen of the Bishops And this second Councell of Nice alledgeth the first Councell of Nice vpon which they ground this their Decree This reason therefore is consonant to the former that there is no certaine prescript rule for the Election of the Ministers of the Church The third Reason drawne from the Testimonie of the holy Fathers SAint Hierome in his Epistle to Evagrius hath these expresse wordes Nam Alexandriae a Marco evangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionisium episcopos presbiteri semper vnum ex so electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist vntill the Bishops Heraclas and Dionisius the pastorall Elders did alwaies choose one among them whom they placed in an higher degree and called him Bishop Marke these words well Saint Hierome saith heere that the Priests or Pastorall Elders did in Saint Markes time which was in the time of the Apostles choose one of themselues to be their Bishop He maketh no mentioÌ„ at al of any interest that the people had in that Election He that can and list may reade in the Ecclesiasticall Histories that when Anxentius the Arian was depriued of the Bishopricke of Millan then Valentinianus the Emperour called the Bishops together and willed them to place such a one in that Bishopricke as was fit for the place Which motion of the Emperour did no sooner sound in the eares of the Bishops but they forthwith humbly requested the Emperour that he himselfe would choose one whom hee thought most meete in that behalfe Yet the Emperour both grauely prudently and most Christianly answered that it were much better for them to choose one for that they were best able to iudge and discerne of his meetnesse for that place In the ende the good Emperour seeing the people tumâ—â—tuously deuided aboâ—t the Election was content to interpose his authoritie and to commaund Ambrose to be ordâ—ined Bishop there These are the wordes of Theodoretus Hac dissensione cognita Ambrosius vrbis praefectus veritus ne qui â—novarum rerum molirentur propâ—re ad ecclesiam coÌ„tendit Illi sedâ—tione compressa vno ore omnes postulant vti Ambrosius qui adhuc sacris Baptismi mâ—sterijs non erat initiatus ipsiâ— designetur episcopus Quare audua 〈◊〉 iubet illum egregium virum extemplo initiari episcopum ordinari So soone as this dissention was knowne Ambrose the gouernour of the Citie fearing least they should 〈◊〉 some new tumult commeth with speede vnto tâ—e Câ—urch The people beholding him made an end of their variance and all with one assent desired that Ambrose not as yet Baptized with the holy Lauer might bee designed their Bishop Which when the Emperour heard hee commaunded that forthwith that worthy man should be Baptized and then created their Bishop Thus writeth this auncient and learned father Out of these wordes I obserue first that in the time of Theodoret who liued almost 1200. yeares agoe the people had voices in the Election of the Ministers of the Church Secondly that such vsage of popular Election was the cause of great tumults and sedition in the Church Thirdly that it was lawfull for the Bishops to haue kept the authoritie and interest of Election in themselues Fourthly that the confirmation of Bishops was then in the power of the Emperour Fiftly that it greatly skilleth not who doe chose so fit men be chosen for the places Eusebius Caesariensis affirmeth constantly that two excellent Bishops in Palestine Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea and Alexander Bishop of
Saint Hierome calleth that mans ordinance which was done by the Apostles immediately for that they were men indeed as we our selues are Secondly that superiority of one Minister ouer and aboue an other was in the Apostles time and proceeded from authoritie apostolicall This is alreadie proued Thirdly that a thing may bee called de iure diuine a diuine institution or ordinance two waies First because it is of God immediately Secondly for that it is of them who are so directed by Gods holy spirit that they cannot erre This phrase of speach Saint Paul vseth in these wordes to the remnant I speake and not the Lord. Where we may not doubt but all that Saint Paul spoke was from the Lord and that his ordinance was diuine and not meere humane And in this sense the superioritie of Bishops ouer other inferiour Ministers of the Church may bee called De iure diuine or an ordinance diuine Saint Hierome calleth it an humane ordinance rather then Diuine because it was De iure diuine onely in genere and mediately and De iure humano in specie and immediately The second Obiection In the primitiue Church there was neither Arch-bishop Patriarke nor Metropolitan and yet no Church did or can excell the same in gouernment beautie or perfection The Answere I answere First that though in the very beginning of the primitiue Church there were no Arch-bishops Patriarches or Metropolitans yet were such very shortly after euen in the time of the Apostles as is alreadie proued Secondly that though Arch-bishops and Metropolitans were not expressely named yet were they equivalently implyed in the Apostles Thirdly that as the Church for a time wanted Arch-bishops and Bishops so did it also want Deacons and vnpriested Elders And as the defect of the latter did not argue the imperfection of the Church for that time so neither did the want of the former inferre any such necessarie consequence Fourthly that as the Church had authoritie for the circumstances of times places and persons to ordaine Deacons and vnpriested Seniours if any such euer were so also had it then and this day hath like authoritie to ordaine Arch-bishops and other Ministers of the church for the common good vnitie and peace of the same Whosoeuer shall read attentiuely Maister Bullingers wordes against the Anabaptists of his time shall finde and perceiue very euidently that hee constantly defendeth this my opinion and doctrine Maister Bucer maketh this case most euident whilest hee sheweth the libertie freedome and authoritie of the Church in these most pithy and golden wordes At vero de â—aeteris signis quae in sacris adhibita sunt a veteriâ—â—â— veâ— hodiâ— adhibentur a multis vt sunt ignis ad oxorcijmes catechi mos alba vestis baptizatorum sacer panis qui dabatur catechumenis pleraque alia sic sentio Siquae ecclesiae essent quae puram Christi tenerent doctrinam sinceram servarent disciplinem hisque signis vterentur simpliâ—itèr purè absque omni superstitione vel levitate praecise ad pias admonitiones easquo probè ommbus intellectas eas ecclesias non possem equidem propter signorum talem vsum condemnare Sequitur hinc fit vt homines sicut in privatis publicis actionibus faciunt ita vtilitèr etiam pleraque signa adhibeant sacris ceremorijs Iterum ibidem signum impositionis manuum etiam episcopi soli prabebant non absque ratione Sive n sic faedus domini baptizatis confirmandumâ— sive reconciliandiij qui gras viù◠peccarunt sive ecclesijs ministri ordinandi haec omnia ministeria maximè decent eos quibus summa ecclesiarum cur a demandata est Touching all other ceremonies which were vsed of ancient time in the holy misteries or are this day in vse with many as fire to Exorcismes and Catechismos the white garment of the Baptized holy bread giuen to the Catechumenes and many other things my opinion is this if there were any Churches which retained pure doctrine and sincere discipline and did vse these signes and ceremonies simplely and purely without all superstition or leuitie precisely to godly admonitions well vnderstood of all the people I verily could not condemne those churches for the vse of such signes or ceremonies Hence it commeth that as men doe in priuate and publique actions so also may they adde many signes vnto their holy ceremonies and that not without profit The signe also of imposition of hands was giuen by Bishops onely and that not without reason For whether the baptized were to bee confirmed with the couenant of the Lord or they who had sinned grieuously were to be reconciled or Ministers were to be ordained vnto Churches all these ministeries doe especially partaine vnto them to whom the chiefest charge of the church is committed Out of these golden wordes of this great learned Doctor and renowned Writer I obserue these worthy lessons First that in the auncient approued Churches were many Ministeries with which inferiour Ministers then called Priests as our Church this day vseth the same names had not to doe withall Secondly that onely Bishops who were superiours in degree could make order and consecrate Priests and other inferiour Ministers of the Church Thirdly that onely Bishops and not Priests did confirme the baptized by imposition of hands Which thing our English Church doth this day lawdably obserue howsoeuer some mal-contents more rashly then wisely impugne the same Fourthly that the Church hath authoritie to constitute symbols signes and ceremonies and to adde them vnto the holy misteries Fiftly that we may not condemne those Churches which for godly considerations without superstition doe vse such signes and ceremonies as were not knowne or heard of in the primitiue Church Oh that this doctrine were well marked and remembred for then doubtlesse all dissention would cease and all mal-contents would yeeld obedience to the godly settled Lawes of our English Church Maister Zuinglius a very learned and famous Writer and a most zealous professor of Christs Gospell is able to satisfie all indifferent Readers These are his expresse wordes Simul illud notari debet quod apostolorum nomen deposuerunt vt primùm vni alicui ecclesiae affixi illius curam continuam habuerant cum nimirum vel senecta impediti vel morbis afflicti peregrinationum molestijs periculis amplius sufficere non potuerunt Tunc n. non apostoli amplius sed episcopi dicti sunt Possumus autem huins rei exemplum imo testem adducere D. Iacobum quem nos minorem ab atate dicimus Hunc n. Huronimus omnes simul vetusti patres Hierosolymitanorum episcopum nominant non aliam ob causam quam quod ea in vrbe sedem fixam posuisset Cum n. antea vt reliqui apostoli peregrinationibus deditus fidem vbique terrarum docuisset tandem abipsis apostolis constitutus est qui Hierosolymitanae ecclesiae curaÌ„ ceu diligens aliquis speculator ageret idem de
Iohanne euangelista christi discipulo dicere possumus Cùm n. multis varijs periculis obiectus apostolieam functionem longo tempore administravisset tandem Ephesiorum episcopus factus in ea vrbe anno ab ascensione domini sexagesimo octavo è vivis excessit This also must be marked that they laid away the name of Apostles so soone as they were tyed to any one church and had the continuall charge thereof To wit when they being either hindered with old age or afflicted with diseases were no longer able to endure troubles and molestations of trauaile For then they were no longer called Apostles but Bishops We may bring Saint Iames the yonger for an example or rather for a witnesse of this matter For Hierome and all the auncient Fathers call him the Bishop of Hierusalem and for no other cause saue onely that he had placed himselfe in that citie For when in former times hee as the rest of the Apostles being giuen to peregrination had taught the faith euery where the Apostles made him as a diligent watchman the Bishop of Hierusalem The same we may say of Saint Iohn the Euangelist and disciple of Christ. For when he being exposed to many dangers had executed the apostolicall function a long time hee was at length made the Bishop of Ephesus and died 68 yeares after our Lords ascension Out of these words of this excelleÌ„t discourse I note first that in the Apostles something was extraordinarie and temporarie and something likewise ordinarie and perpetuall This is an obseruation of great moment well worthy to be engrauen in Marble with a Penne of Gold Secondly that the Apostles were some time Bishops and that their function in that respect was perpetuall Thirdly that so soone as they betooke themselues to an ordinarie calling they ceased to bee called Apostles and were named Bishops And this their ordinarie calling remaineth this day in the Church and shall continue vntill the worlds ende Hence commeth it that all the holy Fathers affirme with vniforme consent that Bishops this day succeede the Apostles in their ordinarily calling This graue Writer deliuereth his opinion for ceremonies most plainly and prudently in these expresse wordes Iam obijciebant odiose nimis salem butyrum salivam lutum alia id genus imo ipsas quoque orationes quae super infantibus fiunt quod neque Iohannes neque apostoli legerentur orationibus baptismo praeivisse Ad quae sic respondimus primùm ad ceremonias Christum interim caecos quosdam visui restituisse mediantibus tactu aut luto interim solo verbo respice neque tamen eos minùs vidisse qui tactu vel luto mediante aciem recepissent quà m qui solo verbo at nihil morari nos externa ista si ecclesia iubeat resâ—indi factumque est vt protinus iuberet non ignorantibus nobis qui verbo praesumus iam inter exordia ecclesiae horum fuisse vsum tametsi eis non tantum tribueretur atque his nostris temporibus vndè citrà negotium recidimus Now they obiected too odiously Butter Salt spittle Cley and such like yea the very praiers made ouer infants because neither Iohn nor the Apostles are read to haue preuented baptisme with prayers To which wee answered and first to the ceremonies that Christ sometime cured the blinde by touching and Clay sometime by his word onely neither for all that did they see lesse who receiued sight by Clay and touching then they which sawe by his onely word but we make no reckoning of these externall things if the church command them to be taken away and wee obeâ—ed as shee appointed albeit wee ministers are not ignorant that in the beginning of the church these ceremonies were vsed though not in such sort as now adaies and therfore without contradiction we reiect them Out of this dicourse we may learne sufficiently howe to behaue our selues touching ceremonies viz. to vse or refuse signes and ceremonies as beeing thinges indifferent as the church shall thinke it expedient and appoint to be done Hemingius an other famous late writer hath these words Augustinus Ambrosius non offenduntur ex coque aliae Remae aliae Mediolani essent ceremoniae Nam inter se iunguntur pij spiritis Christi non humanis ceremonijs Vt pios gubernatores ecclesiarum velim magno studio cavere ne ceremoniae scandalo sint infirmis it a privatos nolim quicquam mutare in ceremonijs gravi authoritate a maioribus institutis approbatis Neque est quod exactissima ratio singularum ceremoniarum inquiratur modo non manifestam superstitionem impietatem redoleant Quidam offenduntur ceremonijs nostris quas clamitant papisticas esse Dicunt nos habere sacerdotes altaria vectes candelos imagines exorcismos signationes crucis planè papistico more His ego respondeo ecclesiam veram a falsae dictingunendam doctrina cultu non ceremonijs quae per se adiaphorae sunt Neque n ceremonias adiaphoras tanti momenti esse indicamus vt propter illas schismata moveantur in ecclesia Retineatur doctrinae sinceritas retineatur purus dei cultus Alia serviant partim tranquillitati partim infirmitati hominum relinquamus prudentia quberuatorum de his rebus dispiciant Austen and Ambrose are not offended that Rome had one kind of ceremonies and Millan an other For the godly are lincked together by the spirit of Christ not by humane ceremonies As I wish the godly gouernours of Churches to be very circumspect that ceremonies doe not scandalize weakelings so would I not haue priuate persons to alter any thing in ceremonies which our auncestors with graue authoritie haue ordained approued Neither is there any cause why we should require an exact reason of euery ceremonie so that they imply not any manifest superstition and impietie Some are offended with our ceremonies crying out that they are papisticall They say we haue Priests Alters Vestures Candels Images Exorcismes Crossings euen after the Popish manner To these good fellowes I aunswere that the true Church is distinguished from the false in doctrine and worship but not in ceremonies which are of their owne nature things indifferent For we thinke not ceremonies indifferent to be of such moment that for them wee may make a Schisme in the Church Let vs retaine the sinceritie of Doctrine and hold fast the pure worship of GOD. Let other things serue partly peace and tranquillitie partly the infirmitie of men and let vs leaue these things to the prudent consideration of our superiours and let them dispose thereof Out of these wordes of this great learned Writer wee may gather all things necessarie for the decision of all controuersies about rites and ceremonies of the Church For first hee telleth vs that the varietie of ceremonies at Rome and Millan did not offend Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose Secondly that priuate persons must bee obedient to the lawes of their superiours and
not to take vpon them to alter those ceremonies which higher powers haue appointed Thirdly that wee must not be curious to demaund reasons for euery ceremonie Fourthly that all ceremonies are tollerable which containe not in them manifest superstition and impâ—etie Fiftly that Copes Vestments Candels Exorcismes Crossings and such like are not things of suffâ—cient moment to cause Schisme and dissention in the Church but that all such things must be left and wholy referred to the consideration of higher powers And both Bucer and Zuinglius teacheth the same doctrine as is alreadie proued The third Obiection Now the Church is troubled with Chauncellours Commissaries Officials and such like for defence whereof no reason can be yeelded The Answere The antiquitie of Chauncellours and Officials or of the Substitutes and Vicars of Bishops which is all one in the thing it self is such of so great authority in Gods church that both old and late writers of best iudgement moderation and learning haue acknowledged and approued the same The auncient Councell of Ancyran which was afore the Nicen councell euen almost 13. hundred yeares agoe hath these expresse words Vicarijs Episcoporum quos graci corepiscopos vocaÌ„t non licere vel presbyteros vel diaconos ordinare sed nec presbyteris civitatis sine episcopi praecepto ampliùs aliquid imperare nec sine authoritate literarum eius in vnaquaque parochia aliquid agere We decree saith this councell that it is not lawfull for the Vicars or Substitutes of Bishops whom the Greekes call fellow-bishops or coadiutors to order either Priests or Deacons neither yet to bee lawfull to the Priests of the Citie to command any thing else without the Bishops authoritie or without the authoritie of his letters to doe any thing in any parish The auncient councell of Neocaesarea and the Councell of Antioch being likewise of great antiquitie doe acknowledge and approue the saide Vicars or Substitutes of Bishops Hemingius agreeth with the Canons of the afore-named councels deliuering his opinion in these wordes Hac potestate ecclesia ordinat ministros pro commodo suo vt omnia ordinatè fiant ad instaurationem corporis Christi Hinc ecclesia purior sequuta tempora Apostolorum alios patriarchas alios episcopos alios corepiscopos alios pastores catechistas instituit Sequitur decori partes sunt duae Prior vt excitemur ad pietatem illis adminiculis Posterior vt modestia gravitas in pietatis tractatione eluceat By this power the Church ordereth Ministers for her owne good that all things may bee done in order for the instauration of the body of Christ. Hence the pure church which followed after the dayes of the Apostles appointed some to be Patriarches some to be Bishops some Coadiutors Vicars or fellow-fellow-bishops othersome Pastors Catechists Comelinesse hath two parts the first that we may be drawen to pietie by these helpes the other that modestie and gravitie may shine in the ordinance of pietie Out of these words I note first that the Church may make and constitute diuerse degrees of Ministers for her owne peace and for the building vp of Christes mysticall body Secondly that Patriarches Arch-bishops and Substitutes or Suffragans of Bishops and such like were ordained euen then when the Church was in her puritie A most worthy observation remember it well gentle Reader Thirdly that Ceremonies are some helpes to bring men vnto pietie M. Bucer M. Zanchius and M. Calvin the greatest Patrons of Presbiterie doe all agree vnto this my doctrine acknowledging it for the doctrine of the best and purest Churches next after the Apostles-dayes In regard of brevitie I surcease from recital of their words The Reply The Church of Geneva where M. Calvin was the chief in his time hath neither Patriarches nor Arch-bishops nor Suffragans or substitute vicars The Answere I answere with M. Calvin himselfe whose wordes are these Talis morositas deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus pro vniversali lege valere Such morositie is a pestilent mischiefe when we will haue the manner of one Church to be in place of an vniversall law Yea if M. Calvin were this day liuing he would not affirme the vsage of Geneva to be a fit paterne for the gouernment of our English Church Many Ceremonies and constitutions agree well to our Church which were nothing convenient to some other Hence commeth it that the Church hath authoritie as I haue alreadie prooued to constitute make and publish such Canons Rules and Ordinances as tend to the common good and peaceable government thereof The 4. Obiection The Bishops take vpon them to giue the holy Ghost when they ridiculously make Ministers For they say Receiue ye the holy Ghost The Answere I answere that the manner of ordering Ministers vsed in our English Church descended by tradition from the best most auncient and purest Churches Which thing Saint Ambrose Saint Augustin Saint Hierome and all the holy Fathers doe constantly affirme with vniforme assent Neither doth the Bishop take vppon him to give the holy Ghost but humbly and reuerently pronounceth Christes wordes according to the vsuall practise of all Churches in best approoued times thereby signifying vnto the newly ordered Ministers their principall charge and dutie and assuring them of the assistance of Gods holy Spirit if they labour in their calling as they ought to doe Which vsage of our English Church is consonant aswell to the practise of auncient Churches as to the doctrine of Saint Paul himselfe to Timothie when hee saith Wherefore I put thee in remembraunce thou stirre vp the gift of GOD which is in thee by the putting on of mine hands For albeit all things necessarie for our salvation bee contained in the Scriptures either expresly or by neceslarie consequence yet are many other things very profitable for the externall gouernment of the Church which are partly receiued by tradition from the Apostles and partly added by the authoritie of the Church as circumstances of times places and persons did require Of this point of doctrine M. Zuinglius disputeth very learnedly in a large discourse against the Anabaptists His wordes are these Apostolos baptizatos fuisse nusquaÌ„legimus nisi quod de duobus tantùm mentio fiat Iohan. 1. Vbi tamen idem hoc non disertè expressum est sed obscuriùs innuitur Quod si ergo vestro more nihil eorum factum esse dicemus quae scripturis sacris non continentur iam D. virginem Mariam ipsos quoque Apostolos baptismi signo nunquam inauguratos fuisse fateri cogemur quoa ab omni pietate religione est quà m alienissimum Sequitur caeterùm quòd ad dogmata fides spectat eas res quae fidem nostram internum hominem informant perpetuò hoc ceâ— presenti antidoto vtendum est quod Deus non praecepit credere vt credamus adsalutem necessarium non est Cultum hunc non descripsit
nec iniunxit Dominus ergo illi placere acceptus esse non potest Ceremoniarum autem ratio longè alia est Nec enim dicere licebit de ceremonijs istis in Scriptura nihil proditum est ergo ceremonijs istis vsi non sunt quod ipsum in exemplo divae virginis Apostolorum abundè satis demonstratum est We reade in no place of the holy Scripture that the Apostles weare baptized saue onely that mention is made of two in S. Iohn Where for all that the same is not plainely expressed but obscurely infinuated If therefore wee shall follow your manner and denie all things which are not conteyned in the holy scriptures then certes we shall bee compelled to graunt that neither the blessed Virgin Marie nor the Apostles them selues were euer baptized which doubtlesse is a strange assertion and farre from all pietie and religion But touching doctrines of Faith and those things which informe our faith the inward mā we must ever vse this as a present preseruatiue what God hath not cōmanded vs to beleeue to beleeue that is not necessarie to our saluation Our Lord neither appointed nor inioyned this kinde of worship therfore it can neither please nor bee acceptable to him But touching ceremonies the case is farre different For wee may not say there is no mention made of these Ceremonies in the Scripture therefore the Apostles vsed them not which thing is prooued abundantly by the example of the blessed Virgin and of the Apostles Out of this must excellent discourse I obserue these worthy documents First that all things necessarie for our saluation are comprised in the holy Scriptures Secondly that many other things necessarie for Church-gouernment are receiued by tradition Thirdly that it is not a good Argument to reason after this manner there is no mētion of these things in the Scriptures therfore the Apostles vsed them not or therefore they are not lawfull This doctrine is agreeable to Saint Austins rule who calleth it insolent madnes to withstand and contradict that which is receiued by the custome of the whole Church Yea it is consonant to S. Pauls practise against the malapert saucinesse of contentious persons CHAP. XI Of the Presbyterie and Seignorie SOme otherwise learned doe this day labour with might and maine to proue that our English church ought to be gouerned with a Presbyterie that is with Pastors Teachers Laicall vnpriested Elders and Deacons These 4. as they contend are the lawfull Gouernors of euery particular congregation Pastors and teachers for procuring the aduancement of the faith of the Church Elders for the censure of their conuersation and life and Deacons for the comfort of the poore That that the truth of this controuersie of which many talke but very few vnderstand it aright may be laide open to the indifferent Reader I haue thought it good to proceed therein by way of Propositions The 1. Proposition THat kinde of gouernment which may bee altered for the circumstances of times places and persons is neither necessarie nor perpetuall But the gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons if euer there were any such kind of gouernment in the Christian world may be altered and chaunged Ergo it is neither necessarie nor perpetuall the Argument is in forme and the Proposition most cleare euident to euery childe The difficultie or doubt if there be any resteth in the assumption But I haue prooued it at large where I disputed of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent Yea there was a time euen in the dayes of the Apostles when the Church had no Deacons There was also a time euen in the dayes of the same Apostles when the Church had no vnpriested or vnpreaching Elders Who so readeth seriously the Acts of the Apostles and S. Pauls Epistles can not bee ignorant in this behalfe The 2. Proposition CHrist did not translate the Sanhedrim Synedrion or Consistorie of the Iewes vnto his Church in the newe Testament I proue it first because both their lesse kinde of Sanhedrim and their great as they did afterward diuide it was onely in one place for all the Realme viz. First at Sylo then at Hierusalem their chiefe citie vntill the worst and last alterations therein but the seekers of the newe English Presbyterie would haue the like if not the very same to bee erected in euery congregation Againe in both Consistories of the Iewish Sanhedrim aswell in the greater of the 70 as in the lesser of the 23. they were all either Priests or Doctors of the Lawe the King and the Peeres of the Realme only excepted Thirdly then Sanhedrim had partly politicall partly eclesiastical iurisdiction both together but our Presbyters haue onely ecclesiasticall seeing as they graunt to be Iudges in ciuill places is onely the Office of the ciuill Magistrate The 3. Proposition THe English supposed Presbyterie is not compatible with a Christian Monarchie but must perforce despoyle her and bereaue her of her royall soueraignitie I proue it because the sayd Presbyterie challengeth vnto her selfe all authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall the supreme ouer-sight of which causes pertaineth to the ciuill Magistrate as is already proued The 4. Proposition THE English desired Presbyterie is not grounded vpon the word of GOD. I proue it because the Scriptures alledged by the Patrons thereof doe conclude no such matter The Textes are fiue in number being all that any way seeme to make for their purpose The first is out of the Gospell tell the Church To this Text I answere in this manner First that wee for the true meaning of this portion of Scripture will giue credite to Saint Chrysostome and the rest of the auncient Fathers The Church to which this complaint must bee made doth signifie the Bishops and gouernours of the Church who according to all generall Councels auncient Canons and the continuall practise of the Church were euer to this day reputed acknowledged and taken for the Church representiue Secondly that if we will be ruled by M. Calvins censure Christ doth not here say any thing of the church of the New Testament but alludeth to the order of the Church of the Iewes Thirdly that by the iudgement of the graue and learned writer M. Bullinger a great Patron of the Presbyterie Christ speaketh here of the whole congregation and not to a fewe persons of whom consisteth the supposed Presbyterie And this exposition is so agreeable to the Text as none with right reason can denie the same Yea this sense is indeed agreeable to the verdict of S. Chrysostome and of all the auncient Fathers and to the continuall practise of the Church in all ages These are M. Bullingers wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendiministros Hoc autem facere potest veltota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc electi prout commodius vtilius ad pacem
conservandam aptius videtur prolocorum personarum temporumratione Nam cuncta haec ad Pauli regulam dirigenda sunt vt omnia decentèr ordine fiant Wherefore hence it commeth that the Church hath power and commaundement to choose her Ministers And this may bee performed either by the whole Church or by faithfull men chosen of the Church for this ende and purpose as shall bee thought more commodious profitable and fit for the conseruation of peace respect being had to places persons and times For all these things must bee reterred to Pauls rule that all things be done decently and in order And a little after the same Writer hath these wordes Habent autem istisuam potestatem exeo quod a tota ecclesia detecti sunt quaeex verbo Deipotestatem mandaâ—nÌ„ habet eligendi ecclesiae ministros But these men haue their authoritie for that the whole Church hath chosen them which by Gods word hath power and commandement to choose the Ministers of the Church Thus writeth this learned man Out of whose words it is most apparent cleare that all power is graunted vnto the whole Church who to auoyde confusion and for order sake committeth her authoritie to certaine chosen persons Which persons are the Bishops and Prelates of the Church say I and all antiquitie will confesse the same with me For neither Councels Fathers nor auncient Canons doe make any mention of the late vpstart presbyterie The Second text is fathered vpon Saint Paul where he saith let him that ruleth doe it with diligence The third text is drawne from the same Apostle where he telleth vs that God hath ordained in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some teachers some workers of miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours To these two texts which are of one and the same effect for the establishing of the presbyterie I answere in this maÌ„ner First that the Apostle in both places may be vnderstood indifferently either of ciuill gouernours and gouernment onely or of ecclesiasticall onely or of both ioyntly consequently that the text cannot be racked so that it must perforce be vnderstood of the vnpriested Seniors of the Presbyterie especially seeing it may as fitly if not more truly be vnderstood of Kings Monarches and other ciuill christian Magistrates to whom the chiefe care and ouersight appertaineth of all persons and causes within their kingdomes territories and dominions Secondly that the original Greek word Cubernesejs signifieth gouernments not gouernours So that thereupon cannot be inferred necessarily any distinct gouernor from the afore-named Apostles prophets and Doctors For diuers offices may bee and often are coincident in one and the same officer And for this respect when the Apostle commeth to the repetition of his former assertions and should by order haue mentioned the gift of gouernance he passeth it ouer in silence albeit he reckoneth vp the other seuerally Wherby hee giueth vs to vnderstand that hee containeth the same either in all or in some one of the former offices or gifts Thirdly that none of the holy Fathers in their Commentaries did euer gather out of these texts or the like any vnpreaching Seniors Fourthly that both maister Caluin maister Bucer and maister Martyr doe extend these places to all kinde of gouernment The fourth text is taken from the Epistle to the Ephesians which proueth nothing at all because there is no mention made in that place of any gouernours saue onely of Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors and Doctors None of which doubtlesse can be their vnpriested Elders The Fift text is borrowed from Saint Paul to Timothie where he saith the Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the word and Doctrine This text I graunt hath some colour though no truth of that which is in question But I answere that the Apostle vnderstandeth by Elders such as are ministers of the word or else of the Sacraments I proue it first because Saint Hierome Saint Chrysostome and Saint Ambrose yea and maister Caluin himselfe where hee speaketh purposely of Seniors doe so vnderstand the word Elders Secondly because the originall Greeke worde Coptôntes which signifieth to labour painfully doth argue a differeÌ„ce betweene Elders of the same calling whereof some laboured more painfully then others did the meaning of the Apostle is this and no other that laborious and painfull Elders are so much the more worthy to be graced with greater honours by howe much greater paines and troublesome turmoyles they vndertake in their ministerie For by the word labour Saint Paul vnderstandeth no ordinarie vulgar and meane exercise but an extraordinarie vehement and most painfull labour such as Timothie Titus Luke Marke and others were well acquainted withall Thirdly because the Apostle if hee had meant that some Elders did neither preach nor administer the Sacraments would haue added which labour in the word and administration of the Sacraments for it had been as easily said as which labour in the word and doctrine but because there were some that laboured onely in the word and doctrine and other some likewise who laboured in administring the Sacraments hee saide Coptôntes which labour painfully to distinguish them from such as laboured in the same kind and office though not in so laborious and painefull maner The fift proposition THe constitution of the earnestly wished and long expected English presbyterie doth ouerthrowe it selfe and can no way be defeÌ„ded I proue it first because diaconesses or widowes are no lesse required in the holy scripture then are Deacons neither are the one more extraordinarie or temporarie then are the other And consequently the frame or building of the presbyterie is not perfect seeing it consisteth onely of these foure Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons And to answere as some doe that there must bee godly poore widowes when they can bee gotten is not to the purpose For if Gods appointment and order may bee altered in widowes because sit women cannot bee gotten euen so may wee excuse the want of their ruling vpriested Seniors as also the want of their Preaching Ministers For the necessitie and want of sit persons is equall in them all I proue it Secondly because Pastors and Doctors or Teachers are not distinct officers but are taken in holy Writ for one and the same For Saint Paul hauing seuered Apostles Prophets and Euangelists addeth to them Pastors and Teachers by a coniunction copulatiue which hoe would not haue done doubtlesse if hee had deemed them to bee different orders Saint Hierome is iumpe of mine opinion and reasoneth after the selfe same manner And Saint Austen beeing demaunded of Peulimis what difference was betwixt Pastor and Doctor a pastor and a Teacher answered in this sort viz. That they were all one because hee cannot bee a pastor who hath not Doctrine wherewith hee may feede the flocke committed to his charge Maister Bullinger decideth the controuersie in plaine tearmes
writing in this manner Nemo autem est qui non vi◠deat hac vocabula invicem confundi alterum accipi pro altero Nam apostolus etiam propheta doctor evangelista presbyter atque episcopus est Et episcopus evangelista propheta est Propheta doctor presbyter evangelista Proinde apostolus paulus varijs hisce vocabulis varia illa dona significavit qua dominus ecclesiae suae importijt ad salutem Euery man seeth that these wordes are confounded and that one of them is taken for an other For an Apostle is also a Prophet a Doctor an Euangelist a Priest and a Bishop And a Bishop is an Euangelist and a Prophet A Prophet is a Doctor an Elder and an Euangelist Therefore the Apostle Paul by these diuers names signifieth those diuers gifts which our Lord bestowed on his Church vnto saluation I therefore conclude that the pillers whereupon the presbyterie is builded are sandie rotten and vnsound and consequently that that building which is reared vpon them cannot but be vnstable and ruinous The sixt Proposition THe newe English presbyterie was not knowne or heard of in the Christian world for the space of fifteene hundred yeares together at the least This proposition is sufficiently proued by this precedent discourse if it be well marked from the beginning Yea my bare assertion is a good proofe thereof vntill the patrons of the contrarie opinion can and shall name the time and place when and where such a presbyterie was to be found The seuenth Proposition ALL Ministers created and made by the newe presbyterie are meere lay-persons and cannot lawfully either Preach Gods word or administer the sacraments This is alreadie proued I will therefore salute our Brownists Barrowists and such like as the learned and famous Writer Maister Bullinger did the Anabaptists His wordes are these Quod si dicitis vos instar apostolorum peculiarem vocationem habere probate eam signis miraculis dono linguarum doctrina apostolica quemadmodum apostoli fecerunt Hoc autem nunquam facietis ideoque vocatio vestra nihili imò pernitiosa est ecclesiae Christi Now if you say you haue a speciall and peculiar calling as the Apostles had then must you prooue the same by signes and miracles by speaking diuers languages and by doctrine apostolicall as the Apostles did Saint Hierome saith Ecclesia non est quae non babet sacerdotem Where there is no priest or minister there can bee no Church The first Obiection That not Kings Monarches and other independant ciuil magistrates haue the supreame and highest authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall but that Bishops and Priests haue that charge committed to them as their proper and peculiar function it may appeare euidently to all indifferent readers by the facts and proceedings of Bishops in the old testament Ieroboams hand dried vp Ozias was smitten with the leprosie and thrust out of the Temple king Saul deposed from his kingdome and all this befel vpon these kings because they tooke vpon them the supreame authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall Yea Iehoiada the Priest commaunded to put Queene Athalia out of the ranges and to execute the iudgement of death vpon her And king Iehosaphat affirmeth plainly that Amariah was chiefe ruler in all matters of the Lord as Zebadiah was the ciuill gouernour of all the kings affaires The Answere This obiection containeth a question of great moment and is very obscure intricate and difficult Wherefore I admonish and aduise the gentle Reader to reade my answere againe and againe and to ponder it seriously before hee giue his iudgement therein My answere standeth thus First that Ieroboams hand was dried vp and Saul deposed from his royall throne not for that they challenged a soueraigntie aboue the Priests and supreame authoritie in causes ecclesiastical but because they attempted arrogantly and presumptiously to execute priestly functiō in offering incense vpon the Altar burnt offerings peace offerings Secondly that Vzziah or Ozias was smitten with the leprosie because hee would needes burne incense to the Lord which was the Priests proper function Neither did the Priests for all that thrust him out of the Temple but dutifully as it become them told him what was his dutie and that he had offended God and therefore they willed him to surcease from his wicked enterprise and to goe foorth of the sanctuarie Which was no other vsage then S. Iohn the Baptist afforded Herode the Tetrach when he told him it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife Thirdly that the fact of Iehosaphat proueth euidently the Kings supreame power ouer all his subiects as well in causes ecclesiasticall as ciuill The reason hereof is euident because King Iehosophat by vertue of his prerogatiue royall placed both Amariah and Zebadiah in their seuerall functions and prescribed the limits of their iurisdictions Neither will it helpe to say that Amariah was ruler in the matters of the Lord and Zebadiah in the Kings affaires For the meaning is not that the Kings affaires are not the matters of the Lord seeing as is alreadie proued that the King at his inauguration receiueth the whole booke of the law and charge to see Gods true worship and seruice euery where maintained But the true sense of the text is this and no other viz. that those things which the King in his owne person may execute are precisely called the Kings affaires to distinguish them from his other affaires which himselfe cannot put in execution For albeit in the preaching of the word administratiō of the Sacraments the chosen minister hath onely the charge and authoritie to execute them neuerthelesse Gods annointed Prince hath the supreame charge souereigne authoritie to command the execution thereof as also to correct and to punish the Minister for the neglect of his dutie in that behalfe Of which point I haue spoken sufficiently in my other bookes and therefore deeme it a thing needlesse now to stand long vpon the same Fourthly touching the fact of Iehoiada the Priest I answere that it can no way proue the superioritie of Priests ouer kings For first Iehoiada was not a priuate man but the high Priest in the cōmon weale of the Iewes whose office it was to iudge not ecclesiasticall matters onely but also ciuill For the Iewes had no other lawes but the holy scriptures Secondly Iehoiada did nothing against Athalia of himselfe but with the aduise assent and helpe of the Centurions and Peeres of the Realme all which were bound by the lawe of Deuteronomie to defend the kingdome from strangers Thirdly Iehoiada was bound by the right of affinitie to defend king Ioas and to establish him in his Kingdome For his wife was the kings Aunt Fourthly God had assured by his infallible promise the Kingdome to the familie of Dauid Now Athalia was not of the stocke and Progenie of David but a stranger to the Kingdome For her mother was a Sydonian and her father
an Israelite more addicted to idolatrie then were the Gentiles Besides this the wicked pretensed Queene Athalia had traiterously murdered and wholy extinguished all the lawfull royall blood the yong childe king Ioas onely excepted whom God contrarie to her knowledge had miraculously preserued and withall shee had set vp the worship of Baal Wherefore it was the parts of the Priests and Peeres of the Kingdome to protect the King to defend his royall right to suppresse the vsurped power of Athalia and to deliuer the King his kingdome and themselues from the confused Ataxia Idolatrie bloodie tyrannie which she had brought vpon them by her violent intrâ—sion and vniust vsurpation of the royall right of Ioas their Lawfull King and vndoubted soueraigne So then albeit the Ministerie of feeding of Preaching Gods word and of the administration of his Sacraments pertaine onely to his ministers neither may the meere ciuill magistrate in any wise intermedle therewith yet for al that most true it is that the prouision for the food the ouer sight that the children of God be duly fed and that the ministers doe exercise their functioÌ„s in vigilant dutifull manner belongeth to the ciuil independant and absolute princes For this respect is it that Kings and Queenes haue the names of nurses not for that they nourish their children in ciuil matters onely but as in ciuil so also in spirituall that is to say in lacte verbi dei in the milke of the word of God For though the execution pertaine to the ministers yet the prouision direction appointment care and ouer-sight which is the supreame gouernmeÌ„t indeed belongeth onely soly and wholy to the prince For this cause is it that King Ezechias highly renowned in holy Writ though he were but yong in yeares did for all that in regard of his prerogatiue royall and supreame authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall call the Priests and Leuits his sonnes charging them to heare him and to followe his direction and commandement for so are the words of the text This notwithstanding I graunt freely and willingly that ministers in the action of their ecclesiastical function church-ministerie are aboue all christians aboue Queenes Kings and Monarches representing God vnto them teaching admonishing rebuking them euen as all others following the godly example therein of S. Iohn that Baptist. Yea if need so require and that the vices of the princes kings and monarches be notorious scandalous to the whole church the Bishops may denounce such potentates to be enemies to the truth aduersaries to GOD and no true members of the Church but forlorne people to be reputed as Ethnicks publicans vntill they giue true signes of vnfeyned repentance But withall this must euer be remembred and most loyally obserued of all Bishops in Christs Church viz. that the prince though full of manifest vices most notorious crimes in the world may neuer be shunned neither of the people nor of the Bishops seeing God hath appointed him to bee their gouernour Much lesse may the people forsake their obedience to his sacred prerogatiue royall and supereminent authoritie And least of all for it is most execrable damnable and plaine diabolicall may either the people alone or the Bishops alone or both ioyntly together depose their vndoubted soveraigne though a Tyrant Heretique or Apostata For all loyall obedience and faithfull seruice in all civil affaires and whatsoever els is lawfull they must euer yeeld vnto him He may bee admonished by the Ministers in the Court of conscience concerning his publique offences but he may neuer bee iudged in the court of their Consistorie touching his power royall and princely prerogatiue their power is only to admonish and rebuke him and to pray to God to amend that is amisse Hee hath no iudge that can punish him but the great iudge of all euen the GOD of heauen Note the answeres to all the obiections following marke them seriously The 2. Obiection Great learned men doe hold that there were vnpriested Seniors in the Primitiue Church who together with the Pastors did gouerne the Church And the same is this day practised in many reformed Churches The Answere I answere First that I doe not condemne the practise of other reformed Churches but teach plainly and Christianly that euery Church hath freedome libertie and authoritie to make such canons orders ordinances and constitutions as shall bee thought most meete fit and conuenient for the external gouernment thereof Which thing I haue already proued not onely by the practise of the Church in all ages but also by the vniforme assent and constant verdict of best approoued Patrons of the reformed Churches in this age Secondly that those great Patrons of the reformed Churches who deeme vnpriested Elders to be convenient for their particular precincts free cities and common weales doe for all that thinke an other gouernment more fit for Christian Monarchies and doe highly commend the same I might alledge the ioynt testimonies of M. Gualter M. Hemingius M. Bucer and of many other famous late Writers But in regard of breuitie onely M. Musculus shall content me for the present These are his expresse words Principio vt constituat ecclesiarum ministres vbi illi desiderantur sive eligat eos ipse five ab alijs iussu ipsim electos confirmet Neque n. convenit vt praeter authoritatem potestatis publicae public a quisquaÌ„ numer a in ecclesia obeat Dices at secùs factuÌ„est in primis ecclesiis in quibus a ministris ac plebe eligebantur ecclesiarum antistites Respondeo talis tum ecclesiarum erat status vt aliter non essent eligendi ministri propterea quod Christiano magistratu destituebantur Sirevocas temporum illorum mores primùm conditiones ac statum quoque illorum revoca First it is the dutie of the ciuil magistrate to constitute the ministers of the church where they be wanting whether he choose theÌ„ himselfe or confirme those which others by appointment haue chosen For it is not meete that any minister execute any function in the Church without the authoritie of the publique Magistrate You will say But it was otherwise in the Primitiue Church where the Ministers and the people did choose their Gouernours I answere the state of the Church was then such that the Ministers of the Church could not be chosen otherwise because then they were destitute of a Christian Magistrate If thou wilt vse the manners of that time thou must first call againe the condition and state of that time Out of these words I note many golden obseruations First that the ciuill Magistrate may appoint and elect the ministers of the Church Secondly that none can lawfully execute any Church-foundation or bee a Minister of the Church without election assent authoritie or confirmation of the ciuil magistrate Thirdly that the ciuil magistrate may either choose the ministers himselfe or appoint others to doe it Fourthly that the gouernment of the
legem Neque Pauius obstitisset vt apparet ex Rom 13. quia vero duruÌ„erat homines christianos Ethnicis obijcere recurrit ad remedium quod christus dedit quoad iniurias privatas mat 18. sequitur potestas illa penes qâ—os erat penes totaÌ„ ecclesiaÌ„ quae tameÌ„ ne coÌ„fusio fieret per delectos agebat ex senioribus Sequitur excommunicatio n. non est ex necessarijs illis sine quibus ecclesia non consistit He made mention of the power of Christ alluding to his wordes in Mathew least he should contemne the sentence of the church And he coÌ„mandeth this to be done because they had no other meanes at that time to correct the disobedient when there were no christian Magistrates Otherwise this fellowe should haue bin punished according to the law Neither would Paul haue bin against it as appeareth by his doctrine to the Romans But because it was a very hard case to send Christians to Ethnickes he hath recourse to that remedie which Christ appointed for priuate iniuries and in whom was that power in the whole Church which for all that to auoid coÌ„fusion did execute the same by chosen seniours For excommunication is none of those necessary things without which the church cannot consist The same Doctor in an other place hath these expresse words Hodie non opus proprio seuatu ecclesiae Agnoscamus beneficium dei Esa. 49. vicissim hi aguoscant se quoque meÌ„mbra esse ecclesiae Sequitur nobis sufficiat habere pastores scholas magistratus pios qui cuitum dei tueantur pauperes curent We haue this day no need at all of the senate of the church or presbyterie Let vs acknowledge the goodnes of God and let them likewise acknowledge themselues to be the members of the church Let it suffice vs to haue Pastors Schooles godly Magistrates that will defend the worship of God and take care of the poore Maister Martyr deliuereth the same doctrine in substaÌ„ce in these expresse words fatemur deinde claves ecclesiae vniversae datas caeterum ne confusio accidat convenit vt aliqui ex omnibus deligantur quivtantur clavibus quarum vsus in omnes redundet qui christo credunÌ„t Prepositos vero ecclesiarum habent des monet Paulus non semel et christus non prohibuit qui cum iussit ne magistri et Rabbi vocaremur ambitioneÌ„ repressit voluitque vt nemo nostrum haec affectaret Sed non interdixit quin habeamus in honore et appellemus honorifice quos dominus nobis praefecit imo Paulus ad Timotheum scribit se positum esse magistrum gentium Wee likewise confesse that the keyes are giuen to the whole Church But to auoyde confusion it is meete that some out of all bee chosen who may putt the keyes in vse whose vse re doundeth to all that beleeue in Christ. Now that we must haue gouernours of Churches Paule admonisheth more then once Christ did not forbid it who when he coÌ„manded vs not to be called Maisters and Rabbies repressed ambition being desirous that none of vs should hunt after these things But he neuer forbad vs to reuerence and giue honourable names to those whom our Lord hath placed ouer vs. Yea Paul writeth to Timothy that himselfe was made the maister of the gentiles Maister Musculus is consonant to the rest whose expresse wordes are these denique curabit vt plebs ipsa viros graues timentes dei ac boni testimonij deligant quorum cura et vigilantia disciplina ecclesiae administretur et si quid grauioris momenti accidat ad ipsam ecclesiam referatur Haec tamen omnia quae ad indeterminatam potestatem referimus ad illas tan tum pertinent ecclesias quae christianum magistratum non habent quales erant olim priusquam principes christiani fierent Finally he shall prouide that the people choose graue men which feare God and haue a good report by whose care and painfull labours the Church discipline may be executed and if any thing of greater moment fall out that the same be referred to the Church Yet all these things which we referre to the power vndetermined pertaine to those Churches onely which have no Christian Magistrate such as they were sometime before there were Christian Princes The same Doctor in an other place hath these wordes Hanc cuiusvis Particularis ecclesiae potestatem reprobos scilicet excommunicands Romanus pontifex irritam reddidit e medio sustulit This power of excommunication which pertained to euery particular Church the bishop of Rome made frustrate and tooke it quite away Out of these most learned discourses of these graue Writer I obserue these memorable lessons for the benefit of the reader First that the power to excommunicate is giuen to the whole Church Secondly that the Church hath power to commit the same to others as it shall be thought meete for her good Thirdly that the Church for auoiding of confusion did euer commit this iurisdiction to some speciall persons fit for the same Fourthly that the common vulgar sort want iudgement and are often carried away with affections and so are vnfit persons to retaine such iurisdiction in their hands Fiftly that excommunication is not any assentiall part of the Church Sixtly that the moderation and chiefe power of disposing and committing resteth principally in the Christian Magistrate where the church receiueth such a blessing And thus much of the former part viz. of the power of the whole Church Let vs proceede to the latter part viz to whom the church hath committed this power Concerning this Latter member it is to be holden for an vndoubted truth and most Catholique doctrine that none saue onely lawfull Ministers of Gods word and Sacraments can lawfully denounce the sentence of excommunication For this cause was it that when our Lord Iesus gaue this authoritie to his whole church he gaue it alwaies in the name either of all or of some one of his Apostles And for the same cause was it that the Church hath euer since committed the same vnto her lawfull Bishops and Ministers of the word The practise of the Church is most cleere and apparant both by the councels and by the vniforme verdict of the holy fathers Ex concilijs This case is most apparant by the old canons comoÌ„only for their antiquitie called the canons of the Apostles There I finde these expresse wordes siquis presbyter aut diaconus ab episcopo suo segregetur hunc non licere ab alio recipi sed ab ipso quieum sequestraverat nisi forsitan obierit apiscopus ipse qui eum segregare cognoscitur If any Priest or Deacon be excommunicated of his Bishop it shall not be lawfull for any other to receiue him but onely the partie who seperated him vnlesse perchance the Bishop die that did excommunicate him By this canon it is euident that none but the Bishoppe vsed to excommunicate and yet the
duo volumina legit ad aedificatitonem plebis non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandum As therefore the Church readeth the books of Iudith and of Tobye and of the Machabees but receyueth them not amongst the Canonicall Scriptures so doth it also reade these two volumes for edification of the people but not to confirme any Ecclesiasticall doctrine Saint Augustine is of the same opinion and deliuereth the matter in these expresse words Hanc Scripturam quae appellatur Machabaeorum non habent Iudaei sicut Legem Prophetas Psalmos quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis dicens oportebat impâ—eri omnia quae scripta sunt in Lege Prophetis in Psalmis de me Sed recepta est ab Ecclesia non invtiliter si sobrit legatur vel audiatur maxime propter illos Machabaeos qui pro Dei Lege sicut veri Martyres a persecutoribus tam indigna atque horrenda perpessi sunt The Scripture which is of the Machabees the Iewes repute not as they doe the Lawe and the Prophets and the Psalmes to which the Lord gaue testimonie as to his witnesses saying It behooued all things to be fulfilled which are written in the Lawe and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes of mee but the Church hath receiued it not without profite if it bee read or heard soberly especially for those Machabees who for the Lawe of God as true Martyrs suffred of their persecutors so vnworthy and horrible torments Saint Cyprian Saint Ambrose and other Fathers teache the same Doctrine and the continuall practise of the Churche in all ages doth yeelde a constant testimonie therevnto Nowe seeing the Churche of God hath thought it meete and profitable to haue the Apocryphall books read in the Church and seeing withall that Saint Austen Saint Hierome and other holy Fathers do commend the same I see no reason why a few young heads without gray beards whose authoritie is no waye comparable with the practise of the Church neither their reading experience and iudgement to bee equalized with the auncient holy Fathers should take vppon them so rashly to controll the Churche of England and to condemne her for following the practise of the Church in all ages Let these men weigh well with themselues what the holy most reuerend and learned Father Saint Austen saith to this and the like questions These are his expresse words In his n. rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit Scriptura Diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda sunt For in those things touching which the holie Scritpure hath left no certaine rule the custome of Gods people and the ordinances of our ancestours must be holden for a lawe Behold here gentle Reader a most excellent rule indeed giuen vs by this holie Father and great learned Doctor Which if they who this day impugne the governement of our English Church the Prownists and their â—â—herents I euer meane would duely ponder and regarde they would doubtlesse surceasse to vexe and distourbe the peace of our Church and receyue the ordinances of their auncestours with all reuerence and humilitie For the Church of England doth make a flat separation in which it doth in plain and expresse tearms seuer deuide the Canonicall books from the Apocryphall so as no simple Reader can but perceyue and vnderstand the same And it is not to the purpose to obiect as some haue done that the Rubricke in the booke of common prayer calleth the Apocryphall bookes holy Scripture For first when the Rubrick saith the rest of the holie Scripture it may be vnderstood fitlie of the bookes Canonicall following especially seeing it nameth not the Apocryphal expressely but quoteth some of them afterwards Secondly the Apocrypha may truely and lawfully beecalled holie Scripture Analogicè though not Univocè that is to say the wrytings of holy men or bookes conteyning holie and good matter And in this sense speaketh the Rubrick as I iudge and sundry of the holie Fathers I am well assured doe so tearme the bookes Apocryphall Howsoeuer the Rubricke be expounded or wrested two things are apparant Th' one that the Rubricke doth not call them Canonicall scripture Th' other that the Church meaneth not to equalize them with the Canonicall books of holy writ I prooue it because shee hath plainely distinguished the one from the other and preferred the authoritie of the Canonicall Neyther will it serue their turne to say as some haue done viz. That nothing may be read in the Church but onely the Canonicall scriptures For first no text of holy writ doth so affirme and consequently the Church hath power to determine thereof as is alreadie prooued Secondlie the ancient councell of Uasco which was holden aboue one thousand and one hundreth yeares agoe decreed plainlie in their publique assembly that the Deacons should read the Homelies made by the holy Fathers These are the expresse words of the Councell Hoc etiam pro aedificatione omnium Ecclesiarum pro vtilitate totius populi nobis placuit vt non solum in Ciuitatibus sedetiam in omnibus parochijs verbum faciendi daremus Presbyteris Potestatem ua vt si presbyter aliqua infirmitate prohibente per seipsum non potuerit praedicare Sanctorum Patrum Homiliae a Diaconis recitentur Wee haue also decreed for the edification of all Churches and for the good of all the people that the Priests should bee licenced to preache and not in Cities onely but also in euery Parish Churche so that the Deacons may read the Homilies of the holy Fathers if the Priest cannot preache himselfe by reason of some infirmitie Thirdly it is voyde of all reason and farre from all Christianitie to affirme it vnlawfull to read testimonialls made to signifie the distresse of our honest Neighbours that thereby wee may bee styrred vppe to releeue them more bountifullie Yea if it be true that some haue written it is a lawe amongst them of the Presbyterie to haue their orders for gouerning the Church reade publicklie once euery quarter And I knowe Expropria scientia that some of them haue done more Well now-adayes euery vpstart yongling that can rawely pronounce some Texts of the holie Byble though hee but meanely conceyue the true sense will roundly take vpon him I warrant you to reuile our most Reuerend Fathers the Archbyshops Byshoppes and to controll the gouernement of our Churche as if hee had a Commission from Heauen to doe it If I should disclose what my selfe haue heard herein and how I haue beene saluted sometimes for speaking my minde in the defence of the Reuerend Fathers and of the Godly setled Lawes of this Church of England time would sooner faile mee then matter whereof to speake CHAP. XIIII Of certaine extrauagants very offensino to the Patrons of the Presbyterie The first member of Christs Baptisme and the circumstances thereof IT is sharply reprooued that
while the pastorall Elders could not vndergoe all the labours Loe Illyricus who vnderstood the Scriptures as well as our Brownists and Martinists affirmeth plainely and constantly that the office of Deacons euen in the Apostles time was not onely to attend on the poore but also to instruct and Preach the Gospell I proue it Thirdly because Philippe the Deacon did not onely attend the poore but was also occupied in Baptizing and in Preaching As also for that Saint Steuen another Deacon made a long learned and most godly Sermon vnto the obstinate and stiffe-necked Iewes in which he proued at large that he did serue and worship the euerliuing God aright euen that God who chose the fathers afore Moses was borne and before their Temple was built The first Obiection Steuen the Deacon did not preach at all but onely defended himselfe in a long Oration against the wicked and slaunderous accusations of the stiffe-necked Iewes which to doe is lawfull not for Deacons onely but also for all other Christians The Answere I answere first that Saint Steuen answered in the way of Preaching for edification sake not in the way of pleading for his owne defence albeit one may answere accusations in a Sermon For first hee sharpely reprooued them terming them stiffe necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares Secondly hee was in the sinagogue of the Libertines Thirdly the end and scope of his speech was to proue the true and pure worship of God neither to be affixed to the Temple nor to any externall ceremonies All which being put together it is cleere that Saint Steuen made a godly Sermon This my answere is confirmed by the verdict of Illyricus whose words are these Videtur autem hic Stephanus egressus esse metas suae vocationis qui magis apostoli quam diaconi munus vsurpaverit docendo disputando miracula edendo Sed sic deus solet suam quandam viam libere ingredi spirando suo spiritu vbi vult Steuen seemes here to haue passed the limits of his calling in vsing the function rather of an Apostle then of a Deacon teaching disputing and working miracles But thus God will vse his owne waies breathing with his spirit where he listeth Againe in another place the same Illyricus hath these words primum est longa concto Stephani vsque ad 53. Versum deâ—â—de est glortosum martyrium eiusdem First there is a long Sermon which Steuen made vntil the 53. Vers then followeth his glorious martyrdome M. Aretius and M. Gualterus doth both of them affirme constantly that Saint Steuen vsed to preach vsualy I answere secondly that if it be true which the obiection thereof supposeth that an Apologie cannot consist with a true and godly Sermon then will it follow of necessitie that Saint Paule did not Preach before Foelix the gouernour of Iurie which to hold is against M. Caluin and all learned Writers It will also followe thereupon that Saint Peter did not Preâ—ch when hee answered to those that accused the Apostles of Drunkennesse before the Iewes and all the strangers that did inhabite Ierusalem I answere thirdly that the custome of the church is of great authority for the true sense meaning of the doubtfull texts of Scripture By which custome it is euident that Deacons did Baptize and preache in the primitiue church and that both Steuen and Philip did the same although they were but Deacons Saint Hierome hath these words Non quidem abnuo hanc esse Ecclesiarum consuetudinem vt ad eos qui longè in minoribus Vrbibus per Presbyteres Diaconos baptizati sunt Episcopus ad inuocationem Sancti spiritus manum impositurus excurrat I doe not denie that this is the custome of the church that the Byshop should goe to those which in Villages a farre of were baptized by the Priests and Deacons and lay his hands vpon them with inuocation of the Holie Ghost Loe the custome of the church approoued the baptisme of Deacons which shall bee made more apparant in answere to the next obiection The second Obiection Philip that baptized the Eunuch was Philip th' Apostle not Philip the Deacon Besides hee was then an Euangelist and so baptized preached as an Euangelist and not by vertue of his Deaconshippe The answere I answere first that this Philip wherof the controuersie it made was not an Apostle but one of the seaue Deacons The reason hereof is euident because all th' Apostles as S. Luke writeth remained 〈◊〉 at Ierusalem and consequently it must needes bee Philip the Deacon who was dispersed with the rest and came to 〈◊〉 where hee now preached and baptized The words of the text are these they were all scattered abroad through the Regions of Iudaea and Samaria except th' Apostles Againe then came Philippe into the Citie of Samaria and preached Christ vnto them Againe thus Nowe when the Apostles which were at Ierusalem heard say that Samaria had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn By these seuerall Texts it is most apparant to all indifferent readers that Philippe which baptized the Aethiopian was none of the Apostles but was that Deacon which came into Samaria Philippe th' Apostle being still at Ierusalem But the Patrons of the Eldershippe vse to shuffle vppe Scriptures they care not how so they may seeme to conclude their intent and purpose Let vs heare what Maister Caluin saith whose words are these Caesareae vsos fuisse dicit hospitio Philippi quem Euangelistam vocat licet vnus esset e septem Diaconis vt visum est capite sexto Diaconiam illam fuisse temporale munuâ— hinc conijcere promptum est quod Philippo alioqui liberumnon fuisset relicta Ierosolimae Caesaream migrare He telleth vs that they lodged with Philippe at Caesarea whome he calleth Euangelist although hee were indeed one of the seuen Deacons Hence wee may gather that his Deaconshippe was but a temporarie office for otherwise he could not haue left Ierusalem and haue gone to Caesarea Where I must needs wish the Reader to obserue by the way that seeing the office of Deacons was temporarie and mutable much more may the same bee saide of vnpriested Elders if anic such were in any age place or time I answere secondly that Philip which baptized the Aethiopian Eunuch was not onely once a Deacon but still remained so and that he was called an Euangelist because he did Euangelize and preach the Gospell In which sense eâ—â—ry preacher may thus be truelie called an Euangelist as both M. Bullinger other learned writers graunt This to be so the verie expresse words of the text doe prooue it so plainly that no denyall can be made therof Thus writeth Saint Luke Eiselthontes eis ton â—icon Philippou tou Euangelistou ontos ec ton hepta emeinamen par auto Entring into the house of Philip th' Euangelist being one of the seauen wee aboade with
him Loe S. Luke speaketh not in the preterperfect tense or preterplusperfect tense who hath or had bene one of the seaueÌ„ Deacons but he saith in the present tense who is euen now one of the seauen For so the Originall Greeke word ontos must needs be expressed seing it is a participle of the present time or time euen now beeing And the holy Fathers together with the practise of the church haue euer so vnderstood this text of Scripture Saint Epiphanius deliuereth his minde in these plaine tearmes Omnes verò praeter ipsum susceperunt magnorum A. postolorum praesentians per impositionem manuum ipsorum acceperunt Spiritum sanctum Nam quum Philippus Diaconus esset non habebat potestatem imponendi manus vt per hoc daret Spiritum sanctum They all hee onely excepted receyued the presence of the mightie Apostles and by imposition of their hands they enioyed the holy Ghost For Philip being a Deacon onelie had not power to impose hands thereby to giue the holy Ghost S. Austen hath these expresse words Iterum multum distare inter Diaconum sacerdotem liber approbat queÌ„ dicimus actus Apostolorum Cumn ex Samaria credidissent Philippo praedicanti Diacono ab Apostolis ordinato miserunt inquit ad eos Petrum Ioannem vt venirent his qui crederâ—t darent spiritum sanctum per manus impositionem Again the booke which wee call the Acts of the Apostles prooueth that a Deacon differeth much from a Priest For when they of Samaria had beleeued the preaching of Philip the Deacon ordeined of th' Apostles they sent saith the booke Peter and Iohn vnto them that they might giue the holy Ghost by imposition of hands to those that did beleeue Thus wee see the iudgement of S. Epiphanius and S. Austen who both iointly affirme Philip to haue bene but a Deacon and yet to haue baptized and preached Yea Maister Gualter Maister Aretius and the Magaeburgenses doe all constanthe and vniformely contest the same truth with the auncient Fathers and continuall custome of the Church in all ages They write plainely that although Deacons were chieflie occupied about the dispensation of the churches goods yet did they employe their labours so far forth as they might in the other ministeries of the church The fourth member of Deacons promoted to Priesthood The Church of England is charged to doe against the word of God while shee vseth to make one and the same person first a Deacon and afterward a Priest To which calumnie I answere in briefe in this manner First that it is not against the word of God but very consonant and altogether agreable to the same For no Scripture can bee alleadged to prooue that a Deacon maye not become a Priest Maister Caluin affirmeth constantly that Philippe was first a Deacon and afterward an Euangelist Priest or pastorall elder Secondly that the church of England vsing the Deaconshippe as a steppe or degree vnto Priesthood doth nothing against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers but followeth the vsuall practise of the church in all ages The reason hereof is and euer was this viz. that there might be some time of try all of their behauiour in the Deaconshippe before they were or could bee admitted to the order of Priesthood No Councell no Father no hystorie Ecclesiasticall no time no place no person since the Apostolike age can be named to the contrary To the continuall practise of the Church from age to age th' Apostles words may sitly be applied when he saith the deacons that haue ministred well get themselues a good degree For sun 〈…〉 writer of high esteem in the church do 〈…〉 the word Degree a steppe vnto the 〈…〉 or Priesthood This notwithstanding it is not of necessitie that euery Deacon become a Priest by any canon or constitution of the church For his behauiour in the Deaconship may be such that the church will deeme him vnmeete to be preferred vnto Priesthood And therefore I conclude with these words of S. Hierome Et si scripturae authoritas non subesset totius orbis in hanc parteÌ„ consensus instar praecepti obtineret NaÌ„ multa alia quae per traditioneÌ„ in Ecclesijs obseruantur authoritateÌ„ sibi scriptae legis vsurpauerunt Although they were no authoritie in Holy Scripture yet should the consent of all the Christian worlde haue the force and strength of a law in this behalfe For many other things which the church obserueth by tradition are become equiualent to the written law Loe S. Hierome affirmeth boldly constantly as do also S. Augustine M. Caluin and others as I haue already prooued that the custome tradition of the church must bee in steede of a lawe vnto Christians Which euer is to be vnderstood in things not repugnant to the word of God or as M. Caluin speaketh which are neyther partes of doctrine nor necessarie to saluation The fyfth member of the generall confession made by priuate persons in the Church The Patrons of the expected Eldership or Presbyterie exclame against the booke of common prayer because it giueth libertie to the Laycall communicants to make a generall confession of their sinnes before the congregation then present as if therby the Laicall communicants should presently become publique ministers of the church To these men I answere in this manner first that they seeme to theÌ„selues to be the onely wise men in the worlde to condemne all the rest of follie For otherwise they would not so roundly peremptorily take vpon themselues and that without either Scripture Councell or Father nay without all time or reason to controll condemne the book of publique praier which I verily think to haue bene composed by the assistance of the Holy Ghost consequently to condemne all the ancient Byshops those glorious martyrs of our Lord Iesus the most famous Byshop of Sarisburie the Iewell of England in his time the Byshops that now liue who are both wise vertuous learned all the residue of the learned Cleargie of this our English Church Secondly that by their grosse assertion ioyned with a most vnchristian reprehension the lowly Publican highly commended in the Gospell should bee made a Minister of the Church or haue intruded him himself into the function of publique Ministerie when hee knocked vppon his breast said O God be mercifull to me a sinner Thirdly that by the same reason the notorious sinners which were put to open penance in the primitiue Church and confessed their faults before the congregation should bee in the same predicament Fourthlie that publique penitents this daye who are for all that approoued of the Patrons of the Presbyterie should be caught in the same nette Fyftlie that the same may bee saide of Women singing Psalmes in the Church and that with more probabilitie who for all that are approoued in so doing not onely in this Church of England but
THE Regiment of the Church AS IT IS AGREABLE WITH Scriptures all Antiquities of the Fathers and moderne Writers from the Apostles themselues vnto this present age I. Cor. 14. v. 40. v. 26. Let all things be done decently and in order Let all things be done to edification I. Cor. II. v. 16. If any man iust to be contentions we haue no such customes nor the Churches of God TC LONDON Imprinted by T. C. for William Welby and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Grayhound 1606. TO THE MOST REVEREND FA ther my very good Lord Richard by Gods holy ordinance the Lord Arch-bishop of England grace and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. AS many things most reuerend father are both comely and profitable so neither is there neither can there be anything more necessarie in any well managed church or christian common weale then godly vniformitie and christian vnitie in pure Religion the proper and peculiar worship of the euerliuing God Which vnitie and vniforme conformitie for all that not onely the cruell and blood-thristie Papists in former times but the Brownists also and the Martinists cursed broodes untimely hatched detested of God and irkesome to the world haue of late daies endeuoured with might maine to disturbe extinguish it to take it quite out of the way For the speedie conuersion or else for the vtter confusion of which professed enemies of the godly vnitie and true christian peace of Gods Sion I deeme them right happie who can in any small measure concur by way of redresse and put to their helping hand Against the former sect I haue published many books challenging all English Iesuites Seminaries Iesuited Papists yea prouoking and adiuring them all ioyntly and seuerally to frame some answere either to all or to some one of the saide bookes But wil ye haue the truth their harts faile them their own consciēces accuse them they are at their wits end know not in the world what to say or write They will not answere and why I pray you because forsooth they cannot but to their owne shame and confusion euerlasting For if they could they would vndoubtedlie answere mee so to saue their owne credite and the life of their late harched Romish Religion About three yeeres agoe a railing Iesuit an odde swaggering Diuine terming himselfe E. O. in his detection against Maister D. Sutcliffe and Maister Willet taketh notice of the bookes which I haue published against them and telleth his Readers if they may beleeue him that the confutation of my workes is vndertaken But what followeth and the said confutation must be published if it shall be thought expedient By which words with the circumstances annexed thervnto wee may easily vnderstand three memorable points First that the Papists are mightilie troubled about the answearing of my bookes Secondly that they can not tell in the worlde how and in what sort to answere them Thirdly that they would haue all their Popish Vassalls to think that they haue alreadie answered them and that they are not published because it is not thought a thing expedient to bee done But I pray thee gentle Reader who will beleeue these Iesuits what wise man will euer thinke that the Iesuits haue for the space of eyght or nine yeares considered howe to answere my bookes and after the answere is vndertaken cannot tell if it bee expedient to publishe the same for as the Philosopher can tell them Vltimum in executione debet primum esse in intentione That which is the last in execution must bee the first in intention Yea the very light of Nature and daylie experience teacheth vs that in all our actions wee must chieflie and principallie respect the end for the which wee intende to doe them They dare not fight the combat valiantly neyther with the long sworde nor yet with the shorte They dare not encounter mee and cast mee their Gauntlet No no Negry quidem can bee extorted from their pennes Against the latter sect because they whollie dissent from the Papists and agree with our English Churche in the chiefest fundamentall points of Doctrine an other manner of methode and a different kinde of proceeding must bee vsed against them They exclaime with open mouthes and crie out against our English Church flying from our companies and detesting vs as prophane polluted and forlorne people They vse Conventicles Whisperings and meetings in Woodes Fieldes and odde corners They beare the simple people in hand that our Temples are prophaned our Doctrine corrupt our Sacraments impure our Byshops Antichristian and our kind of Church-gouernment repugnant to that sacred forme and order which our LORD IESVS prescribed in his holie worde They say of themselues but Laus propriioris sordescit that they are inspired of the holy Spirit that they are sent from Heauen to reforme our Church and to direct it into all Truth With which faire speeches and sugred words alas for pittie they seduce the rude vulgar sorte steale away their hearts and make them disobedient to higher powers And while these good fellowes the Brownists and Martinists seeke to bee reputed the onely wisemen vpon Earth they neither knowe what they say nor yet whereof they affirme but doe open a large window to all disloyaltie and sedition euery where and giue the Papists some comforte and hope once to enioye theyr long expected daye In regarde hereof most Reuerend Father and worthie Prelate my selfe though the meanest of manie thousands in this our English Churche haue thought it operaepretium to vse my Penne in my plaine and simple manner for the vnitie and true peace of our English Sion and for the manifestation of the lawfull gouernmēt thereof I haue in this present discourse most honourable constant wise and christian Patron of the Churches libertie power freedome auncient prerogatiue which the Brownists and foolish Martinists would turne vpside downe made euident demonstration of the lawfull gouernment of our Church And that is done in such compendious manner as neither the Reading can be thought tedious nor the price of the book chargeable with such perspicuitie as the most simple euen very babes and children may with al facility understād the same with such sufficiēcie as no Brownist or Martinist or other malitious aduersarie of our churches godly setled gouernment whosoeuer shall euer be able while the world indures either with Scriptures Councels Fathers or Ecclesiastical Histories to gain say or with stand the same I haue succinctly and euidently set down before the eyes of the indifferent Reader that the monarchical gouernāce of our English church is both the best and the most laudable of all others That there is euer hath beene in all former ages of the church superioritie of one church-minister aboue and ouer another and that one may this day lawfully haue iurisdiction ouer another That Bishops Arch-bishops Primates Metropolitains Patriarches haue euer beene in
the church euen from the Apostles themselues That no church-laws canons ordinances or constitutions Ecclesiasticall whatsoeuer either ought to be established or can bee of force strength power or authoritie without the lawfull assent of the supreme ciuill magistrate That the church hath power freedome authoritie to dispose of all indifferent things to ordaine ceremonies and Ecclesiastical rites to appoint make constitute and establish lawes canons ordinances and constitutions whatsoeuer not repugnant to Gods holy word so that it be done for any one of these three ends vz. For order for comlinesse or for edification sake that there is grauitie decencie modestie and edification as well in the apparell allotted for the Ministers and the ministerie as in the other ceremonies of our English Church That the gouernment of euery particular Church may be altered and changed as the circumstances of times places and persons shal require That no charge is so tied to the practise of the Apostles but for her necessitie she may alter change the same Many other points of great moment are handled in this compendious discourse To which or to some part thereof all that may be reduced with facilitie whatsoeuer the aduersaries haue said or possibly can say against the gouernment of our English Church The worke such as it is most gratious Lord I humbly dedicate vnto your grace as well to giue a signification of a thankefull minde for all your graces fauours towards me namely for your great liberalitie in time of my sicknesse at my last being at London as also for your graces most Christiā zeale singular care painful endeuours employed for the good and quiet of the Church both of late dayes about the most profitable and necessarie canons of Anno 1604 and in former times euen euer since Church-gouernment was first imposed vpon you For which holy vigilancie and godly care though the Brownists the Martinists and other enuious and malitious male-contents doe both thinke and speake hardly of your grace yet are all that loue the common good and peace of our English Church bound in the highest degree to bee thankfull to your Grace for the same The Almightie preserue your Grace confirme your Godlie zeale against the disturbers of the common peace and giue you a long and happie life vpon Earth for his owne glorie and the Godlie gouernment of his Church and life eternall in the worlde to come Amen Your Graces most humble and most bounden Thomas Bell. THE REGIMENT of the Church CHAP. I. Of sundrie kinds of gouernment with the nature qualitie and condition of the same ARistotle that worthy learned famous Philosopher shewing plainly in a large politicall discourse that there be three kinds of lawful Regiment and three likewise of wicked Gouernement neither more nor fewer The first lawfull kinde is called Monarchia a Monarchy when one alone doth rule gouerne The second is called Aristocráteia an Aristocratie when a fewe of the best in the common-weale doe gouerne it The third is called Democratia a Democratie when many of the vulgar people doe rule For euery state of the Church cōmon weale doth either seeke the publique good thereof or their owne priuate gaine and pleasure If the common good be sought and intended the gouernment is godly but if priuate gaine or pleasure be either wholy or principally intended the gouernment is wicked If the gouernment be lawfull right and godly it is either by one and called a Monarchie or by some fewe of the best and called an Aristocratie or by many and called a Democratie If the King or Monarch ruling alone as our most gratious Soueraigne hath told vs most learnedly in his Basilicōdoron shal by the making and execution of good lawes acknowledge himselfe ordained for the good of his people and thereupon employ all his studie care industrie and endeuours to procure establish and maintaine their welfare and true christian peace as their naturall father and kindly maister then is hea King indeede and his gouernment a true Monarchy But if he studie to frame the gouernmēt of the common weale to aduance his priuate lucre to satisfie his own singular contentment and to serue his inordinate and sensuall pleasure he is then so farre from being a king indeed that he is become a slat tyrant and his gouernment changed into a plaine tyrannie If few doe gouerne well being of the best and wisest it is a lawfull Aristocratie but if these few gouerne wickedly seeking their own priuate not the cōmon good it is called an vngodly Oligarchie If many rule wel it is called a Democratie or popular state but if they gouerne naughtily it is termed a Timocratie Ochlocratie or Anarchy Wher the gentle reader must seriously obserue with me that paucitie and multitude are not the essential differences of Oligarchie and Timocratie but wealth and pouerty are the things indeed which work the intrinsecal distinction in these defects of pollicie These kinds of Regiment may analogically in some proportion be applied to the inferiour magistrates vnder his most excellent maiestie viz. to the LLs. of the most honourable priuie Councell the L. Chauncellour the L. Treasurer the Iustices of the Kings-Beneh Cōmon place Barons of the Exchequer Iustices of Peace c. in sundry places and causes to the cōmons of this Realme Which obseruation if it be wel remembred will be a motiue to put euery one of them in mind of their place calling that they may vse their gouernment accordingly This discourse is so cleere and euident as I decme it a thing altogether needlesse to vse further proofe therein For all learned men both Philosophers and Diuines doe with vniforme assent subscribe thereunto Obiection 1. The Law of nature teacheth vs that wee may loue our selues more then our neighbours For which respect God himselfe appointed mans own loue to be the squire rule by which he must measure his loue toward his neighbour The king therefore is not bound to regard more the good of his subiects then his owne priuate commoditie and the contentation of his mind The Answere I answere with S. Austen that kings must serue God two waies First as men which thing is performed by liuing godly soberly iustly Secondly as kings which they may performe by the making execution of godly lawes for the honour and seruice of God principally and secondarily for the cōmon good and peaceable gouernment of their people I say by the making execution of godly lawes because it is not enough for Kings to make godly lawes vnlesse they procure the same to be duly executed In the former respect kings may loue themselues more then their subiects but in the latter viz. as they are kings they must haue greater care to procure the welfare and good of their people then the welfare and good of themselues And the same may be said Analogically
Hierusalem did of themselues make the famous Doctor Origen Minister of the Church Many like testimonies are euery where to be found in the historie of the Church but I studie to be briefe The fourth Reason drawne from the vniforme consent of late Writers MAister Caluin whose onely testimonie were sufficient in this dispute is so plaine and resolute that whosoeuer shall with iudgement and indifferencie peruse his Doctrine cannot but yeelde vnto mine opinion in this behalfe These are his expresse wordes Est quidem ilâ—ud fateor optima ratione sancitum in Laodicensâ— consilio ne turbis electio permittatur Uix n. vnquam evenit vt tot capita vno sensu rem aliquam benè componant This I confesse was with very great reason decreed in the councell of Laodicea that the Election should not bee permitted to the common people For it is very seldome or neuer seene that so many heads can agree to conclude any matter well Loe this great learned man who was the greatest patron of the new discipline graunteth freely and roundly that the Church may change the maner of election and consequently that no one certaine kind of election is de iure diuino decreed by Gods law to be perpetuall Againe in an other place the same Doctor hath these wordes Verum in caeteris consentanea fuit ipsorum observatio cum Pauli descriptione In eo autem quod tertio loco posuimus quinam scz ministros instituere debeant non vnum semper tenerunt ordinem But in all the rest their obseruation was agreeable to the discriptioÌ„ of the Apostle And touching the third point who ought to choose the Ministers they did not alwaies obserue the same order Loe the maner of chusing the Ministers was not the same in euery place but varied according to the circumstances of times and places as seemed best to euery Church Maister Beza is so plaine in this controuersie though he be deemed one of the chiefest patrons of the Presbyterie that I thinke his words indifferently poâ—deâ—ed will sufficiently confirme mine opinion and the Doctrine I defend These are his expresse words Quoniam plerumque multitudo imperita est intractabilis maior part saepe meliorem vincit ne in democratia quidem legitimè constituta omnia permissa sunt effrent vulgo sed constituti sunt ex populi consensu certi magistratus qui plebi praeeant inconditam multitudinem regaÌ„t Quod sihaec prudetia in negotijs humanis requiritur multo sanè magis opus est certa moderatione in ijsrebus in quibus ho-mines prorsus caecutiuÌ„t Neque causa est cur quisquaÌ„ sani iudicij homo clamitet nullis hic esse prudeÌ„tiae locuÌ„ nisi hanc prudeÌ„tiaÌ„ de qua loquor ostendat cum dei verbo pugnare quod sanè non arbitror Sequitur neque n. simplicitèr spectanduÌ„ quid sit ab apostolis factum in politia ecclesiastica quum diuersissimae sint circumstantiae ac proinde absque Cacozelia non possint omnia omnibus locis ac temporibus ad vnam eandemque formam revocari sed potius spectandus est eorum finis scopus invariabilis ea deligenda forma ac ratio rerum agendarum quae rectaeo deducat Because the multitude is for the most part ignorant and intractable and the greater part doth often preuaile against the better there cannot bee found euen a popular state lawfully appointed where all things are commited to the vnruly multitude but certaine magistrates are appointed by the consent of the people to rule them If this prudence must be had in humane affaires much more is a moderation required in those matters wherein men are altogether blinded Neither is there any cause why any man of sound iudgement should exclame that in such a case there is no place for pollicie vnlesse he can shewe this pollicie whereof I speake to bee repugnant to the word of God which I thinke he can neuer doe For we must not alwaies looke what the Apostles did in Church gouernment seeing there is so great diuersitie of circumstances that a man cannot without preposterous zeale reduce all things in all places and times to one and the selfe same for the but it is sufficient if respect be had to their end and purpose which is not variable and that manner and forme in Church-matters be vsed which leadeth directly thereunto Thus writeth Maister Beza Out of this Doctrine which maister Beza hath freely deliuered to our consideration I obserue these worthy documents which I wish the gentle Reader to keepe alwaies in his good remembrance First that the common people are ignorant and intractable and so vnfiit to beare any â—way in matters of great moment Secondly that in worldly matters the vnâ—uly multitude are euer gouerned by others in euery well managed common-weale Thirdly that a greater care must be had in Church-gouernment and that the vulgar sort must haue lesse dealing therein Fourthly that no wise man will or can denie that the Church must vse great pollicie in these affaires Fiftly that no private man may speake against the Churches pollicie vnlesse hee can prooue the same to bee against the word of God Sixtly that the Church is not alwayes bound to follow that in her pollicie and gouernment which the Apostles did practise in their time Which sixe points if wee shall ponder them seriously we can not but finde our English church gouernment to bee agreable to Maister Bezas doctrine Who I verely thinke if he were here and did behold the same would with applause subscribe therevnto M. Bullenger a man of high esteeme in Christs church hath these wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendi ministros Hoc autem facere potest vel tota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc elects provt commodius vtilius ad pacem conscrvanaam aptius videtur pro locorum personarum temporum ratione Nam cuncta haec ad Pauli regulam dirigenda sunt vt omnia decentèr ordine fiant Sequiturâ— ita Paulus Bernabas presbyteros seu ministros elegerunt in ecclesus Asiae Et Titus in Creta Timotheus in Ephesi ecclesiarum ministros ordinarunt Habent autâ—miâ—â—â—uam potestatem ex eo quod a tota ecclesia delecti sunt quae ex verbo dei potestatem mandatum habet eligendi ecclisiae ministros Wherfore hence it commeth that the Church hath power and commandement to choose Ministers And this commission may be performed either by the Church her selfe wholy or by some faithfull persons chosen by the Church to this ende and purpose as shall be thought more convenient profitable and sit for the peace of the Church regard being had to the places persons and times For all these things must bee referred to Saint Pauls rule that all things may be done decently and in order So Paul and Bernabas choose Ministers in the