his wrath from vs. Now my sonnes be not deceaued for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him to serue him and to be his ministers and to burne incense Then the Leuites arose Mahath c. and they gathered their brethren and sanctified themselues and came according to the commandement of the King and by the wordes of the Lord for to clense the house of the Lord and the priests went into the inner partes of the house of the Lorde to clense it c. Here indéede the King refuseth not the Leuites but calleth them vnto him and maketh vnto them this memorable oration and those that otherwise in their offices were his fathers hée calleth his sons in respect of his supreame authoritie ouer them himselfe being but a young man and they againe speake verse 18. And they went in to Ezechiah the king and sayd we haue clensed all the house of the Lord c. but here is nothing wherein they appoint or charge the King but all still of the Kinges commaundementes vnto them Verse 20. And Hezechias the king rose earlie and gathered the Princes of the citie and went vp to the house of the Lord and they brought seauen bullocks c. And he commanded the Preests the sonnes of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord c. Then they brought the hee Goates for the sinne offering before the King c. For the king had commanded for all Israel the burnt offering and the sinne offering And he appointed also the Leuites in the house of the Lord with Cymbals with Violes with Harpes according to the commandement of Dauid and Gad the kings seer c. And Hezechiah commanded to offer the burnt offering vpon the altar c. verse 30. And Hezechias the king and the princes commanded the Leuites to praise the Lord with the words of Dauid and Asaph the seer so they prayed with ioye and they bowed themselues and worshipped And Hezechias spake and said Now yee haue consecrated your selues to the Lord come neere and bring the sacrifices and offerings of praise into the house of the Lord and the congregation brought sacrifices c. Héere the King still commandeth both the Priests and Leuites and the people and they all obeyed But the Leuites are commended vers 34. To be more vpright in hart to sanctifie themselues then were the Priests As for the 30 chapter which our brethren cite after the foresaid first verse wherein the King writeth to all Israel and Iudah It followeth in the second c. And the king and his princes and all the congregation had taken councell in Ierusalem to keepe the passeouer in the second moneth For they could not keepe it at this time bicause there were not priests enough sanctified neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem And the thing pleased the King and all the congregation and they decreed to make proclamation through-out all Israell c. So the Posts went out with letters by commission from the King and his Princes throughoâ—t all Israel with the commandement of the King saying Yee children of Israel turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac c. And at this sacrifice the King praied for the people saying verse 18 c. The good Lord be mercifull towards him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God the God of his fathers though he be not clensed according to thepurification of the sanctuarie and the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people And verse 22. Hezechiah spakâ— comfortablie to the Leuites that had good knowledge to sing vnto the Lord c. And in the chapter following verse 2. Hezechiah appointed the courses of the Priests and Leuites for the burnt offerings and peace offerings to minister and giue thankes and to praise in the gates of the tentes of the Lord And verse 4. He commanded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem to giue part to the Priests and Leuites that they might be incouraged in the lawe of the Lord. And when the commandement was spred the children of Israell brought aboundance of fruites c. And when Hezekiah and the Princes came and sawe the heapes they blessed the Lord and his people Israel And Hezechiah questioned with the Preists concerning the heapes And Azariah the cheefe preest of the house of Sadoch answered him and said Since the people began to bring offerings we haue eaten and haue beene satisfied and there is left aboundance For the Lord hath blest his people and the aboundance that is left And Hezechiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord c. And Iehiel c. were ouerseers by the appointment of Cononiâ—h and Shimer his brother and by the commandement of Hezechiah the king and of Azariah the cheefe of the house of God c. And thus did Hezechiah through-out all Iuda and did well and vprightlie and truelie before the Lord his God Thus haue we séene both in the chapter quoted by our brethren and the chapter going before and the chapter following how the King directed all those Ecclesiasticall matters commanded ordered and gouerned both the Leuites and the Priests But what is anye thing héere to our brethrens purpose Did the Leuites debate anye controuersies with the King and Princes or with the high Priest before the King And the king the princes or the high preest yeeld therein vnto the Leuites Or not rather they yeeld vnto the king and to the princes and to the high preest in those matters If now this be so memorable an example why doo not our brethren if they will be like the Leuites yeeld to hir Maiestie her counsell and hir Bishops Except they will be rather héerein like the king his princes and the high priest then like these Leuites As for the elders in the assemblie and conference Act. 15. They also yeelded vnto the Apostles not the Apostles vnto them Although the Apostles refused not the elders no more doe our Bishops refuse our brethren or anye other ecclesiasticall persons that are lawfullie appointed and called to the conuocations or to anie other ecclesiasticall assemblie or conference Neither do they denie the accepting euen of the people in some manner to be heard to speake But whereto doe our brethren mention héere the people in this debating This is againe cleane contrârie to their ownâ— rules as we shall sée in this learned discourse Would they haue the people also to be debaters or to be Iudges of these controuersies And to ouer-rule the Bishops and cleargie in the determination of them But they haue yet one example more At least saye they let â—â—eir owne opinion that in interpreting the scriptures and deliuerie of doctrine we are equall with them persuade them And héereto they quote this marginall note and Whitegifts booke pag. 389. If the Archbishop that now is dooth graunt this it is the greater signe of his reuerent modestie Neither do anâ—e of our Bishops or any of vs
the Lawe written or as we might call them Masters of the Rolles which were after called Scribes were instituted of Moses in the Wildernesse first by the authoritie of Iethro his Father in lawe and afterward by commaundement of God For when Moses the first yeere in the Wildernesse sate to heare causes hee was warned by Iethro his Father in lawe that he should spare that labour and appoint wise men skilfull and prudent to iudge in his steede and reserue to himselfe onelie the vnderstanding of matters that were of more importance He therfore appointed them the Princes of whome after shall be spoken Tribunes Centurions Gouernors of fiftie Gouernors of ten or as the Greeke setts them out Chiliarks Hecatontarks Pentecontarks Decadarks to bee introducers of the causes to the Iudges or preferred them to be Grammatoisagogeos the Chauncelors or the Primitories or the enterers in writing of the actions Exod. 18. And choosing valiant men out of all Israel he appointed them Princes of the people Tribunes and Centurions and Captaines ouer fiftie and Captaines ouer ten which should iudge the people at all times Wherefore after the 40. yeare rehearsing to the people the actes that he had done he alleadgeth in the first of Deuteronomie I said vnto you I am not able alone to sustaine your businesses and burden and brawlings giue ye out of your selues wise men and skilfull and whose conuersation is approued in your Tribes that I might place them to be Princes Then ye aunsâ—ered me It is a good thing that thou wilt doo And I tooke wise men and noble out of your Tribes and appointed them to be Princes Tribunes and Centurions and Rulers ouer fiftie and Rulers of tenne which should teach you all things And I commaunded them saying Heare yee them and iudge ye that which is righteous whether he be a citizen or bee bee a straunger let there be no difference of persons Ye shall as well heare the small as the great neither shal ye accept the person of anie whosoeuer because it is the iudgment of God But if anie thing shall seeme difficult vnto you referre that to me and I will heare it But the Graecians haue it more plaine and more apte to vnfolde the manner of these Iudgements And I appointed them to rule ouer you Chiliarkes or Rulers of thousands Hecatontarks or Rulers of hundreds Pentecontarks Quinquegenariens or Rulers of fiftie Deacharks or Rulers of tenne and Grammatoisagogists or the enterers in writing or inrollers of the pleas vnto your Iudges For in steede of that which the latine interpreter translateth which should teach you al thinges the greeke rehearseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the informers in writing vnto your Iudges the text it selfe is and Gouernors to your tribes Afterward the law of God came hereunto wherein concerning these iudges it was enacted chap. 16 in these wordes Thou shalt ordeine vnto thee Iudges and Maisters in all thy Cities which the Lorde God shall giue to thee according to the Tribes And they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement neither shall they wrest the iudgement neither shall they acknowledge the person of anie neither shall they take giftes And in this place for Maisters the Greeke setteth out Grammatoisagogeos the informers in writing or of the Lawe written This Law Iosephus so rehearseth that he sheweth the Iudges were also chosen by lot Let those also which by lotte haue come foorth to iudge be in chiefest honor in the cities let no reproches be spoken in their presence Let the iudges haue the right of pronouncing that which they thinke except that anie shall shew that they haue receiued rewards to iudge or shall alleadge anie other cause of wrong iudgement But as Moses ordained them so afterward king Iosophat confirmed them in the kingdome of Iuda as is declared in the 19. Chap. of the second booke of Chronicles Hee ordained Iudges of the lande in all the dedefenced Cities throughout all places And commaunding the Iudges hee sayde Take heede what yee doo for yee exercise not the iudgement of man but of the Lorde And whatsoeuer you shall iudge shall redound vppon your selues Let the feare of the Lorde bee with you and doo all thinges with diligence VVith our Lord GOD there is no iniquitie nor accepting of persons not desire of rewards After this the iudgements beeing disturbed in the lande of Babylon the Iewes when they returned into their Countrie as they did other matters so they restored these Which thing that it shoulde come to passe Esaie Chap. had forewarned when as hee vttered these speeches of God And I will restore thy Iudges as they were before And after that the king Artaxerxes commaunded that it should be so done For so he wrote in the sixt of Esdras Ordeine thou Iudges and Scribes that they might iudge all the people For he called them Scribes whome wee haue named Grammatoisagogeos the informers of the writings or written Lawe Wherevpon that they were restored the Psalmist reioyced as saith Saint Athanasius which when the citie of Ierusalem was reedified and the iudgementes restored euen as it was foretolde of the Lorde breaking foorth for ioy he song in the Psalme 121. I was gladde in those things that were spoken to me wee will goe into the house of the Lorde our feete standing in thy Courts O Hierusalem Ierusalem which is built as a Citie whose participation is in it selfe For thether the Tribes ascended The Tribes of the Lorde the testimonie of Israel to confesse the name of the Lorde because they set the seates there in iudgement or into iudgement as the Greeke hath it the seates vppon the house of Dauid And so afterwarde euen vntill the laste times of the Iewes But these Iudges seeme to haue bene chosen out of the bodie of the Senators of euerie citie Euen as from the first times also among the Romanes the iudgements were executed of the Senators The Lawe it selfe in many places teacheth it Deut. 19. If the smiter shall flie into one of the foresayde Cities the Senate of that Citie shall sende and take him out of the place of refuge And in 21. VVhen a corps is founde and the slaier shall not be knowen the Senate of the Citie shall go out and measure from that place c. Whervppon Ruth 4. â—ooz taking ten men of the Seniors of the Citie of Bethleem sayd vnto them Sit yee heere and be witnesses The people that was in the gate and the Seniors answered we are witnesses and before them hee tooke the possession of Elimelech Moreouer Philo in lib. de Iudice gathereth out of the Law four conditions of good Iudges c. Furthermore that the Iudgements were exercised in the gate of the Cities that was called the gate of Iudgement the Lawe Deuteronomi 21. declareth c. and 25. and also Iosue 8. c. and Ruth 4. c. Prouerbes 22. and 31. and Psalme 126. c. These Iudgements were made
in this manner Hee that desired to commence an action against another resorted to one of the Princes of of the Iudges which were called Grammato-isagogei the Scribes or informers of the writtes or writings and shewed foorth his cause and requested of him that hee woulde bring it in vnto the Iudges But if he receiued the controuersy for hee might also reiect it hee brought in the same at a day appoynted before the Iudges Whereupon he receaued the name Introductoris of an introducer c. But the Thalmudistes haue shewed that the matter was handled on this wife They that demaunded the Lawe came to the Iudges of their Citie who if they heard them not they went to them of the next Citie But and if so bee that neither yet they hearkened vnto them then they went vnto the Iudges of Hierusalem which sate in two gates After whom from them if that yet they obtained not their purpose they fledde to the Councell the which they called Sanhedrin Their wordes such as are rehearsed by Petrus Galatinus a man in time past an Hebrue are these In the beginning there was no controuersie in Israel but the house of the Iudgement of the threescore and tenne Iudges sate in diuers places For one of the houses sate in the gate of the Mount that is of the Temple but another in the gate of the Porch As for the other houses of the three and twentie Iudges fate in euerie of the Cities of of Israel But when anie thing was to be demaunded it was demaunded of the house of Iudgement which was in the selfe same Citie If they heard it Dicebant they declared it or gaue sentence thereon but if not they came to that order that was in the next Citie Who if they heard it they declared it vnto them or gaue sentence If not they went to that order which was in the gate of the Porche of the Lordes house and saide Sic exposui sit socij mei exposuerunt sic docui sic socij mei docuerunt Thus haue I shewed it and thus haue my fellowes shewed it thus haue I taught and thus haue my fellowes taught it Who if they heard it they declared it vnto them If not then both these and those went to the Consistorie Gazith wherein the Sanedrin sate from the morning till the euening But in the Sabbothes and first daies they sate in the wall Thus farre the Thalmudistes And thus farre also Sigonius for the iudgements of the Seniors in euerie Citie Whereby agayne wee perceiue the authority that these Seniors had The next and seuenth chapter is all of this Senat that Caluine and our Brethren say Christ alluded vnto and hath translated vnto vs. But the Consistorie Gazith saith Sigonius which the Graecians haue named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Chayre the Latines Councell the Thalmudists Sanhedrin was the ample or honourable Tribunall or iudgement seate of all the Iudges both in number and in dignitie in that Citie which the Lorde hath chosen and decreed to be the head both of holinesse and of the Empire that is first in Silo and afterward at Ierusalem or else first in the Tribe of Ephraim and afterwarde in the Tribe of Iuda In that Councell it was established that those thinges which could not bee defined of the Iudges of euerie of their Cities varying in their sentences concerning the Lawe or concerning the fact shoulde in conclusion be referred heerevnto But nowe beeing about to treate of this Tribunall I will first shewe foorth all those thinges that are declared of the Thalmudists And then I will adde what I my selfe haue founde by reading in the holie Writers Thus therefore haue they in diuers places In the time of Moses by the commaundement of God seuentie Elders of auncient yeeres and tried in knowledge were chosen out which shoulde bee Coadiutors of Moses himselfe in the gouernment of the people vnto whome it pertained both to declare all the difficulties of the Lawe and to define them and also in weightie matters and harde causes to giue iudgement Of whome is written that in the Deuteronomie If thou shalt perceiue that a difficult and doubtfull iudgement is before thee arise and goe vp to the place which the Lorde thy God shal haue chosen and there shalt thou call vpon his name As for these they were called by the tearme Sanhedrin and they sate in the Consistorie Gazith to iudge the iudgements of the liues and they were called Meokekim that is Scribes or Lawe-makers because that whatsoeuer they deliuered and wrote was holden of others as a Lawe The College of whome represented the Scepter giuen of the holie Ghost to the house of Iacob And the scepter it selfe depended on theÌ„ Wherevpon not onelie they that were resiant vnder the kings and Captaines or Dukes exercised the power of iudging but also while there was no king nor Duke extant among the Iews neuerthelesse the authoritie of them endured But ther wer 4. maners of putting to death deliuered to them To stone them to burne them to wound them to death and to strangle them Whereupon their vse was that when they hadde destroyed anie bodies life that is when they had iudged anie to bee slaine all that day they tasted nothing Moreouer the Iudgementes concerning money or goods mooueable were made by three Iudges the Iudgements of the liues by three and twentie But none iudged the Scepter or a false Prophet or the high Priest but the house of the 70. Iudges Neither did they goe foorth to warre except according to the mouth or sentence of the house of the Iudgement of the 70. Iudges Nec addebant Ciuitaâ—â— neither encreased they the citie or indenized anie nor the salaries or stipends of the Temple except by them Neither made they the Sanhedriâ—th that is the meetings or Sessions of the Iudges for the Tribes but by them The great Colledge was of 71. Iudges the lesse of 23. But the 70. Seniours were those of whome it is said Num. 11. Gather to me three-score and tenne Elders and Moses one Their lesser Sanedrion assemblie or meeting of them could not be ordeined but of the assemblie or meeting of the 70. that were the greater For those 70. Iudges ordeined the assemblies of the other Iudges which in other Cities places rouÌ„d about gouerned the people howbeit on this condition that euerie Assemblie of whatsoeuer Region it were shoulde bee vnder the Assemblie in Ierusalem and in the place called Gazith But the Iudges were chosen with the imposition of handes insomuch that fiue were necessarie for the dooing of that office But these Sanhedrins Herode the King tooke away Other after that were substituted but without the power of blood or of life and death whereupon they aunswered Pilate It is not lawfull for vs to kill anie man From thence foorth for their false iudging of Christe they were expulsed out of the Consistorie Gazith fortie yeeres before the Temple
not thinke héere vpon that bicause this gouernement is not héere mentioned among the gifts which our Sauiour Christ gaue to his church on earth when he ascended into heauen He was vnmindfull of his church or that S. Paule was vnmindfull of his giftes or that the church hauing not had this now desired gouernment for so manye hundreth yeares should haue béene so long time vnmindfull or destitute of the same if it had béene any matter wherein the perfection of the church consisted or the want thereof had béene any impediment to those ends that the Apostle héere citeth But we may rather thinke the contrarie that it was no such important matter and therefore not necessarie to be minded Well yet if it be not in the one place héere quoted it maye be in the other Let vs therefore likewise sée the other 1. Cor. 12.28 And there indéed are gouernours mentioned in expresse termes For where S. Paule had said Verse 27. Now are ye the bodie of Christ and members for your parte it followeth And God hath ordeined some in the church as first Apostles sâ—condlie Prophet thirdlie Teachers then them that doo miracles after that the giftes of healing helpers gouernors diuersities of toongs Héere are giftes reckoned vp Apostles and Prophets mentioned before and héere among other are gouernors named but what kind of gouernors Or whether with anie ordinarie forme and order of gouernement for the church alwaieâ— to be directed by any more then by anye other of the residue héere mentioned except Teachers which are alwaies necessarie for the instructioÌ„ oâ— doctrine and documents of life this place helpeth to our brethrens purpose no more then did the other Neither was the purpose of S. Paule héerin directed to any such bent but to exhort the Corinthians vnto edifiyng in vnitie and loue and not to distract themselues in faction about thesâ— giftes as he procéedeth saying Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Arâ— all Teachers Are all workers of miracles Haue all the giftes of healing Doo all speake with toongs Doo all interpret But desire yoâ— the best giftes and I will yet shew you a more excellent waie And so hâ— entreth into a lerned discourse indéed chap. 13. Not of this our brethrenâ— plotforme of ecclesiasticall gouernement as tending to the perfection of the church But of the excellencie of loue or charitie aboue all thâ— giftes and offices that he had named and maketh this the waie to tend vnto the perfection of the church concluding thus And now abidetâ— faith hope and loue these three but the cheefest of these is loue Thiâ— was the full drift of S. Paule in this place concerning the mysticall bodiâ— of Christe which is his church or house and that the building vp thereof euen where he speaketh of Gouernors and of the waye tending to perfection where he citeth many giftes and offices and yet can we nâ—t héere finde this platforme of ecclesiasticall gouernement which our brâ—thren desire seeke for now in the beginning of this learned discourse and afterwards againe and againe in these placeâ— And yet had there béene then in the church of Christ anye such plotforme S. Paule had in this place notable occasion to haue treated thereof But héere is no mention of it or of any peâ—petuall forme at all prescribed of ecclesiast gouernement saue onelie of Teaching except they wil include that in gouerning So that finding nothing hetherto to satisfie their desires in searching these two testimonies of the scripture let vs now procéed to search further with them for this matter We finde also that as the offices are diuerse of this ministerie so they are not generall vnto all the church but as order and necessitie require for executing of their office distributed and limited vnto certeine places or particuler churches according to the diuision of regions cities and townes For we read that Paule and Barnabas ordeined at Derbie Lystra Iconium and Antiochia c elders by election in euerie church with praier and fasting and so commended them to the Lord in whome they beleeued Also Paule left Titus in the Isle of Creta that he should ordeine Elders in euerie citie as he had appointed What our brethren did finde in the two foresaide testimonies of the scripture we haue alreadie séene that is to saye they haue found out in them for the confirmation of the question betwéene vs what more what lesse méere nothing Héere they tell vs they finde also that the diuerse offices of this ministerie are not generall vnto all the church But they finde also this so doubtfullye that we can scarce tell howe to finde also what it is that they saye héere they haue found For what meane they by these words that as the offices are diuerse so are they not generall vnto all the church Whether meane they not generall vnto all the church in respect of all the persons of whom the church consisteth that is to say not generall or coÌ„mon to all men Or meane they it in respect of the time that is to say they are not generall or perpetuall to all the continuance of the churche to the worlds end And if they do so why do they then alledge these places for them Sithe they can neither finde by them all the offices of eccl gouernmeÌ„t that they desire nor those places do diâ—â—inguish which diuerse offices of this ministerie are generall or perpetuall and which are not Or meane they generall in respect of all places wheresoeuer the church is through-out all the world dispersed And although this last sence seemeth to draw néerest to the coherence of their words following but as order and necessitie require for executing of their office distributed and limited vnto corteine places or particuler churches according to the diâ—isions of regions cities and townes yet â—re these wordes me thinkes as darke or darker then the other And â—â—ill 〈◊〉 correction I wishe they had for their owne sakes set downe their words more plainelie For my part I gather this of themâ— that for the executing of anye of those diuerse offices not speaking of those that are alreadie ceased but of those that are ordinarie offices which our brethren also make diuerse offices these cannot execute their offices but that for order sake and of verie necessitie these offices or officers must be distributed and limited either vnto certeine places or particuler churches where they may gouerne feede or teach the people and these certeine places or particuler churches are to be assigned or appointed vnto these diuerse offices or officers according to the diuisions of regions cities and townes that is to say some of these diuerse offices or officers to wit Gouernors Pastors Teachers to be distributed and limited some ouer regions other ouer cities and other ouer townes Is not this their meaning that these diuerse offices should be thus distinguished and limitted and that for order sake yea that verie necessitie dooth
monethes disputing and exhorting to the thinges that appertayne to the kingdome of God But when certaine were hardened and disobeyed speaking euill of the way of God before the multitude he departed from them and separated the Disciples and disputed daylie in the schoole of one Tyrannus And this was done by the space of two yeares So that all they which dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesus both Iewes and Graecians So that although Saint Luke saye on the occasion of the myracles following verse 20. So the worde of God grewe mightily and preuailed yet all this while héere is no store of Pastors ordeyned in this Church of Ephesus that we reade of during Saint Paules aboade among them Nowe sayth Luke ver 21. when these thinges were accomplished Paule purposed by the spirite to passe through Macedonia and Achaia and to goe to Ierusalem saying after I haue beene there I must also see Rome So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministred to him Timotheus and Erastus But he remayned in Asia for a season And the same time there arose no small trouble about that waye For a certaine man named Dometrius a siluer Smith c. And so Luke entereth into the declaration of that sedition which to haue pacified ver 30 When Paule would haue entered in vnto the people the Disciples suffered him not Certaine also of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he would not present himselfe in the common place Whereuppon it followeth in this 20. Chapter verse 1. Nowe after the tumult was ceased Paule called the Disciples to him and embraced them and departed to goe into Macedonia So that heere is described by Luke all the state of the Church of Ephesus from the time that it first receaued the faith of Christe till Saint Paule in his returne towardes Ierusalem hauing passed by Ephesus because hee woulde not spende the time in Asia beeing come to Miletum sayeth Luke VVherefore from Miletum hee sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Churche By all which conference it may appeare that there were not at that time manie Pastors of the Church of Ephesus And that though the word of God grewe mightilie there and preuailed yet wee may perceaue that the most parte of the Citie remayned Idolatrous so that the greatnesse of this Churche was but in comparison of other lesser Cities And if it were as Caluine obserueth on Act. 14. verse 23. And when they had ordeyned them Elders by election in euerie Churche c. I interprete Presbyters Priestes or Elders to be heere called those vnto whome the office of teaching was enioyned for that there were some that onely were correctors of manners appeareth out of Paule 1. Tim. 5.17 Nowe where Luke sayeth that they were placed ouer euerie Churche hereupon is gathered the difference betwixt their office and the Apostles For the Apostles had no certaine station but oftentimes ranne about hether and thether to fownde newe Churches As for Pastors as placed in holdes were addicted euerie one of them to their proper Churches If this nowe were the Apostles disposing of these Pastors euerie one of them to their proper Churches that is singuler men in singuler Cities besides that by the way he maketh the office of the Pastors to be teaching is it likely there were manie hauing pastorall cure in this one Churche of Ephesus For we finde not in all Paules aboade there of diuerse congregations or Churches amonge them Who may not therefore if we conferre these thinges togeather plainely ynough perceaue that where the text sayth not from Miletum hee sent to call the Elders of the Church of Ephesus but from Miletum he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Churche that it should rather séeme hee meaneth the Elders both of the Churche of Ephesus and of other Cities of Asia bordering there-about For as Luke sayde before Chapter 19. ver 10. All they which dwels in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesus both Iewes and Graecians And againe verse 3. Certaine also of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he would not present him-selfe in the common place So that it might verie well be that hearing of his approche and belike thinking he would haue come thether or of some other occasion béeing there assembled as to the chiefe Citie and greatest Churche of all those coastes he sent thether for them And yet the woordes driue not so straightly neyther that hée sent thether for them but onely that he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Churche So that they might be called as well from other places as from thence And the wordes of Paule vnto them apparantly stretche further than to Ephesus Who when they were come to him sayeth Luke he sayde vnto them Yee knowe from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons These wordes being directly spoken to these persons whome he called for and expressely saying he had béene with them from the first daye hee had béene in Asia and hee had béene long before in Asia in his first peregrination which these our Bretheren mentioned before out of the 13. Chapter that he and Barnabas were by the holie-Ghost seuered out to trauaile thether wherein hee had béene at Perga in Pamphilia at Antioche in Pisidia at Iconium Derbe Lystra in Lycaonia and Attalia all Cities of this Asia the lesse where Ephesus was the chiefeste of them all Saint Paule with Barnabas hauinge planted the Faith and ordeyned Elders in euerie Churche as is afore-saide in his seconde peregrination returning with the Apostles decrees to confirme these forsaide and other places and being againe in Asia till he was Actes 16. ver 9. and 10. called by the Lorde to preach the Gospell in Macedonia which done departing from Corinth he came first to this Citie of Ephesus at what time he tarried not Act. 18.20 till in his returne from Ierusalem Act. 19. ver 1. he came againe to Ephesus where he remayned two yeares and a quarter Howebeit the most writers call it two yeare including the thrée monethes that Luke speaketh of before ver 8. for the time he taught in the Synagogue with the time that hee taught in Tyrannus his schole And this sayeth Luke was done by the space of two yeares ver 10. but Saint Paule in this Oration sayth to them verse 31. By the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euerie one both night and day with teares So that he plainely includeth with them other Churches of Asia where he had likewise trauailed Which also hee had before as it were expressed ver 25. And nowe beholde I knowe that hence foorth ye all through whom I haue gone preaching the kingdome of God shall see my face no more By all which we may safely conclude that these Elders were they Bishoppes or Pastors or any
with the princes yea and with Caesar also obeye the Bishop and the Bishop Christe as Christe the Father and so is an vnitie kept by all What can be plainer spoken bothe for the difference and for the superioritie of these ecclesiasticall offices I vrge not these Epistles as approouing all things in them nor auouching the credit of them and therefore passe ouer the residue seruing also to this purpose Neither yet dare I discredit them in all points namelie in this for the distinction of these three offices Bishop priests and Deacons and for the superioritie of the Bishop in anye citie ouer all the cleargie there Bicause these things accord with all the other writers and state of that age immediatlie following the Apostles In Asia also about the same time was Papias of whom Ieromie saith Papias the hearer of Iohn the Bishop of Hieropolis in Asia and diuerse other famous Bishops of that age of whome saithe Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 20 c. At Antiochia about the same time Theophilus helde the Bishoprike of the Church being the sixt from the Apostles where Cornelius was the fourth after Heron Ignatus successor whome in the 5. degree Heron succeeded At the same time also was Egesippus holden famous of whome wee haue spoken before And Dionisius Bishop of Corinthe Pimitus was the most noble among the Bishops of Creta Phillip also and Apollinaris and Melito Musanus and Modestus And the cheefest of all Iraeneus of which men most excellent monuments of the Apostolicall faithe and sounde doctrine are come euen vnto our age Egesippus in the firste booke of his Commentaries where hee sets downe the sentence of his beleefe with most full proofe declareth also this that when he trauelled to Rome hauing conferred in speech and amitie with the Bishops in all places he founde them all Preachers and Teachers of one faithe and also in the Epistle of Clement written to the Corinthians he mencioneth somthings that I thought necessarie to insert into this worke He saithe therefore And the Churche saithe he of Corinthe euen vntill Primus the Bishoppe whome sayling to Rome I sawe and abode with him at Corinthe manie daies being delighted with the sinceritie of his faith but when I came to Rome I abode there vntill Soter succeeded Amcedus and Eleutheims succeeded Soter But in all these their ordeinings or in other things that I sawe in other cities all things were in such sorte euen as the law from of olde had deliuered and the Prophets had iudged and the Lorde had appointed Moreouer the saide partie recordeth certeine suche sayings also of the Heretikes that arose in his time And after saithe hee that Iames called the Iuste was martyred euen as the Lorde also himselfe bare witnesse to the truthe Simeon the sonne of Cleopas the vnckle of Christe was by the diuine election ordeined Bishop chosen of all in regarde that he was the cousine of the Lorde the Churche then was called a virgine bicause that as yet shee was not defiled with the vndermining of the adulterous worde But one Theobatus for that he deserued the repulse of a Bishoprike began euen in the beginning to disturbe and corrupte all things c. Héere we sée againe by Egesippus that liued in Iustines time not by the suspected Egesippus that we haue but by the fragments of the true Egesippus taken out of Eusebius another firme testimonie that Iames was Bishop of Ierusalem and Simeon after him Yea Eusebius reckoneth vp lib. 4. cap. 5.25 Bishops of Ierusalem one succéeding another from the Apostles times vntill that destruction of Ierusalem vnder the Emperor Adrian besides all the other Bishops in other places and yet that the Churche continued still vndefiled So that this superioritie was no defiling of the Churches discipline but the godlie gouernment of it and as Egesippus noteth euen the appointment of the Lord being practised and approoued by the Apostles And that all the disturbance and corruption entred indéed as Beza and our Brethren note on occasion of striuing for this superioritie but yet this superioritie was not the cause but their diuilish ambition and pride as in this Theobutus and Simon Magus and Diotrephes c. who could abide no rulers ouer them but would themselues be rulers ouer others and when they had repulses then as the for dispraised the grapes they brake out into schismes and heresies So that this rather confirmeth this superioritie then makes against it And these godlie Fathers that gaue not this offence though other tooke it continued this order of superioritie in Bishops and were the greatest defenders of Gods truthe and Churche against these Scismatikes Heretikes and disturbers of it But nowe at length saith Euseb. procéeding ca. 23. we must come to the mencioning of the blessed Dionysius Bishop of the Church of Corinth whose learning and grace that he had in Gods worde not onelie those people enioied when he tooke vpon him for to gouerne but those also that were farre off to whō he gaue his presence by his Epistles There is extant an epistle of his cōcerning the Catholike faith written to the Lacedemonians in the which most florishingly he treateth of peace cōcord And an other to the Atheniās wherein he mooueth thē to beleefe of the Gospell stirreth vp the sluggish withall reprooueth certeine as almost falne frō the faith whē as their B. Publius had suffered martyrdom And also he mencioneth Quadratus that in the Sacerdotall Priesthood succeeded Publius And he telleth how that by his labour and industrie a certeine reuiuing or quickning warmth of faith was renewed in them Héere this Quadratus is said by this Dionysius to succéed Publius in Sacerdotio in the Sacerdotall Priesthood not that the Priesthood and the Bishoprike was equall and all one for then hee had not succéeded him being a Priest or pastorall Elder in Publius time But that which Ruffinus translateth in Sacerdotio Eusebius himselfe calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Publius that was Bishop before him he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Quadratus was also a Prophet as saithe Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 37. For hauing reckoned vp Ignatius and Heron that gouerned the Churche of Antiochia he saithe Among them flourished Quadratus who togithee with the daughters of Philip was most famous in the grace of prophesieng and also manie other Disciples of the Apostles were aliue at that time Who vpon the foundations of the Churche laide by them did build vp moste worthie buildings increasing in all things the preaching of the worde of God and scattering more abroade through all the earth the wholesome seeds of the kingdome of Heauen To conclude manie of them kindeled with more feruent desire of the diuine Philosophie did consecrate their soules to the worde of God filling vp the wholesome precept of perfection that distributing their goods to those that had moste neede they might be made readye to preache the
Gospell if that perhaps they should preache in anye prouinces where the name of the faithe was not knowne And laying among them the firste foundation of the Gospell and committing the Churches that they had founded to some certeine chosen of them to the office of gouerning the Churche that they themselues hastened to other nations and to other prouinces and exercised the office of Euangelists so long as likewise the effect of diuine tokens and the grace of the Holie-ghoste did followe as it did the Apostles in the beginning Insomuch that at one preaching whole peoples were brought to the worship of the diuine religion and the hearers faithe was not more slowe then were the Preachers wordes But bicause it is impossible to reckon vp euerye one of them whoe were after the firste successions of the Apostles in the Churches that are through-out the worlde either the princes he meaneth the Bishops that were the cheefe Ecclesiasticall Gouernours or primates of the Churche or the Euangelists or the pastors let it suffice to haue onelie remembred those the monuments of whose faithe and preaching set downe in bookes haue come euen to vs as of Clement and Ignatius and of other of whome wee haue before made mention Thus as Ruffinus translates him saithe Eusebius there on occasion of this notable Bishop Quadratus whereby nothing withall the distinction of all these Bishops to be the cheefe rulers ouer the Pastors euen from the firste planting of the faithe and founding of the Churches throughout the worlde it plainelie appeareth that this Quadratus was long before he was Bishop a pastor of the worde bothe at Athens and at Corinthe as the Centuriographers note saying It is out of controuersie that hee was at Athens and there with singuler faithe and dexteritie deliuered the Euangelicall doctrine But whether hee were also an Athenian by countrie or in what place speciallie in the beginning whether he taught in the Churche or in the Schoole it is verie obscure That he was furnished with learning with faithe with an excellent libertie of reprehension and with all giftes that beseeme a successor of the Apostles is cleere bothe by the testimonie of Eusebius and by the things them-selues that he did Yea he was famous in the gifte of prophesie as also at the same time were Philips daughters It appeareth that before he entred into the function of a Bishop although we may not auouch that for certeintie he had offered his writing for the Christians vnto Hadrian and therevpon gotten himselfe an excellent fame By this also it is most manifest that Publius was aliue Quadratus continued vnder him and was not Bishop although he were so famous a Priest or pastorall Elder yet so long as this there nor his equall So that although a Bishop was a Priest or pastorall Elder yet was not euerie such Priest a Bishop though otherwise he were neuer so famous a Priest or Pastor But to returne to Dionysius of Corinthe in Eusebius lib. 4. cap. â—2 And this he noteth in that Epistle that Dionysius the Areopagite which being instructed of the Apostle Paule beleeued in Christe according to those things that are noted in the Acts of the Apostles was of the said Apostle ordeined Bishop at Athens And so reckoning vp other Epistles of this Dionysius and in them commending Philip Bishop of the Gortinians in Creta and Palmus a Bishop of Pontus vnto these saith he is ioyned another Epistle to the Gnosians in the which hee warneth and beseecheth Pinitus their Bishop that hee should not laye vpon the neckes of the Disciples heauye burdens nor impose a necessitie of a forced chastitie vpon his bretheren in the which the weakenesse of manie should be endangered Wherby it appeareth that he would haue enforced the Priests vnder him to haue absteined from mariage for it cannot be vnderstood that he went about to haue so enforced all the people but as the papists afterward did enforce the Priests or pastorall Elders whome he calleth his Disciples and his bretheren Which plainelie argueth though he abused the same his superioritie ouer them for had they béene his equals he could not haue doone it Nexte to whome Eusebius reckoneth Theophilus Bishop of Antioche an excellent writer Whome Maximinus succéeded the 7 saith Eusebius after the Apostles in the Sacerdotall Prieststood of the Churche of Antiochia By which tearme againe he meaneth the Bishoprike and not the Pastorall Eldership or Priesthood As shall yet more plainelie appeare euen in the next example of Irenaeus which was the moste singular instrument of God in all that age a scholler of Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna who after comming to Lions in France where liuing with Photinus their reuerend Bishop hee was made Presbyter a Priest or pastorall Elder of that Churche And when troubles grew in the East parts about Montanus Alcibiades and Theodotus troubling the Churche with a new kinde of prophesiyng which Montanus as noteth Euseb. li. 5. cap. 16 was inflamed with too great a desire of primacie the Churche of Lions sent Ireneus to them to pacifie the same And by the waye sent him also saith Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 3. to Eleutherius Bishop of the citie of Rome warning him of the Churches peace Who also commended to the foresaid Bishop of the citie of Rome Irenaeus being then as yet a priest or Elder of the Churche of Lions Yeelding a testimonie of his life which the wordes vnder written doo declare we wish you O Father Eleutherius in all things and alwaies in the Lord well to fare We haue requested our brother and fellow Irenaeus to beare these writings vnto you whome we beseech that you will haue recommended as one that is zealous of the Testament of Christe For if wee knew that anye mans degree would get and purchase righteousnesse as in that hee is a Priest or Elder of the Churche which also this man is certeinelie we would haue commended this cheefelie in him By which testimonie it appeareth especiallie being sent in such waightie affaires that hee was a great and famous Preacher at that time and yet was no Bishop in that Churche Yea it should séeme that hee had béene a Pastorall Elder or Priest a good while before he was Bishop For Eusebius in his Chronicle maketh the persecution in France to be in the seauenth yeare of Marcus Antonius which belike lasted long and Photinus Bishop of Lions being yet aliue and the prophesiyng of Montanus his fellowes being in the eleuenth yeare he is not reckoned there as Bish. till the 3. yeare of Commodus So that he was Priest before he was Bishop about a dozen yeares by this rockoning if not more Yea the Magdeburgenses that say there are which affirme that in the 13. yeare of Marcus Antonius hee came to his Bishoprike about the yeare of our Lorde 176. But vnder Commodus hee flourished most of all The contention for Easter when it was hoattest Eusebius in his Chronicle placeth in the
them being Priestes also any of them called Bishop of those Seas or in any one of those places sauing only Ierusalem that had then 2. Bishops together in one Citie Which fell out vpon a straunge occasion is noted as a rare accident And yet in euery of those famous places they had many at least moe than one that were Pastorall Elders that preached ministred the Sacraments in the Bishops absence which againe plainly conuinceth that there was a great difference in the ordinary Gouernement of the Churches besides the extraordinarie gouernment of the Councels betwéene a Bishop and a Prieste or Elder In the one the Bishop being alwaies the Superiour in his particuler Diocese In the other some Bishop being chosen the Superiour or Praesident ouer the other Bishoppes in that prouinciall assembly And to shew this yet more playne and not only this but to measure this matter being but a matter of gouernment if it had beene diuerslye vsed in diuerse Churches and not vniuersally alike in all to declare by this matter héere in question how far foorth we ought and no furder at the furdest to striue against it without making schisme or diuision of the Churches peace and vnity Let vs sée the collections of Eusebius and Ierome about the trouble and pacification of this question for it fitlye serueth to our purpose But the Bishops of the coastes of Asia saith Eusebius lib. 5. cap 24. did rather confirm the custom deliuered them from their auncientes Amongst whome Polycrates which seemed to beare the Primacie among them writing to Victor Bishop of the church of Rome noteth in these wordes the manner of the auncient tradition continued euen to his owne time We therefore saith hee do celebrate the inuiolable day of Easter neyther adding nor diminishing any thing For the great lightes in Asia the chiefe and choise men are fallen asleepe whome the Lorde in his comming shall raise when hee shall come from heauen in glory when he shal call for all his Saintes Among whome is Philip the Euangelist which fell a-sleepe at Hierapolis and also his 2. daughters which waxed olde beeing virgines and another daughter of his replenished with the holy Ghoste which fell a-fleepe at Ephesus And Iohn also which leaned on the Lords brest who was the chiefe Sacerdotall Prieste and wore the pontificall or golden plate he alludeth as I take it vnto the High-Priest among the Iewes signifiing the chiefe dignity and estimation he had in Asia which was a Martyr a Doctor of the Church who also is fallen a-sleep or died at Ephesus Polycarpus also at Smirna both Bishop and Martyr and likewise Thraseas Bishop at Eumenia but by martyrdome he died at Smirna What shall I name Sagaren beeing no lesse a Prieste and Martyr which resteth in peace at Laodicea More-ouer Papirius and Macarius or rather Papirius the blessed and Melito but an Eunuche for the kingdome of God and filled with the holye Ghoste who heth in the Citie of Sardensias expecting the comming of the Lorde from heauen to rayse againe the dead Al these therfore obserued the Easterday on the 14. day of the Moneth according to the Gospell Dooing nothing at all otherwise without it but by all thinges and in all thinges following the rule of faith Yea and I Polycrates also the leaste amongest you all doe obserue it according to the tradition of my Fathers these onely whome I haue followed euen from the beginning For seuen of my Parentes haue beene Bishoppes by order and I the eight who haue also thus obserued this daie that it mighte agree with that daye wherein the people of the Iewes remooued the leauen Wherefore most deere brethren I am now in the name of the Lorde three-score and fiue yeares olde hauing also most full vnderstanding of manie Bishops through-out the worlde and intentiuely marking the Scriptures I will not be mooued by those thinges which are set out to make men afrayde sithe that mine-elders haue also sayde wee must obey GOD more than men And after a fewe wordes he setteth these vnder it concerning those Bishops that were present with him But I could also make mention of those Bishops that your selues desired I shoulde call foorth as also I haue doone Whose names if I should write it is too great a multitude Who all knowing my businesse haue confirmed those thinges that we write with their consent being perswaded that we haue not carried graye hayres to no purpose but haue beene alwayes conuersant in Christes discipline Thus wrote this reuerende Bishop of Ephesus against saith Ierome the Bishop of Rome about this matter but I followe Eusebius as hée is translated by Ruffinus In the which Epistle we may againe perceaue that the Bishop of Rome had no such superioritie ouer these Bishops as he nowe pretendeth Onely he in the name of his Church or of those Bishops that were likewise at Rome assembled ouer whome Victor was the President had requested this Bishop of Ephesus it being so great and famous a Sea aboue all the Bishoprikes of those partes of Asia the lesse to assemble and call for the Bishops of that prouince to debate and giue their iudgementes on this question And yet this argueth that not onely this Polycrates called such a great multitude from seuerall places o◠such onely as were Bishops in the same but also that as these Bishops were called from their owne Cities for the decision of this controuersie not onely there appeareth a difference betwéene a Bishop and the Priests or Pastorall Elders left at home to minister the worde and Sacraments but also an ordinarie superioritie of this Bishop of Ephesus ouer the other Bishops of that Prouince to call and assemble them togeather to a certaine place and to propounde this petition of the Italian Bishops vnto them or else that he vsurped it and encroched vpon them or else that the Bishop of Rome had some authoritie ouer him and all them to will him so to doe But sithe it is apparant that the Bishop of Romes authoritie was neuer no not when it was greatest there acknowledged it followeth that not onely Bishops were then Superiors vnto the ordinarie sorte of Pastorall Elders but that euen at that time there was an ordinarie superioritie in that and such other principall places ouer the ordinarie sort of Bishops also And no doubt he being the eight Bishop there and by the count of his age hauing liued within 40. yeares after Iohn the Euangelist and in the time of Policarpus whom he also mentioneth and all of them beeing so precise that they would not go one iote neither in adding too nor taking from the scripture no not in so much as the alteration of a day nor would varie in anye thing from their forefathers nor anie of their forefathers from the Scripture howe is it likely but that they tooke this order both for one Pastorall Elder in a Citie to be superior in
the Prophet in the Psalme 78. ver 70. c. He chose Dauid also his seruant and tooke him from the sheepe foldes euen from behinde the ewes with young brought he him to feede his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israell So hee fedde them according to the simplicitie of his heart and guided them by the discretion of his handes Princes then being Pastors our Brethren say Pastors are Substitutes of God and haue an office of credite committed vnto them Shall wée therfore thus conclude here with our Brethrens consequence Therfore by no good reason may they make any substitutes in their place or coÌ„mitte their charge vnto another Mought not Dauid substitute his deputies both in the teritories he coÌ„quered froÌ„ other Princes out of the bounds of Israell and make Substitutes Liefetenants of his owne Cities Castles Mought not Iosaphat make Zebadiah a ruler of the house of Iudah for all the kings affaires 2. Chron. 19. v. 11. mought not Pharao make Ioseph his substitute ouer all Aegypt mought not Ahasuerus make Mardocheus his Substitute And Darius Daniel And Artaxerxes Nehemias doth the holy Ghost improue this order of substitutioÌ„ vnder the Emperor Luke 3. v. 1. Now in the fift yeare of the reigne of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being Gouernour of Iudea and Herode tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the countrie of Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene Did Christ denie Pilates authoritie to be lawfull because hée was the debitie or substitute of Tiberius or S. Paule not acknowledge Faelix and Festus substitutes of Nero and gouernors of those parties in his absence And is not this also the doctrine of S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. ver 13. 14. Submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superiour or vnto Gouernours as vnto them thaâ— are sent of him And are not al these againe both the kings substitutes and the kings theÌ„selues the substitutes of God as Iosaphat said vnto his Iudges that he set through out the lande in euery Citie 2. Chron. 19.6 Take heede what ye do for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord And S. Paul speaking of the Magistrate Rom. 13. ver 1.4 5. saith There is no power but of God c. He is the minister of God c. they are Gods ministers c. and how his ministers but as substitutes may they therefore make no substituts vnder them nor coÌ„mit their charge vnto another This doctrine of our Breth is very dangerous toucheth not only Eccl. Pastors Bish. all appropriations to the Prince or to whoÌ„ soeuer but also toucheth so néere or rather cutteth cleane off all Princes holding of diuerse realmes dominions signiories by what right of conquest gift inheritance or any other neuer so good title they enioy the same Yea and all nobles or any other priuate persons offices and liuings that as they are all of them what soeuer they haue and whosoeuer they be but substitutes of God and haue offices of credite coÌ„mitted vnto them So if they haue any moe offices or liuings than one and in one place they must cleane forsake them giue theÌ„ all vp And why forsooth because they are but substitutes of God and can not make any substitute in their place Now although this doctrine be so dangerous absurde notwithstanding our Brethren to confirme it do procéed The law of man grounded vpoÌ„ good reason alloweth not substitutes of substitutes nor coÌ„mitting ouer of an office of credite in teÌ„porall matters How shall God almightie then take it in good part wheÌ„ the flock of Christ which he hath purchased with his own bloud shal be so greatly neglected to the endangering of their euerlasting saluation Sith I professe not the study of the law of man I referre the discussing of the same to the learned professors of it But it being grounded as our Breth say vpon good reason and but the law of man speaking but of the substitutes of man it séemes no good reason it should ouer-rule those that by the law of God are the substitutes of God of whoÌ„ our Breth before spake And although I gladly yéelde vnto this rule of the law of man being grounded vpoÌ„ good reason yet in my simple reason it shold séeme not to be so absolute a lawe so generall a rule but that it may both by the law of man it selfe grounded vpon as good reason as it by the lawe of God whereunto all the groundes of good reason giue place admit many exceptions that controll it For although in the Courte of Delegates it might haue some place yet in some cases delegates the are but substitutes of the Prince do substitute delegates and other substitutes as commissioners vnder them to search out matters and circumstances and to call before them and examine such persons factes as they their selues being absent can not inquire vpon But what toucheth this the Prince himselfe that maketh these delegates and yet himself is but a delegate vnder God This rule of the law of man Nemo potest glady putestateÌ„ sibi datam vel cuiuslibet alterius coertionis ad aliuÌ„ transferre No man can passe ouer to another the power of the sword that is the autoritie of putting to death or of any other punishmeÌ„t was an ancient rule among the Romanes tendring the libertie life of man and yet al kings Princes to whoÌ„ God hath giuen the power of the sword though their selues be but the substituts of God they make other their substitutes in this power and thereby the iudges euen as substitutes of substitutes do punish offenders and if Iustice so require euen by death Yea and their substitutes also vnder them doe execute the sentence of those substitutes And hath not also the law of man such an expresse exception Vicarius Vicarium constituere non potest ficut nec delegatus delegatum nisi datus esset à principe He that is a Vicar or a Deputie of another cannot appoint another Vicar or Deputie as neither can a Delegate appoint another Delegate except he be giuen of the Prince So that by the Prince he may And therefore it is also saide in the Lawe of man quando committitur aliquid alicui subdelegato cum authoritate subdelegandi tune potest subdelegare alias non When an other thing is committed to any vnder Deligate or substitute with an authority of substituting an other vnder him theÌ„ may he substitute such a substitute or else not And this againe is a coÌ„mon rule of the law of man grounded also vpon good reason Potest quis per aliuÌ„ ê™ potest facere per seipsum That which a man can do by himselfe the same he can doe by an other in his name True it is in some cases
by the name of a King he vnderstandeth euery such Gouernor and Duke or guide as Moses was such an one also as was Iosue to conclude such as were the Iudges that were afterwardes raysed vp And it is taken in that sense Deut. 33. 5. The scripture therefore woulde shewe that there was at those times no guide that should gouerne all the Hebrues and restrayne them into order and admonish them of their duety as Moses and Iosue had done and whome all the Hebrues woulde heare and obey Finally that should so holde all the tribes in their dutifulnes that he should execute reuenge on violence publikely committed and punish both whoredomes and Idolatries Whereupon it came to passe that rather euery tribe yea and euery of the Cities also and besides that euery priuate person committed euery where many things that were horrible to be spoken of which were not publikely reuenged For that most beautifull face of the holy common weale which shined in the times of Moses and Iosue was for the moste part so decayed that notwithstanding it was not vtterly extinguished For there remayned in euery City their owne Iudges and Elders to witte the Chiliarkes the Centurions c. As appeareth Iudg. 9. 6. Where mention is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col Baale shichm ve col Beth millo Of all the Lordes in French 〈◊〉 gnieurs as our Br. cal these Elders or seniors gouernors or as it were Lordings of Sichem of the family or kindred of Millo that is of the Princes of the cities that gouerned the same and of the whole assembly of the Citizens of the Sichemites for so I interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth Millo and out of the tenth chap. ver 18. where it is said the whol people that is all the citizens heads of the families of Gilead it selfe together also with the princes of Gilead said euery one to his neighbor c. And in the 11. ch v. 8. The selfe same princes are called the Seniors or Elders of Gilead As also ch 8.14 The same to be called the princes of the Succothites And these things are also better apparāt out of Rut. 4. These kind of princes or Eld. did so flatter the people that they pretermitted many things perteining to their office which sufficiently appeareth by the whole history of the Iudges Whereupon is manifest that the Lorde was so offended with the peoples Idolatries that he often admonished the people by the prophets at length corrected them also by the Chananites Thus writeth Bertram euen of the first state of al these gouerning seniors and of all their senates and assemblies immediatly after Moses and Iosues time and in the time of Phinees that was liuing euen when that was done which our Bret. these Learned Discoursers cite out of Num. 11 16. for the Institution of the seniors Sanedrin that they would bring in to rule now ouer vs and say That our sauiour Christ in that word Congregation Dic ecclesia alludeth vnto the assembly of Elders that was among the Iewes which they called but corruptly of a Greeke worde Synedrion which signifieth a counsell or consistory sanhedrin which had the hearing and determining of all weighty and difficult matters amōg the Iewes the like wherof he willed to be established in his church for administration of gouernment For seeing it was first instituted by God for gouernment of his church in the old Law as hath bin shewed before out of Num. 11.16 Althogh it was shamefully abused by the wicked Iewes our Sauiour Christe translateth it into his Church in the new Testament Here was indéed some corruptiō in some of those officers that flattered the people but the orders and the offices remaining as yet intire This then is the state of gouernment that in plain expresse terms our Brethren would so fayne haue vs and all the Church of Christe reduced vnto So that vnder a name and colour other-where of Eccl. Seniors wee may heere moste euidently sée what Deciniers what Fiftinaries what Centurions what Chiliarkes these Tetrarkes would be yea which is farre aboue all this if they would be like the Seniory of the 70 what principalitie they aspire vnto and in what matters of weight and gouernment those gouernors would gouern like Princes hauing litle common-weales of their owne in euery town city or prouince And might not this full quickly bréed as horrible factes and foule a stirre as was heere betweene the Beniamites and the Israelites If they reply it woulde not so hauing a generall Gouernour which the Israelites did then want And what would they haue Iudges also as they had tohelp this inconueniēce because Caluine and Danaeus would not haue the Iurisdictions of Magistrates go by inheritance but by election And this Bertrame that likeneth these auncient Iudges to Dictators after he hath shewed howe those Iudges also did degenerate and that when the people called for a King hee sayth that Samuell taking it greeuously referred it to the Lorde who comforted his prophet and bids him diswade the people from this purpose Proposito Regis iure plane tyrannico Laying foorth the right or Lawe of a King playne tyrannicall Thus doth Bertram also esteeme not of the abuse but of the Lawe or right of a King all to recommend vnto vs that first policy and Gouernment of the Iewes Nowe whereas Bertram here mentioneth that the Prouinces tribes came together ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to the assembly which he calleth againe Seu Concionem vniuersalē populi Dei The Congregation or Concion vniuersall of Gods people which was of 400000 in which generall Concion the Leuite made his complaint to the people of his iniury of this Concion let vs sée also what Carolus Sigonius writeth Who althogh he be otherwise an aduersarie therfore not of credit or authority in our controuersies yet in this matter not litigious betwéen them vs and he both commended and his promise of this argument expected by this Bertram let vs at least wise see him so far forth as he truely clearly gathereth his collections out of the holy scriptures or out of the testimonies of other ancient vnsuspected authors wherein we cannot iustly except against him In his booke De rep Hebraebrum li. 6. c. 2. de consiliis he saith Counsels thē I cal those assemblies that chiefly decreed those things which conteined the state of the whole cōmonweal as the war the peace the victuals the bounds the institutiō of laws the creatiō of magistrates such things as are of that sort The which is nothing else but to dispute of a singular profit that could not be comprehended in the lawe But these Counsels as in other common weales so also in that of the Iews were two For either they were entred into of all in common or seperatly of a few and those of such as were the auncienter in yeares If they were of all
was burned by the Romanes and they sate in Hamih But it was not lawfull De Capite agere to deale with matters of life and death except in Gazith As it is Deut. 17. And thou shalt doâ— according to the worde of the mouth that they shall shewe vnto thee out of that place And againe Thou shalt arise and go vp to that place At the last al these Iudges also were againe killed of the Romanes And these thinges verelie haue the Thalmudists who chalenge to themselues an assured knowledge of these thinges whereof Petrus Galatinus is the Authour But vnto those thinges which they haue written hauing founde them out as it were with their eyes we adioyne these thinges out of the holie Treasuries of the newe and olde Testament and besides out of the Monuments of Iosephus by the which wee shall lay foorth the institution confirmation right and power of this Councel First of al therfore it appeareth that this tribunal or iudgment seate was ordeined of God that from the iudgement of the iudges they should come to the council of the seniors and of the preestes as it is written 17. Deut. For Moses speaketh there by the praescription of God vnto the people But if so bee thou shalt perceiue a difficult and doubtful iudgement to be before thee betweene bloude and bloud cause and cause Lepry and not Lepry and thou shalt see the Iudgements of the iudges within thy gates To vâ—ry arise and goe vp vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose that thou mightest there call vpon his name And thou shalt come to the priestes of the Leuiticall stocke and to him that shal be Iudge for that time and thou shalt aske it of them Who shall shewe vnto thee the trueth of the Iudgement And thou shalt do whatsâ—euer they shall say that rule the place which the Lord shall choose and they shall teach thee his Lawe and thou shalt follow their sentence Neither shalt thou swarue from it to the right hande nor to the left And whatsoâ—uer shal be proude refusing to obey the Preestes commaundement which at that time ministreth vnto the Lorde his God that man by the decree of the Iudge shall dye Out of these it appeareth that this Iudgement was committed to the king to the preestes and to the Elders of the people For they were the cheefe that ruled the place that the Lorde had chosen Iosephus therefore doth so rehearse this lawe that he maketh cheefe mention of the senate For then he wrot But if the Iudges want knowledge to pronounce of the matters brought before them let them sende the whole cause into the holie City and the Bishop and the Prophet and the Senate shall pronounce that that seemeth vnto them But afterward Moses nameth the Iudges them selues whome we haue spoken of preests saying in the 19. chapter If a lying witnesse shall stande against a man accusing him of trespasse they shall both of them stande before the Lorde and before the preestes and before the Iudges that shall bee in those dayes But Iosephus citeth it of the preestes themselues in his second booke to Appion when as he wrote The Preestes were ordeined of Moses the viewers of all thinges the Iudges of the controuersies the punishers of the condemned Moreouer Moses him-selfe in the counsell tooke knowledge or hearing of his cause that gathered stickes on the sabboth Leuit. 15. For so saith Philo. 3. De vita Mosu They tooke the man brought him to the Prince about whome in the Counsell sat the Preestes but all the multitude was present on the Sabboth day to heare them But Moses not knowing what punishment the maÌ„ deserued asked counsel of God who answered that he should be stoned to death By this it appeareth that all the parties that sat in this Sanedrin except the Kings and the Princes persons were Teachers of the Lawe and and word of God Yea in al the other inferior Seniories they were noble men that onely were ioyned to the Teachers But as Moses ordeined this tribunall so afterward Iosaphat King of Iuda ordeined as he also confirmed the iudgements in the cities For thus it is written in the seconde of Paral. He appointed also in Ierusalem Leuites and Preestes and Patriarches out of Israel that they should iudge the cause of the Lord to the inhabiters thereof and commanded them saying thus shal ye do in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart Euery cause that shall come vnto you of your Brethren which dwell in their cities betweene kindred kindred wheresoeuer the Question of the Lawe of the ceremonies of the iustification in the Greek translation it is of the precept commandement iustifications and iudgements He declared vnto them that they should not offend against the L. And leaste wrath should come vpon you and vpon your Brethren Doing thus therefore yee shall not sinne But Anainas your B. shal gouern in those things which pertain to God Zabadias the sonne of Israel which is Capten in the tribe of Iuda shall bee ouer those workes which pertaine to the offices of the king The Masters in Greeke the Scribes The Leuites shall be before them Into this counsell therefore as it appeareth there entred the king with the Princes of the people and the 70. seniors of the people and the Bishop with the princes of the preestes the scribes that is the doctors of the Lawe as is easy to see out of the Gospels where the iudgement made on Christ is treated vpon Wherefore Ioseph of Arimathia a senator or noble decurion the same man being a partaker of the councell for it is written that he gaue not his assent with the other to the condemnation of Christ. But I call them the Princes of the Preestes which in 24. formes of the Preestes euery one of them ruled in euery one of their turnes but the Scribes I call them that were the doctors of the Lawe whome Iosephus called Propheâ—s Afterward the Councell in the transmigration of Babilon being destroyed when the Iewes being returned into their countrie the residue of their institutions were restored the power of Iudging in the Councel was also giuen vnto the preestes Which thing Ezechiel cap. 44. did fore-warne by the commaundement of Goâ— saying The Preestes shall teach my people what difference there is betweene holy and prophane and they shal Iudge vnto them betweene impure and pure and they shall endeuour them-selues that they may iudge about the iudgement of bloud and they shall iustify my iustifications and iudge my iudgements and they shall keepe my lawes and my preceps in all my feast dayes that is they shall take notice of causes of religion and of capitall matters that is of life and death and they shall iustify men that is absolue them and iudge men that is condemne them euen as I haue prescribed in the Lawe to be done where I
haue declared who are worthy of pardon and who of punishment But some there are that thinke this counsell to haue beene chosen out of the family of Dauid and that they were afterward taken away of Herod the King Which if it bee so whether the wordes of the Psalme sung as S. Athanasius witnesseth in the restoring of the City of Ierusalem may be referred thereunto because there that is in Ierusalem sate the seates vnto iudgement the seates vpon the house of Dauid that is the seate out of the house of Dauid But eyther the King or the Bishop called this counsel according as the crime brought before them eyther touched the City or Religion But the order of executing the matter was almoste in this manner He that desired to put vp the name of another for the moste part came eyther to the king or to the Bishop or to the Princes and declared the guilty party Which done they sent Ministers to take the man And if the matter required they added a band also receiued from the gouernour of the Temple And hauing brought him they kept him for the moste part eyther in prison or in souldiers custody vntill iudgement passed on him The whole Councell beeing afterward called together they gaue them-selues to the vnderstanding of the matter As for the crime and the punishment was of the accusant called vpon in these wordes The Iudgement of death is due to this man because hee hath done this or that But the Defendant repelled it with these wordes The Iudgement of death is not due to this man because hee hath not done it or because hee hath doone it righteously But when the cause hath beene throughly pleaded vpon then were the suffrages or voyces giuen of the iudges and either hee was condemned or absolued according to the number of the sentences But when the matter was brought to the Romaynes the onely condemnation was left to the Councell but the the punishment was taken away but permitted vnto the Roman procurator Which hapned in the iudgement of Christe For the Councell condemned Christe and adiudged him to death But the people being stirred vp of the Councell demaunded of Pilate the Procurator that he might be crucified he gaue iudgement that it should so be done The forme of laying the accusation or of repelling the crime as in the 26 of Hieremie the preestes and the prophetes spake vnto the princes of Iuda saying the iudgement of death is vnto this man because he hath prophecied against this City And the princes sayde vnto the preestes the iudgement of death is not vnto this man because he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde our God A forme of the condemnation is in S. Math. 26. Beholde now yee haue heard blasphemie what seemeth it to you and they answering sayde he is guilty of death the which thing Marke saith Who all of them condemned him to bee guilty of death but these things which we haue spoken shall all be more cleare knowne if euery one of the iudementes made after this order whereof record is left in writing shall be shewed foorth And here he proceedeth to the manifolde testimonies and examples hereof in the Scripture and in Iosephus but especially in the newe testament By al which it appeareth for this Senate or council of the 70 Seniors which after the Iewes mixture with the Graecians of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was corruptly called Sanedrin what persons they were except the King and the Princes all of them either preestes or teachers of the Lawes of God And how they sat but in one and the heade Citie assistant with the King and the princes in al matters of plea and controuersie of Lands goods of warre and peace of life and death c. Nor the King coulde rule these matters without them and that their autority herein grewe not so much by the late corruptions as it was rather thereby abridged in the age of Christe by the Romaynes and by Herod If nowe our Learned discoursing Brethren shall reiect all these so industrious collections of Sigonius as an aduersary what proofes reasons and authorities soeuer he auouch let vs then sée howe farre foorth Bertram also doth confirme it For besides that which wee haue alleaged out of him for the original and the first practise thereof before the gouernment of the Kings after the negligence of Saule speaking of Dauid chap. 10. Page 56. he saith Moreouer Dauid restored the municipall iudgementes altogether into their auncient order Howbeit but about the last times of his reigne because that being hindred with warres and diuers businesses hee was content with those Iudgementes which for a greate part beeing decayed perseuered but litle constantly in euery of the Cities and tribes euen from the times of Iosue vntill then But yet so that the more waighty causes especially the appeales were referred to him as it appeareth out of 2. Sam. 15.2 But at the length he also restored this part of the common weale so that vnto the Leuites reckoned vp he established to be firm their changable and vncerteine offices both in the holy or Ecclesiasticall policy and also in the ciuill In the ciuill policie hee is saide to haue appointed out of the Leuites 6000. Iudges and praefectes or Gouernors Out of the Leuites the Iudges and praefectes were assumed for this reason That first there shoulde bee certayne out of the Leuites which should bee assistors or sitters together with the ordinary and municipall iudges that were called seniors Who some-times also De plane vt Vulgo loquuntur Iudicarent de rebus leuioribus shoulde Iudge after a playne sorte as is the common saying of the lighter matters such as were the pecuniarie either they alone or taking some one vnto them of the Seniors of the place or City And moreouer that there should also be some other which should execute the matters adiudged Or else that which is indeed the more likely they that were the Assisors of the ordinarie Iudges who also their selues tooke notice of the pecuniarie matters iudged them and executed the matter it selfe that they had iudged He ordained therefore that Chanenias and his sonnes or his posterity should be designed for iudges and Prefects for the outward worke that is to saie for the outward holie offices that we necessarie for the making of sacrifices in the house of the Lord or Tabernacle in Israel that is among the Israelites that dwelt on this side Iordan except the Tribes of Iuda Beniamin and Simeon The number of these is nor prescribed He also ordained out of the Hebronites Hasabias and his brethren that they should gouerne the Western coasts side-long or on the side of Iordan that is on the hether-hand Iordan as well in the businesse of the Lord as in the seruice or ministerie or obeisance of the king In French Pour le seruice du Roy that is in the
papisticall tyrannie mounted vppe into this toppe from whence it can nowe scarsely be throwen downe But when as no man can denie that Princes ought principally to care that the ministerie of the worde shoulde proceede on his course without offence vnto whome I pray you should it rather appertaine in the greatest tempestes which oftentimes are stirred vp of the Ministers them-selues to call the Churches together and to ouersee that in their assemblie all thinges be done well and orderly and that euen with their presence to confâ—rme the good and terrifie the euill But there were no politique Magistrates that gouerned the assemblie of the Apostles and of the first Churches I graunt it For whom would they haue called Neither doe I thinke that the Church dependeth on their edictes or authoritie but this I say that me thinketh he deserueth worse of the Church that would depriue the Church of the helpe of the present Magistrates so often as it is graunted of God For I confesse that indeede the office of the ciuill Magistrates is one thing and of the Ministers another if yee regarde that that is the proper office of euerie one of them But I saye that this is a commune office of them both that they should studie for the Churches peace and indeede so that they so often as it pleased God to furnishe the Churches with this benefite that they may haue a godly Magistrate should be the chiefest keepers of good order and that these out of the pure worde of God should freely and holily as it were the mouth of the Lorde of which the godlie Magistrate asketh counsell should constitute all thinges whereunto the Princes should afterwarde so subscribe that they shoulde also by their authoritie confirme among their people that which shall be ordeined out of the worde of God and that they commaund it to be straitly obserued If anie require examples whereby it may be confirmed I will aunswere it seemeth to mee that Dauid Salomon Ezechias Iosias did not otherwise with the Elders of the Churche of Israell And it clearely appeareth that all those that were the faythfull auncientes euen euerie one of them did not thinke otherwise concerning the gouerning of the boundes of the ciuill power and of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie I thinke therefore it must bee looked vnto not that the presence of godly Princes bee excluded but bee circumscribed in their boundes that heere they shoulde remember they must doe farre otherwise than if they sate in their throne eyther in hearing ciuill controuersies or in enacting lawes When as they be in the synode not that they should raigne but that they shoulde serue Not that they shoulde enacte lawes but the same beeing expounded out of the worde of God by the mouth of his ministers they should sette them forth to be obserued both of themselues and others But if so be any shall say it is danger least any entrie by this meanes should be made open to ambitious wits I answere that is true indeed As it appeareth by those foule flattering synodall acclamations such as were fitter for the Theaters playes than for a synode but I answere besides that it cannot be that all discommodities can bee prouided for experience it selfe doth shew that an entrie is opened to farre greater offences by the Princes absence than by his presence For what will not ambitious light and rash men dare to doe of which sort too manie haue alwayes beene founde among the ministers themselues except that they bee kept in awe in their ofâ—ice with some reuerence of the Magistrate beeing present so often as that is graunted of the Lorde And how truely this is sayde of me appeareth not onely out of the Actes of the Seleucian and Lampsacen Synodes and that hâ—uokons synode of Ephesus but also out of the Actes of the first Nicenesynode it selfe Briefely therefore to conclude if a general synode were to be gathered together sith that neither all the Churches do now obey one Prince nor the greatest part of Princes be it spoken by their leaue seeme fitte ynough to gouerne all this action in so great controuersies discords also of mindes neyther yet in the multitude of Presidentes anie thing could be freely inough and quietly ordeyned it should seeme necessarie that all they which are chiefe Gouernours or Princes or Magistrats of free Cities setting aside all ambition on eyther partie shoulde by a common consent in the feare of the Lorde determine of the number of those that should be the collocutors and also of the time and place of the synode and chiefely also of him that should be the Moderator thereof yea and of all the fourme of the action on those conditions that both be agreeable to the word of God are most fit for restoring the concord of the Churches This is the authoritie that Beza alloweth to the ciuill Christian Magistrates and Princes concerning Synodes Wherein although he speake indéede some what too contâ—meliouslie of Christian Princes and of the godly auncient Councels and restrayne too much on the other side the Princes authoritie beyond his examples yet for our partes what hath there euer béene established by anie Nationall Synode in this Realme wherein her Maiestie hath taken furder authoritie for Eccl. constitution although the matters were but meere ceremonial than is here set downe and circumscribed by Beza If our Brethren will but graunt thus much to the Prince then as her Maiestie may make lawes to confirme those thinges that in this order haue with vs bin decreed determined and to coÌ„mand that they be straitly obserued so would I for my poore skill be glad to learne by what spiritie reuelation or scripture if there be any that I knowe not both this authoritie of the Prince as well before the synode is called as ioyntly with the synode assembled and afterward in confirming the synodes acts also the synodes authoritie it selfe and the decrees that they haue in this maner and in these matters alreadie decided determined and concluded may be still by our Brethr. being but priuate Ministers of the same Nationall Church called againe into new question cancelled contemned condemned written against and that without any authoritie either of the Prince or synode of that Nation How our Brethr. can warrant this I would be glad to knowe for my learning and it would satisfie manie mo if our Brethren shal be able to shewe it But they harping on an other string crie vpon vs to shewe that the Prince hath an absolute authoritie and to this purpose they proceede saying Therefore vntill this may be shewed by sufficient warrant of Gods holy word we hold that the Synode of eueâ—y Prouince hath authoritie to decree concerning ceremoniall orders of the Church whereof some may be general to all coÌ„gregatioÌ„s some particular to certaine Churches If our Brethren stanâ— vpon our shewing by sufficient warrant of Gods holy