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
require it for the better executing of their offices If this be not their meaning I cannot sée what better construction to make of their words And the verie examples which héere they finde also doo directlie confirme this sense For although in the one Act. 14.23 they tell vs that Paule and Barnabas ordeined elders by election Which example we shall afterwards God willing sée more fullie oftener then once discoursed yet neither followeth it that those presbyters preests oâ— elders must be vnderstood of a seniorie that are gouernors and not teachers to be elected or ordeined in euerie church and our brethren themselues before spoke onelie of an holie ministerie which words are vsuallie restrained vnto the diuine ministers of the word sacraments Neither followeth it that although the churches had elected them which cannot necessarilye be gathered on that text whome they knew fittest to be ordeined that therefore they had anye thing at all to doo in the ordeining or making of them For the text is plaine that Paule and Barnabas did ordeine them and not the churches with Paule and Barnabas did ordeine them As for their other example Tit. 1.5 dooth most apparantliâ— confirme the same and cleane ouerthroweth the ecclesiasticall gouernement that their selues desire For first what ecclesiasticall office Titâ—â— had the verie subscription of S. Paules epistle vnto him dooth declare To Titus the first elected bishop of the church of the Cretenses Which subscription what it inferreth we shall God willing haue further occasiâ—â— to note againe heereafter In the meane season it accordeth to our brethâ—rens saying that he had by S. Paules assignement for the executing of 〈◊〉 episcopall office the whole Ile and people of the Cretians as his prouince or region distributed and limitted vnto him And our brethren further confesse Also Paule left Titus in the I le of Creta that he should ordeine Elders in euerie citie as he had appointed And not onelie so but as appeareth by Saint Paules owne words For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest redresse the things that remaine and shouldest ordeine presbyters preests or Elders in euerie citie as I appointed thee What these Presbyters Preests or Elders were least we should vnderstand them to be Consistories of gouerning onelie and not teaching presbyters preests or elders He procéedeth saying If anie be vnreprooueable the husband of one wife hauing faithfull children which are not slandered of riot neither are disobedient For a Bishop must be vnreprooueable as Gods steward and so foorth as by the description of the properties there required dooth appeare especiallie the last that he may be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and improoue them that gaine-saye it Whereby we may plainelie sée that he meaneth onelie the Bishops and Presbyters Preests or Elders of the worde Héere of these Bishops and Presbyters Preests or Elders S. Paule giueth to Titus the authoritie or iurisdiction to be their ordinarie or the ordeiner of them in their Episcopall and presbyterall office without anye mention at all of any others election of them besides himselfe to appoint and ordeine such as he should sée to be sufficientlie qualified for those offices And that he should thus doo in euerie citie in Creta which Iland at that time had many and famous Cities To conclude he giueth him charge and so withall authoritie that hee should there continue to redresse those things that were remaining to be doone Which what things they were some orders perhaps of ecclesiasticall gouernement méete for their state yet bicause they are not specified no prescribed order of this or that ecclesiasticall gouernement can be inferred on those generall words Neuerthelesse they prooue that he had authoritie and that a continuing authoritie to redresse such ecclesiasticall matters as were amisse or not yet established among them So that héere is a manifest iurisdiction Episcopall yea Archi-episcopall not onelie ouer Pastors and Teachers being elders in euerie particuler church but also ouer Bishops hauing authoritie ouer whole cities Titus being aboue them all through-out yâ— who le I le as a Regionall or Prouinciall Bishop which we vsuallie call by the auncient terme Metropolitane or Archbishop And all this dooth héere by the waie before we come to the proper treaâ—isâ— thereof their owne example which they haue héere found out moste â—â—â—â—festlie prooue directlie against the ecclesiasticall gouernement that they seeke for From these places our brethren returne vnto the testimonies that they cited before prefixing one moe Rom. 12. vnto them Concerning the diuerse offices of the ministerie we are taught by Saint Paule Rom. 12.6 also 1. Cor. 12.28 and Ephes. 4.11 Where we reade that God hath ordeined in the ministerie of his Church thâ—se seuerall offices namelie Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors Doctors Gouernors and Deacons also men indued with the giftes of healing of powers or miracles and of diuerse toongs Concerning the diuers offices of the ministerie our brethren searched before but they could finde nothing for their desired Ecclesiasticall gouernement And yet heere the places which before were onelye cited in the margine are now ascited and promoted into the Learned discourse it selfe belike on hope of some better matter Howbeit they saye nothing They doo héere but muster on a plumpe come foorth for a shewe and so passe by in a confused order and not in their places as the Apostle setteth them downe And a number are left out that are also mentioneâ— in these chapters héere cited euen almoste as manye as bee héere nameâ— For besides these the Apostle Rom. 12. verse 6. reckoneth vp diuerse other giftes Seeing then saith hee that wee haue giftes which are diuerse according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether we haue prophecie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith or an office let vs waire on the office or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation be that distributeth let him doo it with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence he thâ—â— sheweth mercie with cheerefulnesse Héere are seauen giftes by the Apostle mentioned And 1. Cor. 12. beginning at the eight verse he saith Now there are diuersities of giftes but the same spirite and there are diuersities of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersities of operations but GOD is the same which worketh all in all But the manifestation of the spirite is giuen to euerie man to profite with-all for to one is giuen by the spirite the worde of wisedome and to another the worde of knowledge by the same spiritâ— and to another is giuen faithe by the same spirite and to another the giftes of healing by the same spirite and to another the operation of grâ—â—â— workes and to another prophesie and to another the discerning of spirites and to another diuersities of toonges and vnto another the interpretation of toongs Héere againe are nine giftes reckoned vp of the which eight were not before Rom.
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
other ministers of the Church fewe or manie were not onely of this one Citie of Ephesus but of diuerse besides there-aboutes Neither is this my coniecture onely although if it were I hope the indifferent marker not of men but matter shall finde it carieth probabilitie but Gualter also is herein of my opinion For saith he he calleth out euen vnto Miletum which is about thirtie or fourtie miles distant the Elders or Bishoppes of the Ephesians and of the Cities adiacent and taketh order with them for waightie matters in a generall Synode But nowe let vs presuppose that all these Pastors Priestes or Elders were onely of the Church at Ephesus doeth it followe necessarily therevpon that because Saint Paule calleth them all by the name of Bishoppes they might not heare be Metaphorically called or rather in some respect then as the name might afterwarde and euen in the Apostles times be more properly restrayned to some Pastors that had some superioritie ouer their fellowe Pastors So that all were not of equall dignitie and authorite though these at that time were For as this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came from the heathen so when it was first borowed of the sacred writers and beganne to be vsed in the Churche of God it might be vsed more indifferentlie As also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Which names are not alwaies vnderstood in the Scripture in like proper sense as since they haue vsuallie béene and be accepted And yet to this daye we doo not so restreine this name Bishop but in respect of that the nature of the worde implyeth we maye not onelie vse it still for euerie Pastor or Minister of the worde and sacraments but also as wee commonlie saye euerie man is a Bishop ouer his owne familie and families also are sometimes called Churches As Col. 4.15 and euery faithfull man is called euen a sacrificing Priest as you translate it and a King Apoc. 5. But all this debarreth not but that these wordes maye in other places be taken in other senses and maye more properlie bee applyed to some especiall offices And so is the name of Bishop bothe wayes taken And to shew this more manifestlie as we allowe not any of the errors or abuses of the Popish Bishops or other their ecclesiasticall orders or offices any more then any of our most zealous Bretheren do so if we peruse euen their owne assertions and the auncient Fathers bothe for this title of Bishops and other titles orders degrées dignities and differences of the state ecclesiasticall in the Primitiue Churche wee shall finde sufficient proofe and warrant héereof The writers of the Centuries Cent. 1. lib. 2. cap. 7. pag. 507. in their title of the policie or gouernement of the Churche doo saye Among the persons that gouerned the Churche in this age these differences doo occurre For some are called Apostles Eph. 4. 2. Cor. 12. And not onelie those twelue Disciples of Christe are noted by that name but Paule euery where in all his Epistles calleth himselfe the Apostle of Christe and Act. 14. Paule and Barnabas are called Apostles Epaphroditus is named the Apostle of the Philippians Philip. 2. Andronicus and Iunias are notable among the Apostles Rom. 16. Other Prophets Ephesians 4. 1. Cor. 12. By this name bothe they were called that were famous in the gifte of Prophesie and also they that interpreted the Prophets that is the Scriptures Act. 11. c. Act. 13. Other Euangelists Eph. 4. Hee gaue other to bee Euangelists By this name they not onelie appeare to be called who wrote the historie of the Gospell as were Matthew Marke Luke Iohn but they also which euerie where did teache the Gospell For Philip one of the seauen Deacons ordeined in the beginning at Ierusalem is called an Euangelist Act. 21. And Paule bids Timothie doo the worke throughlie of an Euangelist 2. Tim. 4. Other Pastors Ephes. 4. Other Doctors Ephe. 4. and 1. Corin. 12. Other Elders 1. Pet. 5. or Bishops for Bishops and Elders are taken for the same Act. 20. Paule saith to the Elders of Ephesus the holy Ghost hath placed you Bishoppes to gouerne the Church of God Tit. 1. I haue left thee in Creta that thou shouldest in euerie towne ordaine Elders c. For a Bishop must be blameles c. Iac. 5. Here euen as you would haue it these Centuriographers doe distinguish betwéene the persons that were Pastors and that were Doctors And also they made Elders and Bishops to bee all one But they make Elders or Bishops to be distinguished from Pastors And how agréeeth this with that you héere auouche that by the name of Elders the Pastors are called and that Bishops be Pastors and that the names of Pastors and Ouer-seers doo concurre Neither agréeeth this with you that they saye after they haue reckoned vp Deacons and waiting Ministers or attendants on the Apostles Meminerunt c. They remember onelye three degrees Apostles Presbyters or Bishops and Deacons All which three were founde in some Churches while as the Apostles were yet aliue For in the Churche of Ierusalem in the beginning there were twelue Apostles who exercised the ministerie of the Churche But the number of the Churche increasing and when necessitie required a more diligent care of the things that were common seauen Deacons are chosen and ordeined Act. 6. There are also in the same Churche Prophets Act. 11. There are Apostles and Elders Act. 15. They were receaued of the Churche and of the Apostles and Elders When Paule came last of all vnto Hierusalem hee founde there Iames and the Elders whoe are sayd to haue come togither Act. 21. In the Churche of Antiochia for a time were Paule and Barnabas who are called Apostles and Prophets Doctors whome it is lawfull to call Elders If nowe the sacred writers of the New Testament doo remember but onelie three degrees Apostles Elders or Bishops and Deacons which all thrée were founde in some Churches while the Apostles were yet liuing which is the time that you prescribe and which is the time whereof these men said in the beginning of this matter that in this parte no age is to be compared heerevnto where is then become the Ecclesiasticall gouernement of all these foure persons Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons Where are héere your Gouernours if yée include them in the name Elders they expresse what kinde of Elders they were Elders or Bishops As you héere saye and ye call them Pastors and they say that those whome we may call Elders were Apostles Prophets and Doctors So that your other gouerning Elders that were neither Apostles Prophets nor Doctors are excluded and your distinction also betwéene Elders and Doctors is remooued Neither doo euen your owne examples which immediatlie followe any whitte helpe you In the Church of Phillippos are Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1. Paule and Barnabas are saide to create onelie Elders Act. 14. Paule biddeth Titus to make
Priestes or Elders that were teachers of the worde Deacons Secondly and that which they call worthie memorie that alwayes there was but one Bish of one Church and that the placing of Bishops one in euery Churche was the doing of the Apostles while they liued But alwaies in euery Church meaning al the faithful of one Citie there were moe Priestes or pastorall Elders and moe Deacons Ergo These Bishops and these Priests or pastorall Elders were not all one Thirdly that albeit at the first in the Apostles times Ierome testifie they were not distinct degrees some other fathers take the name indifferently of Bish. and Priest as Irenaeus that calleth so many Bish. of Roome Priestes yet this alteration of the name and this setting of him to whom they gaue it in a higher degree was done at the furdest if not in Pauls time yet in the time of Iohn the Euangelist so continued And therfore though these Bish. of Rome are by Irenaeus called priestes as Eusebius reporteth although indéede the words of Irenaeus are not priestes but biâ—h as is mafest in Irenaeus him-self in the translation that we haue extant Lib. 3. cap. 3. Although in the Chapter before hee generally calleth the Apostles successors priests and in Li. 4. cap. 44. c. yet it followeth not that eyther Eusebius or Irenaeus tooke a bishop and a priest to be al one and of aequal dignity though now and then they vse the name indifferently after this appropriating of the name because the persons which they speak of were both priests and Bishops For though euery priest or pastoral Elder after the name Bishop was made peculier to one was not properly a bishop yet euery Bishop was properlie a priest or pastorall Elder and therefore might be well called by that name And bicause they are now and then vsed one for an other it rather argueth we should not marke so muche the interchaungeable vsing of the name as whether the parties be all alike equall in degree of dignity that many times communicate in like name And then shall we finde that these Bishops were not onelye Superiours in Dignitie aboue pastorall Elders but aboue all the Euangelistes remayning after the Apostles times And that Bishoppe Alexander as we shall afterward sée sent the Euangeliste Pantenus into India to preach the Gospell Fowrthly that this application of this name Bishop to this one placed in higher authority among the Pastorall Elders though it were not somuch done by any diuine institution or ordinaunce of God as by the authority of man as Ierome saith yet these words debarre not but it might be though not somuch yet in some part so done or not cleane reiected from Gods ordinaunce For although no such ordinance appropriating the name Bishop be expressed in the manifest word of God yet the ordinaunce of the matter is plainely expressed as we haue shewed out of Timothie Caluines and Bezaes plaine confession of the same And the name also applyed to Timothie in the subscription of the 2. epist. if that may go for Scripture But let the application of the name be not so much the expresse ordinaunce of God as of godly men and those in the Apost times And now the Apostles aliue being not vnwilling thereunto was this ordinaunce of man good or ill First that it was done to good purposes héere are plaine wordes that it was done for good order aedification and succession yea that very necessity did compell them so to do Could there be any necessitie good order aedification against the institution of Christ It is then apparant not that it is not lawfull bicause Christ gaue to or fro no institution of it but bicause hee gaue none and that there is no institutioÌ„ of Christ against it which had it bene material to saluation or had it beene of doctrine no doubt had beene expressed and commaunded but being none this ordinaunce of man was a thing that man might do And being done for so good and necessary purposes it was requisite also that man should do And so though it be not expresly so much the ordinaunce of God as of man yet bicause it is not forbidden but allowed of God it is in a sorte euen the ordinaunce of God also and to be conteyned vnder Peters sentence 1. Pet. 2.13.14 For though hee apply it in particuler to Kings and those that are sent of him yet the words are generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto all or euery humane creature or ordinance so that whatsoeuer good law is made by lawful authoritie of man not contrary to Gods worde we are héere bidden to submit our selues vnto it And therefore either proue this law and ordinaunce of man to make the name Bishop more peculier to one then to all the other among a number of Pastoral Elders to be contrary to Gods lawe or else except this law be as lawfully remoued as it was made I see not how we may lawfully disobey or contemne the same Well may we now and than vse the word indifferentlie as did the fathers but to denie them both the title and the dignity also that none of the fathers that I read of did vntil Aërius came Who holding other more perilous points than this and perceauing him-selfe ouer-matched with a Bish. as ill as himself when he could not haue his owne will be an as a mal-content misâ—â—king with the Superioritye of Bishoppes to call this selfe-same matter into question About the yéere of our Lorde 340. And went about vnder pretence of the first acceptation of these names Bishop and Priest vsed at the first indifferently in the Apostles times to reduce them altogether there-unto and in all respect to make them alike and equall euen for all the worlde as now our Brethren would do And although Aërius opinion had it béene maintayned no furder of him then that in the Apostles times they were sometimes vsed for all one and had bene or stâ—ll were in the substance and nature of the office equall and all one had bene no matter worthy such great contention Yet when he did simply condemne this auncient order of superioritie instituted in the Primitiue Church and in the Apostles times forgood order-sake among the Pastors stiffly with all contention maintayned his opinion the question grew from brawling to schisme and not so resting Aërius opinion was at length reiected and condemned for an herisie And so stands for any thing I know to the contrarie Neither was it thus iudged of the Bishops onely them-selues that might be thought partiall to their owne part albeit we may not so iudge of all the holy Fathers that were Bish. in those dayes which vniuersally condemned this opinion that they did it for ambition or partiality or pride or ignorance which were too harde a iudgement of Epiphanius Chrysost. Ambr. August c Whose learning as it was able to reache the depth of this question or else God wot
we might wel conclude that hereupon the Diuell laid his firste foundation of his tyrannie in the Church of God But when Beza conts in with a byowse presupposall as though it were so who séeeth not hee dareth not nor indeede can saye if did or doeth so may not euery one still for all this order reteyne all the administration of his office both in preaching Gods worde and administring his Sacraments neither is all gouernment taken away from although a moderate superiour gouernment be giuen of all to some and not yet of al in al the Church to one but to one ouer some in seuerall particular Churches And this orderly superiority beneficial vnto al the church iniurious and tirannous vnto none as on the fore-said originals it sprang euen from the Apostles so howsoeuer the wicked abused the same yet very many most godly excellent holy fathers being lawfully called therunto did accept it acknowledge the state challenge to be both lawfull and to be a high calling not so much of Superior dignity as of Superiour charge in gouerning of Gods Church And they trauelled painfully and faithfully fruitfully in the function thereof God blessing and prospering their good labours And lo we that reape the benefite of these Bish. trauels looke with an awâ—e eie rather on the hurt which we surmise may come or hath come by sinister occasion or by euil possessors of this good dignity And looke not which we rather should with a single eie on the meruelous good it may do yea it hath done euer will do if they that enioy this superiority do not abuse it but vse it according to this first institution of it But nowe that we haue séene Beza his censure on this example Phil. 1. till he procéede from Bishops to Archbishops c. let vs sée what these auncient holy Fathers Bishops theirselues write also otherwise then Beza hereupon And from them come to the iudgement of the best learned of our owne late or yet liuing Brethren concerning Bishops their exposition of this place And first Ierome that before as we haue hearde cited among other this testimonie Phil. 1. to shewe that Bishops and Priestes were sometimes all one when he commenteth of purpose thereupon doeth saye Here we vnderstande Bishops for Priestes For there could not be manie Bishops of one Citie But this is had also in the Actes of the Apostles So that Ierome in both these places vnderstandeth the woorde Bishoppe to be not properly but improperly spoken And hee rendereth the reason aforesaide because that Paule writing this Epistle when he was prisoner at Rome and so be-like after this order was begunne There could not be manie in one Citie to whome this name properlie could be giuen And to shewe that it was but spoken in a generall and vnproper vnderstanding our Brethren also will perhaps at length confesse it For whereas they distribute all into foure offices and heere are but onelie two reckoned vp and Beza sayth that Paule here setteth downe the most beautifull distribution of the Churche It eyther followeth that then there must be but two offices Pastors and Deacons taking Bishops and Pastors but for one or else if as Beza deuides it he vnderstande by Bishoppes who-so-euer are ouer the woorde and gouernement as Pastors Doctors and Priestes or Elders vnderstanding them for Prieste Gouernours onelie of the woorde to ouer-see because they must be as watchmen to enquire of the doctrine and manners of the flocke committed to them Act. 20.28 whome nowe and then by a generall name he calleth Priestes or Elders as there verse 17. and 1. Tim. 5.17 And so including both these Lay Priestes whome you call Gouernours and including Doctors whom you distinguishe likewise from your Gouernors and from your Pastors it followeth that the woorde Bishop heere and also in other places Act. 20. is not taken properly but in a generall sense And if this worde Bishop héere bee so properly taken that it comprehende neyther these Lay Priestes whom ye call Gouernors nor yet your Doctors which yee make the first and chiefest officers but onely Pastors vpon whom here ye treate distinctlie from the other howe is this the must beautifull description of the parts of the Churche when neyther of these are mentioned but belike there was no such most beautifull distribution of the Churches offices in the Church of the Philippians in those dayes as Beza and our Geneua quoters did imagine And you do well to reiect this so generall vnderstanding of the worde that Bishop and Pastorall Elder or Priest were héere taken and so still must be for all one office Chrysostome writing on this place Philip. 1. with the Bishops and Deacons what sayeth hee is this Were there manie Bishops of one Citie No. But so he called the Priestes For at that time they did nowe and then communicate or parttake in names and a Deacon was called a Bishop Wherefore writing to Timothie hee sayth fulfill thy Deaconship When as he was a Bishop for he saith vnto him because he was Bishop lay handes hastely on no bodie and that which was giuen to thee with the laying on of the handes of the priesthood or Eldership But Priestes or Elders layde not their handes on a Bishop And againe writing to Titus he sayth For this cause I left thee in Creta that thou shouldest ordayne Priestes or Elders in euerie Citie as I appoynted thee if anie be blamelesse the husbande of one wife hee speaketh of a Bishop and when he had sayd these thinges he straight waies this setteth vnder it for a Bishop must be blamelesse as the steward of God Not froward Therefore euen as I haue said Priests in the old time were both called the Bishops and the Deacons of Christ. Wherupon now also the most parte of Bishops doe write To his consenior or fellowe Elder to his Comminister or fellewe minister Howbeit for all that euerie one hath his owne name seuerally by himselfe giuen vnto him be he either Bishop eyther Priest What can be plainer spoken than this that héere in the other places by our Brethren quoted to prooue by the indifferent taking nowe then of the names the offices that they were equal all one it is not so ment but that these names were there taken improperly whereas properly they are separate and neither all one nor equall And that also is here proued by good reasons alleaged for the difference of the offices in the matter Theoderet likewise vppon this place writeth thus Hee sendeth to all at once as well to those that had receaued the Sacerdotall priesthoode as to those that were fedde of them For hee calleth them that were vouchsafed in baptisme Saintes But the Priestes or Elders he calleth Bishops For at that time they had baothe names And that also the storie of the Actes declareth For when S. Luke had sayde that the diuine Apostle had called
to Miletum the Elders of the Ephesians he telleth also the thinges that were spoken to them for sayth saith he looke to your selues and to the whole flocke in which the holie-Ghost hath placed you Bishops to feede the Church of Christe He named the same men both Priests Bishops So also in the Epistle to blessed Titus therefore haue I left thee at Creta that thou shouldest by the Cities ordaine Priestes or Elders as I haue disposed vnto thee And when he had tolde what manner of men they ought to be that are ordayned he addeth vnder it for a B. must be without crime eueÌ„ as the steward of God Moreouer he sheweth this here also for he ioyneth Deacons vnto Bish. wheÌ„ as he had made mention of Priestes Otherwise it could not be that manie Bishops should be the Pastors of one Citie Whereupon it comes to passe to wit that they were Priests whoÌ„ he called Bishops But he called in his Epistle the blessed Epaphroditus their Apostle For your Apostle saith he and the helper of my necessitie Therefore he plainely taught that the Episcopall dispensation was committed vnto him when as he had the appellation of Apostle Thus also plainely saieth Theodorete that although the other Pastorall Elders were called by the name of Bishops yet the matter which he calleth the Episcopall dispensation was commited ouer all the other but to one And with these accordeth Theophilactus saying Hee calleth the Priestes Fellow-bishops for there were not manie Bishops in one Citie for as yet the names were notdistincte but that also Bishoppes were called Deacons and Priestes For writing to Timothie beeing a Bishop fulfill sayth hee thy Deaconship that is thy Ministerie And againe that which was giuen thee by the laying on of the hande of the Eldership that is of the Bishops for priestes or Elders did not ordaine a Bishop Againe Priestes were also called Bishops as those that looke also vpon the people and bore a care of them to cleanse and to lighten those whom it was needefull Thus doth Theophilact with all the other agrée that it was but a partaking of the name improperly as the name of Deacon was vsed till they were more properlie distinguished But all that while the matter and office was not so confounded as one or equall but distincte and one Superiour and inferiour to another And howsoeuer Ambroses iudgement on these wordes is lightlie cast off by some of our Brethren because he taketh these wordes with the Bishops and Deacons not for such Bishops and Deacons as were among the Pphilippians to whom he wrote but for him-selfe and Timorhie and other with them yet is hee plaine also of this opinion with the residue For saith he he wrote to the people for if he had writteÌ„ to Bishops and Deacons he would haue writteÌ„ to their persons he should haue writteÌ„ to the Bishop of that place not to 2. or 3. euen as also he wrote to Titus and to Timothie So that he verely thought there was but one Bishop of that place to whoÌ„ when he wrote he expounded these words of S. Paules salutation with the Bishops c. to be vnderstoode of ioyning him-selfe and Timothie c. in the participation of the grace and peace that he wished to them Thus do the auncient holy and most learned Fathers agrée all other that I reade of before these from the Apostles times not only such as were Bishoppes their-selues but also all other Pastors and Doctorâ— that the name of Bishop was properlie peculier but to one Pastor that had superiour dignitie gouernement and authoritie ouer the residue of the Pastors in the Churches Cities and Diocesses assigned to them And that this was the practise of the primitiue Churche from the Apostles age vniuersally both for times and places the Fathers owne testimonies conferred with the auncient Ecclesiasticall hystories doe sufficiently recorde Which as we haue séene it begunne in the practise among the Apostles and Disciples themselues at the first Metropoliticall or Mother Church of Ierusalem so for confirmation thereof Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 1. citeth Clement of Alexandria to prooue that Iames was Bishop there Euen this selfe same Iames I saye sayth Eusebius which of the auntientes was surnamed the Iuste by the woorthinesse of his vertues and priuilege of his notable life The stories haue declared that he obtayned the first seate or was the first which receaued the seate of the Churche that is at Ierusalem as Clement he speaketh not of Clement Bishop of Rome whose workes are manifestlie forged and fathered in his name but he speaketh of Clement Priest Doctor and Pastor in Alexandria in his 6. booke of Informations affirmeth saying For Peter sayth he and Iames and Iohn after the ascension of our Sauiour although they were preferred before all notwithstanding they claimed not to them-selues the glorie of the Primacie but they ordayne Iames that was called the Iust the Bishop of the Apostles Which wordes of Eusebius liuing within thrée hundred yeares after Christe are yet not so much as this testimonie that hee alleageth out of Clemens Alexandrinus that liued in the verie next age to the Apostles and therefore could not lightly be deceaued in this point Neither doeth he onely ascribe vnto Iames the Episcopall office but he calleth eyther him the first or the seate the first as a Primacie ouer all his fellowe Apostles and Bretheren in that seate Whose Bishoprike is also confirmed by Ierome citinge Egesippus more auntient than Clement thereunto Eusebius reckoneth vp diuerse Bishops of Ierusalem succéeding Iames till he come to Narcissus and Alexander who were both at once Bishops there and it is noted for a rare example and fell out when this Clement came thether Of whom and of this Alexander saith Hiâ—rom in Catalog illustr virorum There is extant an Epistle of Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem who together with Narcissus ruled the Church c. In the ende of which Epistle he setteth downe these writinges My Lordes and Brethren I haue sent ouer vnto you by Clement the blessed Priest or Elder a man renowmed and approued whom ye also knowe and nowe yee shall more fully reacknowledge Who when he came thether according to the prouidence and visitation of God he confirmed and encreased Gods Church Which sheweth that this Clement being Presbyter as also Ierome calleth him a Priest or Pastorall Elder of the Church of Alexandria and yet with all sayth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Doctor of the teaching or Catechising in the Ecclesiasticall schoole of Alexandria it appeareth that those offices which our Bretheren make to be distinguished were not distinguished And these offices that they make not distinguished but all one were distinguished For Clement was a Doctor or teacher and yet withall a Presbyter a Priest or Pastorall Elder And though he were a Pastorall Elder yet was hee no Bishop Neither was his Pastorall Eldership so tyed to
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
Rome that is now that we maye agree with the Churche of Rome that was then And for this our disagreement now we haue our placarde also euen from this selfe-same father Irenaeus For when Victor which followed this Eleutherius did contrarie or went beyond his bounds Iraeneus that so highlie commended his good predecessors did as sharpelie reprooue him their euill successor And he that said before all Churches must agree with the Churche of Rome euen he and his Churche and manie moe Churches did by and by dissent therein from the Churche of Rome and from the Bishop thereof Wherevpon Erasmus or Grineus maketh a good caution in the margine on these wordes All Churches ought to agree with the Churche of Rome What and howe muche is to be giuen to the Churche of Rome if so be it hold the doctrine of the Apostles Neither yet dooth Irenaeus mention in this agreeing with the Churche of Rome whatsoeuer superioritie the Bishop had there among his owne cleargie and people any obedience of all Churches or of any other churches therevnto No although he alleage a mightie reason that All Churches should agree with the Churche of Rome for the more mightie principalitie of it then other Churches had For euen at that time it was a mightie Churche and one of the principall churches in the worlde And yet the might consisted not in worldlie might nor in anye claime of principalitie ouer all churches nor Peter nor Paule were then pretended to that purpose but it was mightie in constant defence and maintenance of the syncere faithe of Christe and lesse defiled with Schismes and heresies then other Churches at that time were And therefore as it was more in light so was it more looked vpon honoured and renowned in the worlde then other lesser or more distracted Churches were Neither was this more mightie principalitie giuen to the Bishop but to the church for although he had a principalitie in some respects ouer all the Clergie in his Churche yet had his whole Church in other respectes a mightier principalitie aboue him yea euerie Pastorall Elder in some respectes was his equall and all one with him But the most mightie letters that were written by the true Clement to the Church of Corinthe are not by Irenaeus called Clements but vnder this Clement the church that is at Rome wrote most mightie or effectuall letters to the Corinthians c. And therefore sayth both Eusebius and Ierome he wrote as of the person of the Romaine Church So that here was a superioritie but no Tyrannie The Bishop did it by the obedient consent and readie approbation of the Church Nowe although these Bishops by Irenaeus are afterwarde called also Sacerdotes or Presbyteri sacerdotall or Elderly Priestes as were the other ministers of Gods woorde as appeareth in his Epistle cited by Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 24. which he wrote to Victor Bishop of Rome after Eleutherius for his rashe excommunicating of the Easterne Bishops dissenting from him in the controuersie of celebrating Easterday yet giueth he not the gouernement of the Church of Rome to all the Pastorall Elders there alike but to one only ouer them all euen where hee calleth him also by the name of Priest or Elder Which still more confirmeth this our question I will not reckon out of Damasus or other after him though auncient recordes howe manie Bishops and howe many Priestes or ministring Elders and how manie Deacons such and such a Bishop of Rome made in those dayes but when Eusebius whome I dare better credite therein settes it downe then dare I make an argument on it And euen about the same time Eusebius noteth lib. 5. cap. 15. that in the Citie of Rome one Florinus a certaine Priest in degree fell from the Church Shall we say now that this Florinus was a Priest at Rome or pastoral Elder therfore he was Bishop of Rome also It is plaine therefore that though in degree of Priest-hood they were equall and all one yet in dignitie and gouernement of the Churche there was great difference Which appeareth better by that Eusebius noteth for the pacifying of this controuersie of Easterday For Eusebius hauing reckoned vp lib. 5. cap. 22. Victor succeeding Eleutherius in the Sacerdotall Priest-hoode or Bishoprike and Demetrius succeeding Iulianus at Alexandria and Serapion ordayned the eight Bishop from the Apostles at Antioche Theophilus at Caesarea of Palestine and Narcissus in Ierusalem Bacchus at Corinthus and Polycrates at Ephesus being counted Noble among the Bishops and manie other excellent Sacerdotall Priestes at that time in other places hee procéedeth saying cap. 23. While these gouerned the Churches in that time there arose no small question in the prouinces of Asia arising as it were of their auncient custome because they thought that in any case the Feast of Easter must be kept the 14. day of the monethe to witte When the Iewes were bydden to offer the Lambe Auouching it as necessarie that whensoever the 14. daie of the moneth did come they should leaue off to fast when as altogether in no other churches suche a custome was euer wont to be obserued For which cause Assemblies of Bishops Councilles through all the Prouinces are called together And sending forth their Epistles one to another they all of them out of euerye their seuerall places confirme one Ecclesiasticall decree That it should not bee lawfull at any time to celebrate the Lords mysterie of Easter except on the Lords day in the which the Lorde arose from the deade and on that onely day the fasting should be broken vp To conclude there remayneth euen to this day the decree of the Councell holden at Caesarea of Palestine in the which Theophilus B. of the same Caesarea was the chiefe and Narcissus the Sacerdotal Priest or Bish. of Ierusalem Another like decree is also had in the Councell of the City of Roome ouer the which Bishop Victor is said to be the Gouernour and Palmeas of the Prouince of Pontus There was likewise an assembly of the Priests of the French assigning Irenaeus to bee their guide And Eacchilus Bishop of Corinth for Achaia Who all of them out of diuers places set forth one and the same sentence of their iudgement All which as it confutes apparantly the Bishop of Rome that hee was not the onely head and chiefe ruler ouer all but euerye prouince had at that time a Metropolitane Bishop to bee President or chiefe Ruler among them concerning the Gouernment of this present action and sessions in these seuerall Councels so while all these assemblies were made did the Bishops leaue their owne Churches and Cities in all these great Prouinces destitute of Pastorall Elders to teach the word and minister the Sacramentes It is not likelie And yet notwithstanding though all and euery of these Bishops assembled are indifferently called Elders or Priestes yet are not the other whome no doubt they left behinde
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
with Arius and the Arians But the coniunction of Meletius and of the Arians had the originall on the foresaide occasion Thus much at large and word for word vpon the occassion of this our most reuerend and learned mans obseruation of that Epiphanius reporteth against the Meletians concerning them of Alexandria I thought good though it bée long to set downe out of him to the end wée mighte more throghly sée what these not Miletians but Meletians were in many pointes not much vnlike our brethren At the first concerning doctrine Pure in the faith of Christ which I hope also our brethren yet be and as sound in the substance of Christian religion I trust as either these Meletians were or we are but they were so seuere in certaine points of their pretended Discipline howbeit admitting the superior dignity and authority of bishops ouer Priests or Pastorall elders and of Archbishops ouer Bishops euen in the heat of their sorest persecution before the time of Constantine the great As also at the beginning did our brethren with vs though they dissented in diuers other points of Discipline yet they stil acknowledged as did the Meletians both the Bishops and Archbishops superior dignities and authorities which these our brethren now reiect against whom they haue made such a schism of the Church of God that we may euen looke vpon and lament the like tragicall diuision among vs that for too rigorous discipline fell out among them In so much that although both of vs professe the fayth of Christ aright yet will not nowe our brethren ioyne in publike prayers with vs but separate them selues asunder and as these men did make priuate assemblies and orders among themselues in their publike prayers ministration of Sacramēts make bishops Ministers and Deacons of their owne seuerall churches But what the issue was of these Meletians wee haue heard and may fear and in part alreadie do féele among our selues God be merciful to vs both and giue vs grace in time to foresée and take héede that the publike aduersaries of the gospel or any other old or new fangled heretical sectaries neither of the Anabapt nor other like haue their finger in this pye And that this great zeale to obtaine the hauing of these seperate conuenticles discipline ministery communion praiers c. do not ioine with them against vs their brethren least in the end their former synceritie of fayth and life be stained by them On this occasion two bishops together but the one of this faction might spring vp in one City But the faithfull in Alexandria where from this sprang stil acknowledged but one the same there and then an Archb. and the B. in al that Prouince and euery where else to be superior in dignity authority to al other preests or pastoral elders Howbeit Socrates li. 1. ca. 3. faith further of this Meletius that he himself had bin before depriued of his bishoprick by the Archb. Peter for y◠same fault wherein Mel. shewed such rigor against other whereby this diuision grew not only betwene the right beléeuing Christians and the heretikes but also among the faithfull themselues Wherupon saith Socrates great tumults was raised euery wher For ye mightsee not only the gouernors of the churches vexing one another with contumelious termes but also the multitude of the people to be distracted into 2. parts wherof the one enclined to these mens opinion the other to theirs insomuch that the matter fel out to that mischief shameful state that the christian religion was euen on the very theaters mocked at with the derision of all men As for those that dwelt at Alexandria they contended of the chiefest points of our religion youthfully and not without tauntings They sent their legates to the other B. of euery prouince but these deuiding their selues on either partie raised vp the like contention Yea the Meletians were intermingled with the Arians who not long before were seuered from the church But of what sort these also were I think it meete to bee declared Meletius a B of a certain city in Egypt was depriued of his episcopal office by Peter B. of Alexandria who in the reigne of Dioclesian died by martyrdome both for many other causes and chiefly for that in the time of persecution he had denied the faith and had offered vnto Idols who when he was depriued and had very many that cleaued vnto his faction he gaue himself to be the ringleader of that heresie vnto thē which from that time euen till this day are in Egypt called the Meletians And when he could alleage no iust excuse or cause why he seperated himselfe from the church he said that he had onely in a terme an iniury offered him And he began to reuile Peter with raylings and to deface him with reproches And as soone as Peter had by martyrdome in the rage of persecution suffered death he turned his reproches vpon Achillas that succeeded Peter in the bishopricke and afterward a fresh against Alexander who after the death of Achillas obteined the degree of that dignity And while these were thus occupied in this strife and dissention◠in the mean time was holden the quest concerning Arius whome Mel. with those that were of his side assisted conspired with Arius against the B. Thus saith Socrates also of this scisme Theoderetus doth tel li. 5. cap. 3. of another Meletius afterwards in Gratians time that when in Antiochia the chiefest citie in the orient the professours of the apostolical opinions were also deuided into 2. partes the one part streight wayes after the practises attēpted against Eustathius the great detesting the Arian wickednes making their assemblies among themselues had Paulinus to be their B the other part after the creation of Euseb. beeing with the notable Meletius deuided frō the wicked beeing exercised amōg those dangers that we haue mentioned were gouerned by the doctrin of the most wise Mel. Besides these a third head gaue it self to the factiō of Apollinaris a Laodicean who putting on the person of godlines when he was reputed as though he would maintain the apostolical opinions not long after he shewed himself to be an enemy of them c. But the Duke Sapores being entred into Antioche when the law of the emperour was set foorth Paulinus affirmed that he was of the parts of Damasus Apollinaris also who couered his disease affirmed the same As for holy Meletius maintained quietnesse nor lapped him selfe in theire contentions but the moste wise Flauianus beeinge as yet a Preeste or Elder firste turninge to Paulinus in the hearinge of the Duke did say if you my freend reioyce in the community of Damasus see that you proue the coniunction of your opinions For he in the confession of one essence preacheth manifestlie three persons of the Trinity But you contrariwise take away the trinity of the persons Wherefore teach vs the consent of your opinions and
in Ignatius or other auucient writers whosoeuer they be whatsoeuer they speake or write neuer so-good neuer so holie neuer so true what though it were when the bishop of Sathan was not yet founde out if it once be towching the authority of bishops Ouer-seers it is all to be reiected with this contumelie It is to be vnderstode of this kinde of bishoppe whiche is called The bishoppe of Man that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God Thus doth this moste Reuerend and Learned man froÌ„ beyond the Seas in a round conclusion giue his iudgement of them and so he leaueth them Let vs now therefore leaue him also to returne a Gods blessing beyond the Seas from whence he came and with all due reuerence taking our leaue of him in expectation of other reuerend and learned Fathers Iudgements from beyonde the Seas also Let vs now for the present returne home to our Brethren where we left them in their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIFT BOOKE PROCEEding still further on the Pastors THis booke treateth specially on the Iudgements of other reuerend and godly learned men from beyonde the seas also in the late reformed Churches concerning this superiour authority dignity of one pastor in a citie or Diocesse or Prouince ouer his brethren and fellow pastors Which one was called in a citie or diocesse bishop in a prouince Archb. To the proofe whereof are alleaged vpon our brethrens allegation of Titus What superiour authoritie he had ouer all the pastors of Creta with the iudgements of Bullinger Caluine Aretius Hemingius Herebrande with the orders of other reformed Churches for their Superintendents speciall and generall The B. and Archb. of the fathers and other canons of the auncient churches regiment approoued by Caluine in Geneua with the approbation of Ieromes sentence and that this order was in the Apost times and not contrary to the Apostolicall Doctrine with Caluines epistles to diuerse B. and Archb. to the King of Polonia approouing this superior authority and his generall rules for all popish B. conuerted to the gospell The iudgement of Zanchius and Bucer for those olde orders specially of bishops Archb. for the old clericall discipline and regimente due vnto them of the obiections to the contrary out of Peter and of the Titles proper to Christe and whether the name Archb. be coÌ„petent to any Minist of Peters Title of fellow Elder and of Christs prohibitions of Titles rule of his example of washing his Disc. feet c. and of humility Lordship of bishops holding temporalities royalties of obedieÌ„ce vnto them in the same of Diotrephes with caueats for the Ministers lawful authority and against vnlawfull liberty by aequality lastly of Bezaes iudgement on these matters for the Apostles and the auncient orders of the renuing those orders in the state of Geneua The Learned Discourse IN the same manner of speaking he describeth the qualities of those which were to be chosen Bishops and Deacons Likewise vnto Titus 1.5 Hee calleth them elders and immediately after describing the qualities of such as were meet to be ordeyned elders hee calleth them bishops saying For this cause did I leaue thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse the thinges that remayne and that thou shouldest ordeyne elders in euery City if any bee vnreprouable the husband of one wife hauing faithfull children which are not accused of riot nor are disobedient For a bishop or ouerseer must be vnreprouable as the steward of God not froward c. COncerning the communicating of these names Pastors Priestes or elders and byshops indifferently or the being of the office all one and the same vntill furder order in the Apostles times were taken we haue at large before declared But as for the matter that among these Pastors Elders or bishops some one Pastor elder or bishop had a superior gouernment ouer many of the residue in the same order as wee haue plainly prooued it by Saint Paule through-out all the same his Epistle to Timothy héere alleaged and also out of the other Epistle vnto him so for this Epistle likewise vnto Titus 1.5 Which Epistle appeareth to be so late written by Saint Paule that there is no such iourney or aboade in any such place mentioned in all those iourneyes which Saint Luke so diligently in the Actes recordeth therfore it should rather séeme to be written after that time Bullinger in his Preface on this Epistle to Titus sayth when it was written eyther before or after the Apostle was taken it is not euident ynough Theophilacte thinketh it written before his bondes and before the later to Timothie were published Certainely hee that wil search it more diligently shall not want coniectures whereby it may be gathered that it was written after that by the sentence of Caesar hee was at Rome acquitted But were it written then or after or before or as Chytreus also in his Onomastichon gathereth yet maketh it no lesse if not much more vnto this purpose that euen at that time while the name of Preest or Elder and Bishop was yet vsed in common notwithstanding there was yea and that no small difference among these Preestes or elders and Bishops in the degree of superiour gouernment which is apparant by the text it selfe wherein Saint Paule giueth Titus beeing a priest or elder or pastor or Bishop a greate deale more authority and superior dignitie then ordinarilye appertayned to euery Preest or elder or Pastor or Bishoppe or by what name soeuer they were tearmed Which Caluine himselfe vpon these wordes For this cause haue I lâ—ft thee in Creta c. doth note saying This beginning doth clearely shewe that Titus is not so muche admonished for his owne sake as commended vnto others leaste any shoulde hinder him the Apostle committeth vnto him his owne turnes Wherefore it behooueth that hee bee acknowledged of all men for the Apostles Vicar and bee reuerentlye receyued For sithe that no certayne station was assigned to the Apostles but an office enioyned to them of spreading the Gospell through-out all the worlde whereas therefore they trauayled out of one city into another they vsed to substitute fitte men in their place by whose labour that which they beganne shoulde be finished So Paule boasteth that he founded the Church of Corinth but other were the master workman which ought to builde therupon that is to further the building This indeede belongeth to all Pastors â—or the Churches shall alwayes haue neede of encreasinges and of furderaunce so long as the worlde endureth But beyonde the ordinary office of pastors a care of ordeyning the Churche was committed to Titus for pastors are wont to bee placed ouer Churches that bee already ordeyned and formed in a certayne manner But Titus susteyned a certayne burden more that it is witte
readie prepared to their office as I shall anon more at large declare And so Ierome when as he set downe 5. orders he reckoneth vp Bishops Priestes Deacons the faithfull and those that learne the Catechisme to the residue of the Clergie and to the Monkes he attributeth no proper place They therefore called all them Priests or Elders to whoÌ„ the office of teaching was enioyned They elected one out of the number in euery Citie to whom especially they gaue the title of Bishop least that by reason of equalitie as it is woont to come to passe discorde should spring vp How-beit the Bishop was not so superiour in Honour and dignitie that hee had dominion ouer his Colleagues but what parts the Consull hath in the Senate to propounde the businesses to demaunde the opinions to goe before or gouerne the other in Counseling admonishing exhorting to rule all the whole action by his authoritie and to put in execution that which by the common counsell shall be decreed that office did the Bishop sustaine in the assembly of the Priestes or Elders And that this for the necessitie of the times was with consent of men brought in the auncientes themselues confesse it So Hierome on the Epistle to Titus A Prieste or Elder sayth he was the same that a Bishop before that by the instinction of the Deuell factions beganne to be made in religion and that it was said among the people I hold of Paule I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by the common Counsell of the Priests or Elders Afterwarde that the seedes of dissention might be pulled vp all the carefulnesse was surrendred vnto one man As therefore the Priestes or Elders knowe that of the custome of the Churche they are subiected to him that ruleth ouer them so let Bishops knowe that rather by custome than by the veritie of the Lordes disposing they are greater than the Priestes or Elders and they ought to rule the Church in common Howbeit he teacheth in another place howe auncient an Institution it was For he sayth at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist vntill Heraclas and Dionisius Priestes or Elders they alwayes placed in a higher degree one that was chosen from amonge themselues whome they called the Bishop Euerie Citie therefore had their Colledge of Priestes or Elders which were Pastors and Doctors For all of them exercised also among the people the office of teaching exhorting and correcting which Paule enioyneth vnto Bishops and here by the way note that then which was yet in the Apostles times the Doctors as wel as the Pastors had the exercise of exhorting and correcting as well as of teaching And to the end they might leaue seede after them they trauelled in enstructing the younger sorte that had enrolled their names into the sacred soldage Vnto euery Citie was attributed a certaine Region which froÌ„ thence should take their Priests or Elders And it should be reckoned as it were vnto the bodie of that Ch. Euery one of the Colledges as I haue sayd only for because of policie and of conseruing peace was vnder one bishop Who so excelled the other in dignitie that he was subiected to the assemblie of the brethren But if the field or territorie which was vnder his bishoprike were more than that it might suffice for the bishop euery where to doe his office there were certaine Priests or Elders assigned in certain places through that fielde who in meaner affaires did serue his turnes Those they called Chorepiscopos Bishops deputies or as wee call them bishops suffraganes because they represented the bishop through out that prouince In which wordes Caluine plainely confesseth that although all these degrées of dignitie be not expressed in expresse wordes in the Scripture yet the Fathers had such a care to compose all their forme of gouernement by the onely rule of Gods woorde that almost nothing is different from Gods worde And that bishoppes were but one ordinarily in one Citie who had Regions and Prouinces and manie Priests or Elders yea Colleges of Elders of Priestes vnder them that some of their Prouinces were so large that they had deputies or suffraganes also to supply their tournes Which withall inferreth that this their dignitie ouer these persons could not be onely for the present time of this or that action or assemblie but was still standing and continuall euen as those Regions and Prouinces allotted to them and as were the numbers of Pastors and Colleges of Priestes or Elders in euerie Citie as are our Cathedrall Churches likewise abiding and continuing And this dignitie of one B. aboue the Priestes or Elders arose not of any ambitious aspiring but of verie necessitie to auoide it And that of the equalitie of Priests or Elders dissentions and sectes would spring And that this dignity is so auncient that it was vsed in Alexandria a most famous Church euen from Saint Markes time Who as Eusebius in his Chronicle noteth died foure or fiue yeares before either Peter or Paule and while manie of the Apostles and Disciples were yet liuing For to reiect that which Eusebius speaketh of Peter or rather which is manifestly foysted into his Chronicle that he was Christianorum Pontifex primus the first or chiefe Bishop of the Christians and that when he had founded the Church of Antioch he went to Rome where preaching the Gospell he continued 25. yeares Bishop of that Citie because this agréeth not with the holy Scripture no nor yet with that which Eusebius citeth concerning Peter out of Dionisius Bishop of Corinth Li. 2. Hist. Eccl. cap. 25. as is afore-saide is therefore worthie to be repulsed yet this which Eusebius hath both in his chronicle and in his Eccl. historie of Annianus orâ—â—yned the first Bishop of Alexandria after Marke the Euangelist and of Euodius ordeyned the first bishop of Antioche another more famous Church the 45. yeare of the L. that is the 12. yeare after the Lordes ascention and that Iames the brother of the Lorde was ordeined of the Apostles the first Bishop of Ierusalem the most famous Church of all in those dayes and that in the very yeare of Christes ascention how soeuer the Scripture expresse it not or that Ierome say it was done by coÌ„sent of meÌ„ or custome of the Church and not of the verity of the Lordes dispensation yet sithe this consent is of so manie and so holy men and this custome so auntient and of these so notable Churches in the Apostles dayes if this order had béene anye breach of the veritie of the Lordes dispensation or of any perpetuall order set downe and commanded by the Apostles or not good and necessarie but daungerous and hurtfull to the Churches of Christe by them both before and after planted or had béene anie direct occasion to the tyrannie of Antichriste no doubt they should haue knowen it and foreknowen the euent and would neuer haue permitted but impugned and expressely written against the
that the Church is kept by order and lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lacke of order For which cause he hath instituted many also and diuerse orders of ministers not onely in times past in Israell but also after-wardes in the Church gathered together of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and also for the same cause hee hath left it free vnto the Churches that they might adde moe orders or not adde them so that the same may be done to aedification Whereas therefore when all the Ministers of the worde were called equally both Pastors and also Bishops also Priests or Elders and whereas they were of equall authoritie one afterwarde beganne to be preferred aboue all his Colleagues howbeit not as their Lorde but as the Rector in the vniuersitie aboue his other Colleagues to this man in principall the care of the whole Church was cōmitted whereupon and by a certaine kinde of Excellencie hee alone was accustomed to be called by the name of bishop and Pastor the residue of his fellow Ministers being contented with the name of Priests or Elders in so much that in euery City there began to be one onely Bishop and many Priestes or Elders This thing we iudge cannot be dissalowed Of which matter the declaration and the sentence of Ierome both otherwhere and also in the epistle to Euagrius and in the commentaries of the Epistle to Titus chap. 1. is of vs approued Who saith all this came rather of custome than of the verity of the Lordes disposing that the plants of dissensions of schismes might be taken away Verily by this reason those things also that were ordeyned concerning Arch-bishops yea and of the 4. Patriarkes euen before the Nicene Councell it selfe wee thinke may be excused and defended although that all thinges in successe of time afterwardes were drawen awaye vnto the greatest tyrannie and ambition which is the cause why that the neerer wee approche in those orders to the Apostolicall simplicitie so muche the more is it also of vs allowed And we iudge that euery where they should endeuour to approch thereto Nowe when Zanchius hath added certaine other Aphorismes concerning the Church and the lawfull Ministers thereof he setteth downe Aphorism 20. their authoritie saying We beleeue also that great authoritie is of Christe giuen vnto the lawfull Ministers to wit to performe those thinges whereunto also they are called to preach the Gospell to interprete the holy scriptures according to the analogie of the faith to catechise to teach the people what is the will of God to reprooue and rebuke as well the great as the small to remitte or reteyne sinnes ministerially to binde the impenitent and to loose the repentant to administer also the Sacraments which Christ instituted and according to his manner deliuered to exercise Discipline after the prescription of Christe and also by the expounding of the Apostles to conclude to all those things also which though they be not expressed in the holy scriptures notwithstanding do appertaine to order and to comlinesse and make to edification but not to destruction according to the generall rule deliuered of the Apostle That all thinges ought to be doone in order decently and to aedification For neither doe we beleeue that any authoritie is giuen to the ministers that ought to be stretched beyonde the boundes of Gods worde or vnto anie other ende than to the aedification of the Church And therefore we vtterly deny that any Bishop yea or that all of them together haue authoritie of ordeyning any thing contrarie to the scriptures of adding any thing vnto them or of takeing any thing from them of making newe articles of the faith of instituting new Sacramentes of bringing into the Church new worships of setting forth lawes that should bind the consciences and that should be made equall in authoritie to the lawe of God or of hauing dominion in the Church and consciences of the faithfull of forbidding those thinges that God hath graunted and would haue to bee free Or finally of commanding any thing that is without the worde of God as though it were necessarie to saluation sithe that it can not truely be sayde that indeede the whole Church hath not this authoritie Hauing thus in euery particuler set downe and limited the authoritie of the lawefull Ministers of the Church according to the worde of God he procéedeth Aphorisme 21. vnto this that the politike authoritie of Bishops which also are Princes is not to be denied for any thing before restrayned In the meane season we denie not that Bishops which with-all are also Princes besides the authoritie Ecclesiasticall should also haue their lawes politike and powers seculer yea euen as the rest of Princes haue the right of the commaunding seculer thinges the right of the sworde some of them the right of Electing and confirming kinges and Emperours and of ordeyning and administring other politike thinges and of compelling the people subiecte vnto them to yeelde them obedience and there-upon we confesse that vnto their politike commaundementes which with-out the transgression of Gods lawe may be kept their subiectes ought to obey not onely for feare but also for conscience For we knowe that all power is of God and who-so-euer resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God And that moreouer kinges are to be honored and we ought to be subiect to Princes and Lords in all feare not onely to those that are courteous and modest but also to the froward and wicked To conclude when he commeth to Ecclesiast Discipline which Aphorisme 36. he deuideth into popular and clericall in the 3. part of the clericall discipline Aphorisme 38. he saith The third is that they should promise peculiar obedience in things that are honest vnto their Bishop and to the Metropolitane of the Bishops Nowe although by all these Aphorismes of this excellent Learned man and great light of our age Zanchius it is most apparant what his Iudgement is of the superioritie of Bishops and with what reasons he prooueth and confirmeth the same to be in all pointes agréeable to Gods worde Yet for the further confirmation of these thinges and to satisfie all suche as shoulde or did mislike anie thing conteyned in them let vs also not thinke it tedious to peruse certaine other obseruations that he hath lastly adioyned to these Aphorismes in the foresaid confession of the faith with the preface of his reasons for the same The obseruations of the same Zanchius vpon his confession Neither fewe nor light are the causes with the which I was drawen that I had leauer adde these obseruations to my confession apart by thē selues than to alter any thing therein There are not a fewe vnto whom it is knowen on what occasion at what time by whose commaundement in whose name and to what ends I being indeede vnwilling and compelled wrote the summe of the Christian Religion But although ech man seeth that this
this house was layde before their eyes wept with lowde voyce And many shoâ—ted lowde for ioy so that the people coulde not discerne the sounde of the shout for ioy from the noyse of the weeping of the people Fâ—r the people sâ—owted â—ith a lowde cry and the noyse was heard farre off Here indeede was some confusion of voices because some of them shouted and some wept and some of them praised to GOD and some sang his praises and some blewe the Trumpettes and yet GOD accepted this confusion as a moste sweete conceite and harmonye In the tenth Chapter after the Prayer of Esdras in the name of himselfe and of al thâ— people verse 1. VVhiles Esdras prayed thus and confessed him-selfe weeping anâ— falling downe before the House of GOD there assembled vnto him of Israell a very â—reat congregation of Men and VVomen and childâ—en for the people wept with a great lamentation Then Shecaniah the sonne of Iehiel one of the sonnes of Elam aunswered and said to Esdras we haue trespassed against God c. Here one speaketh in the name of all the people but in the next assemblie it followeth after VVhen Esdras had exhorted the people al the Congregation aunswered Uerse 12. and said with a lowde voyce So wil we do accordinge so thy VVordes vnto vs but thee People are manye and it is raynye weather and wee are not able to stande vvithoute neyther it is the vvoorke of one Daye or two for wee are many that haue greatly offended in this thing Let our rulers therefore c. And in the 8. Chapter of Nehemias he saith verse 1. And all the people assembled themselues together in the streete that was before the Water gate and they spake vnto Esdras the scribe that hee shoulde bring the booke of the lâ—we of Moses which the Lorde had commaunded to Israel And Esdras the prieste brought the lawe before the congregation â—â—th of men and Women and of all that coulde heare and vnderstande it in the first day of the seuenth month And hee red therein in the streete that was before the water-gate from the morning vntill the Midday before men and women and them that vnderstoode it and the cares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the lawe And Esdras the scribe stoode vpon a pulpit of wood which he had made for the preaching Here againe is the plaine reading of the Scripture so that the people may vnderstand it called Preaching And Esdras opened the booke before all the people for he was aboue al the people and when hee opened it al the people stood vp and Esdras praysed the Lord the great God And all the people aunswered Amen Amen with lifting vp their handes and they bowed themselues and worshipped the Lord with thâ—ir faces toward the ground And here is euen that our bre speake of where the minister praiseth God which is a part of praier and the people hearken and aunswere Amen But yet immediately it followeth that this reading was not done all by one but a great many Leuites are reckoned vp which caused the people to vnderstande the Lawe and they reade in the booke of the Lawe of God distinctly and gaue the sence and caused them to vnderstande the reading And also the notable prayer that followeth in the next Chapter was pronounced vppon staires not by one but by eight or nine of the Leuites pronouncing the same before the people Thus wee see at large in all these ages the manner of the Church of God in their coÌ„gregations and publike Praiers both for the Leuites parts and for the peoples howe they ioined their voices together not onely in saying Amen but in their petitions Confessions and thanks-giuinges And this was counted no disorder nor confusion but vsed of all Godlie men and alwaies acceptable vnto God And so as wee may further perceiue by the Apocrypha and other histories of their publike praiers thus practised and continued till Christes comming Neither was this doone so much in respect of the ceremoniall as of the morall Lawe of God among them But to confirme all this with the practise approoued of Christe in the Newe testament reade we not Luke 2. verse 13. Euen presently after the birth of our Sauiour Christ that when one â—ngel of the Lorde had declared vnto the Shepheardes the ioyful tydings of his birth And straight wayes sayth Luke There was with the Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praâ—sing GOD and saying Glorye bee to GOD on high and in earth peace and towardes men good will and was heere also confusion and disorder in the multitude of the voices of the Angels that saide these things And likewise when Iesus a little before his death came riding to Ierusalem Mat. 21. ver 9. c The people that went before and they also that followed cryed saying Hosana the sonne of Dauid blessed be hee that commeth in the name of the Lord. Hosanna thou which art in the highest And when he was come to Ierusalem al the Citie was mooued saying who is this and the people saide this is Iesus the Prophet of Nazareth in Galily True it is that there were some that thought this a disorder and confused noise For it followeth vers 15 c. But when the cheefe priests and scribes sawe the maruels that he did and the children crying in the Temple and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid they disdained and saide to him hearest thou what these say and Iesus saide vnto them yea did yee neuer reade by the mouth of babes and sucklinges thou haste made perfect thy praise Doth Christe heere forbid them to cry out these publike praiers as a confusion and disorder And what was the manner of the Apostles praiers concerning this point Act. 1.14 Luke saith They all continued with one accord in praier and supplication with the Women and Marie the mother of Iesus and with his brethren In-déede here is not mentioned that all their voices were ioined together but one accord which rather signifieth the consent of their hearts then the consent of their voices But very well doth Caluine note hereon saying So farre as respecteth the concorde of their mindes it is opposed to the dispearsing of them which the feare had brought Howbeit withall generallie we may gather hereupon how necessarie it is in praying Which Christ commaÌ„deth euery one to pray for the whole body and in common as though it were in the person of all Our father Giue vs. c. Mat. 6.9 Whence coÌ„meth this vnitie of the tongs but of one spirite Wherefore Paul Rom. 15.6 When hee would deliuer to the Iewes Gentiles a rule of praying well remoueth far off all dissembling That we might glorify God sayth hee with one mouth And verilie that God may of vs be called vpon a Father it behoueth vs to be brethren to consent brethen-like But to shew this more plaine Luke declareth Act. 4.23 24. How that
the manner of the Nouatians that are at Constantinople In like manner at Caesarea of Cappadocia and in Cyprus the Elders and the Bishops expound the Scriptures euermore on Saterday and on Sonday at euening by candle light The Nouatians that are at Hellespont keepe not in all pointes the like manner as doo the Nouatians that are at Constantinople but for the more parte they followe the order of the chiefe Church among them To conclude in all the formes of religions sects you shall neuer finde two that in the maner of their praiers agree among themselues Furthermore at Alexandria an Elder preacheth not which custome hath had his beginning since the time that Arius disturbed the Church And here at length is noted where onely and vppon what occasion the Elders preached not Howbeit he saith not that heerevpon they were prohibited vtterlie the ministerie of the word and Sacramentes For as hee shewed before lib. 2. cap. 8. the verie Deacons out of whole order the Elders were made did saie the publike praiers before the people But this the Elders ceasing of preaching how long tiâ—e after Arius troubles it began at Alexandria how long time it continued he declareth not But in noting the same as such a strange and diuerse order different from al other Churches it declareth that it directly belonged to their office and that in al other Churches the Elders were such as were not prohibited to preach that they preached there also before that occasion did fall out And whereas as a little after hee citeth for not troubling the Church about indifferent things the decree made by the Apostles the Elders and the brethren Act 15.23 it appeareth that Socrates tooke also those Elders that are therâ— mencioned to be no other kinde of Elders than such as medled with teaching And so doth the verie text insinuate that those Elders were when it saith Act. 15.6 The Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter Which matter was a great controuersie in doctrine And Caluine himself saith tâ—ereon Luke saith not that the whole Church was gathered together but those that excelled in doctrine and iudgement they that by reason of their office were lawfull Iudges of this cause it may be that the disputation was holden before the people but least anie shoulde thinke that the people wer admitted indifferentlie to meddle in the cause Luke expresly nameth the Apostles and the Elders as those that were more fit to take notice therof And to shew further who these Elders were he saith on these words When there was great disputing when as the graue men and publike Doctors of the Church were chosen neither yet could they agree among themselues c. And to shew that these Elders in all other Churches werâ— still of thiâ—â—orte Socrates procéeding to his 6. booke chap. 2. telleth that when the Bishoprick of Constantinople was vacant by Nectarius decease which tooke awaie the penitenciarie Elder aforesayde and that they laboured much about the choosing of a Bishoppe and some sought one and some another for that office that they had consulted often thervpon at length it was thought good to call from Antioche for Iohn an Elder of Antioche For the fame of him was great that he was meete to teach them very skifull in the gift of vtterance And in the seuenth booke which Danaeus citeth cap. 2. speaking of Atticus which was afterward likewise made Bishoppe of Constantinople he saith When he first obtained the degree of the Presbyterie Priesthood or Eldership the Sermons which he recited in the Church he made them with great studie and conned word by word afterward by often vse and diligence getting more audacitie he beganne to preach ex tempore on the sodaine occasion and attained to a more popular manner of teaching And in the 5. Chapter he â—eâ—â—eth of Sabatius an Elder among the Nouatians preaching in his Sermon this false doctrine Cursed bee he who soeuer celebrateth the feast of Easter without vnleauened bread In the sixth Chapter be telleth of two Arian Elders preachers and interpreters of the Scriptures Besides that Chap. 16. hee telleth of three Elders Philip Proclus and Sisinius that â—tooâ—â—or the Bishoprike of Constantinople of which Sifinius by the desire of the people hee beeing an Elder not ordained in anie Church within the Citie but of Elea a suburbe of the Citie obtained the Bishoprike Wherby it appeareth also that these Elders had seueral Congregations and Churches in and about the Citie and were Ministers of the worde and Sacraments in them And although Proclus was afterward made Bishop of Cizicum whom the Citie would not receiue but chose onâ— Dalmatius a Monke and so Proclus went not thether but continued in preaching at Constantinople and afterward was made Bishoppe of that Citie after Maximianus which did leade a monasticall life yet by degree of dignitie he was an Elder So that these Presbyters Priestes or Elders were not as Danaeus supposeth a Senate or a Consistorie chosen from among the people assistant to the Bishop and much lesse to euerie Pastor as our Brethr. affirme gouerning onelie the discipline of the Church but not medling with teaching Socrates neuer speaketh of such kinde of Elders but simplie and plainely of such as we call Priests and our brethren call Pastors To conclude this no lesse appeareth in the last Capter saue two of all Socrates Historie euen in Paulus the Bishoppe of the Nouatians Who before his death calling together all the sacred Priestes of the Churches that were vnder him sayde vnto them Prouide yee while I am yet aliue that a Bishoppe may bee appointed vnto you When they aunswered The power of choosing the Bishoppe is not to bee permitted vnto vs. For saie they while one of vs thinketh this another that we shal neuer name one and the same man But wee desire that you woulde designe whome you would haue vs choose Deliuer me then sayd hee this your promise in writing that yee will choose him whom I will name vnto you Which writing beeing made and subscribed with their hande raising vp himselfe a little in his bedde he secretlie they that were present not priuie thereto wrote therein the name of Martian which was one that had obtained to the order of the Elders and therein had learned a rigorous kinde of life and at that time by chance was absent And when hee had sealed vp the writing and had brought the chiefe of the Elders to confirme the same also with their seales he deliuered it to c. I note this onelie that these Nouatians also which were a kinde of Praecisians in that antiquitie hauing for their precise austeritie of life cut off and diuided theÌ„selues from all other Churches albeit in substance and groundes of faith and doctrine not dissenting but in profession of more seuere discipline not onely had their Bishops in the chiefe Cities and many Elders vnder them but
1. cap. 8. and the historie of the auncient Church These last words the historie of the auncient Church are too generall When the places are particularly quoted they may be better examined And we haue examined a good many alreadie But we could finde no such seconde kinde of Elders And I am halfe a fraide before hande that wee shall finde none euen in this place And for triall let vs start aside and sée it The title of the Chapter sheweth the argument An enumeration of the noble actes of Constantine both in purchasing the libertie of the Christians and in building of temples and other thinges beneficiall to the common-weale In which chapter among other matters he sayth he builded also in the Palace a Church and he made a tente expressing the figure of a Church the which he vsed to carie about with him when he marched in battell against his enemies to this ende that a Church should not be wanting to him nor to the armie while hee aboade in the wildernesse In which Church they should prayse God they should call vpon him with their praiers and receaue the holy mysteries Nam Sacerdotes Diaconi c. For the Priests Deacons which according to the institution of the Church should performe these functions did continually follow the Tabernacle Ex eo tempore militaeres Romanorum ordines qui iam vocantur Numeri singuli sibi Tabernaculum separatum construxerunt hahuerúntque secum Sacerdotes Diaconos ad rem diuinam faciendam designatos From that time foorth the militarie orders of the Romanes which are now called the Numbers euery one of them builded a seueral Tabernacle and had both Priestes and Deacons with them appointed to execute the diuine seruice This is all that Sozomenus hath of this matter and is not héere a faire proofe that in euery greater Citie wherein there was a faire populous Church magnus fidelium numerus and a great number of the faithfull euery part of the Citie and Church had his Elder whose office was to attend vpon the flocke and to watch both ouer the doctrine and ouer the manners of the Church and of the faithfull that are therein and especially in his Parish that is in that part of the Church that is committed vnto him Indéede there is mencion made of some like wordes that Danaeus gathereth Sozomenus telleth how Constantine made a Tabernacle or Tent expressing the figure of a Church therupon Danaeus belike gathereth these words An ample and a populous Church except he gather that of the words before As for that that pertaineth to the holy Temples they that were large inough were repaired other were raised higher made broder not without increase of statelinesse Sozomenus telleth how this Tabernacle was caried about in the wildernesse while Constantine marched against his enemies and Danaeus gathereth belike of this Wildernesse a great Citie Except also he gather that of the wordes before Moreouer out of the land which was tributarie in euery Citie he tooke the rated tribute that was wont to be paied to the Eschequer or Treasurie and distributed it to the Churches to the Clergie which gift he enacted by Lawe to be ratified for euer Sozomenus telleth of the militarie orders of the Romanes and Danaeus belike gathereth thereupon the flocke of the faithfull Sozomenus telleth that these militarie orders of the Romanes were those which were then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numeri Numbers and Danaeus belike gathereth thereupon that there was Magnus fidelium numerus A great number of the faithfull Sozomenus telleth that From that time forth euery one of these militarie Orders builded a seuerall Tabernacle to themselues and Danaeus belike gathereth thereupon these words Euery part or parish of the Citie and of the Church Sozomenus telleth how they had these 2. eccl orders Sacerdotes Diaconos sacred Priests Deacons with thē Danaeus belike gathereth here vpon Secundum genus Presbyterorum the second kinde of Elders Priests or Presbyters Sozomenus telleth how these did follow the Tabernacles and were designed according to the Institution of the Church to execute the diuine seruice and performe these functions to wit to praise God to cal vpon him with praiers and to minister the Sacraments and Danaeus héereupon belike doth gather that their office was to attend the flock to watch both ouer the doctrine and ouer the manners os the Church and of the faithfull that are therein ech one in the parish part or region committed to him Verely except Danaeus gather these his collections on these wordes of Sozomenus for they be the words that me thinkes come néerest vnto his I know not on what words els he can make this collection But to conster Danaeus to the best as he is our Reuerend Brother excellent learned Father in the Lord so Bonus aliquando dormitat Homerus he ouertrusted and followed too much some others ill collection and considered not the place himselfe and so might easely be abused Which least we also in so weightie a matter might be especially on the trust of so notable a man as I am afraid too many of our Brethren be running too much on the credite of such a credible partie it standeth vs vpon crauing euermore pardon of him and all our betters to search better the places our selues that are alleadged and to sée whether they be rightly alleadged yea or no. If yea then humbly so farre forth as is requisite to yéelde vnto them be the partie neuer so meane that doth alleadge them If no then modestly to dissent from them and not allowe them be the parties otherwise neuer so learned Christ biddeth vs to Search yea the very Scriptures and so shall we finde whether they be well or ill alleadged And the Baeroeans are euen therefore commended for that daily they searched the Scriptures to sée whether those things were so that S. Paule had preached And then must our Br. be content to giue vs leaue if we examine these testimonies by the originals which in this place also when we haue done besides a number of other grosse escapes what is héere for the proofe of these Cōsistorie gouerning not teaching Elders Is this Elder now become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacerdos a sacred Priest the executer of the diuine seruice a minister of the holy mysteries Well thē since we find not as yet these Elders here let vs return again to Danaeus search for thē in the scripture The third testimonie of Scripture that héere he cited was Act. 21.18 And when we were come to Ierusalem saith S. Luke verse 17. the Bretheren did receaue vs gladly But the next day Paule entred in with vs vnto Iames and all the Elders were assembled Heere are againe Elders named and an assembly of them all at Ierusalem But whether these Elders were onely gouernors and not medlers with teaching of the worde that is
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
Pastors of the Church Thirdlie saith he this is to be obiected against the bitings and scoffes rebellions of obstinate persons to wit that it is giuen to the Church of Christ himselfe being God and not of men neither yet hath this power bene vsurped of the Church Here therfore is this saying in force He that despiseth you despiseth me Mat. 10. For it is not maÌ„ that bindeth but Christ. Chrysost. in the Epist. to the Hebr. whose sayings theron we haue séene at large alreadie it is in the Canon Nemo contemnat 11. quaest 3. Moreouer the charter of this power iurisdiction which pertaineth to the church remaineth in writing in 2. EuaÌ„gelists as two publike Notaries Secretaries of the highest King to wit Matthewe Iohn Matth. 18. v. 18. Io. 20. v. 23. To whom agreeth that which is in Ier. chap. 1. ver 18. Here Danaeus ioyneth vnto Mat. 18. all these testimonies Luc. 10. Ioh. 20. â— Ier. 1. which are all spoken of the Ministers of the word That in Luc. 10. to the which matter also that in Mat. 10. agréeth was spoken to the comfort of the disciples being sent out to preach Concerning that of the keyes giueÌ„ to the disciples Ioh. 20. Caluin himself saith After that Christ hath appoynted ordeined Legates to be sent into the world he nowe more significantlie expreslie describeth the office or ministery of theÌ„ in few words coÌ„prehendeth the summe of the Gospel For this power of remitting sinnes is not to be separated froÌ„ the office of teaching and is annexed to it in one coÌ„text And as for that of Ier. 1. v. 18. Behold this day haue I made thee a defensed Citie an iron piller walls of brasse against the whole land against the kings of Iudah against the princes thereof against the priests therof against â—he people of the land As this was onlie spoken to the prophet so Tremelius expouÌ„ds these words wherin they should be vnderstood Behold I set thee that is I coÌ„firme thee in this thy functioÌ„ that thou shouldest stand firme against the obstinacie of these meÌ„ shouldest coÌ„tinue vnbrokeÌ„ immoouable And the verie note in the Geneua Bible obserueth on this word an iron piller signifieng on the one part that the more SathaÌ„ the world rageth against Gods ministers the more preseÌ„t wil he be to help theÌ„ And this doth the text it self eueÌ„ in the ver next going before declare where God saith Thou therfore gird vp thy loynes arising vp speake vnto theÌ„ all the things that I coÌ„mmand thee Be not afraid at the sigâ—t of theÌ„ least I strike thee before their faces So that this encouragemeÌ„t of God was onlie for the Ministerie of his word And very wel noteth Bullinger theron He declareth to the Prophet what should be his office that thou shouldest I say speak vnto them He constituteth him therfore a Prophet that is a Preacher whose office should be to speak vnto the people And what now he should speak he expresly signifieth All things that I coÌ„mand thee All things I say not only some things Neither shalt thou dissemble any thing neither shalt thou bring the things that seeme good to thee but that that I command thee Marke the things saith he that I command thee not that other coÌ„mand thee or that seeme good to other These things agree with this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of the L. which the L. Iesus himself hath prescribed in the last chap. of Mat. sayd Teaching theÌ„ to keep al things that I haue coÌ„manded you c And on this coÌ„fort to him he saith For howsoeuer tyrants would seeme to set the preachers at nought yet theâ—selues witnes that they are afraid of the seruaÌ„ts of god whoÌ„ they haue coÌ„temned Herode feared Iohn Achab Elias c. If now these testimonies of Danaeus be â—it for those to whoÌ„ this power of the keies belongeth who séeth not that it is proper onelie to the Ministers and Teachers of Gods word In the 50. cha Danaeus commeth directly to the partie to whoÌ„ the keies are giuen But saith he this power or iurisdiction of the keies is giuen vnto the whole Church therfore to all singular the Apostles true Pastors of the Church and that indeed equallie but not onlie to Peter alone and to his successors or to himself principallie or chiefelie as some say but vnto other by a coÌ„municating made from Peter It is giueÌ„ therfore vnto the whole Church her self howbeit the same is exercised by the B. Prelates of the Church in her name consent conscience Aug. in 50. Homil. homil 50. Héerupon to confute the Papists error that wold make all this power to be giuen principallie to Peter to be deriued from him he faith The first reason is the authoritie of the scripture For Christ speaking to all his Apostles not onlie to Peter alone saith in the plurall number What sinnes soeuer ye shall binde vpon earth c. Math. 18. v. 18. The same Christ after his resurrection Omnibus hanc eandem potestatem confirmanit quoque confirmed also vnto all of them this self same power not onlie to Peter alone for vpon whom he breathed the holie Ghost to them he said VVhose sinnes soeuer ye shall remit c. Iohn 20. ve 23. If now the power giuen Mat. 18. be the self same power that giuen Io. 22. the power giuen Ioh. 20. is the power of teaching and preaching the word of God as Caluine saith is not to be separated from the office of teaching how foloweth it not that whosoeuer haue this power giuen them Mat. 18. must be all Teachers of the word of God And how then doo our Br. giue this power to such a Senate of Elders as are not Teachers The 2. reason saith Danaeus is drawen froÌ„ the things that are necessarilie annexed Thus wheresoeuer is the true Church of God there the gates of hell doo not preuaile there is remission of sinnes there is the fountaine of grace open and also equallie appeareth out of the word of God Therfore whersoeuer the church is the other equally accord therto that are the Churches giftes follow the same Zach. 13 v. 1. Among the which chieflie is this power of the keies for by it the remission retention of sinnes is denounced Christ said of the Church vniuersallie The gates of hel shall not preuaile against it Wherupon it is rightly gathered that this power of the keyes perteineth to her and that indeed vniuersallie Math. 16. v. 18. For the meane whereby the gates of hell doo not preuaile against the Church is the selfe same power If this also bée the selfe same power mencioned Math. 16. which Caluine also ascribeth to the Ministerie of the word saying Heere Christ beginneth to treate of the publike office that is of the Apostleship whose dignitie is adorned with
godly and yet vnperfect as wee our selues and all our actions and offices are Though our Bretheren boast too much of puritie and perfection wee rather tend to it than that wee are as yet able to apprehend it For as the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 13. vers 9 10. wee knowe in parte and wee prophecie in parte but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in parte shal be abolished Would God both for our Bretheren and for vs wee were in the better parte for our ministerie and more neere to perfection all of vs both in that and in all things els than we be And for our partes wee are readie to abide all due and true reformation But as for such reformations as these are that these our learned Bretheren which call themselues all the faythfull Ministers doe desire or rather doe not desire but prescribe vnto us for the discipline and reformation of the Church of England they are so farre off from any neernes to perfection that forsooth and forsooth they would rather deforme vs altogether than any whit reforme vs or amend vs. Fourthly saye they if you will see how well the authoritie which they claime and practise is vsed of them that onely haue the choyce and admission of ministers looke ouer the whole Realme of England what a multitude of vnfit pastors shall you finde in euery place so that Ieroboam neuer made worse priestes of the refuse of the people to serue his golden Calues than they haue ordeyned ministers to feede the flocke of Christ which hee hath purchased with his owne blood It is good to see how well or ill the authoritie claymed is practised or vsed so wee see it with an intentiue and yet a single eye discerning euermore betweene the authoritie it selfe and the practise and in the practise betweene the vse and the abuse thereof Now if wee shall thus looke ouer the whole Realme of England which GOD bee praysed is a large circuite and conteyneth a very great number of Pastors it is lesse maruell if there bée many not in all things so good as their office and order doth require Saint Paule findeth fault in the Church of Corinthus euen with all the prophetes there being though not all of them yet many the ordinarie ministers and teachers of the worde for their great disorders And how much more especially in this our more corrupt age is it lesse woonder if wee should see a multitude of vnfit pastors in looking ouer a whole Realme and that such a Realme as Englande is maior est orbis vrbe sayth Saint Ierome And yet in the Citie where hee was at Rome the multitude of the euill Priestes or ministers and their enuie made him forsake Rome and goe to Bethelem Yea for the enuie of the Priestes and ministers long before him Tertullian from growing in malecontentment with the dissolute life of the ministers fell so farre from them that in the ende hee became a Montaniste And the too much disliking of the corrupt liues of the Bishops the Clergie and the Ministers in the auncient Churche hath made many too austere Ministers otherwise excellent learned men and streight liuers become Scismatikes as many of the precise nouatians and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Puritanes were But now if wee shall looke ouer the whole Realme of England what a multitude say our Bretheren of vnfit Pastors shall you finde in euery place And indeede what a multitude I graunt moe than wee woulde there were or than there should bee For in duetie there ought none at all to bee vnfit But if wee shall viewe the number well without sinister affection I trust wee shall not stude considering the whole Realme so great a multitude as our Bretherens exclamation grounded on ill will to the state of all the Ministers and to their Ministerie it selfe would make the worlde beleeue that there is vnfitnesse in so many that euen in euery place wee should finde a multitude of them Whereas contrarywise though there bee not a multitude of fitte Pastors in euery place yet there is some and some good multitude in many places God bee praysed for it and encrease the multitude of them But they finde fault not onely with the multitude of vnfitte Pastors in euery place but that also they bee so vnfitte that they spare not to saye so that Ieroboam neuer made worse Priestes of the refuse of the people to serue his golden Calues then they haue ordeyned Ministers c. Where here they speake not of so odde particular euill persons either degenerating from their order or vnworthie to haue bene at alâ— ordeyned or perchaunce crept into the number by subornation and counterfeiting to bée ministers and are not as in a whole Realme such naughtie persons may bee found but speake it generally and of a great multitude in euery place These bitter speeches seeme rather to arise from the froth of some sharpe choler if not very melancholie comprehending in generall the good and the bad to compare not onely the poore ministers that to their habilities feede the flocke of Christ which he hath purchased with his owne blood to the Idolatrous Priestes that Ieroboam made of the refuse of the people to serue his golden Calues but also with like generalitie of all the Bishoppes without discerning who hath made any vnfit ministers and who not that the fault being personall might light vpon the persons offending they charge them all alike that they haue all done as did that execrable Apostata and Idolatrous tyrant Ieroboam who being though a Prince yet a mere laye man tooke vppon him to make Priestes and ministers of the rascalles and refuse of the people whereas in déede neither hee had he bene otherwise neuer so good coulde make any Priestes at all nor they had they bene neuer so â—â—tte learned or godly could bée made Priestes being not of the stocke of Aaron and so in deede were no true Priestes at all But what doe I goe about to repell this so manifest a sclaunder the indignitie whereof deserueth chastisement rather than answere saue that our Bretheren vâ—â— a little poynt of cunning herein from which they should the rather shunne because as ill men as was Ieroboam euen many auncient Hereticks vsed the same comparison And at this daye it is the common practise of the Papistes when they would breede a misliking of all our doctrine and our ministerie to vndermyne it by finding fault with the ministers vnfitnesse in their liues and learning And because they dare not openly condemne all which is their meaning they make a shewe to bee offended with the multitude of the vnfittest ministers I wisse if wee should thus rigge into the vnfitnesse and that of ministers which are greate fauourites and vegers of these deuises and reformations wee could finde if not a multitude in euery place which God forbid yet some
which done asking of them if euery man consented thereunto when with great acclamations and prayses of him they aunswered that it was the consents of them all then he confirmeth the same and setteth out a Statute thereupon As for particular lawes and orders Eccl. that both he and diuers other Emperors especially Iustinian made I referre them to the declaration of the ciuill Canon Lawyers There is almost no Church matter whereof the Emperours namely Iustinian hath not some Ecclesiasticall constitution or other on the same which Iustinian also in the Counsell that he held at Constantinople where he made the Archb. Mennas President Mennas concluding the Counsell saith that none of those things that are to be moued in the Church ought to be done without the Princes will and commaundement Thus as we sée that the Emperours had this authoritie in Eccl. matters so graunt this to be lawfull in them and this lawfulnesse stretcheth to all Christian Princes in their dominions And therefore where our Brethren say the same order we reade also to be obserued by the christian Kings of Fraunce and Spayne yea of this our Brittanie also in gouerning their Eccl. state by the aduice of the Cleargy of their dominion it was the same order indéede that was obserued of these Emperours which these Kings also did obserue and bycause it was the same therefore was it not the same that our Brethren say it was but a farre greater authoritie and intermedling and not onely to allow that that the Cleargy had determined and to punish them that impugned those orders but also to deale so farre-foorth in ioyning with the Cleargy for the very making of Ecclesiasticall lawes as the foresaid Emperours had before done and for a while after did still continue as we reade of Constantine Pogonatus who called together the Byshops to a generall Counsell at Constantinople against the Monothelits sitting as President with his Nobles in the same Counsell where the Deputy for the Byshop of Rome among other also agréed and acknowledged the Sea of Rome to be subiect vnto him and humbly besought the Emperour to commaund those that tooke part with the Byshop of Constantinople to shew from whence they receyued their new speeches and erroneous opinions whereupon the Emperour commaundeth Macarius Byshop of Antioch to aunswere and in the next Session he reasoneth himselfe with Macarius and in the third action when the Byshop of Romes Legate being there but a partie plaintise had espied forgerie in the Synodall bookes that were read of the fift generall Counsell the Iudges though lay men examined and found out the same by the Emperours commaundement and when the Byshop of Constantinople besought the Emperour that the letters of Agatho Byshop of Rome might also be read the Emperour graunted thereunto In which letters the Byshop of Rome sheweth his obedience to the Emperour for the effectuall accomplishing of his precepts in sending of méete persons to that Counsell excusing himselfe that he could do it no sooner by reason of the great circuit of hys Prouince protesting withall that he sendeth his Legates euen for the dutifull obedience that he oweth to the Emperour And after the confession of his faith in the controuersie he acknowledgeth the Emperour to occupie heere in earth the place and zeale of Iesus Christ and that he ought to giue the right iudgemēt for the Euāgelical Apostolical truth Now after the Emperour had thus sitten his selfe in the examining and discussing of diuers actions sessions in that Counsell as at large in the discourse therof appeareth and after his departure his deputes in the end when all was done Macarius deposed and the chosing of another Archbishop in his place referred to the Emperours pleasure and that the whole Synode offered vp to the Emperour their definition of the controuersie subscribed with all their hands and be séeching him to examine and confirme the same the Emperour hauing perused it and demaunding whether it were their vniforme consent vpon their confessions therof the Emperour aunswereth we haue read this definition and we also do giue our consent thereto And euen as much as all this commeth to we reade of the christian Kings both of Fraunce and Spaine and of this our Britany also in gouerning their Eccl. state which are the thrée kingdoms that our Brethren héere specifie Clodoueus euen the first Christian King of Fraunce in the Counsell that he called and held at Aurelia when he had propounded matters for the Counsell to consult and determine vpon they obeying the Kings commaundement refer againe their conclusions to the Kings iudgement And this authoritie doth Gunthranus the French King declare in his Edict set foorth in the Counsell of Matiscone concerning the Princes office in causing his people to be trained vp in true Religion and godly discipline protesting this charge is of God committed vnto him wherein also he declareth vnto the Byshops their office and concludeth that it was he which caused the Decrees to be made that were determined vpon in that Counsell touching discipline and ceremonies to be defined he confirming the same by his Edict thereon Charlemaine likewise as Nauclerus sheweth in a Counsell that he called sitting with many of his Nobles in the Counsell not only sayth he called the same that they should giue him good aduice how the law of God and the Churches Religion should be restored but he declareth also what ordinances he together with them had made to thateffect We did saith he ordeyne Byshops throughout the Cities by the counsell of the Priests and of my Noblemen and we did constitute Bonifacius to be the Archb. ouer them We haue also decreed a Synode to be called together euery yeere that the Decrees of the Canons and lawes of the Church may in our presence be reformed c. We haue degraded the false Priests Deacons and Clearks being adulterers and fornicators and haue driuen them to penance We haue vtterly forbidden all manner of hunting and hawking to the Cleargy We also decree that euery Preest dwelling in the Diocese be subiect vnto his owne Byshop and that alwayes in Lent he make an account and shew to the Byshop the manner and order of his ministerie c. In like manner Charles the great calling a Synode at Arles when they had decreed all their matters they decree this withall that all their doings should be presented to Charles the great that where any defects are in their Decrees he would supply the same by his wisedome and if any thing be otherwise than well that he would amend it by hi◠iudgement and that which is well he would ratifie and assist it by his authoritie Where they say in the 45. Canon that for the amending of all those abuses which the Counsell found to be in Eccl. matters the kings mind must be knowne The like they do at the Counsell which he called
vpon the most sure foundation of the canonicall Scriptures That saye I is a most sure foundation indeede and yet withall they must build well and surely and with good matter not with stubble sticks and combustible stuffe vpon it But that they haue neither built the forme set forth in this learned discourse onely vpon this most sure foundation nor where they haue taken any plot of ground out of scripture as their foundation to build vpon any peece of this litigious frame they haue done otherwise than to enforce that platforme on that ground with no right nor proprietie thereunto nor yet haue builded thereon as good and skilfull builders should haue done nor with such firme stuffe and mettall as will abyde the tryall of the fire I referre it to the Surueyers of the woorke and to all such as are expert in this kind of Architecture to giue their iudgements both of the whole modill of this plotforme and of euery parcell thereof and of all their stuffe workmanship and maner of their building But our Bretheren put vs in better comfort that if all this learned discourse will not serue they are not mynded to leaue off so But intending say they more at large if occasion shall serue hereafter to set foorth the practise and consent of the godly fathers in their acts Councels and writings following the same rule and interpretation of the Scripture that we haue done Verely neither this learned discourse nor any other of our Bretherens as yet set forth no nor any thing in Caluin Beza or Danaeus for I take it that our Bretheren haue most followed these three or any other treatise that is extant at least that I could euer see or reade doth nor can proue the forme of reformation that our Bretheren haue here in this learned discourse prescribed So that they do well to be intending of some other peece of worke for I see no other remedie to perswade vs so throughly as they say they are but that we must intend also on their further intending when and whatsoeuer they shall more at large hereafter set foorth as occasion shall serue Which what occasion they intend it shall be I remit to God And if they shall truely set foorth this that here they solemnly promise of the practise and consent of the godly fathers in their acts Councels and writings I dare by preuention say thus much before hand let me prooue it as I shall be able that they shall neuer be able to prooue that those godlie fathers followed the same rule and interpretation of the scripture that our Bretheren haue followed in the fourme of this their learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment or that herein either Caluin or Beza or Danaeus and other our Bretheren haue so done Not that I burthen them as falsaries whom I honor as godly fathers also and deere bretheren with all due reuerence but as mistakers of those auncient godly fathers as we haue partly seene alreadie and shal see further by Gods grace when the performance of this promise shall come foorth to examine throughly how they interpreted or practised the office of Doctors not exhorting nor applying the Scriptures to search more narrowly how they interpreted the rules and practised the office of Bishops and Pastors and whether one among the Pastorall Elders were not in dignitie and iurisdiction a continuing superiour to whom the residue yéelded a proprietie of the name of Bishoppe yea whether it were practised otherwise among those godly fathers in any Church in all Christendome from the Apostles tymes vntill Constantines yea whether other of our Bretheren themselues both Caluin Beza Danaeus and diuers others doe not confesse as much in playne words And therefore if they shall hereafter when occasion shall serue them alleadge those godly fathers to the contrary that is to wit to proue all Pastorall Elders to haue bene all in dignitie and iurisdiction equall and Bishops all alike one as much as another except onely for a prerogatiue to some one Pastor in some Synodall assembly let them also intend to this whether they should not manifestly hale thâ—se godly fathers interpretations and practise cleane contrary to their meaning and doing yea cleane contrary to their owne consciences and open assertions that should so alleadge them To peruse likewise the writings acts and counsels of those godly fathers how they vsed their Consistories of Elders where they had any as in great Cities they had whether they were of such Presbyters Priestes or Elders as being Ecclesiasticall persons they had not to meddle in publike teaching but were gouernours onely and not how many of those godly fathers but whether any of them interprete those words of Christ Math. 18. Tell the Church as Caluin and our Bretheren do interpret them And further to consider the interpretations writings acts and Councels of those godly fathers for the vse and practise of the Deacons whether besides the collections and distributions for the poore they might not also be imployed to the publike teaching of the word of God as occasion serued nor to the ministring of the Sacraments nor to the attendance in the diuine seruice on the Bishops and Pastors whose proper office consisted therein If our Bretheren shall proue all these things to haue bene so vsed to haue bene so interpreted and so practised in the practise and consent of the godly fathers in their acts CouÌ„cels and writings following the same rule and interpretation of the Scripture that our Bretheren in the forme of reformation prescribed in this learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment haue done when they shall haue performed all this and shall as they intend more at large as occasion shall serue hereafter set it forth that we may also be throughly perswaded by it then will I say also for these our Bretheren that they shal haue better acquit themselues than as yet they haue done yea than any hetherto haue done If not rather in attempting this they shall not doe yet worse than they haue done and worse than any other haue done if they shal be manifestly found to wrest the interpretations writings practise consents acts and Councels of those godly Fathers What wee haue heard alreadie in those godly Fathers cited the more at large and the greater number of them euen to the tedious tyring both my selfe and the reader but chiefly to auoyd all suspition of wresting or abusing them and to shewe the greater consent of them and the more continuall and vniuersall practise of them and how in all these things those godly Fathers doe hetherto appeare at least wise in my simple iudgement cleane contrarie to this forme of our Bretheren set forth in this learned discourse for all these matters of this their quadripartite gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes being the greatest poynts or next the greatest here in controuersie I referre all past on both parts to God and the reader praying the reader till this
The B. Mel. zeale seueritie in reiecting them The Archb. Pâ—terâ— mercy to admit them The greater part went to Meleâ—ius Peter suffereth martirdome Meletius is exiled Meletius maketh B. priestes and deacons and erects churches against his Archb. What means they made to haue accesse to the Emperor Constantinus Magnus The Meletians coÌ„pact to ioyne Arius with them that without the Archb. let they might haue their communion by them selues Socrates lib. 1. cap. 5. Meletius Meletius depriued of his bishopricke Flauiaâ—uâ— a priâ—st and afterward a bâ—shop Meletius offer to part the bishopricke between them to gouerne togither for a full vnion The most reuerend Cyprian The Bishop ouer the Priestes by the Gospel the Lords iudgement Peter and Paule A plausible shew of reformation but offensiue to God The most reuerend Bridges Ionius referring him seâ—fe for Iames B of Ierusalem Bishops the Apostles successor The most reuerend Bridges Peter and Paule not B of Rome The most reuerend Bridges Both suâ—erior gouernment supreame too may be in more then one ouer the residue The most reuerend Bridges It followeth not that because some Apostl were Bishops all Bish. must bee Apost August Tom. de qâ—est ex nouo Testam questione 97. Aug. tom 8. in Psal. 44. Augustine The Bishop in steed of the Apost The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Ieromes minde is most apparant that the pecullarizing of the name office of B. â—as in the apostles time Hierome The most reuerend Bridges Ierome challenged of vntruth The fâ—iuolousnesse of the moste rev argum Differâ—nce of the persons dignity authority in the aequality both of Apostleship Eldersh The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerâ—nd Paule Soâ—henes Bridges S. Paules author superiour in excoÌ„munic Caluinon 1. Cor. 5. â— Marlorate on 1. Cor. 5. If the priests or Elders minist of the word Sacram. did then together with the B. gouern the Ch. then were B distinct from Elders of the word sacrameÌ„ts A priuie custome The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Titus authority Pag. 24. 1. Tim. 3.2.8 Tiâ— 1.5.6.7 Bridges The time when the Epistle to Titus was written Chytraeus in Onomasticho Calâ—in 1. Tiâ— Praedicas Aretiuâ— in tit Tituâ— ordained Elders alone Caluines obiâ—ction and answere for Titus authority in electing ordeining Pastors Inequality of Ministers Caluineâ— conclusion that the ministers were not al equal in authority in the Apostles times The ancient fathers acknowledging Titus to be B. of Creta Titus authority Titus a B. and his authority a patern to al other B. The popes superiority not established by this superiority of a bishop Ecclesiasticall promotion Inequality of dâ—gnity Christ forbiddeth the superiority or the title thereof but the ambition abuse of it Hemingius Syntagma â—it or arg Bern. Eccle. The spiâ—ituall iurisdiction all one but the degrees of dignitie not equall The degrees that the reformed churches do acknowledge Herbrandus in comp Theol. lo dâ— minist Superintendents special and Superintendents generall ouer Pastors Caluines iudgement of Bishops â—aluin Insâ—it ca. 8. sect 51. The Canons of the auncient B. how little they varied from gods word Caluines confession of the primatiue churches order for superioritie of B. The auncientnesse of this institution from S. Markes time Caluine Limitation of Regions to the cities whence the Priests shold be taken The fathers in coÌ„posing all this form of gouernement by the only rule of Gods word though it be not expressed therein Eusebius chronicle corrupted not agreing to his eccl hist. The credite of Eusebius report and proofe in his eccl hist. The Apostlâ— not improuing but approuing these orders Caluines iudgement of the titles of B. and Archb. and their superiour auth Epist. 295. Caluine acknowledgeth London and diuerse other places to appertain to the Bishoprike of one Caluine still acknowlegdeth the name of L. in a Bishop Caluines reuerend stile Epist. 272. He exhorteth the B. to beâ—hinke him of hâ—s place and charge Caluini Epist. 190. ad Regem Poloniae Caluines allowancâ— of an Archb. and B. vnder him Epist. 127. The place office of an Archb. enioyned by God The chiefest auth Eccl. in an Archb. Caluines resolutioÌ„ how B. conuerted to the Gospell should behaue themselues How a conuerted Bish. shall reteine his iurisdiction and superior authoritie Zanchius in confess Christ. relig How farre succession of Bishops holdeth Zanchius Bish auth agreable to the Apostles doctrine Wherein Zanchius fauoreth our Brethrens opinion ApprobatioÌ„ of orders multiplied Aphorism 11. The originall of one to be superiour and B. The same reason that serued for B. serueth for Archb. Whereto how far the ministers auth stretcheth 1. Cor. 14.40 How farre it is debatted Aphor. 21. That B. may haue also politicall auâ—horitie Rom. 13.5 Rom. 13.1.2 1. Pet. 2.17 Obedience to Metropolitane Zanchius coÌ„firmation of his confession in these thinges Vpon what occasion Zanchius set out these obseruations A Noble mans letter to Zanchius on this matter The orders not striuing with the scripture Bucers opinion Bucer How the Ecclesiasticall functions are to be multied The manes of the D. reaching D. exhortors and applierâ— Readers office Curats Singers of the psalmes Hymnes The pronuÌ„tiation of the readers Interpreterâ— How the B and the priestes also did these thinges How euerye minister according to his gift may do these thinges Magisterio The authority of a B. among the priâ—stes Metrop B. ouer the other Bish. The bishops peculier iurisdiction Elections of bishops Quae prefatus enim Primats Patriarkes Zanchius The clericall order of gouernmeÌ„t and obedience broken by Antichr The names of Arch. and Bish. better then Superintendentes Primaâ—ij The authority of arch against Antichristes tyranny The originall of Patriarâ—es for general couÌ„sels The name of Hierâ—â—châ— The learned discourse Pag. 27 28. 1. Pet. 5.1 1 Peâ— 5.1.2.3.4 Titles of Arch-bish c. 1. Peâ— 2.25 Bridges S. Peters testimonies of these titles Names included 1. Pet. 2. Apocal. 1. Titles of â— Elders Proper and improper names How necessary Bish. superiority is by our Brethrens own collection Slouth Couetousnesse Pride Submissio Neither Peter nor Paul require such submission How these â—â—tles agree onely to â— Christe Titles proper to Chr. How diuerâ— of these titles are froÌ„ Christ communicated to man Archipoimen archpriest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thesâ—nameâ— offices giuen to the building of the Church Man beeing but the figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thâ— name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Christian Iewes Archdeacoâ— Bishoâ— Arch-bish The name office wel vsed according to the obseruatioÌ„s of S. Peter How far we yeeld to our brethrens argumeÌ„t for these termes how far wee denie it Archpriest The learned disc Pag. 27 Bridges The name of Archpâ— not in vse among vs. Our bretherens argum Our vse of the name Archbishop Why we vse not the name Arch-Priest How the name of Arch Prieste and Archbishop are allowable Peter prince of