this place Is there anie sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church The third place sayth hee is of the care of those that are sicke in the assemblie or companie of the faithful But hee teacheth that the manner of healing and comforting the sicke ought to be made for the health of the sicke with the fruite also of them that stande about him Concerning the sicke partie hee ought to call for the Elders of the Church that is of his companie or assemblie at this daie wee shoulde cal it Viciniae Seniores aliquâ—s some Seniories or Elders of the neighbourhoode or of the streete or village neere adioyning with some Minister of the Church among whome some Phisition may haue a roome For neither do I here take the Seniors or Elders to be those anoynted onelie and shauen which are sacrificers and Monkes neither also an Ecclesiasticall Senate quem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quadam whome of a certaine ill zeale some goe about to represent But I take the Seniors of the church to bee graue and godlie men in the whole assemblie Whose godlinesse I knowe or like of whether they be laie men or they bee in the Ministerie or also they bee Phisitions yea or else otherwise To conclude I call the godlie and sound hearted the auncient men For in these is greater experience of thinges greater force of comforting greater affection also of hauing compassion and more sounde counsailes than in young men Thus plainlie and simplie sayth Aretius of these Elders that S. Iames woulde haue the sicke partie to send for his elderlie neighbours friends men of grauitie and experience that can giue the sicke good counsaile As for gouernours of discipline or controllers of manners or an Ecclesiasticall Senate to be sent for and to come to euerie mans house when he lieth sicke and in daunger of death what vse is there of them Whereas of his acquaintance and good neighbours there may bee great vse especiallie of the Pastorall Elders And therefore Hemingius sayth well Accerset Praesbyteros tanquam animae medicos Let him send for the Elders as for the Phisitions of the soule to giue him some spiritual consolation out of the word of God of the which then hee shal haue most néede and to strengthen and confirme his faith and hope in Christ to moue him to repentance to patience and to cal vpon God for the forgiuenesse of sinnes in his life passed to persuade him to a readynesse to forsake the world and this transitorie life and to desire according to Gods will to be dissolued and to be with Christ to cal vpon him while his strength and vnderstanding and memorie serueth him to dispose of his worldlie goods and make his wil and with the assemblie to make the publike praiers to God for him who fitter to doe all these things than the Elders that are Ministers of the word Besides that Caluine maketh this anointing of him with oyle in the name of the Lord to haue béene a temporarie Sacrament saying Verilie I graunt that it was vsed for a Sacrament of the Disciples of Christe for I assent not vnto them that thinke it was a medicine but euen as the veritie of this signe indured not but for a time I saie the signe was likewise temporarie If then this were a Sacrament seruing for that time it séemeth so much the more that those Elders then were teachers since the action of making the praiers ouer him and of the anointing of him with oyle is attributed to those Elders For the publike or solemne praiers especially the ministration of the Sacraments in the Church of Christ doth principallie and as our Brethren themselues saie dooth onelie belong to him that is a teacher and Minister of the worde And that it can bee no better than sacrilege to separate the ministration of preaching of the word froÌ„ the Sacraments c. and that a word or writing may be auaileable without a seale but neuer a seale without a writing page 61. And that where is no Preacher of the word there ought to be no Minister of the Sacraments Furthermore it appertaineth to the dutie to make praiers c. page 6â— Sith therefore these things are here ascribed to the doings of these Elders of the Church that the sicke partie is willed to send for is it not yet more likelie than anie of al these opinions that by these Elders are meant pastoral Elders Otherwise how would not our Br. owne wordes in this learned Discourse beate downe Danaeus saying Therfore in this behalfe we haue had a great default so long time to coÌ„mit the administration of the Sacraments to those men who not onelie haue bene knowen to be vnable but also haue ben forbidden to preach the word page 61. And what other were these Elders by their discription of them but such as medled not with preaching the word nor it pertained at all vnto their office but onely gouernment of discipline controlment of maners And yet sée now when they can finde them no where rather than they should not bee found they will call them to the making of the praiers ouer the sicke and to the ministration of that temporarie Sacrament Yea our Bre. these Learned Discoursers their selues in plaine wordes page 22. ascribe this saying of Iames to the action and office of the Pastors Since therfore what kind of Elders these were mencioned Iam. 5.14 the text expreslie other than by these coniectures nameth not nor it is agréed vppon among these learned men What firme argumeÌ„t can be gathered hereon for the proofe of these gouerning not teaching elders If not rather as we haue séen far more probabilitie euerie way to the clean contrarie that they wer teaching Elders And now séeing that as neither before in the authoritie proofe or place in anie of the acts or exaÌ„ples of the Apostles we find anie euident exaÌ„ple or plaine precept or institutioÌ„ in the church of Christ set forth in the holy Scriptures of these Ecclesiasticall Elders gouerning the discipline controlling the manners of the Church but not medling with teaching nor preaching of the word and doctrine nor ministering of the Sacraments Let vs now returne from them to our Br. learned discourse if they perhaps haue yet anie better proofe after al these for the authorizing and setting vp amongst vs the CoÌ„sistories Segnories of these gouerning not teaching Elders We haue heard how our Br. haue alleaged the 14. of the Acts. ver 23. vpon the which we haue séene Caluines iudgement to the contrarie that the Elders there mencioned were only pastoral Elders We haue heard also their allegation 1. Tim. 5.17 and of the three â—â—ings that they saie wee may learne thereon that the same testimonie inferreth none of all those three things And hereupon because Caluine on the same testimonie citeth Ambrose which is cited also of Beza I haue both examined the place in
Paule dwelt two yeeres full in his own hired house receiued all that came in vnto him preaching the kingdome of God teaching those things that concerne the Lord Iesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him all which was before his first arraignment at Rome he had much more leysure and fréedome after his deliuerance and before his second arraignment condemnation he might wel deserue this coÌ„mendation of Irenaeus to be the founder constituter instructer of that Church And as for Peter it might be wel also that he came thither afterward for there is no likelihood of his béeing there before when the Iewes that were so willing to hear Paul said vnto him Act. 28. ver 21.22 we neuer receiued letters out of Iury concerning thee nâ—ither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee but we wil heere of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning this sect we know that euery where it is spoken against Wheras if S. Peter had bin among them especially their B. it could not be but they should of often and fully at least haue heard thereof But as I saide it may bre that Peter also trauelled to Rome afterwards desirous to sée the faithfull there and to doo some good among them as Saint Paule also confesseth of himselfe that he likewise was desirous saying Romans 1. verse 10 c. Praying alwaies in my praiers that by some meane at the last I might take a prosperous iourney one time or another to come vnto you for I long to see you that I might bestowe among you some spirituall gifte that yee might bee established I would yee should knowe brethren that I haue oftentimes purposed to come vnto you and haue beene let hetherto that I might haue some fruite also among you as among other of the Gentiles And no lesse cause had Peter of the like good desire for those that were of the circumcision of whome there were manie at Rome desirous to heare as they called it vnto S. Paule of that Sect. And many godly men came to Rome on such good desires as Origen c. yea euen Irenaeus himselfe that ioineth Peter with Paule in these actions or else if Peter had no wil as Paul had of trauelling thether yet it might be that Peter being of so great fame among the Christians and accounted one of the cheefe pillers of the Churche was vpon some occasion carried thither as Christ said whither he would not haue gone and brought prisoner to Rome as S. Paule was many other were though not recorded And most likelie it is that he suffered there also from whence Neroes persecution sprang Which though it be not mentioned in the Scripture yet the Scripture mentioneth these wordes that our Sauiour Christe said to Peter Iohn 21. verse 28. 29. Verelie verelie I say vnto thee when thou wast younger thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whether thou wouldest but when thou shalt be olde thou shalt stretch foorth thy hands and another shall girde thee and carie thee whither thou wouldest not This spake hee signifiing by what death he should glorifie God And therefore since this was Christes owne prophesie of Peters death this is most certeine that he died not a naturall death but suffered martyrdome for Gods glorie And whye should we denie without any proofe that which all the auncient Fathers so néere Peters time on so great likelihood haue with one full consent so vniuersallie affirmed that Peter suffered at Rome If it be saide that this maye confirme their opinion that saye Peter was Bishop there although that followeth not of any consequence yet sithe that opinion arose not all of nothing it is the more likelie that he glorified God by his death there at least-wise that there he had béene and not béene idle nor vnfruitfull in that Churche when they grew so farre as to say that he was there also the first Bishop For my part vpon the déeper consideration of these things being matters whereof the dissent is no preiudice to our faith I am not of their opinion that saye Peter was neuer at Rome at all I suppose rather that bothe he was there and that for some time of abode he taught there also and that as Saint Paule suffered there which his wordes there written 2. Timoth. 4.6 doo in a manner plainelie declare where he prophesied of his owne death saying for I am now readie to be offered and the time of my dissolution is at hande and as Ignatius and other famous men were fetched thether to suffer death that euen so was Peter caried thether to vse Christs owne wordes and that being at Rome prisoner before he dyed Irenaeus who flourished about the distance of fourescore yeares after Peters death which is no great time and little more than manie a mans age and therefore it is verie likelie that Irenaeus could tell somewhat of it did know that Peter and Paule had bothe béene there and doone bothe of them so much good there that he thought he might worthilie bestowe these titles vpon them that they were founders constituters and instructers of that Churche For although they were not bothe of them yea neither of them the Bishops of Rome their selues yet the Churche there growing great they had not onelie instructed them but set downe suche Ecclesiasticall orders among them as whereby their Churche was then gouerned And as Ireneus saith Linâ— Episcopatum administrandae Ecclesiae tradiderunt they deliuered the Bishoprike or office of the Bishop for the administring of the Churche vnto Linus not deliuering the same to Clemens as that puppet which counterfeits him-selfe to be Clement moste impudentlie vaunteth in a forged letter to Iames Bishop of Ierusalem that Peter made him Bishop of Rome but this place of Irenaeus being autentike dooth notablye conuince that shamelesse forgerie and shameth all the Popes and Papists that build their successioÌ„ manie other riffe-raffes thervpoÌ„ Neither dooth Irenaeus ascribe the action of making Linus the B. of Rome to Peter alone but to both the Apostles And although this be a good record of Ireneus being almost of the same age liuing not farre from Rome yea hauing béene himselfe at Rome and so searched out the matter more exactly or euer he durst put it in writing and make argument thereon to confute the aduersaries which had it not béene so would quicklie haue taken him tardie and triumphed on the aduantage yet is not his testimonie alone for he also might else as he was in some greater points be by others deceiued but Euseb. likewise citeth other as auncient as Ireneus to the same purpose For saith he lib. 2. Eccl. bist cap. 25. Nero therfore as he professed him-selfe an open enemie of the Godhead and of godlinesse so before other things hee thirsted for the death of the Apostles themselues bicause they were the Capteines and standerd bearers among the people of God
excellency comprised in this compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than if he had symply sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewe yee and therefore our Brethen doe well translate it you shall shewe foorth And in a sort this may be called preaching And Musculus note theron is very good wherin also hee vseth this note preaching in an improper sense saying Neither must this bee ouerpassed that hee simply sayth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is you doe declare but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is you doe cheefely or moste of all declare For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this composition hath a force of a signification to be bent thereto The Apostle deliuered vnto them not any light memory of the Lordes death in three our foure wordes by the way and sleightly but in greate earnest and publique shewing foorth to be perfourmed and to bee preached out as of a benefite incomparable to be astonished at So that here is a kind of preaching in an inproper vnderstanding comprehended as Caluine also calleth it saying Nowe Paule adioyneth what manner of memory should be celebrated to wit with giuing of thankes Not that the whole memory consisteth in the confession of the mouth For this is the cheefest thing that the vertue of the death of Christe shoulde be sealed vp in our consciences Howbeit this knowledge ought to kindle vs vnto the confession of prayse that we should preach before men that which wee thinke within before God The supper therefore is that I may so speake a certaine memoriall which ought perpetually to endure in the Church vntill the last comming of Christe instituted vnto this end that Christe might admonish vs of the benefit of his death and that we might recognize the same before men Whereupon also it hath the name of the Euchariste Therefore that thou mayest orderly celebrate the supper thou shalt remember that of thee is required the profession of thy faith Heereupon it appeareth howe impudently they mocke God that boaste they haue in their masse any kinde of Supper For what is the Masse for I speak not of the papists but of the Pseudo-Nichodemites he meaneth those that openly come to Masse for feare of persecution and thinke it is inough that they secretelye come also to the Communion and to the gospell as Nichodemus came to Christ by night for fear of the Iewes that it is stuffed with detestable superstitions they faine by the externall gesture that they allowe them What kinde a preaching of the death of Christe is this Doe they not rather forsweare the same So that this preaching which héere Caluine speaketh of is not that which is proper to a preacher and whereof Christ saide before to his Disciples as our Brethren therein vsed the worde rightly Marke 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye forth into the whole world preach the Gospell But it is such an improper kind of peaching as belongeth in generall to all men And therefore it is far better simply to vse Pauls word who saith not neither was it his meaning yee shall preach the Lordes death but yee shall sâ—ewe forth the Lordes death till his comming Who are these that hee sayth should shewe it foorthe Doth hée speake héere vnto Preachers or not rather to all the Corinthians men and Women that shoulde bée communicanteâ— of these Mysteries So often as you who are these you You that shall eate of this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe And what shall these doe You shall shewe foorth the Lordes death vntill his comming If now hée meant Preaching by this shewing forth then must all the people men and Women bee Preachers that bée no Ministers of the Worde and Sacramentes So that héereby wée may moste playnely sée howe our Brethren to thrust in a necessity of preaching to bée alwayes had at the administration of this Sacrament spare not to wrest and abuse saynt Paules wordes to a necessary importing of that which by no direct sense they can bée drawne vnto Bullinger bréefely and as it were in a worde telleth vs in his marginall note thereon what this shewing forth meaneth Annunciare mortem Domini est laudare gratias agere domino To shewe foorth the Lordes death is to prayse and giue thankes vnto the Lord. Whereupon it is called Eucharistia a Thankesgiuing Musculus mée thinketh very well Parapharastically settes out the full meaning of these wordes This Institution of the Lordes Supper being receyued of the Lorde him-selfe haue I deliuered vnto you Whereupon yee may perceyue that yee eate not a Supper priuate of euery one of you but a common and a mysticall Supper instituted vnto the memory of our common redeemer and this can yee not bee ignorant of For so often as yee eate this breade and drinke of this Cuppe you beeing thus of mee trayned vp doe shewe foorth and preache the death of the Lorde whereof yee are partakers not some onelie seperately but all in common Whereupon yee mought inough haue beene admonished with what faith and with what concorde communicating yee ought to eate this Supper in the memory of his death This I take to bee the right sense although the vulgaâ—e translation haue these wordes in the future tence after this manner For so often as ye shal eate this Breade and shal drinke of this cuppe ye shall shew foorth the Lords death vntil he come Erasmus translateth it euen as wee read and doe expound it There are that reade the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Imparatiue moode Doe yee shew forth But this little word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for being causall or importing a cause fauoureth not that sense They doe iudge that the Apostle in these wordes expounded and withall commaunded howe the Corinthians ought to celebrate the remembraunce of the Lorde that is to witte so that as often as they shoulde eate this Breade and drinke of this Cuppe they shoulde shewe foorth his death As though he desired also this thing to haue bin in them because that in this mysticall memorial supper they did not set foorth the Lordes death Euen as wee see the sacrificers to celebrate their Masses that they make altogether no shewing of the Lordes death For those thinges that separately or by themselues they say cannot be accounted for this shewing foorth For they say theÌ„ both being tourned away from the people and in a tongue vnknowen to the Church and vnder such a silence that they can not be perceaued no not of those that knowe the latine tongue This is a manifest breach of Christes institution and of the Apostles interpretatioÌ„ If the Lords supper were so administred in any place with vs we did not kéepe Christes institution nor did it in his remembrance nor shewed foorth his death as these Corinthians and these Papistes did not But with vs God be praysed for it it is neuer administred by anie so simple a minister but though he be not able
Philip therefore not speaking anie thing at all against it and namely Luke the Euangelist by the inditement of the holy Ghost consecrating the same to a perpetual record that such a Queene had there bin no more but she alone was there the gouernour and her such worthie nobles vnder her regiment as this Eunuch was how can we choose but coÌ„clude herevpon that the holie Ghost improueth not the state of a womans supreame gouernment but that it maye if there be no other impediment than her sexe accord together well inough with the sincere profession of the Gospell Danaeus next ensample is of Cleopatra of the Aegyptians vnder Augustus Cleopatra was indéede in the time of Octauius for he vanquished her louer Antonius and she would at the first haue allured him likewise as she had done before his adoptiue father Iulius Caesar. But séeing he minded that she should haue ben vnder his subiection as a captiue she wilfully made a waie her selfe that she might not be vnder his authoritie all which was done before he was surnamed Augustus She was Queene of Aegipt at the first ioyntlie raigning with her brother Ptolomie whome when hee would haue deposed from participation in the kingdome she fled to Iulius Caesar. Who reconciling her vnto her brother wheÌ„ afterward her brother was drowned she raigned alone vntill she ioyned her selfe vnto Anthonius Who being ouercome by Octauius Anthonie shee destroying themselues that kingdome became prouinciall as many other did vnto the Romanes But how dissolutelie so euer shee liued her state while shee was Queene was lawfull Neither was this Cleopatra the onlie Queene that gouerned Aegypt there was another Cleopatra grandmother to this which also was the Queene chiefe gouernour of Aegypt besides the widowe of Ptolomeus Philometor Besides another Cleopatra Silene the Quéene of Syria eueÌ„ at that time when Alexander raigned in Iudea Yea the raigne of a woman in Aegypt was so auncient that the Chronicles report that Rhea the mother of Osyris the great raigned in Aegypt And Isis her daughter after her called Iuno of Aegypt Eusebius calleth her Iò on whose monument as Diodorus Siculus testifieth was ingrauen this Epitaph I am Isis the Queene of Aegypt instructed by Mercurie Those things that I in my lawes haue decreed let none violate And as it was in Aethiopia and Aegypt which are two principall partes of Aphrica so in Lybia Berosus sheweth how Minerua the daughter vnto Iupiter of Lybia the sonne of Ammonius taught the discipline and lawes of gouerning an armie and after went to Greece where she builded Athens and there raigned And with these Palladian women saith Functius Tab. 16. Hiarbas in Lybia making warre was of them vanquished and submitted his kingdome to their power Of Dido in Aphrica we haue heard Vadianus iudgement Next to Cleopatra Danaeus citeth Zenobia vnder the Emperour Adrian a most valiant woman vnto the gouernment of which Zenobia obeied also many Christian Churches I wonder that Danaeus saith Zenobia liued vnder Adrian or in the time of his raigne who raigned and died if she were sortie yeres olde when she was vanquished by Aurelianus at the least one hundred yéeres ere shee was borne a greate many famous Emperours raigning betwéene their times This Zenobia was indéede as Danaeus calleth her a most valiant woman and is highly commended Though her wearing armour and the suspition of her husbandes death were no small blemishes to her gouernment But for this point of the lawfulnes of a womans gouernment Danaeus owne testimonie is in my fancie a great both praise and proofe that not onelie the Heathen but many Christian Churches did obey her For had the gouernment of a woman or the obedience thereunto of men béene monstrous vnnaturall or anie whit against the faith and life of Christianitie though some might for feare and infirmitie haue beene inforced yet would not many and those true Christian Churches haue obeied such a state Which obedience in them argueth their good affections in this point and that neither quarelling at the vices in their persons nor at the infirmitie of their sexes but to obey them as the higher powers that their power is of God is an obedience to be yeelded euen for conscience as this was praise worthie in them a good example to all other Christian Churches so not a little it recommendeth her that being an Heathen woman in those daies when the most renowmed Princes wer persecutors she quietly gouerned many Christian Churches and they Christian like did obey her These are the examples that Danaeus citeth of womens chiefe gouernment among the Heathen But least we should thinke there were so few examples as onely foure for all the world to gaze on such rare monsters as Caluine Caenalis vnreuerently tearme them before we descend to the people of Gods Church to the Monarchie of Rome and to the states in Christendome let vs yet sée a few mo to beare these princely dames companie And euen at the time of Zenobia with whom Danaeus leaueth Coelius telleth of another famous woman gouernour at Coleine named Victorina which with Tetricus noblie defended the Gaules and the Spaniards from the inuasions and spoiles of the Barbarians Thomiris the Queene of Massagethia that vanquished the mightie Monarch Cyrus in defence of her Country was such a gouernor Zarina Queene of the Sachans to whom the Parthians for the fame of her valour and iustice reuolted from the Medians was also such a notable gouernor Cratesipolis likewise gouerned the Sicionians Such an other was Artemisia the Queene of Halicarnassus that to her power helped Xerxes against the Grecians built that famous MausoleuÌ„ her husbands tombe one of the 7. wonders of the world Pithodoris the queene of the Tiberians of the Chaldeans of Cholchis of Pharnacia and of Trapezond did noblie gouerne a mightie Empire Tania the queene of Dardania Helen the queene of A diabene of the Chosroenians which reléeued the Iewes with corne in the dearth mencioned Act. 11. Neither néedâ— we be curious to inquire after such forain Quéenes that here at home had not our own countrie barren of such worthy women gouernours of whome Tacâ—â—s writeth in vita Agricolae Britanni sexum in imperijs non discernunt The â—ritains make no difference of the sexe in their Empires Cordilla the daughter of Leire succéeded her father in the kingdome Mercia the wife of Guinthelinus did so prudently gouerne in the administratioÌ„ of the kingdome with her husband that she made many wise politike lawes which long after were in high reputation among the Britons of her name were denominated The Mercian lawes In like manner Bundwica ruled this Realme and maintained warres against the Romanes in defence of her countries libertie Now although that these Heroines a great number mo whome I refer to their diligence that list to collect theÌ„ were in religion to Godward al Pagans and therefore
their sentence for the reducing of the Arke Yea rather than the Princes state should not be thus translated it must be conformed to that example also of the Israelites state of the ten Tribes For they as Bertram saith cap. 12. had their Sanhedrin too The policie sayth he of the ten Tribes came verie neere to the ciuil policie of the kingdome of Iuda For it had the king their head and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chorim that is the men which were the Patriciens or noble Fathers which otherwise we said were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarim that is Princes which made also the Synedrion and chiefe Consistorie of Iudges of that kingdome Here the Consistorie sate most commonlie at the Kings pallace such as was Iesrael in the time of Achab. It had also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zechonium Seniors or Elders to wit Chiliarks CeÌ„turioÌ„s c. Either of these magistrates is so called in Nehemias That also argueth the peoples power that the witnesses suborned against Naboth are sayd to haue giuen their witnesse before all the people But that policie seemeth to bee so mixt of the Regall Aristocratical and Democraticall power that was altogether Tyrannicall as appeareth by the gestes of the Kings of the tenne Tribes True indéede those Kings for the most part of them did degenerate into a kind of Tyrants But this argument is but weake that the state was mixt with the peoples gouernment because the witnesse of the Elders was giuen before the people for what witnes in so waightie a iudgement should not rather be giuen before the people than in secret or in priuate But may we not better finde fault with those wicked Elders which gaue that iudgement And yet what difference betwéene these among the Israelites and those among the Iewes that by al meanes sought the murthering of the prophet Ieremie And if such good Elders came in the time while they say whatsoeuer the persons were their state was intier and according to the first and auncient institution whereunto our Breth would haue our state translated might not we feare also that when these Seniors should become such Princes that might peraduenture breake out into such parts Which least they shuld do how they might be repressed or rather preuented wold be better thought on before they were put in possession especiallie of the estate which is here so expreslie by Caluine and our Brethren chalenged that they should be admitted vnto As for the state of the regiment following in the time of the Iewes captiuitie afterward vntill Christs comming was more disturbed And yet Bertram telleth cap. 13. that first Darius Artaxerâ—es Longimanus permitted to the Iewes some part of their former power whereby Esdras did so againe let in order the ciuil policy that in the place of a king it had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pechah that is a presideÌ„t prouinciall that gouerned Iurie vnder the direction of the Persian Monarke and of him he was sent thether As appeareth out of the storie occasion of sending Zerubbabel Ezr. 3. 4. out of Nehe. 5.14 In the second place they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarim that is Princes which are ofteÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chorim that is PatritiaÌ„s And somtimes also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ari aueth that is the Princes of the Fathers or of the families and these made the SynedrioÌ„ of the 70. Thirdly it had their ordinary Iudges the Chiliarks Centurions c. which were not onely called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iekonim that is Seniors or Elders c. In the 4. place it had the assembly and iudgement of al the Citizens this kind of assemblie is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kaalah Gedolah that is the great company or great gathering together Thus were all these orders retained so wel as that troubled and tributary state would permit it Ouer whom in all their assemblies iudgements stil were much more thaÌ„ before the Leuites the prefects gouernours of theÌ„ Of which State saith Bertram in the same Chap pag 69. To conclude if euer that Policie of Magistrates and Iudges which our Thalmudistes doo recorde had place verelie it is to be referred to the processe of this time For they tell that the chiefe Senate of the Hebrues to wit of the 70. the power which they had of the sword or putting to death which they had in the greater causes such as were of the Tribe of the high Priest of a false Prophet and of Treason they communicated the same to three twentie headmen c. Whereby it appeareth what great authoritie they still reteined or had then moste of all hauing no King among them And in the next page he saith The Presidents prouinciall excelled in greatest authoritie insomuch that they had the chiefe gouernment as it appeareth by those things which Nehemias did To proue Nehemias had chiefe auth that last fact of his dooth argue wherein he reioyceth that he had banished a certaine man of the posteritie of Ioiada the sonne of Eliazib the chiefe Priest because he had married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite to proue also that he had the cheefest gouernment in that he had rebuked he had coÌ„manded to be excommunicated to be beaten with roddes and to be made bald in token of greatest reproch the residue of the Iewes that had married women strangers Iosephus chap. 11. in the 7. booke of the Iewes antiquities doth so touch the foresaid story that he saith the elders of Ierusalem that is the chiefe Magistrates and the synedrion it selfe decreed commaunded Manasses the brother of the high Priest Iaddi to sende away and put from him his wife an alien borne that is a Samaritan the daughter of Samballat c. Such auth had this synedrion albeitnot so called among them vnder Nehemias Iaddi the high Priest but Bart. saith in the page following of the state declining after Nehemias Neuerthelesse it might be that Iaddus and the other Guides of the Iewes didde choose one of the Tribe of Iuda that shoulde beare the principalitie in the chiefe Synedrion howbeit rather for name-sake than indeed when as all things depended on the high Bishops And on this sort continued the State till the time of the Macchabees in whose time saith Bertram pa. 79. Yea Ionathas that he might the better reteine safe and sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vse of their own lawes and state of their owne power he sent Ambassadours to Rome and to Lacaedemonia which should renue the league with the Romanes and the Lacaedemonians But that their auncient policie was restored appeareth in this that the Ambassadours expresselie signified to the Romanes that they were sent of Ionathas the high Priest and of the Nation of the Iewes also by the verie superscription of the letters which by the same Ambassadours he sent vnto Lacaedemonia which was endited in
vniformely in all those diuerse places where such persons be But againe if they shall consider this better what certaine order can here be set downe that shal be meete for the diuersities of these persons when they still by the grace of God are growing vp and ware dayly and hourely of riper age and riper and alwayes going forwarde and comming on to Christe as to the goale and marke set before them What And shall then these Ouerseers and Elders make the orders most fitte to the Pastors doe nothing else but still come together and daily and hourely change their orders Or shall these persons weare their coate still of one assize Or if some come on forwarder than othersome so that they can not kéepe a iumpe and meete proportion to euerie one shall we haue no certaine orders at all for feare these Ouerseers and Elders should misse in some Sée what a childishe reason if I may be so bolde to returne the terme this is of our Brethren that tell vs of childish bables to take away all vniformitie of ceremoniall constitutions and all for the difference of some diuerse persons And yet wee denie not but that as there are diuersities of persons there may well bee diuerse and seuerall orders appointed for them howebeit to be kept vniformely by those diuerse degrées of persons for whome they are made For we doe not in such manner as our Bretheren vntruely reporte of vs feede olde men and sucking infantes all with one kinde of meate nor cloath all ages in a roabe of one assyze but such and such ceremonies are appointed to such and such degrées of persons and not all to all alike although some of those ceremonies be of that nature that they may as well stretch to all as some one kinde of meate may bee fedde on euen of olde men and of young also as well as of sucking infantes and of sucking infantes as well as of olde and young men May not all the people in a parish come to some one Church in some one place at some one time appoynted and there all of them knéeling on their knées at least so manie as bée able saye altogether some one appoynted forme of prayer or confession or thankesgiuing may they not all at least as manie as canne sing together some one certaine number of Psalmes or hymnes May not all infantes by some one publike forme prescribed thereof be Baptized alike And some one like publique forme be appointed for all the communicantes to receaue the Lordes supper after one manner May not one forme of marrying bee appointed to bee vsed through out all the whole Lande and Realme of Englande If there can bee no one ceremoniall lawe or constitution made of these thinges howe haue our Brethren abused vs that haue sette out a booke of common prayer wherein manie of these some one ordinaunces béeing all of them indéed but ceremoniall constitutions and decrees are sette downe and prescribed to be in generally and vniformally vsed of all the Churches in the Realme so farre as their authoritie stretcheth to prescribe them For if they prescribe them not why doe they set them out if they regarde not who vse them and who vse them not I sée not therefore but that euen by their owne example and much better hauing vtter warraunt some ceremoniall constitutions may bee well decreed for an ordinarie publique and generall order to bee vniformely kept of all Churches a like in a whole Realme so farre as other necessitie or some particular occasion doth restrayne them The same doctrine although not the same partes of doctrine is to be euerie where but ceremonies euen as they bee ceremonies doe admitte varietie as time persons and occasions serue to bee diuerse Yea Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to bee testified because there are manie so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Churche and those that are not of necessitie There bee that thinke a Crosse or Foont as they call it is as necessarie in Baptisme as water and that kneeling at the Communion is more necessarie than preaching of the Lordes deathe that a surplusse in Common prayer is more necessarie than a deuoute mynde and great occasions offered to the ignoraunt so to thinke when they see them that preache moste diligentlie praye moste feruentlie and minister the Sacramentes most reuerentlie according to Christes institution to bee displaced of all ministerie for a Crosse or a Foont or a Surplusse or some suche other tryfle There is great difference betweene Doctrine and Ceremonies but if our Bretherens former reasons shoulde holde to respect the diuersities of the people they might alter the vnitie of the doctryne too But the same partes of doctrine they saye are not to bee euerie where This is spoken somewhat too obscurely For the doctrine and all the partes thereof are indéede to be euerie where though I graunt not all to be taught euerie where to the same persons at the same time and so may the vse of the same ceremonies also vpon occasion be altered or left off But ceremonies they say euen as they be ceremonies doe admitte varietie This I graunt likewise and yet againe euen as they bee ceremonies they as well admitte vniformitie and in some cases especially may much better admitte vniformitie euen as they bee ceremonies than varietie and much néerer is it to the nature of any ordinaunce and decree bee it ceremoniall or otherwise to admitte vniformitie than varietie For else it could bee no certaine decree When as the varietie which it admitteth commeth vnto them in that respect as extraordinarie times persons and occasions serue to bee diuerse or as necessitie it selfe that hath no lawe enforceth the breaking of the ceremonies all which is but accidentall to them and no preiudice to the ordinarie and generall vse of the same ceremonies vniformitie Yea say they Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to be testified because there are many so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Church and those that are not necessarie This we graunt likewise that sometimes in ceremonies the christian libertie is necessary to be testified Yea rather at all times the christian libertie is to be testified And when wâ—â— vse ceremonies most vniformally then is the best vse withall of this restification of the christian libertie And therefore it yet followeth not that vpon such testification made we must neuer kéepe any one order or vniformitie of any ceremonie at all And yet besides we graunt this also euen for the testification of the Christian libertie by omitting sometimes or altering some ceremonie or some part thereof and euen for this cause also that our Brethren here alleage Yea although there were not many so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in