this when cōfessing that to be true which is said yit he resteth not in it but will reply to it and say somewhat to disproue it The colour he shadoweth this withall is that notwithstanding he graūt it not needefull as in necessitie yet that it should bee needfull for conuenience duetie reuerence to the Prince and to auoyde suspition both of the Prince and others the rather for the prophecie of the Apostle Paule 2. Timothie 3. and the experience of such in the Papistes and Anabaptistes Wherevpon he concludeth that in a treatise of the gouernement of the Church next after Iesus Christ the christian Princes power should be spoken of Which cōclusion he renforceth with the example of the Apostle Peter settinge out firste dueties to Magistrates and after to Husbandes Wyues c. Which argument is increased by this that if the Apostles at any time did so when Princes were not Christians much more ought it nowe to be done when they are Christians and in possession of their Supremacie This is the effect of his allegations the rest is but sporting with like sounde of needfull and heedfull and needles and deedles and a difference of his owne making betweene needefull and necessarie with such like toyes As for his allegations if it were needfull for the reasons he alleadgeth it were in deede needfull to keepe such order But we denie that eyther conuenience duetie reuerence of Princes care to auoyde suspicion of the faultes prophecied to abounde in the latter time the example of them in Papistes or Anabaptistes or the president of Peeter bindeth herevnto If it doe then all they whiche haue not kept that order which Peter doeth in that place haue offended against all these thinges which were most absurde to acknowledge For of the good Writers that haue written of the Church how many keepe a diuers order from this Surelie so many as I thinke I may truelie saye not one that followeth this order which for so many respectes he holdeth needefull to bee followed And to attaint so reuerende a companie as there is of these who haue written of these matters of such a number of the crymes he noteth I thinke no Iurie in Englande woulde doe it except he take them of the Hierarchie of their Doctours Proctours Registers and Sumners The triall of our duetie and allegeance to the Prince standeth not vppon this whether in our bookes we first speake of the Supremacie Our seruice of hir Maiestie in the places wherevnto wee are called and our readines to serue hir not with our trauell onely but with our goods and with our liues with our children with our friendes doeth and will so testifie of our most duetifull loue and loyall deuotion to hir Highnes as for a poynt of Logike what order and methode we keepe in our bookes we feare no preiudice of it neyther with our gratious Soueraign nor with any other that haue but as smal a sparke of heauenlie grace as the least starre in heauen seemeth to be For the crymes of the latter age noted by the Apostle and the accomplishment of that prophecie in the papistes and Anabaptistes they could giue the authour of the Declaration nor those in whose names it is published any iust cause to haue kept the order he liketh better Not onely for that if there were cause of suspition of such thinges this is a poore aduyse of his for the taking of it away but especially because they whom this his speach cōcerneth may truely say I hope God and man bearing them witnesse herein that they speake the trueth that they are as free from these crymes as the whitest Surplesse or Rochet that he may be boldest to boast of Pieters example is to small purpose alleadged as is all the rest of this speach he him selfe confessing it not to prescribe Whiche if he did not confesse were to be euicted from him by manie contrarie examples both of Prophetes and Apostles Whereof I will take at this time but one or two for all and such as may fitte best that he alleadgeth The Apostle Peter in the same exhortation he speaketh of passinge from publike dueties to domesticall and priuate beginneth firste with the dueties of seruauntes and then proceedeth to the dueties of maisters And after in the Chapter following firste with the dueties of Wyues then of Husbandes Whereby appeareth that his owne example proueth directlie against him that the order of speache is not needefull to be according to the worthines of the persons Likewise the Apostle Paule in the like argument Eph. 5.22.25 Chap. 6.1.4 Col. 3.18.19 20.21.22 both to the Ephesians and to the Colossians firste exhorteth Wyues to their dueties and then the Husbandes first to children and then the parentes first the seruaunts and then the Maisters whereby it map appeare howe small a quarell this is and what good regarde the Replyer hath in alleadging of the Apostles Nowe whereas he would enforce an argument that if the Apostles did thus sometimes when Princes were not Christians much more ought it to be done nowe by vs they beinge Christians and in possession of this supremacie this may be of his refuse that he serueth vs now For it is nothing worth For it importeth not the honour or authoritie of the Prince one grayne in what place of a treatise their estate and power bee spoken of Therefore well might hee haue spared him selfe and the Reader and the Defendant of the Lordes right in his kingdome the good time that might haue bene better bestowed then about this vayne and friuolous cauill The vnreasonable grossenes whereof is so much the more apparaunt in this that the Declaration followeth in this order the Apostle Saint Paule steppe by steppe who after that in the twelft Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes hee had spoken of all the officers of the Church in the beginning of the thirtienth intreateth of Magistrates and the dueties whiche are due vnto them This therefore may suffice him for needefull Nowe is it to be considered what good reasons he hath to oppose to the Declaration saying also that it is not agreeable to good order of teaching to beginne firste with this matter But for reason hee falleth to a reproche of ambition which he setteth out by comparison of our old popish Archbishops striuing for places In deede many a bitter and bloudy bickering hath bin amongst the Bishops and Archbishops whom he mainteyneth Canturburie striuing with London and Yorke for the hiest roome and many such like ambitious quarrels which hee had no cause here to mention but that he would euen with his owne losse and hinderance of the cause he dealeth in rayse some suspition of the offices appointed of God For how soeuer he adde for caution that this was amongst popishe Archbishops yet could he not without disgrace of that grace whiche hee speaketh of a little after note their seates to haue bene the seates of fierie contentions for ambitious roomes It is not
per aduenture of the gift of prophecie he may shewe some extraordinarie example or two which toucheth not the poynt handled in the Declaratiō which is that these giftes were neither ordinarie nor perpetuall His seconde obiection to this parte is that there were more giftes in the primitiue Church then are named in the Declaration a matter which he hath bin about to proue before and nowe returneth vnto agayne whiche yet if he could proue might peraduenture shewe that there are more giftes ceased then are mentioned in the Declaration but that there are anie more perpetuall then are mentioned by it or that anie of those are ceased whiche are there sayde to remayne for euer it proueth not But let vs see howe he proueth this In the 12. to the Romanes sayeth he there are two more named that is office and shewing of mercie this hath bin aunswered alreadie before Further in the 1. Corin. the 12. Chap. he mooueth many questions to little purpose For aunswere to all which he is to vnderstande that th'Apostle mentioneth not anie giftes here that are peculiar giftes whereof the question is but such as eyther are named agayne in the 28. verse or are conteyned vnder some of them or of the same sorte and kinde that they are of So the gift of knowledge and wisedome though nowe giuen by ordinarie meanes of studie is that whiche belongeth to the Pastours and Teachers whose office being perpetuall the gifte also continueth Faith is not anie peculiar gifte but common to all the Church and therefore not to this question The gift of miracles is named in the other place so is prophecie tongues which here as a general contayneth also vnder it the interpretation of them here mentioned as the power of miracles doth the gift of discerning spirites which may satisfie him for this matter of the offices which haue ceassed and haue no further vse in the Church Whereof hee confessing some reason to haue bin rendred by the Declaration demaundeth what is alleadged for the perpetuitie of those that are sayd to continue none sayeth he but this that eyther they are temporarie or perpetuall but not temporarie therefore perpetuall Whiche reason hee graunteth to be good if the partes were good meaning as it seemeth that that sentence wherein it is sayde they are not temporarie wanteth proofe Whereof he might easilie discerne the proofe seeing it was sayde that the temporarie ceassed because the giftes necessarie for the execution of them is ceassed and for that the vse of them is gone If then there bee perpetuall and necessarie vse of these offices in the Church and that the giftes whereby men may bee inabled for the due performance of such charges doe yet and shall still continue then it is playne that these and theis onely of all the offices giuen at anie time to the Churche are perpetuall and to remayne for euer But it is true that the vse of all and euerie one of these foure offices is necessarie for the Church and the giftes are yet giuen by ordinarie meanes whereby men may be inabled for them which is not so any other Therefore these and these onely are perpetuall The necessarie vse of the most of these offices I thinke I shall not neede to labour much to prooue For it is manifest and as I take it without question betweene vs that the callinge of Pastoures is necessarie as without whiche the Church is as a flocke of sheepe without a shephearde Whiche if it were denied might bee proued by the dueties of his callinge and the indisposition of men to godlines through the corruption of nature For men beinge stubburne and disobedient by nature are to bee feared with the terrour of Gods heauie iudgement threatned to sinners that they may yeelde obedience vnto his holy commaundements We are slowe to euery thing that is good euen after we haue receyued some measure of grace and therefore need exhortation to stirre vs vp to a cherefulnes and readines to doe the will of God In afflictions we are often cast downe aboue measure and therefore neede the comfort and consolation of the Scriptures to giue vs hope The same may be saide of an infinite number of other our infirmities according to the condition and qualitie whereof we neede to haue the word of GOD applyed vnto vs. Which application belonging to the Pastours duetie it is playne there is most necessarie vse of his office and seruice in all ages and therefore perpetuall and to continue for euer The administration of the Sacramentes being the ordinance of God and a duetie which the Pastour is charged with doeth in like maner declare that office to bee most necessarie But this I thinke will not be denied Of the Teachers office there is more question made yet the Replyer howsoeuer at some other times he affirme the contrarie in the 62. page of his replie sayeth expreslie Teachers are alwayes necessarie for the instruction of doctrine and documentes of life And agayne in the page 67. graunteth perpetuitie of teaching But if he will construe his meaning to bee in these wordes not of that particular office that we affirme which standeth in doctrine but generallie of the Ministerie and of the Pastours office yet is it to be noted that he graunteth enforced by the cleare trueth thereof that the teaching of doctrine and documents of life is necessarie But this is the speciall office that the Apostle declareth to belong to the Teacher Moreouer the necessitie of teaching is to be argued by the ignorance which is naturall in vs. For the remedie and helpe whereof there is neede of a Teacher who may especiallie regarde the bringing of the people to the true knowledge of God and the vnderstanding of his will Which ignorance wherein all men are borne being in daunger to be increased by sundrie meanes which may drawe men from heauenly wisedome yea though hir messengers cease not to call in the highest stretes places of the Citie as by the cares and pleasures of this life likewise also by the deceytes of erroures through the manifolde practises of Sathan and his instrumentes and by many other occasions the necessitie hereof is the more playne and euident For so long as men are subiect to these things it must be cōfessed that they can not be without fit meanes for the remedie hereof or that the Churche is miserablie destituted if it want helpes which are needfull Nowe the giftes needfull for eyther of these callinges are the worde or speache of wisedome and knowledge as th'Apostle nameth them which experience teacheth to be giuen by ordinarie meanes Therefore the necessitie and perpetuitie of these two ministeries besides the authorities of the scriptures whereon they are grounded is to bee acknowledged for the reasons mentioned The necessitie of the Deacons likewise appeareth in that it is sayd You shall haue alwayes the poore with you For the institution of Deacons being for the comfort and succour of the poore and such
the Pope resembling Augustus Caesar the Emperour and such as succeeded him the Cardinals are the image of those by whose helpe he had oppressed the former state of the Romanes and continued his tyrannie ouer it parting the spoyle with them Archbi hops and Bishops other Magistrates of Prouinces and Countries Which as it began in like maner with oppressing the onely lawfull pollicie and administratiō of the church so the end of it hath bin the most proude and ambitious tyrannie that euer was in the worlde From this the Replier passeth to that which is inferred vppon the conclusion that is that because these only are appointed of God it is not lawfull for men to ordayne any other besides these In his replye to this after he hath played a little as he is often wont to doe with the lawlesse needles pointes and demaunded againe warrant for these foure publike charges of the Church that wee may haue our quietus est of him and such like pleasantnes of speache he repeateth againe a reason before alleadged Why these foresaid functions are not therefore to be esteemed perpetuall because they were ordayned of God His reason is that the Priesthoode of the Law the hie charges of Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes were also of God and yet not perpetuall But he should remember the conclusion riseth not of this only that these offices of Pastours Teachers Elders and Deacons were sometime appointed of God but that they were appointed for the certaine standing and ordinarie offices of the Church to abide for euer Shewe this sayeth he and forthwith we yeelde It hath bene alreadie shewed and yet he yeeldeth not for it hath bin proued that whereas these are of the giftes bestowed by our Sauiour on the Church all the rest were extraordinarie but for a time as appeareth by their vse and the giftes agreing to such offices But both the vse and the gift agreeing to these foure is for all times and giuen of GOD by ordinarie meanes and therefore these and these onely are perpetuall The vse of the Teacher is to teache true religion and doctrine of the Pastor to applie the doctrine by exhortation reprehension consolation and such other meanes as may serue most fitte for th'edification and as the occasions of the Church require Elders are to looke to th' obedience and practise of the same in the life of the people and they altogither to guyde the publique assemblies in a reuerend order and to carie the care of the state of the Church to call and dismisse to and frō publique charge in it by due order to censure offendours according as their offence is to be censured Finallie the Deacons are to relieue the poore and in miserie These being I say the vses of these charges it is playne they are no extraordinarie things for whiche they are appointed but necessarie and perpetuall therefore the offices which God hath ordayned for such vses must needes be esteemed alike perpetuall and necessarie The same is to be saide of their giftes which are all such as God giueth vnto men by ordinarie meanes But such are none of the other offices neither for their vse nor for their giftes and therefore these and onely these are necessarie and to cōtinue for euer Further also the Apostles setting by them selues and by the Euangelistes these functions amongest the Churches doe plainly declare they did it in this regarde that whereas neither they nor the Euangelistes for the dueties of their callings could tarie still with any one particular church these should be their guides to continue and remaine with them for euer Vpon these and such like reasons declared afore the conclusion groweth and not barelie vpon this that they were sometimes ordayned of God Thus passeth he forwarde yet so as he looketh backe againe to an amplification of the conclusion wherein the declaration gathereth togither certaine principall reasons confirming these offices as of the Authour preseruers of them with the good fruite that followeth where they are established and the contrarie where they are not The firste reason hee denieth but standeth not much vpon it The seconde of the Churches exercising this Discipline is of two partes whereof the firste is of the primitiue pure Church enlarged by note of the time it continued it it which is till the misterie of iniquitie working a way for Antichristes pride and presumption changed Gods ordinance and so brought in all kinde of false doctrine and confusion To these wordes he taketh manie exceptions and first scorneth at it that the primitiue churche which he him selfe calleth that time while the Apostles liued is named the pure Church and replyeth to it that it was not very pure soone after the Apostles Which is a replie of no value For it suffiseth for the matter in hande that it was exercised by the Apostolicall Churches which are called pure not in regarde of obedience in life but of that order for the guyding of the Church which by the Apostles was deliuered vnto them We acknowledge that no assembly of men yea that no particular man is or can be or euer was the Lorde him selfe onely excepted free from all charge of sinne in the sight of God according as it is saide There is not one that doeth good no not one And agayne Psal 14.3 Rom. 3.10 Psal 53.3 Psal 130.3 Psal 143.2 Ephe. 2.1.3 Jf thou Lorde shouldest looke narrowlie what is done amisse no flesh should be iustified in thy sight Yea further We acknowledge all to be borne in sinne and by nature children of wrath and not ceasing continuallie to transgresse from the mothers wombe and beleue to be saued ‡ Rom. 3.24 freely by grace and onely by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus This I say we acknowledge notwithstanding that thorough the same grace according to the measure of the gift thereof in the dutie of thankefulnes which we owe as the Lords redeemed we endeuour to walke in a good conscience without offence and to approoue our vnfayened desyre of obedience and well-doing in all things both to God and Man This I haue thought good to professe because the Replyer by a scornfull obseruation of pure Church would cast vppon all such as desire a further reformation of our Church an infamous spot of puritanisme A name which some popish or Samaritane priest well content that poperie and the Gospell be ioyned togither as they were sometime 2. King 17.32.33.34 to mingle Iudaisme and Paganisme haue deuised to reuile them with that seeke any further reformation and nowe commonly taken vp by Atheistes to disgrace and discountenance all that desire to liue godlie Which if it proceede as of some time it hath done it is not vnlike but ere it be many yeares pietie and the feare of God wil be as odious as any heresie This may suffice to let the Replier vnderstande that the primitiue Church is not called pure in the Declaration in regarde of their life
namely the priestes were they whose lippes were fined from earthlie corruption and sett on fyre with the coales of the Lordes altar by an Angell of heauen and whose mouth was sanctified of God Esa 1.10.11 Heare the word of the Lorde sayeth Esay yee leaders or Princes of Sodome and hearken to the doctrine of God ô ye people of Gomorrah What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the lord I am full of the burnt offringes of the Rammes and of the fatte of the fed beastes and I desire not the bloud of Bullockes nor of lambes nor of goates And agayne Their watchmen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogges they can not barke they lye and sleepe and delyte in sleeping Iere. 8.10.11.12 Likewise Ieremie sayeth I will giue their wiues vnto others and their fieldes to them that shall possesse them for euery one from the least euen to the greatest is giuen to couetousnes and from the Prophete euen vnto the Priest euerie one dealeth falselie For they haue healed the hurt of the doughter of my people with sweete wordes saying Peace peace when there is no peace Were they ashamed when they had committed abhomination Nay they were not ashamed neyther could they haue any shame therefore shall they fall among the stayne when I shall visite them they shal be cast downe saieth the Lorde If it be obiected that these Prophetes might liue in some wicked Kings dayes wherein the holy worship of God was wholy suppressed and superstition only Idolatrie tooke place I answere that they exercised in deede their Propheticall office ministerie in diuers kings times whereof though some were wicked yet some also were godlie and ouerthrewe idolatrie and sett vp the true worship of GOD yea some of them namely Iosiah and Ezeckiah were the two rarest Princes for pietie and zeale that euer after Dauid were kings ouer that people yet did no honest man much les any true Prophete esteeme their most iust reproofe of the iniquitie of all states to be iniurious or derogatorie to the honor of those noble Kings no nor anie of the Priests that did their duties They were in deede hereby warned as by the voyce of God to looke to such enormities and to see them reformed otherwyse they were to feele as they were threatened with the wrath of God who would require it at their handes if for default of employing the authoritie whiche GOD for such purpose had giuen them notorious transgressions chieflie in things belonginge to the seruice of God were not redressed yet did those Prophetes honour and loue their Church their Countrey their Princes and all estates of the people as we doe the Lord bearing witnes to vs that we speake the trueth and as wee ought to honour all lawfull authoritie and power in the common wealth or in the church In deed they had not sworne Canonicall obedience to any of their Priests as the Replyer sayth peraduenture some of vs haue done for this is an othe whiche God neuer commaunded and howsoeuer it be suffered if it might be duely examined would be founde meete and necessarie to be reformed both in regarde of God of the crown and dignitie of the Prince But to returne to my former purpose howe deare were the Churches of Corinth of Galatia and other places to the Apostle Paule who loued them to liue and dye with them to deale vnto them not the Gospell of Christ onely but euen his owne soule yet howe sharpely doeth he rebuke them Was he therefore their enimie because he did so and tolde them the trueth In the Reuelation Iohn writeth by commaundement to the Churches of Asia without derogation to anie thing that was in good state amongst them yea to the commendation of that which was such but yet so sharpely reprouing them for certayne enormities that were amongst them as that he threatneth the remouing of their golden Candlesticke and the goodly light of the Gospell of Christ whiche shined amongest them If then the writer of the Declaration haue rebuked in a worde the disorder of the policie and Discipline of our Church in that good sorte that is meete or if any of vs doe the like are we therefore as the Replier woulde haue vs not thankfull nor faithfull Ministers to God or not louing and obedient subiectes We may I hope truly professe that we both feare God and honour the Prince and loue his Church amongst vs and are faithfull and obedient according to Gods word vnto both But the feare of God our most bounden duetie to our dread soueraigne Ladie the Queene our zealous loue to our Church doe constrayne vs to rebuke that which is reproueable by Gods worde not to dishonour our church or any whom the state thereof may concerne but to procure the further reformation of it and thereby to encrease the honour of it incomparably more then euer heretofore both with God and in all the Churches I would to God we had cause to saye with the Apostle We reioyce to see the stayednes of your faith and the order that is amongest you I would to God we might say it were without spot or wrinckle and might truely speake of it all the most honourable thinges that are spoken of the Church of God and saye Jt is cleare as the morning fayre as the Moone pure as the Sunne and that what els Salomon according to his wisedome in his excellent Song commendeth the Church by or any other of the Prophetes or whatsoeuer the Apostles doe prayse any of the churches for might be verified of it This should be our comfort and our ioye our honour and our crowne And therfore doe we not cease by earnest prayer and most humble sute to God and to the authoritie which he hath set ouer vs and by all dutie agreeable to our callinge to procure the increase of the good and honour of it with all power But it being subiect to a curse to call euill good and iustly reprooued in former times to say all is well where GOD is displeased with many things that are not well but neede most speedie reformation conscience to God and louing duetie towarde the Church seeme to haue moued the authour of the Declaration to note that disordre which he esteemed to bee in the state of our church ought to enforce vs to do the like vpon iust occasiō If all things be ordered according to the worde of God in our Church then surely was the authour of the Declaration deceyued in iudgement but in affection and purpose of hart committed nothing against it But I demaunde If by the worde of God vnlearned men of all occupations and trades be sufficient Ministers to take charge of the holy thinges of Gods worde and Sacramentes and of the soules of the people Is the state of the Church well ordered whiche hauing the fauourable countenance of a gratious Queene according to the promise Queenes
Gentiles and dwell in the desolate Cities Whereby it is manifest that the Gentiles maruelouslie increased the ioye of the Church by their conuersion to the faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and brought exceeding great helpe benefite strength protection defence and furtherance to the holy faith which they receyued notwithstanding that they made no newe orders in the Church nor were not to make anie but rested as it was duetie in them in that perfect order which our Sauiour Christ before had established amongest his people Wherein they caried them selues according to that duetie whiche the Proselytes yeelded and were to yeelde to the auncient church and Synagogue of the Iewes For if anie in that time adioyned them selues to the people of God to worship the trewe God as he had declared it to his people he would be worshipped They adioyned them selues as members to keepe followe and obeye the orders they founde alreadie settled amongest his people by the ordinance of Almightie God and not as maisters or Lordes ouer the holy Religion they embraced to take away the least curtayne-ring that was mentioned in the Lawe of Moses nor an inche of the height length or breadth the iust measure whereof was alreadie set downe nor to adde anie newe office ryte order or ceremonie or to alter in anie sorte whatsoeuer was accordinge to the Lawe of the Lorde Whiche is to bee vnderstoode not onely of the common people of other countries that should bee conuerted to the faith and religion of the Iewes but of the most Noble amongest them such as was Naaman the Syrian vpon whom the King his Maister leaned when he worshipped his idoll 2. Kin. 5.18 or the Noble man that was Treasurer of Queene Candaces Queene of the Aethyopians Nay I adde further Actes 8.27 that if Naaman had persuaded his maister the King of Syria or that noble man the Queene of Aethyopia to haue receyued the religion of the Iewes and to haue turned their whole people with them to the same or if Cyrus that great Monarche or the Queene of Saba famous for hir wisedome and ritches 1. Reg. 10.1 who both had dealinges with Gods people had so receyued their fayth and would haue established it amongest all their people in all their Dominions it had not bene lawfull for them to haue altered the least iote or title of the Lawe of Moses but euen they must haue yeelded them selues and all their people obedient to all thinges prescribed in it notwithstanding their soueraignitie whiche they had ouer their people and which should haue continued with them and neyther haue diminished nor increased for their conuersion to the faith but remayned altogither such as it was lawfullie at anie time before ouer their people Onely they were to mainteyne that holye profession whiche they had so receyued not as other priuate men but as Soueraigne Magistrates honouringe GOD in the maintenance of his trewe Religion with that power and authoritie whiche they had receyued at his handes For as no man that him selfe is sufficient for wisedome and all other respectes taketh a seruaunt into his house or adopteth him a sonne or being a Prince receyueth a forreyner and incorporateth him into his people by making him free whatsoeuer qualitie or condition hee were of yea although hee were a Soueraigne Prince and Gouernour to alter anie order of his house or anie lawe or statute in his kingdome but to enioye the comfort and benefite of his house or kingdome the orders and lawes thereof such as hee hath thought meete and conuenient for the gouernement thereof So neyther Cyrus that Persian Emperour nor Candaces the Ethiopian Queene being receyued by such profession of true religion into the house and kingdome of God who is onely wyse and all sufficient to gouerne his owne were to alter any order of Lawe of the same for all their Princelie Soueraigntie but to keepe in their persons and to enforce their people by their ciuile power to obserue all such orders lawes and statutes as God had commaunded to be obserued in his house and kingdome For howe great soeuer their power were they had a Lord paramont ouer them in respect of whom they were vassalls and seruauntes who being compared with their people were Lords and Princes ouer them Whiche appeared in those who were not sinners of the Gentiles but Iewes by nature of whom when any attempted the alteration of anie thing as diuerse of the Kings of Iuda did namely Achaz and Vzza 2. King 16.1 2. Sam. 6.7 they were reprooued and grieuouslie punished for it Notwithstanding which matter that they who were naturall Princes of the Iewes or if any of the Gentiles had bin conuerted to their faith had no power to adde or take away or in any sorte to alter the least thing whiche God had appointed yet both exceeding great was the benefite of the King amongest the Iewes And very profitable the conuersion of the Princes of the Gentiles would haue bin vnto them The same is to be sayde of Christian Princes For our Sauiour Christ before the conuersion of any of them hauing settled offices orders and lawes for the guydance of his church in a perfect maner their conuersion getteth them no power to alter any jote of that he before had established Who if they haue beleeued in him is their Lorde to whom they owe all homage seruice and obedience but are in as great duetie as any other to keepe and to maynteyne them obseruing the same in their owne persons which belongeth vnto them and by their publique authoritie enforcing ciuillie all such as are subiect vnto them to like obedience Which seruice being done to the Sonne of GOD who is King of Kings and Lord of Lordes is no vnseemely thing for them but both profitable honourable for them and for all their people Yet is not therefore the conuersion of Princes to the faith of Christ a matter of no benefite or cōmoditie to the Church Nay the commoditie is infinite to the Church of such a Prince as I haue spoken of as entreth into the Church not as a Lorde and maister ouer Gods house to alter and chaunge at his pleasure but as a duetifull childe to keepe and see other to keepe in Gods house that which God hath commaunded to bee obserued For bringing togyther with him selfe the whole people that is subiect to him not onely the comfort but the helpe and benefite of the church is vnspeakeably increased Which is playne in that there is added to the maintenance of the Church and the trewe seruice of God in it the wealth the strength the wysedome the fauour and all the abilities of a whole people Of whom such as are truelie conuerted vnto God will holde nothing deare nor precious vnto them no not their owne lyues in comparison of the maintenance of Gods true Religion and worship and the faithfull professours of it but will employe all the good meanes which God hath blessed them
was any christian Prince Beholde what wordes of Gellius hee citeth to proue it But they obiect sayeth Gellius that in the time of Christ and of Paule there was no Christian Magistrate If this be their obiection howe is it the selfe same reason that is vsed by the Declaration which speaketh not of all Magistrates but onely of soueraigne Princes Further Gellius beginneth his aunswere therevnto thus as he him selfe hath translated him The authoritie of the Magistrate is not therefore weakened albeit in the time of Christ and of Paule Emperours Kings set in high estate were aliens from the faith Could any thing be spoken more directly against that which he would prooue by this testimonie or more expresselie for that which the Declaration sayeth and he would improue Yet from this page he beginneth to set these wordes in the toppe of the page in a diuers letter Christian Princes from the beginning and so continueth in the next Christian Princes in the Apostles times from these being the 136. and 137. pages to the 145. in whiche and the next he hath Christian Princes from the beginning All which conteyne litle els but Gellius wordes worde for worde translated A preatie way to make a shewe to the state of hauing taken great paynes to mainteyne the ecclesiasticall gouernement of it If he can helpe him selfe thus with stuffing his booke with other mens writings We haue heard how Gellius entreth into that discourse playnlie disauowinge the proofe of that in the very beginning for whiche hee would haue him speake Vpon which place it serued wel for his purpose to make that note in the margent but surely modestie and shamefastnes neuer aduysed him to set so direct an vntrueth so hye in his booke that all men might see it For in all the rest of Gellius wordes in so many leaues as I haue noted rehearsed by him there is no such matter intended nor proued Onely in naming such Magistrates as were called to the faith of Christ he reckoneth vp the a Mat. 8.5 Cēturion in the gospel and b cap. 27.57 Ioseph of Arimathea c Luke 1.3 Theophilus to whom Luke dedicateth his writing of the Gospell d Iohn 3.1 Nichodemus e Actes 13.7 Sergius Paulus the f Actes 8.27 Treasurer of Candaces g Captain Cornelius with certaine other of Asia of Rome and of Caesars house Wherein let euery thing be enforced to the vtmost yet will he come short by many degrees of a soueraigne Prince of the faith of our Sauiour Christ in that tyme. Which principall purpose notwithstanding he misse of yet supposed he not to leese his labour in writing out so many leaues of an other mans booke to stuffe his owne withall therefore hath scattered obseruations as he goeth in the margent which belike he thought the Reader should take as admonitions that such a matter serued for him and made against the Declaration Whereof one in his margent is A Church without a Magistrate neuer seene whereby hee would seeme to giue his Reader to vnderstande that Gellius should denie that euer there had bene seene any Church where the people haue not bene gouerned by christian Magistrates which is nothing the meaning of Gellius For hee speaketh of Magistrates in generall and the vse of it in the ordinance of GOD to punishe the wicked and to protect him that liueth according to his duetie what soeuer the Magistrate bee in regarde of his religion And in this sense denyeth that euer there hath bene seene anie Church where the people of it haue not bene subiect to Magistrates which is very trew For euen in the time of our Sauiour Christ and the Apostles the Empire of Roome flourished and ruled in a manner all the worlde as it is noted in the thirde Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell And as there were Magistrates that ruled then ouer men in all places so the ordinance of God in Magistracie What soeuer the religion of the Magistrates were was needfull and profitable vnto the Church Whereof the reason is euident for that thereby they were oftentimes in their innocencie deliuered frō those who would haue done them wrong as Paule was by appealing to Caesar Therefore whereas hee noteth in the next place that the godlie haue neede of the Magistrate is likewise trewe yea and the next to it whiche hee noteth out of Gellius that the vse of Magistracie is such as that it were rather to bee wished there were no common wealth without a trewe Christian Magistrate then the Christian Magistrate should be excluded from the Church of God that is that a christian bearing ciuill office should therfore be cut of from the church as the Anabaptistes would For this is plainly the meaning of Gellius howsoeuer he haue set downe the note of his wordes shortly and obscurely fitlie to make the reader gather another sense as if Gellius meant to say rather no cōmon wealth without a Christian Magistrate then a Magistrate excluded from the Church or not to bee reckoned an ecclesiasticall office But the sense as I sayde is playne In whiche meaning also is that written whereof hee maketh after this note in the margent The Magistrates office necessarie to the church not that the Churche cannot stande except the Magistrate where the Church is bee of the faith but that what soeuer hee bee in that respecte his office in the ordinance of GOD is necessarie and comfortable to the Churche To which ende Gellius addeth for proofe in the verie next wordes otherwise why did Paule and Peter write of that matter to the faithful that were subiect to the discipline of Christ For the Romanes to whom hee wrote were vnder Nero as were also at that time the other His next note in the margent vpon Gellius his wordes is that certayne of the Prophetes and Apostles exercised also the office of the Magistrate This is another of his impertinencies I might saye vntruethes for heere Gellius attributeth this no more to the Apostles then to our Sauiour Christ who directlie said His kingdome was not of this worlde Iohn 18.36 but I chieflie note his impertinencie For what is this to proue that he vndertooke to witte that there were Christian Princes in the Apostles times But he had a meaning to admonishe the Reader to staye consider of the poyntes here handled by Gellius wherevnto also tendeth his next note why God distinguished those offices For there Gellius shewinge that these functions are not contrarie so as for the contrarietie of their nature they could not meete togither but that the one should destroy th' other as fire and water seeing Melchisedech Eli Samuell exercised both and the distinguishing of them was not for their repugnancie but because one man was scarse sufficient to exercise both He might thinke peraduenture the Reader might gather here something by the way for the maintenāce of the cōfusiō of both offices in those that are of the ministerie