that spirit of Christian loue which God willeth to rule vs I wish all men to dispose themselues to this happie Vnion and to reuerence this time wherein we are and whereof the chiefest mystery is not yet seene albeit the seale thereof be alreadie opened and we haue alreadie seene miraculous things If we doe Christianly simpathize with the time to honour these glorious preambles of a generall reformation which God doth set a worke by the erection of the Monarchie of great Britaine in the Royall Person of our most gracious Soueraigne and if we can turne the ambitious craft of the Iesuite into a Christian wisdom against himself that as he striueth to reduce the whole world vnder the Tyrannie of his High Priest So we may with the force of vnited mindes assist the rising and encrease of this great Kingdome in the hope of a generall restauration of Christs Church what know we what God intendeth yet to bring about by this mighty Prince whose exaltation in the prouidence of the Almightie hath already brought the whole world in admiration what know we what he who did so long Prophesie by the mouth of Ieremy the comming of Cyrus to restore Ierusalem he who made Cyrus at his comming to cry the Lord God of heauen hath giuen me the kingdomes of the earth that I should build a house to him in Ierusalem what know we what he hath propounded to doe by this vertuous Monarch whom he hath so extraordinarily raised and made him Master of puissant Kingdomes what can we iudge of those currant prophesies of our fore fathers for his being Emperour and for his ransacking of the wals of Rome doe not we see how he hath already begunne to shake those wals and to breake the hornes of that Beast Let no man be so simple as to doubt but one day God hath predestinate by some Christian Cyrus to reforme that city and to restore his people from that spirituall captiuity Yea let no man doubt but that the time of that great Iubile doth approach as I will shew heereafter If wee by our obstinate distractions and diuision doe not preuent it and therefore thou who abhorrest any law or ordinance which may tend to a firme coniunction of this Isle or who doest repine in any sort against that great instrument whom God hath sent to reforme his Church thou shalt be infinitely blessed of God if by thy conformity thou can once take away that greeuous imputation of the Papist who to the reproach of the Gospell doth affirme thus That after Luther who was that Nimrod as he saith that enterprized the tower of heresie against the Apostolicall seate of Rome all those who did concurre to that building were like vnto those sons of Adam who builded Babylon punished of God with confusion of tongues that one did not vnderstand another All the followers of Luther Lutherians Semi Luth. Contrr Luth. Hussists Zwinglians Semizwing Melancthonists Brownists Anabaptists Caluinists Bezaists many moe whom he doth numerate to all which saith he Dominus confudit labium the Lord hath confounded their language that of all the reformed Churches of Germany France Holland Geneua Britaine not one doth altogether agree with another and diuers of them disagreeing within themselues either in doctrine in ceremonies in gouernment or somewhat else of which fearefull and scandalous oblatration seeing you who are the Puritan cannot denie for your part to be Authour I thinke it should make the most impudent and affronted face among you to blush in case their rest in it any drops of good and ingenuous bloud Being in this contemplation of the meanes of Christian concord before I speake of the reformation of the Church of Rome I will discourse some what of the meanes of our domesticke coniunction with the Church of England because it is more neere vnto vs and bringeth vs also mor neere to the possibilities of vniuersall Reformation CHAP. IX A Triall of the best and surest Policies which bee in Nature in Ciuility in Oëconomy in Morality IN matter of Doctrine we make one ptofession with the Church of England founded vpon the purity of Gods word The oddes be either in the Church policie or in some indifferent ceremonies I speake of oddes in polilicie by reason of you who be opponents in your hearts to the State of Bishops So before I will touch the Ceremonies I will deale with you vpon that head As for the Theologicall and more subtile disputarion of the Theme of Episcopall Regiment it is so exactly done by diuers reuerend and learned Diuines that it hath not much neede of my contribution only I will select some cleere sincere and most disiestable arguments for your information and because many of you who bee thus distracted haue neuer tasted the pure fountaines of true and naturall knowledge which is not the least cause of your Errour therefore I will shew you into this chapter what is the gouernment which God did plant in the creation of nature and what affinity it hath with such policies as haue since followed and fallen out through the world in Church or in state whereinto if I doe a little insist to expresse the lawfulnes and vertue of the Monarchall Rule it is not to induce a Monarchall gouernement in the Church which is a Popish inuention and heere also sufficiently answered But first it is to poynt foorth the power of God in annointed Kings against the pernicious doctrine of those who teach the contempt and violation of Kingly authority And secondly it is to shew that as God did frame the gouernment of his first Church of the Iewes not much vnlike to that of nature euen so if we seeke the originall Idaea of true ecclesiasticall policy in the right Horoschope and if we pronounce it with a right aire we shall find and we may say it without offence that the first image of whatsoeuer gouernment agreeable to Gods will hath beene conceiued into nature in the order whereof God hath auoyded two things and hath reserued one peculiar to himselfe absolute soueraigntie or a power meerely vnicall and an Anarchie or popular confusion neither of these two hath he willed that as on the one part no creature should haue a Monarchall Supremacie exempted from necessarie correspondence and simpathie with dependent members so on the other side no indiuiduall parts of one kinde might subsist without a head through whom they must receiue the order and direction of their motions The vnity againe of absolute Supremacie in heauen and earth God hath concluded within the Center of his diuine throne proper to himselfe that no particular Creature in nature can be capable thereof so that it is equally ridiculous to say the Lyon cannot be cheife of beasts vnlesse the Indian Libian and Barbarian Lyons bee all subiect to one Monarchall Lyon The Kings of the earth cannot be lawfull Kings vnlesse there be one supreme Monarch ouer them all which cannot bee in any but in God the Primates
weale and when there is cause an other chosen in his stead by the greatest part of the people but then to let you see that all that processe must depend from the Pope vpon the word Tyrannus they doe reason thus Tyrannice gubernans non potest spoliari sine publico Indicio lata vero sententia potest quisque fieri Executor potestque deponi a populo qui iurauerit ei obedientiam perpetuam He who raigns Tyrannously cannot be spoyled of his dominion vntill the publike sentence bee pronounced which once done he may be depriued by any yea by the same subiects who did sweare to him perpetuall obedience This publike sentence we must vnderstand is Excommunicatio Maior proceeding from the Pope How these Aphorismes doe agree with the doings of the Primitiue Church let the most ignorant iudge whither they bee not seasoned with their wormewood Vpon these two foundations of excommunication and depriuation doth of necessitie follow the third to wit murther of Kings first thundered next eiected thirdly slaine and doctrinall grounds set downe to authorise the same Gean Guignart in his treatise vpon the murther of Henry the third a good Prince and a catholike Romane he doth stablish two propositions one that the cruel Nero was murthered by a deliuering Clement whose heroicall act inspired by the holie spirit was to be reputed iust and lawfull yea and most laudable next that the crowne of France ought to be transposed to another Race and the Biarnois so doth he disdainfullie call the french king he ought to haue a monasticall crowne that is to say to be shauen and condemned to the cloyster albeit he was become a catholike Romane which if he would not accept they should by force of armes eiect him or depriue him of his life Ambrose Varades principall of the Iesuites Colledge at Paris was found the instigatour of Barrier against the late king immediatly after his conuersion to the Church of Rome Chastell who strooke him in the mouth confessed that he was taught by Iesuites that it was an act of extraordinarie great godlinesse to kill him because he was no lawfull king although he was conuerted vntill he was receiued by the Pope A letter was found of father Commelet a man most famous among them for prudence and grauitie bearing these words we must haue an Aeod let him be a monke a souldier or a sheepheard it is no matter we must haue an Aeod for the assassinat or slaughter of King Henrie the third so did their absynthiū vniuersallie poyson all that euen in the Serbon it was concluded in fauour of the Pope that his excommunication and murther was both lawful and wel acted William Parry confessed at his death that Benidicto Paulio Aniball Codreto Iesuites did persuade him that it was a most religious act to surprise the life of the late Queene of England a good Princesse replenished with Pietie vertue And who should heare the true relation of the state of Polonia since the entrie of the Iesuites there he should heare of more wicked secret practises during that time then for hundreths of yeeres before This is the doctrine and these are the practises of Papall pride with the Christian Kings of this age which being paralelled with these of the primitiue fathers it is easie to marke the antithesis So to ende this particular touching the Maxims of the Iesuisticke schooles it is the glorie which they doe cary as a bright starre in the front of all their renoune that they be daunters of puissant kings and it is found in their owne bookes in that treatise called Summa constitutionum imprinted at Lions Anno 1859. conteyning the gouernment of that societie it is sayd Tyrannos aggrediuntur lolium ab agro Domini euellunt They inuade tyrants and roote out the cockle and filth from the Lords feild And so invincible they be in this mischeuous doctrine that albeit they vnderstood Tanquerall was condemned to vndergoe a great punishment and hardlie did escape his life Anno. 1561. for suffering this Theame touching the authoritie of kings to be called in question of the Sorbon and to be disputed there yet so bould are they that euer since that tyme they did practise the court of parliament at Paris to fauour the same motion albeit oftentimes it was despightfully reiected vpon suspition of that which in effect was found true that they had couertly corrupted the Sorbon by sliding in among them some of their owne scolers neither is there anie thing in all this more strange then to heare Cardinall Bellarmine his answere for that holy carriage of the fathers of the primitiue Church with Emperours and Kings of their Tyme it was sayth he more necessarie in that time of the primitiue Church to admonish Christian people to obey temporal powers least otherwise the preaching of the Gospell had beene hindered The case being altered now when the Church is inful authoritie power her selfe which fiefor shame is no other then to make the word of God to be a religion of Foxes a doctrine of sophistrie a profession of Equiuocation consequentlie of P◅rle quia qui dubi◅r at his me◅itur bis peiur at as Cicero saith as if vpon these words Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo Christ would say to his Apostles and successours that they should obey Princes so long as they were vnder the Crosse and could doe no otherwise but when they should beginne to floorish and get the winde vpon them that then they should change the stile of the Euangell and teach a contrarie doctrine a doctrine not of Christ but of the ambitious schoole of Machauel to the stayne of Gods glorie who hath made no law but on for kings of Israel for kings of the primitiue Church and for all who haue followed vpon which point and vpon these words of our Sauiour Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo we may heare S. August as it were vpon the Theater of the world making a procliamation to secure all authorities from such feare Iealousie Audite saith he Iudaei gentes audi preputium audite omnia Regna terrena non i◅podis domination◅ ve◅am in hoc mundo O heere yee Iewes and gentiles yee circumcised and vncircumcised heere yee all the kingdomes of the earth Christ maketh no stoppe nor opposition to your authorities temporall and we reade S. Bernard vpon this text in the 12 of Saint Luke where one said to Christ master tel my brother vt mecum diuidat here ditatem that he may diuide our heritage he answered homo quis me constituit Di◅isorem aut Iudic◅m super vos who appointed me a iudge ouer you or diuider of your lands whereupon Saint Bernard saith stetisse lego Apostolos iudicandos sedisse iudicantes non lego I read saith hee that that the Apostles stood to be iudged but that they did sit ◅o Iudge I read not Their successors indeed the Bishops of the
serpentine insinuation that may serue to steale away our mindes from the puritie of Gods worship and from our dutifull obedience to our Soueraigne Princes Veâ—… aspidum sub labijs corum vnder their lippes is hidden the venome of Aspes De laquijs 〈◊〉 libera nos Domine Deliuervs O Lord from the snares of the Hunters Facti sunt quasi arcus dolosus They are made like a deceitfull bow Sicut deciâ—…la plena auibus it a Domus eorum Plenâ—… dolâ—… As the Fowlers Cage is full of birds so are their houses full of fraud To speake briefly of the Cabbal or secret Art of this Iesuistique trade it standeth in their constant obseruation of certaine sure and infallible policies for the exaltation of the Papall Chayre which is the mainescope of all their studies because one day they thinke to possesse it themselues as it hath already well neere fallen out to be so when in the election of the late Pope the conclaue did hang sixe dayes vpon Cardinall Bellarmine which whensoeuer it commeth to passe then they will preferre so many of their societie to the Cardinaltie that we shall bee sure neuer to see any more a Pope but Iesuistique The Maximes whereupon they doe build this fabrique bee specially these First they know that obedience and secrecie are the strongest meanes to maintaine a Sect and to compasse great plots therefore they haue sworne their obedience absolute not to the Pope nor to the Church but to their generall in omnibus per omnia tanquam Christo presenti as is said and therefore their arcana imperij the mysteries of their policies are most close and reserued from the world Secondly they know this to bee a true Maxime in gouernment that no great power can longer floorish then it doth make it selfe vseful necessary and formidable to neighbour States and finding that those things whereby the Popes were steadable and necessary to people and Countries such as their Dispensations Purgatoriall Indulgences force of excommunication Vniuersall title of Benefices ecclesiastique were become distastfull and hated of most men because of their open abuses and impieties and that wise Kings were begunne to prye into them chiefely those of England therefore the Iesuites to repayre this breach did inuent this pernitious doctrine of the Popes Supremacie ouer the temporalitie of Princes to the end that no King should finde himselfe secure but in the fauour and trust of Rome Thirdly they see that besides the aforesaide abuses two things did specially parrell the Papall Seat one was the Immundities and ignorance of the Cloyster religious men being giuen to their pleasures and not to pietie and learning which was the first occasion of the Lutherian seperation as we know another was that light and reformation did come into the Church by pastorall vigilance expressed by all meanes of most powerfull preaching disputing and writing in that age which hath followed since Luther for helpe of the first of these two the Iesuites doe professe such a puritie in their Celibate as to giue them their due is admirable Siue fuerit caste siue fuerit caute if it were not that the flames of raging ambition doe ordinarily extinguish these humide and beastiall passions in any man almost For helpe of the second wee see what a glory and pride of learning in all Sciences is in them as one said Imperâ—… um literarum est penes Iesuitas as if they had resolued to ouershoote our reformators in their owne bow and to bannish light out of the Church by the same armes that brought it in for this cause it iâ—… why they doe attackt themselues to the confessions of great and chiefe personages and to the education of the most Noble youth wheresoeuer they are which they doe performe with a sort of myraculous dexteritie gathering out among them vnto their owne societie the most quicke subtill and vehement Spirits by whom tanquam per maxiâ—…s damones they doe the more easily surely and secretly infect all the corners of the earth with their perstiferous traditions Fourthly they holde this maxime which is lyke enough to be true that religion must shute out and floorish with a growing state and therefore presuming that of Spaine to be most disposed to monarchie they haue deuoted them selues to the seruice of that Crowne for two respectes one that with the dilatation thereof they also may prosper and encrease as they haue already by his meanes planted themselues into the Indes an other that hauing abused him to the ouerthrow of other christian princes he may in ende be the more weke himselfe and obnoxious to their tyrranie knowing how easie it will be for so skilfull craftesmen as they are to suggest rebellion and revolt in his owne dominions which are not coniunct and vnited but mightilie dispersed so that finallie they hope to conclude in their owne persones that scripture Homo spiraualis omnia indicat ipse a nemine iudicatur In such manner that we doe now cleerly see in them that which the great politicke Matchivell said in his tyme that if the pouertie of the Capuchines and clergie of the Iesuites had not come tymously in the Church of Rome to vpholde the papall dignitie and credite they had euen then fallen to the ground thus is it no calumnie but a most true prudent obseruation of this tyme to affirme that no age hath euer seene such fearefull fyrebrandes and terrours such errant starres so malignant and contrarious to christian felicitie as is that societie of pretended Iesuites They do obtrude vpon the world that pernicious doctrine of the papall power to excoÌ„municate to depriue to warrant murthers of kings to the effect that by length of tyme Popes being cunning to quarrel with neighbour Princes and to drawe their subiects from them their states may fall into the Ocean of this ambition which doeing is so open and manifest that in the histories of Spayne we finde it acknowledged that they holde Portugall of the societie of the Iesuites in the union of Portugall printed at Genua sol 197. 214. the chiefe drist of this doctrine hath beene against the kingdome of great Britan and against the French kings these many yeere since as we haue perceaued because in their designed monarchie they find much more difficultie to passe by these two then to haue ouer passed the pillars of Hercules wherevpon doth stand that great word of their glorie plus vltra because they went with the spaineyard to the Indies Brittane and France these be the two pillars which doe limitate this Iesuistick pryde and whereon they stil doe read this contrary Mottâ—… vsque ad metas which hath beene the cause why so manie treacherous attempts haue partly beene executed against King Henry the third of France and against that most heroicall Prince Henry the fourth whom I thinke the Lord hath suffered to fall into their bloudie handes because he did contemne the monitions which wer made to him
deceiued who say that Titus or Timothie had an extraordinary vocation for they were chosen by the Apostle and were the Schollers of S. Paul Quae accepi à Domino saith hee catradidivobis The things which were taught to mee by our Master Christ these haue I teached you Yea doe we not see how in the very time of the Apostles themselues when the extraordinary spirit was giuen to many there was iealous warnings among them against extraordinarie Pretenders Audiuimus quosdam ex nobis c. we heare saith the Apostle that some haue gone out from among vs who haue troubled you bidding you to bee circumcised quibus mandat a nulla dederamus to whom no coÌ„mandement was giuen An euident Argument that no man might enter into the Church without Apostolicall ordination notwithstanding the holy Ghost was frequently giuen and extraordinarily to manie by God himselfe immediately Briefely this extraordinary Vocation hath neuer in no time beene seene but accompanied with such miraculous graces as did sufficiently warrant it from doubt or calumnie which makes mee thinke that hee who is in this Libertine and corrupted age will pretend extraordinarie calling he had neede to qualifie the same by extraordinary markes The Lord God indeede who Master of all creation of all redemption and of all Reformation and for common doth worke by naturall and ordinary meanes in all these three when he will to shew his power and glory he will worke aboue and contrary to Nature and to her order as hee made the Red Sea to diuide for Moses and the Sunne to be fixed for his successour Iosua as he suffered by way of reformation the Asmoner to be for the time both Kings and Priests in one person as nature it selfe following the same doing of God her Soueraigne Lord albeit for the ordinary she worketh to procreation and generation of things yet sometimes she workes deuouring inundations and pestilent plagues which although they seeme to destroy yet they are necessary purgers of nature for the time euen so there hath beene in the beginnings of Christian reformation extraordinary things done by good men in case of so great exigence and necessitie as was but these extrauagant interims are neuer to bee drawen in rule The tyranny of Rome hath enforced that kinde of doing the cruell martyrdome first of Sauouarola and then of Hus for their cries of Reformation their deceiuing of Caroliu 5. and two succeeding Emperors in their designs of reformation their barbarous persecution of the Protestants of France and Germany by bringing vpon their neckes the Arms of the holy league for their protestation to haue the Catholike Church reformed These mad Christian people despairing of generall reformation by ordinary means and authoritie of Princes and Prelates to attempt it with some disorder and violence wherein some haue beene better some worse accoding to the diuers mindes and meanes of Reformatours in diuers places all tollerable for the time none perfect but that which hath beene done after these Iewish reformations whereof we speake and to speake ingenuously of all these which haue been it seemeth that no worse carriage hath beene in any then in those of Scotland and France albeit mooued by godly and reuerend men yet because they were attempted against the auctoritie Royall for the time which was the reason why they fell forth as a furious Northerne tempest threatning a common otherthrow in place to reforme Policie and Prelates they did destroy both enrage the people eiect the Prince shake the whole state and make their natiue Countries a bloudy stage of domestick and forraine ambition that it may be iustly said thereof as Cicero did reproach to the vnhappy Brut us Bona inâ—…o optima causa sed mihi crede foedissimè per acta a good cause yea a most good cause but beleeue it most miscreantly gouerned A much better act was that of George Prince of Henault who being but a ciuill man did reforme the Pontificate of Meresburgh For albeit he was not ordained by Pontificiall authoritie yet as he affirmes in his Apologie for that act he did procure vnto himselfe an ordinary vocation and canonicall Election by the whole Chapter of that Cathedrall Church who had their calling in the Church of Rome and did ordaine him a pastour with power by their aduise to reforme that seat for there be diuers of the Catholike Romane Cleargie who doe not hold euerie ordination vnlawfull which is not approoued of the Pope witnesse the late controuersie betwixt him and the Venetians for the Abbey of Policena where he did ordinate his Nephew Cardinall Burghesio they one of their own Citizens who did inioy it Better yet were these Reformations of Germany performed by Wicliffe Luther Bucer Farelluâ—… Viretus and others whereof some being questioned before the Emperor were neuer demaunded vpon their calling because they had gotten order within the Church of Rome yet perfectly good were none of these Germane reformations neither because the greatest part of them were onely Presbyters and had no Episcopall authoritie to reforme But of all these Reformations which haue beene lately in the Catholike Church that of England hath beene most vpright perfect and agreeable to the Architype of Ierusalem as you shall hereafter more cleerely perceiue where Prelates and Princes doe erre and Princes and Prelates againe to whom onely the authoritie did belong did reforme both themselues and the people retaining alwayes in their Church the Primitiue Ecclesiasticke gouernement with so many of their religious Rites and Ceremonies as were agreeable with Catholike Antiquitie and not contrary to Gods word resolued to part no further from Rome then she hath parted from the veritie which was the reason why this Reformation came not as a storme into the ayre nor in a Commotion but like vnto that Sibilus aurae tenâ—…is wherein the Lord was so that amidst the fearefull thundere and coruscations of Europe it did confirme the tranquility of that kingdome in a miraculous sort and did truely procure vnto the late Queene of blessed memorie that braue word Circundita Marte quiesco So that it might haue beene said of her feminine Raigne as it was said of the gowne of that great Orator Cuius sub iure togaque Pacificas sauus tremuit Catilina secures How many forraine machinations did she illude How many intestine Catelines did she surpresse how did shee cut the crust of the Spanish ambition with such dexterity as a second Iudith cutting off the head of Olophernes Cranmer Bishop of Canterbury Primat of the English Church Latymer Bishop of Wighorne Hooper Bishop of Glocestre Rialey Bi of London these were lawfully ordinate Bishops in the Church of Rome King Henrie the eight and his Successors Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth were lawfull Princes to both which according to the exemplar of Ierusalem and vnto that which was due to their Predecessors in the Primatiue Church did belong the power to reforme themselues and their kingdomes and Iurisdictions to
the which reformed Church of England the graue and learned Beza giues this vertuous testimony If saith hee the reformed Church of England doe persist as they are ruled by authority of Bishops whereof some of our age haue bin famous Martyrs and most worthy Pastors and Doctors let England enioy that singular blessing of God which I pray the Lord to continue with them said he Alwayes for this point we may conclude thus that in case Prelates should become Papall and Idolatrous that Presbyters might reforme with their tongues but not with hands preach reformation but not pull downe Churches perswade and illuminate mens consciences but not concitate popular tumults The third thing which we mark in these reformations of Ierusalem is that things were reduced not to the times immediately preceding nor other then vnto Primitiue Institutions for saith Daniel Wee haue sinned O Lord not against Dauid nor Samuel but against the lawe of thy seruant Moses who was their lawgiuer And here is the maine point wherein doth stand the perfection of all Christian reformation that the doctrine gouernment of the Catholike Church should be conformed with euery thing which was in the Primatiue Church whereabout there be some little diuersities in opinions but no man yet hath bounded it more narrowly then the first 300. yeeres except this heteroclite Clergie of the late Presbyterians who will precisely limitate it vnto the dayes of Christ and his Apostles taking aduantage that way as they thinke to discredite Episcopall Regiment because forsooth there was no mention then of Diocesan Metropolitan and Partriarchall Bishops And so fantasing to reduce the Church policie to the termer wherein it was immediatly after Christs ascension at which time there was no need but of Presbyters before Cities Sheriffedomes Prouinces Nations were conuerted who doth not know that the policie of the Church behooued to encrease with the encrease of faith it behooued to haue a Bishop before a Diocesan Bishop and him againe before a Metropolitan Bishop the Metropolitan before the Patriarchall authoritie But these bee headdy inuentions of poore and clandestine Synagogues who cannot pretend for themselues any learned Patron except it be falsely Not Luther not Melancton not Bucer not Zuinglius not Zanchius nor Caluine These were no dreamers they were graue and sage Diuines farre of as you shall heare by their owne testimonies from bringing into the Church of God such Anarchies and popular Tribunates yea they cannot betake themselues to any of our own Protoreformatours not to Iohn Knox who howsoeuer in the point of the Ciuill Magistrate to speake ingenuously he was somewhat extrauagant yet he was a great and good instrument of God and in this point of Bishops wise and conforme the time being considered as you shall heare hereafter CHAP. VIII A limitation of the Primitiue Church whereunto we are to appeale for Reformation which the iudgement of the best Reformators touching the meanes thereof BVt to proceede touching the Primitiue Church I say that whatsoeuer is in the Church it is either Doctrine Policie or Ceremonies what concernes doctrine doth limitate the Primatiue Church to the dayes of Christ the Apostles and Euangelists that nothing is to be admitted for doctrine but that which the Spirit of God did penne by their hands what concernes euery particular Act in policie or custome in Ceremonies it is not to be reckoned so To make this cleere we are to vnderstand a distinction in diuine institution some being more directly diuine then others as the doctrinal points of Saluation treated by the Apostles are more diuine then that which the same Apostles did concerning the policie The first is the bread of life it selfe the second is but the order how it shall be kept dispensed so that these things which our Sauiour spake out of his owne mouth are immediately diuine The Acts againe of the Apostles in establishing the Church after the ascension no man will refuse them to be diuine institutions so farre that the Apostles might say they did proceed from the holy Ghost and from themselues yet no man either must hold them equally diuine with the personall doctrine of Christ in regard whereof they hold a second degree are called Apostolike Traditions Therfore such as be strict about this distinctiō say that which did immediatly flow from Christ himselfe is a diuine ordinance and the other onely diuini Iuris that is to say hath a diuine right Now say they in regard of the first institution the difference is but small betwi◅t a diuine ordinance and an Apostolicall ordinance but in respect of continuation or perpetuitie there is a great discrepance that which is immediately diuine being absolutely and unchangeably necessarie to bee kept in the Church from Christs mouth to the consummation of the world The other againe not so but as it did not flow directly from Christs owne mouth nor from the Apostles immediately after the ascension but being traditions politicall for the Church they were peece and peece deliuered and practised according to the increase of the faith euen so they do not imply a necessary perpetuitie in the Church in that sort as some do fondly reason saying if such Policie or such Ceremonies be Apostolicall then they must be perpetuall in the Church wherevpon by way of aduantage they inferre the nullitie of many reformed Churches in France Scotland Geneua and others which is an absurd inconvenient O but it is not so The word of God and the Apostolicall traditions be of like ve◅itie but not of like authoritie nor like perpetuitie nor a like necessitie for that is to bee retained in the Church which is expedient and convenient as wel as that which is absolutely necessary but the difference is that of Christs word one Iot shall not perish it is vnchangeable incorruptible eternall Whereas these other Apostolicall institutions which were the fountaines and beginnings from whence did flow the growth of the Churches policie with the growing of the faith vnder the successors of the holy Fathers of the primitiue Church these I say albeit they be from the spirit of veritie yet hauing but a second place and being but diuini Iuris they are not so absolute incorruptible and vnchangeable as the first they are like vnto vpright gold into which an excellent Iewell is mounted there to be kept which gold if it were most fine it is with time worne diminished altered and perhaps broken but still againe renewed euen so as the Riuers which after long running doe willingly fall againe into the bosome of their great fountaine the Ocean from whence they come and which is their naturall seat so all disordered and strange courses of pretended policies and nouelties of the Church gouernment do by length of time returne againe into the fountaine of the Apostolicall institutions as experience doth shew which are not to bee limited to the daies of Christ or to the beginnings of the Apostles as the word is