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
the person of one no lest it might both seeme a worke of man and be the more easily corrupted but that it might seeme the worke of God and be the more miraculous by the harmony of many Bishops who atall occasions might communicate the confessions of their faith by their Canonicall Pontificall and publike letters If any man did erre they first sought him to be reformed by those failing thereof they assembled their Counsels to depose him Cyprian saiththat the Catholike Church is one not diuided or rent with Schismes Sed coherentium sibi inuicem Episcoporum glutinâ—… copulata as it were coupled together with the glew of Episcopall Concordance therefore saith he the body of Bishops is copious and tied together with the knot of mutuall vnity that if any one should be author of heresie the rest might indeuour to controle him as this was the true meaning of the Apostles so to reason still from experience it is true that vntill the comming of Papall tyranny in the yere 607 the Church of Christ was euer most free from that superstition ambition auarice and impiety of manners which siâ—…ce haue spoiled all Seeing wee haue thus truely and without inconuenience brought the Ecclesiasticall gouernement to the rules of the old Testament it may suffice to rectifie a good and iuditious mind in that matter of the Bishops yet because it is a maine point not onely of generall reformation but of our intestine vnion with that perfect Church of England of our sincere coniunction also among our selues in Scotland I will insist briefly in it not into the idle perplexities which the malice and ignorance of you who be opponents doth moue because they be exactly treated by learned diuines onely because my discourse is Empericall I will speake two or three words touching the promiscual and common vse of the names Episcopus and Presbyter which is 〈◊〉 questionis affirmed by you to haue had no difference at all in the Apostolicall dayes so that thereupon you doebuild all the Sophistrie of the question Secondly I will giue you the cleere testimonies of the Catholike and Consentient Antiquitie vpon two things one of the great vse and benefite which hath redowned to the Church by the rule of Bishops an other of their successiue continuation from the dayes of the Apostles hitherto without intermission excepting a few reformed Churches 60. yeeres agoe Lastly I will set downe to you the iudgement and meaning concerning Church Policie of all our famous reformatours beginning at Luther euen vntill now to let you see how they bee as farre against your Consistorian Discipline as are our Bishops who be now in gouernment And first concerning the communitie of the words Episcopus and Presbyter it is true they were as they are still Unus Episcopatâ—… vnum Presbyterium and if you please to say Vnus Apostolatus Oâ—…e and the same thing touching the substance of their ministerie they preach one doctrine but we must not from that homonomie of wordâ—… enforce such wrangling conceits as if we had not learned in the Logicall Schoole the definition of Equiuoca verba quorum nomen est commune ea autem quae nomini conueâ—…unt alia atque alia which haue a common name but things competent to the name most diuers in the one and in the other they labour about one subiect but they be distinguished by some accidentall points wherein they differ by reason of degree of Ecclesiastical authority Quae differunt sâ—…lummodo quantitate qualitate non differunt natura say the Philosophers the things which differ onely in quantity and quality they doe not differ in nature as to say that the Archbishop hath within his rule the same power which the Patriarke within his touching the substance of his charge excepting some reseruations to the Patriarchall degree vnto the which by reason of superioritie appellation in some cases was made from the others and to the which belongeth a power to conuocate Archbishops by reason of more ample presedence so euery Patriarchall Bishop was an Archbishop but not reciprocally And euery Episcopus a Presbyter but not reciprocally while the Episcopall power was in the Apostles themselues or in Apostolicall men they who had that power were still called Apostles as by the worthier stile and therefore Ambrose in some of his Treatises vpon the Gospell by Apostles doth vnderstand Bishops and Cyprian in like manner Apostolos id est Episcopos praepositos Dominus elegit The Lord chose Apostles that is Bishops and ouerrulers for as Theodoret hath well obserued in these words in time past saith he they called one and the same man Bishop and Presbyter and these who now are called Bishops they named Apostles but in processe of time they left the name of Apostles to those who were truely Apostles and the name of Episcopus or Bishop they tooke away from Presbyter and gaue it to those who were wont to be called Apostles by confusion of names onely saith he which testimonie conferred with many others like will make the trueth of the matter to be this while as the Bishops were Apostles or Apostolicall men for so were the first Bishops the Angels of the Churches were also called Apostles of the Churches other inferior Pastors were then called Episcopi and Presbyteri by confusion of names but when those first Bishops being dead their successors were to be chosen out of the Presbyters men neither Apostles nor Apostolicall which Ierom noteth to haue beene done at Alexandria after the death of S. Marke as you shall heare and was done in other places where no Apostolicall men did rest aliue then I say and there they left the name of Apostles to Apostles indeed who were dead and for difference from them they called the intrant successor Episcopus or Bishop and his inferiour minister againe Presbyter allowing no more confusion of names so that this cleare distinction both of names and offices was embraced in the very first succession of the Apostles For Ignatius who was Bishop of Antioch in the Apostles time after that Euodius had been there before him hee did vsually distinguish these three degrees of the Clergie as the Church hath euer done since by these three names Bishop Presbyter and Deacon the difference of which degrees and the superioritie of Bishops is witnessed by the same Ignatius writing to the Smyrnenses Let no man doe any thing appertayning to the Church saith he yea let not the administration of the Eucharist be lawfull but by the Bishop or by him who hath his authoritie from the Bishop Next touching the restimonies of Antiquitie vpon the vse and benefit of Episcopall Regiment all the Fathers doe in one voyce applaude that which Cyprian the most modest of Bishops hath written in that point affirming that all heresies and schismes haue euer flowed from discontented humours of those who contemne the authoritie of Bishops which is placed to coerce and correct them Unde schismata
Bishops prouiding they doe not force vs to anything contrary to Gods word which protestation shall excuse vs to all posterity that the ouerthrow of the ancient policie be not imputed to vs say they which confession Caluine among others did soone thereafter subscribe Melancthon to Martin Luther Non credis quanto sum in odio Noricis alijs You will not beleeue saith he how I am hated of the Norricians and others Alwayes it is not well that men should so abhorre the restauration of Bishops for I know not with what a face wee can refuse them If they will permit vs to haue purity of doctrine And I doe feare that Episcopall authority being dissolued wee shall haue more intollerable Tyranny in the place thereof saith he And in another place which was not written to Luther Et mecum semper sensit Lutherus And Luther did euer iudge with me who saith he knew himselfe to bee the more loued of mer because by his meanes Bishops had beene cast out and themselues set at liberty which shall be dangerous for the posterity for what state of Church shall we haue when the ancient policie shaken off there shall bee no certaine Rulers saith Melancthon which solid iudgement Camerarius doth praise in these words Quod reclamantibus multis ille hoc suadebat non modo ad stipulatore sed auctore Luthero vt restituerentur Episcopi si vsum purae doctrina permitterent that against many he did not onely by Luthers consent but by his direction perswade the Restitution of Bishops if they will grant the purity of doctrine In another little treatise of these times entituled Articuls Protestantium de vnitate Ecclesiae Gradus illos plures Episcoporum Archiepiscoporum Patriarcharum vtiles esse existimamus ad Ecclesiae salutem si ij qui presunt faciunt officium all these degrees of Ecclesiasticall policie are profitable for the Church prouiding Prelates discharge their dutie Bucer de vi vsâ—… ministerij saith thus Therefore these orders of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons established in the beginning by the holy spirit when Churches begun to be multiplyed they did ordaine to euery Prouince their owne Metropolitan And againe thereafter to shew how he thought it a diuine ordinance he saith as the people were more and more frequent in Metropolitan Citties It a dabat Dominus vt haberent ampliores Episcopos illae Ecclesiae so did God ordaine greater Bishops to those Churches Hemingiâ—…s is of that same opinion and both of them doe blame that wrested sense of Ierom aforesaid saying that howsoeuer it might bee so while Churches were not perfectly constituted yet all the other Fathers were against him froÌ„ thence forth he contented to acknowledge his error as you haue heard Philip Hebrâ—…nerus a great Protestant Theologue hauing mooued the question touching these degrees Ecclesiasticall hee answereth in fauour of them because the Apostles doe mention them in the first place the Presbyter in the next and the Deacon in the last saith he who is more famous among vs as I haue said then the venerable and learned Zanchius who hath left vs a long discourse of Episcopall gouernment in the Church which were too long to relate heere and is to be found in his obseruations 25. in titulo 38. de Disciplina clericali beginning thus Tertia pars disciplina clericalis est ea quae gradus infimi subijciuntur superioribus and it is most plaine of any for Bishops as may bee perceiued also by those his following speeches in the historie of the Augustine confession My faith saith he doth absolutely rest vpon the simple word of God next vpon the common consent of the ancient Catholike Church if it is not repugnant to the holy Scripture for whatsoeuer hath been decreed by those holy Fathers assembled in generall Couâ—…cells in the name of God if it doe not contradict his word that I take to flow from the holy Ghost albeit I doe not account it in the same degree with the written word and seeing it is most euident by all the writts of the ancient Fathers that Bishops and these other orders haue been allowed in the Church Quis ego sum who am I saith he who should take vpon me to impugne that which the holy Catholike Church hath approued Neither durst the most learned of our time disprooue them because they were instituted for good ends and for edification of Gods people Besides I haue respect to these reformed Churches who hauing embraced the Euangell doe yet retaine the order of Bishops in name authoritie meaning the Lutherians And looking to the Protestant Churches I finde they haue their Bishops and Archbishops vnder changed names of Superintendants and generall Superintendants and where neither the old good Greeke names of Episcopus and Archiepiscopus nor these new ill Latine names of Superintendant and generall Superintendent be acknowledged Notwithstanding I see their meaning of Presbyterians chiefe men who take vpon them all the authoritie where therefore these be maintayned and Bishops refused it is but a controuersie for names so when wee agree as wee doe vpon the thing it selfe why should we striue about the name Thus farre Zanchius Wherein wee see that he doth acknowledge that distinction mentioned by me in the beginning of this Article of that which is directly diuine as the word and that which is diuini Iuris as the Policie both being of like veritie but not of like authoritie necessitie and perpetuitie This sound iudgement of Zanchius is so truly naturally and holily conceiued that euen the latest and most peremptorie Reformators since be forced to haue the same opinion and to follow the same practise Caluin speaking of the primitiue church before the intrusion of Poperie during all which time saith he the Church gouernment hath nothing almost dissonant from Gods worde For the Presbyters who had the charge of doctrine did chuse one among them selues vnder the stile of a Bishop ne vâ—… fieri solet dissidia nascerentur ex equalitate that dissension should not arise of aequalitie as commonly it doth saith he And in his Epistle to Cardinall Sadolett he is contented to obey a Bishop prouiding he be reformed in doctrine Talem nobis Hierarchiam si dederint quae à Christo tanquam vnico capite pendeat The opinion of Beza concerning the Church of England I haue told already then for their practise it is manifest that all the Gouernours of the Church of Geneua since the Bishop was eiected haue wished by all meanes to replant that authoritie but could not for the State being altogether changed in a popular gouernment by repining from the Bishop who was also their ciuill head it was so farre from receiuing any image of Soueraigntie either spirituall or temporall that Caluin being altogether out of hope to get a Presbyterie established of Ministers alone was contented to comport a mixed Presbyterie of six Ministerie and twelue Citizens alwayes while he liued he was perpetuall
In nequissimo pane murmurabit ciuitas The mouthes of many shall blesse him who is liberall of his bread and the City shall murmure against him who doth it not and they shall call his wretched conquest Panem nequissimum A knauish bread If a Bishop study to bee rich hee is neither Starre nor Angell nor no matter heauenly Si terram cogitas terraes If a mans minde be muddy hee is mudde himselfe riches are indeed a blessing of God but wee finde seldome mention in the Scripture of a rich man in good termes but with hard title Salomon saith Alia infirmitas sub sole Diuitiae conseruatae in malum Domini Riches heaped vp for the mischiefe of their Master and the Euangelist speaking of a rich man Mortuus est Diues sepultus in Inferno The rich man died and was buried in Hell Againe our Sauiour saith It is as impossible for a rich man to enter into heauen as for a Camell to passe thorow the eye of a needle and the holy Spirit speaking by Saint Iohn in the second of the Apocalips to the Angell or Bishop of Laodicea Dicis quia Diues sum nullius egeo ecce miser pauper caecut nudus Thou sayest thou art rich and needest nothing behold thou art miserable poor blinde naked Wherby wee see that earthly desires in a Bishop be wretched nakednesse terra inanis erat vacua saith the Scripture The earth was empty and barren so be all the Prelates who delight in riches and earthly pleasures Againe Bishops must resemble the heauens being cleane in their very hearts they must not say Placet quicquid licet That uery thing doth please them which is lawfull but they must forbeare many pleasures lawfull to others that being cleane they may clense others Non valet tergere sordes manus quâ—… lutum tenet The hand which is spotted with clay it cannot purge filthinesse They must be well and perfectly ordered in their behauiours hauing them seasoned with wisedome and discretion as Christ faith to his Apostles habeto in vibis salem That they should haue salt whereof we see if there be too much in meat it makes it bitter if too little vnsauoury if a discreet measure it makes it pleasant and delicate to the Taste they must be round as the heauens we know that a circle is figura capacissima simplicima a most simple and capable figure which hath no Angle crooke point nor diuision shewing how euill lasinesse rest duplicity or crooked wayes become a Prelate Finally they must still moue as the heauens doe going from vertue to vertue from good to better for the common good of those who be vnder them Woe were vnto the infeiour world if the Celestiall spheares should intermit their course and stand stil euen as the round wheele when it beginneth to stand presently it goeth backe so In via Domini non progredi regredi est not to goe forward in the way of the Lord is to goe backward because in that circular and continuall motion which should be in pastorall piety there is no station nor repose Hec fuit iniquitas Sodoinae abundantia otium Therefore finally they must like vnto the heauens make continuall influxion of life and light in the inferiour members of Christ Church seeing it hath pleased God to let vnto them his Vineyard they are to remember the saying of our Sauiour Omnis arbor quae non facit fructum bonum excidâ—… per ignem mittetur Euery tree which brings not forth good fruit shall be cut downe and cast into the fire It is neither the blossome the flower nor the leafe which will please God but the fruit neither shewes of piety nor learned preachings but the edification of Christian soules will content God Exemplum dedi vobit vt quemadmodum egofeci ita vos faciatis saith Christ I haue giuen you example that as I haue done so might you doe The first Adam did feed vpon the fruits of the trees in Paradise but the second Adam vpon the fruits of his Saints who are the mysticall trees of this Vineyard as may be marked out of that answere giuen to his Apostles saying to him Rabbi manduca ego habeo alium cibum manducare quem vos nescitis I haue other meat to eat which you doe not knowe and this was the fruits of the Garden of Israel euen then transplanted for example the conuersion of the Samaritan woman was his thirst and vpon the Crosse he cryed sitio langushing for the like wing-grapes seeing Bishops are the chiefest trees in the Vineyard they must striue to produce the most excellent fruits of Christian vertues specially that euery one of their actions bee witnesses of their humility The tree the more it hath the roote humble and deepe in the earth it makes the fairer fruit the Prophet Esay doth affirme it Mittet radices deorsum faciet fructus sursum And the Wise-man saith Odibilis Deo hominibus superbia Pride is hatefull to God and man The Prelates be as is said before the head the heart and the stomacke of the spirituall body which being in good and wholesome constitution the members haue also their full vigour and strength The Prophet Ieremy speaking of the reformation of the people beginneth at the heads Si feceritis iudicium inter virum proximum eius aduenae viduae pupillo If you will iudge betwixt a man and his neighbour iustly and if you doe iustly to the stranger widdow and Orphane Therfore if Prelates would haue people purged from those damnable vices of ambition auarice pride and Atheisme they must keepe themselues reformed summarily they may cast backe their eyes a little to looke vpon the ruines of their Predecessours the late Bishops of Scotland who because they fell away from vprightnesse and sincerity and did abandon themselues to publike vices the Lord did spew them out Malos male perdidiâ—… loâ—…uit vineam suam alijs he made the wicked to perish wickedly and did let his Vine-yard to others CHAP. XI Why the Organs Glericall Vestiments and ancient Ceremonies which be vsed in the Church of England are againe to be receiued of vs in Scotland IT followes now for the happinesse of our domesticke vnion to speake of the ceremonies of the Church of England which as they are no many in number that I will heere treate of so they require no ouer long and tedious discourse They are conuersant about our two principall sences the one as Aristotle calleth it the sence of science and discipline the eare The other as Horace sheweth the conduit and inlet of the most deepe and firme impressions our eyes Segnius irritant animos demissaper aures quamqua sunt oculis subiecta sidelibus Vpon the first the admirable and diuine gifts of Musique doth worke vpon the second the graue and Maiestique yet plaine and sober habite of vestments both haue three operations on vs
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
President in effect of the Ecclesiasticall Senate differing onely in name from a Bishop which name and authoritie both hee could haue susteyned in his person if the State had vrged him seing hee was contented himselfe to obey a reformed Bishop Beza likewise during ten or twelue yeares carried the same authoritie they did both rule ouer their brethren as a Primate ouer his Coepiscopi or a Bishop ouer his Compresbyteâ—… euen as Zanchius hath said And how many Christian Pastors of remote Nations did in all those times depend from their Oracles as Presbyters vnder Bishops If any man will say it was the merit of the men no ordination of the Church I answer if it was so it is all one to beare authoritie whether colourably or openly onely heere is the difference that lawfull authoritie is better then that which men doe arrogate without warrant and it is better to endure a lawfull Bishop then an vsurping Brother but to neither of these two doe I ascribe any disorder they were wise learned and diuine men who did comport with the policie of the time Inuita Minerua as wee say of necessitie For euen Beza finding things yet to goe farder from the Episcopall rule by the comming thither of Daâ—…aeus he did vehemently regrate it to his familiars And I say that Anthon Faâ—…us who is now Arch-Presbyter there is as wise in that kind as any of his Predecessors for I know it by experience to be so It may be indeed said that the Church of Geneua is yet in puritie without faction but who doth not see the reason of it because it is parua Respublica a small Common-wealth easily ruled where the Presbyteriall Clergie is not aboue the number of eighteen counting both Pastors and Doctors but if it were populous and grosse or if diuision should fall in that which is might it not come to passe among them as it hath done to others in the like that for want of a spirituall head the Ciuill Magistrate behooued to interpose his authoritie and perhaps ioyne him selfe to the wrong side as sundry Romane Emperours haue done in such things according as Ecclesiasticall Stories doe record And what was the doing of our owne Reformator Iohn Knox and of all those who were wise Reformators was it not like vnto the Romanes wisdome who hauing cast out their Kings did in euery case of danger clothe themselues with the absolute authoritie of Dictators Euen so did they after the expulsion of Bishops exercise the same power as Zanchius hath said vnderchanged names and euill Latine names as he calls them of Superintendents and generall Superintendents vntill by length of time as the state of Rome was neuer stayed before it fell againe into the owne naturall center of Monarchie Naturam furca expellas licet vsque recurret Euen so the Ecclesiasticall policie hath returned againe to the owne fountaine from whence it did flow All which considered I giue you my counsell who are Puritans that you be not ashamed to say with Zanchius Quis ego sum c. who are you to oppose your selues against the rule of God in nature in all her members against the rule of wisedome in the Ciuill state of Oeconomie in families of moralitie in one mans person of God in the Architype of the Iewish Church of the Apostles the Primitiue Church and all antiquitie following thereupon I giue you my Counsell to vnderstand the mysterie of time and the nature of reformation which is not compassed vpon the suddaine but with length of time euen as corruption growes with time We see in the old Law the Priesthood was one thing and the Priestly transgressions an other what did Manâ—…sses what did Ahas and other kings of Iudah How did Uziah the Priest and diuers others concurre with the impiety of their kings to defile the house of God with Idolatrie we may see it in the booke of the Kings and Paralyp did God therefore take away from the people the Priesthood no it was oft times prophaned but neuer abolished yea before the Lord should take it away hee did rather suffer both Priesthood and Principautie to be confounded in one person as is said before why should you then malitiously transgresse against so many examples to contemne Episcopall regiment because the Papall tyrannie hath prophaned it why doe you search argumens for diuision and not for vnity It is no Christian part out of the sixteene Archbishops of Antioch to obiect alone Paulus Samositanus who abused his authority to pride heresie would you thinke the like aduantage good against the Apostles to speake of Iudas out of multitudes of Bishops you haue chosen a few of the most insolent and wicked to be of your side marking the disorders of Theoph. Alexandrinus Valens Vrsatius Nestorius Macedon Phoc. What would you answere to these who would deale so with yourselues among hundreths of the like entercourses of your policie to obiect but two your great feast day holden at Edenburgh which made the seuenteenth of December so famous and again your caryage after the treason of Gowrie at Perth where the Lord God stood miraculously for the life of your most Gratious Prince and that for greater causes as you haue seene then were reuealed at that time and no doubt for greater ends then you doe yet see what can you answere to the bad behauiour of some brethren who durst challenge such a king his Maiesties reputation and fame and bring it in question before his people which things I mentioned heere out of my true affection to your reformation because the Physicians say Nulla medicamenta magis sunt salutifera quam ea qua dolorem pariunt There is no medicine more powerfull then that which breedeth dolor to the patient why doe you not therefore ouerpasse your malitious caption of mens faults to lookevpon the benefite which doth depend from lawfull policie why doe you not remember that the Archiepiscopall authority hath serued to represse the Arrian heresie the most mighty opposition that euer hath beene in Gods Church why do you not remember that Samositanus was more times in parting from the troth and more corrigiable thereafter as is said then Manicheus Marcion Arrius Pelagius and other Heresiarches who were but Presbyters why doe you not call to memorie the holy and reuerend names of Gregor Nazianz. Basil. Nicen. Athanas. Chrysost. Cyprian Ignat. Polycarp Iren. Ambros. August Whose persons were not so remote from this age of ours as the sincerity of their Christian and Catholike gouernement in the Church was different for the present rule of the Romane Bishops And notwithstanding of the corruption which is this day pregnant in the world and which you doe so much perill to fall in the state of Bishops by diuoluing of that charge in great noble personages more through the fauour of Princes then for their Merit as you say yet doe but looke a litle vpon the worthy Prelates which haue bin in the Church of
the second thing that in all humility I beseech your Maiestie to haue your eyes on remembring how as the crafty goose who flying along Mount Taurus carrieth a stone in her beake to restraine her cry that she bee not heard of the Eagles from the toppe thereof as I haue told before So hee can passe by your Maiesty with a closed mouth and masked face he creepeth into your Maiesties Kingdome as the Serpent did into Paradice to ouerturne the happinesse thereof Looke but vpon the Tragicall examples of strong neighbour Princes Remember that no Iesuite liueth who hath not that minde to your Maiesty which Cicâ—…ro had to Octauius bonuâ—… pâ—…er tâ—…llendus Let your Maiesty consider how one particular man of this great multitude Doctor Parsons a vile excrement of his country of England hath presumed himselfe sufficient to cut the line of the Royall succession to render the Estate Spanish and hath so farre proceeded in that dismall designe as to set downe out of his owne braine the lawes and policy of the new common wealth the acts of the first Parliament as I haue sayd before and hath put to the ports of England a mighty Armada to execute the same What shall we then expect from multitudes hauing the same inspiration and gaping for the Spirit of this false prophet if they bee suffered to practise your Maiesties subiects or to frequent among them Therfore Sr. consider what dangerous enchaunters they be and let your Maiesty like a wise and constant Ulysses bee well tied to your Maine Mast Christ Iesus that no Syrens song may illude your Maiesties perspicuous senses in the meane time when the subtill Cyrce doth striue to bee your Master so that your Maiestie may keepe your Kingdome vnited and firme like a Diamond and couragiously proceede to greater seruice in Gods Church to enterprize this generall Reformation whereof the world holdeth your Maiesty to be so worthy which is immensi praemium labor is the crowne and glorie of your Maiesties trauels and which is so easie for your Maiesty that when your Maiesties admonitory Epistle to Christian Princes came out against the Pope wherein your Maiestie seemeth to appeale to the first 400. yeares of the Primitiue Church for Christian pacification we know it who was then beyond Seas that if it had not beene because your Maiestie doth call the Pope Antichrist shewing by that rather to bee an open Enemie to the Roman Church then a Pacificatour as they sayd who tooke the aduantage of that word otherwise your Maiesty might haue drawen vpon your side the whole Church of France and the whole bodie of the Roman Church other then Iesuites and those who be poysoned with their absinthium that we haue heard with our eares chiefe members of the Consistorie of Rome in contemplation of that businesse expresse with vnfained sighes their reuerence of the simplicitie of these times that nothing is wanting to your Maiestie of meanes if God shall blesse your Maiestie in this Mosaicall perseuerance to negotiate to vrge to insist the present disposition of Christendom will so second your Maiesties beginnings that certainly no opposition shall bee so great which shall bee able to resist for if any should bee beside the inuincible powers of forraine Estates who bee ready to march vnder your Maiesties Colours in that cause Hath not God giuen to your Maiestie store of warlike men within the bowels of your owne Realmes Hath he not prouided for you a braue and worthy Iosua to follow you into this mountaine your Maiesties hopefull Successor to whom your Maâ—… may confidently say in the owne time Elige tibi viros fortes egressus pugna contra Amalechitas The seeds of whose most royall expectation the Lord God of his mercy bring to such maturitie that they may answer that which is vniuersally thought non Romula quâ—…ndam Ullo se tantùm tellus iactauit Alumno That the highest Occident did neuer see a more glorious Orient God of his goodnes strengthen the courage of his great Spirit with the same promise hee made to Iosua Noli timere quia tecum est Dominus Deuâ—…tuus in omnibus ad quaecunque perrexeris Feare not because the Lord God is with you in euery thing you take in hand For the next touching this one word from God Benedicamus what ought to be the true meanes of Christian concord and how neere the possibilitie is to practise them are both declared but when the Lord shall pronounce a blessing vnto it there is the mysterie And yet it is no mysterie to know the cause why he doth not euen aâ—… God was not found in the vehement tempest in the rupture of the rocke nor in the fire sed in fibilo aura tenuis but in a soft ayre as is said God cannot be found in commotion vntill the time that both sides of Christian Clergy do cast off the shooes of their malicious curiosities proud and ambitious emulation thundering contentions to walke vprightly in the mountaine of God teaching people to begge from God in humilitie and out of the gentle spirit of Christian loue this peace of Ierusalem it shall neuer be granted but by the contrarie if wee persist in our wicked contempt God shall make that vermine of the Turks which haue consumed the garden of Ierusalem and all the Orientall Churches to destroy vs also And euen as the Lord did procrastinate and defer the entry of the people into the land of Canaan vntill their rebellious murmurations were spent that of all the multitude which came from Egypt onely Caleb and Iosua did enter So shall he neuer neither blesse those cleare possibilities which are in the person of our excellent Moses to lead vs to the tryumph of that Christian vnitie vnto the time that either our murmurations or murmurers against him be finished Wherefore I exhort euery one out of the blessed spirit of peace and harmonie you who are Papists chiefly and you my LORD for whose seruice in speciall this Treatise is destinate that your Lo will be content to acknowledge that obstinate and foolish superstitions are the danger of your Soule the disgrace of your Noble Spirit the discredit of your House the extinctioÌ„ of your Honors which are proper vnto your Lo vnder your Soueraigne Prince and the nullitie of all your faculties and actiue vertues in this Common-wealth where you haue too great a place to be voyde which things besides other perills that may ensue by many and weightie inducements to reformation If your Lo cannot vpon the suddaine become enemie to the Church of Rome so dearely beloued of you and esteemed for your Mother then like a kindly child compassionate her disease helpe to couer her nakednes and concurre to see her purged from her fornications seeing it pleaseth God to offer such visible meanes to doe it and in his owne time to send a gracious Cyrus for the furtherance of her restitution do abhorre like a pest the poysoned counsells and
England stil since the reformation thereof and who be presently whom you shall see all to be ordinarily taken out of the prime men of the Vniuersities and neuer brought from the Court to that dignity doe witnesse in speciall those graue and most Reuerend diuines the Archb now of Canterbury the Bishops of London Elie and Bathe more shining lights then whom the Church of God hath not within nor without the kingdom which I in special may affirme who haue heard some of their vertuous names remembred with honor by their chiefest enemies in Christendome a cleerer marke then which cannot be of mens worth I say no more but God of his mercy grant that ourmost vpright Christian Ministers may follow their example in true pastorall vigilance and sincerity out of those mirrours let vs reuerence this beginnings which we see of our reformation that by our zeale and loue to peace and vnitie God may be moued to ouerthrow that beast of Rome and to plant againe his holy spirit in it to dissolue the Papall tyranny to reduce it to the ancient regular limits of Patriarchall degree If this Counsell be contrary to your Theologie then learne it from nature That Princes and Prelates are the Superiour Orbes that moue you and therefore that no motion must be within the peculiar Spheare of your Pastorall discharge to make you disobey their motions and if you cannot neither doe this out of a good instinct of nature like the celestiall Planets whose proper mouements doe neuer hinder them to obey and follow their Primum Mobile Then for the last make it a good and necessarie policie to imitate that Goose who knowing her owne imperfection prouides for those euils which might fall vpon her in perilous places through too much noise and so to saue her selfe from the Eagles which frequent the top of mount Taurus as she flieth along it she keepeth a lowe course and carrieth a stone in her beake to restraine her ordinarie cry Princes and Prelates tanquam aues solares are like the celestiall Eagles which goe neerest to the sunne they receiue the immediate inspiration and deputation of God to rule the inferiour world they are placed in the mountaine of gouernment so that you must take heede that you doe not concitate them by your disordered clamours Now hauing said thus farre in fauours of the Episcopall authoritie to the effect that you may see how I intend heere to serue God and not man I will also lawfully speake of that which ought to be the vpright and Christian duety of Bishops They are to remember that it is the fault of rulers which often times giueth distaste to people of lawfull authorities as the tyranny of Rome hath made the Primatiue and Orthodoxall gouernment of Christes Church to be abhorred it is the wisedome and modestie of their carriage which must cast a good smell in the nose of the multitude the Popular is like to a dead Ocean which hath no motion of it selfe but from aboue from the influence of the Moone or from the agitation of the aire Bishops are the Spheares placed aboue them to giue them influence and the Planets which should minister light vnto them So that they are to learne the temperament of their gouernment from the sunne the chiefe of Plannets which if it should still keep the altitude or summer solstice howsoeuer the glory and force thereof should be that way more perceiued yet no man nor beast could endure the vehemence of that heate in such manner that for the benefit of inferiour Creatures which be nourished by it it followes as we see an oblique temperate course betwixt the Tropicks of Cancer and Capricorne They are to learne the artes of their gouernment from God himselfe who albeit hee haue both absolute and infinite power that he could of the stones of the earth raise vp seede to Abraham and bring any thing to passe suddainely and in a moment in the generation of whatsoeuer his creatures yet for the maintenance of their order and policie he doth adioyne vnto his working the ordinarie concurrence of second and inferiour causes making things to goe on by naturall and mutuall meanes they are to follow the example of Moses in the Iewish rule of Gods people not as the Presbyterians doe following the Archi-type for the Laicke Elders and refusing it for the Prelacy they must not onely imitaâ—… the Moysaicall where it serueth to establish their power but also in that which Saint Ierome doth record of Moses Qui cum solus praeesse populo haberet in potestate who hauing in his will to be onely ouer the people yet hee did adioyne vnto him seuenty to assist him among the most ancient Canons which be Catholike this is reckoned with the formost Episcopos singulartum Genium scire oportet qui inter eos primus sit qui habeatur Caput praeter cuius Sententiam nihil agant sed nec ille praeter illorum sententiam faciat The Bishops of all Nations must vnderstand that hee who in his owne iurisdiction is head ouer the rest without whose authoritie they can doe nothing neither hee shall proceed but by their concurrence and aduise Sic enim vnanimitas erit Deus glorificabieur saith he by that meanes Vnanimitie shall be kept and God shall be glorified Ignatius the most ancient of the Fathers hath called the Presbyters Counsellours and Coasessours Cyprian followed this temperate rule Ambrose also doth teach the same For this sort of gouernment doth much ease them in their discharge and nothing derogate from their authority for who will say that a temperate Monarch who followeth his graue Counsell doeth thereby lessen his power but hee is the more aduised The excellent vertues of the Episcopall function are knowne by the excellent stiles giuen vnto it by the Spirit of GOD in the Apocalips they are called Angells and Starres Constantine did call them Gods in his time and seeing they get celestiall stiles they must also imitate the heauens to bee the chiefe Preachers of Gods glory Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei saith the Prophet Dauid These bee the properties of the heauens which also ought to be in them bodies most subtile most high most lucid most cleane most perfectly ordered most round they doe euer moue euer giue life and light vnto inferiour creatures First they must bee subtile in solide knowledge of holy scriptures Quia tu Scientiam repulistirepellam egote ne Sacerdotio fungaris 〈◊〉 saith the Lord Because thou reiectest knowledge I shall relect thee from the Priesthood They must bee high in the vertuous shew of their life Tantum gregem praecellat sanctitas presulis quantum ones superat vita Pastoris The sanctity of a Prelate should as farre excell that of his flocke as the life of a Pastor is more worth then a sheepe In the vertue specially of charitable frugality they should shine Splendidum in panibus benedicent labia multorum