them being Priestes also any of them called Bishop of those Seas or in any one of those places sauing only Ierusalem that had then 2. Bishops together in one Citie Which fell out vpon a straunge occasion is noted as a rare accident And yet in euery of those famous places they had many at least moe than one that were Pastorall Elders that preached ministred the Sacraments in the Bishops absence which againe plainly conuinceth that there was a great difference in the ordinary Gouernement of the Churches besides the extraordinarie gouernment of the Councels betwéene a Bishop and a Prieste or Elder In the one the Bishop being alwaies the Superiour in his particuler Diocese In the other some Bishop being chosen the Superiour or Praesident ouer the other Bishoppes in that prouinciall assembly And to shew this yet more playne and not only this but to measure this matter being but a matter of gouernment if it had beene diuerslye vsed in diuerse Churches and not vniuersally alike in all to declare by this matter héere in question how far foorth we ought and no furder at the furdest to striue against it without making schisme or diuision of the Churches peace and vnity Let vs sée the collections of Eusebius and Ierome about the trouble and pacification of this question for it fitlye serueth to our purpose But the Bishops of the coastes of Asia saith Eusebius lib. 5. cap 24. did rather confirm the custom deliuered them from their auncientes Amongst whome Polycrates which seemed to beare the Primacie among them writing to Victor Bishop of the church of Rome noteth in these wordes the manner of the auncient tradition continued euen to his owne time We therefore saith hee do celebrate the inuiolable day of Easter neyther adding nor diminishing any thing For the great lightes in Asia the chiefe and choise men are fallen asleepe whome the Lorde in his comming shall raise when hee shall come from heauen in glory when he shal call for all his Saintes Among whome is Philip the Euangelist which fell a-sleepe at Hierapolis and also his 2. daughters which waxed olde beeing virgines and another daughter of his replenished with the holy Ghoste which fell a-fleepe at Ephesus And Iohn also which leaned on the Lords brest who was the chiefe Sacerdotall Prieste and wore the pontificall or golden plate he alludeth as I take it vnto the High-Priest among the Iewes signifiing the chiefe dignity and estimation he had in Asia which was a Martyr a Doctor of the Church who also is fallen a-sleep or died at Ephesus Polycarpus also at Smirna both Bishop and Martyr and likewise Thraseas Bishop at Eumenia but by martyrdome he died at Smirna What shall I name Sagaren beeing no lesse a Prieste and Martyr which resteth in peace at Laodicea More-ouer Papirius and Macarius or rather Papirius the blessed and Melito but an Eunuche for the kingdome of God and filled with the holye Ghoste who heth in the Citie of Sardensias expecting the comming of the Lorde from heauen to rayse againe the dead Al these therfore obserued the Easterday on the 14. day of the Moneth according to the Gospell Dooing nothing at all otherwise without it but by all thinges and in all thinges following the rule of faith Yea and I Polycrates also the leaste amongest you all doe obserue it according to the tradition of my Fathers these onely whome I haue followed euen from the beginning For seuen of my Parentes haue beene Bishoppes by order and I the eight who haue also thus obserued this daie that it mighte agree with that daye wherein the people of the Iewes remooued the leauen Wherefore most deere brethren I am now in the name of the Lorde three-score and fiue yeares olde hauing also most full vnderstanding of manie Bishops through-out the worlde and intentiuely marking the Scriptures I will not be mooued by those thinges which are set out to make men afrayde sithe that mine-elders haue also sayde wee must obey GOD more than men And after a fewe wordes he setteth these vnder it concerning those Bishops that were present with him But I could also make mention of those Bishops that your selues desired I shoulde call foorth as also I haue doone Whose names if I should write it is too great a multitude Who all knowing my businesse haue confirmed those thinges that we write with their consent being perswaded that we haue not carried graye hayres to no purpose but haue beene alwayes conuersant in Christes discipline Thus wrote this reuerende Bishop of Ephesus against saith Ierome the Bishop of Rome about this matter but I followe Eusebius as hée is translated by Ruffinus In the which Epistle we may againe perceaue that the Bishop of Rome had no such superioritie ouer these Bishops as he nowe pretendeth Onely he in the name of his Church or of those Bishops that were likewise at Rome assembled ouer whome Victor was the President had requested this Bishop of Ephesus it being so great and famous a Sea aboue all the Bishoprikes of those partes of Asia the lesse to assemble and call for the Bishops of that prouince to debate and giue their iudgementes on this question And yet this argueth that not onely this Polycrates called such a great multitude from seuerall places o◠such onely as were Bishops in the same but also that as these Bishops were called from their owne Cities for the decision of this controuersie not onely there appeareth a difference betwéene a Bishop and the Priests or Pastorall Elders left at home to minister the worde and Sacraments but also an ordinarie superioritie of this Bishop of Ephesus ouer the other Bishops of that Prouince to call and assemble them togeather to a certaine place and to propounde this petition of the Italian Bishops vnto them or else that he vsurped it and encroched vpon them or else that the Bishop of Rome had some authoritie ouer him and all them to will him so to doe But sithe it is apparant that the Bishop of Romes authoritie was neuer no not when it was greatest there acknowledged it followeth that not onely Bishops were then Superiors vnto the ordinarie sorte of Pastorall Elders but that euen at that time there was an ordinarie superioritie in that and such other principall places ouer the ordinarie sort of Bishops also And no doubt he being the eight Bishop there and by the count of his age hauing liued within 40. yeares after Iohn the Euangelist and in the time of Policarpus whom he also mentioneth and all of them beeing so precise that they would not go one iote neither in adding too nor taking from the scripture no not in so much as the alteration of a day nor would varie in anye thing from their forefathers nor anie of their forefathers from the Scripture howe is it likely but that they tooke this order both for one Pastorall Elder in a Citie to be superior in
Churches nor yet with Caluine in Geneua Melancthon in Analis Locorum com saith Confirmation among the auncients was a triall of doctrine in which they that were to be coÌ„firmed did recite the sum of the Christian doctrine Whereunto was added publike praier for them But of the Apostles was added also imposition of hands which the manifest giftes of the holy ghost followed As for that popish confirmation is altogether a voide and idle ceremony Neuertheles in the meane time it should bee profitable for the triall of doctrine to be made with the publike prayer for them Which certeinly should not be in vaine Herbandus in compendio theologia following Melancthon and writing of confirmation sayth What doost thou think of Confirmation properly it is not a sacrament But in the ancient time it was a triall of the Doctrine made in the Institution of Christian religion as the Catechisme is among vs in the which they that were Catechised did render a reason of their faith and did testify that they embraced this onely religion and to dissent from Ethniks and from heretikes Which being publikely done of the B. the prayers of the Church were added with the imposition of hands At which imposition in the time of the Apostles they were manifestly endued with the holy ghost As it is manifest in the Acts the 19. chap. Afterward by successe of time when myracles ceased in the Church the ceremony of the Imposition of handes was neuerthelesse reteined Whereby those that were baptised were prepared to the Christian conflict by the prayers of the Church and solemn blessing were confirmed But the age that came after thrust vnto the Church a certaine feigned confirmation for a sacrament c. Thus writeth also Herbandus of this matter He husius in examine theologico loco 18. de sacram What thinkest thou of Confirmation the answere Confirmation is not a Sacrament For it is not an externall action peculiarly commaunded of God neither is it a seale of the promise of grace The auncients searched the profiting of Children in the doctrine of the Catechisme and those that were rightly instituted they admitted to the holy Communion This is a laudable discipline in the Church if superstition be absent Kemnitius after he hath confuted the Papists errors of Confirmation These thinges saith he being thus vnfolded the examination of the canons of confirmation shall bee easy and playne For whereas that the first cannon condemneth such a confirmation as consisteth in a Catechisme and childrens profession of the faith it hath this meaning and reason Our men haue often shewed that the rite of confirmation the traditions vnprofitable superstitions repugnaÌ„t to the scripture being remoued both it may be vsed godly and to the churches edification according to the consent of the scripture after this maner to wit that they which are baptised in their infancy for such is nowe the state of the church when they came to the yeares of discretion shoulde be diligently instructed in a certaine simple catechism of the churches doctrine and when they seemed to hane meetely well perceiued the beginnings they shoulde afterwarde be presented to the Bishop and to the church And there heare the child that was baptised in his infancie which shold first with a short a simple warning bee admonished of his baptisme to witte that he was baptized howe and why into what hee was baptized what the whole trinity gaue sealed vp vnto him in that baptisme the contract of peace the couenant of grace how the renouncing Satan the professioÌ„ of faith the promise of obedieÌ„ce was there made Secondly the childe him-selfe shoulde before the Church declare his owne and the publike profession of this doctrine and faith Thirdly she shoulde be asked of the principal points of the Christian religion he shold answere to euery one of them if he did not so wel vnderstand them he should be better instructed Fourthly he should be admonished and this he shold declare in his profession that he dissenteth froÌ„ all heatheÌ„ hereticall phanaticall and prophane opinions Fiftly a graue and serious exhortation out of the worde of God should be added that hee should perseuer in the couenant of baptisme and in that doctrine faith and with often profiting be confirmed Sixtly a publike prayer shold be made for those children that God with his holy spirite woulde vouchsafe to gouerne keepe and confirme them in this profession To the which prayer the laying on of handes may bee adhibited without superstition Neither shoulde that prayer be vaine for it relieth on the promises of the gift of perseuerance and on the grace of confirmation Such a rite of confirmation shal bring with it very much profit to the edification of youth of the whole Church For it were agreeable both to the Scripture and to the more pure antiquitie For in the Apostles laying on of their hands that there was a triall of doctrine profession of faith the history Acts. 19. manifestly doth witnesse Of the exhortation also vnto perseuerance of the confirming them by the worde in the doctrin faith which once they had receiued the examples of the apostolicall Church are extant Actes 14.15 18. And that publike prayer was adhibited the history witnesseth A 8. Thus speaketh the 7. Canon of the Council of Laodicea the 8. of the Council of Aries concerning the triall and profession of doctrine faith in confirmation as we haue before noted And therfore the Canon of the Council of Orleaunce requireth a perfect age in confirming Neither agreeth this euill hereunto that Dionisius in the end of his ecclesiasticall Hierarchie writeth of thâ— Master of the catechisinges when the children baptized in their infancy were deliuered to be instructed that they might with doctrine and exhortations betrayned vp to perfourme keepe the profession of the faith the renouncing of Sathan and the promise of the obedience of God made in their baptism These thinges were proposed in the conference at Ratispone in the yeare 1541. And so hee telleth howe Eccius in the name of the papists did vtterly proudly reiect all these thinges affirming that in confirmation the vse of reason must not be tarried for Thus notably and at large doth Kemnitius also declare and approoue this good order and rite of confirming children and howe contumâ—liously the Papistes doe reiect it This therefore sauoreth nothing of popery nor of any other error or superstition but is Godly reuerend and very beneficiall to youths and to the whole Churches edification And what doth Caluine in his Institutions differ from these concerning the auncient custome of Confirmation In the ancient time saith he this was the manner that the children of the Christians after they were growne vp were presented before the Bishop to fulfill that office or duty which was exacted of them that being of ripe yeares offered themselues to baptisme For these sat among them that were catechized vntill such
scriptures which are able to make thee skilfull concerning the saluation by the fayth which is in Christe Iesu. The whole scripture inspired from God is profitable to Doctrine to reprehension to correction to institution which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect being perfectly enstructed to euery good worke 2. Tim. 3. And this wee confesse against the aduersaries of the scripture and with our Brethren that the diuine and Canonicall scripture as the onely rule that conteineth all thinges perfectly concerning fayth and the saluation which is in Iesus Christ to make the man of God perfect vnto all good workes but that the holy scripture is the onely rule whereby the Churche of God ought to bee gouerned vnderstanding by these wordes that the scripture hath set downe a perpetuall and generall rule of all the onely order of the Churches forme of externall gouernment as well as it hath of faith and of the morall part of mans actions and conuersation if we search the scrpture neuer so much neitheir we nor our brethrē shal euer find it For the church of God may safely admit according to the diuersities of the states thereof diuers formes and orders whereby it may be gouerned So that nothing be withall admitted preiudiciall to the Law to the Gospel that is to say neither against faith nor good manners as S. Austen termeth it Neither is all the Gouernment of the Church in the gouernment or authority of the pastor Bishop or Elder For the Christian Prince and ciuill Magistrate hath a gouernment of the Churche of God also and there be diuers approoued formes whereby princes and Magistrates gouerne the Church of God in the diuers parts and states thereof besides the ecclesiasticall gouernment of pastors And as for that heere our Brethren say the pastor Bishop or Elder hath no authority by himself separated from other These spéeches are spoken ambiguously It is true in one sense that neither pastor nor yet Bishop for I distinguish these tearmes that here are confusedly clapped together hath any authority by him selfe separated from other in the regiment of the Church but that he hath the same in common with all other in the church that bée of his calling and not like a pope as an A-per-se as though none other shoulde haue it but hee onely and all other from him Neither hath any pastor or Bishop or Elder any such authority by himselfe that can properly be sayd to be seperated from other For if it be seperated from other thē it hath no gouernment of thē nor dealing with thē Yea we graunt that whatsoeuer authority and Pastor or B. or elder hath it is the Churches authority because it is giuen vnto them that are the partes and members of the whole Church and to the Churches vse and profite As S. Paule sheweth Ephes. 4.11 c. Hee therefore gaue some to be Apostles other prophets other Euangelistes other pastors and Doctors to the growing together of the saints to the worke of the Ministery to the edification of the body of Christe And the Apostle 1. Cor. 12. after he hath shewed how the spirite of God giueth seperately his spirituall giftes saying vers 11. But all these worketh one and the self same spirite distributing priuately euen as hee will he addeth for as the body is one and hath many members but all the members of one body whē as they are many are one body so also Christe For by one spirite we are al baptised into one body whether Iewes or Grecians whether seruants or free and all haue drunke one drinke into one spirite For the body is not one member but many If the foote say I am not the hande I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body and if the eare saie I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therfore not of the body If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But nowe hath God placed the members euery one separately in the body euen as he would But if all were one member where were the body but nowe there are many members and yet but one body Thus doth S. Paule reason from the resemblance and proportion of the naturall body and the regiment thereof to the misticall So that although what gift facultie power or gouernment soeuer they haue it is not so seperated from other by themselues that it hath no Community with the other nor is pertaining to them For it pertaineth to the whole in common as we say also in the schooles of the soule or life of man anima est tota in toto in qualibet parte The soule or life is whole in the whole body and in euery part But yet euery faculty and power of the soule and life is not in the whole body nor in euery part therof but in the member onely that is the proper organe to the same And so hath euery Bishop or pastorall Elder some authority by him-selfe in the regiment gouernment of the Church so separated from other that other which haue not the same office haue not the same authority So that the community in respect of the benefite barres not the separation in respect of the exercise of the authority and therefore faith S. Paule 1. Cor. 12.27 You are all of the body of Christe and members in part And some hath God ordeined in the Church first Apostles thē Prophetes thirdly Doctors then powers then the giftes of healing helpings gouernmentes kindes of tongues Are all Apostles are all prophets are all Doctors are all powers haue all the giftes of healing Doe all speake with tongs doe all interpret So that as in the first and second degrées heere mencioned the Apostles and Prophets had some power and authoritie in the regiment and gouernance of the Church by themselues separated from other so may we safelie conclude of the Doctors heere mencioned also by which name our Brethren doe here comprehend both Bishops and Pastors that they had some power and authoritie of regiment and gouernaunce in the Church by themselues separated from other in lyke manner And this manifestlie appeareth in their practise The Apostle Saint Paule by his Apostolicall authoritie in the Ecclesiasticall regiment and gouernance of the Church setteth downe in diuerse places diuerse rules some temporarie some perpetuall concerning orders rites and ceremonies of the Churches without anie ioynture of those Churches authorities to whom he inioyned them Yea without so much as asking anie counsel of them or deliberating with them And 1. Cor. 11.34 he saith in generall other things well I set in order when I come Hee saith not you and I together in ioynt authoritie and yet no doubt he had the ioynt consent compromitted to him before and declared after of all good men in al those ordinances that he had made or should make amongest
Scriptures so also it maye reade these two volumes hee speaketh of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and the booke of wisdome to the aedification of the people not to confirme the authoritye of Ecclesiastical opinions or decrees Or are they offended that yet thus much should be giuen to the apocryphall Scriptures that they should bee read at all in the Churche for a dification in example of life and instruction of manners but to be vtterlye neglected or defaced as some haue not spared to bestowe very grosse speeches on all the apocriphall Scripture but bicause this againe is not so much for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocriphall bookes as for the estimation of them I thinke they meane not of anye grosse or palpable error in these words If they doe by the grace of god wee shall the eaâ—â—ier cleare them by the testimonie of manye whome our brethren I hope wil not burden with so grosse speeches Especially when the whole Frenche Churche in their confession goeth as far foorth héerein as we doe where hauing reckoned vp the whole Canonicall Scripture of the olde Testament and the newe agreeing in all the particuler bookes with vs in the fourth article they saye These bookes wee acknowledge to bee canonicall that is wee haue them as the squire and rule of our Fayth and that not onely by the common consent of the church but also much more by the testimonye and inwarde perswasions of the the holye ghoste by whose suggestion we are taught to discerne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which as they may be profitable neuerthelesse they are not of that sort that any article of the faith may be established out of them To whome accordeth the confession of the churches of Bâ—lgia or the lowe Countries Who after their lyke enumeratioÌ„ of the canonicall bookes in the fiue and sixe articles saye on this wise These onelye bookes wee receaue as holy and canonicall vppon which our fayth may staye bee confirmed and established c. Moreouer wee make a difference betweene these holy bookes and those which they call appocrypha that it to wit because the appocryphall may indeede be read inthe church and it is laweful also so farre foorth to take instructions out of them as far as they agree with the canonicall bookes Howbeit they haue not that authoritye and force that any opinion of the fayth and christian Religion can bee certainelye builded on their testimonye So farre is it off that they can infringe or diminishe the authoritye of others And if after these I maye alleage any priuate mans confession I commend the Reuerende Zanchius Who in his confession chap. 1. Aphorisme 4. after the like particular rehersall that our Articles make of the bookes canonicall and not Canonicall in the olde Testament he sayth Thus much of the olde But out of the newe Testament wee except none For although there bee some of them of which it was doubted in the olde tyme notwithstanding euen they also were afterwarde no whit lesse acknowledged than were the other to bee the writinges of the apostles vnto whose iudgement we also subscribe Of the former sorte are the Gospels after Matthew Marke Luke Iohn the actes of the apostles the Epistles of Paule the former of Peter the former of Iohn Of the later sorte are the Epistle to the Hebrues the Epistle of Iames the later of Peter the seconde and thirde of Iohn the Epistle of Iude the Apocalypse For although they maye seeme after a kinde of sorte to bee of a certayne greater authoritye of the which it was neuer doubted than those of which sometymes it was doubted notwithstanding wee beleue as well the one as the other euen as the certaine word of God As for the Apocryphall bookes that are conteyned in the Bybles volume wee giue them the firste place after the Canonicall And therefore wee vse onelye the Canonicall bookes to prooue the opinions or decrees of Fayth and with the Fathers wee teache that they are to bee vsed as for the other wee thinke that they haue no small authoritye to confirme afterwarde those thinges that already are prooued Thus writeth Zanchius agreeing with our articles And heereto also he quoteth Hierome in Praef. in Salo. Cyp. in Symb. pag. 377. conc Load cap. 59. But what neede I labour thus to cléere our Article herevpon when the Geneua Bible it selfe hath as much as this comes too saying the bookes that followe in order after the Prophetes vnto the newe Testament are called Apocrypha that is bookes which were not receaued by a common consent to be read and expounded publikelye in the Churche neyther yet serued to prooue any poynte of Christian Religion saue in as much as they had the consent of other scriptures called canonicall to confirme the same or rather whereon they were grounded but as bookes proceeding from godlye men were receaued to be read for the aduauncement and furtherance of the knowledge of the historie and for the instruction of Godly maners Is not this as muche héere as is in anye thing conteyned in these wordes of our bookes article for the vse and credite of the Apocriphall bookes and wherein then for these wordes doeth lye suche grosse and palpable errour as they burthen this article withall for nothing remayneth nowe therein not examined but the enumeration of the bookes themselues which are counted of vs for Canonicall which for Apocryphall And doe not these Articles keepe the same accompte both for the number and for the Bookes of both sortes that all these aforesayde and the verye Geneua translation doth except they will take aduauntaâ—e heerein that where the Geneua calleth Ezra and Nehemiah as Zanchius calleth them the two former of Esdras our article reteyneth still the vsuall calling of them the firste booke of Esdras the seconde booke of Esdras because it treateth also muche of Esdras But I trust that our Bretheren will not in anye wise accounte of that for a grosse and palpable or anye Errour at all considering howe ordinarilye it hath gone by these names and in Ieromes preface hee saythe Neyther let it mooue anye bodye that one booke is of vs set foorth nor let him bee delighted in the dreames of the third and fourth booke Bicause also among the Hebrues the speeches of Esdras and Nehemiah are straightened into one Volume c. As the bookes matter we keepe iust reckoning if their offence be bicause wee counte none Appocryphall in the newe Testament what do wee otherwise than Zanchius doth Than the Geneua Testament doth yea than the Frenche the Heluetian and the Dutch reformed Churches doe and therefore where these grosse errours and palpable shoulde bee in this article they are so grosse and palpable that we can yet neyther see nor feele them When our bretheren can shewe and prooue them I for my parte will by Gods assistance wilfullye defende no knowne errour Now since we cannot find this let vs come to their
Iudges at home in our seuerall Congregations bicause S. Paule prescribed the Corinthians so to haue and that all such publike Iudges to serue a whole realme or countrie were not lawfull or were néedlesse bicause in the Primitiue Church they had no suche publike Christian Iudges for a whole realme or countrie might not this growe to the manifest iniurie not onelie of th◠Iudges but of all the whole common-weale Yea might not the Christian Prince feare that by the same rule if it were true that ye saye there was no Christian Prince then when the Churche was perfect in all her regiment he might be driuen cleane out of his ciuill regiment too and out of all not supreame onelie but anye authoritie at all among the Christians and cleane dispossessed of his kingdome except he would content himselfe to be a Iudge chosen in one particuler citie So that neither inheritance nor a whole Realme or Realmes to bee ruled by anye one christian Prince could hold any plea if such rules might be coined on such examples And then forsoothe the churche of GOD as before there was anye christian Prince so after they are all thrust out or reduced to that state that they were in might be saide to be perfect in all hir regiment once againe And that the Churche of God may stande and dooth stande in moste blessed state where the ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers nor beare the greatest rule but all is brought againe to the estate it was in before in the Apostles time Doo ye not sée what a most blessed estate the churche of God would come vnto by this rule And I pray you bretheren what warrant haue you more or so muche for the prescription of your Seniorie in euerie congregation as is héere prescribed by S. Paule for the choosing of this Iudge or ruler among the perticuler congregations of the christians We must take héed therfore how we stand on such examples or how we enlarge any rule that was particuler to the time or state then or to the place or persons there to be-come an ordinarie generall absolute or perpetuall rule to vs and to the whole Churche whether it be by S. Paule or by S. Peter or by any or by all the Apostles or by our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe him-selfe practised yea or commanded For diuerse examples and commandements were but for certeine times states places and stretch no further As the Disciples to carrie neither golde nor siluer nor money nor scrippe nor two coates nor shooes nor staffe Matth. 10. To abstaine from things offered to Idols and from bloud and from that that is strangled Acts. 15. And that men should praye bare headed c. 1. Cor. 11. And albeit that in the commandements and rules prescribed of these things and of the like neither Christe nor his Apostles tell that they were to continue but for a time yet leueling the same by the analogie of our faithe and by the proportion of our Christian libertie we find no such necessitie in these thinges nor of any other such like orders as in the regiment of the Primitiue churche was vsed For though they were vsed as orders or as ornanaments to beautifie the blessed estate of the Churches regiment then yet neither the blessednes nor the estate therof consisted in them when they had them And if any church that now flourisheth haue any of them it is neuer the more blessed for them as of anye necessitie to the estate thereof And if any haue them not and haue other good orders of regiment established among them it is neuer the lesse blessed of God for the not hauing of them If they haue what is necessarie that sufficeth Prooue either this Seniorie to be necessarie for vs imagining there had béene any such or els all this most blessed estate resolues to nothing But neither of these is yet prooued nor I feare mee euer will bee that there were any such Gouernours at all or that we are bound in euerie particuler congregation to obeye or to haue suche a Segniorie But we are bound to haue and to obeye in all lawfull ordinances our Princes and Magistrates especiallie being Christians and fauourers and fosterers of the Churche of God defenders of the faithe setters foorth and professors of the Gospell Where suche Princes are as wee muste néedes confesse we haue except we be too vnthankefull there indéed the Churche of GOD may stand and standeth at this day in farre more blessed state with-out this Segniorie then where this Segniorie standeth and the Ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers or to speake plaine English are no fauourers at all but haters and persecuters of the Gospell And thus wee sée how weake and vntrue both these propositions of these reasons are by the which as a notable great reason in the end scars◠woorth a little currane these our Learned Discoursers auouched that it might be to euerie man so plaine that it was neither needfull nor agreeable to good order of teaching to begin first to treate of the supreame authoritie of Christian princes in ecclesiasticall causes Now a◠we thus haue séene the valor and truthe of these two propositions whereon their reason is made so let vs sée their conclusion of this reason Their conclusion is this By which it is manifest that the regiment and gouernment thereof dependeth not vpon the authoritie of princes but vpon the ordinance of God who hath most mercifullie and wiselie so established the same that as with the comfortable aide of christian Magistrats it may singulerlie flourish and prosper so without it it may continue and against the aduersaries thereof preuaile For the churche craueth helpe and defence of Christian princes to continue and go forward more peaceablie and profitablie to the setting vp of the kingdome of Christe but all her authoritie she receaueth immediatlie of God Is this then the conclusion of their reason What is this to the present question Or how hangeth this vpon the premisses Maye not th◠princes supreame authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes be first treated vpon except this must streight be concluded on it by which it is manifest that the regiment and gouernment of the churche dependeth not vpon the authoritie of princes but vpon the ordinance of God Wherefore is this so farre fetched conclusion brought in héere Before you sai◠it seemeth not yet telling to whome but now it seemeth that it seemeth so to you and that for a manifest and plaine conclusion that if the princes supreame authoritie be first spoken of then all the churches regiment dependeth on it But I cannot tell how it seemeth to you to be a manifest and plaine consequence I promise you it séemeth not so to me Nor I thinke to any man that will way the reason with any reason And yet you threape such kindnesse on vs that are God be thanked reasonable creatures also that it now goeth beyond it
fourthe yeare of Seuerus that is the yeare of our Lorde 199 other referre it to the fifte yeare of Seuerus Therfore he should haue beene in the ministerie especiallie in his Bishoprike about 23. yeares To the which if wee adde the yeares of his Priesthood or Eldership perhaps it will runne to 30. yeares And so at the least by their computation he was seauen yeares a Priest before hee was Bishop And this also did these Centuriographers confesse before saying Photinus being cruellie murthered in the persecution for the confession of the truthe of the Gospell Irenaeus hetherto being but a Priest or Elder in the same Churche was substituted in his place Whereby it is moste euident that Presbyter and Episcopus a Priest or Pastorall Elder or minister of the worde and a Bishop were not all one and equall in this holye and singuler learned Fathers dayes so néere vnto the Apostles that hee was scholler to Polycarpus which liued in the Apostles times And euen in Irenaeus time he telleth that neither the giftes of healings nor of speaking with strange toongs were yet ceassed Although I graunte we shall nowe and then finde where when he speaketh of Bishops he calles them Priests or Elders as lib. 4. cap. 43 wherefore wee must hearken to those priests or Elders that are in the Churche those that haue their succession from the Apostles as wee haue shewed who with the succession of the Bishoprike haue receiued the certeine gifte of the truthe according to the good will of the Father And in the nexte chapter But those that are indeede of manye beleeued to bee Priests or Elders and serue their pleasures and preferre not the feare of God in their heartes but vexe the residue with reproches and are lifted vp with the puffe of sitting highest and secretlye doo euill and saye none shall see vs shall be reprooued of the worde that iudgeth not according to glorie nor lookes on the countenance but on the heart c. From all suche therefore we must absteyne but cleaue vnto those that as wee haue saide keepe bothe the doctrine of the Apostles and the sounde worde with the order of their Priesthood or Eldership and expresse a conuersation without offence to the information and correction of the residue c Suche priestes or Elders the Churche nourisheth of whome the prophet saithe And I will giue thee princes in peace and thy Bishoppes in righteousnesse Although in these and suche like places of Irenaeus the worde bothe Priest and Bishop maye be taken the one for the other indifferentlie yet dooth not this debarre but that as Irenaeus him-selfe was a Prieste for a while before he were a Bishop so lib. 3 cap. 3. hee there speaketh all of the succession vntill â—is time of the Bishops of the Churche of Rome that cannot bee vnderstood of euerye Priest there And indéed among all other that were Bishops I haue chéeflie forborne the naming of these not so muche for any corruption in this pointe that at that time was in them more than in other Bishops for I take them rather to haue beene as sincere as any of all the other but that their successors since those times vpon the honor for their vertue and sinceritie giuen to them of this first age and for the dignitie of the place and for the number of them that then were martyrs there and with-all for the memorie of Paule and Peter supposed there also to haue suffered martyrdome and to haue established the Churche there and to haue ordeined a Bishop also ouer them bicause I saye their successors waxing insolent and abusing all these good occasions haue also abused the memorie and names of those good auncient Bishops of Rome with a number of forgeries fathered falslie on them I haue therefore mencioned none of them But bicause Ireneus as they were then the mirrors of other Churches and Bishops excelling in synceritie of doctrine in good order of discipline and integritie of life bringeth in all the Bishops of that sée vntill his time to confute the new deuises of the heretikes errors by their constant continuance in the truthe I will therefore also set downe some parte of Ireneus words for our further confirmation of this matter The tradition saith he therefore of the Apostles is made manifest in all the worlde It is present to beholde in the Churche for all that will heere the truthe And wee haue to reckon vp them which haue beene ordeined Bishops in the Churches from the Apostles and the successors of them vntill our daies Who haue taught no such thing neither haue knowne how these men doate For if the Apostles had knowne any such hidden mysteries which they taught those that were perfect by themselues and priuilie they would most especially haue taught them vnto those to whome they committed the Churches themselues For they would haue them to be verie perfect and vnreprooueable in all things whome they would also haue to be their successors Deliuering to them euen their owne places of maistership that they had who behauing themselues without faulte great profite might come thereon but offending great calamitie How beit bicause it is verie long in such a volume as this to reckon vp the successions of all Churches therefore of that Churche whith is the greatest and most auncient and knowne to all to be founded and ordeyned of the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paule declaring that tradition that it hath of the Apostles and faithe published vnto men comming euen vnto vs by the succession of the Bishops we confound all those which by any maner of meane or by their owne euill selfe liking or by vaine glorie or by blindnesse and euill opinion doo gather otherwise than they ought to doo For vnto this Churche bicause of the more mightie principalitie it is necessarie that euerie Churche agree That is they that are faithfull euerie where in the which alwaies of those that are euerie where the tradition that is from the Apostles is kept The blessed Apostles therefore founding and instructing the Churche deliuered vnto Linus the Bishoprike of administring the Churche Of this Linus Paule mentioneth in those Epistles that are to Timothie but vnto him succeeded Anacletus after whome in the third place from the Apostles Clemens obteined the Bishoprike Who also sawe the Apostles them-selues and conferred with them while as yet he had the preaching of the Apostles sounding in his eares and their tradition before his eyes For not hee alone manie at that time were yet aliue that were taught of the Apostles Vnder this Clemens therefore no small dissention falling out among the brethren that were at Corinth the Church which is at Rome wrote most forcible letters to the Corinthians gathering them togither vnto peace and repayring their faithe and declaring the tradition that they had euen of fresh receiued from the Apostles Which tradition declared that there was one God Almightie the maker of Heauen
nothing can be spoken more absurd But farre greater errours haue sprong out of the same fountaine First that by those authors it was beleeued that the Salike lawe did appertaine to the publik right of a Citie and Empire or gouernmeÌ„t of the hereditarie successioÌ„ of a kingdoÌ„e For the Tables of the Salike law were found and brought forth to light not many yeres hence By the inscription of which it is knowen that they were first written and set out about the age of Pharamund But in those ther is extant this one Chapter Title 62. No portion of the inheritance of the Salike land passeth to a woman but this the mans sexe doth obtaine that is the sonnes succeede in the same inheritance But where among the nephues their children after long time contention is raised De allode terrae of the own-ship or right of the land Non per stirpes sed per capita diuidatur Let it bee diuided not by the stockes for issues but by the polles The like Lawe is extant apud Ripnaries Tit. 58. and also apud Angliâ—s Tit. 7. Where it is so far off froÌ„ that that it was ordained of the inheritances of kingdoÌ„es that those laws appertain not so much to the successions of fees but onlie of ownships or the things that are ones owne although indeed a dowrie was assigned vnto the woman out of those ownships Thus saith Hottoman of this Salike lawe whereof the French erre so foulie and make such a boasting As for that he addeth Howsoeuer it be first this is euident that although there be extant neither anie Chapter of the lawe Salike nor yet of the French lawe by which women are put backe from the inheritance of the kingdome notwithstanding the institutions and manners of the nation kept with such a consent of ages holde the force of a lawe written This is vltimum refugium and the strongest string that Hottoman when all is done can finde to vphold all that controuersie withall â—ut sith that string hath bene so often crackt as we haue seene alreadie by the French owne Chronicles both Hottoman and Bodinus may be now dismissed in good peace for that matter and likewise Danaeus with all due reuerence By whole Caluines Questions about womens gouernment we have discoursed out thus far from our Brethrens Learned discourse upon occasion to answere our Brethren for that they note of S. Paules reprouing the vncomly disorder of womens speaking in the Church of the Corinthians By the which searching after my plaine and ordinarie manner what Caluine Beza and Danaeus said on this matter and at the first chop méeting with such their foresaid arguments I thought it verie necessarie albeit Impar congressus Achilli Troilus yet thus farre forth to oppose my selfe euen to so famous men in these matters Which I haue the rather hazarded my selfe vnto onely least anie scruples of these inuectiues against Womens gouernment might sticke in anie of our Brethr. mindes by mistaking the Apostles words through ouermuch credit of these most famous writers I meane speciallie Caluine Beza and Danaeus If our Brethren shall saie that all this was the more néedlesse sith they which make this Learned discourse doe acknowledge her Maiesties publike and supreame gouernment in the Church of England Would God they did so as they ought to do Then indéed we should not néed these questions but ioyne together in al dutiful obedience vnder God to her Maiesties lawes in these matters But to our grief we sée yea to our shame al the world cries out theron it is not so It is but nice daliance We grant a forme of wordes as we saw both in Caluine a Danaeus we impugne the matter Nowbeit because to our greater griefe we shall yet sée this more more throughout all this Learned Discourse Let vs now returne heare agains our Brethren the Learned Discourses The argument of the 10. Booke THe 10. Booke concerning the Ceremonies of our Church for the fruitfulnesse vse and vrging of them Wether confirmation of children by the Bishop and the churching or solemne thankesgiuing of women after child-birth be vtterlie to be reiected Whether the dead should be buried without anie ceremonie forme of seruice or sermon or presence of the Pastor c. For hot contentions in small matters of a true pastors dutie about the Churches constitutions Of the Pastors authoritie in common with the elders Of the power of order and iurisdiction Of Timothies authoritie of the gouerning Elders authoritie How vnnecessarie and daungerous to the state and magistrates the erecting of these supposed Seniors would be Of the remouing all vsurped authoritie What kind of mastership and office of being greatest Christ allowed and of tyrannizing in the Church Whether all the rules of gouernment and pollicy be set downe and prescribed in Gods worde as the dostrine of faith and precepts of morall life are Whether a Bishop haue any separate authoritie froÌ„ others or the Apostles had any such authoritie and whether Paul deliuered anie such to Timothie Whether his rules to Timothie be generall rules to all Bishops of their authoritie and manner of ordaining Ministers iudging of them Of Paul and Barnabas elections and ordeinings Whether separate authoritie inferre sole and absolute Monarchicall authoritie What regiment Christ left to his church and of his sentence Matth. 18. ver 15. for the consent of the household seruants and whether we should consent vnto our Breth or our brethren to vs in these ceremonies Whether all that consent haue authority that equal Of the difference of the churches and of the Persons authorities in them BY which it is euident that Saint Paules wordes are wreasted of some cleane contrarie to his meaning to make him a patrone of idle if not hurtfull ceremonies maintained more vpon will than reason or graunted of Gods word vnder the coulour of order and decencie not onelie with neglect but also with great hinderance of Gods building by spoiling the Church of so many learned pastors TO applie Saint Paules sentence Let all things bee done according to order to the patronage of hurtfull or of idle ceremonies I graunt were an euident wreasting of his wordes But this would be proued and not sayd onelie that we so doe Wlée haue seene and proued too euidentlie howe our Brethren are ouerbolde to wreast Saint Paules wordes otherwise than either he spake or meant As for vs we maintaine no idle Ceremonies much lesse hurtful If anie such shall be shewed we are as readie as anie our Brethren in all humble and dutiful manner to desire the abolishing of them But wée hope all suth are by law and order alreadie remoued Would God our Br. would remeÌ„ber by whose indeauour they are taken awaie and in thankfulnesse be contented For what ceremonies can they proue are by anie authoritie commaunded to be vsed that are idle and hurtfull Haue we anie at al
great and waightie causes will be a sufficient starting hole to saue all vpright themselues froÌ„ pronouncing the definitiue sentence against themselues that their doing is not the dutie of true Pastors No that will not helpe them For these matters beeing but ceremoniall matters as they call them and so not great and waightie what great waightie causes should moue a true Pastor by his priuate iudgement to controll publike order in those thinges that are concluded by lawefull authoritie of the Church concerning ceremonial matters for order and comlines sake for aedification Shal any priuate man thinke if he think them to be indéede the Church of God that the Churches concluding of those thinges by lawefull authoritie proceeded not of greater and waightier causes than his controllment And therefore except men shall make so litle light account of the true Church of God and of her conclusions and orders by lawefull authoritie as to preferre euerie priuate mans or Pastors priuate iudgement before hers our Brethren by this their owne conclusion must either néedes yéeld to the Church of Englandes publike conclusion and lawfull authoritie concerning these ceremoniall matters that they are to be obserued for order and comelines sake and for aedification as the Church of England hath decréed them and not to controll publike order by priuate iudgement or else let our Brethr. herken to their owne conclusiue sentence and determination that they do not the dutie of true Pastors And thus much also for these ceremonies We haue hetherto intreated of the proper dutie of a Pastor himselfe now it followeth that we likewise set foorth his authoritie in common gouernement with the Elders But least any man should mistake that which we purpose to say of his authoritie we haue need to expresse what we meane by this worde authoritie For euen those things that we haue shewed before to be the dutie of a Pastor may also be called his authoritie as to preach and teach wherein is included his authoritie to forgiue and reteine sinnes Also his authoritie to minister the sacraments and to doe other thinges in the Church which none may doe but he But in this place we vnderstande authoritie for power of gouernement in the Church Whereof the Apostle speaketh that it is one of the graces and giftes of God necessarie for the building of his Church This authority of regiment we haue declared that it ought not to be a Lordly ruling neither ouer their flocke nor yet ouer their fellow seruants and brethren and least of all that they ought to haue dominion or Lordship ouer the faith of the Church Our Brethren here promise to sette foorth that part of the Pastors authoritie which they say he hath not of the proper dutie of a Pastor himselfe but in common gouernement with the Elders But because these wordes as they are grounded on the presupposall of that Eldershippe which they make one part of their Ecclesiasticall Tetrarchie not dealing with the woorde so promising â—o treate of the authoritie of the Pastor in common gouernement they séeme their selues to doubt that except they should expounde what they meane thereby it might easily bee mistaken what they meant Neither doubt they this mistaking without a cause which of purpose shunne the plaine and vsuall approoued distinction of the authoritie or power of the order and of the iurisdiction But what-so-euer authoritie of the Pastor they will nowe sette foorth and make playne what they meane thereby when as they faye For euen those thinges which wee haue shewed before to be the dutie of a Pastor may also bee called his authoritie as to preache and teach wherein is included his authoritie to forgiue and retaine sinnes if this authoritie of the Pastor to forgiue and retayne sinnes bee included in his authoritie of preachinge and teaching and withall this bee a thing appertaining to the proper dutie of a Pastor himselfe as also is his authoritie to minister the Sacramentes and to doe other thinges in the Churche which none may doe but hee then haue not the Elders to deale in the authoritie of forgiuing and retayning sinnes For if they shoulde they shoulde intermeddle with the worde For this is included in preaching and teaching But our Brethren exclude the gouerning Elders from preaching and teaching therefore withall they exclude them from the authoritie of forgiuing and retayning sinnes And this by the way is not vnnecessarie to bee héere obserued because afterwarde they giue authoritie of forgiuing and retayning sinnes vnto the gouerning Elders which they confesse are not Teachers nor Preachers nor dealers at all with the worde But doeth not this authoritie of the Pastor belong to iurisdiction And therefore not onely the authoritie of his order to which properly preaching and teaching and ministring the Sacramentes doe appertayne but the authoritie also of iurisdiction to which the power of forgiuing and retayning sinnes appertayneth is the proper dutie of the Pastor himselfe which none may doe but he and is an authoritie separate from that his authoritie which is in common gouernment with the Elders or with any other which are not Pastors in the Church And as for that power of gouernment in the Church whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 12.28 That it is one of the graces and gifte of God necessarie for the building of his Church S. Paule maketh not all the graces and giftes of God which there he speaketh of necessarie for the building of his Church if we speake of such perpetuall necessitie as that the Church can neuer be without them For S. Paul reckoneth vp there great offices graces and giftes of God that are not necessarie in that sense As euen the first office that he beginneth there withall of Apostles besides the giftes of healinges the giftes of powers or of working mightie myracles and the gifts of diuerse kinds of languages All which are not now so necessary in our dayes nor many hundreth yeres sithence to the building of Gods Church Neither is it agréeed vppon by the best interpreters what manner of grace and gift of God this power of gouernment in the Church was which S. Paule in that place speaketh of For albeit Beza say he declareth the order of Elders that were keepers of the Discipline and policie Ecclesiasticall yet sayth Aretius it is a politicall facultie of administring the common weale and of ruling others commodiouslie and of conseruing them in order which gift is necessarie in Magistrates And while the Churche wanted a politique Magistracie certaine choosen Elders gouerned the assemblyes of the faithfull as it were an ordinarie Magistracie Héere in déede hée sayeth this gifte is necessarie but he addeth in whome to witte in Magistrates and yet he specifieth in what kinde of Magistrates to witte politicall and in the administring of the common wealth not the Ecclesiastical discipline And withall he limiteth a time how long this gift of
not doe their duety But those men ought first to haue made demonstration that their seniors haue this power whereof in present Paul speaketh Which thing when as by no argumēt it appeareth and neuerthelesse they deliuer to Sathan whome they will they do alike as if any would attempt to cleanse the lepers to rayse the dead to worke such other myraclous worke For because that in the olde time suche thinges were commonlye doone in the primitiue Church Thus agayne Gualter and on these graces and giftes of of God grounding this Ecclesiasticall Seniory not of the Worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gouernmentes but on the former worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Powers betokening such power as is myraculous which although some Seniors in the Church than had it yet he alleageth the examples heereof that such onely exercised the same in Ecclesiasticall matters as were Ministers of the Word But howsoeuer these Seniours were or what power soeuer they had he maketh them and their power not to bée perpetuall but abiding a while onely for the state of that time and so to haue ceased after that the publike state of Christendome was setled and gouerned by such princes and Magistrates as openly professed Christianity and that from thence foorth the Churches were not tyed to such Seniors but that wee after thus many ages of Christian princes be frée from them So that where our Brethren say they will not nowe set foorth the pastors authority in common Gouernment with the Elders If there bée no néede of such Elders to ioyne in commons with him in his gouernment then as the other authority was proper to him-selfe so may this authority for power of gouernment in the Church for any thing héere to the contrary bee as proper also to him-selfe as the other For if these graces and giftes whereof the Apostle 1. Cor. 12.28 speaketh were such distinct offices as our brethren say can not be but in distinct officers without confusion of thē then eyther these giftes pertaine not to the Pastors so well as to these Elders as here our Brethren say they doe or else if the Pastors haue authority in them than haue not Elders to deale with them except wee shoulde inferre this confession that they woulde haue vs shunne But nowe our brethren giuing this authority in common with the Elders procéede to the limittation of the same and say This authority of regiment we haue declared that it ought not to bee a Lordly ruling neither ouer their flocke nor yet ouer their fellow-seruants and bret and least of all that they ought to haue dominion Lordship ouer the faith of the Church Dominion and Lordship ouer the faith of the Church we graunt none hath but almighty God and Iesus Christe only that is both God and Man As for the other authority which they cal Lordly ruling ouer their flocke or ouer their fellowe-seruauntes and Brethren as they referre vs to that they haue declared so I referre them to that we haue declared And among other I hope I haue sufficiently declared what manner of ruling they may haue both ouer their flocke and ouer their fellow-seruaunts and brethren both by the worde of God by the practise of the Primitiue Church and by the approbation of diuerse the best learned protestants in the reformed Churches of our age But how this authoritie of Gouernment which here they giue in common to the pastors with the Elders shall be parted among them is not yet determined For albeit our Brethren acknowledge that the Pastors haue rule and authority herein yet the forme of prayers in the English congregation at Geneua doth deny it and say Pag. 43. Because the charge of the Worde of God is of greater importaunce than that any man is able to dispence therewith and S. Paul exhorteth to esteem them as Ministers of Christe and disposers of Gods mysteries not Lordes or rulers as Peter saith ouer the flocke therefore the Pastors or Ministers cheef office standeth in preaching the word of God and Ministring the sacraments So that in consultations iudgements elections and other politicall affayres his counsell rather then authority taketh place So that by this rule he is so far from al lordly ruling that he hath no rule nor authority at all in Common with the Elders in these matters But of the twaine our Brethren here say better that hee hath authority vnderstanding it for power of gouernment in the Church But say our Brethren In all these the man of sinne hath exalted him selfe contrary to the worde of God so that hee woulde bee heade of all the Church Bishop of all Bishops and haue authority to make newe articles of Fayth Whose intollerable presumption as wee haue long since banished out of this land so wee wish that no steppes of suche Pride and arrogancy might be left beyond him namely that no elder or Minister of the Church shoulde challenge vnto him-selfe or accept it if it were offered vnto him any other authority than that is allowed by the spirite of God but cheefely to be ware that he vsurpe no authoritie which is forbidden by the word of God For wherefore doe we detest the Pope and his vsurped supremacy but because he arrogateth the same vnto him-selfe not onely without the warrant of Gods word but also cleane contrary to the same All this section we confesse with our Brethren and gladly subscribe vnto it saue that we wish it not as though it were onely to be done and is not done but we trust it is perfourmed already If it bee not let our Brethren prooue the contrary Nowe if the reasons and authorities that haue banished the Pope doe serue to condemne all other vsurped authority that is practized in the Church why shoulde not all such authority be banished as well as the Pope And good reason too that all other vsurped authority that is practized in the Churche shoulde bee as well banished as the Pope But doe our brethren meane by these spéeches of all other vsurped authoritie that is practized in the Church that there is any such practised in the Church meaning the church of England For these words are vttered so couertly that we might seeme in granting the consequence that such shoulde be banished to graunt withall that there is some such in the church of England remaining and practised yet among vs. But we deny that there is any such to our knowledge or by the Lawes approoued in this Realme And if there bée any steppes thereof I doubt they will rather bee founde in the trake of our Brethren themselues sooner than in any part of that authoritie which is allowed to our prelates We can alleage against the Pope and rightly that which S. Iohn baptist did aunswere to his Disciples No man can take vnto him-selfe any thing except it be giuen him from heauen Iohn 3.27 And that saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes
contayning withall his care industrie in these matters For the which doing the Councell reacknowledgeth the king to deserue the reward of an Apostle because he had performed the office of an Apostle And when al the nobilitie had giueÌ„ vp also their confessions in writing and subscribed openly vnto theÌ„ then the king commanded the Synode to go in hand with the repayring and establishing some forme of eccl discipline saying that the care of a king ought to stretch forth it selfe not to cease till he haue brought the subiects to a full knowledge perfect age in Christ. And as a king ought to bend al his power authoritie to represse the insolencie of the euill and to nourish the common peace tranquillitie euen so ought he much more to studie to labour and be carefull not only to bring his subiectes from errors false religion but also to see theÌ„ instructed taught trayned vp in the truth of the cleare light And hereupon by this his authoritie he maketh a decree coÌ„mandeth the Bishops to sée it put in executioÌ„ that euery time at the receiuing of the coÌ„munioÌ„ al the people together do distinctly with a lowde voice recite the Nicene creede Which being done that the Synode had coÌ„sulted about the orders of their discipline exhibited the same vnto the king he considering the same ratifieth and confirmeth al their doings And first he himselfe and after him all the Synode subscribeth to those orders The like wee read in the Councell of diuerse kinges of Spayne afterwardes Sisenandus that called the fourth Councell of Toledo Chintillanus that called the 5. and 6. Chinaswindus that called the seuenth Reccessinuthus that called the 8.9 and 10. Councels at Toledo Bamba that called the 12. 13. Egita that called the 14.15 and 16. all which kinges of Spayne as they summoned the Councelles their selues and commaunded thâ— Bishops to assemble so they sate in the Councels with them and when the Councels had consulted and agreed vpon any Ecclesiasticall matters thâ—y offred the same to the Prince to be ratified and confirmed This authoritie had the Christian kinges of Spayne not only in gouerning of all the eccl persons but in making together with the Bishops and in ratifying and confirming all their Synodall decrees and constitutions of Eccl. matters And no lesse authoritie had the kings of this our Britannie also in gouerning their Eccl. state by the aduise of the Clergie of their dominion For profe whereof we haue séene the Bishop of Romes owne letter to king Lucius that is reputed to be the first Christian king of Brytannie Who when he wrote to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome to haue the Romaine and the Imperiall lawes to vse them in his kingdome the Bishop returneth him this aunswere as we haue séene those lawes wee may disprooue but not the lawes of God You haue receaued lately through the goodnesse of God in your kingdome the faith and law of Christ. You haue there in your kingdome both the testamentes out of them by Gods grace and the aduise of your Realme take a Iawe and thereby patiently gouerne your kingdome You are in your kingdome the Vicare of God c. In which wordes hee plaiâ—ely confesseth that the Christian kinges authoritie stretcheth euen to the very making and ordeyning of Ecclesiast lawes with the aduise of the Realme and so withall of the Clergie And that thiâ— supreme authoritie of thâ— king was so practised in this lande not only by Lucius but also by the Christian kinges that succéeded him while the Brittaines had the kingdome which rather were not full kinges but vnder the soueraigntie of the Romaine Emperours which beeing at that time the most of them Paganes the Princes in Brytannie hadde the lesse authoritie whereby there grewe manie corruptions especiallye the Heresie of Pelagianisme in this realme till the Brytaynes were expulsed by the Saxons And therefore what with the oftâ—n warres eyther with the Romaines or with the Pictes or with the Saxons little or no certaine recorde remayneth of anie Councelles helden or of anie Ecclesiasticall Lawes made in the times of those brittish Princes Except we shall account Constantine the great as one of them beeing the sonne of Constantius Chlorus by the most noble and Christian Queene Helena who being excellently learned in the tongues wrote diuerse treatises of Religion and Ecclesiasticall matters of the prouidence of God of the immortalitie of the soule of the rule of godly life c. As Bale reporteth of this Queene of whose husband and sonne we haue heard sufficiently before But to come to the Saxon kinges after they had receaued the faith of Christ for perhaps our Brethren also comprehende them in the name of the Christian Kinges of this our Brytanie William Lambert hath much helped vs in gathering and translating though rather to the sense than to the wordes the auncient lawes of those kinges whereby we also may gather what great authoritie they hadde in these matters who beginning with the Lawes of Kinge Inas setteth them downe in these wordes I Inas by the benefite of God King of the West Saxons through the persuasion and institution of Cenrede my father of Lyedda and Erknwalde my Bishoppes and of all mine Aldermen or Senators and of the most auncient wise men of my people in the great assemblie of the seruauntes of God I studied both for the saluation of our soules and for the conseruation of our kingdome that lawefull contractes of matrimonie and that right iudgementes might be founded and established throughout all our dominion and that hereafter it be not lawfull to any Senator or to any other inhabiting our dominion to breake these our iudgementes This preface béeing made by all their aduice and consentes but as is aforesayde by his authoritie he setteth downe his Lawes in Chapters both for Ecclesiasticall and ciuill matters And first he beginneth with Ecclesiasticall of the forme howe the ministers of God should liue First of all wee commaunde that the Ministers of GOD doe care for and keepe the appointed forme of lyuing And afterwarde wee will that among all our people the lawes and iudgementes be thus holden An infant shal be baptized within 30. daies after it is come forth into the worlde Which thing if it be not done the default shal be punished with the paying of 30. s. but and if it die before it be baptized he shall forfaite all his goods If a bondseruant be put to any seruile worke on the Lordes day his Master shall make him free and his Maister shall paye thirtie shillings but if he did that worke without the commaundement of his Maister the seruaunt shall bee beaten with stripes or at least let him redeeme with a price of money the feare of his beating If a free man labour on this day without his Maisters commaundement let him eyther bee made a bonde
ringing at burials Caluine prescribeth an exhortation or sermon at funeralâ— Protestantâ— bookes of funerall sermons Zanchius of the buriall of the dead Singing Psalmes at burials A sermon after the buriall The learned disc pag. 75. 76. Hote contentions Bridges Hoâ— vnexcusable they are that contend for small trifles How farrâ— thinges indifferent being authorized are to be contended for Not the defendants but oppugners the raisers of these hote contentions Humane constitutions The vnexcusablenes of our Brethr. in withdrawing altogether of themselues from the ministerie of the word for these constitutions Whether our humane constitutioÌ„s be such as our Brethr. can not receaue with reteyning their functions ControlmeÌ„t of the churches conclusions The learned disc Pag. 76. Bridges what things a true Pastor must obserue and not control Our Brethr. their selues and their iudgement priuate Contâ—mpt of the churches conclusions lawfull authoritie The power of order iurisdiction The learned disc Pag. 76. 1. Cor. 12.28 1. Pet. 5.3 Luke 23.26 2. Cor. 1.14 Bridges The Pastors authoritie in common gouernemeÌ„t with the Elders How our Brethren beginning to include the Elders in the power of binding and loosing do exclude theÌ„â—rom it The Pastors auth in common What that power of gouernment was whereof S. Paule speaketh Cor. 12.28 Aretius in 1. Cor. 12. Elders gouerning till publike Magistrates came Politicall Gouernors Caluine in 1. Cor. 12. Gualter in 1. Cor. 12. No neede of such gouernors in these daies The gifs of powers The abuse of the popish What was the gifts of powers and who had it Elias Elizeas Peter Paule Iurisdiction Why there was need of these offices then not nowe The friuolous imitation of the primitiue Church in the erecting vp of their senate Our brethr confusion by their elder enter-comming in the Pâ—stors iurisdiction Dominion and Lordship Our brethr disagreemeÌ„t about the pastors iurisdiction The learned Dis. Pag. 77. vsurped authority Bridges The learned disc pag. 78. Bridges No such authority nor steps therof except in these new deuises The learned Dis. Pag. 78. Iohn 3.27 Heb. 5.4 Phil. 2.6 Bridges Mastershop The learned disc pag. 79. 80. Luke 22.26 Math. 20.25 Mar. 10.42 Math. 23.8 Bridges Luke 22 â—â— Math. 32.8 All mastership not forbidden in the ministery nor the title therof Vsurped authority The learned disc Pag. 80. Bridges Our breth good caueat against theÌ„selues The learned disc pag. 80. 81. Tyrannizing Bridges Gods word the rule of our faith life Gods word hath not set down an only forme of the Churches gouernment The Princes gouernmeÌ„t of the Churche of God How the authority is not separate from other Separate authority S. Pauls example of the mysticall body compared to the naturall The respects of the community and seperation 1. Cor. 11.34 Our bre reason from Christ debaâ—reth Apostles and all from anie separate authouritie Timothies authoritie giuen him separate to himselfe both in teaching and gouerning Timothies separatâ— authority Hemingius in 1. Tim. 5. Aretius in 1. Tim. 5. The rule giuen to Timothie is generall to all present gouernours and Bishops Beâ—â—ain 1. Tim. 5. A Iudges office By Priest or Elder he meaneth Doctor or Teacher This authoritie was separate vnto Timothie Aretius How the Bishoppe shoulde doe these things The office of a Iudge A Iudges office is an office separate from all the bench Beza restrayning the Bishops authoritie The electioÌ„ of Matthias Act. 14 Erasmus Caluine Beza The wordes of the text mâ—ncâ—oÌ„ not election Election The worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referred onelie to Paule and Barnabas Paul Barnabas moderaâ—ors of the election The peoples election no necessary or anie materiall part of making pastors Imposition of hands The imposition of hands of the presbiterie Imposition of hands pertained to pastors Separate authoritie The separat authoritie of one in imposition of hands Caluinus in 1. Tim. 5. Sole absolute authoritie The Bishops authority in set out by the authoriritie of Timothie Hemingius Aretius Politicall regiment The learned disc Pag. 81. Math. 18.19 Bridges The wreasting of Christs sentence Mat. 18. The difference of the Churches consent and of the Bishops and Pastors The senteÌ„ce of Christ Mat. 18.19 more confirmeth our consents thaÌ„ our breth Ioint authoritie The learned Dis. Pag. 81. 82. Bridges The confusion of our bre equality Christes promise The learned disc pag. 82 Math. 18.19.20 Bridges This senteÌ„ce is principally spoken of consent in prayer not is any debâ—â— to the prayer of one alone Our brethr loose conclusion How Christ promised his authority All particuler churches not alike indignity The Churches autority Difference betwene â—he Churches authority and thâ— pastors authority in the Churches The learned Dis. Pag. 82. Bridges Al the parts in one church haue not one and like auth The learned Dis. Pag. 82. 83. Bridges The Pastors authority not one but indifferent Sufficient authority Bridges Our Breth diuision positions besides the scripture Diffused authoritie The learned Dis. Pag. 83. Bridges Our Brethr. beginning to examine their former positions Diffused authoritie The learned disc Pag. 83. Bridges The learned disc pag. 83. Bridges Confusion in the multâ—tudes iudgment How oâ—r Brethren mocke the multitude What offices are appointed in Gods word for gouernment The multitudes confusion Oâ—r Brethr. too bolde presupposals The learned disc Pag. 84. Bridges Seueral offices and yet not seuerall officers Rom. 12. Diuers gifts and offices in one officer The Gouernours This place also 1. Cor. 12. sheweth not whether one might not haue â—o thaÌ„ one of these giftes The Apostle includeth the gouernors in the other officers The learned disc Pag. 84. Bridges Our Brethr. bolde conclusion for their Segnorie vpon the Apostles only naming of Gouernors The ouerthrow of all Princes gouernement Both Bish. and Pastors gouernmeÌ„t excluded Moderating the gouernors How violent the beginning is of this Segnorie The learned disc pag. 84 Bridges The learned disc Pag. 84. Bridges Our Brethr. manner of moderating thâ—ir Segn auth Electing the gouernors How the whole congregation shall choose the Elders The wisdom and godlinesse of the greater part The horrible confusion of the whole congregationâ— dealing here in Gouernors The learned disc pag. 85. 86. Act. 4 23. 1. Tim. 5.17 Act. 14.23 Bridges Our Brethr. to prooue what ought to be tell vs what may be Our Brethr. argument for their gouernors The Elders Act. 14. Our Brethr. own prowes that that place Act. 14. is vnderstoode of gouernors that are Pastors What gouernors those Elders were that medled nothing with the word Acts. 14. WhoÌ„ Calu. vnderstands for Elders Act. 14. The Ciuil officers had not imposition of the Ministers hands The Elders 1. Tim. 5.17 1. Tim. 5.17 Where the name of eldersis common to pastors and gouernors both at once The name of Elders taken generally for gouernors The learned disc pag. 85 Elders Magistrates Bridges We are not bound to learne our Brethr. collections The first thing that our Brethr. say we learn hereon
No man may take vpon him any honoure in the Churche of God but hee that is called of God as was Aaron Insomuch that Christe him-selfe did not giue himselfe to be an high Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Hee saith in another place Thou art a preest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Nowe seeing these rules are so general that the Sonne of God him-selfe was not exempted from them but shewed foorth the decree wherein he was authorised by what rule can any man retaine that authority in the church of God which is not called thereto by the word of God All this againe being graunted vnto beateth more our Brethren the Learned Discoursers that it doth our Bishops Our Brethren take vpon them more in these their pretended reformations than eyther they haue hetherto done or I think euer wil be able to shew their warrant and calling authorizing them thereunto by the worde of God Likewise we can alleage againe against the supremacy of the Pope to proue that Peter was not superior to the other Apostles that which our sauiour Christe saith to his Apostles Luke 22.26 And Math. 20.25 Marke 10.42 It shall not bee so among you but hee that is greatest amongst you shal be as the yongest and he that ruleth as he that serueth And Mat. 23.8 You haue but one Master which is Christ and all you are all brethren If these places prooue that the Pope ought not to bee aboue other Ministers of the Church why doe they not likewise prooue that the Ministers are equall among them-selues And for the moste part all those arguments and authorities of Scripture that are vsed to confute the vsurped authority of the Pope are of as great force against all other vsurped authorities of one pastor ouer another These sentences of our sauiour Christe hauing béene before alleaged by our Brethren page 28. 29. haue beene already sufficiently aunswered that they neither forbid the titles nor the authority that we acknowledge in our Bishops by the confession of the best writers euen among our Brethren themselues Which sentences as they are rightly alleaged against the supremacy of the Pope to prooue that Peter was not such a superior to the other Apostles as the Papistes doe pretend so are they not rightly alleaged to prooue that he haâ— neuer any kinde of superiority but no such kinde of superiority as the pope falsely claymeth in the name of Peter For not onely all the auncient Fathers and all the best writers acknowledge as we haue séene some superiority in Peter such as contrarieth not these sentences but also S. Paule is moste plaine herein that S. Peter had a kinde of superiority if not to all yet to many of the other Apostles And for these sentences as we haue already at large considered the peyse of them so the first sentence heere cited alloweth in playne words both a Ruler among them and a greatest so that hee bee in humilitie and seruiceablenesse as courteous and diligent as if he were yongest or as hee that serueth The other place here cited You haue but one Master which is Christe and al you are Brethren prooueth clearely that the Pope ought not to claime that mastership which he requireth but it proueth not that were he otherwise a true a true faithfull Bishop hee might haue no Mastership at all for than our Brethren might not be called Masters neither as we and that worthily call M. Caluine M. Beza c. Masters But this sentence is against the Pope not against them because the pope not they woulde intrude him-selfe into that absolute and supreme Mastership and Lordship Which properly and onely belongeth to our Lorde and Master Iesus Christ. But our brethren demaund why doe they not likewise prooue that the Ministers are equall among themselues And so they do in respect of the supreme Mastership of Christe and in respect simply of their Ministery but the reason why they proue not such an equality as our brethren surmise is because they are spoken absolutely against all kinde of superiority and Mastership among them And therefore where they say that for the most part al those arguments and authorities of scripture that are vsed to confute the vsurped authoritie of the pope are of as great force against all other vsurped authorities of one pastor ouer another Although this be but a loose consequent yet we may well graunt this conclusion for vsurped authorities But till our Brethren can prooue some such among vs as are vsurped al these sentences argumeÌ„ts and authorities are but vsurped and wrested against their authority which is lawfull Therefore while we entreate of the authority of the Pastors we must take heede that we open not a Windowe to popish tyranny in steede of Pastorall authority and that wee enlarge not the bounds of authority without the boundes of the scripture We also like well the caueat of this conclusion Woulde God our brethren would in-déede take heede vnto it For if it be not taken heede vnto in time their Pastorall authoriâ—â— wâ—ll so enlarge the boundes thereof that it will not onely tyrannize ouer the authority of the Doctors whom they cleane debarre from all publike exhortation reprehension conselation and application and ouer all their Seniory of newe Gouernors as wee shall God willing see in this Discourse but ouer all the Church And it beginneth pretily well to abbridge the Christian Princes and ciuill Magistrates supreme authority in ecclesiasticall causes as in part wee haue already seene and al without the bounds of the scripture But this their Pastorall authority by that time their gouerning Seniory were euery where setled and established and had enlarged her boundes in euerye Congregation woulde bee méetely well repressed as we haue séene in the forme of prayers printed at Geneua And thus woulde one enlarge it self â—uer another which might open not a windowe but the broad gates to a worse than Popish tyrannie and still all without the boundes of the Scripture Wherefore while we search the scripture the onely rule whereby the Church of God ought to be gouerned we finde that in regiment gouernance of the Church the pastor B. or elder hath none authority by himselfe seperated from other For in the Church there ought to be no Monarchie or sole absolute gouernment but that is referred particularly to our sauiour Christe onely â—2 Tim. 6.7 Iude. 4. Christe sayth search the scriptures for in them ye reckon vnto your selues that ye haue eternall life and they bear witnesse of me Iohn 5.39 In searching the scripture we finde this rule where the Apostle warneth Timothy But abide thou in those thinges which thou haste learned and which are of trust committed vnto thee Knowing of whome thou hast learned them and that thou hast from a childe knowne the holy