and by the expresse mouthe off God I see not what man coulde put him owte off yt withowte the same authoritie whiche put him in Laste off all it is verie probable that vvhere yt is saide in an other place that Moses stood vp and praied for Aaron then Moses receiued answere what shoulde be doone withe Aaron towchinge his continuance in the ministerie Where yowr glosse in the ende supposeth contrarietie seinge yt settethe downe none I haue not to answere yt may be the A. lawghed vvhen he vvrote that vvherby he requireth sincere dealing in the scriptures For if this be sitting in his mouthe vvhich corrupteth in a manner all he toucheth vvhy should not also a light housewiffe talke of the chastitie off a graue matrone The nexte diuis belonging vnto the 6. Tract off vnpreaching ministers shall there God vvilling be answered Off election off Ministers vn voices or other consente off the people Chap. 4. pag. 155. IF Chrysostome had had anie thinge to saie towching the election off Deacons he shoulde haue spokē vvhen tyme was and when that place was handled Yet for answere the reader maye vnderstand that Chrysost in that place makethe comparison betwen the election in the firste off the Actes and this and sheweth howe the Apostels did otherwise there then here For there they chose two vvhiche they set vpp before the churche So that vvhen Chrysost saithe the Apostels myght haue chosen the deacons yt may be he meaneth they might haue chosen them as they did the two Mathias and Barsabas In whiche choise I haue shewed the consente off the people was required Yff there were but this place whiche the D. citeth I woulde stande vpon this answer but considering that Chrys in another place affirmeth that Peter might haue chosen him selfe which I would not kepe from the knowledge off the reader I will not denie but that Chrysost might haue heere the meaning the D. supposeth Wherto as I can by no meanes agree vpon the reasons both before and after alledged so the D. is not helped For when Chryso commendeth Peter that he did all thinges by the aduise off the churche nothing off his ovvne autoritie nothing vvith dominion When he addeth also that the same was to auoide contention and that nether he nor the reste off the Apostles should be thovvght to chuse off fauour he declareth sufficiently that there is no bishop of that ether authoritie or holines off life vvhich in making the election without consente of the church dooth not bothe laie him selfe and his ministery open to suspiciō of parcialitle and giue occasion off pernicious debates in the churche He shoulde also vnderstande that this proportion is vneuen and that if yt were granted whiche he desyrethe yet he is not where he woulde be For iff it were lawfull for the Apostels indued with extraordinarie giftes off discretion off spirites to chuse yt foloweth not therfore that one Bishopp may doo so And because yt was lawfull for the 12. Apostels to chuse them withe whome they were dailie conuersante therfore it is lawfull for one bishoppe to chuse those whiche he neuer see nor knewe before Before I goo any further yt is to be obserued that althowghe the Ans holde owte in the defense off this cawse off election by the Bishope certeine wordes of learned mē racked from their meaninge and contrarie to the continual practise off the authors yet the trwthe is that as this assertion is the Papistes and Papistes againste the Protestantes so all his principall bothe argumentes and solutions haue bene worde for worde ministred vnto him owte off the bokes off the ranckeste enemyes off the trwthe Yff the reader will see this question diducted at large betwene the catholikes and the papistes let hym reade Hosius and Phigius in thes bokes which I haue noted I will onely note the places whēce the Ans argumētes are fetched with his startinge holes vvherwithe he vvoulde abuse the worlde And firste off all Marsilius a Catholike whome the lorde had stirred vpp to mainteine the trwthe off the Gospell Aboute the time off Pope Iohn the 12. disputinge againste the sole election off the bishope vsethe this reason whiche wee haue heere in hande namelie that forasmuche as the churche chose here Deacons as it appearethe in the Actes therfore yt owghte muche more chuse her mynisters This reason Phigius as the D derideth no more hable to answer yt then he The manifeste wordes off the texte are that Paule and Barnabas ordeined elders by voces neither is there any learned and godlie man browghte or as Iam perswaded can be browghte that euer denied that the churches were in election off their ministers ioyned with Paul and Barn. That Zuingl saithe some were called to the ministerie off the worde by the Apostels onely what is yt to proue that Paule and Barnabas did here in this place ordeine myinisters withowte the voices off the churche yt is well therfore M Zuing. hath expressed whiche the D. hathe vnfaithfully holden backe who translatinge whole pages to no purpose coulde not here aforde vs one poore sentence off the lengthe off two lines The other halfe off the sentence is this As saithe he vvhen by the decree off the Apostels Peter and Iohn vvere sente vnto Samaria Marcke I beseche yow what manner of election this was The Apostels chose two but suche as were approued mynisters before what is this to proue that the byshope maie chuse those whiche were neuer approued or chosen vnto the ministrie The Apostels chose them to goe an embassage whiche shoulde be ended in a fewe daies and what is that to proue that a bishoppe maie chuse to a perpetuall function The Apostels did yt withowte the consente off that churche vnto whiche that matter did not belonge what is that to proue that the bishope maie chuse a minister withowte the consente off that churche whiche that election dothe concerne for that electiō belonged not vnto the churche of Ierusalem where they were if yt had there is no doubte but the Apostels woulde not haue doon yt withowte the cōsente therof I leue here to speake of the difference of bishop and Apostel off twelue and one whiche beinge obserued in the former section needeth no rehersall And as this maketh nothinge for the election off the bishope so yt maketh against that for the whiche this place is browghte For iff maister Zuing. had bene off that iudgemente that Paule and Barnabas did by them selues chuse withowte the churche he woulde likely haue browghte that example cōsideringe that this can not be properly called any election to the Mynistrie whiche was off those which were ministers before But that yow may yet better knowe the D. vnfaithfull dealinge ioined with shameles bouldnes off alledging authoritice I will set downe Maister Zwinglius iudgemente in this cause which he vttereth in diuers places off that booke owte off whiche the D. hathe alledged this but most manifestly within les
how this vvill agree vvith that here in the tenth and 13. diuis I haue shewed that it is one thing to be conteined an other to be expressed in scripture Therfore if yowr cawse haue no better hould then that it must goe to the ground I haue shewed how this answer of leauing thinges to the order off the church varied by circumstance c. can not stand in the Archbishops case nor ordinary gouernement of the church The argument is not off lykes or payres but of the smaller vnto the great And although it should be true that yow say that the Lord loued the church then aswell as he doth now yet the reason is still of the les vnto the great For yf he did so particularly describe the offices not of such excellencie and vveight as the offices and mynisteries of the gospell yt must follow that he hath much more vsed that dyligence in particular description of the mynisteries hereof If the 4. off Iohn meane that our Sauiour should tell all thinges necessary to saluation then the Mynisterie vvith the degrees theroff being necessary and vvithowt the vvhich the Lord doth not ordinarily gyue any saluacion at all yt is cleare that he hath also declared all degrees thereoff That owt off Sainct Iohn 20. is spoken of the miracles our Sauiour did not off his doctrine and is thrust in by strong handes in this place The cheif amongest the rest off the Mynisters I might well with S. Paul call the pillers and therfore if the Lord should haue made no mention off the Archbishops they keping suche a place as they doo yt is truly saide that the pillers should haue bene forgotten Yf the Magistrate were an officer of the church and not of the commen wealth there are many places in scripture both ould and new that describe his office ād all that perteineth to him at large Wherof if the Ans can bring but one for his Archbishop this controuersie is at an end Here be many we knowes wherof some are not indebate and those vvhich be haue no causes annexed vvith them vvherby other might come to knowledge off them as vvell as he Yt is therfore enough to haue mentioned mine answer vvithout staying in confutation of all those thinges vvhich he at all aduentures throweth owt to make vp an answer He saith it is daungerous to say that the ministeries owght not to be reteined withowt which the church is fully builded becawse the Magistrate is therby shut forth as well as the Archbishop Our questiō is what ecclesiasticall ministeries are sufficient the mention therfore off the ciuil Magistrate is absurd Also it is too great ether ouersight or peruersenes not to vnderstand that an vniuersall rule is not to be racked to euery thing but is true off those thinges vvheroff it is gyuen Beside that hereby at vnawares he confesseth that the church may be fully builded and accomplished withowt a Christian Magistrate which is against that he saith the magistrate is the head of the church His exception that there is no perfection off vnitie off the church by reason off good and bad mingled first is nothing to this question secondly yt is a quarell not against me but S Paul vvhose wordes I vsed Thirdly as the ministeries off the vvord are saide to saue and bring vs to the kingdome off heauen becawse they gyue both entrance and aduancement therunto although vve come not to full possession off them so long as we being in this life need them still so they are vvell saied to bring vs to perfectiō of vnitie because hauing begun to knit vs together here they follow still vvith new increases vntill vve come to perfection in the life to come As for that there must be offices as well to preserue and kepe the perfection off vnitie as to build yt and bring it therunto beside that for shift off answer he is driuen as yt were with one breath to affirme that he denied before off the perfection of vnitie he must vnderstand that the church is alwaies in building as long at it is here vpon earth and alwaies in knitting Therfore if those offices be sufficent to build and knit they are perfectly sufficient and if tharchbishops office be to kepe the church builded and knit yt is manifest vve may spare him here and that his seruice must then begin when all other ministries take end The next diuis hath for answer according to the D. coustome onely that which I preuēting answered afterwad sauing that he addeth as an exceptiō that there be Apostles which there reckened are notwithstanding by vs shut owt from the present estate off this church as yf he vnderstood not that in the founding of the church thes may be necessarie which afterward are not which also being intreated off in an other place needeth not here to be repeated Yt is Calu. which reasoneth of the place of the Ephesiās that forsomuch as the Apostle saith that the church is fully builded withowt a Pope therfore there owght to be no Pope and how slenderly soeuer he seemeth to the Ans to haue reasoned yet shall yt appeare by the vanitie of his exceptiōs against it cōming afterward to be discussed that yt is weighty But where he saith albeit the argumēt be good against the Pope yet yt ys not so against the archbishop onles he can exempt hym by miracle or teach vs some other Logick then hath hitherto bene heard off the reason includeth him as well as the Pope For if it be graunted that the Popes office is therfore vnprofitable to the church becawse S. Paul made no mention off it in the ministeries requisite for the building theroff there being like wise no mention off the office off an Archbishop yt must theruppon follow that tharchbishop also is vnprofitable yf there be the same cawse there must follow the same effect The reason added off the Pope doing thinges which tharchbishop doth not claiming thinges which tharchbishop claimeth not c. hath no place at all for the question is not off the abuse and tyrannie off the Pope but whether as it is vnprofitable that one should gouerne all the churches in the world so yt be also that he should gouerne all in a whole prouince And by the D. answer the office off Pastors should be vnlawfull if they chalenge vnto them selues thinges vnlawfull and the Popes office good and lawfull if he bearing rule ouer all churches would absteine from those and such like chalenges which the Ans setteth downe The contrary wheroff is true For as the Pastors office can by no owtrage of him that exerciseth it be made vnlawfull so the vsage of dominion off one ouer all be yt neuer so moderate and qualified can neuer be lawfull Last of all the Archbishop him self if he should chalenge those thinges in his prouince which the Pope chalengeth ouer the world should be by this reason as vnlawfull an officer as the Pope
or not at the churches vvill Moreouer if he say that it is necessarie ād commaunded a◠some tyme and not at others vvhat a miserable case is the churche in that hath no certein addresse owt of the word vvhen that necessitie and commaundement beginneth and when it endeth vvhen this office is in season vvhen owt of season Lastly forasmuch as S. Paul speaketh of offices thē in the chuch not of those vvhich came after as the Ans him self is forced to confesse the Archbishops office must needes haue bene in the Apostles tyme Which if it be true those times being as the Answ hath borne vs in hand so vnlike ours the persons in the church then off so different dispositions from those now the place also the gospell being thē in the East partes where now it is in the West it must needes follow that this monely office off the archbishop which ebbeth and floweth being fit for the Apostles times is by all likelihood vnfit for ours His distinction vnto the second proposition is that an Archbishop in respect off the ministerie off the word and Sacramētes is necessarie alwaies but not in respect of policie and gouernemēt Which is asmuch to say as an archbishop vvhen he is an archbishop is alwaies necessarie for the church For when he hath not the owtward gouernement then by yowr owne rule he is no archbishop then which speach what can be more absurd And of this answer followeth that there is a time vvhen the Pastors haue nothing to doo vvith the externall policie and gouernment off the church but onely to administer the word and Sacramentes and then the church shal be an heape and not a bodie a confused multitude not an orderly societie Yet in the next section he gyueth the gouernement off the church and order vnto the bishops and archbishops and will haue them part the stake off the Apostles autoritie vvhich they had in the church And as this answer is absurd so yt ys contrarie to that he hath set downe in his former booke that not onely the office off the Archbishop is necessarie but most necessarie I saied before that the Apostle speaketh to the Ephes off mynisteries vvhich haue to doo vvith preaching the vvord but neuer added as yow in yowr Doctors booke and here and not those which haue to doo with order and discipline Therfore I had nothing forgotten my self if be would haue vnderstanded that which is plaine to all the world for thes two may well stand together the Apostle spake there onely off functions conuersant in the vvord and the Lord spake of those functiōs vvhich Preach the vvord and administer the gouernement for the word onely doth not seclude gouernemēt from those ministries but shutreth owt all ministeries not preaching as that off the Elder and Deacon And yt is one thing to say the Lord spake there onely off preaching mynisteries an other to say he spake there of ministries onely preaching which me thincketh yow could not be ignorāt of Therfore Saint Paul reckening vp the ministeries there which haue together with the preaching of the word the administration off gouernement and making no mention off the Archbishop supposed to haue both yt followeth that yow are yet behinde with yowr answer I haue not confuted my shadow but yowr fond phantasie For if S. Paul speake in that place of those that haue the ministerie off the word and Sacramentes onely and not off those which haue to doo with the order of discipline yt followeth that Apostles haue nothing to doo with order and discipline forsomuch as they are amongest those which S. Paul there speaketh of If this cogitacion neuer entred into yowr head how cometh it to passe that yt ys found in yowr papers Lastly yow say the administration off discipline and gouernement in the Apostles is fallen vpon the Archbishops and bishops the ouerthrow off my whole assertion Yf a man will belieue yow speaking he may otherwise here is nothing but I saied yt And surely yt must be a very simple hould that is cast downe with this paper shot of bare affirmatiō but if yow will weigh a litle what yow say yow shall see that if there be any bullet at al in this yowr saying yt is charged wholy vppon yowr self For before yow haue saied once or twise that the office and autoritie off an Archbishop was in the Apostles tymes Which if yt be true how doth the Archbishop receiue his auauritie off order and gouernement by their death for hauing yt before he cannot receiue yt by their departure Ether therfore this is vntrue that the archbishop exerciseth the same autoritie which the Apostles or that which yow saied before that the office off the Archbishop was in the Apostles time or els this third is true that he hauing in the Apostles time autoritie which he hath now by their death obteined beside their former autoritie that which the Apostle had also Which how neere it pricketh at the papacye I leaue to euery one to consider But yf the Archbishop will succede vnto the administration off order and gouernement off the Apostels why sheweth he not his euidence why bringeth he not forth his recordes of bequest off resignation that it may appeare he is not entred as a trespasser In that sense which I haue shewed in an other place I graunt it true which Ierome saith that all bishops succede vnto the Apostles but shew me who speaketh any thing off the succession off the archbishop vnto them Nay verily that is flat against the archbishops autoritie For if euery bishop haue that autoritie in his church which the Apostles had in all the world it followeth that there nether needeth nether can be any archbishop to receiue any theroff And that if any archbishop chalenge a greater autoritie then is in any one bishop he pulleth to him self greater autoritie in his prouince then euer the Apostles had in the world And by the same reason that they be Lordes and superiours ouer bishops they must be lordes and superiours in their prouince ouer the Apostles them selues if they were aliue Considering they rule ouer those which in their dioceses haue the same autoritie that the Apostles had This I speake not that I thinck the Bishops had not this autoritie from the very birth and foundacion off the function as towching the gouernement off their churches or that there came any autoritie vnto them by the Apostles death which they had not in their tymes but that yt may be vnderstanded that if there were any such succession vnto the Apostles gouernement as the D. phansieth the bishops are the right beyres and that not certein other some shut forth but euery one as Ierome saith Although if tharchbishop should haue an Apostolicall autoritie in gouerning his prouince it hath appeared and more shall God willing that the Apostles gouernement was far from that principalitie and rule one ouer an other which tharchbishops chalēge ouer
heard off or it could not be doon conueniently without an archbishop by appointing one amongest them at euery off their Synodes who should haue autoritie to call the Synode following Which is likewise answer to his next reason of putting them in minde off their duties Al this may be seeÌ„ not onely by practise of reformed churches in diuers places Fraunce especially where Synodes are assembled from all partes of the realme twise a yeare notwithstanding al that dominioÌ„ of one minister ouer an other pulled vp by the rotes but also in the primitiue church by that recited of one Malchion Who being a simple Elder so far from the estate of aâ—â— Archbishop that he was not Bishop was president in the Councell off Antioch assembled against Samosatenus heresie If a simple Elder might gouerne the Bishops yt shall be to great shame for them not to suffer them selues to be gouerned for the time by one of their owne order withowt making an archbishop Wherby appeareth how vntollerable the D. is which condemneth this order as inconuenient confused disordered Where he saith it can not be but a great help that one haue cheif care of prescruacion of vnitie the office off an archbishop can put no further care for the church vpon any then the Lord putteth on hym by vertue off the office off bishop For if the gouernement off his owne church take not vp all his thowghtes and cares whatsoeuer is left is due vnto other churches by ordinance off the lord Forsomuche therfore as euery bishop in the Prouince by calling off God careth to the vttermost of his power for the churches wheruÌ„to he is associated and tharchbishop can doo no more then what lieth in his power it followeth that there can be no calling off men which can ad vnto his care for this vnitie If he saie that this institucion off men causeth the care coÌ„maunded off god the rather performed firste yt is vntrue for althowghe the ordinances off men maie gyue a prick to the doynge off thinges owtwarde yet they are not hable to moue the conscieÌ„ce and inwarde affections wheroff the care he speaketh off is a fruicte Then yf it had suche force as to awake his care yet that shoulde be with no aduantage vnto the churches of the Prounce forsomuche as that woulde giue occasion vnto other bishops off diminishing theirs whilest they phansie with them selues a streighter bonde to prouide for the vnitie off the churche in the archebishop then in them selues And so the care by this meanes reuiued in one shoulde die in a great nomber where he addeth as yt is in other societies yt hathe bene shewed that our Sauiour Christ forbad that rule off one minister ouer an other in the churche which maie be vsed in the common wealth Althowghe I haue answered further vnto this pointe where those societies are particularly specified Where he asketh what if the bishops were deuided amoÌ„gest them sel ues who should compounde their controuersies He hathe his answer that he may call them together in whose hande the laste Synode lefte that autoritie And what yf the archbishop him selfe draw owte off his trace and be ether deuided from all the bishops or from the better and sounder parte standing this goodly order who shall range him And when the D. saithe that tharchbishop can not deale for appeasing off controuersies but by persuasion and that composition which is made by intreatie off parties maie be made conueniently by equals what needethe there any superior archbishop How vntruly the Ans writeth off the archbishops and bishops autoritie in our church to hyde the hornes off their immoderate power both in this diuis and that before the eyes and eares off all men are witnes But as he serueth tharchbishops and bishops in this defense so for recompense off his paines he maketh them waite vpon him and hauing now set them on horseback by and by for shift of answer he maketh them light and goe a foote with their fellowes Cyprian saith the cause muste be heard vvhere the faulte vvas committed the D. that is to be vnderstanded of the Prouince or diocese as if it were not hearde within the prouince and diocese when yt is hearde within that particular churche where the controuersy groweth Therfore to make good his answer thus he must interprete thes wordes there vvhere the faulte vvas committed it shall be heard whersoeuer in the Prouince or diocese the faulte is committed yt must be hearde at the archbishops or bishops palace The firste interpretacion is coÌ„trarie to the proprietie of speache For seing matter rising in a particular church is saide properly to rise there where yt was doone and can not but improperly and by figure be saide to rise in the Prouince or diocese yt is manifest that Cyprian is made withowte any necessitie to sprake improperly As for the nexte interpretacion yt is cleane contrary to Cyprians meaning For when he will haue the matter there handled where they may haue bothe accusers and vvitnes that can be by no meanes vnderstoode off the Archbishops or bishops consistory For the parties haue not their witnesses aÌ„d accusers there whether they are coÌ„streined with greaate charges and longe iorneis to transporte them Where he saith Cyprian speaketh againste those which wente from Africk into Italie I preuented that shewing the reason is generall and seruing aswell againste those which will pull their causes vnto their hearing which dwell a 100. or 200. miles off them as againste those which carie them from one contrey to an other wherunto he answereth nothing For if there shoulde be a bare opposition betwene Africke and Rome and not rather betweene the place where the coÌ„trouersie riseth and that far of as lawfull as yt ys for him to say Cyprian meaneth not a particular churche where the cawse riseth but the diocese or Prouince so lawfull ys yt for me to saie that he meaneth nether diocese nor prouince but onely that quarter which makethe the fourth parte of the worlde So that by this meanes the cause rising in Mauritania maie be iudged in Aethiopia which is more then 10. times farther a sonder theÌ„ Rome froÌ„ Carthage And consequently yt should follow that any controuersy rising in the churche off Englande may be determined at Rome being a parte off Europe as at the place by his answer where the cause rose Where he saith there ys no Prouince with vs where bothe the accusers and witnesses may not be browght I graunt if they come and leaue their busines at home yf they die not by the way if the parties be able to beare their charges And with thes conditions they may be browght further And by this exposition off the Ans the triall made in passing the seas which the councell off Africk after forbad may be a great deale more commodious then the archbishops For they which dwell by the seaside may both with more ease and lesse charges haue end of their matters in
this testimonie of Epiphanius And further saith of Wickleue that therfore he tooke away the difference betwene bishop and elder because he could not obteine the bishoprick of Worcester and in an other booke inueigheth sharplie against them for that they would haue neither Pope nor primate nor Archbishop nor Bishop And that yt may yet appeare euen to the simple reader that they had the same cause against Pigghius and the Papistes which we against the D. I offer to his consideration besides the two flat testimonies of M Barnes aÌ„d Hooper before cyted M. Wickleues tenthe article in thes wordes Ther be 12 disciples of Antichrist Popes Cardinalles Patriarckes Archbishopes Bishops Archedeacons Officials Deanes Monkes Chanons Fryers and Pardoners If the D. say that Wickleue spake that not off the offices but off their abuse in popery that shift will not serue coÌ„sidering that he leaueth owt priestes and Deacons Wherof the priest especially doing more mischeife then diuerse which are reckened yet because he occupied the place off the pastor in euery congregacion which was the ordinance off God and was onely a deprauacion and deformitie off the trew ministerie he spareth him the other because they were deuised partlie herbingers to prepare his way partly purucâ—ers to interteine his estate he marked with the black cole off Antichristianitie Yf yt be further said that Wickleue should by this meanes condemne the estate off a bishop vvhich S. Paule alloweth off yt is manifest that he bet against the lord bishop which ruleth ouer other ministers in adiocese coÌ„sidering that he leaueth the priest the deformitie of the teaching minister which minister is all one as hath bene shewed with S. Paules Bishop Beside this reason they may as well saye he spake not against the office off Pope Chanons Monkes Friars Pardoners but onely against the abuse which is absurde This to the learned may better appeare by Pigghius discourse which confesseth that the Waldenses and Wickleue left the ordeâ— off priesthode as they call yt and that the whole question betwene them was not whether lord bishops and Archbishops did their dutie but whether they were lawfull estates Wherby appearethe that whosoeuer was the D. marchant these wares come from one off the filthiest puddels off popery and withall that as sone almost as there was any set and apparant estate of the churche which proclaimed open warre against Antichrist the letters off defiaunce were as well sent against the Archbishop and longehanded bishop as against the Pope Luther also after them writethe thus Bishops vvhersoeuer they be in all the vvorlde are equall to our bishops or parishe ministers and preachers of none caÌ„ yt be said one is lord an other a seruant they are off the same iudgement and vvhatsoeuer belongethe to the churche equally belongeth to all except that vvhich Paule teacheth some preacher or Christian may be off a sounder faith then other haue greater giftes then another interprete the scripture better then an other rule better then an other preache better and haue the discretion off spirites more then an other c. hovvbeit suche giftes cause no inequalitie or lordship in the church Here I will also set downe the iudgement off the reformed churches in Heluetia Zurich Berne Geneua Polonia Hungery Scotland c. who hauing reckened the ministries specified in scriptures add in the times follovving ther vvere many other titles off ministers brovvght into the churche For some vvere ordeined Patriarckes some Archbishops other Suffraganes also metropolitanes Archelders c. but for all those vve passe not ether vvhat they vvere in times past or are novv the Apostels doctrine of the ministers is sufficient for vs. Yf all these churches make no accounte off these offices not onely as they are now but when they were at the best if they esteme them withowt the doctrine of the Apostles I leaue to the readers iudgement what estimacion they had off them and how the D. woulde abuse vs that drawethe the sentences of the cheif in this coÌ„fession to proue their conuenieÌ„ce Neither do I dowbt but that our Archebishops and Bishops refusing to ioyne with the rest off the churches in this confession did it because they could not digest this morsell especiall Now to come to the D. that saith Epiphanius calleth vs heretickes which pinchethe vs. master Wickleue and the pore Waldenses bare yt at Pigghius hand we must do yt at the D. in dede so muche more pinching as yt commethe from him from whom yt least owght But what remedy the Lord will looke to it in time Howbeit because this arrow is as yt is said of Epiphanius a man subiecte to error shot owt off Pigghius bow one giuen vpp to error hauing no heade off the worde of God to make yt enter yt may peraduenture raise the skin but wounde yt can not make But Augustine reckenethe yt so but Augustine reporteth what he found written for towching his owne iudgement he is flat against Epiphanius which maketh a bishop aÌ„d an elder differ by the Apostels institution wheras Augustin as I haue shewed teacheth euen as Ierome that this difference was not by the word of God but by custome now I would know of the D. how Augustin can houlde that for an heresie which to leaue the rest can not be conuinced by the word off God but onely by a custome off the churche And here first he must either let goe his hould of Ierome or this of Epiphanius For if yt be trw that Epiphanius houldeth that a bishop and an elder differ by the Apostels institution then it is false which Ierome and others hould that they were all one at the first and that the difference came by custome Contrariwise if Ierome in that point say true as in dede he dothe then Epiphanius authoritie falleth Secondly yf the D. will preiudice this cause for that Epiphanius a Catholike thowght them to differ by the word off God where Aerius an heretike thowght them all one or els in that Augustin reckeneth that amongest his heresies by the same reason he must preiudice this trwthe that we owght not to praie or make any oblation for the dead For both Epiphan estemed him an heretike for his iudgement in that behalfe and Augustin reporteth this as one off his heresies which is catholike doctrine So that Pigghius might vse this autoritie better which condemnethe as well the one as the other then the D. which houldethe as I thincke for Catholike that which Aerius the hereticke affirmed and for hereticall which Epiphanius the Catholike condemned The flower off Epiphanius reasons browght before is answered now the D. distressed bringeth forth tag aÌ„d rag for towching Epiphanius saying the bishop by imposition off handes begetteth fathers 1. teachers to the churche vvhere the priestes begate onely sonnes yt is but asking off that in question when Aerius holding them both one by Gods institution the imposition off handes belonging vnto the bishop muste
described cccâ—xlix ccccliij Whether refer that the archbishop and bishop are nue ministeries ccccxxxviij Likewise that the first step to this kind off bishoprik began at Alexandria and not in Sion or Ierusalem and that it was after the Apostles times dxlviij Also the first step of preheminence to an archbishoprik ouer many bishops was but a litle before the Nicene Councel cccclxxxv That both this bishop and archbishop had their beginning by bare custome and not by the institution off God cccclxxxv dlxviij These two last pointes being expreslie shewed off the bishops and archbishops may be easely vnderstanded to be true in the Archdeacons and deanes by that dj dxxxvj diiij Yt ys further shewed off the archbishop that hâ— was not in steed of Archflamins instituted by S. Peter as 〈◊〉 pretended cccclxix Where is shewed that there were no Arâ—â—â—lamins vnder the Romain Empire cccclxxj not in England especially in the time supposed cccclxxij We refuse them also for that they exercise dominion Forbidden precisely vnto Ecclesiasticall persons 20. Mat. and 1 â–ª Pet. 5. ccccxxj ccccxxxj Declared in the example off S. Peter which had no autoritie giuen him aboue the rest off the Apostles but was in such respect equall dcvij Here are confuted the endes off instituting this autoritie Whereoff one is pretended to assemble rhe Synodes and to propound the matters dcxij dlxxxij Wherto belongeth that of those otherwise equall it is meet to auoid confusion that one by choise of the rest should rule the action and that yt is not meet that this should be perpetuall ccccxxij Which is conâ—â—â—ed by the example off S. Peter chosen therto by the Apostles and not perpetually dcxcvij made plaine by the examples off the elder and french churches now dxiâ—x The other pretended cause is to remedie contentions ccccxlvâ—ij â–ª dxlix dl dlxxiâ—ij dlxxxij Here also is shewed that he is the cause off contention dlxxix Which being shewed in the bishop and archbishop perteineth in part also to the archdeacon and deane Further against this dominion serueth that they are fellow seruantes fellow brethren in office ccccxx viij dxlv Also for that order and degrees stand withowt them ccccxxvij dcij This ys further declared by comparison of the elder archbishops and bishops with ours dxciiij dcxliiij Namely of Cyprians dxlvj and Ieroms dlxviij Likewise of the elder Archdeacons with ours dij And deanes with ours diiij That the Nicene Councell is far from mainteining the autoritie off our metropolitan dlxij So are the Councels off Antioch and Arles dlxv That Epiphanius Archbishop stood not in autoritie but in excellency off giftes dlx Here vpon we condemn as in all Ecclesiasticall ministers so in these foure al loftie titles as those which are annexed to dominion Wherunto perteineth that names are not alwaies indiffereÌ„t 408 And first the giuing high titles of ciuil honour as those which put a differeÌ„ â—â— betwene the ciuil aÌ„d ecclesiast officer ccccvj ccccxxiij As forbid â–ª 〈◊〉 precisely 22. Luk. cccciiij namely that the bishop Archbishops â—nd by the same reason deanes ought not to be called lordes hauing regard to the vse of our contrey ccccvij dclv Also that the title off Prince part off the Archbishops and Archdeacons name breaketh vpon the possession off the ciuil magistrate ccccvij Secondly in Ecclesiasticall titles we denie vnto them to be called heades off the churches Where is shewed first that that title agreeth vnto no simple creature The causes wheroff are ccccxij The absurdities which folow the giuing off it to any other then to our San. Christ ccccxj The approbation off writers nue and ould that he is onely head ccccxiij The same shewed off the name off Archbishop cccix Hetherto belongeth that it was not so sone in the west partes as in the East ccccxciiij That yt is not shewed to haue bene giuen to any but with condemning off yt in any alowed writer vntill about 380. yeares ccccxcv Wherto perteineth that nue writers gyuing yt to ministers of elder times are shewed to haue doen it according to the times wherin not whereoff they wrote cccclxxxj ccccxcv Likewise that the name metropolitan is not off the same value with archbishop cccclxxxvij And that it is not shewed to haue bene before the Councell off Nice ccccxciiij Also that the Councels off Carthage houlden about ccl and 400. yeares doe forbid this name ccccxcviij Finally hether perteineth that off the counterfait canons off the Nicene Councell handled cccclxxxviij And the counterfait book off Ambrose which mentioneth the archbishop ccccxcj Likewise the name of Arch deacon is not shewed vntill about 400. yeares page 502. Nor off the deane vntill about the same time page diiij Furthermore vpon this that dominion is forbidden them is also forbiddeÌ„ their other pomp off lije Wherof vnto the three causes assigned in my former book xcviij Is added the fourth â—â—0 off this book This ys shewed by comparison off the elder bishops with ours in their apparel houses houshould stuf fare traine off men dcxlxij c. Further that the most part off the riches wherwith this pomp is mainteined is the commen treasure off the church for mainteinance off the miâ—sters which want off the poore and off the vniuersities and th … in this point they haue succeded vnto those which got the 〈◊〉 sacriledge dcxlix Further we refuse the archbishop and archdeacon for that they haue larger charges then they are or can be sufficient for Hetherto perteineth that all the ordinary ministers owght to be appointed to a place and that that place is a particular congregacion no diocese nor prouince ccxcvj ccclx Where the D. corruption drawen from the Papistes is confuted Hether also perteineth that Denis did not deuide parishes Prouinces and dioceses ccclviij Hether also perteineth that by the word off God there may and owght if the case require be moe bishops in one particular congregation â—â—n one dxxvij The traces theroff in the church long after the Apostles time page dxxviij dlâ—â— Likewise that there owght by the word off God to be in euery particular congregation one bishop dxv Hether refer the causes off the falling away of this order which were naught dxx Likewise that care ouer churches inferreth not necessarily charge ouer them dcxxij That the iurisdiction they had owt off their particuler churches was nothing but a reuerend estimation page dxxxij Hetherto perteineth the vse off the church long after the Apostels times ccc Also that the elder bishops were called bishops off parishes cccclxxvâ—ij The examples off Demetrius dxlij off Cyprians bishop aâ—most through the whole 3. chapter off the last Tra. off Cornelius 540. 556. of Dionysius Alexandrinus 558 Gregorie 5â—9 Peter Alexandrinus â—60 Athanasius 56â— Ambrose 492. Al which alledged by the D. as bishops off prouinces were ether of one particular church or off the churches in one onely ciâ—â—e or at the least had far les compas by the twentith part then our bishops This
not right and yet some founde whiche either maye haue there calling according to the word off god diuerse from that which is commonly vsed or els the lawfull callinge by the church ceasing haue it by an immediate calling from god Iff M. D. will be so ignorant as not to know how these two maye stand togither let him be ignorant if he delight in his blindnes what should he doo with a guide After he saith my distinction is not good off lavvfull and ordinarie for that whatsoeuer is lawfull in a churche established the same is ordinarie and for proufe hereoff he addeth that coÌ„mon reason teacheth it but what is that common reason it had bene good yow had set it downe This is a simple confutatioÌ„ which yow vse to proue that in an established church lawfull and ordinarie are all one And iff I should replie and saye that the distinction is good and that common reason teacheth soo if I light off as fauorable a reader as yow my proufe will be as good as yours â–ª but this is but to abuse the time and to delude the world And it is the more vntollerable that yow are not contente to haue said it once withowt proufe onlesse it be also quoted in the margent as thowghe we could not withowt some great damage want this highe sayinge And wher yowe make common reason the iudge hereoff althowghe she be an euill scholemistris oftentimes in these cases yet she teacheth here plainely against yow For iff a man will consider it in naturall thinges yt is euident in the birthe off children that some thing is lawful which is not ordinarie It is nor ordinarie for a woman to bring foorthe thre or fower children at once and yet it is lawfull And if this common reason be considered also in politicall thinges there it shall appeare likewise that thinges are lawfull in a well gouerned aÌ„d established coÌ„mon wealth which are not ordinaâ—rie As if order be taken that none shal clime the walles of the citie aÌ„d the citizens climinge the wall vpon the sodeine comming off the enemie driue him backe no maÌ„ can denie but this acte is lawfull and yet it is clere that it is not ordinarie being otherwise but in suche a case as this punishable But let these goo and let vs see how this oracle agreeth withe the word off god And first iff by a churche established yow meane a church which hathe one vniforme order grounded owt off the word off god yow take that for graunted which is the controuersie for we denie that the churche off England is so established But iff yow vnderstand by a churche established a church of god vvherin vvith other thinges well donne the corruptions which are in yt are by common consent off those which rule the churche agreed vppon it is manifest that in suche a churche there hath bene a calling lawful which was not ordinarie For before the comminge off our Sauior Christ it is confessed that there was amangest the Iewes aÌ„d in IerusaleÌ„ especially a churche of god established the ordinarie ministeries off the priestes and Leuites vsed thâ— prescribed sacrifices offred the law read and taught the corruptions of the churche were not the seuerall opinions of particular persons but the vniforme decrees off those vvhich had the gouernment And yet there the lord raised vp Simeon and Iohn Baptiste whose vocations being extraordinarie were notwithstanding lawfull And that there be no hole for M. D. to hide his bouldnes off castinge forthe whatsoeuer taketh him first in the heade it is to be shewed that in the moste orderlie established churches off god and moste purelie reformed according to the worde of god there haue bene ministers lawfull and yet not ordinary In the vvildernes the churche vnder the conduite off Moses and Aaron was for the owtward face exactlie gouerned according to the rule that god had giuen theroff and yet we reade off the 72. vpon whom the spirite of Prophesie fell vvhich vvas no ordinarie calling as that vvhich endured but for a time as the wordes of the texte howsoeuer they be otherwise translated do declare which saith that they added not to prophesie anie more When was the churche better established according to the rule off the worde of god then in Dauids time and yet then besides himselffe there vvere diuerse extraordinarie ministers For there was the Prophete NathaÌ„ and Gad withe others not off the Leuiticall order whiche onelie was the ordinarie callinge off the churche In the new Testament the churche off Antioche ceased not after it was established to haue the extraordinarie function off Prophetes And onless M. D. vvill saie that all these functions were vnlawfull he must confesse that in an established churche ordinarie and lawfull are not all one And albeit in these times vvhere there is a churche established according to the vvord off god the lord dothe not vse to raise vp anie suche extraordinarie ministerie neither is it to be looked for yet yt is a thinge vvhich may come to passe and vvhiche hathe nothinge in the vvorde off god to the contrarie In steade of that yow saye Iff any church in England doo electe there minister otherwise then the lawes off the churche dothe permitt it can not be excused off schisme yow should haue said otherwise then the worde off god dothe permitte For iff it be shewed that that order established be corrupte and the other vvhiche they folowed in the calling off their minister according to the vvord of god then they neede not to be afraid off the slaunder off schisme And vvhere yovv saye suche and suche parishes muste be loked vnto verely they nede not therin be ashamed vvho looke vpon them But If eare the looke yow meane is to put owt their eye in taking awaie the Minister that they should be the lesse hable to looke vnto your vnfaith full dealing vvithe the churches off god Yow vnderstand not yow saie what I meane when I saie that the choise off the Minister by the churche is suche as the examples off the scripture do shew to haue bene before the Eldershipp and gouernment off the churche be established I know in deede these thinges before haue bene vnhearde off by yow whose ignorance the churche must rue And now when yow are tolde it in so plaine wordes as I nothinge dowbte but a childe off nine yeres oulde dothe vnderstand yt yow can not yet comprehende it Yt was the practise off the Pharises against our Sauior Christe when they had nothing to answere to charge him that he spake not plainlie but propounded thinges dowbtfully that men coulde not tell where to haue him For they come vnto him and saye how longe doest thow holde vs in suspence Iff thow be Christ tell vs plainlie as thowghe he had not tolde them plainlie before This Pharisaicall practise the D. vseth against me diuerse times gropinge at noone dayes and complaining that I am not plaine and open enoughe and going
off that description he declared his care ouer his church and not â—â— making an end off it he signifieth that he declared lesse care For if to describe the three offices of gouernemeÌ„t Bishop Deacon and Elder were an argument off his loue and care towardes his church had not also the adding to off the fourth yf any were bene a token off the same But if as the Ans would make vs belieue the Lord declared his great care and loue more towardes his church in leauing that office at her arbitrement then yt should also follow that in appointing no more but the Deacon and Elder which gouerneth onely yea in appointing no officer at all he should haue shewed him self more carefull and louing Which if yt be absurd that he saith wherof this followeth is not to be admitted Againe wheras he graunteth that our Sauiour Christ hath gone throwgh with the doctrine I would ask off him why in that point he hath made so cleane worck Whatsoeuer he answer here and what cawses soeuer he assigne he can not deny but one cawse is the blindnes of men to see and their peruersnes of iudgement in thinges perteining to the kingdom off heauen Which if it be true then I would gladly know off him how they come to be so egleeyed in the matter off discipline and gouernemeÌ„t which are such bussardes in the sight off the doctrine and how their eyes be opened here which were shut there As if we were in lesse perill off error in inuenting the Discipline off the church then we should haue bene in deuising the doctrine or as thowgh it were an easier matter to finde a rule wherby the whole church ioyntly then wherby euery one in his seuerall might be directed And if part of this gouernemeÌ„t and order being propounded part also is left owt why rather were not the greater offices and off more weight expressed leauing the smaller to the stamp off mans head for who knoweth not but it is harder to institute a ministerie for the gouernement off a whole prouince then for a companie coÌ„prised within the territoire of a furlong to institute a ministerie for gouernment and commandement of both people and Bishops too then for the people onely So that off the twoo vertues required in all sufficient dispensation faithfulnes and wisdome and which were both most fully in our S. Christ by the Ans account there was nether For in that he is made to haue described some part off the gouernement and not all he is argued of vnfaithfulnes in that he is made to haue propounded the les and easier leauing owt greater and more difficult his wisdome is reproched Nether may the D. thinck here to escape with the distinction off externall thinges variable by circumstances which els where he alledgeth For first I haue shewed that yt is most vntrue that all externall thinges be variable TheÌ„ he must remeÌ„ber that he making his Archbishops office to begin in the Apostles tymes hath drawen owt his continuance vnto this tyme all which he hath as he yet doth accounted off him as a head piller of the church off god Now if he be such a profitable officer both in the purest tyme off the church and the corrupt both in persequution and peace vnder a Christian Magistrate and vnder a TyraÌ„t yt is cleare that this ys an office not variable by circumstance off times but which our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles might haue aswell established in perpetuitie as he did any off those vnchangeable ministeries Bishops Deacons c. In calling yt a seruile tie to haue the whole gouernement at the prescript off Gods word he forgetteth that the greatest libertie and freedom off Christians is to serue the Lord according to his reuealed will and in all thinges to hang vppon his mouth But that he addeth yt ys to be tied vnto the lettre as in the law fyrst is Papisticall and Anabaptisticall proceeding from a grosse ouersight and want of vnderstanding off the Apostles meaning wheÌ„ he speaketh of the lettre of the law For wheras the Apostle setteth agaynst the lettre of the law that is to say the bare coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t doo this c. the worcking off the spirit gyuen by promesse wherby the law in part is obteined off vs and made healthfull which otherwise bringeth death the Answ with the Papistes and Anabaptistes opposeth the lettre vnto that not writteÌ„ nor commaunded in scripture When in that sense which he taketh lettre if there were any such we are as streightly and precisely bound vnto the lettre as euer were the Iewes The examples brought as exceptions against the certein and commaunded mynisterie are such for the most part as might seem to haue bene brought to set the D. cawse in the mockerie and lawghter of all men For yt is well knowen that the name off a Scribe was no name off any certein order and particular kinde off ministerie but a generall name gyuen vnto the skilfull in the law of god For although we read of some to whom yt ys gyuen which beside the ordinary function wrote something yet yt may be easely shewed that they had that name not off writing but rather becawse they were expert in the law off God written Which as yt may be proued by diuers autorities off the scripture so yt doth by the autoritie off our Sauiour Christ manifestly appeare And when our Sauiour speaking off the tymes of the gospell saith he will send Scribes and yet neuer heard tell off that there was any certein order or particular function off Scribes vnder the gospell yt ys cleare that vnder title off Scribe there was neuer vnderstanded any seuerall degree off ministerie The same is to be aswered vnto the name of Doctor of law that yt was a generall name where with they were named which were learned or taken for learned in the law of god Which may appeare for that whom S. Math. calleth a a lawier or Doctor of the law S. Marck calleth a Scribe To change the Capitain off the Temple into an Ecclesiasticall officer needeth a very strong exorcisme The Temple of Ierusalem being the strongest place in the whole citie and by reason off the height commaunding the whole cytie round about was by all likelihood taken of the Romans to be their fort or Cytadell Considering that Herod had also builded a fort there called Antonia where they placing their garrisons did the easelier and with greater securitie holde the Iewes in that bondage which they sought at euery occasion to shake off Herunto leade the prophane mindes of the Romans which beside the safetie they sowght that waies tooke pleasure also in prophaning the temple off the Lord ad also the practise off our daies which may serue for confirmacion herof But howsoeuer the matter be this appeareth plainly that that office was not ecclesiasticall but both a cyuill and warlike function For when S. Iohn beside the seruantes off the Scribes
and by after this tyme in which Lucius ys saied King of Britaines heare what ys reported by a writer euen off that age and which was for the most part in the warres off the Romans him self Amongest the Brytaines the people for a great part haue the rule To conclude Gildas himself in his inuectiue Epistle agaynst the Britaines maketh mentiō of diuers kinges as liuing all at one tyme but admit this were true that Lucius was King alone ouer all Brytaine yet was he vnder the Romane deputie and could attempt no change of Religion specially the Romaine and so vniuersally as ys supposed but with his allowance the Brytaines hauing amonge them at that tyme so valiant a Romane deputie called Albinus of whom Seuerus then Emperour stood hym self in some awe and durst attempt no warres abroad before he had fyrst ioined in sure amitie with him For to haue flamines was proper to the Roman religion but Druides proper to the Brytaines Which if at any time the Romans did put away to establish their owne flamines which doth not yet apeare by any historie yet that could they not doe ouer all Britaine according to Geffreis storie but onely so far as their owne prouince did extend For ouer all Britaine they were neuer Lordes seing that a Roman which saith he wrote that he saw writeth thus Part off this Island is a litle lesse then half ovvres vvhich vvhen Seuerus vvould vvholy subdue he entred into Calidonia For a litle before thes wordes he maketh the Britaines consist of two kindes of people whom be calleth Meatas and Calidonios and that the Romans had in their power onely the Meatas Againe consider what was the life off the Britaine 's in the daies of Seuerus the Emperour who liued a lytle after that Lucius ys saied King off Britaine and it vvill appeare most plainly that the Brytaines had not onely no such shew off a generall and open Christian church established amonge them as setteth forth Geffrey but also that they were far from any litle tast off Christ For thus yt ys written off them They liue in tentes naked their vviues are commen c. Ys it like that a people that abuseth wines in commen had such a constituted forme of a Christian church as Geffrey gyueth to vnderstand or was there euer such barberousnes off going naked off men and weomen where the word off God was tawght which commaundeth not onely modestie but semelynes It is therfore rather true which that ould father Gildas their owne countrey man speaketh off them the Britaines receiued the faith off Christ euen from the cōming off Christ and in the daies off Tiberius the Emperour but that was not publikely nor vniuersally by autoritie off Prince but off some few and off those how Of some Koldly off some soundly and how lōg vntill the tymes off Dioclesian the Tyrant which was after Lucius at least 132. yeares But if we will narrowly exact this storie of Geffrey yt will hardly fall owt that Lucius him self became a Christian according to his deliuering off the sterie For he saith yt came to passe by meanes off Eleutherius wo was made bishop off Rome in the daies of Commodus the Emperour anno 180. and yet maketh Lucius to die an 156. so by that reckening Lucius became Christian after he was dead at least xxiiij yeares Further if we well marck after what long blindnes off time this storie commeth to light and in what defect off any ould and good writer to keepe the memorie therof I dare warrant yow yt will proue but a fable The time when this is saied to be doon lacketh a good deale off 200. yeares after Christ a thowsand yeares after this we haue no knowen writer nether off our owne not forein that maketh any litle report off this chaunge off Archflaminrickes into archbishoprickes vntill the tyme off Geffrey who was made bishop off S. Asse in the daye off Henry the second And from vvhence fetcheth he this storie yt may be some will say he had yt off the ould Britaines and was by him onely tourned into latin but how likely is this to be true when ould Gildas dealeth thus plainly in report off his owne countrey monumentes The monumentes of vvriters yf there vvere any be ether burnt by fyre of ennemies or by nauy of citisens exiled caried far off doe not appeare But if any man will say perhaps this booke of Geffrey was one off those so caried away and afterwardes found he woteth not where was browght home againe this besides it is off yt self but a coniecture ys also plainly refuted by Geffrey him self who vvriteth storie almost off 200. yeares after Gildas and hath the bistorie off Bede in some places euen word for word That I speake nothing off his vntruth and toto childish errors in many places especially vvhen he maketh report off any matter of auncient tyme which might be some argument also to draw from hym opinion off antiquitie After that Geffrey had once coiued this storie there lacke no writers which also make mention theroff but so as they make some chaunge off his report As Platina who maketh but 25. flamines and 3. Archflamines belike moued by the Epistle off Gildas who maketh the nombre of all the cyties in Britaine to be but 28. although he alledge for his autor Ptolomey Thus far this autor vpon all which matter may appeare what folies they be which the D. auowcheth for truth and wheruppon he hath laied the foundacion off his archbishop Yow shall not be hable to shewe that the bishops which the Apostels planted were other then which with thelders had the ouersight of one particular congregation and therfore yowr proofes are alwaies by other thinges as dowtefull as the question in hande And if that vvere true yet maketh it nothing for the archbishop For what synewes are in this argumēt The Apostles placed bishops in euerie cytie therfore an Archbishop ouerseer off them in euery prouince After he saith yf by a piller of Antechriste yow vnderstand him or him as if I had not sufficiently shewed vvhō I mēte Who can patiently answer this wandring where the way is so plainly beaten and this is his commen practise to peece owte his answer Thirdly he saith he may take reportes off Antiquities from the papistes no man hindereth him But if he will take their reporte in their owne cawse and in a matter inuented to aduance the credite of the romishe seat that whilest Peter is made the founder of Archbishops and Patriarckes the Pope his supposed successor might haue the stewardship off them and they be the easelier holden in his obedience yf I saie he will belieue suche stories yt is to be feared leste it be the Lordes anger againste him wherby it is iuste that they shold belieue lies which vvill not belieue the truth And if the sentet of the archbishop had so occupied his sense
is confessed that it was in the time off the councell off Nice before which yt can not be shewed in any allowed writer for where the D. citeth the Centuries which call Cyprian vvhich was before it Metrapolitan they doo so call him according to the coustome of times vvhich folowed as is before proued owt off their owne testimonie As for the name of Primat the firste tydinges of it is a great while after 400. yeares vvhich is vvithout our coÌ„pas for the name off an Archbishop the firste mention alledged off him in any councell is nere vppon 500. years Where yt is said the name of an Archbishop is attributed vnto Athanasius he should haue tould who doth attribute that name and then he had had his answer For nether in his worckes nor in any auncieÌ„t writer that speaketh of him is it found Indeed a Louâ—nist doth so call him but he hath no credit in this cause Where he alledgeth that the name of Archbishop is found in the 2. Apologie of Athanasius if he shew â–ª Athanasius him selfe speaking so in his owne laÌ„guage I belieue him if he can not he must change his stile and in steed off Athanasius say the translator off Athanasius And beside that the Emperour set one Iohn a Miletian ether heretike or schismatike to be more then quarter master with him yf yt be true that he hath so earnestly disputed before that an archbishop and Metrapolitan be all one Alexandria being the metrapolitan citie onely and the bishop therof the onely metrapolitan yt muste needs fall owt that vvhere this other Archbishop is supposed off the D. to haue bene there could be no archbishop and consequently that that is the translatours faulte There remaineth onely Epiphanius the firste off auncient vvriters that gaue this name place in his vvritinges I am content therfore let this be the firste flight off that name in to the church which being abowte the yeare off our Lord 389. at vvhat time Ephanius florished neere vppon 400. yeares yt is apparant that both the Ans ys greatly ouershot which would make vs belieue this name to haue bene from the times of the Apostles and that I kepte my selfe within my boundes in saying the name off Archbishop can not be shevved in any allovved vvriter by the space off 300 years after Christ As for that he would proue yt to haue bene in Peter the bishop of Alexandrias tyme which was before the Nicene cocell becawse Epiph. doth call him Archbishop yt hath bene often answered that that title was not of the Person but of the times vvherin Epiphanius vvrote For vvhen the vvriters before him and those in Peters time speaking off Peter call him bishop allwayes and not archbishop and not him onely but Achilles Alexander and Athanasius which succeded hym ys there any man of so smail iudgement as not to vnderstand that this alteracion off title came off the alteracion off times So we see that off all the testimonies the Answ hath mustred there is not one that hath stricken one stroke in the quarell off that antiquitie off the name off Archbishop The two next sections I leaue to the Iudgement off the reader sauing that besides the vanitie off thexcuse of Basils pouertie ioined vvith vntrwth considering that Basil had not bene so small a while bishop in one place aÌ„d other but he might haue gotten some wull on his thread beare gowne if the fleese off his Archbishopricke had haÌ„d yt yt shal appeare God willing that as this pouertie accompanied the bishops in perfequution so the ordenary of all godly bishops off those times and long after which liued in great peace was as far from this lordly estate as the honest frugalitie off diuers mynisters with vs is from the riotous porte off a bishop As for my narrow search off a comma wheroff he speaketh his pleasure he might know that althowge a comma be but a litle pricke yet yt ofte maketh a great matter The greatnes off the metrapolitanship of Basile ouer Capadocia was scarce a plowghe land in comparison off that which yow imagine I for there were at the least two Metrapolitanships in Capadocia one in Caesaria where Selladius which succeded Basil was bishop an other in Nissa where Gregory Basils brother was Beside that if it were trwe yow say after that Pontus perteined vnto the Bishop of Constantinople Capadocia being in yt Basil was his vnderling and therfore no cause vvhy he should be called so great a metrapolitan as yow pretend Here destitute off all defense he flieth from the cawse vnto by matters partly vaine and partly false vvhich I vvill void in as fewe wordes as I caÌ„ before I come to the poincte off the cawse Where he saith Simeon tharchbishop was a bowte the councel off Nice and therfore no cawse to accuse those times more then the former examples and for profe alledgeth that he was martyred by Sapore yf yt he trw that is written Sapores beginning his reigne abowte the yeare of the lord 310. and reigning 70. yeares yt might be well for any thing yet alledged that he was martyred abowte the yeare 380 and yf we follow his accompte yet yt is answered Where he saith I declare my vnskillfullnes in saying the bishop of Constantinople chalenged not the preheminence ouer all let yt be noted that the hunger he hath to reprehend my vnskillfullnes presseth him so violeÌ„tly that feeding one yt so gredyly he hath not so soone swallowed as he is compelled to regorge and lay them vp againe For in the nexte sentence reprehending me as if I had saied that the bishop off Constantinople chalenged the title off vniuersall Patriarche in the councell off Calcedon he plainly affirmeth he did not chalenge yt yet I say not that he chalenged that name but onely that he mighte ordein bishops off Asia c. Where he woulde proue my vnskilfulnes becawse Pelagius and Gregory Bishops off Rome write agaynste the Bishop off Constantinople for that cawse in deede so he maie easely finde him selfe talke yf when I speake of the bishop of Constantinople which was in the time off the Calcedon Councell he talke off the Bishop off Connstantinople more then 100. yeare after Whether this be ether to trifle or not to know thes thinges the knowledge wheroff he so often chalengeth let the reader iudge Againe he saith the name off vniuersall bishop was offered vnto the bishop off Rome in the councell off Calcedon and notwithstanding saith yt was firste gyuen vnto the bishop of Constantinople in the Councell of Constantinople being long after Which are thinges vnlikely For he making the Bishop of Rome to begin his clayme to that tytle so longe before yt is not to be thought that being then offered him he would refuse yt Which yf yt were true the bishop of Constant could not be the firste that had that title giuen him in the Councell of Constant long after But yowr lodes man here
As thowgh if the matter had bene committed to S. Paul onely it should not haue bene with the same bond off keping him to the word yet yt was not so committed as I haue alledged And if he think more succour for him in the wordes he vsed the archbishop must determin according to the rule of the church it is certein also that the companie of Apostles and Elders in Ierusalem and what companie soeuer meeteth together abowt the ending of such matters is subiect vnto all lawful and commendable orders off the churche prouided for the more orderly proceding in that behalf So that there being nothing here alledged by the D. which agreeth not vnto the Apostles and Angels themselues the excessiue autoritie off tharchbishop doth still appeare in that he alone endeth controuersies which in the Apostolike church was not committed but vnto many For as for that in the next diuis he compoundeth not controuersies by him self alone onles he meane that he hath his seruantes the Chaunceler and Archdeacon or some other off his owne châ—â—sâ— â–ª the booke set owt by tharchbishop of late doth declare the coÌ„trary and the experience off his visitacions and deposing off ministers doth openly conuince him of vntruth If he say he is not alone he hath them following him he must vnderstaÌ„d that becawse ether the archbishop carieth their voices vnder his girdell or yf they vse the freedome which is meet yet the approbacion dependeth vpon the archbishops beck he can no more account them to be diuers then a maÌ„ and his shadow following him And where in his former booke he saith the cheif office off an archbishop is to compound contentions schismes c. here being put to his shift he changeth his speach saying it is his principall office to prouide that contentions c. be cut of Where he addeth or els with the Princes consent he setteth an order in a prouinciall Synode If there be any Synode ether to take the iudgement owt off his hand or controll the sentence gyuen by him it is like to be sore against his will. So that the remedy off this mischief dependeth onely vpon the Cyuill power which if ether yt be ennemy to religion or entangled with the present heresie as hath and may herafter come to passe the churche being withowt remedy must languish and pyne away He saith this example of the matter caried to Ierusalem proueth that euery parish within yt self hath no absolute autoritie to end controuersies but it behoueth to resort vnto the cheif church the contrary wherof appeareth For in that they both debated the cawse amongest them selues and when they coulde not agree decreed to send yt to Ierusalem yt ys sufficiently declared that they had autoritie to end it amongeste them and that yt was not wrunge from them by necessitie off law or pretence off higher autoritie but voluntarily sent vp to Ierusalem Althowgh for this place in hand yt ys sufficient that the deciding off controuersies hung not vppon the mouth off one man were he neuer so sufficient but were referred vnto thassemblies of the Auncients and ministers of the word As for his olde shiftes of the weaknes of negatiue argumentes of autoritie and of examples of the scripture and thapostolike church their folie is opened before Here he taketh on against my vnskilfulnes in the scriptures which referred that vnto ministers which is spoken off all the church Howbeit if he had coÌ„ferred the text he should haue found that thapostle speaketh of the Prophe thes and not of the whole church For he biddeth that tvvo or three of the Prophetes should speake and the other that is to say Prophetes should gyue iudgement Which appeareth by the reasoÌ„ added the sprite off the Prophetes is subiect to the Prophetes Therfore the D. corrupteth the place and the argument to proue that not one minster but many owght to determin of doutfull causes is vntowched Where I pressed him with this that vnitie is fully mainteined by the ministeries vvhich God hath ordeined â–ª he asketh how oft I will alledge it Yf it be a fault in me to alledge one place often vpon diuers occasions what is it in him to alledge one thing so continually vppon the same occasion If he would haue opened his eyes he should haue seen that I vsed an argument proper to this place and not vsed before For where he pretendeth the archbishop was ordeined to kepe vnitie I shew that withowt him vnitie is perfectly kept wherunto he answereth nothing but as before But I will serue his tast and giue him change For the Apostle a litle before exhorting to vnitie bringeth also this reason one body one spirit one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God c. Wherby appeareth that the apostle tooke thes ones to be sufficient to kepe the people off God in vnitie And if to haue an archbishop had bene so necessary the apostle shoulde haue fowly forgotten him self hauing so fit a place to speake of him And as this is aptly opposed against the pretended peace by a Pope so is yt likewise against that surmised to be browght by the archbishop Where I ask vvhat buckler vve may haue to hould ovvt against the Papistes vvhich come vpon vs vvith the name of traditions off the apostles if vve admit that there vvere archbishops ordeined by them vvherof the scripture maketh no mention he answereth there can be no daunger in them so they be not made necessarie to saluacion but such as receiue alteracion Which althowgh it be cleane contrary to that he saide before where he bindeth vs to obseruation of them as I haue shewed yet it shall be sufficient here to let him vnderstand that he hath vtterly barred him self from this answer for that he saith this ministrie of the Archbishop is necessarie yea most necessarie Now if it be most necessarie for preseruacion of vnitie off the church yt is plaine that it is necessarie also for the saluacion of yt For the next diuis I haue shewed how absurdly the D. defendeth this rouing where let the reader iudge what difference there is betwene our archbishop and Ieromes bishop which differed nothing from a commen minister but that he had the ordeining off ministers And here I call once againe vpon him to shew any godly and learned writer which expoundeth this place of Ierome off an archbishop to see if he be any happier in this place then he was before in Cyprians The Bishop off Salisb affirmeth that the very meaning off Ierome is off euery bishop in his dioces and Harding in the end beaten downe with the light off the place is compelled to confesse it The next I leaue to the reader to iudge by that alledged on both sides The D. saith I refuse Ierome in a matter off storie yet I denie no part off his storie wherin he seemeth to haue lost all commensense For who in
ministers preach and suppresse heresies so well thorowgh all the church as an archbishop in a Prouince I haue shewed that albeit one be graunted more impossible then the other yet this also is impossible which is sufficient to proue that in hand And that is here confessed when he is constreyned to lay one part off his dutie vpon his Suffraganes shoulders an other vpon his archdeacons c. All which if he be able to beare him self why doth he driue them vnto others Let the church at least be discharged off thes bourdens If not why hath he taken it vpon him Yf the Pope deserue condemnacion for taking more vpon him then he is able to doo the Archbishop and bishops which beare him companie in this point caÌ„ not be separated from it So this reason browght against the Pope standeth fast against them Moreouer as the Pope can not dispatch his matters in the whole churche so well as an Archbis in a prouince so can nether an Archbis in his Prouince so well as a bishop in his dioces nor he in his dioces so wel as in a particular coÌ„gregacioÌ„ doo the duties of a bishop So that this answer no more shutteth owt the Pope then the archbishop or lordly bishop But he saith the archbishop may haue conference with his archdeacons and Chauncelours which the Pope can not He seemeth to haue forgotten the conference by letters and intelligence which the Pope hath had from tyme to time so particular and precise off churches furtheste off him as if he had bene in the bosome off them which pointe Maister Tindall hathe well set forthe And would to God there were the tenth part off the fruicte off the archbishops conference vnto the good off our churche which hathe bene off the Popes to the ouerthrow therof And if conference by mouthe be necessary Rome is not so far but as it hathe bene so it maie be had For besydes that stories aforde vs diuers examples off churches which haue sowght the appeasing off their controuersies from places further remoued then Canterbury is from Rome the marchandrise off vnitie owght to be so precious that we shoulde not doubte to saile for yt vnto the Indes and Garamantes so that if there be suche a mysterie in the nomber of one to kepe vnitie the distance of place owght not to hinder this monarchie off the whole churche yf for no other cause yet for this that when the archbishops of whom hangeth forsoothe the churches peaâ—â— are fallen owt there maie be some to accord them That as the mynisters haue lorde bishops and they tharchbishops so the archbishops might haue a Pope in reuerence off whose autoritie they might easelyer be conioined And in deede by so much more yt is necessary in this respect there should be a Pope ouer the archbishop then ether archbis ouer bishops or bishops ouer ministers as the reÌ„te and diuisioÌ„ in theÌ„ being cheif is more hurtfull then when it falleth amongeste those in lower places For when schismes and heresies light amongeste them they spred so muche further as they with the arme and power off their autoritie are hable to flinge them further then the other The differences betwene the Pope and the archbishop serue but for stuffing for I excepted in my replie the corruptions off doctrine and yow owght to haue vnderstanded that superiority of one bishop ouer all in the catholike churche chosen by consente doothe not necessarily drawe thes accidentes of contempte of Princes of making their decrees equall with the lawes of god c. Yow should therfore haue made yowr coÌ„parison betwene an vniuersall Bishop chosen and not breaking in violently meinteining the truthe and not fighting againste yt c. Vnto that I alledged that thinges passing by voice in the churche of Alexandria the distinction off bishop from the reste off the elders in the church there might come in vvithovvte Saint Marckes consente he saithe nothing And in deede if he had obteined that which he woulde so faine that this alteration was made in S. Marckes time yet he shall neuer obteine this that S. Marke had his hande in that chaunge onles he will saie the Apostells and Apostolicall men were autors off all thinges doone in their time in euery singular congregacion Vnto that I saide the vvordes from Saint Marcke maie be taken rather exclusiuely to shut ovvte S. Marke he answereth that none off iudgement will graunte that where notwithstanding he that hath anie iudgement doth easely vnderstande that the wordes haue manie times that significacioÌ„ and that they are so here I am coÌ„tent it be tried by the other reasons propounded I alledged that S. Marck can not be autor off that distinction because he making those thinges diuers vvhich the holy Gost made one should make the storie he vvrote suspected He answereth yt ys certeine thes were no otherwise distinguished then the holy gost appointed them which I haue shewed how shameles yt ys Then that my collection is vngodly to imagine so off the gospell written by the Euangeliste As yff I did not in plaine wordes deteste all suspicion of the vntrwthe off that Gospell and therfore caste awaie his false surmise which might gyue occasion theroff He saith therby appeareth at the least that yt was auncient I denie not but yt is manifeste also that ther were other corruptions in some places of the churche as aunciente The Answ as his coustome is taketh his pleasure off me because vpon the wordes off Ierome this coustome vvas at Alexandria I gather that yt was not in other places As if yt were not manifeste that Ierome noteth where yt began and if it had beginning at Alexandria yt was there when yt was not in other churches If it had had further passage at that time Ierome should haue doone yt iniurie in coÌ„cealing yt For it would haue made much for the credite off that distinction Which I alledging in the next diuis the Ans saith nothing vnto Nether is there anie so rude an idiote which knowethe not that a notable or vnwonted thinge saide off one man place or time is spoken emphatically and excludeth all other But as the D. will not vnderstande a generall proposition vnles yt haue the signe all or euerie before yt so he will not vnderstande that any thinge is appropriat vnto another vnles yt haue thes wordes onely alone c. And it is cleare how intollerable the D. is in his insultations seing Ierome in saying that this coustome gat grounde by litle and lytle declareth the trwth of my collection And where he answereth to that I obiected off the confounding oftentimes off prieste and bishop that the bishop is a prieste but not contrariwise he first answereth not to the argumeÌ„t For this is not to be confounded when off two thinges one is verified of the other but thother can not returne and be verified of his fellow Secondly his answer is ouerthrowne by his exposition of the place of
which I haue shewed to be far from the vse of those times or onles we graunt that there can be no schismes nor heresies in a particular congregacion wherof there is to good experience or that yt is impossible there should be many elders in one church which I haue declared and shall God willing declare further to be vntrue I saie onles thes proue an archbishop or a lorde bishop there is nothing in those wordes off Ierome And yet the D. that he may helpe his weake reasons with stronge wordes muste vppon thes conclude yt impossible to expounde Ieromes wordes otherwise then off bishop or archbishop such as ours Where he concludeth vpon that the elders chose one amongeste them whom they made bishop as the captaine is chosen of the the soldiars that therfore the bishop was ouer diuers congregations there is no likelyhood off reason And where to giue yt some he threapeth twoo thinges at my hande the one that this worde elder signifieth onely a minister off the worde thother that euery minister of the worde had his seuerall flocke he doothe but dalie For he knoweth well that I hould that the worde elder reacheth to such as gouerne onely and that there were in diuers congregations more then one which preached the word of god Where he saith those which I call obscure villages were litle cyties suche as with vs Ely or Peterborowgh I leue it to the reader to iudge how muche I haue therin squared from Erasmus who calleth them peeuish litle Tovvnes Where he saith he callethe them base cities I am contente the reader take which he liketh beste For bothe in proper speache can not be trew for to cal a towne and a litle towne and a peuishe lytle towne a citie is not for any thinge I know wonted Howbeit I will not here striue yt is sufficient that I haue shewed that there were bishops in other places which were no cities And euen in this the D. letteth fall the Popes decree which he defendeth in an other place which forbiddeth as well to place bishops in base and small cities as in vplandishe townes And albeit the D. be not hable by thes wordes of Ierome nor by any other which he hathe browght to proue that the bishop had any further reache then vnto one onely churche yet forsomuche as yt is not here question off the victorie but off trwth nor what the Ans is hable to proue but what maye be proued I will not denie but in Ieromes times the bishops vpon occasions before off me alledged had enlarged their boundes in suche sorte that there were certen congregacions which belonged to their ouersight and wherof they were called bishops But I appele first to the institution off God and vse of the purer times after the Apostles and then I answer that a dioces was not the twentith part of that which they haue now As appeareth by that alledged before owt of the Councels and by that Ierome saith that their elders vnder them gouerned in commen vvith them which they coulde not haue doon onles they being hard by had made one bodie with them For nether could the bishop doo any thing in his congregation withowt the elders nor they in theirs withowt him but they made one Senate amongest them The practise wherof is yet to be seen in certein reformed churches ▪ where the elders off certein small parishes round abowt make one bodie off Senate with the elders off the principall towne meeting together once at the least euery week Sauing that they haue altogether abolished that euill coustome which wrong the name of bishop from all the rest vnto one and graunted the ordinacion to him alone there being one amongest them which hath onely this aboue the rest when they assemble together to propound matters gather the voices giuethe exhortations and that also for a time and not during his ministerie I haue shewed that the argument wherwith the Ans would off a bishop conclude an archbishop and off one ouer a dioces one ouer a whole Prouince is too bad and it is not here to be repeted This place requireth to shew that albeit the Metropolitan was now receiued in the East partes yet ether he was not in the most partes off the weast where Ierom was or Ierome did not acknowledge him Wherin I will first propound my argumentes and after answer to his obiections And firste euen with the selfe same places he would proue tharchbishop is he ouerturned as of that againste the Lucifer For if it be certein which I haue shewed that Ierome speaketh off the autoritie that euery bishop hath in his precincte and plaine by Ieromes wordes that the autoritie he speaketh off there is suche as not onely hath no superior but no mate yt muste folow that aboue the bishop which Ierome propoundeth there can be no archbishop Againe where he affirmeth that the bishop elder and deacon vnder the gospell are in the same place that Aron his sonnes and the Leuites were vnder the law yt maie be concluded that forasmuch as euerie bishop in his charge hathe the same autoritie Aaron had and yt is certeine that there was no ecclesiasticall autoritie ouer Aaron therfore by Ierome there owght to be none aboue the bishop in euery churche Moreouer vpon that he saith that all bishops succede vnto the Apostels yt maie be reasoned forsomuch as the bishops haue the places off the Apostels in their seuerall churches and it certeine that the Apostels had no dominion one ouer an other but equall autoritie ▪ as bothe hath bene and shall be God willing further shewed that bishops owght not to haue anie bishop to whom they owght to be subiecte Beside this speaking off the orders in the churche in his times he reckenethe vp deacons archdeacons elders archelders and bishops If there had bene any Archbishops where hē was or he had alowed of anie there coulde neuer haue bene so fit a place to haue spoken off him considering that his purpose was to shew those degrees which were Seing therefore he maketh no mention off him yt is apparant that there was none or that he alowed off none Moreouer he putteth this difference betwene the Montanistes and the Catholikes that Catholikes had their bishops as the successors off thapostels gyuing vnto them the firste place but the montaniste heretikes had in the firste and cheifest place Patriarches in the seconde certeine vvhich they called Cenones so that the Bishop with them occupied but the thirde Now if the bishop was the higheste degree in the catholike churche and if to haue a Patriarche which the D. saith is all one with a Metropolitane and Archbishop ouer the bishop was in Ieromes iudgement worthie off this reproche I leaue yt to the readers iudgement what was Ieromes opinion off the office off an Archbishop and whether the same blot which he marked in the rowte off Montanistes be not in our churche where there is aboue
councell as appeareth by his precise denying off it to be in that canon vvhere otherwise he would haue saied in that Councell it appeareth that he vseth lesse synceritie in thes holy matters then the Heathen â—n their prophane For Alexander counseilled to set vpon Darius in the night answered that he vvould not steale the victorie but the D. concealeth from his reader euen that which he knew my answer must needes discouer Where he saith our metropolitan calleth Synodes althowgh not prouinciall and propoundeth the matters first is nothing to the purpose for calling onely diocesan Synodes he doth nothing which a simple bishop may not aswell as he â–ª and therfore no cause vvhy there should be an archbishop in this respect Secondly all know that those Synodes he speaketh off are houlden for the moste pate by deputies at his appointement So that vvhich the D. vtterly condemneth in the Discipline vve propounde touching the chusing off a president euery Synod is doen here and that at the plrasure off one man not by consente off the mynisters yea by appointement off one for the moste parte no Ecclesiasticall person in matters perteining to the ministrie Thirdly I would know by what right the archbishop may call his diocesan Synodes â–ª yf by Ecclesiasticall then vvhy not also the Prouinciall considering that they are of one kinde ether both Ecclesiasticall or both cyuill Yf he do yt by ciuill autoritie vvhy doth he not aswel vvaite for the magistrates commandement in one as in the other He saith the archishops office consisting in sondry other thinges besides calling Synodes propounding matters ouerseing the limites owght not to ceasse althowgh he doo none off these Yt being manifeste that these were the cheife cawses vnder pretence wheroff he was browght in and especially to thend that controuersies and contentions amongest the mynistrie by Synodes called and ordered by him might he ended yt must follow that if wee may spare him for these we may easely be with owt him for the rest and so this is not for the amendement but for the ouerthrow off his surisoiction Because wee agree in the matter and I haue before shewed that the metropolitanes were appointed to ouersee that none passed his boundes I omit the iniury he dothe in supposing that I send him to the ninth Canon for that matter when as the word there by all indifferency owght rather to be referred to the councell in the text then to the canon in the margent Where I say that this ouersight off limites may be withowt an archbishop he sayth yt may be beste by him whereoff let the reader vpon the former allegations off both Sydes iudge where he affirmeth yt no good argument againste the archbishop that he doth not kepe the olde Canons owt off vse with vs seing our archbishop houldeth off those in times past and hath for his cheifest defense that there where archbishops in times paste all see if there be not the same causes off them now that were then how at the least this hould is throwne downe Where I shew that our archbishop in giuing licences to preach in a dousen dioceses at the leaste breaketh the same order for the keping vvheroff he vvas ordeined he answereth yt is profitable Where beside the vntruth before shewed he condemneth that order off the Councell off Constantinople that decreed against that wandring and ouerthroweth one off the cawses wheruppon the metropolitans office standeth That parte off the difference of the metropolitan from other bishops rose off the commoditie off the citie and for that yt vvas honoured vvith the Emperours courte is manifest by the encrease and decrease lifting vp and throwing downe off the authoritie off the Patriarch all seates That the Emperour might make the metropolitan seate which he would I well vnderstood seing I set it downe before but the question to where yt is meetest the Archbishop should be if there must be one And my reason was forsomuche as the place moste fyttest hath well and happely wanted him therfore our churche may be well without him His trifling in the two translations argueth that to fill vp he careth not if his reader peele strawes for nothing â—ether off them is againste that I setdowne The cauil against my order becawse I come from the councel of Antioche backe to Cyprian is too simple For yt is not as his for one matter but for diuers beside that I reprehended him for that yt skilleth much to obserue the order off times when question was off the time and antiquitie of tharchbishop Whether Cyprians wordes do flatly forbid any one bishop to haue autoritie ouer an other muche les ouer all I leaue yt be iudged off that before likewise how honeste an exception yt is againste this sentence that yt was spoken in a Councell where an error was decreed also in what sense I called Cyprian metropolitan further how vntrwe yt is that he which denieth the autoritie of one bishop ouer an other exempteth the ministers either from cyuill or ecclesiasticall subiection or punishement Lastly what a cauil yt is that when the correction of the disorders in the ministrie is gyuen to the cyuill magistrat the prince therby is ouercharged Now if the reader finde vpon the discourse before that the churche well gouerned in Cyprians time had no archbishop nor metrapolitane that had autoritie ouer others when there was moste neede considering there was then no christian bishops Then yt is manifeste that there is now les cawse when wee haue a Christian magistrate which alledged here by me the D. him selfe althowgh he had good will to bite at durst not come neere His cauill that I alledged this canon falsely attributed vnto the Apostels is answered beside that I shew that yt being falsely assigned to them is notwithstanding the true canon off the Councell off Antioche The Canon is as I haue alledged nothing nether added nor diminished which might disaduaÌ„tage the D. cause any â—ote whether the bishop according to that canon may doo that which apperteineth vnto his owne parish without the archbishop whether the archishop taketh matters owt off their handes concludeth them not making the bishops prime contrary to the tenure off that canon which the D. denieth I leaue to the readers iudgement his especially which hath seene the marchandise and trafique off his courtes And it may partly appeare by the boke off the 7â— archbishops where Canterbury is made the head off all our churches all bishops svvorne to canonicall obedience off that archbishop and defense off all Priuiledges and liberties of that seate â–ª Where the bishop off London is his deane to cal synodes to publishe his decrees to make retourne off th execution VVinchester his Chauncelour Lincolne his vice chancelour Salisburie his chanter VVorcester his chaplaine Rochester his cros bearer when that bagage was Wher his autoritie is said to haue no certeine boundes but almost as
him selfe listeth with other such archbishoplicke and vnministerlike loftines reckened and earnestly auouched and yet notwithstanding as he saith sparingly touched to th end belike that it might haue an easyer defense And if the lord bishops are his vassaâ—eâ— the poore ministers what place shall they haue His repetitions I will not touch The autoritie out off the counterfaicte Higinus as I noted him that the metropolitan should coÌ„demne no bishop before the matter heard aÌ„d discussed by the bishops of the Prouince maketh for vs more then yf yt had bene out off the true Higinus considering that the archbishop in the counterfaicte Higinus time being groweÌ„ much our of fashion was yet girded in les roume then ours The like restreincte off his autoritie was in the Africane Councell How fond the D. answer is that our archbishop putteth none out withowt due proof is manifest considering that the greatest monarche that euer was hath no further autoritie to condemne then vpon dew proof likewise what daliance yt is that he doth nothing but by consent of al the realme and therfore off the bishops is before declared Where missing the nomber off the Canon I alledged out off the Councell off Antioch that the metropolitan had not so much as the casting voice vvhen the bishops vvere equally deuided he answereth there is no mention off equalitie off voices as thowgh he vvere ignorant that matters in Councells passed by the more parte off voices Forsomuch therefore as the Councell vppon the diuision off the bishops iudgementes willeth that other should be called yt is to be estemed that that was because the bishops were equally parted Where he saith therby a metropolitan had autority ouer moe prouinces then one yt foloweth not For beside that the canoÌ„ is of all metropolitans so that whatsoeuer any off them might doo in an others precincte that the other might doe in his by this accounte the elders yea the Deacons had autoritie ouer the bishops considering that they accused might call other bishops theÌ„ their owne Where he saieh thautoritie of our metropolitaÌ„ and bishops is nothing increased but decreased forsomuch as nether he nor all the bishops can depriue a bishop withowt the consent of the Prince yt is not to purpose seing al the bishops in the world may not nor euer could off right remoue a bishop by force if the Prince vvould kepe him in Our question is of the ecclesiasticall sentence of deposicion And if he meane that a bishop heretike schismatike or corrupte in manners may not be proceded againste by an ecclesiasticall sentence off deposition yea off excommunication yf the case require onles the Prince vvill consente beside that his endeuour off flattery is to manifeste his meaning is to cut out the archbishop so that he shall doo nether more nor les then will agree with his ease and wherby he may shifte the Crosse from his shoulders For all know that Christian princes may be and sometimes are drawne to fauour those vvhose pastorall gouernement can not be but harmefull vnto the churche in which case the Ecclesiasticall censures owght not to sleepe to th end that allthowghe he can not be remoued yet the churche after he be descried and condemned for such as he is may flie from him That the bishop may excommunicate an elder belongeth to an other tractate that he may depose an elder is vntrw and hath appeared in that the councell off Carthage decreed that an elder accused by his bishop might cal 6. other bishops and the deacon three and likewise may by an other which decreed that being condemned off his bishop ether by right or vvronge he might appeale vnto other bishops Beside that I haue shewed that he might heare no cause withowt his clergie therfore those condemnations by the bishop must be vnderstanded if he be duly and according to the order prescribed condemned He abuseth also his reader in that he would proue the bishops autoritie greater because it was forbidden to those put out by him to goe to the Emperour Considering that the same canon gyueth them remedy againste the bishop in a greater assembly yea euen againste a whole Synode in a more generall then it Whether the 4. Firste principal differences betwene the bishops in times paste and oures now be trwe let the reader iudge off that hath bene alledged Likewise off the fift vpon that vvhich hath and shall be against which he hath nothing but repetitions Also whether the D knoweth any thing off order that denieth this to be the place off mentioning the excommunication in such sorte as I did That alledged owt off the Councell of Hispalis touching that the elder ovvght not to preach in the bishop presence is in a Councell supposed more auncient then thr firste Nicene likewise yt was obserued in the Africane churches in Augustines time And that yt endured vntil the yeare off the Lord 659. when there were â—rosse corruptions tendeth to further condemnation off our Bishops further owt of fashion in that behalfe then those degenerat ones and if this Councell be not to be alledged for the corruptions then how cometh yt that Volufianus in the year â—65 a bishop off a corrupter estate whose masse is grosser then that off this Councel is made so godly a man yt is well knowne that later Councels then this and therefore for the most part corrupter are cited off the godly learned as testimonial traces of the Syncerity in purer times That the elder by this canon willed off the bishop myght preach in his presence is vntrw onely yt is said that with the bishops commaundement he might giue absolution to the penitent which was then as now with vs an other thing from preaching That ther hath bene no time wherin there haue bene moe preaching bishops then now with vs onles all be preachers is vntrw seing an vnpreaching bishop was wonte as M. Cal. proueth to be a moÌ„ster and cried owt on in very corrupt times Yf our bishops be compared with the Popishe in this poincte they may be thowght dutifull but diuers compared with bishops off auncient time may well be accounted domb Considering their often preaching the traces wheroff are to be seen diuersly namely in the Councell off Ments before by me alledged Wherunto serueth M. Hoopers saying that the churche at the beginning had suche bishops as did preache many godly Sermons in les time then our bishops horses be a brideling Yf the rare preaching off some be but Mens faulte and not the offices then our Archbishops whether off synistre fauour or as gyltie them selues play their partes euil Considering that diuers faulte openly in this euen the cheif pointe off their office and haue had for any thing I haue heard good peniworthes off yt Where still appeareth how daungerous yt is to the churche to lay such weight off the churches welfare in one man In the next diuis let the reader
b Diuis 9. pag. 442. c Councel Neocaesar d Possido in vita August Instit 4. l. ca. 4. 3 se vpon the eight coÌ„ â–ª maund a in the praef to the 3. ca. of this tr b vpon Phil. ca. 1. c 2. cap. off this tra Diuis 15. pag 445. Euse li. 1. de vit Const a Athana Apol. 2. b Costerius in the life off Ambro. c IeroÌ„ ad Rusticum Monach. d 1. Cor. 10 e Ier. vpon Titus Ier ad Oceanum f Di. 16. 17 pag. 446. g 4. carth 14. 15. ca. Tyron c. 5 Pag. 471 â–ª In the booke intituled the Discipline c. a 4. conc Cart. c. 32 Sozom. lib. 3. c. 9. Athanas 2. Apol. b August Epist â—0 a Possido invit Au. b Roma cap â–ª 3. c vpoÌ„ the eight coÌ„maund a Cal. inst 4. lib ca. â— sect 17. a M. Fox in the boke off M. Tindal c. b VpoÌ„ the 8. coÌ„maund c M. Elm. d 473. e Possid in vit August f Ad NepotianuÌ„ opa 472. â— pag. 83. pag. 200. pag. 473. Pag. 473 Conc. Ty roÌ„ 3 can 5. pag. 473. Diuis 18. pag. 447. Cart. c 34 Iud. 8. v. Diuis 19. pag. 447. Euseb 7. li. ca. 30. Ruffin 1. lib. ca. 19. Athana Apol. 2. Diuis 20. pag. 448. Ioh. 20. 1â— Theod li. 5. cap. 8. Socr. li. â— cap. 6. Diuis 21. pag 449. a 1. Tim. 3 â— c Vpon the 8. coÌ„maund Ierom. ad Nepot Diuis 22. pag. 450. Diuis 23. 24. 25. pag. 451. 1. Tim. 6. 6. 8. vpon 4. Ephes Diuis 26. pag. 452. CAP. VI. Pag. 454. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Diuis 4. pag. 455. * Tract 1. Diui. 6. pag. 457. a Diui. 15. pag. 367. vpon the Ephes e Diu. 42. pag. 390. Diuis 7. pag. 458. 1. Cor. 15. 9. Diuis 10. pag. 461. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diui. 11. pag. 462. Heb. 5. 5. 6 a Diu. 31. pag. 380. Diuis 33. Pag. 381. b Diu. 14. pag. 465. c Diu 32 pag. 381. Diuis 41. pag. 389. d Diui. 33. pa. 381. e di 1617. pag. 467. f Diu. 41. pag. 389. a Diu 43. pag. 390. Diuis 50. pag. 396. Diuis 70. pag 417. b Diu. 18. pag. 469. Iohn 3. 8. a d 70. 71 pag. 4. 7. b â— Tract c in the 2. and 3. ca. off this Tract d di 16. 17 pag. 446 Throwgh desire off making no great chaunge off the order laid forth by the Doctor vvherby the reader should be muche troubled in collatioÌ„ of our bokes and partly for that my papers vvent so sone to the printâ— vvherby I could not correct that my self aftervvard misliked at is come to pas that there are diuers thinges vvherin by order it might haue bene better prouided for memory VVhich I haue partly endeuoured to help by this direction vvherby yt shall not be vneasy to finde any off the principal pointes conteined in this book THe scripture is a perfect rule off all actions which can fall into maÌ„s life aswell in defining thinges vnnariable as in giuing rules wherby thinges variable by circunstance may be compassed page lvij c. Whether refer that wherin is shewed what of Moses law remaineth page xciij Likewise that the Actes of thapostles are necessary for vs to folow page clv. As appeareth namely in the gouernement off the church disputed throwghowt the whole book and in that communitie they vsed which is not now Anabaptisticall cc. viij Hether also refer that yt is the vertue off a good law to leaue as litle as may be in the discretion off the iudge xciiij Also that yt ys one thing to be expressed and an other to be commaunded in the scripture xlv Wherupon the argument off autoâ—â—â—ie off the scripture is good 43. 81 But nawght from men especially in diuine matters xviij and xlvij Whether refer that the Godly writers and holie martyre died in error vj. Wheroff the example browght by me off free will is handled 54. an other browght by the D. off the millenaries althowgh he in part slaundereth the ould fathers in that behalf delij Discipline Ciuil THe magistrat ought to be seuerer in punishing offeÌ„ces vnder the gospell then vnder the law cxj. cxviij Neglecters off the word are punishable by the word lxx The law off capitall punishements remaineth xcviij Contemners off the word ought to be put to death lxviij Murtherers cij Incestuous and adulterous persons c. The punishing off the breaches off the second Table by death and not off the first is to begin at the wrong end cxvij Discipline Ecclesiasticall THe Ecclesiasticall discipline is prescribed in the word as the doctrine ccccxl Aswell vnder the gospell as vnder the law ibid. Amplified by comparison off the Ark Tabernacle Temple ccccxliiij Confirmed by examples off Dauid and Salomon which attempted nothing in the church gouernement without the expres word off God ccccxliiij Also off others lxxxvj That the form theroff owght not to be allwaies according to the forme off the coÌ„mon wealth cxxx clix ccxcviij dciiij That yt ys not allwaies conuenient that the form of the commen wealth should beframed to the form off the churche gouernement ccxxvij That the churche gouernement is one off the three markes off the church liij That yt is safely taken from the Apostels times and dauÌ„gerously from the first 500. yeares after them That the externall gouernement off the church is euill distinguished from the spiritual That yt hindereth not the ciuil discipline ij Calling THe callinges vnâ—â— the mynistery are defined off in the word of god For tha 〈◊〉 â— giftes necessary for the gouernement off the church fall into the offices prescribed in yt 462. Where are rehersed the proper giftes wherby they are seuered amoÌ„gest theÌ„ selues This is also shewed by that it is not lawfull to diminish those the lord hath set and therfore not to ad vnto them cccclxiiij Likewise by the demaunde the Pharisies made vnto Iohn ccccxxxvj A calling lawfull and yet extraordinary page xxxâ—â—j The Apostels Prophetes and Euangelistes are euil distinguished by the D. cccvij There can be none off these functions now withowt an extraordinary calling ccciij The same coulde not be a bishop Euangelist and Apostle at once cccxviij Epaphroditus was no Apostle in that sense that S. Peter was ccciiij An Euangelist could not withowt his fault be made a bishop much les could an Apostle 321. Timothe was an Euangelist and no bishop cccxij The abusing off the writers both ould and nue to proue Apostles Prophetes and Euangelistes ordinary ministers cccxxvij What maner a men they were which after those sent foorth into the whole world called them selues Apostles cccviij Hereupon we refuse the callinges of Archbishop otherwise called MetropolitaÌ„ and our kinde of bishop ArchdeacoÌ„ and deane as those which taken euen for the very principall church officers haue no ground in the word of God Proued in that they are conteined in nether of the places off the Ephesians or Corinthians where al the ministeries Ecclesiasticall are