to her children And againe 105. a. the kingdome of the Burgundians is the first section from Gondengus alias Gondochius or Gondebundus vntill Clotildis placed in matrimonie to Clodoueus vnto whom succeded heyres suruiuing Gondebaldus and Gondesigillus But to Gondebaldus succeeded Sigisimundus who beeing slayne the scepter of the kingdom came to Clotildis and to her posteritie But whē as vnto Clotildis and vnto her posteritie succeeded a great many children the kingdome of Burgundie flewe among them with doubtfull fethers which must needes fall out that at the length the kingdome of Burgundie should come to the last suruiuer which should be only called the Monarch of the Gaules And all this fell out after Pharamundus about the time of Clodoueus who was the first Frenche king that was Christened by the meanes of this his wife Clotildis frō whose issue succéeded the line of the Merouingians of Meroueus grand-father to Clodoueus and by affinitie as Aimonius witnesseth that is through title of kindred by his wife the successor of Clodio Pharamundus son so that againe all the line of the Merouingians came by the woman Which line of the Merouingians continued till Charles Martell the Father of Pipine and Grandfather to Charles the great In whose stocke both Burgundie and the regiment of all Fraunce continued vntill the time of Hughe Capete who gaue the same vnto his brother it being not long before abased by Lotharius from the state of a kingdome to a dukedome for his contumelious striking of an Arch-bishop But now sayth Caenalis after that the inheritaunce of the Burgundian dukedome came to the French kinges ye shall scarse finde concerning the race of the Princes of the Burgundians where ye may safely fixe your foote euen vntill the time of S. Loyes and that chiefely by reason of women S. Loyes had Agnes or Agnet his daughter Duchesse of Burgundie whom not long time after Lewes surnamed Hutin succeding married Philip surnamed the fayre married Margaret ennobled by the ftocke of Burgundie Then followed Ioane giuen in mariage to Philip the long Whom straight-way followed Blanch Duches of Burgundie ioyned in mariage to Charles the fayrer that succeeded Philip the long After whome Philip of Valoys following married Ioane Duchesse of Burgundie This Philip gotte the crowne of France from Edwarde the 3. King of Englande By whose meanes this Salike law against the inheritance of the female was first vnder the name of Pharamunde deuised Vppon pretence as the fame went that a certaine Queene of France cast her fancie on a Butcher as Iohannes Methensis witnesseth and married him For detestation of which fact they made the Salike lawe that no woman should after that inherite the kingdome of Fraunce And although Gaguinus to defeate king Edwardes title alleage that euerie one of the thrée sonnes of Philip the faire both Lewes Hutin and Philip the long Charles the fayre had all issue besides the other daughters that he mentioneth of Philip le Beau yet sithe it is apparant that of none of all those issued any heyres male or female how could Philip of Valoys pretende from his Vncle Philip S. Lewes sonne which Philip was Father to Isabel Edwarde the thirde his mother to bereaue Isabell and her sonne Edwarde of this right but vnder pretence only of this deuised lawe Which lawe as we haue séene by Caenalis owne confession taking no place in Burgundie the Burgundians and the Frankes following one condition of inheritaunce it followeth that this lawe Salike is but a méere deuise and that in searching the practise wée finde all cleane contrarie And as the inheritance of Burgundie went thus vntill that time that this deuise was hatched so hath it gone since For although Caenalis when he commeth to Charles Carolese or rather Careles which last was flaine by the Switzers sayth who when hee wanted an heyre male by the vertue of the Salike lawe the Dukedome of Burgundie came to the kinges of Fraunce euen vntill this day I much maruell what face Caenalis durst so constantly auouch this thing sithe all Christendome knoweth that although the French King scambled for his share and gotte a parte thereof in that time of hauocke yet Maximilian the Emperour marying afterwarde the daughter and heyre obteyned by her the right and title of that inheritance By which it is most cleare that these two estates of France and Burgundie the one following in inheritance the condition of the other that as Burgundie notwithstanding any Salike lawe admitteth the inheritance of the woman so should France also Yea and by reason of this house of Burgundie hath title come by the woman also euen to the crowne of Fraunce The which Caenalis himselfe can not denie For sayth he fol. 106. a. speaking of Philip the long whom he calleth the Brother he should say the sonne of Philip the faire he succeded his elder brother Lewes surnamed Hutin that is as some interpret it troublesome or brawling vnto whom Margaret the sister of Robert Duke of Burgundie was maried Of whom Hutine begat Ioane which Ioane was maried vnto the Earle of Eureux and to the king of Nauarre Whereupon controuersie arose betweene the Duke of Burgundie and Philip he meaneth Philip of Valoys which of a regent was created king about the yeare 1316. by reason of which Ioan the Scepter was staide to be diuolued to the Duke of Burgundie brother of Ioan. But the lawe Salike directlie withstood this sentence How beit the mariage of Ioan daughter of Philip whome the Duke of Burgundie tooke to his wife brake off that strife But because this Ioane Hutines daughter had no issue Edwarde therefore came still before the Duke of Burgundie And yet had this Duke carried it away euen by affinitie for all the lawe Salike had not the matter béene otherwise composed And Caenalis reckoning vp the Genealogie of the Earles of Burgundie comming from Otto he sayth Otto begat Ioane the French Queene and Queene of Nauarre the Ladie of the countrye Palatine of Burgundie whom Philip the French king chose to his wife of which mariage issued Lewes the french King and his 2. sonne Philip Earle Palatine of Burgundie c. Ioane had daughter Elisa or Elisabeth maried to Robert Duke of Burgundie about the yeare 1306. Lewes the French king and of Nauarre begat the Earle of Poyters Palatin of Burgundie and Lorde of Salinople not long after French king This Philip of whom we haue spoken begat Margaret enriched with a triple Earledome of Flaunders of Artoys and of Burgundie c. Thus doth Caenalis in prosecuting these pedegrées of these Princes declare withall what inheritances also came to them with women that vnto the French king besides Britanie diuerse other Prouinces by mariages of the heires female Yea what title to the French crowne himself had Pipine but on the mothers side As Caenalis is faine to confesse though he would turne
Bishoppe he meaneth not onely a Pastor but a Doctor and not onely a Doctor but also a Priest or Elder whose office ye say consisteth onely in gouernement and not in publike teaching Ergo a Doctor and a Pastor and a gouernour for so ye call your not teaching Priest or Elder are all one and equall Which is the cleane ouerthrowe of all this your Learned discourse of Ecclesiast Gouernment Likewise as on this former worde Bishop Beza and the Geneua Testament comprehend Doctors Pastors and Elders not teaching but only gouerning so also on the other word Deacons But saith Beza he vnderstandeth Deacons to be the stewards of the Eccles. treasurie and the college of the widdowes And 1. Tim. 3 Deacons These are they that haue the care of the poore c. And the Geneua note By Deacons such as had the charge of the distribution and of the poore and sicke Yea Beza here procéedeth further and saith when otherwise this name is sometime vniuersall in so much that it comprehendeth euen the Apostles themselues also So then we must againe conclude that the name Deacon comprehendeth the treasorers the widdowes the Apostles yea and all the Ecclesiasticall ministers and so Doctors and Pastors too Ergo all together are but all one office and all alike equall in the same Who séeth not the euill sequence of this conclusion And surely though your argument faile and your selues also are not comparable to the excellent Learned Master Beza yet of twaine in my iudgement ye holde the truer opinion in not vnderstanding here by the name of Bishops Elders those that are onely Gouernours and not Teachers but vnderstanding thereby Pastorall Elders contrarie to Beza and to the Geneua Testament And as we will all ioyne with you thus farre-foorth herein that by the name of Bishops he comprehendeth Pastors and not those that were not Pastors so shall wee haue Caluine on our side yea and Danaeus too who is also of Geneua and a most earnest fauorer of your opiniō and one that hath written best in my fancie of all our side for the maintenance of it And yet where he goeth about of set purpose to 1. Tim. 3.1 to prooue Bishops and Pastors to be all one and maketh your last example Act. 20 his seconde argument and this your present example Phil. 1. to be a part of his fourth argument and where he distinguisheth of Elders as you do euen there saith he of these Elders therfore that haue here their name of dignitie not of age there are two sortes in the Scripture The one of thē that watch on manners onely the other of them that attende both on doctrine and on manners and labour in both The which may be easily gathered out of this Epistle cap. 5. ver 17. Concerning therefore the first sorte as it is distinguished from the second so it is to be seuered frō the Bishops and Doctors And so he entreth into his processe the whole beginning whereof was this which I should haue set before But Paule in all this chap. treateth of Bishops and Deacons Howbeit there are other Ecclesiasticall and necessarie dignities besides Deacons Bishops as are Elders of whom some thinke that Paule spake nothing at all in this place But reiecting their opinion distinguishing of these two sorts of Elders he encludeth only Pastorall Elders as you doe in the name of Bishops The like doeth Caluine in this place Phil. 1. vppon the worde Bishops He nameth the Pastors by themselues for honours sake Moreouer it is lawefull to gather hereon the name Bishop to be common to all the ministers of the worde when he attributeth manie Bishoppes to one Church Therefore the name of Bishoppe and Pastor are Synonyms or diuerse wordes meaning one thing c. And on the name Deacon he saith also in the saide place This name may be taken two wayes eyther for the ministers and carers for the poore or for the Elders that were appointed to gouerne the manners But because it is more commonly taken of Paule in the former sense I rather vnderstande it for the stewardes that had the ouer-sight of distributing the almes Thus you and we herein haue these two most famous men of our side against Beza and the quoters of the Geneua Testament And to say the truth all respect of persons set aside our opinion is the better hauing the manifest not example onely but rule of Gods woorde in both places that the Bishops there mentioned Act. 20.28 must feede which ye say inclusiuely is as much as Pastor And 1. Tim. 3.2 he must be apt to teach which appertayneth not vnto an onely Gouernour Nowe although ye doe well herein to dissent from Beza and from the notes of the Geneua translation vnto whom if ye would haue agréed you might easilier perhaps haue founde manie Bishops both there in one Citie and here in another but then must you eyther amende this your argument or else ye should confound all offices in one and make all equall yet still your argument euen as theirs also is not of sufficient force that because Pastors are there named included vnder the name of Bishop therefore simplie Bishop and Pastor are all one and yet I will gladlie graunt both you and them also more than the argument can make good That in the nature of the Pastorall Eldership and Episcopall ouer-sight though ratione they differ in this or that consideration one from the other yet re and indéede they are so ioyned together in one office that the one might then verie well till the name Bishop grewe to a more proper signification yea may yet well inough interchangeablie be spoken the one of the other a Pastor is a Bishop a Bishop is a Pastor notwithstanding it doth not followe hereupon that in all respectes they are now or were then simplie and absolutely all one and the same offices and especially that in dignitie they were all a like and equall For that is the chiefe point that should herein be prooued Must al that be of one order or office of necessitie be of one equall dignitie in the same What degrée or calling haue you of Gentlemen Esquiers Knightes Barons Lordes Earles Dukes Princes or Kinges but that being in any one of these estates orders degrees or offices as they may be equall so one may haue dignitie authoritie gouernement and superioritie well-inough ouer another euen of the same estate order degree or office that themselues be If ye say we must not bring examples of offices in the ciuill policie and applie them to Ecclesiasticall though your selues brought in such examples a little before out of Numb 11.16 how God ordeyned 70. auncients to assist Moses in his gouernment which were ciuill Seniors and applie them to these Ecclesiasticall and Pastorall Elders yet will not you graunt this that when it shall come to anie assemblies of Synodes or Councels one of these equalles may
contrary And shall wee dare to saye on the other side finding both the example heere alleadged by themselues Acts 14. and Saint Paules preceptes to Timothie and to Titus of ordeyning pastorall Elders to bee made without mentioning of the Churches elections that the Apostles durst not ordeyne any Pastors with the Churches elections no wee dare not say so but that the Apostles might haue done it with them or without them as they thought best hauing the warrant of Gods Spirite and as the occasion serued for their ordeyning of the Pastors And therefore I meruell how our Brethren durst so boldly affirme that the Apostles not only did it not but durst not doe it Secondly say they that they giue an office without a charge and sende him to seeke a flocke where he can finde it Our Bretheren here begin to descant vpon the names of Pastors and office Neither doe wee denye but that the name Pastor betokeneth an office whether wee vnderstande it as hee is onely a Minister of the worde and Sacramentes and so he is sayde to haue taken Orders or as he hath a peculiar flocke to minister the worde and Sacraments in as we commonly call the Rector Parson Vicar or Curate the pastor of such and such a Church or Parish The worde Pastor in both sences may bee comprehended in the name of an office And yet here if wee should goe as strictly to worke as our Bretheren doe which curiositie I mislike not in them to finde out all the quirkes in the worlde to beate out the trueth more throughly wee shall easely see great differences in the proprieties of these names and words of an office and of an order Albeit they may well bee taken and oftentimes are vsed indifferently But the question is here whether any office can bee giuen and the man truely called an officer without a charge of a place or a flock giuen withall vnto him whereof he is and may bee called the officer They denye it and I say he may and my reason is this The word office hath not alwaies relation to the charge of a place onely and that specially of a certeyne place where or of persons among whome the office is exercised but of the matter it selfe and â—uetie whereof the office consisteth in resâ—â—t of which matter the other are as it were but accidentall which our Bretheren here make all or principall The Prophetes were Prophetes before they had any certeyne places were they prophecied The Apostles were called and in office were Apostles before they were sent into any message of their Apostleship And Saint Paule calleth all both Apostles and Pastors Ministers 1. Cor. 4.1 though all of them had no certeyne standing places designed to them to minister in and yet were they all of them in the very office of the Ministerie full Ministers of the worde and Sacraments if wee may so properly call the Ministerie of the worde and Sacraments an office as an order In deede Saint Paule sayth of an office Rom. 12. vers 7. or an office on the office That is to say he that hath an office let him bee diligent in his office But he assigneth not any certeyne places and charge of flockes to all the offices that he there reckoneth vp Although as it is an old saying so it is not vntrue Priesthood and Knighthood are orders rather than offices And Priesthoode I meane not the Popish sacrificing Priesthoode but the Pastorall Eldership may well be called an order when the making of a Priest or pastorall Elder is called the ordering or the ordeyning of him and our Bretheren themselues do well call it the giuing of orders Knighthood now being likewise more properly called an order than an office when a man hath receiued the order of Knighthood it followeth not that he must be a Knight of this or that place as were some Knightes namely the Knightes of Prussia or the Knightes late of the Rhodes and now of Malta neither followeth it that he that made him Knight must alwaies withall giue him landes and liuing and yet all the better for the Knight if hee so doe and more fitte for his order to haue sufficient maintenaunce and though hee had but xl pounde a yeere which was called a Knightes fee. Howbeit hée mâ—ght bâ—e a Knight though a poore Knight without any such fee. For the order is one thing and the maintenaunce of him in his order yea his charge to doe his duetie iâ— his order is another thing and not the order it selfe But say they this is as vnreasonable a thing as iâ— one were chosen not to be a Knight but to bee a Churchwarden and had neuer a Church to keepe or made a Constable that had neuer a Towne or place appoynted whereof he should be Constable The similitudes of these two offices and of Church-warden and of a Constable are not a like to the order or if they will so call it to the office of the ministerie for bicause that these two Offices haue a necessary relation in them selues not onely to the office but also to the place where the paâ—tie is the officer so that if no place be assigned them there is no such officer made To which kinde of officers the old distinction serueth that the office the place be distincta ratione non re They cannot in the act of them be separate though they be distinguished in the reason of them And yet we see that in some such offices as in which besides the office there is ioyned with all a degree of honour and dignity though the relation of the office in respect of the place where the office laye doth cease as either the place being wasted or possessed by another and he dispossessed yet may his degree of dignitie not cease or be in him vtterly exstinguished so long as the right of the office is in him though the exercise and action of the office together with the place and other appendices of the office bee taken from him as a Kinge Duke Earle or Lord though he loose be it not by his own demerite resignation or lawefull depriuation his Kingdome Dukedome Earledome or Lordshippe but by an others intrusion or occupation yet is he still both called and is in deedâ— a King a Duke an Earle a Lord by reason he still holdeth the right of the office and capacitie to repossesse it though he haue neither possession action nor exercise of it at this instante Notwithstanding as it is sayd in the old verse on fortunes wheele regno regnaui regnabo sum sine regno He may be rex sine regno euen the lowest degree of them all and yet rex still Yea to descend to baser offices also not only a professor of liberal sciences but euen one professing mechanicall artes or as we commonly terme him a handicrafts man although he exercise not alwaies the action of his Function nor occupie in his occupation or
being out of that place And that where such preachers are not there can bee no publike prayers nor sacraments administred c. What one of these points and a number moe hath bin prooued by anie one cleere testimonie or necessarye consequent of the Scripture or by any one substantiall reason for the proofe of them and what else in effect is this than but to order all these thinges at their pleasures And when they take on with all the Bishops as though by their former industries and labours they their selues had not receaued this light of the Gospell which God bee praysed wée haue if wee can vse it thankfully or as though they were not by the Bishops made Ministers of the Gospell if they haue anye Ministerie at all thereof and be not meere lay men is not this euen as though the Gospell so far as the light of these controuersies commeth vnto and their Ministerie thereof sprang first from them or had come vnto them onely if not to our Bishops nor to anye of our conuocations nor to all the clergie of our Church of England but onely to them that set these thinges abroache and what now shall wée conclude on them as they do on the Bishops it sauoureth nothing so much as of popish tyranny whereof sauoreth this first to put backe the Princes supremacie in Ecclesiasticall causes till all their Eccl. tetrarchie be parted among them in such maner as wee haue alredy heard and then to pull downe all the dignities and authorities of Archebishops Bishops and all other Ecclesiasticall superiour Prelates And to set vp themselues euerye one to bée a full Bishoppe in his owne seuerall congregation what though not Lordeship in name but M. Bishop yet in rule and authoritye ouer all in his congregation to bée euen a Lordeship to suffer no superiour Pastor ouer him in his iurisdiction but eche one equall to the best and hée as though hée were in his terrytorie euen another newe little Pope sitting in his pontificalibus with his consistorie of gouernors as though it were a Colledge or Senate of a newe kinde of Cardinalles as the hingins that holde vp the dores of Ecclesiasticall regiment and discipline with a new mixte kinde of gouernors semi-secular and dimi-ecclesiasticall Seniors to sit by the themselues rounde aboute this Episcopall Pastor ouer ruling all the congregation yea whosoeuer were inhabiting in the parish Knight Lord Earle Duke Prince Queene King or Emperour they must all of them for all discipline and Ecclesiasticall regiment be ouer-ruled by him by these his Gouerning Elders sitting about him Of what sauoureth this Of dominion of Poperie of tyrannie of confusion of pride of ordering all things at their pleasures besides what dangers else or worse thaÌ„ yet we see not if our bishops shoulde thus retallie these thinges vnto our Bretheren woulde they not trowe you pay home the reckoning But as thoughe they were not yet on euen handes but that there were a greate oddes in this reckoning and as though the Bishoppes were not to bee accompted comparable nor for Learning Studye Iudgemente Zeale Example they were so woorthy of their authoritye as these our Bretheren are to haue this newe kind of Eccl. gouernment they obiect vnto the bishops their non sufficiencie in these thinges Whereas otherwise saye they it is well knowne they are not all of the best learned nor all of the longest study nor all of the soundest Iudgement nor all of the greatest zeale nor all of the best Example and therefore not meetest to be the onelye determiners in Ecclesiasticall matters to the preiudice of the whole Synode As for this conclusion wee shall come to it in his turne This comparison in the antecedent is somewhat odious to vpbraide to the Bishoppes that they are not all of the best in these thinges as though there were some other in the Synode better heerein than they Belike they meane those diuerse godlye and learned Preachers that they sayde before before offered to speakâ— or else some other of themselues that they woulde haue to bee also of the Synode For although it were a pretie pollicie to commit vs together among our selues with an emulation agaynste our bishops as not so learned c. as they would haue vs of the Conuocation house thinke our selues to bée yet they lightly giue not this to â—â—y of vs to be counted eyther learned or studious or sounde in iudgement or of greate zeale or of best example But they oftentimes commende themselues for all these thinges to bée godlie wise graue and zealous men they are those that Preache moste diligentlye praye most feruentlye and minister the Sacramentes moste reuerently they are the faithfull Ministers that seeke the Churches reformation and still looke vp to the top of euery leafe and there hangeth vp this Iuie Garland to tolle on the reader A Learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment As for our Bishops tush for them it is well knowne they are not all of the best learned nor all of the longest studie nor all of the greatest zeale nor all of the best example I praye you bretheren of what sauoureth this Surely it sauoureth not all of the best learning neyther in my iudgement if not rather of that learning whereof Sainct Paule sayth scientia inflat Well howe vnsounde soeuer they shall accounte my simple Iudgement woulde God their learning sauoured a little more of lowlie humility and of Christian charitie than it doth to thinke better of other their brethren in these qualities namely of their betters than of them selues And yet if one shall examine these qualities particularly what cause haue they to vpbrayde their Learning to the Bishops Iwisse they may easilie enter comparison with many of these our Bretheren And if they shoulde all bée measured by this Learned discourse might not these wordes returne to their Maisters that neyther they are all of the best learning except they haue better learning that they keepe yet in store for an after reckoning And as for long studie in the moste of them there néede no long studie for an aunswere All the worlde may see that in the yeares of the studentes do not their selues in their preface confesse If any shal obiect that the graue authority of Archbishops Bishops shall receaue a checke whilste they are brought to deale with those whom they iudge few yong vnlearned not comparable to themselues but now they dare compare both in long studie in learning too with the B. and giue the check too as yong as they be yea in their opinion to giue theÌ„ check-mate and that with a pawne But what sayd they there to this obiection did they not say let vs graunt the greate difference which they make of yeares and learning yet the speeche of Elihu giueth them sufficient aunswere that this vnderstanding is not tyed to such outwarde respectes but to the reuelation of Gods spirite Here as it were
dayes so they kept it seuen dayes with ioye Let the reader or any whosoeuer iudge and iudge vpright whether this be a fit example for thiâ— matter It is a memorable example indéede of an other matter whicâ— maketh cleane against these our Brethren that denie the Princes authoritie in Eccl. matters as is also to be séene in this learned discourse Anâ— if this be a good example for the ordering establishing of these controuersies then hath her Maiestie alreadie well followed this example of Ezechias and if it be a memorable example would God our Brethren would remember better to followe those Priestes and Leuites that obeyeâ— Ezechias orders and commaundementes in those Eccl. matters that hâ—â— commaunded them Their nèxt memorable example is of the Apostles in their Counsels â—or the which they quote Act. 15. ver 23. wherein the salutation of their letters is set downe And they wrote letters vnto them after this maner The Apostles and the Elders the brethren vnto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antiochia and in Syria and in Silicia sende greeting What is heere againe for the present purpose Indéede here is a conference debating holden of the Apostles and the elders assembled and in these letters as some interpret it the peoples name is also vsed though other referre the worde brethren only to the Apostles and elders before mentioned But be-it vnderstood for the people yet had not the people any thing at all to doe in the debating conferring disputing or determining of those controuersies as shall God willing appeare in this learned discourse for this example is often alledged I referre the Reader to the answere But to the point we now stand on what was done in that conference wherein the younger elders and lesse learned preuailed against the elder and better learned Yea did not Iames the Bishop of that Church of Ierusalem determine all that controuersie If our brethren therefore would submit themselues to this memorable example they would leaue off their contentions against their Bishops neuer pleade for their youth and difference of learning by this memorable example As for that they addâ— of Paule in his Epistles namely the place here onely quoted Gal. 1. ver 1. is likewise altogether impertinent to the purpose Paule an Apostle not of men neyther by man but by Iesus Christ and God the father which hath raysed him from the dead It should rather séeme that either they meane the 16. or 17. verses of that first Chapter or the first and so downe to the fift of the 2. chapter But of those we shal sée God willing also sufficiently treated in the answere to this learned discourse And if our brethreÌ„ can prooue themselues to haue the like warrant for their assertions that S. Paul had they should come somewhat nearer to the purpose in respect of S. Paules iunioritie For hee was yonger or later at least in the time of his calling then any of the Apostles but in learning or in dignitie or in office no whit inferior nor receaued any of those things from them neither came he to Ierusalem to conferre with them and he saith They did communicate nothing with him 2. Gal. 6. But our Brethren bring this for an example of conferring and they haue receaued their ministerie of our Bishops whom nowe they contende withall And euen of Peter say they in yeelding to the challenge of some not so well instructed where-unto they quote Act. 11. ver 1.2.3 4. c. in which verses are these wordes Nowe the Apostles and the brethren that were in Indea heard that the Gentiles had also receaued the worde of God and when Peter was come vp to Ierusalem they of the circuâ—cision contended against him saying Thou wentest in to men vncircumcised and hast eaten with them then Peter began and expounded the thing in order to them saying c. Is heere any thing that maketh for our brethren or rather is not this flat against them They saye well heerein that they which chalenged Peter were not so well instructed What and doe they liken themselues to these men not so well instructed that yet did thus presume to contende against Peter and indéede so our brethrén doe against our Bishops But it should séeme that our brethren also are not so well instructed in that they would enstruct vs or haue our Bishops or any other to be moued by this example What and did Peter yeelde to these contentious men Howe can our brethren say this euen for verie shame Doth not the text shewâ— the cleane contrarie If they had looked furder from the 4. verse downe to the 18. they might haue reade Peters memorable oration made before theÌ„ so effectuously that Luke concludeth all that matter thus verse 18. And when they heard these things they held their peace glorified God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles graunted repentance vnto life Whether nowe doth Peter yeelde to them or they to Peter But whereto doe our brethren now on these examples come in with these wordes who not only not refused the Leuites and Elders but accepted the people in some manner to be heard to speake and authorize their determinations and writinges To whom do they apply these wordes thus confusedly spoken Do they meane Ezechias of whom they spake before that he did not refuse the Leuites 2. Chron. 30. and that the Apostles refused not the Elders Act. 15. and that Peter accepted the people in some maner to be heard to speake and to authorize their determinations and writinges It is a worlde to sée how our brethren loue to clutter vp these thinges together one to hold vp an other Were they afraide least if the conclusions of these examples should be sorted by themselues we should sée that not one of them fitteth their turne Indéede Ezechias did not refuse the Leuites for in the Chapter before verse 4. c. it is saide And he brought in the Priests and the Leuites and gathered them into the east streate and sayd vnto them heare me ye Leuites sanctifie now your selues and sanctifie the house of the Lorde God of your fathers and carie forth the filthinesse out of the sanctuarie for our fathers haue trespassed and done euill in the eyes of the Lorde our God and haue forsaken him and turned away their faces from the tabernacle of the Lorde and turned their backes they haue also shut the doores of the porch and quenched the Lampes and haue neither burnt incense nor offered burnt offerings in the sanctuarie vnto the God of Israell Wherefore the wrath of the Lorde hath beene on Iudah and Ierusalem and he hath made them a scattering a desolation and an hissing as ye see with your eyes for our fathers are fallen by the sworde and our sonnes and our daughters and our wiues are in captiuitie for the same cause I now purpose to make a couenant with the Lorde God of Israel that he may-turne away
them being Priestes also any of them called Bishop of those Seas or in any one of those places sauing only Ierusalem that had then 2. Bishops together in one Citie Which fell out vpon a straunge occasion is noted as a rare accident And yet in euery of those famous places they had many at least moe than one that were Pastorall Elders that preached ministred the Sacraments in the Bishops absence which againe plainly conuinceth that there was a great difference in the ordinary Gouernement of the Churches besides the extraordinarie gouernment of the Councels betwéene a Bishop and a Prieste or Elder In the one the Bishop being alwaies the Superiour in his particuler Diocese In the other some Bishop being chosen the Superiour or Praesident ouer the other Bishoppes in that prouinciall assembly And to shew this yet more playne and not only this but to measure this matter being but a matter of gouernment if it had beene diuerslye vsed in diuerse Churches and not vniuersally alike in all to declare by this matter héere in question how far foorth we ought and no furder at the furdest to striue against it without making schisme or diuision of the Churches peace and vnity Let vs sée the collections of Eusebius and Ierome about the trouble and pacification of this question for it fitlye serueth to our purpose But the Bishops of the coastes of Asia saith Eusebius lib. 5. cap 24. did rather confirm the custom deliuered them from their auncientes Amongst whome Polycrates which seemed to beare the Primacie among them writing to Victor Bishop of the church of Rome noteth in these wordes the manner of the auncient tradition continued euen to his owne time We therefore saith hee do celebrate the inuiolable day of Easter neyther adding nor diminishing any thing For the great lightes in Asia the chiefe and choise men are fallen asleepe whome the Lorde in his comming shall raise when hee shall come from heauen in glory when he shal call for all his Saintes Among whome is Philip the Euangelist which fell a-sleepe at Hierapolis and also his 2. daughters which waxed olde beeing virgines and another daughter of his replenished with the holy Ghoste which fell a-fleepe at Ephesus And Iohn also which leaned on the Lords brest who was the chiefe Sacerdotall Prieste and wore the pontificall or golden plate he alludeth as I take it vnto the High-Priest among the Iewes signifiing the chiefe dignity and estimation he had in Asia which was a Martyr a Doctor of the Church who also is fallen a-sleep or died at Ephesus Polycarpus also at Smirna both Bishop and Martyr and likewise Thraseas Bishop at Eumenia but by martyrdome he died at Smirna What shall I name Sagaren beeing no lesse a Prieste and Martyr which resteth in peace at Laodicea More-ouer Papirius and Macarius or rather Papirius the blessed and Melito but an Eunuche for the kingdome of God and filled with the holye Ghoste who heth in the Citie of Sardensias expecting the comming of the Lorde from heauen to rayse againe the dead Al these therfore obserued the Easterday on the 14. day of the Moneth according to the Gospell Dooing nothing at all otherwise without it but by all thinges and in all thinges following the rule of faith Yea and I Polycrates also the leaste amongest you all doe obserue it according to the tradition of my Fathers these onely whome I haue followed euen from the beginning For seuen of my Parentes haue beene Bishoppes by order and I the eight who haue also thus obserued this daie that it mighte agree with that daye wherein the people of the Iewes remooued the leauen Wherefore most deere brethren I am now in the name of the Lorde three-score and fiue yeares olde hauing also most full vnderstanding of manie Bishops through-out the worlde and intentiuely marking the Scriptures I will not be mooued by those thinges which are set out to make men afrayde sithe that mine-elders haue also sayde wee must obey GOD more than men And after a fewe wordes he setteth these vnder it concerning those Bishops that were present with him But I could also make mention of those Bishops that your selues desired I shoulde call foorth as also I haue doone Whose names if I should write it is too great a multitude Who all knowing my businesse haue confirmed those thinges that we write with their consent being perswaded that we haue not carried graye hayres to no purpose but haue beene alwayes conuersant in Christes discipline Thus wrote this reuerende Bishop of Ephesus against saith Ierome the Bishop of Rome about this matter but I followe Eusebius as hée is translated by Ruffinus In the which Epistle we may againe perceaue that the Bishop of Rome had no such superioritie ouer these Bishops as he nowe pretendeth Onely he in the name of his Church or of those Bishops that were likewise at Rome assembled ouer whome Victor was the President had requested this Bishop of Ephesus it being so great and famous a Sea aboue all the Bishoprikes of those partes of Asia the lesse to assemble and call for the Bishops of that prouince to debate and giue their iudgementes on this question And yet this argueth that not onely this Polycrates called such a great multitude from seuerall places o◠such onely as were Bishops in the same but also that as these Bishops were called from their owne Cities for the decision of this controuersie not onely there appeareth a difference betwéene a Bishop and the Priests or Pastorall Elders left at home to minister the worde and Sacraments but also an ordinarie superioritie of this Bishop of Ephesus ouer the other Bishops of that Prouince to call and assemble them togeather to a certaine place and to propounde this petition of the Italian Bishops vnto them or else that he vsurped it and encroched vpon them or else that the Bishop of Rome had some authoritie ouer him and all them to will him so to doe But sithe it is apparant that the Bishop of Romes authoritie was neuer no not when it was greatest there acknowledged it followeth that not onely Bishops were then Superiors vnto the ordinarie sorte of Pastorall Elders but that euen at that time there was an ordinarie superioritie in that and such other principall places ouer the ordinarie sort of Bishops also And no doubt he being the eight Bishop there and by the count of his age hauing liued within 40. yeares after Iohn the Euangelist and in the time of Policarpus whom he also mentioneth and all of them beeing so precise that they would not go one iote neither in adding too nor taking from the scripture no not in so much as the alteration of a day nor would varie in anye thing from their forefathers nor anie of their forefathers from the Scripture howe is it likely but that they tooke this order both for one Pastorall Elder in a Citie to be superior in
another sentence if they had broken forth into the office of teaching yea with their heads couered Thus clearely and simply doth Musculus interpret the place although he say that other answere this question otherwise and so reckoneth vp that which was Caluines first answere After the like obiection Peter Martyr maketh the like conclusion saying we aunswere in this place that vice is onely reprehended whereby Women dealth publikely being bare headed But afterward and to Tim. that shal be commanded that they shal also holde their peace because all things are not deliuered in one place As though the womeÌ„ of Corinth had offended in a double fault Both that they went bare-headed that they spake publikely The one of these is now condemned the other shal afterward be cut off But Pet. Mar. séeing that this answereth not the matter for if they sinned in these 2. faults their publik spéech were the greater of the 2. as vnlawful which the other is not wold he coÌ„demn the lesse séem to allow that that is vtterly il or refer them to ameÌ„d their fault at leisure by that he wold afterward speake to another not then but far from theÌ„ loÌ„g after ther is no likelihood of this reason which is that that we hard before in Calu. And therfore saith Pet. Mar. further Other say that these things are to be taken of women when they pray or prophesie priuately which is not forbidden them But sith this also satisfieth not the place he maketh this conclusion We may also expound another way this commandemeÌ„t of thapostle that it was ordeined that women shold hold their peace in the order accustomed Wherupon no publike function was committed vnto theÌ„ in the church which shold be ordinary perpetuall NotwithstaÌ„ding if the spirit of the L. inspired them it was not altogether forbidden but that they might speak somthing We know that the prophetesse Anna spake of our sauiour in the temple when the blessed virgin was purified Debora also sang publikely praises to God Mary Moses sister that women now then prophecied in the olde time many places witnesse Holda a prophetesse was asked counsel of king Iosias Hanna the Mother of Samuel set foorth a moste godly Hymne Mary also the Virgin and Mother of Christ sang an hymne Philip also in the Actes of the Apostles had many daughters that did prophecy And the Lorde commaunded Magdalene that she shoulde declare his resurrection to the Apostles And it is read in the prophet Ioel Of my spirite wil I powre forth on you your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecy Thus sayth Peter Martyr which done he coÌ„meth in also with Bezaes Bullingers Hyperius Hemingius and our Brethrens interpretation aforesaid saying they also slip out of this place more reddily or nimbly that thinke these thinges perteined not to them onely that did prophecy or pray publikely but also to their hearers that the men shoulde be bare headed and the womens heades couered But howe doth Peter Matyr like of this last interpretation Doth he allowe it no hee counteth it no better then a ready or nimble slip and no sounde aunswere And so hee concludes against it saying But the wordes of Paule seeme not to make with their sentence when as hee auoucheth it expressely of a woman praying or prophecying Thus substancially doth peter Martyr aunswere the matter All which proofes and examples doth Marlorate also after his collections of Caluin and others word for worde set downe and approoue as the true and simple interpretation And notable are euery one of these examples if wee shall examine and discusse them seuerally Besides other examples both in the olde and in the New Testament whose spéeches though partlie they were of other matters and not all concerning eyther prayer or prophecy yet were they spoken in the publike assembly of the faithfull without note of any reproche vnto them Yea the Lawe prouided in what cases the woman may claime before the Elders in the Gates of the City which was the place of the moste publike assemblies of the faithful her kinseman to be her Husbande Deut. 25. verse 7. 9. Abigails spéech and wise Oration made to Dauid before all his troupes is of Dauid highly commended 1. Sam. 25. verse 24 c. The wise woman in Abel saued the City from destruction by her wise speeches and eloquent persuasion 2. Sa. 20.18 The Quéene of Saba though an heathen Woman yet not onely is approoued of Solomon whose wisdome she tried with diuers Questions and so highly extolled 2. Reg. 10.6 c. but Christe also giueth an honorable testimony of her so doing The wife of Esay was a prophetesse so well as he a prophet Esay 8.3 Neyther are the testimonies of the Apocryphall Scriptures in this matter of comelinesse or for such pointes as concerne good manners to be reiected and they are goodly testimonies also As the publike prayer of Susanna the godly mother publikely preaching to the seuen Children to be constant Martyrs for the Law of God 2 Macha 7. The notable sermon that Iudith made euen to the high priest and to all the elders of Bethulia But if our Brethren regard not this as some of them haue reiected the factes and spéeches of Iudith euen with contumelies Let vs come also vnto other examples not improued in the new Testament What shal we saie for that womans fact that euen while Christ was preaching as Luke saith Chap. 11. ver 27. And it came to passe as he said these things a certaine woman of the companie lift vp her voice and said vnto him Blessed is the wombe that did beare thee and the paps that gaue thee sucke Did Christ rebuke her for that she spake thus boldlie in the open assemblie of the people No Luke saith not so But he said saith Luke yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wherevpon sayth the Geneua note Christ gaue her a priuie taunt for that shee omitted the chiefe praise which was due vnto him that was that they are blessed indeede to whom he communicateth himselfe by his word So that if she had giuen the chiefe praise to Christ she had done well and so farre forth her speech is not reprehended but the more commendable in the greater congregation that it was spoken And in a sorte Caluine confesseth her wordes to redound not a little to the coÌ„mendation of Christ also By which praise saith â—e the woman would extoll the excellencie of Christ. For she respected not Marie whom perhaps she neuer sawe But this amplifieth the glorie of Christ not a little that shee ennobleth maketh blessed the wombe in which he was borne Neither is this blessing of God absurdie but according to the maner of the Scripture celebrated For neither can it be denied but that God choosing and destinating Marie to be the mother vnto his sonne vouchsafed highlie to honour her So
the most cleare light of his confession and aduanced with the honour both of vertue and faith who by his exhortation hath sent before him a plentifull number of Martyrs with stones fire Which ioyfully behâ—lde his wife that cleued to his side wheÌ„ as together with other she was burned He himselfe being halfe burned and ouerwhelmed with stones lefte for dead While that afterwardes his daughter with a carefull seruice of godlines seeketh the corps of her father where he being founde almost dead refreshed and drawen out from his companions whom he had sent before him remained against his will But this as wee see was the cause of his remayning that the Lorde would ioyne him vnto our Clergie and woulde adorne gloriosis Sacerdotibus with his glorious Sacred Priests the abundance of our Elders being desolate And verily he shall be promoted as time shall permitte vnto a more worshipfull place of his religion when through the Lordes protection we shall come in presence In the meane season let this be done that is declared that we may receiue this gift of God with thankes giuing hoping that by the mercie of the Lord such ornaments shall be also furnished that renuing the strength of his Church he wil make our so meeke and humble consistories to flourish in honour Whereby we plainlie see not onely the Bishoppes authoritie ouer the consistorie of the Elders in making this Elder Numidicus an Elder in the cleargie and consistorie of Carthage but also that he was a Preacher exhorter of the people And that Cyprian vseth the name of Presbyter and Sacerdos indifferently as betokning one and the same office for the which we in English wanting a proper name for Sacerdos vse the contraction of the other better and lesse offensiue terme Presbyter calling them Priestes signifying héere Elders ministring the woorde and Sacramentes And of other sortes whom Cyprian calleth Presbyteros Priestes or Elders assistent to the Bishop in the gouernement of the Eccles. discipline I finde no mention nor inkling of them in all the Epistles of Saint Cyprian Neither cite I him in those editions that the Papistes haue of late corrupted him And therefore I maruell not a little that such an excellent man as Beza is God be praysed for his gifts in him was so ouershot to cite these Epistles of Cyprian for a Consistory or Colledge of such Elders gouerned by a Bishop which together with him should haue the spirituall iurisdiction and the gouernment of Eccl. discipline that were not ministers of the worde and Sacraments As for that which Gellius Snecanus citeth also out of Cyprians Epistles Epist. 2. lib. 1. there is no mention there at all of any other of the Clergie then onely of Bishops or of such Priestes as hee calleth Sacerdotes Pastores Which Epistle being written to Cornelius Bishop of Rome by Cyprian and a great number of other Bishops of Aphrica ioyned in counsell with him he vseth there this terme Colleagues meaning other Bishops that were of his owne function But if sayth he there shall bee any of the Colleagues which when persecution vrgeth them thinketh the peace should not be giuen to our brothers and sisters let him in the day of iudgement render a reason to the Lorde eyther of his importune censure or of his inhumaine roughnes Is this any thing to any gouerning Elder in the Church that is not a minister of the worde and Sacramentes As for any other Colleagues eyther of those that hee wrote of or wrote vnto or that wrote with him in this or anie other Epistle I finde none Nor our Brethren can shew any such Elders as they vrge vnto vs in all these Epistles or any other worke of Cyprian But because Gellius Snecanus adioyneth also the testimonie of Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles cap. 39. which wee haue likewise alreadie séene for the manner and forme of the primitiue Churche in their publike prayers neuerthelesse to the fuller serch of these Elders which our Brethren would haue let vs againe consider what Tertullian sayth especially he going not onely immediately before Cyprian about the yeare of our Lorde 200. but being in such estimation with Cyprian that he alwayes called him his Maister I will nowe my selfe sayth Tertullian set foorth the affayres of the Christian faction that I which haue refuted the euill thinges may shewe the good We are a bodie of the conscience of religion and of the truth of discipline and of the couenant of hope We come together into an assembly and congregation that praying vnto God as though by prayers wee strined for workes this force is acceptable vnto God We pray also for the Emperours for their ministers and powers for the state of the worlde for the quietnes of their affayres and for the prolonging of their ende We are gathered together to the reciting of the diuine scriptures if so be that the qualitie of the present time doe compell vs to giue fore-warning or to reknowledge it Certainely we feede our faith with the holy speeches we erecte our hope we fixe our confidence Neuerthelesse we thicken or encrease the discipline of the maisters or of the praecepts by prouocations or inculcations At the same place are also exhortations chasticements the diuine correction for the iudgement is giuen with great waight as among them that are sure that God beholdes them And it is the chiefest foreiudgeing of the iudgement to come if any man do so trespasse that he be banished from the communicating of prayer and of the assemblie and of all the holy partaking The Praesidents or Gouernours are all of them approoued Seniors hauing obteyned this honour not with price but with testimonie What is there here in any of these wordes to prooue that these Elders which as hee termeth it praesidebant did gouerne the congregations medlâ—d not with teaching Or rather doth he not ascribe teaching to theÌ„ When 〈◊〉 saith Wee are a corps of the conscience of religion of truth of discipline and of the couenant of hope When he saith their comming together was for praiers and for recording the Scriptures When hauing added how they fed their faith with the word of God erecting their hope and fixing their confidence they ioyne this withall that neuerthelesse they do increase the discipline of the maisters by their inculcations or often calling vpon them Or if we should conster these wordes Disciplinam praeceptorum for the discipline not of the maisters but of the precepts so that we take it not that they did increase the discipline of mens commandements And doth he not also ioyne exhortations together with castigations of the diuine censure By all which and much more we may well gather out of this place that these Praesidents or gouernours of these congregations were not such as medled not with teaching For if the Elders not teaching were gouerned as Beza said in their Colleges and corporaâ—ions
word this absolute authoritie wherewith by their leaue both vnciuilly and neyther so christianlike nor subiectlike as should beséeme them they burthen the ciuill christian Magistrate which is God be praysed ouer vs her most excellent Maiestie we shall then neuer reclayme them from their opinion nor let them to hold still what they please For we professe before hand at least I for my part that I can shew none nor I knowe of any such absolute authoritie that either we yéeld to the Prince or that the Prince claymeth in â—his our Church but set absolute aside and then that the ciuill christian Magistrate hath had and ought to haue some authoritie and that in the boundes thereof a supreme authoritie also we haue shewed by sufficient warrant of Gods holy word and euen héere not onely by the auncient Father Augustine but also euen by Bezaes owne approbation and pâ—oues therof where he minceth it most neyther can they nor all the woâ—ld elude this that we haue shewed thereon and this is it that we hold aâ—so of the Princes authority concerning the calling and gouerning of the Synodes what we holde further we shall come to it orderly afterwards but héere they tell vs what they hold We hold say they that the Synode of euery Prouince hath authoritie to decree concerning ceremoniall orders of the Church Before of absolute authoritie they sayd they would be glad to learne how this authoritie was translated from the Church in which it was once lawfully vested vnto the ciuill christian Magisâ—rate These were too high words nor they can euer be able to shew it by sufficient warrant out of Gods holy word that the true Church of Christ was euer vested with absolute authoritie but alwayes reserued that vesture to her Lord and husband Iesus Christ. The Pope indéede and his Popish Church he like a proude Prelate and she like a malapert Maâ—ame striued which of them should reuest themselues with absolute authoritie a more royall robe then became them or any creature to be vested with The Queene sayth Dauid Psal. 45.10 did stand on thy right hand in a vesture of the golde of Ophir But least she should thinke her selfe vested with absolute authoritie he saith vnto her Hearken O daughter and consider and bow downe thine â—are forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beautie for he is thy Lord and reuerence thou him so that she is still vested with obedience and though with authoritie not with absolute But it seemeth that our Brethren aâ— better aâ—uised will now let go their former hold that they sayd the Church did hold for the vesting her with this vesture For héere they leaue out the word absolute and say onely that the Church hath authoritie which is a great deale more truly and warily spoken than before And yet héerein also me thinkâ— in another point they greatly ouer shoote themselues for where they say that the Synode of euery Prouince hath authoritie to decree concerning ceremoniall orders of the Church leauing out quite and cleane the Prince whome they include not in the name of Synode but making the Prince another partie besides the Synode moue the question what is due to the Prince what to the Synode This is very much if I might not rather say this is very little or nought at all to make now the Christian Magistrate to haue no authoritie at all but be cleane excluded And that is more if the Christian Magistrate haue diuers Prouinces in his Dominions the Synode of euerie Prouince hath authoritie to decree concerning ceremoniall orders of the Church he or his authoritie neyther in all nor in any of those his Prouinces being once so much as mentioned But what they meane by these spéeches following whereof some may be generall to all congregations some perticuler to certaine Churches let themselues a Gods name make their meaning playner for as yet I perceyue not such is my bulnesse how all congregations are bound to obserue the Decrees concerning ceremoniall orders of the Church that are decreed in the Synode of euery Prouince or that euery Prouince consisting but of certayne perticular Churches hath authoritie to make Decrees whereof some may be generall to all congregations What they intend héerein I can scarse ghesse except they would haue all Churches and congregations be bound to receyue the Decrees of the Synodes holden in Geneua or in some other Prouince that they like better and say they were of the number of those Decrees which they made to be generall to all congregations But as our Synodes prouinciall cannot make any such ceremoniall order to binde them or to binde generally the congregations or Churches of any other Princes Prouinces so haue they no more authoritie to make ceremoniall orders to binde our congregations and Churches thereunto For as it were to be wished that all places might be brought to one perfection so is it not alwayes necessarie that they bee lyke in all things This wish for perfection of vnitie in all places if the matter might go by wishing is to be liked so farre-foorth as perfection may be wished though hardly hoped for in the imperfection of this life in the Church militant and in the great varietie of ceremoniall orders in the sundry parts and Prouinces of the same howbeit in doctrine especially in the grounds and principles thereof it is to be wished for euen as necessary and although it be not alwayes necessary that all places be like in all things meaning ceremoniall orders and constitutions whereof before they spake yet for all places that be of one countrey state realme dominion or prouince it is farre better that all places were alike For although varietie in those things may stand with the vnitie of the faith and with the substance of our communitie in the corporation of the mysticall bodie of Christ which is his true and holy Catholike Church the communion of the Saincts yet if they be knit together in one order of these ceremoniall things also where they liue together vnder one Christian Magistrate it doth more confirme them in the other substantiall vnitie And the varietie is daungerous in one Church or kingdome euen in these more frée and inferior matters as with gréefe we sée in England at this day what destructions and contentions haue risen and dayly do rise in our Churches that otherwise in doctrine are vnited and yet the varietie of these ceremoniall orders hath with some called in suspition the vnitie of religion and with many hath disturbed if not broken the vnitie of our christian peace and concord And therefore excellently well are these two knitte together Cor vnum via vna one hart one way Zanchius noting the difference of these vnities in his Confession of Christian Religion Cap. 24. de Eccl. militante aphoris 14. 15. writeth thus For with what things