Elders and Bishops so commonlie called therefore this whole matter seemeth inuolued in more darke and thicke mistes of obscuritie vnto such as are not expert in searching out hidden and vnknowen histories in the acts and monuments of the Apostles For by reason of the interchangeable communitie of names they think not that there is any difference or conceiue not what it is between those distinct persons which are called by names not distinct As for exemple this name Apostle would haue deceiued him fowly that should haue gone about to haue equaled all of this name with the twelue Apostles so stands the case also with the name of Bishops for that it is in danger to deceiue if it doe not daungerouslly deceiue those which indistinctly apply that one name to the two degrees of Elders Wherfore they must know that the same name is not alwaies of the same nature and many times one word is significant as well for the general as the particuler And this must we conceiue of this word Elder that in the capacity of his signification are indifferently intertained all degrees of Pastors so that the Apostles themselues may generally be called Elders when as properly the lowest degree of Pastors is best knowen and most fitly called by that name Besides all this there is in many wordes an Etimology or proper interpretation according to the which also it so falleth out that many times diuerse names haue the same vse by which meanes not onely Elders but Apostles also may be deriued into the same name of Bishops This may very easily bee exemplified in ciuill things and names where we may wel perceiue the like vse of no lesse titles as Dukes Earles Knights Lordes and Barons all which titles are giuen to many which differ much in honour and dignitie neither is it any new or insolent thing for one mightie King to haue many meaner Kinges vnder him of his name but not of his power The like wee may say of Dukes who haue also vnder them other Dukes of whome they receiue due fealtie and homage and some Earls also as the Count Palatine of Rhene Flanders are Lords also ouer other Earles What should I speake of Knights Lords Barons which vnder the same titles haue not the same tipe of honor or autority He would be laughed to scorne of very children for his labour that should inferre an equality of their callings from the qualitie of that they are called I but will some say there is not that reason of the Ecclesiasticke ministerie and the ciuill policy I also tell them that I doe not compare office with office but name with name that all the world may see how childish a reason it is for the community of names and titles to take away the diuersity of things persons Albeit there be some new writers of this age who hold opinion that the presidency of on ouer many elders is to be abolished as a thing that hath preuailed in the church of custom vpon the curtesie of mē only that against the groūded verity of gods sacred constitution yet for al that the vniuersal consent of alchurches in the world consorting with gods word shal further with me then the opinion male-content of the heretik Aerius or the misconceited iudgement of Hierome alone hauing lost himselfe in the ambiguity of doutful words not foūd out the antiquity of the first age of the church For this is manifest out of the word of God that in the time of Iohn the Apostle those 7. Cathedral Churches of Asia had their seuen Bishops and they imposed ouer them by a certaine diuine not any humaine ordinaunce For when as the holie Ghost there conceileth nothing in the which either the Angels themselues or they which were vnder there gouernement had offended he would neuer haue passed ouer without iust reprehension so insolent and ambitious an innouation for so it seemeth vnto some as then but newly subborned and boldly brought forth into the church of God and that confronting the flat ordinaunce of God himselfe No doubt those so famous and renowmed Churches had many Elders and happely a colledge of Elders and yet the defaults of those churches were not laid vppon the many Elders but hee calleth vpon the seuerall and principall Elder of euery particular church whose autority in the church gouernment vnlesse it had bene somewhat more then ordinarie they alone should neuer haue borne the blame of that function not well performed A certaine writer of this age goeth about to defend or at least to excuse this heresie or error if you had so rather of Aerius but his reasons with the which hee would doe it are so slanderous scandalous and reprochfull against the councels and against the fathers as of truth I am altogether ashamed of them Aerius like a good honest fellowe is excused the fathers poore soules or openly accused of no small faults ambition and tyranny who seeing he bringeth nothing woorth any thing besides that we haue before touched out of Hierome I will not vouchsafe his cauils the confuting How much more christian-like modestly hath that most famous man and thrise reuerend father Zanchius neuer sufficiently renowmed for his rare learning and religion how much more like a good christian hath he written in his Confession what hee thought concerning the controuersie These are his wordes My faith is grounded chiefly and simply vpon the word of God and then somewhat also vpon the common consent of the whole Catholike Church if so bee it repugne not the sacred writ For I doe beleeue that what things were concluded and receiued of the holie Fathers assembled in the name of the Lord by a common consent of all without anie contradiction to the holie scriptures that those things also althogh not of like authoritie with the scripture are of the holy Ghost Hence it commeth that whatsoeuer things are of this sort I nor will nor dare with a safe conscience disallow them But what one thing is more certaine out of histories out of Councels out of the writings of all the Fathers then that those orders of Ministers of the which we haue spoken were receyued and established in the Church by the common consent of the whole Christian common-wealth And who am I that what the whole Church hath allowed I alone should disallowe Neither yet haue all the learned men of our time dared to disallow them for that indeed they knew that both these things were lawfull in the Church also that they all were ordeined and performed of a godly religion and to good ends for the good of the elect Besides that reason was I should haue regard of those Churches also the which although they haue imbraced the Gospell yet they retaine their Bishops both in deed and name And what shall wee say of the Churches of the Protestants also where they want not their Bishops and Arch-bishops in deed whom hauing cast their good Greeke names
and it hath ben handled at large also yet all little enough Such is the female misconceit of the lasciuious malecontent and the male miscontent of the learned ignoraunt of this age euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth Notwithstanding seeing in the iudgement of the most wise and best learned this Germane Booke seemed for sound iudgement inferiour to none and for graue discourse equall to any it was therfore thought by them an action no lesse commodious to the people then commendable to the Author that he who in the causes of present controuersie hath propounded his iudgement vnto all shoulde haue his iudgement expounded vnto vs. The which although it hath beene curstly censured by a certaine suspicious and suspected Criticke emulous of his betters credite who in his professed lectures hath vsed the remembraunce of his name in disdaine with Sarauia nescio quis Yet his best auditors there and others his betters elsewhere haue found this difference betweene Sarauia and him that besides his great learning and no lesse experience of the which this great Censor neuer had the one neuer will haue the other Sarauia hath made knowen to him and the whole world by this his resolute definitiue who he is whereas the other in one whole tearme hath so behaued himselfe in the same cause that albeit wee all know who he is yet we could neuer tell where to finde him So hoppeth he betweene the stone and the Altar that as a man distract betweene feare and flattery he maketh vp his doubtfull resolution with this harmelesse confession Sentio quod sentio quod nescio I know what I know what I doe not know I but now we see the aduerse part partly by theyr lawlesse outrage and partly by theyr lawfull restraint to be nowe as impotent in their faction as they are odious in their opinion to be at this time as vnable as they were at all times vnworthy to preuaile and then what neede we any longer striue when the ennemy can no longer stand I aunswer that their increase was seene long since to be at the full and their credite appeareth euen now to be in the Waine For the which as we are to giue God thankes who in taking Iustice vpon some of them hath taken pitty vpon the whole Church so likewise are we to pray for the rest that in good time we may see eyther theyr speedy amendement or their present preferment For it is time O Lord that thou haue mercy vppon Sion yea the time is come Notwithstanding in the meane time wee haue entertained this profered aide not so much to inuade the seditious brethren or to bring home the resolued recreant as to strengthen the godly Subiect and to bring forward the well affected Protestant With the which if any man finde himselfe agreeued let him shew for it but so that Sarauia may vnderstand what he saith For my part if I haue conceiued him right the fruite is yours if I haue deliuered him not right the fault is mine Sure I am the Author meant you well and my Authors And so doe I. The Translator TO THE MOST REuerend father in Christ John by the prouidence of God Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of al England and Metrapolitane To the renovvmed and most honored Heroicke Sir Christopher Hatton Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and high Chauncellour of England As also to the noble and right honorable Sir William Cecill Baron of Burghley Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and high Treasurer of England of her Maiesties most Honorable priuy Counsell my very good Lordes true felicity THe auncient receiued custome of dedicating books to men of name and authority is growne and grounded vppon many reasons great waighty all which it shal be needelesse for me to reuise in this place But for my part there are chiefly three causes mouing me to consecrat this my small trauell to you the most Honorable and honored of me my good Lordes First that thereby I might testifye vnto you the duety and deuotion of a loyall and gratefull minde towards you that find my selfe seuerally and singularly bound vnto you all and euery one of you For first one of you vppon my repaire into England disdained not to entertaine me a stranger with no straunge countenance and straunge courtesie The other also dained to accept me vnworthy into his owne family And the other of his especiall fauour brought to passe that by her Maiesties priuiledge and preferment I might be made of a forreiner a freeman of an alien a Cittizen And seeing I haue receiued all these fauours without any deede or desert of mine God thou knowest mine vnworthines I were but too ingrate and vnkinde if I should bury in darke and deepe silence your so rare and religious demerites But whereas I haue no other thing to render or repay vnto your Honors but a mine of thanks and a thankfull minde that mind wil I alwaies beare and that duety in minde so that I will not cease to worship the sacred memory of your religious loue towardes me Another cause is the very nature of the argumente I vndertake the which I could not well prosecute without some particular mention of the Church of England In the which seeing I haue now my part and portion of a pastoral prouince and praised be the Lord my lotte is fallen vnto me in a faire ground might I not seeme vnmindfull of my good neglecting my duty if when I vndertake the cause of those Churches which are alien and outlandish I should ouerslip the state of mine own Church now gremiall to me and mere English But when mine hearts desire and praier to God is that I may some waies benefite my countreymen if I forget thee O Ierusalem And yet if I should forget my duety herein the meere alliance and relation of the matters them selues is such and so great as that by ordinary course of necessary consequence I must be inforced to inferre and praefer the mention thereof in my bookes But because I am but new made of Flemish sterling that is of Outlandish English it may be happely that they which are home-bred will thinke I deale not wel with them to deale with them and that I meddle too farre when I come so neare For which cause I thought it necessarye for mee to commend and commit my selfe vnto your Honorable patrocinie that this stranger book might freely passe vnder your safe conduct Neither shall it grieue me much though it be vniustly cast by most voices if it may iustly passe your accoumpt neither shall it hurt me much though the inraged multitude in disordered throngs cast stones at mee only if your Honors vouchsafe to giue me the white stone But the last cause is for that I am in some doubt how this discourse will be taken of them for whose sakes especially it was vndertaken For it is to be feared that they
that must be left between God and their conscience Forbid any man the Communion God forbid Is it not to be wondered that they which confesse that the Minister hath power of binding should not consider that the same Minister hath the like power of loosing also Doe they not know that there is the like reason of them both or can they not conceyue that the effects being contrary they are performed of the Pastor with contrary actions It is without all controuersie that sinners are loosed by the Ministers when remission of sinnes in the name of Christ is pronounced to the faithfull But when as by the same power the wrath of God and vengeance eternall is denounced against the vnfaithful and that they are denied the sweete comfort of the holy Sacraments who doubteth but that they are bound in like sort Is it not abhorring from the duety of a faithfull Pastor to let in Wolues into his masters sheep-fold so is it also if he thrust not out those which are closely crept in If so be it so fall out that any man fall from the faith after baptisme or when he confesseth Christ with his lips that he deny him in his life and within himself crucify agayn the God of life What is there here no part of the Pastors office to be perfourmed He shall restrayn they will say the disobedient release the penitent Very good But seeing these things cannot be done but with contrarie facultyes as to the penitent he shall pronounce the sweete promises of Gods mercy and receiue him into the Church So to the disobedient hee shall denounce all the dires and execrations of Gods wrath that he is a recreant from the kingdome of God that he is exiled the Citty and forbidden the house of God and he shall deny the dogge returned to his vomit the bread of the children of God Wherfore as a faithfull dispenser of the mysteries of God baptiseth none that was once an infidel without some publique confession of his faith so neyther doth he receiue to the Communion a notorious sinner without apparant conuersion of life This is olde Diuinity But to spend many words in the confutation of this conceit is no part of my meaning neither would it quite for cost this only cause would require a whole quire of conclusiōs that too painful a course for so needles a discourse This onely seemeth to me a sufficient confutation thereof that it is a new and an vnexpert error crossing the aduised iudgement of all auncient Diuines that I vrge them not with the Heathen more holy then themselues with whom there was alwayes great difference betweene things sacred and prophane But if Popish Prelates haue heretofore abused and abuse at this day the lawful power of the church by their lawlesse tiranny shall their vnlawfulnesse make a lawfull thing of none effect Together with religion a lawe was made which excluded the irreligious from religion since the worlde began And is not then the condition of the Church present to be pittied being now come to this stay that when as it ought to be the schoole of vertue it wil not endure the censure of conformity And that which to the Heathen men rude and vntaught in the true worship of God seemed most beautifull in it selfe and no lesse beneficiall to the common wealth should altogether of vs Christians be neglected as needelesse or contemned as erronious But to returne to the principall issue in this controuersie albeit the ministery of the Gospell committed to the pastors of the Church be one and the same in them all yet in this third part concerning the diuerse degrees of authority which first the Lord himselfe constituted and afterwardes the Apostles continued there is great ods betweene them and no small inequality to be found among them Amongst the which there is no controuersie but that the Apostles haue the first degree of dignity Euangelists the second Prophets the third Pastors and Elders the fourth Doctors the last For as the authority of an Apostle was greater then of an Euangelist or a Prophet of a Prophet greater then of a Bishop or an Elder so was the authority of Titus and Timothie who were both Elders and Bishops greater then was the authority of those Elders whom by theyr Apostolique commission themselues had created in euery Towne And albeit the Baptisme of Christ be one and the same by whome so euer it be administred whether of an Apostle of the highest or of an Elder of the lowest order and the doctrine of the Gospell is neither better nor worse which is deliuered of these or of those Notwithstanding good order of gouernement doth not permitte that the authority of al should be all alike or that the like cōmission should be granted to these and them the constant and continued custome of the Church ministery deriued from the Apostles time and vnrepealed vnto this day doth euince the same The first creation of the twelue Apostles and the seuenty Disciples doth containe a manifest demonstration of this whole matter For that the beginnings of the old and new Church might accord First the twelue Apostles were elected to be the first Patriarches and progenitors of a newe people but afterwards when the haruest was greater then the labourers and the kingdome of Heauen already began to suffer violence as the Lord ioyned with Moyses in the old Testament seuenty Elders to assist him in the gouernance of his people so in like manner vppon the like occasion our Sauiour added vnto the twelue Apostles seuenty other Disciples And so in the first infancy of the Church we may see how the Lord ordained two diuerse degrees of Ministers whom when he distinguished in number and disseuered into distinct companies did he not declare that in honour and authority they were not equall not all of a company The which thing verily he would neuer haue done had hee once knowen and he should know that it had beene a sin for Ministers to be diuerse in degree and not equal in dignity And these were the first preachers of the Gospell vnder the Lords direction whiles himselfe was yet resident among them But after hee ascended into Heauen he raysed vp Prophets also in the Church when as at Whitsontide hee poured forth of his spirite whereby he might make his Disciples as miracles not onely for theyr manifold languages but also for theyr diuine wisedom and fore-knowledge But in processe of time when the number of Churches increased and multiplyed exceedingly so that themselues were now no more able to ground and gouerne them they took vnto them of theyr followers and made them theyr fellow labourers Who although they were of rare faith and rype giftes yet were they the schollers and followers of the Apostles and Euangelists much inferiour to theyr maisters But when as not onely the number of the Churches but the multitude of beleeuers increased still aboue number then were there ordayned for seuerall Churches
which neyther ciuill Magistrate was ordayned more then ordinary nor nouell Priesthood Did not the Priests themselues which before were defiled with foule Idolatry purify the Temple the people and thēselues together from foule Idolatry And at this day if the Bishops of the French Churches would redeeme themselues from the Popes tiranny and sweepe theyr Churches cleane of all error and Idolatry what need should they haue of any other calling then that which they haue The like I affirme of all other Churches in what part of the world soeuer which through the iniquity of these dayes and the subtilty of the ennemy are inuolued and ouercast with the most daungerous mists of error and ignorance If they please to send for our Countreymen and vse theyr counsel they may but if otherwise they will not they are to vsurpe no authority ouer theyr Churches but rather to reioyce and congratulate with them for theyr conuersion making profer vnto them of theyr company and theyr countenance Of the twelue Apostles Chap. III. THe twelue which were the first preachers of the Gospell were chosen of the Lorde himselfe With them he deyned familiarly to conuerse and friendly to acquaint with all his counsels which according to the time they were capiable of that afterwards they might the better testify of those thinges which they both saw heard Theyr first prouince extended not it selfe beyond the confines of Iewry for they were then forbidden to goe into the way of the Samaritanes or to enter into the streetes of the Gentiles And in this theyr first circuit the Lord vnto the office of preaching ioyned the power of Baptisme and the working of miracles But so long as no end was imposed vnto the ceremonies of the olde Church neyther yet the order of Aarons priesthood was abrogated they founded no particular Churches but retained company and communion with the rest of the Iewes in such things as concerned the seruice of God But what the peculiar office of the Apostles was is easely vnderstood by the commaunds which our Sauiour gaue them after his resurrection and also by those promises which he made in Iohn concerning the comforter which he would send them after his ascention In the last of Mathew these are the words of our Sauiour to his Disciples Al power saith he is giuen to me in Heauen and in earth Goe therefore and teach al nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost Teaching them to obserue al things what so euer I haue commaunded you And behold I am with you vntill the end of the world In which words the chiefe parts of theyr Apostolique function are thus to be discerned The first is that Legacy which is immediatly giuen them of God vnto all nations and not restrayned within any limitte an other is the publication of that doctrine which they receiued of the Lord the third is the administration of those Sacraments which were instituted of God the last is the protestation of that especiall aide which albeit generally it concern the whole church yet particularly it respecteth the Apostles them selues Likewise in the fourteenth and sixteenth of Iohn the gift of the holy Ghost is promised vnto them for the better performance of their Apostolike function And that was it which did so moderate theyr tongue and theyr talk as that they should vtter no doctrine of theyr owne but of theyr maister Christ And albeit the commission of teaching with the power of working miracles were graunted out vnto others also yet this alwaies remayned proper to the Apostles and intire to theyr calling that theyr onely doctrine was a paragon and a patterne by the which al others doctrine was to be tried And also that they alone in the beginnings of the Church conferred the holy Ghost vnder a visible signe by the laying on of handes as it is in the eight of the Actes and the seuenteenth verse Wherefore as Moyses had God the first author of the law so was it requisit the Apostles should haue the same ground of theyr cōsecration that the foundation of the Church might be layd sure and indefeyseble As for the authority of the Apostles among themselues it was one and the same and theyr honour alike there was no ods between them but that which eyther gifts or grauity did make And albeit Peter be euery where called the first yet was that primacy in the order only of his vocation not in the preheminence of his commission For if so bee that out of those words of the Lord Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke will I builde my Church and such other like the Apostles had conceyued any especiall authority committed to Peter they would neuer haue moued the question twise after that which of them should seeme the greatest And albeit the Lord vouchsafed Peter Iames and Iohn the participation of some greater secrets yet notwithstanding he bare himselfe so indifferently towardes them all in the donation of any especiall place as that themselues could not tell among themselues whome to prefer before his fellow But from this degree of Apostolique dignity Iudas through his treasonable and sacriligious auarice fell and into his place was Mathias inuested after the ascention of Christ and last of al other was Paul also ascribed into this holy society after a right wonderfull and miraculous manner Of the seuenty Disciples Chap. IIII. ALbeit Paul for honour sake haue placed Prophets in the second place yet notwithstanding vppon iust occasion I haue domised them to the third For that I am here to obserue not the honour but the order of theyr calling and to take them as they fall not in regard of the preheminence of theyr titles but in respect of the priority of those times in the which they were called in the new Testament Wherefore when as the Lorde perceiued that for the smalnes of the time the Haruest was great and for the greatnes of the Haruest the laborers were but few he elected seuenty other Disciples to preache the Gospell and to publish the glad tidings of peace Vnto whome albeit he gaue the power of miracles also no lesse priuiledge then had before the twelue Apostles to bee honored of them vnto whom they preached yet notwithstāding he vnited them not together with the Apostles to make of them al one order or society For yee shall alwayes read that the twelue were euer seperate from the seuenty Who in this regard seemed inferiour to the Apostles For why they were not in ordinary with the Lord as were the Apostles so that they could not be witnesses of such things as he dyd and sayd If there were any any more familiar then the rest they were but few namely two Iosephe surnamed the iust and Mathias of the which one God being gouernor of the lottery was inuested into the place of Iudas Barnabas also was appoynted Apostle-like to discourse through diuerse countryes and to plant certaine Churches who
notwithstanding most certayne was none of the Apostles Phillip likewise may be taken for one of this order and many other who laboured with the Apostles in the work of the Gospel And seeing it is so plain a case that these all were called immediatly from God and that as we read God gaue vnto his Church Euangelists who shall wee say were those Euangelists if not these Resolue then that those seuenty Disciples were Euangelists and those Euangelistes inferior to the Apostles For why they were giuen as Legats or Lieutenants vnder those graund Capitains to vndertake with like authority theyr taske and theyr turnes And yet besides these the Apostles tooke vnto them diuerse others as fellow laborers with them But in them ther was not that valour as was in those whom the Lord himselfe did choose and infuse with an Apostolike spirite We haue read of Barnabas Iude and Sylas theyr great trauel and no smal autority in the Church In which respect they came neare and were next in deede vnto the Apostles themselues But how might this haue beene if so be the spirit of God had not wholly possessed them as it did the Apostles But we knowe how that they all met that were at the election of Mathias the same day in the same place with the Apostles themselues when the Lord poured forth of his spirite a visible shape And albeit Barnabas was no Apostle none of the twelue yet can we make no lesse of him then an Euangelist one of the seuenty As for Marke and Luke albeit theyr authority in the Church were great and theyr desertes great for their perfect and well penned Histories of the Gospell yet are they not to be reputed with the seuenty Euangelistes by reason theyr calling was by men vnto the Ministery Tertullian in in his fourth booke against Marcion writeth thus Luke saith hee not an Apostle yet Apostolique not a maister but a scholler as he was lesse then his Maister so likewise was he so much the more lesse then an other for that he was follower of a lesse Apostle As for Marke Papias in his Commentaries as Eusebius reporteth in his thirde booke hath left vs this testimony Marke the interpreter of Peter wrote in deede very diligently what so euer hee remembred yet not altogether in that order as they were spoken and performed by the Lorde Neyther in deede did hee heare the Lorde himselfe neither was hee any follower of his but afterwards as I haue sayd became the companion of Peter c. VVherefore Marke did not amisse in this that he diuulged in writing such things as before hee committed to memory seeing aboue all thinges he chiefely regarded this one thing that neyther hee would omitte any thing he heard to be true neyther committe any thing hee knew to bee false Thus saith hee of him And it is well knowen that hee was inferiour vnto Barnabas also in authority for hee was his follower and in a manner his scholler as he was also Pauls and Peters and that in no other order then were Titus and Timothy And yet notwithstanding the name and credite both of Marke and Luke for their faithfull register of the Apostles preceptes is such and so reuerend as that their Gospels are recorded among the canonical scriptures and are equaled in authority with the more exquisite labours of Mathew and Iohn And reason too For in their Euangelike recordes whome had they for theyr patternes or their patrones but the Apostles and Euangelistes So that whereas the Gospell of Ma hew may seeme to bee onely Mathewes and that of Iohn to bee Iohns onely these theyr Gospels may be reputed the Gospels not of Mark and Luke but of all the Apostles and Euangelists In the which thing verily they are worthy great commendations that they sauoured no whit at all of men as commonly they doe which pen Histories but they so nearely and narrowly followed the very spirit of the Apostles and Euangelistes as if the Apostles themselues had beene rather the penners then perusers of so greate a worke Wherefore Luke is for good cause commended of Paul in the second to the Corinth the eight chapter and eighteenth verse when as he saith VVe haue also sent that brother whose praise is in the Gospell throughout all Churches But by these you may easely conceiue who were properly Euangelistes and who not Of Prophets Chap. V. AS wee reckon none in order with the twelue Paul onely excepted so with the seuenty find we not any that may be compared And albeit we doubt not that God could haue added to the 70. others also no way their inferiors yet seeing we haue no record of sacred writte to auouch the same it were hard for man to affirme that there were any such But now when as besides the twelue Apostles and those seuenty Euangelists we read of other also who in like manner haue been honoured with the first fruits of the holy Spirite by what name or title shall they be called or by what addition shal we distinguish thē from the rest Of the number of an hundred and twenty men there remayn fix and thirty stil whom seeing we neither account with the twelue Apostles nor yet with the seuenty Euangelistes it remayneth that wee adorne them with the name of Prophets For this it is which Peter doth insinuat vnto the people out of the Prophet Ioel in his Apology for himselfe and his fellowes namely That the spirite of Prophesie promised of olde to be giuen out in the later dayes was then poured forth vppon that assembly whom then they heard preaching and prophesying in diuerse tongues to theyr great astonishement Wherefore those thirty sixe men which neyther are ascribed into the company of the twelue Apostles nor yet are recounted in the society of the seuenty Euangelists were those first Prophets whom God gaue into his Church after our Sauiour was receyued vp into Heauen In which order as it might very wel be was Ananias of Damasco reputed and Agabus both of them renowmed Prophets Iudas and Sylas are also called Prophets and for that cause are they sent by the Apostles to Antioch to exhort confirme the brethren And I am of opinion that these and such like were properly called Prophets not Metaphorically seeing they did foresee thinges to come by the spirite of God and by the same spirite reuealed things secret and recondite And albeit the interpreting of the Scripture bee a kinde of prophecying yet is that kinde more proper to the Doctor then the Prophet and more truely may a man account Doctors interpreters of the Scripture then Prophets But doubtlesse God restored to his Church in those latter dayes that true kinde of Prophecy which in Israell was familiar from the beginning and in singular wisedom did erect three kindes of Doctors in his Church and gaue them to his new people Apostles Euangelists and Prophets And these were the first Elders and Bishops of the Church of Ierusalem That the
names and titles of Apostles Euangelists and Prophets were giuen also vnto other Pastors and Doctors of the Church CHAP. VI. ALbeit by that which I haue already written it maye sufficiently bee vnderstoode whome I call by the name of Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes yet notwithstanding because those names are for good causes giuen vnto others also some what must be said of them in like maner In the Epistle to the Romains the sixteenth Chapter Andronicus and Iunius are called notable among the Apostles and out of the eight Chapter of the last to the Corinthians Titus and the brethren which were with him are called Apostles and in the Epistle to the Philippians Epaphroditus is called their Apostle The deriuation of the greeke word is well knowen that Apostles are called of sending for that they are Postes or speedie messengers sent of especiall purpose as Legates or Embassadours into diuers parts of the worlde according to this signification whosoeuer is sent as a messenger in anie busines may be called an Apostle In this sense our Sauiour himselfe who is Prince and Lord ouer the Apostles in the epistle to the Hebrues is called an Apostle But to be short this name is no where giuen in the newe Testament to any so far as euer I could learne but to the ministers of the gospell onely Amongst whome because there was great inequalitie Paule calleth those first twelue Apostles the chiefe Apostles as it is in the eleuenth chapter of the last to the Corinthians where he saith I suppose that I was not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles as it is also in the 11. verse of the 12. chapter By the which it appeareth most plainely that besides those chiefe Apostles who helde the commission of their ambassage immediatly from God ther were many other also which were in like manner called Apostles either for that they were accounted of the Apostles as fellow-labourers in their sea-apostolique or els for that they were sent as Legates in the same busines by the church of Ierusalem which was the mother Metropolitane church Among whom somtime there foisted in of their own heads certaine other iolly fellowes false Apostles whom Paul calleth false brethren and deceiptfull labourers who vnder a coppie of faire semblance could transforme themselues into the colours and companies of Christ his Apostles And these were they which sought by all possible meanes to impaire the authority of Paule as of one forsooth that sawe not the Lord in the flesh and therefore not worthy to mate and match with the other Apostles in like equipage of authoritie But doe you see their purpose Or doe you conceiue their policy By this meanes they ment to thrust Paul into the last and lowest forme of Apostles that themselues being mate with Paule might more easily giue the trueth a checke Against the malapertnes of these men the Apostle maintaineth the authoritie of his power Apostolique affirming that he was chosen apostle not by men but of God To how great or rather to how smal purpose should the Apostle haue vrged this had not the name of Apostle bene common vnto others also which were not of that company and conuent of the twelue Apostles but were sent from men and by men were not immediatly from God among whome are to bee accounted Titus Andronicus Timothie Marke and many other whom al posterity hath reuerenced and accounted for Bishops and Archbishops of the church May not the like be sayd of the name of Euangelists For who knoweth not that the same name was giuen vnto manie other besides those seuentie two because indeede they were called to the same function both vnder the seuenty vnder the Apostles True it is they had not the like measure of Gods spirite and yet according to the moytie of their seuerall talent they did much edifie the church and magnifie the foundation which the Apostles had laid And therefore are they called Apostles and Euangelists not only in respect of the sense and signification of the wordes but also in regard of the Apostolique Euangelike function into the which they were associate and assumed by the Apostles as helpers and fellow-labourers But as for the name of Prophets not only they are so called in the scriptures vnto whome God hath reuealed the secrets of things to come but they also which doe faithfullie reueile the secrets of Gods eternal truth to others and know howe to apply auncient prophesies to present circumstances In which sense all Euangelique teachers and interpreters of sacred scripture may be sayd to be Prophets Of Deacons Chap. VII IF my purpose had beene in recounting the degrees of Ministers to haue followed the course of honour I would haue set next vnder Prophets Pastors and Doctors But for as much as I haue tied my selfe vnto the order of time in the which they were first ordained of force I must first speake of Deacons before I come to Bishops and Elders for we read that they were first created when as yet besides the Apostles and those Euangelists and Prophets of the which wee haue lately spoken the Church had no Elders and reason to For when as the Ministery of the gospell according to Gods holy institution hath annexed vnto it a religious care and consideration of the poore the Apostles tooke that vnto themselues as a thing pertayning to their charge vntill the murmure and mutinie of the Greekes against the Hebrewes gaue occasion of the Deacons Election But were there not at the beginning dispensers and disposers of the common treasure When Christ himselfe kept residence here vpon earth who but Iudas discharged that pension and doubtlesse if the Apostles coulde haue performed both they woulde neuer haue giuen charge that others should haue beene chosen for that charge And yet that charge was not so wholie giuen ouer of the Apostles to the Deacons as that afterwardes they thought the same nothing at all appertaining vnto themselues Haue wee not read what Paule and Barnabas did beeing requested to bee mindfull of the poore how vigilantly they vndertooke that care themselues And therefore they thought it requisite that the men to be chosen into that charge should be men ful of the holy Ghost But doe you not wonder now that these new elects did not imploye themselues in gathering and giuing of almes onely Why men forgetfull of themselues they take vpon them the office of teaching also See how Phillip preacheth the gospell to the Samaritanes also and baptiseth them that beleeue how while Stephen preached Christ more feruentlie he is become the first martyr of Christ May we not conceiue by these presidents what the rest of them did or shall we be so foolish as to think because there is nothing writtē of the rest that therefore they did nothing or not this Of the greatest part euen of Christ his Apostles is there not deepe silence or little sayd of whom notwithstanding there is nothing more cleare then that they performed their imposed
with those which were Elders in calling whom he had about him and who gouerned the Churches vnder him but he greeueth that such graue and auncient men in yeres whome the Apostle would not haue reprooued any thing roughly should not remaine in the like esteeme with the Pastors and Elders of the Church as they were of olde For expounding those wordes of Paule to Timothie 1. Tim. 5.1 Rebuke not an auncient or an Elder but exhort him as a father hee writeth thus That in reuerence of his yeares an ancient man is to be prouoked with mildnes to goodnes that hee may the rather take warning for beeing gentlie admonished hee will be afraide least afterwards hee should bee more roughly dealt withall which were a shame for an Elder For among all nations age is honoured for which cause both the Synagogues of olde and afterwards also the Church had alwayes certaine auncient men without whose aduise nothing was done in the Church The which by what negligence it was lefte off I cannot tell except haplie it were through the sloth or rather the pride of some Pastors because they alone would seeme to bee some thing Thus much sayth Ambrose who I dare bee bound for him thought nothing lesse then that anie order of the Ministery set downe by the Apostles was nowe worne out For himselfe had Elders which did also rule the Church with him or vnder him besides that the words doe shew as cleare as noone-day that hee spake heere of Elders not in office but in age If any vouchsafe certaine auncients experienced in many thinges the senate of the Church I say not against it but this I auouch that such were they all more auncient then Iaphet are not to bee accounted among the Church officers and Elders which the Apostles ordained And I dare be bolde further to affirme that they are in no small errour who thinke that the Elders and auncients in certaine reformed Churches in this our age are of the same sute with those whome the Apostles ordained in the fourteenth of the Actes and Paule sent for from Ephesus in the twentie chapter Whose order and office is described at large in the Epistles to Timothie and Titus I perceiue here the reformation of the English Church appointeth in euery place certaine Church officers which represent in some sort those auncients and Elders and they are commonly called Church-wardens Notwithstanding these come short of that authority in Ecclesiasticall censure To excommunicate but if any excommunicate person shall disorderly presse into the holy assembly they are to endeuour by the aduise of the Minister to remoue him Their ordinary office according to law is this To gather collect to lay vp and lay out the rents and reuenews of the church to keepe the bodie of the Church and the rest in repayre to keepe the Church booke together with the Minister to admonish offendors and vnruly fellowes and as for the stubborne infamous and offensiue to present them to the Bishop or his deputie that vpon their othes furthermore also to note who they are that absent themselues from diuine seruice vpon the Saboth or holy-daies and to set a fine on their heads according to the law prouided in that case and also to looke that due silence and all other kind of honest seemlines bee obserued in the time of diuine seruice If the ancient Primatiue Church had any such kind of Elders they were not I am sure at any time accounted of our elders among the Elders Bishops of our Church for they alwaies made a difference in the Church betwene the laike officers and the Church Ministers In Tertullian his Apologie the Elders which wee reade were present president in christian assemblies were Bishops and Elders no temporall men vnles wee would make him contrary to himselfe who iustly vpbraided the Heretikes of that time with that fault That they prophaned Church functions with lay persons Neither are these things so spoken of me neither wold I be so taken as if I chalenged those reformed Churches that vse some such like Seniors for so they suppose as Ambrose seemed to wish for I my selfe did vse them when I supplied the place of a Minister in some reformed Churches For the tyrannie of Popish Bishops beeing ouerthrowne when as they which are indeed the true Elders doe themselues in like manner sustaine the office of a Bishop they could not well take vnto themselues the intire gouernment of the Church without some suspicion of the like if no lesse tyrannie And therfore it was necessarie for them to ioyne with themselues certaine godly men out of the whole corps of the Church for that without the assistance of their associates it was not possible for them alone to counter-checke the immodestie of bad men and to bring them into some Coram That place of Paule expounded in his first to Timothie the fift chapter What it is to labour in the worde and doctrine Chap. XIII IT neede not greatly trouble any man when Paule saith That those Elders especially are worthie double honour which labour in the word and doctrine as if it followed therupon that there were other Elders also in the church which taught not For these two do not signifie one the same thing to Labour in the worde and to Teach seeing there was no Elder ordeined of the Apostles that was not apt to teach But for as much as the measure of the gifts of Gods spirit are not alike in all for there be which haue receiued fiue talents who must also pay vse for fiue vnto the Lord there be againe which haue receyued but two To whom much is giuen of him manie things are required If the dolours Paule suffered for preaching the Gospell were compared with other mens labors we might wel conceiue how well worthy he was of greater honour then they whose labors were farre vnlike in the like labour Some enioy their office haue ioy therof in rest peace teach their people at home and indure no hardship abroad whose doctrine is determined within the precincts of theyr own precession But others there be which teach not one onely Church but the whole Church with theyr learned laboures and that not once for all while they liue onely but also a great deale more after many generations The which that they may the better performe they let for no labour they spare nor oyle nor toile nor health nor wealth nor life it selfe in that regard Besides there be that for the Gospels sake set light by the losse of friends and fauors and riches and reuenewes they ouercome daungers not to be numbred and vndergoe slaunders not to be suffered onely that they may inforce and set forewards the Gospell of Christ And such doth the Apostle seem to vnderstand in this place not euery ordinary and perfunctory Teacher that gouernes in the Church and instructeth with wholesom doctrine the people of God committed to his charge The
verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to labour vsed by him not in this place onely signifieth properly great and grieuous labour And therefore they are far wide that thinke Paul meant in thys place the bare preaching of Gods word and take this to be the ods betweene theyr Elders that some teach the people others gouern only and that for a while onely and therein supplying also and applying themselues to the Ministers of the word More proportionable to those times and proper to this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such Elders are to be vnderstood as were at that present among them as Titus and Timothy and Tithitus Marke Luke and such like Paul his legates and ioynte labourers which in deede feared no daunger refused no labour wherby they might aduance and diuulge the blessed doctrine of the sacred trueth Of Timothy Paul testifyeth in the last Chapter of the first to the Corinth when as he thus writeth If Timothy come vnto you see that hee be without fear among you for he worketh the worke of the Lord euen as I doe By which we may perceiue that Timothy was not without feare nor yet without daunger neyther that without cause A while after speaking of Stephanus and Aechaicus and Fortunatus who had giuen themselues to minister vnto the Saints he sayth And bee yee subiect vnto such and to all that helpe with vs and labour After which sort I also expound that place in the first to the Thessalonians the first chapter the twelfth verse VVe beseech you brethren that ye know them that labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonishe you In all which places the Apostle vseth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to labour by the which he vnderstandeth no ordinary vulgar or trifling exercise but an extraordinary vehement difficult and troblesome labour And therefore Paul his meaning is that how much greater trouble and more troblesome turmoyle the Elders vndertake in their office they are so much the more worthy to be graced with the greater Honors So that Paul in these wordes respecteth the singular care of some not the single preaching of all Writing to Timothy he defineth a Bishopricke to bee a worke of the which it followeth that the greater the Bishoprick is the greater is the labour the greater is the work If he which is ouer one onely Church shall finde himselfe somewhat to doe what shall we say of them vnto whome the care of many Churches is committed So was it with Titus and Timothy and diuerse other Bishops and Elders of that order The whole sum therefore of our assertion resolueth into thus much that among the Bishops or Elders in the Scripture which gouerned Churches vnder the Apostles there were diuerse degrees in deed by what names soeuer ye please to call them of the which some were ouer one Church only and that vnder the direction of an other and some againe ouer many Churches suppliant to none of the same order as it is wel knowen of Titus and Timothy and the rest I know there are many who in the secret preiudice of their foreseasoned opinions wil not sticke to say that Titus and Timothy and the rest of that forme were Euangelistes and inuested with an extraordinary kinde of a not immitable authority To whom I aunswere that I haue heard so in deede and read it to but without reason or proofe at al of any credit For where as Paul writeth to Timothy and chargeth him that he doe the worke of an Euangelist 2. Tim 4.5 1. Cor. 16.10 it doth no more conclude that Timothy was an Euangelist so properly called then that other place of Paul to the Corinthians He doth the work of God euen as I doth proue that he was an Apostle That that order is of God which appoynteth superior Elders Bishops And that but of man where all Pastors and Elders are alike Chap. XIIII WEe haue shewed before what was the extraordinary calling and the efficacy thereof which was to bee found in Titus and Timothy To the which I adde that all auncient and autentike writings held Titus and Timothy for Bishops vnto whome the Elders of inferiour orders were suppliant and subiect In whose footings our fathers insisting which next succeeded the Apostles reteyned in vse that forme of gouernement which they receyued of the Apostles Now a dayes there bee some of this beliefe that there were onely these two degrees of Ministers left vs by the Apostles namely Pastors and Doctors who cutting short that difference of Pastors which I haue noted and casting of that auncient decency of Church gouernement which I haue proued doe christen a new a forrayne and a forged kind of Presbitery and with much boldnes stand forth to auouch that this theyr newe deuise is diuine that other continuing a lawful discent frō the Apostles time is but humaine Wherefore here beloued it is time to looke about vs. For they easely auoyd all that wee haue already auowed of the Apostles Euangelists and Pastors when they aunswere that the gouernement Apostolique was but temporanie and momentary and determined with the Apostles and Euangelists themselues long since deceased so that now there is no more any one Apostle before another But that the trueth of this question may the better appeare we must now haue an especiall eye to all those giftes which were especially pregnant in the Apostles and Euangelists that thereby we may know what was proper to the Apostles and theyr times and what common to all Pastors vnto the worlds end To which end the first thing we are to reuise in the Apostles is that theyr extraordinary calling for they had it immediatly from God then also theyr generall Embassee and commission without restraint or limitation Thirdly that in all things which concerned theyr function they had a neuer-errant director the spirite of trueth who suggested vnto them whatsoeuer they before had heard of the Lord or should otherwise be requisite for them to know And the last thing is theyr power Apostolique Of these the first three were necessary for laying the ground-worke of Churches vppon the which others should build the which vnlesse they had been semented as it were with the more sure ioynts and strongest sinewes of Gods spirite what soeuer should haue ben raysed reared thereuppon by others must needs haue reeled and ruined together with the same As for the gift of miracles I stand not vpon that seeing that was bestowed vpon many other of the faithfull also as it pleased God Of all these gifts they could communicate nothing vnto theyr successors besides the Ministery of the Gospell The which seeing it was inherent in the power Apostolique they surrendered that also to theyr subsecutors and that because it is a thing necessary not only for the increase but also for the continuance of Churches For without the word preached the Sacraments administred and the Church gouerned there can no Church well continue Wherefore as
the preaching of the worde and the vse of the Sacraments was not giuen to the Church onely for the Apostles time but that they might continue vnto the age to come euen to the worlds end So likewise the forme of gouernement which was ordayned of God and deliuered of the Apostles and confirmed of the fathers ought to remayne and continue in like sort But that forme had Pastors inferior and superior and therefore that also is to be retained in the Church of God Neither doth the equality in the Ministery hinder why there may not be an inequality in the policie of the Church In the olde law there was one Priesthood equall and alike to al the Priests yet were ther diuerse degrees of Priests in respect of gouernment and in an equall order of Priesthood there was a not equall Honor of gouernement Neyther is it preiudiciall to vs that theyr Priesthood was Leuiticall and typical seeing the state gouernement which was among the Priests and Leuits did not so much respect any intricate type as a well ordered state that al things might be done decently and in due order Wherefore for as much as God himselfe was author of that policy and gouernment in the which Leuits were subdued to Leuits and Priests to Priests it ought not to be recounted any humaine constitution where a Minister is subiect to a Minister and one Pastor to an other For that is no more vnlawfull at this day then it was at that That our Sauiour by no statute repealed the supereminent authority of Pastors among themselues Chap. XV. AS for our Sauiour and his censure in this matter I do not finde that by any meanes he did abolish the superiority of Ministers but rather that he did establish it when as in the first ordinaunce of the Ministery he appoynted Ministers of the Gospell some superior some inferior to the rest To the which ordinance of Christ those his words are not any whit aduerse where he sayth The Kinges of the nations rule ouer them and they which haue power among them are called gratious but it shall not be so with you but he that is greatest among you let him be as the least and he which is chiefe as he that ministreth c. The true and plain sense of which words is this Your kinde of gouernment shal be diuerse from that which is proper to Princes whether you take those which are more tyrannous and truculent ouer theyr people or those which in theyr gouernment are more milde and moderate accor-to their lawes Doth this sence or sentence take away that difference of persons which the law of nature and the rule of gouernmēt do prescribe If ther be any place in the Gospell and ther are many which may be cited for the superiority of Ministers this is one For vnlesse the Lord had meant that in the gouernment of the Church there should be some greater then the rest he would neuer haue sayd Hee which is greatest among you let him be as the least he might haue made short worke of al and as soon haue sayd There is none first among you none greatest none chiefe But he that is greatest among you saith he let him be as the least and he which is highest as he that ministreth Which were no aduice wher there is none higher then another Where all shall be alike what need there any precept how he which is greatest amōg them should behaue himselfe The meaning therfore of this precept is this How much any of you is superior to the rest so much more submisse shall he carry himselfe towards the rest For albeit all the Apostles were of the same order and power yet the difference of age and diuersity of gifts was great among them and therefore it could not be but that they which had receiued greater gifts of the Lord shoulde receiue greater countenance of men The Apostle Paul in his first Chapter to the Galathians doth sufficiently declare this where he sheweth that he had conferred of the Gospell with them which seemed to bee somewhat the which he foorthwith repeating againe sheweth that there were certayne of these Apostles of chiefe authority among the rest of whome notwithstanding he affirmeth that hee receyued nothing Such was the mildnes and moderation of his spirite hee would not goe about to make that equal in-equality odious of the which the Lord himselfe was the author For hee well knew that neyther he which had receiued fiue talents ought to thinke he hath but two and much lesse he which hath but two to compare himselfe with him that hath fiue And in deede can there be any reason giuen why there should be rather an inequality in gouernement then in other gifts or doe men abuse authority onely to maintayne theyr tyranny Doubtlesse it is not greatly materiall with what giftes a man enthronize himselfe Pope ouer his brethren whether for his fine witte or deepe knowledge or smooth eloquence or any other such inward vertue Whether for the holines of life or strictnes of fasts or largenes of almes or any such outward complement or else for his wealth his worship and superiour authority As for the aunswere of our Sauiour it extendeth far and neare neyther is it to be referred to the Apostles alone as if it were onely forbidden an Apostle to domineere ouer an Apostle but it stretcheth it selfe vnto al other For albeit the power was great in the which they were to be installed of the Lord to the benefit of the church notwithstanding that was rather to be imployed of priuate men ouer priuate persons and thereupon the Lord forbiddeth that they should after the manner of Kings and Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is domineer or rule by force Hence is it that Paul writeth to the Corinthians Not that we haue dominion ouer your faith but that we are ministers of your ioy 2. Cor. 1.24 1. Pet. 5.3 And in the first of Peter Not as if we ruled by force ouer the chosen For that in deede because it beseemed men priuate ouer priuat men the Lord hath forbidden his Apostles that and hath taught them rather to make the harts of the people to relent by lenity and intreaty as we read the Apostle Paul did in many places specially in the second to the Corinthes 2. Cor. 5.20 where he thus writeth VVherefore are we now ambassadors in the name of Christ as though God did beseech you through vs wee intreate you in the name of Christ that yee bee reconciled to God And yet notwithstanding in other places he is again more sharpe and seuere as when he sayth VVhat will yee shall I come vnto you with a rod or in loue and the spirite of meekenes And in the latter Epistle the tenth Chapter when hee speaketh of that power he receyued of the Lord he sheweth how little primacy was in the Church in such things as pertayned to the kingdome of God By all
were the churches of olde planted watered and increased It is a thing better knowen and commended then that I need to repeat it or themselues to repent it Notwithstanding there be some in these daies which take vp but to shrewdly this sentence of ours as if it were some Anabaptisticall fancie when it is said that the Church hath at this day if not Apostles yet Apostolique Ministers but as for the fancie if Anabaptisticall let themselues looke to that least they take themselues by the nose For my part I would but know whether the gospel yet at this day now after a 1500. yeares be come to the eares of all Nations In the meane time let them consider howe many nations whom the Apostles neuer saw by the paines and preaching of godlie Pastors who in this labour succeeded the Apostles haue receiued the Lord Christ I will not nowe stand to tell them onely this I conclude that the commaund and commission of preaching the Gospell standeth yet in his ful strength and force in the church of God and shuld so long as there is any nation that knoweth not the Lord. That at this day there is none sent by the churches of Christ to the nations which haue not knowen Christ it is not long of the lacke of sufficient power to send but of sufficient persons to be sent or at least wise of a better zeal to aduāce the kingdom of Christ Indeed no man ought to tempt the Lord Did not himselfe forbid his Apostles to stir one foot out of Ierusalem to discharge their duty before they had receiued the holy Ghost So requisite is it that a man bee throughly furnished for so great an enterprise before he vndertake it And therefore because the iudgement of one man may be ouer-weening and deceiued especially if he may be his owne iudge it is requisite that the authoritie of the church in that case be expected But here is required an Authority Apostolique the which if the Church haue not although it haue fit men neither hath it the power to send For who can giue that to another which hee hath not himselfe Whosoeuer therefore is sent whether you please to call him an Apostle or an Euangelist or a Bishop hee hath need of the like and no lesse power then Timothy and Titus had in the like and no lesse charge This therefore is the authoritie which is assigned to the church by the Keies the which the Lord our Sauiour gaue not so much to Peter and his collegiats as to the Church it selfe so that of right it maye doe that at this daye which it could of old namely wher occasion serueth to giue in commission vnto sufficient men the publishing of the Gospell with Authoritie Apostolique That the Apostolike authoritie is as necessarie for the conseruing and confirming as for the founding and first planting of Churches Chap. XVIII BVt for as much as the power Apostolike is no lesse needfull and necessarie for the conseruing and confirming as for the planting and first placing of churches we must also haue a special regard to that For by reason as it is thought of Bishops and Arch-bishops Primats and Metropolitanes which haue succeeded the Apostles and the Euangelists there is now some controuersie moued for that And verely I haue oftentimes wondered with my selfe what it is that should make anie learned or religious man thinke that the office of Apostles and Euangelistes is ceased in the Church and that at this day there are none possessed of any authoritie Apostolike to whom the other Elders ought to supply in the gouernance of the Church and I wonder the more that there bee any that should thinke the power Apostolike a thing so extraordinarie as if it were not possible that it should be deuolued to their posteritie Indeed the Church hath not continued those names amongst vs but is that sufficient to prooue that with those titles the authority also is surceased First if a man would but well marke the latter daies of the Apostles of Paule especially he should find that the Apostolike gouernment could not possibly end with the Apostles For by those things the sacred Scripture doth testifie of Paule wee may iudge of the rest who no doubt were no lesse carefull for the good of the Church euen to their last gaspe wheresoeuer it pleased God to translate them out of this life But the second Epistle of S. Paul to Timothie indited about the last of his daies doth witnesse abundantly what an vniuersall care hee had euen then of the Churches There hee maketh mention of his fellow-labourers whereof some he had sent to goe vnto diuers Churches and some hee sent for to come vnto himselfe that beeing now readie to flit out of this life he might giue them his last charge of all things concerning the welfare of the Church and the furnishing of that building himselfe had left vnfinished This his last will and Testament hee left with them The which had beene to no purpose had the power Apostolike died with him or had the authoritie of that their legacie beene compelled within the circuit of euery particular parish For they all whom Paul there remembreth as Titus Marke Luke Crescens Tithicus and Timothie himselfe were associate with Paule in his Apostolike sea as vnto whose seuerall charge hee had demised many and sundry Churches The which if it were not free for them with that recreant Demas to cast vp and giue ouer while Paul yet liued how much lesse after he was dead Wherefore now they were made and remaine his heires as before they were his peeres of his Apostolike paines and praeheminence That the other Apostles had also their consorts and collegiats in their Apostolike charge vnto whom themselues discontinuing this life they demeaned the no lesse care of the Churches with the like authoritie there was neuer wise man that doubted of it And furthermore that their lawfull authoritie with the which they prosecuted and perseuered in the Lord his affaires could no more be extinguished with them then it was abolished with the Apostles so long as there was any church remaining But as they succeeded the Apostles so had they their successors vpon whom if themselues did not bestow the power they had receiued the Church did which is heire generall of the power Apostolike But goe to nowe let vs imagine if there can bee such a conceit that it is not so as I haue saide let vs suppose also for a while that the Apostles left all vnto Pastors and Elders of equall authoritie who had onely the charge of their seuerall Churches and their prouinces limited within the precincts of their owne onely parishes What then shall we say became of those Churches in the which the Apostles intercepted by death or they which with the Apostles did gouerne the Churches could not ordeine anie Pastors Did their death fal out so pat that euerie Church had their Pastors and Doctors and that none of them was left
Churches Of these things therefore I inferre That there was left of the Apostles Authoritie Apostolike to their successors whom they had disposed ouer many Churches and that partly for the establishing of such Churches as were throughly finished and partly for the finishing of such as were left not throughly formed and partly also for the planting of newe where as yet there was none founded And this was the cause why Paule beeing shortly to take his leaue of his life sent Crescens into Galatia and Titus into Dalmatia and sent for Timothie and Marke to make their repaire vnto himselfe Euen as the Lord himselfe being now readie to giue vp this life prouided for his Disciples in like manner the Apostles tooke great care for those Churches which were gathered and were to bee gathered from among the Gentiles otherwise how should the Churches haue receiued their so great increase after the Apostles Verely it is with teares to bee lamented that their holy Apostolike zeale is at this day so cooled amongst vs that no man so much as once thinketh of publishing the Gospell vnto Nations altogether estraunged from the faith of Christ But now seeing there were manie Churches lefte of the Apostles but newe begun and more not yet begun according to that power they had receyued of the Lord the work of the Gentiles conuersion which was begun by them was to be followed to the ende Of the which it followeth that the Apostolike power giuen of the Lord for the edifiying of his Church doth yet remaine in the Church And those parts of Apostolike gouernment as they were giuen of old to certain singular Bishops so are they to be giuen at this day where they are not giuen and so are they to remaine where they are giuen If any man desire some reformation to bee had in that kind for my part I am not against it The disposing of this power the Church hath as it alwayes had yet so as where the Lord hath giuen a Christian Magistrate hee bee not left out nor loose his part For they doubtlesse are those Seniors Auncients and Elders of the which there is so often mention in the Bible whom we read to haue beene ioyned of old with the Priests and Leuites in weightie matters for they are in stead of the whole people That the authoritie of Bishops ouer Priests or Elders is approued by the consent of the Churches throughout the whole world Chap. XX. THat which we read to be done of al Churches from the Apostles times and of the Fathers throughout the compasse of the whole earth and the same continued euen vnto these our daies I do alwaies holde as a sacred Canon of the Apostles not to bee repealed Neyther is it a smal presumption to abrogate that which hath beene receyued with so greate and vniuersall consent from the which to reuolt besides that it is in it selfe an vncouth declination of a conceit giddie and head-strong it will also bring with it a greater mischiefe and misery to the Church then many at the first will conceiue or any in the end can releeue Among the old Canons which for their antiquity are called the Apostles wee read this that followeth It becommeth the Bishops of euery nation to know who is the chiefe among them which is to bee accounted as it were the head without whose opinion these ought to do nothing of any great moment but that euerie man doe those things which belong vnto his owne parish and the villages which are of the same Neither let himselfe doe any thing without the knowledge of all for so there shall be concord and God shall be glorified through our Lord in his holy spirit This Canon a worde or two translated is renued in the Councell of Antioch in these wordes The Bishops which are in seuerall prouinces ought to know that he which is Bishop in the Metropolitane Cittie hath charge also of the whole prouince for that they which haue any businesse recourse from all places to the Metropolis or mother Cittie Wherefore it seemeth expedient that hee excell the rest in honour and that the other Bishops doe nothing of anie great moment without him according to the auncient decree of our Fathers but onely those things which pertaine vnto their owne precincts the Parishes subiect to the same For let euerie Bishop haue authoritie ouer his owne prouince and let him gouerne the same according to his owne deuotion and let him haue charge of the whole prouince which is subiect to his Cittie that hee may create Priestes and Deacons and dispose all things with iudgment besides this let him doe no other thing without the Bishop of the mother Church neyther hee himselfe without the opinion of the rest In which Canon renewed and reestablished I obserue two thinges the first is the Antiquitie of the Canon the other is That the prouince was not alwaies committed to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie seeing a cause is added why Ecclesiasticall controuersies are to be presented to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie rather then to any other of the which seeing the Apostles Canon made no mention the first Fathers seemed not alwaies to haue had that respect of the said Metropolis The antiquitie of this custome is sufficiently declared in the seuenteenth chapter of the Nicene councel as followeth Let the auncient custome preuaile which was in Egypt Lybia and Pentapolie that the Bishops of Alexandria haue an excellency supreme dignitie ouer all these Seeing that this is also the custome with the Bishop of Rome In like manner at Antioch and in other Prouinces primacie dignitie honor authoritie is giuen vnto those Churches But this is most plaine that if any man he made a Bishop without the consent of the Metropolitane The great Councell defineth that he ought not to be a Bishop Thus goeth the Law neither were it anye great matter to confirm the same with the Canons of other Councels and Ecclesiasticall histories But by this it may appeare what was the iudgement of all those auncient fathers concerning this matter That some are of opinion that Patriarches and Archbishops were first created of the Nicene councell or as some will haue it of the first Constantinopolitane Councell their opinion is their errour for the Nicene councell which was called about the twentie yeare of Constantine the great testifieth that it enacteth no new thing when it commaunded that the olde custome should bee continued so that it was no new thing at that time for some one Bishop to haue superiour authority ouer the rest of his brethren his authoritie being limited by certaine lawes But that some argue how that to be president ouer diuers Prouinces to haue charge of them belongeth to the office of an Apostle and an Euangelist and that one and the same man cannot bee an Apostle and an Euangelist and a Bishoppe for that these are distinct offices I may answere them that neuer yet any before these our
all betweene these thinges we giue you much greater things then we receiue of you The sixt argument is drawne from the diuine institution of God vnder the old Testament because it was then of the Lord ordained that the Priestes and Leuites so many as minister at the Altar should liue of the Altar Doe you not knowe sayth hee that they which minister about holie thinges eate of the thinges of the Temple and that they which waite at the Altar are partakers with the Altar And last of all hee sheweth that the like institution was ordeyned of the Lord vnder the new Testament That they which preach the Gospell shall also liue of the Gospell By which reasons it is made as cleare as noone-day that all Christians are bound in dutie to honour their Pastors And how then should they be excused of ingratitude vngodlines which defraud them of their due honour That the contempt of the Minister redoundeth to God their Maister and that no man so much as God himselfe is thereby held in scorne that one place in the sixt to the Galathians the sixt verse doth abundantly declare which is after this sort Let him that is taught in the worde communicate with him that taught him all his goodes Bee not deceiued God is not mocked For whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirite shall of the spirite reape life euerlasting Let him which is instructed sayth hee communicate all his goodes Good Lord will some say what meaneth he by this What he meaneth may easily be vnderstood by a Synecdoche by the which he sayth All his goods for part of all his goods How great a part it is not prescribed vnto the old people the tenth part was layd forth vnto the new people no part seeing they owe of dutie vnto Christ their Lord and Sauiour not the tenth onely but the ninth eight seuenth sixt fift and euen the whole and all if the necessitie of the Church requireth so much To this he addeth God is not mocked as if hee should haue saide It is but in vaine that you make so many vaine excuses for here the question is not of mans mainteinance but of God and the Gospels countenance not what honour you shew to man but what due regard ye yeelde vnto God thinke not you pintch on the Parsons side when God himselfe is the partie you may haplie delude them but God will not be dallyed withall Here therefore if wee could but once conceiue the least part of that which all rich men and Nobles Barons Earles Dukes and Kinges themselues doe owe vnto the Ministers of Gods Church and that the same might once bee freely giuen according as Gods lawes doe commaund and the godly dutie of a gratefull minde doth require how great might we think would the treasure of the Church be in a good Christian common-wealth Chap. VIII That the good examples of our fore-fathers prescribe a lawe to their successors WHen our Fore-fathers had well considered that there was no certaine prescription set downe as a lawe vnto them for this matter vnder the Gospel which precisely limited what and howe much euery man was to giue they wisely willingly set downe a law vnto themselues and their successors and they gaue vnto the church tithes oblations glebes and yearly reuenues from out their possessions that thereby the Pastor might bee maintained the poore releeued and the youth instructed The which voluntarie donations are now ratefied vnto the Church by the same lawes which make good to euerie man the propriety of his own possessions Who doubteth of the liberality of the Primitiue Christians which brought the price of their lands to the Apostles but that they might as well haue giuen them the land it selfe if the state of the time and place had bene such But they which did then expect the subuersion of that place and people and looked for no better world vnder those vngodlie Priestes then their Lorde and Sauiour had found before them they thought good to sell all and onely of their meer bountie no man compelling them thereunto they committed al the mony to be at the Apostles curtesie This their example hath beene well followed by our godly forefathers who willingly out of their own wealth haue liberally prouided for the church not for once but for all ages the which thing they thought to be neerly appertaing to their duetie I am not ignorant that this religious action hath degenerated into a preposterous zeale for which cause curteous reader I giue thee to vnderstand that I do not here defend any godles or superstitious donations but onely note vnto thee the great vntowardnes of mans nature which is alwais more prone to ruine into contrary enormities then to run on in the way of harmelesse mediocrity Wee easily stumble from one extreame to another but yet their fall is more tolerable which transgresse in excesse then they which offend in defect as it is alwaies more easie to deduct from aboundance that which is needlesse then to supply in an exigent that which is needful Happely some cur-modgen or cursed Church-robber will scorn at this who haue alredy set down this for their rest ether with a gredy mind to rifle the church or with a galled conscience to reteine that they haue rifled from the church rather then of any godly deuotion to passe any thing of their owne vnto the welfare thereof But let him scorne at me and scorne for me yet let him beware he laugh not God to scorne it sufficeth me if he can so satisfie God CHAP. IX That the oblations of Christians are part of Gods worship ALbeit God be not to be wone by gifts for what needeth he seeing hee needeth not anie yet notwithstanding he requireth som fruit of our religious thoughts and some testimonie of our loyall mind and he will be honored of our earthly substance for this is part of that worship which is due vnto God and in the which wee prooue and professe our selues thankefull for those benefits we haue receiued Do you not know that God will bee so worshipped in spirite and truth that is in mind and faith that in the mean while there be no want of extearne worship in the honour and homage of our bodies For he is the maker and maintainer both of body and soule and therefore of right hee is to be worshipped in them both And are not our bodies the temples of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in vs In like manner seeing hee is also the onely doner of all our wealth and worldly goods of like right he requireth our duty and his honor in this behalfe Whereupon our Lord and Sauiour being mooued in a case of paying tribute to Caesar made this answere That wee must giue vnto God that which is Gods and vnto Caesar that which is due vnto Caesar shewing thereby that there is a tribute due
to be paid vnto God also as well as to Caesar as a testimony of our loyall subiection to his diuine Maiestie And is not the reason also as great for our heauenly King as an earthly Caesar Solomon in his Prouerbs among many other religious precepts hath giuen vs this Honour the Lord in thy riches and in the first fruits of all thy increase and thy barnes shal be filled with aboundaunce and thy wine presses shall burst themselues with new wine For no doubt we owe a tribute to the Lord as vnto the great King no otherwise then to an earthly Prince vnto whom wee may pay tribute for two respects both that hee may be able for those charges he vndertaketh for the common-wealth also that we may testifie vnto him our fealty and subiection as to our lawfull King the first being for our vse the second for his honour But now the first of these hath no place in God neither doth hee require any thing of vs in that behalfe but the latter is so much the more due to God by how much the more God is greater than man and the profession of subiectiō is necessary in euery faithful christian Wherfore after the Lord had appointed Israel a peculiar people to himselfe forthwith as Prince and chiefe Lord ouer his people he demanded the tenth of all their increase with orher rites and royalties of his supreame power And wheras it was alwaies an heinous matter among the Esterne Monarks to appear before the King without a present God required the like honor of his people namely for that hee was both king and Lord ouer his people For which cause in the law where all the males are commanded to appeare before the Lord they are forbidden to come neere without an offring Moreouer is there not yet extant in Malachy a shamfull rebuke against the Iewes which practised deceit in their first fruits and in their tythes That sacrilege the Lorde iustlie punished in them with the dire of a contagious dearth the which notwithstanding hee promiseth if they will amend that fault that hee would open the windowes of heauen and powre out vppon them a gracious plentye of all thinges The wordes of the Prophet are these VVill a man spoyle his Iudges but yee haue spoyled mee and say in what what things haue we spoiled thee in tythes and first fruits Yee are cursed with cursing it selfe for ye the whole nation haue spoiled me Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house and let there bee meat in mine house and proue me now saith the Lord of hosts if I wil not open vnto you the windowes of heauen that I may poure vpon you a blessing that their may be no end of aboundance c. Among the people of God it was alwais reputed an special exercise of gods religion to pay tithes truly of all that they possessed which they knew to be giuen not so much to a mortall priest as to the immortall God Doth not the Pharisie in the gospel glory in his fidelitie of true tything as in a rare virtue CHAP. X. An answere to certaine obiections the which it is confirmed by that the ministers of the gospel are worthy no lesse honor then were the priests of old among the people of God BVt it is excepted that the times are altered that at this day vnder the gospel the Priesthood is trāslated into Christ whose shadow it was that hee hath imposed an end to all outward rites by which means the right of tything is also antiquated with the Priest-hoode and all that outward glorie which made the antique Priests more honorable is therwithall ecclipsed Neither is there any man at this day which can arrogate to himselfe without impiety those auncient honours of the former priest-hood Is it not regestred among the chiefe errors of Antichrist that he vaunteth and aduanceth himselfe for Hic-priest Because that honour at this day is proper and peculiar to Christ alone In place of the auncient Priest-hood which was accompanied with an externall and a religious maiestie our Sauiour hath substituted the Ecclesiastical ministery base and abiect in great disgrace and cleane out of countenance And hath hee not giuen them their christning also according to their calling For therefore he gaue them the seruile names of Apostles and Ministers and Deacons and Bishops and Pastors setting aside all titles of Honor and dignity as are the names of Fathers and Doctors and Lords and such like that they might knowe what they were to conceyue of them selues their Ministery and that the people might likewise learne what reckoning to make of theyr paines and theyr persons Here is a faire tale surely and well soothed But what of all this that the Pastors and Bishops of Christ his Church are worthy lesse Honor in a christian common wealth then were of yore the Elder Priests Why then let vs conclude with al a lya or too that the leuitical priesthood is more honorable thē Christs that the ministery of the law is more glorious then that of the Gospell then the which if there can be any assertion more absurd this conclusion of theirs shall goe for no bad confection For if the Honor due to the Minister be to be measured according to the outward shew we may well conclude that Aaron was worthy double reuerence and our Sauiour the high Priest thrise sacred none at all For why he was inuestured with no mitre no labels nor did he glister with gold and precious stones But let vs first take that they giue vs in good worth namely that the Priests of olde were to be honored with no small obsequy then let vs examine the case what is to be deducted therof from the Euangelique Minister You are to vnderstand therefore that in most parts of the old ceremonies many times two things did meete in one which notwithstanding were diuerse and distinct in them selues of which the one did containe the shadow and promise of that which was to be exhibited in Christ the other did pertayn to some proper and especiall duety in the Church the shadowes are ceased those things being performed which in Christ were promised but the bond of especial duty remaineth as yet not cancelled For example sake the commaundement of keeping the Sabaoth hath a promise of eternall rest and a shadow of the rest of our bodies the seuenth day and besides that it includeth a morall dutie of seruing of God and ceasing from our labours The other precepts also do cōtain that duety of external worship which is due vnto God together with the rites of that time the rites being relinguished the worship of God to be retained The like we may say of the Priesthood in the which ther were sundry respects Whatsoeuer was typical was determined in Christ but of the other partes which were morall namely such as concerned the instructiō of the people the ministery of the Sacraments the regiment of the church the
manner is changed but the kinde remaineth ther is not the like order in circumstance but the same ordinance in substance of the office The chiefe parts of the Priests function were these to teach religion to interprete the law to gouerne the Church to administer the Sacraments to stande between God and the people to make sacrifice to purge sins All which parts albeit our Lord and Sauiour hath only wholly discharged and some of them also so peculiarly improued to himselfe as that they cannot be imparted with any mortall thing besides him selfe yet notwithstanding he hath made many of them of that nature as that without any disparagement to his person they might be left in common to others In deede no sinner can bee made a sufficient mediator between God and man Neyther can he which is not pure from the guilt of sinne him selfe expiat with bloud the sinnes of man or auert by death the wrath of God The auncient Priests bare the figure onely of those more then diuine functions but the thing it selfe was in Christ alone And therfore whosoeuer at this day shal challenge to himself the one of these committeth blasphemy against Christ But as the Lord did nothing in derogation of his heauenly dignity when he gaue power vnto all christians to offer spirituall sacrifice namely the sacrifice of praise and praier c. For al they which in a true faith worship God are made Kings and Priests euen so likewise without any prophanation of his peculiar Priesthood hath he committed the other parts thereof which I touched before namely the teaching of religion the expounding of the law the ministring of the Sacraments the gouerning of the Church and such like I say he hath graunted and demised these and such like parts of his diuine Priesthood to his Apostles Chuch ministers who in this respect may participat the honor of the old Priesthood without impiety may also be called Priests without gealosie The which name although in the first age of the Church we doe not read that it was giuen to the Ministers of the Church least happely the Ministers of the olde Synagogue the new Church might be confounded For as yet the old Priesthood remayned or the flesh memory thereof continued yet afterwards the Fathers did not amis when they renewed the same againe in themselues the Prophet Esay being their author the spirit of God their warrant who diuined long before that God should raise to him selfe Priests Leuits out of the Gentiles Neyther is there any daunger at all in the name at this day were it not for the sacrilege of the Bishop of Rome who hath set vp Altar against Altar Priesthood against Priesthood the sacrifice of the Masse against the sacrifice of Christ inuading by all meanes those partes of the Priesthood which are peculiar to Christ alone of which matter we are not to speake in many words at this time Briefly this we desire may be made knowen to all that we detest the impiety of the Romaine Antichrist for so much as pertaineth to this part of the Priesthood we acknowledge no other Priest but the Lord Iesus In the other parts which we haue noted wee hold that the Apostles other Pastors of the church haue lawfully vndertaken the dignity as of their legacy so of the Priesthood also Now then I ioyne more chosely with them for the issue of their whole argument answere That whatsoeuer in the leuiticall Priestood did fore-shadow the office of Christ is vtterly abolished by the bloudshed of Christ of the which no part may be vsurped by any mortall man Againe that the rites ceremonies outward pomp of the Priesthood as wel in the ornature of the body as the ordinaunce of tithes as they were then challēged are togither deceased by the same meanes but yet that honor which was due to thē in regard of the worthines of theyr holy ministery is by no means impaired perished much lesse The Priesthood of Aaron being abrogated the rights of that Priesthood after their seuerall manner are also abrogated and with them the ministery of the Church is translated from the Tribe of Leuy to the company of Apostles and their successors In whom seeing all things which merit any Honor are greater then they which were in the Leuiticall Priests doth it not necessarily follow that a christiā doth owe no lesse honor to his Pastor then the Iew did perform to his Priest I confesse the duty of tithes oblations after that manner and order they were offered vnder Moyses are ceased vnder Christ Not that christiā people should be lesse bounteous towardes their Pastors then were the Iewish nation towards their Priests but rather that the free people should exceede the seruile and that a christian should doe that of his owne accord which the Iew did by constraint For where as christians haue receyued of the Lord not onely the like graces but farre greater blessings then the Iewes and seeing the Ministery of them whom the Lord hath set ouer his church is in nothing inferior or lesse necessary then the Ministery of the law of force if not rather of duety there remaineth as great a necessity of due honor for this as for that at the least no lesse seeing that what soeuer was ceremonious in the olde oblations of tithes and offerings is so diminished as that what so euer was morall therein reteyneth his force still Had there been no proportion between both these Ministeries the necessary duties of them both the Scripture would neuer haue sayd that As they which minister about holy thinges eate of those thinges whicb are of the Temple and they which waite at the Altar are partakers with the Altar So the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell That our Sauiour ordayned the Ministery of the Gospell with no ornature of outward beauty no magnificence of worldly statelines as he did of old the Mosaicall ministery it was not to this end that Christians should doe lesse Honor to theyr Pastors then did of old the Israelites but for that the worthines thereof is such that it needeth no outward ornaments The which notwithstāding if it may haue it is not magnified therin if it may not haue it is not diminished therefore But where the ministery of the Gospell is receyued in a triumph as it were of publique authority there al worldly goods ought to supply to the Honor of our Sauiour and the health of his seruants so that they may be denied where they are proffered and requested where they they are denied according as the cause the time the place the people doe require As for the seruants of Christ they ought to be ready for all assayes for honor and dishonor good report and euill report plenty and pouerty life and death for that they are to vse this world as not vsing it the fashion whereof passeth away God vnder
Ministers a thing neuer so much in controuersie as at this day Of the which we will first heare what was the opinion of those fathers which liued in time next after the Apostles CHAP. XI The iudgement of the Fathers concerning the oblations of the faithfull I Wil first begin with Origen who liued vnder Seuerus about two hundred yeares after our Sauiour Hee vppon the eighteenth Chapter of Numbers in his eleuenth Homily writeth thus It is behooueful and it is also beneficiall that first fruits should be offered vnto the Priestes of the Gospell For so hath the Lord also ordained that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell and they which serue at the altar should also be partakers of the altar And as this is due decent so of the contrary part I account it both vnmeete and vndecent and vngodly also that he which worshippeth God and entreth into the Church of God and knoweth that the Priests and Ministers do wait at the altar and attend eyther vppon the word of God or the Ministerie of the church should not offer vnto the Priestes the first things of those fruits of the earth which God hath giuen by bringing forth his Sonne and sending foorth his raine Neither can I thinke such a mind to bee mindfull of God neither that hee thinketh or beleeueth that God hath giuen the fruits he hath receaued which hee so hordeth togeather as if they were none of Gods For if he beleeued they were giuen him of God hee would also acknowledge that in rewarding the Priests he therby honored God for his gifts And moreouer that these things the better to be obserued may bee taught by the word of God let vs heare what the Lord saith in the Gospell Wo be vnto you Scribes and Pharises ye hypocrites which tythe Mint that is pay tythe of Mint Cummin and Ane-seeds and let passe the greater things of the Law Hypocrites these thinges ought yee to haue done and not to haue left the other vndone c. The same authour proceedeth in the same booke How then dooth our righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies if they dare not tast of the fruits of the earth before they haue offered the first fruits vnto the Priestes and the tythes are set forth for the Leuits and I doing none of these things doe so abuse the fruits of the earth as that the Priest knoweth not of them the Leuite is ignoraunt of them the altar of God doth not taste of them Ireneus the Scholler of Polycarpus in his fourth booke the foure and thirtie chapter writeth of the sacrifices and oblations of Christians the which thing hee also in many other places remembreth whereby the custome and opinion of the church at that time concerning that matter may the beter appeare The words of the holy Father are these VVherefore we ought to offer to God the first fruits of his creaturts as Moses saith Thou shalt not appeare emptie in the sight of the Lorde thy God that in what things a man hath shewed himselfe thankfull in those things he which is deputed ouer him might thank fully receaue that honour of him And that kind of oblation is a 〈…〉 ain allowed For there were oblations there and there are oblations heere also There were sacrifices among the old people there are sacrifices in the Church also but the manner of them is onelye altered seeing that nowe these are offered not of bond slaues but of free-men For there is one and the same Lorde but there is a seuerall forme of seruile oblations and a seuerall forme of them which are free that euen by these oblations also there might appeare some token of our liberty For there is nothing idle or endlesse with him without some signe or sense And for this cause indeed they did consecrate theyr tenthes but they which haue obtained their libertie doe dedicate to the Lords vse al things that they haue chearfully freely giuing those things which are of lesse account hauing indeed a greater hope that widowe and poore woman casting in heere all her substance into the Lord his treasurie c. Afterwardes in the same chapter hee addeth this Wherefore seeing the church offereth with singlenes for iust cause is the gift thereof accepted as a pure sacrifice before God Euen as Paule also writeth vnto the Philippians I was euen filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that which cam from you an odour which smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant vnto GOD. For wee ought to offer oblations vnto God and in all things to be found thankefull vnto God our maker offering the first-lings of those his creatures in a pure mind and faith without hypocrisie in a ferme hope and feruent loue And this oblation the church onely doth present pure vnto the Creator offering vnto him of his owne creatures with thankes-giuing c. And againe in the same chapter But we offer vnto him not as hee needed our offerings but to shew our selues thankefull vnto him for his bountie and to sanctifie his creatures For as God hath no neede of those th ngs which come from vs so we haue need to offer some thing vnto God Irenaeus calleth Almes and oblations good actions as also Cyprian calleth them good workes Paule beeing their Author who calleth them good deedes and distributions and good workes 1. Tim. 6.18 Tit. 3.14 Heb. 13.16 and Sacrifices with the which God is wel pleased Many other thinges of the like import might bee cited out of the same Authour But let vs attend vnto that of Cyprian in the like sense the wordes some-what altered who in his foure and thirtie Epistle writeth thus of the Readers whome hee had ordained Nowe you shall vnderstand that wee haue appointed for them the honor of an Elder that they should bee honoured with the same fees that the Elders are and that they should deuide the allowaunce for euerie moneth in equall portions The fees which were deuided euerie moneth vnto the Priestes hee calleth the honour of the Presbyterie But out of his sixtie Epistle wee may also make some estimate of what wealth the Church of Carthage was namely by a certaine contribution made by the Cleargie and layitie of that place For there were collected no lesse then an hundred sestercees which they sent to the Bishops of Mauritania to redeeme captiues beeing also readie to send more if need were The wordes of Cyprian are these VVee haue sent vnto you an hundred sestercees That is 2500. ducates at the least or vnles that may seeme to great a sum for that time 2500000 which were gathered heere in the Church ouer the which I am president by the fauour of God the contribution beeng made by the Cleargie and people that are amongst vs the which you shall dispose there according vnto your best indeuours And in his sixtie sixe Epistle he writeth thus The tribe of Leuie which attended vpon the
Temple and Altar for diuine seruice might receaue no portion of that deuotion but while the rest did husband the earth they should honor the Lord onely and therfore for their liuing and allowance they were to receaue tenthes of the eleuen Tribes of those fruites which did increase The which reason and order is now obserued amongst the Cleargie at this day that they which in the Church of the Lord are promoted vnto anie Ecclesiasticall dignitie should by no meanes bee called away from their deuine function neither shuld be intangled with troubles and worldlie affaires but according vnto the honour of the maintained brethren as they which receiue tenthes of fruits should not depart from the Altar and the sacrifices but daye and night should attend vpon heauenly and spirituall busines c. About the same time there were maintained at Rome vnder Cornelius the Bishop sixe and fortie Priests seauen Deacons Eusebius lib 6.25 so manie Subdeacons as also two and fortie Seruaunts Exorcists Readers and Doore-keepers all togeather two and fiftie The number of the whole Cleargie was an hundred fiftie and fiue men all the which no doubt for the most part had their proper families and yet besides al these the widowes and other which were afflicted either with pouertie or infirmitie were a thousand and fiue hundred all the which as Cornelius himselfe doth witnes in an Epistle to Fabian Bishop of Antioch the grace and bountie of the Lorde did aboundantlie releeue and least any man should thinke that this was done penuriously or sparingly hee addeth that so great a number of Ministers so great a multitude of poore by the prouidence of God were made rich and abounding in all plenteousnes The historie of Laurence deacon of Rome is sufficiently knowen whome the tyrants of that time held in suspicion that he had the custodie of the church treasure And their suspicion was true in part for the church had treasure and in part it was false for that it was not the maner of the church to lay vp but to lay out the treasure they had By the which meanes Phillips oblations also and donations to the church were repealed all to late for the ministerie of the Deacons by the handes of the poore had there laid them vp where neither rust nor moath nor any caterpiller of the Church could breake through and steale Neither was this the least praise of the churches of that age that as they were priuatelie poore so were they commonly rich after the example of the church at Hierusalem CHAP. XII That the church had no small reuenues and certaine places in the which they did celebrate their assemblies before the time of Constantine THat professed Christians had farms possessions the increase whereof they distributed to the cleargy pouerty of the Church the edicts of Constantine the great doe sufficiently testifie True it is that vnder Dioclesian the christians were spoyled of al they possessed either priuatly or in cōmon but the godly cristiā Emperor giueth in charge to the presidentes of the prouince that those places in the which Christians did celebrate their assemblies and all other things whatsoeuer they possessed or any waies pertained to the right of their societie should againe be restored vnto them Enead 7. 8. Sabellicus maketh mention of one Lucina a noble and rich matrone that was exiled by Maxentius for that she had named the Church of Rome to be her heire Indeed it is to be acknowledged that from the time of Constantine the state of the Church was no wayes impaired neither doe I speake of the false and fained donations of Constantine but this is a thing most certaine that he was a bountifull Prince towardes the Church and worthily renowned for his bountie Sozomenus reporteth of Constantine his honorable liberalitie towards the Church of Christ Lib. 1.8 that of those grounds which in euerie Cittie were tributarie hee reserued a certaine pension which accustomably was wont to bee paide into the Exchequer and distributed the same vnto the Churches and the Cleargie the which his great gratious larges he afterwards ratified by law to stand good for euer De vita Cōstant li. 4. 28 Eusebius in the life of Costantine witnesseth the same That therefore all men may vnderstand what the welth of the Church was in those times I will produce a few presidentes of that age and begin with that which Augustine hath left in recorde concerning his owne Church at Hippon For he was himselfe also of an honourable house of great wealth I saith hee according to the common conceit of manie Epist 225. which compare themselues with themselues seeme not to haue come from wealth but to haue come to wealth for my fathers inheritance can hardly be reckoned the twentith part in comparison of the churches reuenewes the which nowe I am accounted to possesse as chiefe Lord. Whence that Church had that great wealth it is to bee seene in the same Epistle Prosper in his booke De vitae contemplatiua reporteth of Hilarie Bishop of Arelat to his euerlasting praise that hee had did not only retain those things which the church then but that he did also inlarge the same by the manifold heritages of the faithful which he receiued Among Basil his epistles there is one whole one which testifieth that there were manie at that time which vsed to leaue by testament a great part of their inheritance vnto the Church and some sometimes which did make free gift of all But what neede I to stande vppon the manifolde reports of such thinges The lawes of the Emperours concerning this whole matter are sufficiently knowne Nay this one thing I would admonish the Reader least at any time hee bee deceiued when as manie times hee may reade in the Fathers that the goods of the Church are not onely the goodes of the Bishops and the goodes of the Priestes but the goodes of the poore also I say there hee shall but note howe the auncient custome of the Church hath beene disordered through auarice and hypocrisie When all the Church goodes of euerie Diocesse were in common vnto all the Church-men of the same territorie to bee diuided to euerie Church-man according to the discretion of the Bishop then was that saying in force The goodes of the Church are the goodes of the poore Not that the whole substance of the Church was to be consumed vppon the poore but because the fourth part therof was their due by right For the first part was for the Bishop himselfe the second for the other Church-men the third for the Church workes the fourth for releeuing the poore and redeeming the captiue But when as by reason of the manifolde inconueniences which did dayly arise by meanes of this communitie and the great multitude of Churches which now began to bee euerie where erected and set vp throughout the countrie and indowed with peculiar commodities they began to depart from this communitie by
a secrete consent as it were of the whole world and so that certain portions were designed for the Bishops allowance others also for the other Priests and Ecclesiasticall persons which were in ordinarie residence in euery Cathedrall Church and last of all other Priestes also were ordained by the Bishops euerie where through the cuntrie ouer parish Churches with standing titles who were by that meanes called to a perticular part of the coÌ„mon charge with the Bishop least that which was to bee cared for by all should bee neglected of euerie one as it commonly commeth to passe there is no doubt had none of the Church goodes beene taken from the Cleargie but by this meanes the poore and needie should haue beene much better prouided for by the seueral Cleargie-men of euery particular territorie then when the fourth part of the remaines of the Church goodes were imployed to their vse in common and that also with more ease and much lesse murmure But the trumperie not the pouertie of the Church Munkes and Nunnes and such others which were called religious persons purloyning that fourth part vnder the title of Euangelike pouertie which they professed haue vtterly robbed both the Cleargie and the pouertie and haue brought in a straunge and wonderfull disorder into the auncient ordering of Church goodes so that that part which of olde was due vnto the poore is now in the winding vp deuolued to the rich that I may omit the manifold abuses of Impropriations and Commendams such other shifting sacrilegious titles Ambrose in his thirtie and one Epistle the fift booke The possessions saith he of the Cleargie are the prouisions of the needie and therefore let the Churches keepe reckoning of this how many captiues they haue redeemed how many poore they haue refreshed how many exiles they haue harbored For the Church hath golde not to purse but to disburse and to releeue the necessities of the needie What profite is it to keepe that which profiteth not Augustine also in his treatise vppon Iohn the one and twentith chapter disputeth of that right which the Apostles and Ministers haue by the worde of GOD to receyue carnall things of them vnto whom they minister spirituall things They giue gold saith he and they receyue grasse And in his tenth Tome there is extant no lesse then a whole Homilie concerning the paying of tythes as of dutie Hierome also in his third chapter vpon Malachie amongst other thinges which concerne this opinion hath these wordes That which we say of tythes and first fruits which of olde were giuen of the people to the Priestes and Leuites vnderstand yee also to concerne the people of the Church who are commaunded not onely to pay tythes and first fruites but also to sell all that they haue and giue to the poore and to follow the Lord. The which so great a matter if we will not performe yet at the least lets vs imitate the beginnings of the Iewes that wee may giue part of all vnto the poore and affoord the Priests and Leuites their due honour For which cause the Apostle sayth Honour the widdowes which are true widowes And That the Elder is to bee honored with double honour especially he which laboureth in worde and doctrine the which dutie who so now will not performe hee is proued thereby to defraude and supplant God himselfe and hee is cursed therefore of God in the penurie of all things so that he which soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and hee which soweth liberally shall reape liberally c. Many other thinges of like sort may wee read in that place to this sense But if I should repute vnto you whatsoeuer the Fathers haue written of this argument I should but repeate the same things and be tedious to the Reader in a matter of no controuersie Chap. XIII A distinction of Church goods THe goods of the Church are not all of one fort for there are some which coÌ„sist in the oblations of the people some in proper possessions some in rents and reuenewes some in lawfull fees and ancient roialties Al the which are commonly distinguished into two seuerall kinds whereof some are called Spirituall and some accounted Temporall But seeing these tearmes do neyther so fitly nor yet so fully expresse the nature of these things more proper words were to be deuised by more perfect Ciuilians For vnto that which is Temporall there is nothing in nature opposite but that which is Eternall and to that which is Spiritual nothing is contrary but that which is Carnal or corporal They therefore speak more aptly of these thinges who for the worde Temporall vse the words Ciuil and humane and for Spiritual the words Sacred holy and diuine Now albeit that ought generally to be accounted holy sacred whatsoeuer is consecrated to God and his Ministerie yet notwithstanding they cal oblations because they more nearely concerne God and his seruice more properly sacred and diuine thinges not so much for distinction sake as for that the condition and proprietie therof is such But humane and ciuil goods they account the fields and possessions of the Church for that in nature and condition they are not vnlike vnto those which other Citizens possesse and are therefore giuen vnto the Cleargie that not onely in the Church but also in the common-wealth they may be of good estate and wel able to maintaine the credit of the place and person they sustaine the which by no good meanes they can be able to vphold if in worldly welth they be so curtold and kept so thread-bare as that they cannot be in case to be as bountifull as other men Great matters are looked for at the hands of the Cleargie as hospitalitie releeuing the poore and such other thinges which Christ himselfe not onely taught but in person performed in some good sort And is it not a shame for a Bishop to exhort others vnto charitie towards the poore and needie and himselfe neither to put the same in practise nor yet to be able But least any man should thinke that this distinction came out of the Popes Mint and therefore to bee reiected he shal vnderstand by those things we haue now cited that it is the Fathers the autentike Fathers Ambrose in his Epistle de tradendis basilicis maketh mention of the collations of the people and the fields which the Church possessed Wherefore the gifts and oblations of the faithfull which they offer of their owne accord are to be accounted holy goods goâ—â—s sacred and diuine because in that case the chiefe respect is not of man but of God Vnder this kinde we comprise the paiment of tenthes and tythes also albeit there bee great difference betwene those tythes which eyther now the people pay of their owne voluntarie not constrained or haue of olde religiously vndertaken by a lawe imposed vpon themselues and their posteritie to pay vnto the Ministers those tythes which Princes gaue vnto them and laid out for them by their
simplicity of the Euangelike ministery IF any man obiect that these tenures in fee are accompanied with certaine Royalties ciuill iurisdictions secular titles honors and retinewes in which thinges the auncient Nobilitie are an ornament vnto the King and the Countrey and therefore not agreeable vnto the simplicitie of the ministerie which thing the Lord him selfe taught as well by expresse doctrine as especiall example Because indeede such thinges they doe but intangle a man in extearne vanities and solicite their heartes with the cares of this world in the which it becommeth a Bishop to be secure And furthermore for that the Lord himselfe beeing requested to sit but as arbiter betweene two brethren denied the same And againe when the Apostles made the question which of them should bee the greatest hee made aunswere and sayd The Kings of the Gentils raigne ouer them and they which beare rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes but yee shall not be so but he that is greatest amongst you let him be as the least and he which is Prince as he which ministreth By which the wordes and examples of our Sauiour wee are taught that the Ministery of the Gospell hath nothing common with the Common-wealth It may suffice for an answere vnto this obiection which wee haue before noted namely that all this they talke of hath his place in that estate in the which our Sauiour and his Apostles liued not in that common-wealth in the which the chiefe Magistrates acknowledge Christ Iesus their chiefe Lord and soueraigne King For as the Magistrate is of an other calling now in the Church then before he had so is it reason also that the seruaunts of the Lorde should bee of better estate in the Common-wealth then before they were The Magistrate which before was an enemie and a persecutour according vnto the prophesie of Esaias is become a Foster-father of the Church and a religious worshipper of the Lorde Christ vnder whome were it not an absurd thing that the seruaunts of Christ should haue no more honour then vnder a persecutor But because it is not set downe expreslie in the Scripture what of what sort and how great the same ought to bee many mens mindes are heere at a maze and some are of mind so to leaue it as at a dead losse and yet notwitstanding the thing it selfe is not so hard to find out and it is in his owne nature wel enough knowen and that both by the written lawe of God and the vniuersall censure of all nations were it not for the awkewarde interpretation of those scriptures which I haue nowe cited Out of the which notwithstanding there is nothing els directie concluded but that it is not any part of the Ecclesiasticall function to intermedle in ciuil affaires the which indeed is out of all controuersie Neither is that the question but whether the same man that is a Pastor may not togeather with the ministery of the Gospell bee lawfully imployed in politique affaires for the benefite of the Church and good of the Common-wealth For when as the Minister of the church is cittizen also of the common-wealth he ought not thinke any thing not pertaining to him that pertaineth to the Common-wealth so that beeing lawfully called hee may not vndertake some part of the ciuill estate As for that which I lately cited concerning our Sauiour who refused to be an arbiter it is nothing to this question For the spirite of Christ in the mouth of Paul doth plainly teach vs that the meanest of the church are good enough to iudge of earthlie causes for that one day they shall iudge the worlde yea the Angels themselues a iudgement farre greater then this The which seeing the Apostle affirmeth of any Christian is it to bee thought that onely Christ alone was no fit man to take vp a small matter betweene two brethren if they both had bene content to stand vnto his iudgement Wee cannot therefore imagine that our Sauiour Christ simplye refused the office of an arbiter but that hee denied himselfe to bee that iudge which might command both parties to stand vnto his arbiterment And is not this then a slight testimonie for to proue it not lawfull for a Bishop who is both a Cittizen and a subiect to exercise anye ciuill iurisdiction the Magistrate so commaunding him or to execute some other pension of the Common-wealth not abhorring altogeather from his profession beeing furnished with sufficient authority to discharge it That the foure-score and second Canon commandeth him to be disordered who vndertaketh both Prouinces the Ecclesiasticall power and the secular principality for my part I say not against it if so be that it bring no inconuenience vnto the Bishoppes of the Church and that it may bee done with the good leaue of the Prince and without anie great hurt to the Church and Common wealth And thereupon we are also bolde to say that Theophilus and Cyrill Byshops of Alexandria transgressed that Canon of whome Socrates reporteth that of themselues they tooke vnto themselues the principality of that citty In like manner doe the Bishops of Rome when as they improoue vnto themselues those things which are Caesars For when as they are the vassals and subiectes of the Emperour they haue notwithstanding extolled themselues aboue their Lords and aduanced the sheepheardes croysier aboue the royall scepter But for those Bishops which vaile their bonnet to their Soueraigne and obey their Princes in honest and godly things there is not the like reason And many things many times are done in the Common-wealth extraordinarilye so that there can no lawe bee published or made which it is not lawfull for to gain-say at some time or other for the good of the Common-wealth Neither is the other example that they vrge of anye force For had our Sauiour meant to haue inthronized himselfe in that earthly kingdome which he neuer ment yet would hee haue refused that tumultuous course For what power had that part of the people to annoint him King CHAP. XX That it is lawfull for Bishops to heare ciuil causes and to determine vpon them THat Bishops had to deale in ciuill causes when as the parties submitted themselues to their iudgement it is sufficiently known by the writings of the Fathers the works of Iustinian The which although it were a matter of no smal trouble vnto the godlie Bishops yet the iniquitie many times of secular Iudges their delayes demurs and cauils in lawe were such as that the Bishops of meere charity were moued vnto this labour Neither are they therein to be so censured as if they vsurped the place of the ciuill Magistrate for he did it by the consent of the chiefe Magistrate as it appeareth in the writings of Iustinian in his first booke de Episcopali audientia the fourth title where hee commaundeth that there should be that reuerence giuen vnto their iudgement which is due vnto the hiest powers from whome it is not lawfull to appeale
in the other with aduauntage Chap. XXI An exposition of that place of Luke in the two and twentith chapter NOw I come to that place of Luke the two and twentith chapter where it is recorded that there was some question made amongst the Apostles which of them should seeme the greater the which for that it arose of a certaine perswasion of honor and rule our Lord Sauiour the great Maister of humility repressed the same and confuted their misconceite when as hee forbad them to imitate the proceedings of heathen Princes and made himselfe an example of his manner of gouernment For albeit he had called them indeed to a singular kind of dignitie notwithstanding he would haue them vnderstand that the same differed heauen and earth from that which is vsuall in imperiall kingdomes For as the kingdome of God is diuers from the kingdomes of the earth euen so it becommeth the Ministers of that his kingdome to be of diuers conditions also Indeed it is the fashion of the Court to sewe pillowes vnder the elbowes euen of most vile men and commonly they which grind the faces of the people with bloud-thirstie tyrannie and practise vpon them all kind of crueltie are notwithstanding called most mercifull and most gratious Lords Wherefore our Sauiour especially here taxed the manifest misdemeanors of them which then did domineer ouer the people of God noting withall the manifold abuses of other vngratious Tyrants which by force and armes had inthralled mightie kingdomes vnder their dominion vnto whome the grace of Gratiousnes was giuen euen by them whom they oppressed most vngratiously Moreouer there was setled in the mindes of the Apostles a certain conceit that the kingdom of the Lord should be earthly as they did see that of the Romanes to bee and as they had heard that of Dauid and Salomon to haue beene Higher then this could not they aduance their conceits for alâs they were as yet but meere infants in Christ and did but learne as then to goe by ground Whereuppon it came to passe that they imagined very strongly that they could be made no other by the Lord then Lords Lieutenantes at the least from the which their childish ouer-weening our Sauiour doth in this place take them downe a little But that it may be made yet more apparant vnto all what might bee the Lord his very meaning in that his saying I wil yet sound into the cause a little deeper The Apostles seeme to make a verie plaine question demaunding no more but this Who should be the greatest among them but in what things he should be the greatest that is not there expressed No doubt a man may be accounted greatest for sundry causes as greatest in age in experience greatest greatest in learning in eloquence greatest greatest in wisedome in wealth in nobilitie of birth in authoritie and power and such like But now the Apostles were priuate men in nothing singular which commonly maketh mens minds ambitious and causeth mens thoughtes to ouer-reach As for age experience wealth wisedome nobility such like they openly bewray themselues in whom soeuer they are the greatest so that there is seldom any question about those things It remaineth therefore that the question betwene them was for honour and authoritie the which also may seeme a ridiculous thing among the poore fraternitie of the twelue Apostles vnlesse haplie a man would iudge them ambitious rather for their desire then for their honour But farre be it from mee that I should rashly condemne those good men of any sacrilegious ambition seeing the Lord himselfe did not so much correct them as direct them in their demaund It appeareth rather by that the Lord answered thē by any thing the Apostles propounded that they did not regard the present state of thinges as they were then but that they had an eye to that rather which they hoped to see shortly vnder Christ They knewe that the kingdome of GOD was now at hande about the proclaiming whereof they chiefly were sent neyther were they ignorant how honorably the Prophets had written thereof namely that it should be as a most mightie so a most ample kingdome not to bee bordered but with the compasse of the whole earth that all nations should come and acknowledge their fealtie and doe due homage thereunto and that albeit they expected many enemies and aduersaries both tyrants and traytors yet notwithstanding the rebellious of the people should be appeased at the last Wherefore when as they were of beleefe that this kingdome should be restored vnto Israell out of hand their question is who should be next vnto Christ in that kingdome For as the Israelites had borne a long time the heauie yoke of some tyrannous Empires so they were perswaded that all Nations should nowe yeelde to the iust consequence of their renued title And they did see indeed that their present number did well agree with the twelue Princes of the twelue Tribes of Israel and that the seuentie two Disciples did as well resemble the graund Senate of Gods people Whereby as they knewe that amongst them of olde there were diuerse degrees of dignitie vnder King Dauid and other Princes so they perswaded themselues that the like distinction of orders and honours ought to bee continued amongst them Neither could they so soone forget that honorable speach of their Lord when he promised them that one day they should sit vpon twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell These conceites I should conceiue the Apostles had then in their heades being made as yet and not throughly exercised in the censure of heauenly things these I think rather to haue proceeded in them of a certaine weake ignorance and erroneous misconceiuing then of any sacrilegious pride or ambitious ouer-weening But the Lord perceiuing their thoughts correcteth their misconceite teacheth them That he had not called them to sway an earthly scepter but to seeke a spirituall Empire in the which notwithstanding the power they should receiue of him they should still continue and content themselues not Princes but priuate men Wherfore albeit they should be the chiefe and principall of the new people of God yet their principalitie should not bee any thing more magnificent then the estate of other priuate men and therefore in the forme of that gouernment he had appointed for his Church the first and principall ought to imitate his example who liued among them as a seruant and a Minister when as yet they called him as indeede hee was both Lord and Maister And this is the plainest exposition of Christ his words Where we see that our Sauiour because hee would not stirre vp any headstrong innouation in the common welths and kingdomes vnto whom he sent his Apostles of especial purpose he sent them priuate and impotent without either warlike complement or ciuil regiment namely to conuert soules not to inuert states least if hee should haue erected heere any earthlie kingdome they might haue supposed
that there had beene no other kingdome to bee expected No doubt the calling and state of the Apostolike function was for iust cause great and honourable and their authoritie in the spirituall kingdome autentike and inpregnable and yet all that did not aduaunce them aboue the state of priuate men in the common-wealth and being priuate hee would not haue them president therein And verely these thinges were thus ordained of GOD in a verie prudent manner and vppon a verie especiall purpose For why should anie occasion bee giuen for the heathen to cauill at the doctrine of the Gospell as a thing seditious to the gouernement and pernitious to the common-wealth The Lord without doubt did in great wisedome foresee that the wicked would bee ready to picke many quarrels at the doctrine of the Gospell when as notwithstanding all this there is no politike Philosophie no imperiall constitution that doth more strictly binde the consciences of men vnto subiection and obedience then the doctrine of the Gospell doth The principles of Philosophie and the lawes of Nations doe permit many thinges against Tyrants which the Religion of Christ doth flatly inhibite But the prudent aduise of this precept of Christ wil more manifestly appeare if wee shall for a time but imagine the contrarie namely that the Apostles had followed that errour in the which they were found and then let vs admit that the whole worlde had beene wonne and wasted by them with warre and robberie for they must of force haue followed that forcible course which that renowmed theefe Mahomet kept a course farre differing from the means and manners of our Sauiour Christ But should not thus the Iewes haue bene confirmed in their errour And should not by these meanes iust cause haue beene giuen to the Kings of the earth to haue armed themselues against Christ and his Gospel After the subuersion of Hierusalem there was a diligent inquisition made by the especiall commandement of Vespasian if anie could bee found that were of the stocke of Dauid For the Iewes notwithstanding their ouerthrowe gaue not ouer their hope still expecting their Messias They did see that the times which Dauid had foretold were then fulfilled and thereupon they did argue that the Messias was borne and that the time was now at hande in the which the Romane Empire should impaire and themselues preuaile The which thing gaue the occasion that so great and cruell a persecution was afterwardes raysed against the same Nation The like we reade of Domitian who had the posteritie of Dauid in no small iealousie For casting the worst and fearing least some new Messias should arise and break the scepter of their Romane Empire he caused inquirie to be made after all that were of that kindred Wherupon one Iocatus by name brought before him the nephews of Iudas who was the Lord his brother according to the flesh who did not only draw their pedegree from Dauid but were thought to be very nearely allyed to the Lord himself But when they were examined what possessions they had and of what wealth they were were found to be of very mean estate the hardnes of their skinnes warranting the labour of their hands and when they further vnderstood howe they beleeued that the kingdome of Christ should not bee an earthly Monarchie but an heauenly Hierarchie neither yet that he should come before the consummation of the worlde to iudge the quicke and the dead They were foorth-with reiected base and simple men and were without suspicion set at libertie In like maner no question the priuate estate of the first Apostles was both a testimonie vnto them of their innocency and a safe conduct among the nations for their security But what would not the Romaine Caesars and other like Magistrates haue doone if the Ministers of the Gospell had bene sent and set forth with power of warre and other abiliments of like power These the precepts of our Sauiour may therefore worthely be alledged against the tyrannique Bishoppe of Rome who chalengeth the right of all Empires and holdeth the Romaine Empire as his proper fee but they cannot be alledged against those Bishops which liue subiect vnto lawes and Magistrates and keepe themselues in a proportionable order with other Cittizens Wherefore where the Gospell of Iesus Christ is honorablie receaued by publique authority how should this abatement of our Sauiour be wrested against all Bishops that they should not be in that reuerend account vnder a Christian Magistrate which the lawes of all nations and euen the very lawe of nature it selfe and the written lawe of God also doth expresly award them As for those places of scripture about the which we now contend this only may be gathered That the Pastors of churches in respect of their ministerie haue no power ouer the bodies or goods of Christians Neither that they can chalenge vnto themselues those rights which God hath placed in the power of the Magistrate onely But that the same Magistrate in no place at no time for no cause may commit no portion of the Common-wealth vnto the Bishoppes of the Church it is not as yet prooued neither can be if I bee not deceiued Chap. XXII That the Pastors of the Church for the necessitie of the Common-wealth may attend some times vpon worldlie affairs IF it bee allowable to detract some part of that time which otherwise were to be imployed in the studie of the Scriptures that the Minister of the Church may the better prouide for the priuate good of his owne familie much more may the same bee conuerted to the good of the Common-wealth the man beeing able to assist the same either by his aid or his aduice Where either the want or the vnwillingnesse of anye Church is such that either it cannot or wil not afforde the Minister his due honour it is lawfull for him to haue recourse vnto the labour of his hands Where-vpon the Elibertine councell often-times pretermitted Bishops Priestes and Deacons to trafficke for their better maintenance The which thing is also allowed by diuerse other Canons which I suppose superfluous to rehearse seeing that one instaunce of Paule may suffice for all But nowe if so bee that priuate necessitie may priuelege the detenee of the Ministerie what may publique necessitie doe And yet if at any time the Minister bee exercised for his priuate commodity in base and wretched busines thereis no man greatly offended with it But if hee bee imployed in any honest and honourable affairs of the Common-wealth now a daies there is no man that dooth not inuie it and inuey against it And whence for Gods-sake is this of deuotion from loue or from enuie I say not these things as if I thought that Bishops or other Pastors were rashly to bee incombred in their holie course But where the necessitie or greater commoditie of the Church or Common-wealth dooth require the same there is nor reason nor religion against it Are not Bishops Cittizens also and
Prince partly of the Common-wealth it is not repugnant to the state of the Church or stay of religion And indeed why should not the same thing betide their fields which befall the persons thēselues who albeit they are dedicate to God mancipate to his seruice yet they commit nothing vnworthy their function or not beseeming their calling when as according vnto the dignity of their place they performe due seruice to their Prince and other duties to the common-wealth That which is added of the pension or stipend of Ministers is easily answered by the same reason for it differeth not from the other Wherfore as a man may consecrate him selfe and his labours to God and the Church yet reserue his due obsequie to his Prince and the common-wealth so likewise may the Church inioy both fields and fearms and fees in the common-wealth and yet make no claime to any extraordinary immunity from seruice nor euer think much of any ordinary fealtie due to the patrōs therof The Bishop and euery other Minister of the Church is subiect to the lawes and Magistrate of the common-wealth and seeing he oweth homage to the Prince as to the cōmon parent of the people there is no absurditie committed if by the accesse of some especial benefit he become more nearly bound vnto him then the common sort How many and how bloudie wars the Bishops of Rome haue made vpon the Emperours and other Christian Princes euen for the onely inuestiture of those fees which they chalenge vnto themselues as consecrate to God therefore as they perswaded themselues free from all ciuill seruice all histories can well witnesse Wherefore those Magistrates at this day doe shew themselues very ingrate I may say vngodly to the present Ministerie who when as by defending the authoritie of the ciuill Magistrate which the Bishop of Rome had impayred they haue now at the length brought to passe that they haue recouered the same by their means doe now notwithstanding enuie them their poore estate in the Church and their small authoritie in the common-wealth May not that of the Apostle 2. Cor. 11.19 be truly said of this people They suffered those gladly which brought them into bondage which tooke of their goodes which exalted themselues which smote them on the face I more which afflicted them with fire and sworde and made them runne through Purgatorie glad that they might get to Hell But the faithfull seruantes of Christ which set them free frō the captiuitie of the Pope and gaue them that libertie which they nowe abuse against the Church those they doe not onely not reward with that honour they well deserued but they depriue them of those dignities they once possessed They lay baites for the bane for some set snares for the liues of others contriue plots for the deposing and disparaging of all Is this the thankes they giue to their Pastors And is this the reward for so many benefits receiued by their preaching O God forgiue them this sin if it be possible But thou wilt one day iudge betweene them and vs and reuenge this infamie done vnto thy selfe Chap. XXVIII Of the honorable titles which are giuen vnto Bishops NOw we haue spoken of fees and of that ciuill iurisdiction which is annexed vnto them it remaineth that wee speake somewhat also of their titles of honour Neither will I seeke into all but will shew you vnto a few of them and comprise in one or two all the rest which either the custome of the time place or the curtesie of Kings and Princes doe giue vnto the chiefe states of the kingdome With the which here are some in England which find themselues not a little offended would hold others in hand thogh they dare not hold their hand that such titles are not to bee giuen to the greatest Bishops The first that displeaseth them is the title of Lord which yet at this day is vsed to be giuen rather for honor sake then for homage The proper signification thereof is sufficiently known to haue relation to the possession proprietie of a thing In which sense euery man is Lord of that hee hath It hath a secondary relatiō also to a Seruant in which sense the Romane Emperours would not be called Lords or Maisters Suetonius reporteth of Octauius that he abhorred the name of Lord Maister as curse and a slaunder Indeed the Barbarians acknowledge no other distinction of persons but of Maisters Seruants therfore their Kings also do domineer ouer their subiects as maisters ouer their seruants the fathers of families haue the same authoritie ouer their wiues children as ouer their seruāts This would seem might well a very vnreasonable thing to vs being not as they are a people base seruile And yet the Moschouites rule at this day after this manner neither is the Empire of the Turkes much vnlike the same And generally all the Easterne kingdoms were once of this gouernment kept this foule rule ouer the nations wher they conquered Whether the Kings kindred had any priuilege besides the rest it is to be doubted so I leaue it But these a man might truly cal Dominos Lords or Maisters in which sense our Kings themselues wil not be so called nor will they take it in good part to be so slandered for their subiects are not their slaues or seruants neither do they so vse them They hold it their chiefest glory to haue a free people subiect vnto them and thinke it more honorable to command ouer a free then a seruile nation And albeit the King may truly be called Lord and indeed the only chiefe Lord in his own kingdom referring the signification of that title either to the subiection of the whole people or the propriety of his own kingdome yet contenting himself with the royal title of King which glory he wil cōmunicate with no subiect he enuieth not his subiects the name of Lords but whō he thinketh worthy hee honoureth with that title Neither do inferior persons only cal superior personages Lords but they also which are Nobles of equall authoritie do so salute their peeres And doth not the King himselfe vouchsafe to greet the Honors of his lande by the names of Lords The name of Lord is of many significations and is as I haue said a title rather of honour and of fauor then of rule and of Empire the which argueth the no smal malice or otherwise the great ignorance of them which hold the title of Lord to bee of so great authoritie as that it is not conuenable to the calling of Bishops And yet at this day among the best Latinistes the same name ordinarily is giuen to any man of any ordinary esteeme So doth the signification of this title varie according to the diuersitie of regions and persons and proprieties They which in England do make the same a signification of greater honor then that it may any waies agree with
their Bishops doe ground that their errour vpon an other by the which they are perswaded that it is a thing insolent and absurd for Bishops to bee taken for peeres of the lande But herein they seeme to bewray themselues in like passion with the sons of Iacob when they enuyed their owne brother for that he was made more honourable then themselues who ought rather to haue thought themselues honored in their brother It is vtterly against the nature of a well ordered common-wealth that the order of religion should not bee accounted among the chiefe states of the lande the which honour seeing it cannot bee giuen to all that are in the same order it is wisely and worthily prouided by the chiefe Magistrate that the whole order should be honored in a few of them The which thing seeing it is agreeable to the lawe of God and the custome of the auncient people of God the practise of al Nations vnder the Sun may it not seem a woÌ„der greater then their errour that any learned men should be found in any wildernes of the world so ouergrown with mosse the melancholie of their distempered brains as once to oppose themselues in any ciuill societie against the same But let vs heare yet with what reasons they are moued so farre beyond all reason Those proud titles say they of dominion are the inuentions of Antichrist and our Sauiour answered his Apostles contending about the primacie That the kings of nations rule ouer them and they which exercise authoritie vpon them are called gratious Lords but it shall not bee so with you And in the 23. of Mathew You shall call no man your father vpon earth for there is one your father which is in heauen bee not called Doctors for one is your Doctor euen Christ Whatsoeuer els is alleadged is of smal worth these words of our Sauiour beeing honestly interteined the rest will willingly yeelde themselues First therfore I affirme that the titles of dominion were inuented before Antichrist himselfe was hatched hee beeing the author thereof who is the author of dominion Neyther is there any thing arrogant in the titles but in the impotent and vsurped aspirement of such which oft times reiecting their commendable titles affect the contrary and cal themselues seruants of seruants which thinke themselues Lordes of Lords name themselues with the lesse and the least which will bee accounted the greater the greatest that if for nothing els yet for that they are so named But the Lorde his meaning was not to abolish the vse of these titles Lord Doctor and Father but to teach vs onely by these his precepts to beware of two dangerous perrils The first is the vaine swelling or swelling veine with the which Hypocrites are commoÌ„ly puft vp by reaso of these titles the other is the preposterous confidence which the simple people coÌ„monly haue in their elected Doctors or Fathers vppon which aduauntage the popular professors distract the name of Christ so that some hold of Paul some of Apâ—llo and some of Cephas and euery man best fancieth the Doctor himself hath chosen when as no man ought to build vpon any Doctors wordes but on his alone which cannot erre the Lord Christ Neyther was it the Lord his intent to inhibit vs that we should not call those by their names vnto whom the Lord hath giuen the names of Doctors Fathers in the Church or that children should not cal them Fathers vpon earth that begot them into the world or that Disciples should not cal them Doctors in the Cittie that instructed them in the Vniuersity or that Christian seruants should not cal them Lords Maisters which haue intertained them into their families No doubt Onesimus both might ought to call and recognise Philemon for his Maister And did not Paul also a most perfect imitater of Christ cal himself the Doctor of the Gentiles And why may not we also cal him as well a Doctor as an Apostle In the first to the Corinthians chap. 4. he calleth himselfe theyr Father Although saith hee you haue ten thousand instructers in Christ yet haue you not many Fathers for I haue begotten you through the Gospell The like we reade in many other places by the which we are giuen to vnderstand that not the condition but the ambition onely of those names was forbidden with the singling out of some especiall Doctor or Teacher by the which wee will shew our selues to be singular For that indeed that knowledge of the truth which we would seem to experience in some especiall men is onely to be expected in that Doctor alone who with the Spirit is able to lead vs into all truth But now what shall we say of the name title of Lordes First I say it is no where written Be ye not called Lordes And againe I say that although it were written it could beare no other sence or haue any other interpretation then those other titles which before are noted That dominion ouer the Lordes heritage is forbidden by the Lord there is no man that doubteth and did the word Lord alwaies implie a Dominion it were some thing they saide But we haue heard of the diuers significations of these words As for that the Lord said vnto his Apostles It shal not be so with you what sober maÌ„ wil interprete him as if he had said Ye shall not be called Lords If the Kinges and Princes of the common-wealth will haue you to sit in the assemblies of great men and wil heare your iudgement concerning the state of the Church and will consult together with you concerning the affaires of the common-wealth and in regarde of my name and in reuerence of your calling wil haue you reputed among the peers of the land take heede beware of that and suffer not your selues to bee called Lordes this is a proud title and that is a foule matter From hence no doubt did arise that odious hypocrisie in the Church of Rome which vnder the basenes of mean titles exerciseth the sharpnes of no meane tyrannie and vnder the name of Seruant of seruantes vsurpeth dominion ouer Maisters and Seruants And hence it is also that his champions do glory in this to be called Friers Minorites the lesse or the least as if forsooth there were nor pride nor tyranny lurking vnder these their lubarly names or as if the name of Lord onely were to bee attended with pride and tyrannie Wherefore the meaning of our Sauiour in those words was not to forbid his disciples those ordinary tearms of honour which are giuen them by the fauor of the Prince and consent of the people only his intent was to teach theÌ„ that the Gospel was no prince-like Ministery or royal seigniory By the which it neither is nor can be concluded that Princes may by no means vse the assistaÌ„ce of Ministers nor grace the learned Pastors with certaine principall degrees of honor Hath Christ by any law diminished the Princes
Magistrate But it seldome falleth out that Pastors haue only euil men in their parishes the Lords flocke is mixt of good and bad The good doe loue that which the wicked doe hate whom to displease is a great praise among good men who will not suffer the faithful Minister to suffer losse for his wel doing but will themselues supply that which they shall see wanting on the part of the wicked But there is commonly alledged an other commodity of these stipends namely this for that the Ministers may not seeme to take any thing of them of whom they ought not as are the notorious vngodly and noted Heretiques with whom a man ought not to haue any thing to doe as also of the good and godly beeing poore and needy to whome a man ought rather to giue as are widows orphans the sick and needy whome to pill and pole is a point of cruell Religion But I pray you where doth the Magistate receaue or of whome doth he contract those things by the which the Ministers are paied their stipends Of their owne goods or out of the publique treasurie but is not that confusedly gathered of the wicked togeather with the godly of the poore together with the rich This is indeed a strange religion that it shall not be lawfull for Pastors to take of them of whome the Magistrate taketh that he giueth them All men pay subsidie and other tributes of the common-wealth without respect of person euery man according to the moity of hys substaunce Of them which haue nothing they take nothing But this their religion is like vnto that of the Franciscanes who when they make great daintie to handle anye money with their proper fingers they haue other to doe it for thē I admit it is a thing not beseeming a godly Pastor to take of all commers but as the voluntary oblations of wicked rich men are not to bee receaued so the free offerings of godlie poor men are not to be refused so that they exceed not the ability of the giuer For although it be litle which is giuen yet seeing it is the fruite of godlines it ought neither to bee contemned of the Pastor nor yet suppressed in the faithfull But bee it remembred that I said the voluntary oblations of the wicked for no doubt a Minister of the Gospel may take tythes euen of infidels also if they be due to the Minister by the law and custome of the Countrey neither is religion any more violated in so doing then when the rents of farmes are paid or receaued of husband-men our tenants that are heretiques As for the argument they drawe from the vaine ostentation of the contributors who because they could not be vnknowen contention might arise among them who should exceed the rest it is an argument none at all vnlesse by the same reason we will haue Christians to abstaine from good works to auoyd ostentation But no man is to be diswaded from bounteous beneficency least he should fal into the affectation of vaine-glory And that contention and emulation is good when one man striueth to excel another in wel-doing as for the hearts and minds of men let vs leaue them for God to iudge But their last argument is this that there is no commandement that Ministers of the Church should be maintained by the oblations of the people by the which it may be concluded that it is not necessary that the same maner of maintaining the Ministery should bee maintained alike in all places and at all times but that all things ought to be referred to good order that they may be done to edification I answere that albeit the Minister of the Church be not commanded to liue of the oblations of the people for hee may liue of his owne and for certaine causes spare the people for a time yet notwithstanding in the meane while the commaundement abideth by the which the people are bound to honour their Pastor and by the liberall participation of their goods to testifie their gratefull godly deuotion towardes God and him Neither is the question so much for the Ministers maintenaunce as for the godly regards and grateful minds of the faithful towards God who is alwaies most honored or dishonored in his seruants For my part I knowe not as yet the customes of all nations and countreys Neither am I he that will prescribe to any man in this matter In the meane while I speake of those things which I haue learned by great vse and long experience and it greueth me that in many things of like nature wee abolish olde thinges and suborne worse True it is that parishes vnder the Pope had their priuileges their glebes their rents and their tithes by which their Pastors were wel maintained now because some abuses be crept in shall the whole vse of them be taken away Me thinks these are but cold reasons I haue now confuted with the which it were to be wondered that any man should bee caried away were it not that the hatred of Poperie did hurry men headlong into vaine contrarieties in such things as are or haue bene vsed among them Chap. XXXII Certaine reasons why Stipendaries are disprooued WHere as the Apostles rule commandeth vs that all things be done in good order and to edifiyng it will be a labour worth the paines to see whether that may better bee done by paying Ministers their stipends or rather by that auncient manner deliuered by the Apostles and receaued by the Fathers which giueth to Pastors their tythes and their offerings First I doe not thinke that wisedome is growen vp with vs that we should dispose of things better then our Fathers haue done Besides there is no man that desireth to be clear from the aduersaries cautels that ought at this day to make any innouation in the Church of Christ without the approued example of former ages But this is a nouel kind of honoring the Pastors of the Church not read of in the scriptures not knowen of vnto the Fathers nor euer heard of before these our daies the common brokers of all newes that the Church had their Stipendary Ministers Notwithstanding when I say that Stipends taken out of the Exchequer or other-wise collected doe blast the fruites of religion and depriue the people of the comforts thereof I would not so bee taken as if I thought it vnlawfull for the Magistrate to contribute out of the treasury to the Church But this I say that the Christian people ought notwithstanding continually to be deuoted vnto their Pastors in the bonds of a religious affinity and religiously to honour their Ministers with the testimonies of their gratefull memory the which when it is hindred by the one part it must needs be that charity should waxe very colde on both parts Saint Paule as wee haue sayde before gaue it in commaundement that he which is taught should communicate in all his goods with him that taught him from the which duty no stipēd ought