if thou be neither Christ nor Elias nor of the Prophets why baptisest thou whych had bene no good argument if s Iohn might haue bene of some other function then of those whych were ordinarie in the churche and instituted of god And therefore S. Iohn to establish his singular and extraordinary function alledgeth the word of God wherby appeareth that as it was not lawfull to bring in any strange doctrine so was it not lawfull to teache the true doctrine vnder the name of any other function then was instituted by God. Let the whole practise of the churche vnder the lawe be loked vpon and it shall not be founde that any other Ecclesiasticall ministery was appoynted then those orders of highe priest and priests and Leuites c. whych were appoynted by the law of God if there were any raised extraordinarily the same had their calling confirmed from heauen either by signes or miracles or by plaine cleare testimonies of the mouthe of God or by extraordinarye exciting and mouings of the spirite of god So that it appeareth that the ministerie of the gospell and the functions thereof ought to be from heauen and of God and not inuented by the braine of men from heauen I say and heauenly because althoughe it be executed by earthly men the ministers also are chosen by men like vnto themselues yet because it is done by the word and institution of God that hath not only ordained that the word should be preached but hathe ordained also in what order and by whome it should be preached it may well be accounted to come from heauen and from God. Seeing therefore that these functions of the Archbishop and Archdeacon are not in the word of God it foloweth that they are of the earth so can do no good but much harme in the church And if any man will say the we do the church great iniurye because we doe tie her to a certaine nomber of orders of ministers as it were to a stake so that she may not deuise new functions I say that bothe the churche and Christ doth accuse him againe Christ estemeth him selfe to haue iniurie because that by thys meanes he is imagined not to haue bene careful and prouident enough for hys church in that he hath left the ministerie wherein doth consist the life of the church being that wherby it is begottē so raw and vnperfect that by permitting of it to the ordering of men there is a great danger of error whych he might haue set without all daunger by a word or two speaking The churche of the other side riseth against hym for that he maketh Christ les carefull for her then he was for that vnder the lawe For tell me in the whole volume of the Testament is there any kinde or degre of ministerie wherof God is not the certen and expres author was there euer any man I except Ieroboam and suche prophane men either so holy or so wise or of suche great knowledge that euer did so muche as dreame of instituting of a newe ministerie After the long wandring of the Arke in the wildernesse when it came to be placed in Ierusalem tell me if any besides the Leuites and Priestes the ordinarie ministers and the Prophets whych were immediatly stirred vp of God were found to haue ordained any office or title whych was not commaunded or whether there was at any time any thing added or enioyned to those offices of priesthode and Leuiteship whych was not by the lawe prescribed All men knowe that the Arke of Noah was a figure of the church Noah was both a wise and a godly man yet what doth the Lord leaue to his wisdom when as he appoynteth the matter the forme the length the bredth the heigth the woode the kinde and sorte of woode In the tabernacle the church is yet more expressedly shewed forth Moses that was the ouerseer of the worke was a wise and a godly man the artificers that wroughte it Bezalael and Aholiab most cunning workemen and yet obserue howe the Lorde leaueth nothing to their will but telleth not onlye of the boordes of the curtaines of the apparell but also of the barres of the rings of the strings of the hookes of the besomes of the snuffers and of the thyngs the matter and the forme Let vs come to the temple whych as it was more neare the time of Christ so it dothe more liuely expres the churche of God whych nowe is Salomon the wisest man that euer was or shall be dothe nothing in it neyther for the temple nor for the vesselles of the temple nor for the beautie of it but according to the forme that was enioyned hym as appeareth in the Kings and Chronicles And in the restoring of that temple Ezechiel is witnes howe the Angell by the commaundement of God doth parte by parte appoynt all to be done bothe in the temple and in the furniture thereof Nowe if the holy ghoste in Figures and Tropes dothe so carefully and as a man may speake curiously comprehende all things in the truthe it selfe howe muche more is it to be thought that he hath performed this If in the shadowes howe muche more in the body if he haue done this in earthly things and which are pearished how is it to be thought that he hath not performed it in heauenly and those whych abide for euer And then tell me what are those times of which it was sayd the Messias when he commeth will tell vs all Is it a like thyng that he whych did not only appoynt the temple and the tabernacle but the ornaments of them woulde not only neglecte the ornamentes of the churche but also that wythout the whych as we are borne in hand it can not long stande shall we thinke that he which remembred the barres there hathe forgotten the pillers heere or he that there remembred the pinnes did heere forget the master builders shoulde he there remember the besomes and heere forget Archbyshops if any had bene needefull there make mention of the snuffers to purge the lights and heere passe by the lightes them selues And to conclude that he shoulde make mention there of the moates and heere say nothing of the beames there recken vp the gnattes heere keepe silence of the Camels what is this else but that which Aristotle sayth ta mikra horan kai ta megala paroran that is to looke to small things and not to looke to great which if it can not fall into the Lorde let it be a shame to say that the cheefe piller and vpholder of the churche is not expressed in the scripture nor can not bee concluded of it Moreouer those ministeries without the which the churche is fully builded and brought to perfection and complete vnitie are not to be retayned in the churche but with out the ministeries of Archbishop c. the churche maye bee fully builded and broughte to perfection therefore these ministeries are not
tabernacles which was commaunded of the Lord to be celebrated euery yeare was not celebrated in such sort as it was commaunded in the law from the dayes of Iosua the sonne of Nun vntill the returne of the people from their captiuitie And yet were there in this space diuers bothe iudges and kings both priestes and prophets singularly zealous and learned If therfore the omitting of so necessary a thing so many hundreth yeares by suche godly zealous learned persons could not bring any prescription against the truth the lacke of this necessary discipline by the space of 30. yeares through the ouersight of a fewe if they be compared with that multitude ought not to be alledged to kepe it out of the church The dignitie also and hygh estate of those whych are not so earnest in thys cause can not hinder it if we consider the wisdome of God almost from time to time to consist and to shew it selfe most in setting forth his truth by the simpler and weaker sort by contemptible and weake instruments by things of no value to the end that when all men see the basenes and rudenes of the instrumēt they might the more wonder at the wisedome and power of the artificer which wyth so weake and foolishe instruments bringeth to passe so wise and mighty things And if men will wyth such an eye of fleshe loke vpon matters they shall condemne that excellent reformation vnder the godly king Ezechias whych the holy ghost doth so highly commend in whych it is witnessed that the Leuites whych were a degree vnder the priests were more forward and more zealous then the priests them selues Yea wherin it is witnessed that the people were yet more earnest and more willing then either the Leuites or the priestes Whych thing if euer is verified in our time For when I consider the zeale for religion whych sheweth it selfe in many as well of the nobility and gentry of this realme as of the people their care to continue it and aduaunce it their voluntary charges to maintaine it their liberality towards them which bend them selues that way as I do therby conceiue some hope of the fauourable countenaunce and continuance of Gods goodnes towards vs so I can not be but ashamed of mine owne slackenes and afraid of the displeasure of the Lord for that those whose proper worke thys is especially and whych should beare the standarde and cary the torche vnto the rest are so colde and so careles in these matters of the Lord. And I humbly craue and most earnestly desire of those whych beare the cheefe titles in the Ecclesiasticall functions that as we doe in parte correct oure negligence by the example of the forwardnes and readines of the people so they would suffer themselues to be put in remembrāce of their dueties by vs which are vnderneath them and that they would not neglect thys golden gift of Gods grace in admonishing them because the Lord doth offer it in a treene or earthen vessell but that they would first consider that as * Naaman the Syrian prince receiued great commodity by following the aduise of his maide and after of his man And * Abigael being a wise woman singuler profit by obeying the counsell of her seruaunt so they may receiue oftentimes profitable aduertisement by those whych are in lower places then they them selues be Then let them thynke that as Naaman was neuer the les noble for obeying the voyce of his seruaūts nor Abigaell neuer the les wise because she listened vnto the words of her man so it can not deminishe their true honoure nor empaire the credite of their godly and vncounterfait wisdome if they geue care vnto that which is spoken by their inferioures And last of all that as if they had not listened vnto those simple persons the one had pearished in his leprosie the other had bene slaine with her familye euen so if they shall for any worldly respect of honor riches or feare of being accounted eyther vnaduised in taking this course or light or inconstāt in forsaking it stop their cares against thys louing Admonition of the Lorde they prouoke hys anger not against their health or against their life but against their owne soules by exercising of vnlawfull authority and by taking vnto them partly such things as belong by no meanes vnto the church and partly whych are common vnto them wyth the whole church or els wyth other the ministers and gouernors of the same wherof I beseche them humbly to take the better hede for that the iudgement of the Lord wil be vpon a great part of them by so much the heauier by how much they haue not only beleued the gospel but also haue receyued this grace of God that they should suffer for it So that if they wil neither take example of diuers their superiors the nobles of this realme nor be admonished by vs of the lower sort wherin we hope better of them yet they would remember their former times and correct them selues by them selues And seing they haue ben content for the gospels sake to quit the necessary things of this life they wold not thinke much for the discipline whych is no small parte of the gospel hauing both things necessary and commodious to part from that whych is not only in them superfluous and hath nothing but a vaine ostentation whych will vanish as the shadow but also is hurtfull vnto them and pernicious vnto the churche whych thing I do morelargely and plainly lay forth in thys boke Another exception against the fauorers of this cause is taken for that they propoūd it out of time whych is that the Iewes sayd that the time was not yet come to build the Lordes house but it is knowen what the * Prophet answeared And if no time were vnseasonable in the kinde of materiall building wherin there be some times as of summer more opportune and fit then others howe can there be any vntimely building in this spirituall house where as long as it is called to day men are commaunded to further thys worke And as for those which say we come to late and that this shuld haue bene done in the beginning and cannot now be done wythout the ouerthrow of all for mending of a peece they do little consider that * S. Paul compareth that which is good in the building vnto gold and siluer and precious stones and that whych is euil layd vpon the foundation vnto stubble and hey and wode Likewise therfore as the stubble and the hey and the wode be easely by the fire consumed wythout any losse vnto the gold or siluer or precious stones so the corrupt things in this building may be easely taken away wythout any hurt or hinderance vnto that which is pure and found And if they put such confidence in thys similitude as that they wil therby wythout any testimony of the word of God stay the further building or correcting the faultes
liues in honest conuersation when all that doctrine falleth to the groūd because they haue no knowledge of Christ nor of faith in him and to be short it is as much as if eyther the surgeon shoulde apply hys plaister or the Phisition his medicine when they neither know of the wounde or disease of their pacients But this knowledge of their estate can not be without a continuall abode amongst them therfore a continuall residence is necessary Moreouer as in the lawe the priestes were ready in the temple to answere all the doubtes and questions that any of the people shoulde come to aske so the ministers in their seuerall parishes shuld be ready to dissolue the difficulties that either one hathe wyth an other or wyth him selfe touching the conscience for want whereof the consciences of many after doubtfull and daungerous wrastling wyth the deuill and wyth despaire are strangled And thervpon some hang or drowne themselues some other putting away all care or conscience of sinning and labouring to haue no sense nor seeling of their sinne close vp the wound vnhealed whych after either breaketh oute more daungerously or else euery daye more and more waxing senseles and wythoute feeling treasure vp vnto them selues the wrath of God against the day of iudgement For although the iudgement of God dothe not for the time followe them so harde as them whyche throughe terror of conscience vntaughte and vncomforted kill them selues yet their estate is neuer the les daungerous therefore but rather more for as muche as by a longer line of sinne drawne out they also pull vpon them selues a heauier condemnation Whych things when they see oftentimes before their eyes that will consider it it is easie to iudge that it commeth to passe a great deale oftner then we can see When as therfore the only preaching of the worde of God being continuall is a bonde strong enoughe to holde the pastor to hys flocke Then the enquirie of the manners and behauioure of hys flocke the priuate admonitions and consolations the dissoluing of doubtes when anye riseth as a three or foure folde corde ought much more to holde him so that he whych shall breake all these thyngs willingly and wittingly can not easely be thoughte to breake them as Sampson did hys by the strengthe of God but rather by some other power not of god Besides that S. Paule commaundeth that the pastor shoulde be a paterne or example in all goodnes and holines of life vnto hys flocke and oure sauioure Christ * sayth that when the shepheard hath led forth hys shepe he goeth before them but if the pastoure be not amongst hys flocke and haue not hys conuersation there they can not followe hym If they haue not the example before their eyes they can not make the like vnto it Therefore this commaundement also bindeth them to residence amongste their flockes S. Peter willeth the pastors of the churches that they shuld feede the flockes What flockes not euery one but those whych are committed to their faithe or truste or whych dependeth vpon them And S. Paule speaking to the ministers or byshoppes of Ephesus willeth them that they should take heede vnto the flockes ouer the which the holy Ghoste had made them ouerseers where he restraineth as S. Peter did their ouersight and watche vnto their perticulare flocke S. Paule sayth that he toke it heauely that he was seperated from them but a small time if therfore the Apostle was away wyth greefe from them whome he had taught whome his calling compelled to be away from and would not suffer to be alwayes there what shall be thoughte of the pastors whose calling is to be wyth their flockes and whych are consecrated vnto them euen as the Apostles were vnto the whole worlde what I say shall be thought of them that are away moneths and yeres And in deede those that feede their flockes faithfully according to the commaundement of God do see what a great wisedom and mercy of God it is to appoynt euery flocke his pastor and euery pastor his flocke They can tell of a wonderfull loue that God worketh in them towardes their flockes and in their flockes towardes them A great encouragement vnto them and as it were a pricke to stirre vp their dulnes it is when they see the blessing of God vppon their labors and thereof a maruellous care and thoughte to turne all suche thyngs away as should hinder the encrease of that blessing which they can not haue any feeling or experience of whych are not conuersante wyth their flockes Besides this a familiaritie betweene the pastor and the flocke is profitable that they maye be emboldened to come and demaunde to be satisfyed of those thyngs they doubte of whych they will neuer doe vnto those whome they are not by continuall conuersation acquainted wyth And it is not nothing that Aristotle disputeth agaynste Plato his communitie which woulde haue all things common and that all men indifferently shoulde haue care of all things and shoulde haue nothing whych he should say to be hys owne For therein Aristotle sayd very well that that which was cared for of all men was neglected of all and cared for of none so that the preseruation of wife or children or of any other possession was then the best and surest when as euery man had a certaine possession committed vnto him which he should care for and take charge of And so the Lord his wisdome was for the better suretie and saluation of hys churche not to make many ministers whych should in common and indifferently take care of all but ordained that the church should be deuided into diuers partes and that euery one shoulde haue a peece to care for and to giue accompte for Nowe if any man will say that in suche great scarcitie of pastors it is good that when a man hath trauelled in one place and remoued them from superstition and brought them to beleue in God through Christ to goe to an other place and assay also to draw them from idolatrie First I vrge that whych I did before whych is the calling wherin euery man must abide and wythout y whych no man ought to attempt any thing Then I say that it is as hard a prouince as painfull a thing vnto the pastor as acceptable and precious a worke vnto the Lord to keepe those whych are gotten as to gette those whych are not gotten and that that saying is fulfilled heere if in any thing else Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri It is as great a vertue to kepe that whych is already gotten as to haue got it For we know that after that the deuill perceiueth that men are pulled out of the power of darknes into the glorious light of the gospel he sweateth and laboureth by a thousand meanes to destroy them bestirreth him selfe more then then in the time of their ignorance and in steade of that
thys poynt and in stead that the Lord sayth sixe dayes thou mayst labor if thou wilt to say thou shalt not labor sixe dayes I do not see why the church may not as well wheras the Lord sayth thou shalt rest the seuenth day commaunde that thou shalt not rest the seuenth day For if the church may restraine the liberty that God hath geuen thē it may take away the yoke also that God hath put vpon them And whereas you say in the. 173. page that notwithstanding thys fourthe commaundement the Iewes had certaine other feastes whych they obserued in deede the Lord whych gaue thys generall law might make as many exceptions as he thought good and so long as he thought good But it foloweth not because the Lord did it that therfore the church may do it vnles it hath commaundemēt and authority from God so to do As when there is any generall plague or iudgement of God either vpon the churche or comming towardes it the Lorde commaundeth in suche a case that they should sanctifie a generall fast and proclaime ghnatsarah whych signifieth a prohibition or forbidding of ordinary works and is the same Hebrewe word wherwyth those feastes dayes are noted in the lawe wherin they shuld rest The reason of whych commaūdement of the Lord was that as they abstained that day as much as might be conueniently from meat so they might abstaine from their daily workes to the ende they might bestowe the whole day in hearing the word of God and humbling themselues in the congregation confessing their faultes and desiring the Lorde to turne away from hys fearce wrathe In thys case the churche hauing commaundement to make a holy day may and ought to do it as the church which was in Babilon did during the time of their captiuity but where it is destitute of a commaundement it may not presume by any decree to restraine that liberty whych the Lord hath geuen Nowe that I haue spoken generally of holy dayes I come vnto the apostles and other saints dayes whych are kept wyth vs And thoughe it were lawfull for the church to ordaine holy dayes to our sauioure Christe or to the blessed Trinity yet it is not therfore lawfull to institute holy dayes to the apostles and other saintes or to their remembrance For although I confes as muche as you say in the. 153. page that the church of England doth not meane by thys keping of holy dayes that the saintes shoulde be honoured or as you alledge in the. 175. and. 176. pages that wyth vs the saints are not prayed vnto or that it doth propoūd them as meritorious yet that is not enough For as we reason against the popish purgatorie that it is therfore naught for as much as neyther in the olde Testament nor in the newe there is any mention of prayer at any time for the dead so may it be reasoned against these holy dayes ordained for the remēbrance of the saintes that for so much as the old people dyd neuer keepe any feast or holy day for the remembrance eyther of Moses or Daniel or Iob or Abraham or Dauid or any other how holy or excellent so euer they were nor the apostles nor the churches in their time neuer instituted any eyther to kepe the remembrance of Stephen or of the virgin Mary or of Iohn Baptist or of any other notable and rare personage that the instituting and erecting of them nowe and thys attempt by the churches whych folowed whych haue not such certen and vndoubted interpreaters of the will of God as the prophets and apostles were whych lyued in those churches is not wythout some note of presumption for that it vndertaketh those thyngs whych the primitiue churche in the apostles times hauing greater giftes of the spirite of God then they that folowed them had durste not venter vpon Moreouer I haue shewed before what force the name of euery thyng hath to cause men to thynke so of euery thyng as it is named and therfore although you say in the. 175. page that in calling these holy dayes the dayes of suche or such a Sainte there is nothyng else meante but that the Scriptures whych are that day red concerne that saynte and contayne eyther hys callyng preachyng persecution martyrdom c. yet euery one doth not vnderstand so much For besides that the corrupt custome of popery hath caryed theyr mindes to an other interpretation the very name and appellation of the day teacheth otherwise For seing that the dayes dedicated to the Trinity and those that are consecrate to our sauior Christ are in that they be called Trinity day or the Natiuity day of our sauior Christ by and by taken to be instituted to the honor of our sauyor Christe and of the Trinity so lykewyse the people when it is called S. Paules day or the blessed virgin Maryes day can vnderstand nothing therby but that they are instituted to the honor of S. Paule or of the virgin Mary vnles they be otherwyse taught And if you say let them so be taught I haue answeared that the teaching in thys lande can not by any order whych is yet taken come to the moste parte of those whych haue drunke thys poyson and where it is taught it were good that the names were abolyshed that they should not helpe to vnteach that whych the preaching teacheth in thys behalfe Furthermore seeing the holy dayes be ceremonies of the church I see not why we may not heere renue Augustines complaint that the estate of the Iewes was more tollerable then oures is I speake in thys poynt of holy dayes for if their holy dayes and oures be accompted we shall be foūd to haue more then double as many holy dayes as they had And as for all the commodityes whych we receiue by them whereby M. doctor goeth about to proue the goodnes and lawfulnes of their institution as that the scriptures are there red and expounded the patience of those saintes in their persecution and Martyrdome is to the edifying of the church remembred and yearely renewed I say that we myght haue all those commodities wythout all those dangers whych I haue spoken of wythout any keping of yearely memory of those sayntes and as it falleth out in better and more profitable sorte For as I sayd before of the keping of Easter that it tyeth and as it were fettereth a meditation of the Easter to a fewe dayes whych should reache to all our age and time of oure lyfe so those celebrations of the memories of saintes and martyrs streighten our consideration of them vnto those dayes whych should continually be thought of daily as long as we liue And if that it be thoughte so good and profitable a thyng that thys remembrance of them should be vpon those dayes wherin they are supposed to haue dyed yet it foloweth not therefore that after thys remembrance is celebrated by hearing the scriptures concerning them and prayers made to folowe their
and yet then there being no christian magistrate whych woulde punishe the disorders whych were committed of the christian byshops there was greatest neede that there shoulde haue bene some one whych might haue had the correction of the rest If therefore when there was moste neede of thys absolute authoritie there neyther was nor myght be anye suche it followeth that nowe we haue a Christian magistrate whych maye and oughte to punishe the disorders of all Ecclesiasticall persons and may and ought to call them to accoumpt for their faultes that there shoulde be no suche neede of an archbyshop The moderation of their authority in the auncient times may appeare first by a Canon whych is falsly geuen to the apostles being as it is like a Canon of the councell of Antioche wherin although it ordaineth one primate in euery nation ouer the rest and will not suffer any great matter to be done wythout him as also will not suffer him to do any thing wythout the rest yet euery B. might do that whych appertained vnto hys own parish wythout hym and he nothing to do wyth hym in it But as it seemeth the meaning of the Canon was that if there were any waighty matter to be concluded for all the churches in the natiō then the byshops of euery parish should not enterprise any thing without calling hym to counsell Now we see that the archb medleth with that whych euery byshop doth in hys owne diocese and hath hys visitations for that purpose will take any matter out of their hands concludeth also of diuers matters neuer making the byshops once priuy to hys doings Higinus or as some thincke Pelagius I speake heere as Platina reporteth not thincking that in Higinus time there was any Metropolitane ordained that no Metropolitane should condemne any byshop onles the matter were first bothe harde and discussed by the byshoppes of that prouince at what time and after a great while a bishop was the same we cal a minister Now the archbyshop will wythout any further assistance or discussion by others suspend hym and in the ende also throwe him oute of hys charge and if he haue the same authority ouer a byshop as a byshop ouer the minister as it is sayd he may do the like vnto hym also The councell of Antioche ordained that if the voyces of the byshops were euen and that if halfe did condemne hym and halfe cleare hym that then the metropolitane byshop shoulde call of the nexte prouince some other byshops whych should make an end of the controuersy Wherby appeareth that the Metropolitane had so small authority and power ouer and aboue the rest that he had not so much as the casting voyce when bothe sides were euen and therefore it appeareth that besides the names of metropolitane there was little or no resemblance betweene those that were then and those whych be now Now to consider how the byshops whych are now differ from the byshops whych were in times past I must call to thy remembrance gentle reader that whych I haue spoken before which was that then there was as appeareth out of Cyprian and Ierome and others one byshop in euery parishe or congregation nowe one is ouer a thousande then euery byshop had a seuerall church where he preached and ministred the sacraments nowe he hath none then he ruled that one churche as I shewed oute of Ierome in common wyth the Elders of the same nowe he ruleth a thousande by hym selfe shutting oute the ministers to whome the rule and gouernement belongeth then he ordained not any minister of the churche except he were first chosen by the presbiterie and approued by the people of that place wherevnto he was ordained nowe he ordaineth where there is no place voyde and of hys priuate authority wythout either choise or approbation of presbyterie or people then he excommunicated not nor receiued the excōmunicated but by sentences of the eldership and consent of the people as shall appeare afterward nowe he dothe bothe And thus you see that contrary to the woorde of God he hathe gotten into hys owne hande and pulled to him selfe bothe the preheminence of the other ministers and the liberties of the church whych God by his word had geuen And as for the offices wherein there is any laboure or trauaile those they haue turned vnto the other ministers as for example in times past it was not lawfull for hym that was then an elder to preache or minister the sacraments in the presence of the byshop because the bishop him selfe should do it and now those which they call elders may preach and minister the sacraments by the byshops good licence although he be present Now if you will also consider how much the Lordship pompe and statelines of the byshops in our dayes differ from the simplicity of them in times past I will geue you also a taste thereof if first of all I shewe the beginning or as it were the fountaine wherevpon the pompe grewe whych was when in steade of hauing a byshop in euery parishe and congregation they began to make a bishop of a whole diocese and of a thousand congregations In an epistle of ʒacharie vnto Pope Boniface it is thus wrytten it hath bene oftentimes decreed that there shoulde not be a byshop appoynted in euerye village or little citie least they should waxe vile through the multitude whereby it bothe appeareth that there was wonte to be a byshop in euery parishe and vpon howe corrupte and euill consideration one byshoppe was sette ouer a whole diocese No doubte those that were authoures of thys had learned too well our olde prouerb the fewer the better cheare but the more byshops the meryer it had bene wyth Gods people And they might wyth as good reason hinder the sunne from shining in al places the raine from falling vpon al grounds for feare they should not be set by being common as to bring in such a wicked decree wherby vnder pretence of deliuering the byshop from contempt they sought nothing else but an ambitious and stately Lordshyp ouer those whych had not that title of bishop that they had althoughe they did the office of a byshop better then they dyd And what intollerable presumption is thys to chaunge the institution of God as though he whych ordained not one only but some nomber more or les of byshops in euery church did not sufficiently foresee that the multitude and plentye of byshops coulde breede no contempt of the office And it may be as well ordained that the children of pore men shoulde not call them that begate them fathers and mothers but only the childrē of the rich and of noble least that if euery man that hathe children shoulde be called a father fathers should be sette nothyng by And heere let vs obserue by what degrees and staires Sathan lifted the childe of perdition vnto that proude title of vniuersall byshop First where the Lorde did ordaine that
there shoulde be diuers pastors elders or byshops in euery congregation Sathan wrought first that there should be but one in euery churche thys was no doubt the first step Afterwardes he pushed further and stirred vp diuers not to content them selues to be byshops of one church but to desire to be byshops of a diocese whervnto although it seemeth that there was resistance in that it is sayd that it was decreed often yet in the end this wicked attempt preuailed and thys was an other step Then were there archbishops of whole prouinces whych was the third stayer vnto the seat of antichriste Afterwards they were Patriarks of one of the .iiij. corners of the whole world the whole church being assigned to the iurisdiction of fower that is to saye of the Romaine Constantinopolitane Antiochene and Alexandrine byshops And these fower stayers being layd of Sathan there was but an easy stride for the B. of Rome into that chaire of pestilence wherin he nowe sitteth Hauing now showed howe thys Lordly estate of the byshop began and vpon what a rotten ground it is builded I come to shew how farre the byshops in our time are for their pompe and outward statelines degenerated from the byshops of elder times And heere I call to remembraunce that whych was spoken of the poore estate of Basile and Theodorete and if M. Doctor will say as he doth in deede in a certaine place that thē was a time of persecution and this is a time of peace it is easely answeared that although Basill were vnder persecution yet Theodorete liued vnder good emperors But that shall appeare better by the Canons whych were rules geuen for the byshops to frame them selues by In the. 4. councell of Carthage it is decreed that the byshops should haue a little house neare vnto the church what is thys compared wyth so many faire large houses and wyth the princely palace of a byshop And in the same councel it is decreed that he shoulde haue the furniture and stuffe of hys house after the commen sorte and that hys table and diet should be pore and that he should get him estimation by faithfulnes and good conuersation And in an other councell that the byshops shoulde not giue them selues to feastes but be content wyth a little meate Let these byshops be compared wyth oures whose chambers shine wyth gilt whose walles are hanged wyth clothes of Auris whose cupbordes are loden wyth plate whose tables and diets are furnished wyth multitude and diuersity of dishes whose daily dinners are feastes Let them I say be compared together and they shall be founde so vnlike that if those olde byshops were aliue they wold not know each other For they would thinke that oures were princes and oures woulde thinke that they were some hedge priests not worthy of their acquaintance or fellowshyp In the same councell of Carthage it was decreed that no byshop sitting in any place should suffer any minister or elder to stand Nowe I will report me to themselues how thys is kept and to the pore ministers whych haue to do with them and come before them The byshops in times past had no tayle nor trayne of men after them and thought it a slaunder to the gospell to haue a number of men before and behynde them And therefore is Paulus Sam of atenus noted as one that brought relygion into hatred and as one that seemed to take delight rather to be a captaine of two hundreth then a byshoppe because he had gotten him a sort of seruing men to waight on hym An other example not vnlyke and likewyse reprehended is in Ruffine of one Gregory a byshop Now in our dayes it is thought a commendation to the byshop a credite to the gospell if a byshop haue 30. 40. 60. or moe wayting of hym some before some behynde whereof three partes of them set apart the carying of a dishe vnto the table haue no honest or profitable calling to occupy themselues in two houres of the day to the filling of the church and commōwealth also with all kynde of disorders and greater incommodities then I minde to speake of because it is not my purpose And heere I will note an other cause which brought in this pompe and princely estate of byshoppes wherin although I will say more in a worde for the pompeous estate then M. Doctor hath done in all hys treatise yet I will shew that although it were more tollerable at the first now it is by no meanes to be borne with * In the ecclesiasticall story we read that the inscriptions of dyuers epystles sent vnto byshops were timiotatois kyriois We read also of aspasticon oicon house of salutations which Ambrose byshop of Millain had As for the title of most honorable Lordes it was not so great nor so stately as the name of a Lord or knight in our country for all those that know the maner of the speach of the Grecians do well vnderstand how they vsed to call euery one of any meane countenaunce in the common wealth where he lyued kyrion that is Lorde so we see also the Euangelistes vse the worde Kyrios to note a meane person as when Mary in the. 20. of Iohn thinking that our sauiour Christ had bene the keper of the garden calleth hym Kyrion So likewise in Fraunce they call euery one that is gentilman or hath any honest place Monseur and so they will say also fainng your honour Now we know thys word Lord in our countrey is vsed otherwise to note some great personage eyther by reason of birth or by reason of some high dignitie in the common wealth which he occupyeth and therfore those titles although they were somewhat excessiue yet were they nothing so swelling and stately as oures are And as touching Ambrose house albeit the word doth not employ so great gorgeousnes nor magnificence of an house as the palaces and other magnificall buildinges of our byshoppes yet the cause whereupon thys rose doth more excuse Ambrose who being taken from great wealth and gouernment in the common wealth geuing ouer hys office dyd retayne hys house and that which hee had gotten But our byshops doe maynteyne thys pompe and excesse of the charges of the church with whose goodes a great number of idle loytering seruing men are mayntayned which ought to be bestowed vpon the ministers which want necessary finding for their families and vpon the poore and mayntenance of the vniuersities As for these riotous expences of the church goodes when many other mynisters want and of making great dynners and entertayning great Lordes and maiestrates and of the answere to them that say they do helpe the church by thys meanes I will referre the reader to that which Ierome wryteth in a certayne place where thys is handled more at large By thys which I haue cyted it appeareth what was one cause of thys excesse and stately pompe of the byshops namely that