being already so erected to be appointed or allowed a place where to teache and exercise the function of his Doctorship I hold well with it that he might be appointed or assigned to teach in as many places and congregations as may be And this yet is spoken with more circumspectiō thā to haue such Doctors Teachers in euery Congregatiō But herein this again is far worse that these doctors teachers should be erected created or intituled doctors in respect of this office of professing the teaching of Diuinitie but onely in those places where he should bee throughly trained vp in a conuenient time of yeres and tried with the exercises disputatiōs of the scholes by the learned already approued doctors in thevniuersities professing the study of diuinity Nor any to be admitted at all for readers teachers in diuinity except the learned prelats B. ouerseers of those places where he shold be appointed to teach had found him sufficient therunto least a yong scholler should be erected as Paul forbad 1. Timoth. 3.6 Whereon saith Beza whō our Geneua Bibles note doth follow Lēaste euen in that that he is lift vp into that degree hee take occasion of pride that may ouerthrow him so hee fall in the same condemnation that the deuil himselfe did And Cal. saith because many then were brought to the faith that were of excellent wit learning S. Paul forbiddeth such to be admitted to the office of a B. so soone as they haue yeelded their name to Christ. For he sheweth how much dāger ther is in that matter For certaine it is that for the most part they are puffed vp ful of ostentation so it shalcome to passe that their arrogancy ambition shal ouerthrow them headlong That which Paul saith we find by experience for the yong schollers are not only feruent to wax bolde but also are swolne vp with a fond confidence as though they coulde flie clean through the clouds And therfore not without cause they are kept back from the honor of a Bishops office vntil that in successe of time the haughtines of their witte be tamed And the like may wee well say for this office of doctorship that none are to be admitted into this office adorned with this especiall title of Doctor but those that vpon experience grown in continuance of time and approued triall of their exercises requisite by order therunto are by the iudgment of the best learned in that profession in the Vniuersitie authorised entituled by that degree to be a Doctor or professor in diuinity And bring once these orders of the Vniuersities degrees into cōtempt it wil fal out to be the apparant discouragement of the learned from the studie profession of diuinitie besides the endaungering of the whole or chiefest state of the Vniuersities and incouragement and giuing license to euerie fresh wit or rash head or euer he be halfe ripe had more néed to learne to intrude and erect himselfe to teach Quicquid in buccam veneri◠and to cal himself or to be erected a Doctor when God wot he deserueth not amōg those that be learned indéed or if he shold be wel apposed in the vniuersities the name scarse of a scholler Is not this the way to all licenciousnesse for who is so bolde as blinde baiard and to open the gappe to all errours tumultes innouations and vnder pretence of learning and of exclaiming against the vnlearned to ouerthrow those learned that we haue yea with all the very nurseries and store-houses of all good learning and to encumber vs with 20. vnlearned busie new erected Doctors teachers and preachers for any one vnlearned that now for lack of preaching our brethren complayne vpon The sixt meanes is by compelling the vnlearned Ministers in whom is any towardnesse to become schollers in diuinitie with some allowance of lyuing if they be willing to studie or else to sende them from whence they came to get their liuinges with the sweate of their browes This counsell is not to be misliked if the compelling heere mentioned be not violent The former part alreadie is in practise for the vnlearneder sort of the Ministers in whom there is any towardnesse to become schollers in diuinitie which are compelled so to employ thēselues in the studie thereof that they may become the more learned and haue exercises and visitations of sette purpose to the same ende and being willing to studie haue some allowance of lyuing in the cures where they serue and doe the best seruice that they can As for the other such as haue not any towardnesse nor any willingnes to learne of which sorte if there be anie I hope there is but verie fewe and wish there were none at al except age or infirmitie mooue some compassion to releiue them with almes they are well worthie so to get their liuing with the sweate of their browes and so doe get it for any that I thinke will giue them any allowance of lyuing being neither able nor willing to doe any seruice in their Churches Except some here and there may haue some liuing alreadie of his owne And yet if his liuing be ecclesiasticall hee is depriuable or shall be driuen to finde another both able and willing by the eccl lawes now in force which if they be not executed accordingly neuer blame the lawe but conuince the officer to bee blame worthie which should better looke vnto it The last meanes is this And especially by considering the greatnes of the haruest and fewnesse of the labourers by praying earnestly the Lorde of the haruest in this great necessitie of ours to thrust foorth labourers into his haruest This is the very best means of all the other and deserue the first place except it be reserued to the last as to the chiefest when all other meanes faile then to fall to prayer vnto almighty God to helpe the matter This remedy which christ teacheth Mat. 9. is not now first to be put in practise but hath béene and is of all the faithfull prooued by experience long since to be a good and moste effectuall meanes God be praised for it and giue vs grace not to striue against the blessing of God For this is great vnthank fulnesse to all those Laborers whome God hath now this good while since the shining of this day starre and reuealing of the Gospell thrust foorth into his Haruest among vs Our Brethren beginning now to cal in question not onely our actions but all our Function and disdayning the Labors euen of those that died in the burthen of this Labor begin so fast to call for other fresh workemen and order all the worke in a newe fashion and vrge it with such a hot and contentious zeale that the olde and best laborers yet liuing are more then halfe discouraged And but that they look vp to the Lorde of the Haruest which thrust them
causes or permitters of their tempestes which they complaine they haue suffered or that her Maiestie and her most honorable Counsell haue not extended their clemency vnto them as they ought to haue done in not satisfiyng the hope and expectation of these Ministers But besides that thus no lesse vndutifully then vntruly our brethren do burden her Maiesty and her most honorable Counsel not so content they charge them further and in a higher matter saying But most especially according to their holy and zealous care which ought to abouÌ„de for the cleane driuing out of the Cananits c. No â—oubt her Maiesties her most honorable counsels care is both zealous and holy because it is so it hath we trust to their habilities abounded in performing that they ought to haue done héerein and euen therfore our brethren offer thâ— another iniury Yea if the driuing out of the Cananits had bene indéede their hope and expectation it had bene satisfied long a-go What Cananits are there remayning that should haue bene driuen out that in such sortâ— as they ought to do and might haue done they haue not done it and who are these Cananits Do they meane the Papists but they are more aptlâ— compared to the Idolatrous Israelits and Iewes not to the Cananits that were méere heathen And although in some sense they may be so coÌ„pared yet were not the Cananites so vtterlye to be driuen out but that if anyâ— would become in religion true Israelits as Rahab and the Gibeonits c. they were permitted to abide notwithstanding the expresse commaundement giuen them to the contrary Whereas Christians haue no such especiall or generall charge to driue cleane out all that haue beene Papistes or superstitious or Idolatrous or Heritikes or Insidels if they were truely conuerted to the faith and religion of Iesus Christe or else how haâ— Christ translated his Church from the Iewes to the Gentiles And so God be praised for it hath he conuerted in these last daies infinite Papists to the Gospell But if they meane those that remaine Papists I doe not thinkâ— that they can shew any such to be maintained in the Ministery Although their wordes runne at large of the cleane driuing out of all Cananits or Papistes out of the realme of what state or condition soeuer they be How much better is it in my opinion and more agréeable to the mercye of the Gospell and to the clemency of her Maiesties most holy zealous care so to abound that her Maiesty hath assayed to haue woonn those Cananits to the Gospell by letting them abide so driue out from them their Cananitisme rather than to driue out al the Cananits except they obstinatly professe themselues to be Cananites to driue out such at least out of al authority and publike Ministery Ecclesiasticall or ciuill or to restraine or punish them otherwise as they deserue although dissembling Cananits can neuer sufficiently be cleane driuen out that shew such outward conformity to the Gospell that they deceaue her Maiesty her most honorable Counsell al other saue God only Quis hominuÌ„ scit quae sunt hominiâ— nisi spiritus hominis qui in eo est As for planting hedging pruning continuall preseruing of the Lords vine-yard from foxes yea little foxes we trust also as becommeth vs and as we haue found by the benefite therâ—f good cause so to thinke that her Maiesties and her most honorable couÌ„sels holy and zealous care hath not a little abounded héerein And this before we shall enter into this learned discourse is a good hearing that they acknowledge her Maiestie ought to haue with her most honorable counsell a holie and zealous care to abounde in the planting hedging pruning and continuall preseruing of the Lords vine-yarde from foxes yea little foxes For when we shal come to this learned discourse we shal there sée that our brethren so abridge restraine this their authority héere in that they their selues haue bene a great occasion if there haue bene any defect that the Lords vine-yard hath not bene planted hedged pruned continually preserued with so full effect as her Maiesties and her most honorable Counsels holy care zeale hath endeuored to bring to passe For vnder pretence of these Cananits and foxes great or little our brethren meane not indeede so much to challenge the Papists as our Bishops and Prelates to be the great foxes and other the poore ministers of gods word the little foxes and in generall al those to be Cananits bee they neuer so zealous protestantes if they acknowledge the lawes and orders of our Church of England by her Maiesty established And to shew this they mention not the open warre with the common aduersary which is the Papist but say they this ciuil warre as a man may say of the church wherein so much of that bloud whereof S. Paule speaketh is powred to the ground should by their holy and iust authority fully be ended And so say I it might haue bene ended long ago had it not bene more by the importunity of our brethren themselues who as the old saying accordeth the Foxe the first fynder haue both made continually reniued this ciuil warre more then either the Bishops or any of vs who haue bene and are conformable to the lawes nowe established or any negligence in the behalfe of her Maiestie or of her most honorable Counsel that thei should be thus wrongfully burdened to haue bene the nourishers as it were of this ciuill warre but haue still employed all their holy and iust authority to the full ending of it And sith they giue it rightly this tearme of ciuill warre which is a great deale more daungerous warre than the forren warre with the open and common aduersarie who hath raysed this so daÌ„gerous ciuill warre We that in all due obedience acknowledge the lawes and orders established of the Churche of England Or they that haue and doo impugne them and who hath contended against her Maiesties and her most honorable Counsels holy and iust authority we or they yea indéede they haue not onely not yeelded to her Maiesties supreme authority herein but they plainly deny the full ending and determining of this ciuil warre consisting in these controuersies to appertaine vnto them but onely to themselues as God willing we shall see when wee come in this learned discourse to the examining of the authority that they giue to the ciuill Christian Magistrates in these matters Now say they when as wee at this time are subiect almost vnto all the afflictions which can come vnto a church blessed of God with such a Christian and happie regiment as to the prophane scoffing of the Hâ—monits at the building of the church as at a wall which a foxe shoulde destroy to the conspiracies of the Arabies and those of Asshod to the false charges of sedition contempt of all good lawes and proceedings like to that
vdder of his Cow more milke vnto my Neighbour yeeldes Our neighbours haue this our neighbours haue that and wee wantâ— these things Fie brethren for shame what neede this emulation of our neighbours and murmuring against our owne state And yet it is not altogether so neither for them the more is the pitie if it otherwise pleased God Neither for vs thanks be giuen to God for it and for that plentifull measure of the encrease and glory of the kingdome oâ— Christ in this our reformed Church of England and for the suppression of the tyrannie of Sathan and Anti-christe and of his Ministers and confederates Wee haue great cause highly to magnifie God for the woÌ„derfull and gratious works he hath wrought for vs aboue all our neighbours round about vs yea aboue all the particuler Churches néere or farre dispersed in the world at this day euen in this estate of Ecclesiasticall Gouernement established And all our neighbours where GOD hath anie Churche neuer so muche reformed doe I hope reioyce together with vs therefore yea not the beste of them but bee it spoken to the glorye of God and without vpbraiding to others haue found no small comfortable benefite at our handes and doe all most thankfully reacknowledge the same without condemning reprouing or grudging at our state of Ecclesiasticall gouernement established what other kinde of reformation soeuer in their Ecclesiasticall Gouernement they bee directed by Onelie we our selues murmur and grudge condemne and slaunder both among our selues and to all our neighbours our owne state which is so euill that woulde God were itaccording to his acceptable good pleasure the kingdome and glory of Christe and the suppression of Sathan and Antichriste though I had rather wish it did no lesse did but halfe as faste encrease and prosper then God bee glorified for it in our state it doeth And yet God graunt both in ours and in our neighbours states and all other parts of Gods true Church according as we al say in the Lordes Prayer Thy kingdome come these blessings of God may daily more and more encrease and prosper And so by Gods grace it shoulde still doe better and better Maugre Sathan and Antichriste if our owne brethren would not hindervs and all reformed Churches shoulde doe well inough notwithstanding we differ from them and they from vs Yea though both of vs differ from the state of the Primitiue and pure Church not in truthe of Faith and vnitie of Doctrine But in matter or manner of Orders Offices Rites and Ceremonies concerning Ecclesiasticall regiment so farre as they are not prescribed by any perpetuall rule other then for the time and state or for order and comelinesse For the difference of these thinges is not â—irectlye materiall to saluation neither ought to breake the bonde of peace and Chrystian concorde But they may thinke and wishe well to vs and wee in the name of the Lorde thinke well and wishe good lucke to them Yea to wishe that they had no better state then we haue on condition they had no worse and might alwayes haue as good I thinke all our neighbours reformed Churches woulde bee soone entreated to say AMEN For in what hard case God help them good neighbours they be their selues feele or feare it daily and we heare of it and cease not daily to pray for them and as we may put to our helping hands vnto them Yea our brethren their-selues vpon better aduisement since in their last supplication made to her gratious Maiestie to the high Court of Parliament assembled 1587. pag. 8. do confesse it saying The Churches of God rounde about vs goe to wracke in Fraunce Belgia and a great part of highe Dutche I woulde Scotland had continued in her first loue and that the hands of the builders were strengthened among you But in conclusion neither their state or ours howsoeuer they stande are bound to any perpetuall forme of all the orders and offices of Ecclesiasticall regiment Theirs may perhaps be better for them their aflicted state standing as it doth ours all things in our established state of Gouernment considered is best for vs. Away therefore good brethren with these disordered tearmes This disordred state of ours for they are not spéeches beséeming thankfull and faithfull ministers to God nor louing and obedient subiects to our Prince and Superiours so disorderlie cast forth on the state of Eccle. regiment Which toucheth not onely Eccl. persons against whome perhaps our brethren will make no seruple of coÌ„science though their mouthes runne ouer be they neuer so much their brethren their Pastors their betters their superiours their Bish or Arch. to whome their selues peraduenture haue sworne Canonicam obedientiam But these disordred speeches of theirs touch the Magistrate yea their Soueraigne very néere and therefore they are not onely disordred but daungerous speeches Neither ought our brethren to vpbraid our labours vnto vs that weâ— haue so long laboured with so little profit to discourage the painefull laborer in the Lords vine-yard and to make our handes weake beecause our worke prospereth not so fast in our hands as we would wishe it did And yet it prospereth God be praysed with more profit then either we see or our brethren like But profit or not profit let vs still labour and thankes be to God then we labour All are not so idle loyterers as afterwarde our brethren complaine wee labour notâ— and héere they finde fault with our labours But labour we or loyter we they must still labour infinding fault or else they should loyter for lack of matter in discoursing But howsoeuer they esteeme of our labours the Laborer saith the Lord Luc. 10. is worthie his rewarde And as their-selues afterwarde do note out of S. Paule 1. Timoth. â— The elders that rule well are worthie double honor especially they which labour in the worde and doctrine But they tell vs that sentence maketh for their gouerning and not teaching elders whether it doth so or no we shall God willing at large examine on their allegation of the same but admitting it had included any such Elders at that time were their labours to be honoured that ruled well among them and yet perhaps with as little profit And is the laborer in the word and doctrine to be despised and his labour to be left beecause we haue so long laboured with so little profit But for all this discouragement of our brethren let vs not be weary of wel-dooing and commit the euent profit to the Lorde and hearken rather to the Apostles exhortation 1. Cor. 16. Therefore my beloued brethren be ye stedfast vnmouâ—able aboundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vaine in the lorde And this is our comfort against this perswasion of our brethren to leaue that state of ours wherein we haue so long laboured with so little profit And yet we hope we haue not all bene
thought did S. Paule satisfie their demaund being now appointed to become the Doctor or Teacher of the Gentiles as h◠calleth himselfe 1. Tim. 2.7 And would he ioyne exhortation to his teaching Yea the verie first words of his Sermon are an Exhortation to them to giue him audience verse 16. And although he procéede from th◠16. verse vntill the 26. verse all in doctrine yet hee entereth againe into application and vseth not onelie a moste graue exhortation an◠reprehension but returning to matter of doctrine knits vp all his Sermon with an application and a dreadfull admonition to the dispisers of his doctrine And the next day againe both Paule and Barnabas as they begin with persuasion so afterwarde reprehending the obstinate Iewes and comforting the beléeuing Gentiles they conclude with Doctrine And this order to ioyne and enterlace these things togither was alwaies the manner of Saint Paules teaching being the Doctor and Teacher of the Gentiles And this manner of teaching he constantlie obserueth in all his Epistle◠and willeth other Teachers so to doo For charging Timothie to giue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine 1. Tim. 4.13 And willing him to teach and exhorte 1. Tim. 6.2 And bidding him to ordeine Teachers dooth he limite it onlie vnto doctrine No. But saith he 2. Tim. 2. What things thou haste heard of me by manye witnesses commend the same to faithfull men which shall be able also to teache others And what was that All and only doctrine No. But doctrine intermingled with exhortation admonition reprehension consolation perswasion or still some kinde or other application These thinges saith he admonish c. ver 14. and 15. studie to shew thy selfe an approoued workeman before God and one not to be ashamed of cutting a-right the word of truthe 24. Moreouer the seruant of the Lorde must not striue but be gentle towardes all men apt to teach suffring the euill men patiently instructing them with meekenesse that are contrarie minded proouing if at any time God will giue them repentance that they may knowe the truthe Lo here the dutie and office of a Teacher And doth he not herein most plainly insinuate that he should teach them so that with exhortation perswasion application and all gentle meanes he should assay to winne them and doth not this Doctor of the Gentiles to this purpose set out himselfe an example heereof 2. Tim. 3. ver 10. saying But thou hast fully knowen my doctrine maner of liuing purpose faith long suffring loue patience c. 14. but continue thou in the thinges which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that thou hast knowen the holy scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus For the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute beeing made perfecte vnto all good workes cap. 4. I charge thee therefore before GOD and before the Lorde Iesus Christe which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and in his kingdome preach the worde be instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort with all long suffring and doctrine Hetherto alwayes wish teaching doctrine Paule ioyneth exhortation and willeth Timothie to ioyne application of these thinges with doctrine and the like he doeth to Titus Tit. 1.9 Holding-fast the faithfull worde according to doctrine that he may bee able to exhort with wholsome doctrine and improue them that say against it If nowe it be replyed that here he speaketh of a Bishop and Paul was an Apostle and Timothie and Titus Bishops not onely the text maketh them Teachers or Doctors but what office or degrée of the ministerie of the worde soeuer they had S. Paule doth alwayes so ioyne these together that Caluine on 2. Tim. 3.16 saith He setteth doctrine in the first place as in order it goeth before all other For hee should exhort or reprooue to n◠purpose except yee should teach before but because doctrine is colde by it selfe he addeth improouing and correcting c. and on 2. Tim. 4.2 he willes him to be instant in reprouing rebuking exhorting by which wordes hee signifieth that there is neede to driue vs on with manie proddes that we may proceéde in a straight course for if there were that docilitie in vs that ought to be the minister of Christ might drawe vs with his becke onely But nowe no not moderate exhortations I say not sounde counselles do suffice to shake off our sluggishnesse except a greater vehemencie of reprehensions and chydinges doe come thereto VVith all lenitie A very necessarie exception For reprouings euen with the very pushe of them doe fall away and vanish into smoulder except they be strengthned with doctrine For as well exhortations as reprehensions are helpes onely vnto doctrine And therefore without it they are of small force Example whereof are they which excell only in feruencie and eagernesse but they are not defenced with sounde doctrine for they stoutly tyre themselues they make loude cryes and make a turmoyle and that without profit because they build without a foundation I speake of good-men otherwise but too litle learned too much feruent And on Tit. 1.9 But what meaneth he by this according to doctrine To wit such an one as is profitable for the aedification of the Church For whatsoeuer is learned or knowē without any fruite of godlinesse Paule is not woont to account it in the name of doctrine But rather he condemneth for vanitie all speculations that bring no profite although otherwise they be neuer so wittie So to the Rom. the 12. chap. 7. He that teacheth let him doe it in doctrine that is to say let him studie to profite his audience To conclude this is the first point that a Pastor must be furnished with the knowledge of doctrine but the second is that he must reteyne the confession thereof with a firme constancie of minde euen to the vttermost The third that he apply his maner of teaching in edifying nor flie about by subtleties of friuolous curiositie but al-onely seeke the sounde profite of the Church Thus doth Caluine not only in a Bishop Pastor or any Minister of the worde shew how these two Doctrine Application cannot cōueniently be disioyned without the hindrance of edification doctrine is colde and mooues not men without these helpes and yet they helpe not without doctrine but also one of these very places which these our Learned Disc. and other of their minde do chiefly vrge for Doctors Rom. 12.7 Caluine speaking of Pastors applies it to them to their dutie And simply expounde◠it thus he that teacheth let him do it in doctrine that is to say let him studie to profite his hearers As who say let him
Act. 16.3 so he trauelled with him till he came to Boerea Acts. 17. verse 14. and 15 there abiding when Paule went to Athens he came at his commaundemeÌ„t vnto him to Corinthe Act. 18.5 And so went with Paule abode with him at Ephesus Acts. 19. vntill verse 22. he sent him and Erastus into Macedonia Whither when Saint Paule came Acts. 20 and trauelled from thence to Greece he sent againe Timothie with diuersâ— other to Troas where while Timothie abode Saint Paule as it is likelie wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians in his returne to Macedonia at Phillippos Act. 20 verse 3. and 6. Determining to send Timothie with that Epistle backe againe to Corinthe which of likeliehood hee did when he came to Troas where Timothie with other abode his comming Who when he came thether sent Timothie accompanied with Stephanus Fortunatus and Achaicus with that Epistle as in the ende thereof 1. Corinthians 19 verse 8. appeareth I will tarrie at Ephesus vntill Pentecoast for a great doore and effectuall is opened vnto me but there are manie aduersaries Nowe if Timothie come see that hee bee without feare of you For he worketh the worke of the Lord euen as I doo And euen so saithe Luke Act. 20. verse 16. Paule had determined to saile by Ephesus bicause he would not spend the time in Asia for hee hasted if he could possiblie be at Ierusalem at the daye of Pentecost Whereas before he had minded to tarrie at Ephesus till the drawing néere of that feast So that if I coniecture not amisse which if I doo I will be readie in all humilitie to reforme my computation it appeareth that Timothie was at that time none of these Bishops nor among them whome Saint Paule called from Ephesus to Miletum Howe then was Timothie the firste Bishop ordeined of Ephesus Not firste in time for if anye at all in time then muste hee néedes haue béene ordeyned Bishoppe after them Neyther yet that all the other Bishoppes were not at all ordeined or were now all dead but that in dignitie hee was the firste that is to saie the cheefe or Archbishop among and ouer them all And to confirme this let vs sée the iurisdiction and authoritie by S. Paule giuen him ouer all the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie in this Citie For whensoeuer Saint Paule wrote his firste Epistle to him which some take to be during the time that hee taried for the assemblie of these Bishops aforesaid in the meane while stepping ouer to Laodicia which is about the same distaÌ„ce from Miletum that Ephesus was as appeareth by the charte or mappe therof and there at Laodicea he wrote that Epistle Other suppose and it is farre more likelie that it was after he had béene at Rome and was by Nero set at libertie in which time of â—0 yeares space as he visited againe which the Centuriographers note the Churches of Syria Asia and Greece so hauing a great care of this Churche of Ephesus and kéeping his former course of visitation as hee did Act. 20. from Ephesus to Macedonia and so backe againe as before hee had doone he writeth from Laodicea vnto Timothie whom 〈◊〉 had before ordeined Bishop there giuing him this charge 1. Tim. 1. vâ—â—sâ— 3. As I besought thee to abide still in Ephesus when I departed into 〈◊〉 so doo that thou maiest commaund some that they teach none other 〈◊〉 neither that they giue heede to fables and genealogies Whereby 〈◊〉 appâ—â—reth that hee had authoritie giuen him by the Aposâ—le to 〈…〉 controll and commaund such Bishops Pastors and Doctors as were at Ephesus both for the matter and the manner of their teaching Vpon which sentence saith Caluine The worde of denouncing signifieth power for Paule would furnish him with power to restreine others And this power he giueth him not onelie that they shoulde teache no other doctrine but also not the same Doctrine otherwise So that the manner of setting foorth doctrine as well as the doctrine it selfe apperteined to his charge and ouer-sight In the 2. chapter he shewes him some orders that he would haue obserued in the Churche concerning prayers and the publike Ministerie of the worde In the 3. chapter he describes the office and duties of Bishops and their wiues of Deacons and their wiues so that although the name of Bishop bee there taken indifferentlie for the Pastors of the worde and Sacraments yet still hath Timothie an authoritie giuen him ouer them bothe to make such Bishops as should so be qualified and to ouer-see that they being made should behaue themselues accordinglie Wherevpon after hee hath described them hee saithe to Timothie verse 14. These thinges write I vnto thee trusting to come shortelie vnto thee but if I tarrie long that thou maiste haue knowledge how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the Churche of the liuing God the piller and grounde of truthe In which wordes he plainelie giueth him an authoritie and iurisdiction of ordering and gouerning these offices in the policie and regiment of the Church In this speech saith Caluine he commendeth the weight and dignitie of the office bicause Pastors are as it were Stewards vnto whom God hath committed his house So that Caluine héere maketh Timothie a Pastor whome ye call a Bishop and he giueth him authoritie ouer other Pastors or Bishops there And how doth not this plainlie inferre that though all in the pastorall office may be a like and equall yet in dignitie one may haue charge and gouernement ouer another In the 4 chapter verse 11. and 12. he saith Commend and teach these things Let no man dispise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an example c. As though he woulde haue him become a myrror and patterne not onelie to the people but to the Pastors Wherevpon saith Caluine we also acknowledge that Timothie was a yoong man whoe notwithstanding farre surmounted manie Pastors And on the 15. verse he saith Grace was giuen him by prophesie How To witte for bicause as we haue said the Holie-ghoste by oracle had appointed Timothie that he should be chosen into the order of pastors Yea your selues haue clearelie confessed pag. 19. that Timothie was but a yoong man and yet had the office of an Elder If then a Pastor an Elder a Bishop be all one then must Timothie néeds be a Bishop if a pastor must haue a charge flocke assigned him then must Ephesus be his pastorall or Episcopall charge and flocke Which charge that it stretched aboue his other felow Pastors or Bishops is most apparant in the 5. Chapter where besides his authoritie in chusing and ouerseeing the widdowes for his authoritie ouer these Pastorall Elders or Bishops rebuke not an Elder rigorously saith the Apostle to Tim. v. 1. but exhort him as a Father And ver 17. the Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour especially they that labour in the woorde
how is it possible sithe that the order of byshops is the begetter of the Fathers For that order begetteth the fathers to the Church but the order of Priestes is not of ability to beget the fathers but begetteth sonnes to the Church by the regeneration of baptisme but not the fathers or Doctors And howe was it possible to ordeine a priest nor hauing imposition of handes for to elect or to say he is equall vnto a byshop But his trifling and his enuy deceiued the foresayde Aerius But he alleageth for his error and the error of them that harken to him that the Apostle writeth to the Priests and Deacons and writeth not to the Byshops and saith to the bishop despise not the gift that is in thee which thou haste receiued by the handes of the priesthoode or eldership and againe in another place he writeth to the Byshops and Deacons Therefore sayth hee a byshop and a priest is all one and he vnderstandeth not beeing ignoraunt of the consequence of the trueth and hath not read the moste profounde hystories that while as the preaching was new the holy Apostle wrote according to the occasion of the matter euen as it was For whereas byshops were ordeyned there he wrote to byshops and Deacons For the Apostles coulde not ordayne all thinges foorthwith for it was needeful to haue priests and deacons For by these two the ecclesiasticall thinges may be filled vp But whereas there was not founde any worthy of a byshoprike the place abode without a byshop but where as neede was and there were that were worthy of a byshoprick ther byshops were ordeyned But when as there was no multitude and there were not founde among them that should be ordeyned priests or elders there were they content with a bishop only ordayned in that place alone But it is impossible possible for the Byshop to be without a deacon And the Apostle prouided that Deacons should be made vnto the Byshop for the ministery Thus did the Church receiue the filling vp of the dispensation thus were the places furnished at this time for euery thing had not all thinges at the first beginning but in the processe of time those thinges were prouided for that are requisite to the perfection of things necessary Indeede Moses was sent into Aegipt as hath the olde Testament onely with a rodde but beeing sent of God when he should goe forth into Aegypt his brother Aaron was added to bee an helper vnto him and then after he had giuen his commission to his brother a senate was gathered to him and the princes of the people of that time And after these thinges the worke being corroborated and a company to followe him being gathered together hee passed through the sea and as yet thinges were not according to the Lawe till the Lorde called him into the mount and then he gaue him the foldinges or tables of the commaundementes and shewed vnto him howe he should build the tabernacle and promote Princes and Captaynes of tenne of fifty of hundreths and tribunes of the souldiers And thou seest howe thinges are enlarged Thou shalt doe all thinges sayth hee according to the forme shewed thee in the mount Sinai And thou seest how the cansticke hauing seuen lightes is added the vestiments reaching downe to the feete the preestely garments the belles the cloakes the little coats the capppes the miters the setting of the precious stones the Cuppes the morters the censers the Basons the Alters the dishes Masmaroth which are colanders Midicoth which are called gobbettes Mechonoth which are steps and whatsoeuer the Lawe reherseth Cherubins and other thinges The Arke of the Testament the staues the rings the tent the collars the skinnes died red the pottes and other thinges porters Trumpets cast and crooked golden and of siluer brasen and of horne and other thinges that the Lawe nameth diuers sacrifices and doctrines For whereas these things were not at the beginning did not these thinges therefore after the order was made put men to businesse and euen so those thinges that are written by the apostle vntill such time as the Church was enlarged vntill she came to her proper measure vntill she was most rightly gouerned with the ornature of vnderstanding by the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost And downe fell the saying of Aerius And that it cannot be all one the diuine saying of the Apostle teachet◠who is a Byshoppe and who is a priest or elder When as hee sayth to Timothy that was a Byshoppe Rebuke not a Prieste or an Elder but exhort him as a Father What shoulde a Byshoppe haue to doe not to reprooue a priest or elder if he hadde no power ouer a Priest or elder euen as hee sayth agayne Admitte no accusation lightlie against a preeste or elder evcept before two or three witnesses and hee sayde not to anie Prieste admitte no accusation againste a Byshoppe Neyther wrote hee to any Preeste that hee shoulde not chide a Byshop And thou seest that all the ruine of him that is shaken of the deuill is no small ruine These are the argumentes of Epiphanius agaynste Aerius on this matter Nowe let vs see howe This most reuerende and learned man doth aunswere the argumentes of Epiphanius Epiphanius sayth hee against the Arians defending the contrary opinion namelye the byshoppe ordeyned by man as ordeyned by God doth bring foorth three reasons to the contrary Two as it were out of the worde of God the thirde out of the historye of those times the first place is 1. Timothy 5.1 Rebuke not an elder c. It is straunge to sée howe these our Brethren vnder countenaunces and Titles forestalling the credite of moste reuerend and learned men woulde carry away the matter against these reuerend and learned aucient Fathers Yea and that againste the manifest worde of God And firste concerning this Father Epiphanius hath hee heere brought forth but three reasons If this moste reuerend and learned man him selfe in prosecuting Epiphanius reasons doe alleage more then three then blame him selfe for this so manifest an vntrueth Except hee will peraduenture salue it thus What though hee brought foorth threescore yet we may say hee brought foorth three And thinke yee wee may thus dally with these Fathers But as hee handleth the number of the Reasons so likewise hee proceedeth in the order of them Hee saythe the first place is 1. Timothy 5.1 If by the first place hee meaneth the firste reasonne that Epiphanius bringethe foorthe Epiphanius is moste playne to the contrarye and hee manifestlye inuerteth Epiphanius Order But lette vs take his aunsweres as it pleaseth him to aunswere them The first place is 1. Timothy 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder c. Whereby hee gathereth that Timothy had some authoritie ouer the Elders that is the pastors of the Church of Ephesus but be it spoken with the fauor of so worthy a man he should haue marked that here an elder is
to bee allowed of the apostle but also the allowance of a faithful substitute in the absence of the Bishop and pastor Secondly the office of pastors is not onely to teache the same trueth in their seuerall Flockes but also to applye it to the time and persons of whome they haue charge with exhortation and reprehension with consolation of the afflicted and threatning of the obstinate c. This in fewe wordes is set foorth by saint Paule speaking of the diuerse giftes of God in his Churche hee sayth whether it bee hee that teacheth in his doctrine or hee that exhorteth in his exhortation The Doctor therefore teacheth without exhortation The pastor teacheth and exhorteth withall More at large hee setteth foorth the same office in his exhortation vnto the pastors of Ephesus willing thâ—m to followe his example who supplied that office vntil they were able to succeede in his place Also very breefely and yet fully hee describeth the same vnto Timothy shewing first that all his foundation must bee out of the scriptures which were sufficient for all partes of his charge and then moste earnestly commaundeth him to practise the same withall diligence his wordes are these Al scripture is inspired of God and prositable for Doctrine for exhortation for reformation and for enstruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of GOD may be prepared to al good workes therefore I charge thee before God and before the Lorde Iesus Christe which shal iudge the quicke and the deade at his appearing and in his kingdome preache the worde bee instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort withal long suffering and doctrine Nothing of all this is in controuersie vnderstanding teaching according to the measure of euery pastors gift saue this sentence that the Doctour teacheth without exhortation which wée haue before at large confuted The first part therefore and the cheefest of a pastors office or duetye is to feede with wholesome Doctrine the flocke that is committed to his charge and therefore saint Paule describing what manner of men are meete for that charge vnto Timothie requireth that a Bishoppe or Pastor bee apt or able able to teache For if a man haue neuer so much knowledge and bee not apt or able to teache hee ought by no meanes to be admitted vnto this vocation And vnto Titus writing Chapter 1. the firste verse 9. he requireth that hee bee suche a one as holdeth faste the faythfull woorde accordinge to doctrine that hee also may bee able to exhorte with wholesome doctrine and improoue them that saye againste it Weereupon it followeth necessarily that whosoeuer is him felfe ignorant in the knowledge of Gods woorde therefore vnable eyther to exhorte with wholesome doctrine or to confute them that gaine-say it is altogether vnmeete for the office of a pastor or Bishop Albeit we might héere inquyre how it was said before First he maye no more lawfully haue charge of 2. or three Churches c. and then Secondlie the office of pastors is not onely to teach c. And nowe to conclude vpon this second saying The first part therefore and the chiefest of a pastors office is to feede with wholesome doctrine Notwithstanding not to stande on such reckonings though we with they had reckoned more orderly for our Brethrens sake professing ouer the head of euery page A Learned Disc. as also for the vnlearneds better perceauing their lear discourse thereon to come to the materiall point here required that the Bishop or the Pastor should be apt and able to teach to exhort and to confute c. This we yéeld vnto considering withall the diuersities of mens giftes euen in the Ministerie how some haue ten talents committed vnto them some fiue some two and some but one so that all emploie them after their abilitie to the Lords aduantage we hope the Lord wil not condemne but commend the poore trauaile of that seruant so that hee haue not hid his one talent in the napkin And admitting also that which Saint Paule saith 1. Cor. 12. ver 7. c. so often by our brethren otherwise remembred The manifestation of the spirit is giuen to euery one to profit to this man is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedoÌ„me to another is giuen the word of knowledge according to the same spirit to another faith in the same spirit to another the gift of healing in the same spirit to another faculties of powers to another prophesies to another discerning of spirits to another the kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues and all these things worketh euen the selfe same spirite distributing to euerie man seuerallie euen as he will and ver 28. c. And God hath ordained some in the Church as first Apostles secondlie Prophets thirdlie teachers then them that do myracles after that the giftes of healing helpers gouernors diuersities of tongues Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all teachers are all workers of myracles haue all the giftes of healing doe all speake with tongues doe all interpret Neither also forgetting that place Rom 12. that our brethren themselues entering into this matter on the other side of the leafe put vs in minde of Seeing then we haue giftes that are diuerse according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether wee haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith or an office on the office or he that teacheth in teaching or he that exhorteth in exhortation he that distributeth with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercie with cheerefulnesse All which places dulie considered and conferred that though these offices be not so distinguished but that one may haue mo of them as we haue alreadie proued against our brethrens too precise seuering of them before which now in the Pastor they woulde ioyne together for many of them and that of necessitie yet heereby we may plainlie see there is no such necessitie of the coniunction of these seuerall giftes in all Pastors but although some haue them all some are not so furnished but that notwithstanding they want some of these giftes by our brethren here so necessarilie required yet are they not to bee cleane excluded out of the Ministerie And how do our brethren here then saie If a man haue neuer so much knowledge be not apt or able to teach meaning by teaching not onelie such teaching as they ascribe onelie to Doctors but also publike preaching which conteineth both teaching and exhortation as they sayd eueÌ„ in their last Section the Pastor teacheth and exhorteth with all except he can teache thus he ought by no meanes to be admitted into this vocation And yet if he could do this and were not able to confute them that gainsay the wholesome doctrine he is altogether vnmeete for the office of a pastor or Bishop This were very harde to be vrged with such a peremptory necessity
Which if it were perchance many of these our Learned brethen Discoursers theirselues might fail especially in this last point being not able what soeuer they perswade theÌ„selues to defend these their owne desires and to confute vs iheir Brethren whome they take in hande to confute not of any vnholesome Doctrine which they confesse that wee professe so well as they and as for those whome they shoulde rather confute indéede as the papistes the Anabaptistes the Arians the libertines the brethren of Loue and such like mainteining not wholesom doctrine it would not onely appose them but many other yea otherwise good preachers to confute them in such order as the Apostle there requireth In the famous Nicene Counsell were assembled many notable learned Bishops and Elders and yet when it came to disputation one simple ancient father who was no preacher neither did more good in confuting a sophisticall and wrangling Phylosopher euen by the plaine recitall of the onely Creede than al the the eloquent and Learned bishops were able to doe For as the Arian philosopher sayd while they striued with words he had wordes ynough for them all But when vertue came words gaue place to vertue If it be sayde this fact was not of a Pastor but of a lay Confessor as Socrates mentioneth Hist. Tripart lib. 2. cap. 3. Which notwithstanding in Sozomenus seemeth another like fact to bee done by a Preest or Elder being also a Confessor to defend the other preests his fellowes whome another philosopher insulted vpon yet euen in the next Chapter Sozomenus mentioneth a Confutation also not much vnlike betweene a pagane phisosopher and Alexander Bishop of Constantinople For when diâ—tra of the phylosophers desired to dispute before the Emperor with the bishop and he being vnexpert in such exercise of wordes c. Notwithstanding tooke vpon him the conflict by the commandement of the Emperour When all the philosophers would speak he required them to appoint out one whom they would choose and coÌ„manded the other to hold their peace and marke what should bee spoken of them twaine Whervpon one of them vndertaking the dealing of the whole disputation the blessed Alexander saith vnto the philosopher in the name of Iesus Christ I command thee that thou speake not and as soone as he had sayd the word the deed was performed For sodainly so soone as he heard the speech his mouth being closed vp hee became speechelesse This bishop was of great vertue of life and had the gift as it appeared of myracles He could not dispute and confute the gainsayer of wholesome doctrine yet could he stop their mouthes pretily wel But if our brethren had bene there if they durst not speake for feare their mouthes had beene stopt likewise yet they woulde after haue sayde of him that being vnable to confute he was altogether vnmeete for the office of a Pastor or a byshop But those that woulde say so of suche a man were meete ynough to haue their mouthes also if not by myracle yet by authority to bee stopped rather than to open them thus at randon against many good playn and simple pastors who though they haue not the gifte of GOD with any audacitye and grace of vtterance in the pulpit make a plausible sermon to the people yet in priuate admonition in sound knowlege in sincere constant profession of the trueth can teach and perswade with their example and confute more effectually by theire life though otherwise in publike action they can doe little without their booke and yet shall some of these perhaps do more good among the people than some other eloquent and famous Preacher or Disputer or Confuter shal be able to doe I graunt these high and moste excellent gifts are to be honored with duble honor but the other are not so far to be despised as to be called altogether vnmeet for the office of a pastor or bishop Howbeit I confesse if any be altogether ignorant of the knowledge of Gods worde the same is also altogether vnmeet for the office of a pastor or bishop Hereupon our brethren set down their resolution saying Wherefore if wee euer minde such a reformation as God shall thereby be glorified his Church edified we must vtterly remoue al the vnlearned pastors as men by no means to be tollerated to haue any charge ouer the Lordes flocke and also prouide that heereafter none bee receiued into that office but such as are sufficient for their knowledge ability in teaching to take so waighty a charge in hand What a great vnthankfulnesse is this to say If euer we minde sucha reformation as God shal thereby be glorified and his church edified As who shoulde say it was neuer yet hetherto in all this Reformation of the Church eyther endeuored or so much as minded And is all this that hath béene done nothing to the glorifying of God nor to the edifying of his Church or hath it so fallen out that both God hath bene glorified therby and his Church edified and yet was neuer minded with charity to our bretheren beit spoken this their censure is too too vncharitable both of her Maiest her Maiest Brothers and Fathers mindes and reformation with all their godly Counsels endeuours and all their learned bishops and preachers trauels to these especiall purposes that God might bee glorified and his Church edified and too iniurious euen to the Glorye that God hath already gotten and the edification that the Churche namely of England hath enioyed and other Chuhches that haue in part felt no small comfort and edification therby Gods name bée more and more glorified and praysed for it But nowe imagining if wee may so harden our heartes and benumbe our senses as not to féele nor acknowledge these good blessings of God that Gods glory and his Churches edification was neuer yet sette foorth among vs nor so much as minded what is the thing they woulde haue vs doe If euer we minde such a reformation as God shal thereby be glorified and his Church edified we must vtterly forsooth remoue all the vnlearned pastors as men by no meanes to bee tollerated to haue any charge ouer the Lords flocke and also prouide that heereafter none be receiued into that office but such as are sufficient for their knowledge and ability in teaching to take so waighty a charge in hand Concerning the prouision for heereafter it is very good counsell But for those that are in office already only for that they caÌ„not publikly preach and exhorte and confute though otherwise they haue neuer so muche knowledge there is no remedy but that they must euery one be remooued and that vtterly remoued and that by no meanes to be tollerated no not to haue any charge though it be not the pastorall charge no not to be a Deacon nor a Reader nor yet a Dore-keeper ouer the Lordes flock this is a hard censure Indeede nothing so harde as one of them with more eager zeale
to yéelde to it in the ende and in a byous manner to acknowledge it that the Ecclesiasticall gouernment order for ouerseeing the Churches which they pretend is not of anie necessitie by GOD commanded nor anie perpetuall order to all ages and Churches by Christ and his Apostles prescribed Which if it be not then our Churches state is not so corrupt as they exclaime Nay let them looke then vnto it how trulie they auouch it so to bee and make such a contentious rupture in the Church for it If it be howe can they héere giue anie extraordinarie and temporall order warrant or plakarde for anie meane time to the contrarie So that both wayes our Brethren apparantlie goe about héerein both to abuse themselues and vs. But now thinking that by this Interim wrought by all these foresayd meanes they should effect many and mightie matters our Bretheren waxing bolde procéede to aunswere euen to anie mannes thoughtes that shoulde doubt so much as anie difficultie in bringing about these things If anie man saie they thinke this is ouerhard to bee brought to passe let him consider that there was neuer woorke of more difficultie than to build vp the Church of God so that the necessitie cōmoditie of the work shuld cause vs to staie nothing at the difficultie therof for with our faithfull endeauour wee shall not want the mightie assistance of God who will blesse our godlie labours with greater successe than wee can looke for How hard many of these things are we haue heard alreadie and easilie may coniecture Yea how dangerous and vnnecessarie some of them be and how some of them are alreadie in experience But nowe to our better incouragement to giue the onset on all these meanes wee must imagine that they are the building vp of the Church of God than the which nothing is more necessarie or commodious and therefore nothing should cause vs to staie at the difficultie thereof Verilie Fortis imaginatio can do much as we sée in our Brethren that imagine these presupposals and thereon dare aduenture to enterprise neuer so difficult attemptes to atchieue this their strong imagination But godlie and staied men must not run on such headstrong fantasies but vppon assured groundes Now when we should come to the ground-worke of this building and finde that which our Brethren imagine hath no better foundation on Gods word for the building vp of such a frame as they and not the word of God prescribeth withall that this their modill which they haue complotted is the manifest scattering and pulling downe of that which in the Church of God is alreadie builded and for the chiefest part is not so necessarie and in some pointes most dangerous besides the difficultie to bring the same to passe no meruaile though so many staie and dare not hazard to build on this platforme and in this manner as our Brethren call vpon vs. For as Saint Paul saith Gal. 2.18 If I build againe the things which I haue pulled downe I make my self a trāsgressor so If I pul down the things that I haue builded if they be wel builded vp I make my selfe also another trāsgressor And sith we haue alredie builded on the onlie foundation Iesus Christ and God hath alreadie blessed our building if now anie other will build thereon and turquise our building except he can bring better proofes that we build amisse and that God allowes not nor likes our building and shewe that not onelie we may more easilie and also with more beautie and profite build after another order that he wil teach vs but that we must and are bound to build on that fashion he presumeth too farre and offereth vs wrong and maye doe more hurt and hinderaunce to the building of the Church of GOD than euer for all his zeale hee shall doe good or bee able to further the same except to put it further off than alreadie it is But saie our Brethren with our faithfull endeauour wee shall not want the mightie assistance of God who will blesse our godlie labours with greater successe than we can looke for Verie true in all faithfull endeauours grounded on a good matter and proceeding by a good order GOD will blesse our godlie labours and his name bee blessed for it so he hath done notwithstanding all the stops both of our foraine enimies and of our owne brethrens domesticall impediments we haue not wanted the mightie assistaunce of God blessing our godlie labors and that with greater successe than they acknowledge or wish or we haue deserued or in these troubles wee could haue looked for So that in this behalf we may wel recomfort our selue◠with that saying of the 124. Psalme If the Lord had not bene on our side maie Israel now saie if the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. And in the 127. following Except the Lord build their house the labour is in vaine that build it And since God hath thus blessed our handie workes euen beyond all that wee looked for for although wee might well looke for no lesse of the professed aduersaries of the Gospell yet who would haue looked for such vnthankfulnesse to God and such hinderance of the worke of God among our selues at our Brethrens hands the professors with vs of Christs Gospel Shal we now also looke for new deuises and with them contemne and alter all that the Lord hath alredie so mightilie blessed and looke for him also to blesse the labours of our handes in the contrarie to that we haue begun to labour and wherein we haue so prosperouslie proceeded and which God hath alreadie blessed with such mightie assistance and successe But now our Brethren supposing these thinges might bee well compassed most confidenilie they auowe and saie If God therefore will graunt that these and such like meanes may take place by the high authoritie of our dreade Soueraigne the Queenes Maiestie and continue this comfortable peace which wee inioie vnder her most gracious gouernment we dare ieopard our liues that in lesse than halfe the time that is alreadie properouslie passed of her Maiesties moste honourable and glorious raigne the necessitie of learned Pastors shall be so well supplied as we shall haue no great cause to complaine for lack of them if we may vse like diligence to continue them if not wee will spend the rest of our life in mourning expectation of the heauie vengeance of GOD which must needes fall vpon vs for this manifest contempt of his expresse commandement and neglect of increasing the glorious kingdome of our sauiour Christ. In the meane time we may boldlie saie with the Apostle Act. 20. We testifie vnto you this daie that wee are cleane from the bloud of you all for we haue not failed to shew you the whole councell of God concerning the regiment of his
our Brethren héere set downe and all their platforme in this their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiastical gouernment to be the increasing of the glorious kingdome of our sauiour Christ and wilâ—uâ—lie and wittinglie contemne it or neglect it I hope none of vs doth so and if we could sée anie substantiall grounded reasons of our Breth to moue vs therevnto we praie God and hope God woulde heare our praiers that wee might forsake all worldlie liuings yea life and all rather than we should not ioyne with theÌ„ And brotherlie charitie moueth me to thinke so of them likewise that they doe not striue against their consciences or haue no conscience in that they shouâ—d but that they make conscience of that which they shuld not rather mistake than of purpose they would wittinglie misleade themselues or others Howbeit heerein they are in the greater fault that take on them to controll and teach the teachers and all and doe misteach vs and tell vs Gods word teacheth that which it doth not teach and terrifie vs with the expection of the heauie vengeance of God for this manifest contempt of his expresse commandement yet for these deuises and Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment and discipline which they so much pretend and vrge they haue not hetherto nor hâ—ere doe nor I beleeue euer can shew and proue in expresse wordes anie expresse commandement of our sauiour Christ or anie necessarie consequence to infer it which if we might once see and then should make a manifest contempt or anie contempt at all thereof then should we haue right good cause to tremble and quake to mourne and expect the heauie vengeance of God except God in the infinite treasurie of his mercies surmounting all his workes al our sinnes did giue vs his comfort and forgiue vs our sinnes through our Lord onelie sauiour Iesus Christ. But vntill this expresse commandement or anie other necessarilie inferred for this Ecclesiasticall gouernment that our breth in this Learned Discourse prescribe be shewed and made manifest I hope that in the testimonie of a good conscience being iustified by faith wee may haue peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue aceesse by faith into this grace or fauour â—herin we stand and glorie in the hope of the glory of the sonnes of God Rom 5. And as this is the anker of our hope so good Breth once againe in the feare of God I exhort you to take heed how ye pretenâ— Christs expresse commandement so peremptorilie and cannot shew it to consider with what boldnesse ye may take vpon you that sentence of S. Paule saying In the meane time we may boldlie saie with the Apostle Act. 20. VVe testifie vnto you this day that we are clâ—aâ—e froÌ„ the bloud of you al for we haue not failed to shew you the whole counsell of God concerning the regiment of his Church And dare ye indeede this boldlie vsurpe vpon you these wordes of the Apostle and adde withall vnto them as a distinct part of the sentence that in the same seuerall Charecter as the verie expresse words of the Apostle which were neither his wordes nor yet his meaning for anie thing that can be necessarilie gathered on those wordes of the Apostle these words of your owne more superfluous addition concerning the regiment of the Church But see how affection many times may carry wise learned men awaie But if this platforme be either councell or commandement either expressed or of necessitie implied Shew it as Saint Paule saith that he shewed all the councell of God and straight we yeeld Or else giue vs leaue in the name and peace of God and in the freedome of the Gospell with a safe conscience to dessent from it The Argument of the 7. booke THE 7. Booke concerneth the ministration of the Sacraments first whether they may he ministred by a Minister that is no Preacher and without a Sermon at the ministration of them Whether this be alwaies in Baptisme any necessarie part contained in the institution of it Whether the Apostles or other Preachers were alwaies their selues the baptizers of such as they conuerted How neere our Breth assertions heerein drawen to the positions of the Anabaptists Whether the Lords supper may not be truly administred though by no preacher or if by a preacher yet not preaching at the ministration thereof Whether Christ preached at the ministration of it Whether preaching were alwaies necessary in Circumcision and the Pascall lambe What the word shewing foorth the Lords death inferreth and that all the communicants are such preachers Whether the Homilies exhortations in the booke prescribed set not fully forth the Lords death What was the practise for this point in the Apostles times and in the Primitiue Church Whether the worde that is ioyned to the element to make a Sacrament is to be necessarilie vnderstod of preaching Whether our formes praescribed in the Sacraments ioyne the word and the element sufficientlie or no. Whether the Papists though they wanted the true Supper of the Lord had not true Baptisme for all their corruption of the same How many kindes of preaching Caluine maketh and what kinde is necessarie in the Lordes Supper What words by Caluine Musculus Beza Olleuian Hellopaeus c. make a true perfect Cosecration Whether in the reformed Churches of Heluetia c they are preachers onelie that minister the Sacraments How the seale and writing are to be ioyned alwaies together and we so haue them Whether our Breth prohibite none to preach whom they prohibite not to minister the Sacraments Whether we inferre womens Baptisme whether Baptisme on occasion of necessitie may be ministred in priuate places and whether there be anie necessitie at all of Baptisme and of the dangerous positions contradictions inconueniences absurdities of our Breth in these matters especiallie of this their Canon where there is no minister of the word there ought to bee no minister of the Sacraments What is principall what necessarie in the Sacraments of the affinitie coniunction separation of preaching and administring the Sacraments HEtherto saie our Brethren we haue somewhat at large set forth the principall parte of a Pastors office which is to preach the worde of God and to instruct the people committed to his charge in the same Heere followeth now in the second part of his duti which confisteth in right administration of the SacrameÌ„ts of God For seeing it hath pleased God to adde such outward signes to be helps of our infirmitie as seales for confirmation of his promises vttered by his word Rom. 4.11 Hee hath appointed Ministers of the same to deliuer them vnto his people Matth. 28.19 Luke 22.19 For no man may take vppon him anie office in the Church but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 3 4. Seeing therefore that God hath giuen some to be Pastors in the Church Ephes
preachers and of their preaching hee mentioneth still in other places and not in this treatise of the Sacrament nor in anie place burdens them herewith and therefore it is not like that he thought preaching to be alwayes so necessarie at the celebration of these mysteries But not to looke on their abuses but on the order and vse of the Apostles theÌ„selues and of all the faithfull at Ierusalem that euen presently after they had receaued the holy Ghost Act. 2.42 And they continued sayth Luke in the Apostles doctrine and communion or fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer of which breaking of bread sayth the Geneua note which was the ministration of the Lordes supper Caluine giuing a reason heereof sayeth Why I had rather that the breaking of bread in this place should bee interpreted for the Lordes supper this is the reason Because Luke mentioneth those thinges wherein tho publike state of the Churche is conteyned Yea rather hee expresseth here foure notes whereby the true and naturall face of the Churche may be iudged Doe wee therefore seeke the face of the Churche of Christ The image therof is here liuely pictured vnto vs. And indeed he beginneth with doctrine which is as it were the soule of the Churche Neither nameth he euery doctrine but the Apostles doctrine that is that which the sonne of God deliuered by their handes Wheresoeuer therefore the pure voice of the Gospell soundeth throughly where meÌ„ abide in the profession of thereof where they exercise themselues in the ordinary hearing of it there vndoubtedly is the Churche Now as doctrine is the first note so the text placeth their communion or felowship next in order Which sayth the Geneua note standeth in brotherly loue and liberalitie In communicating this member sayth Caluine and the last meaning prayer flowe from the first as fruites or effectes For doctrine is the bonde of brotherly communicating and also openeth vnto vs a gate to God that he may of vs be called vpon But the supper approcheth to the doctrine in steede of confirmation Wherefore Luke reckoneth not vp foure rashly when as hee will describe vnto vs a state of the Church orderly instituted And it behooueth vs to put our endeuour vnto this order if we desire to be truely accounted the Church before God his Angels not to boast only before men of a voyde name thereof Now if we must not onely kéepe these foure but also haue so great a consideration to the order of theÌ„ insomuch that Marlorate addeth to these wordes of Caluine For the Iustitiaries of workes doe inuert this order and gather thus of the later good workes are to bee doone and then righteousnesse will followe O blindenesse worthy of great iudgement For how can workes be good without faith gooing before Without which whatsoeuer is done is sinne Rom. 14. d. 23. If then such a straight respect is to be had of the orderly placing these foure notes and this coÌ„municating of fellowship consisting in almes brotherly loue and workes of mercie come betwéene the hearing and beléeuing of the doctrine and the breaking of the bread that is the communicating of the Lords supper it argueth that although preaching the doctrine haue gone before yet the sacramentes are not so immediately ioyned especially to the preaching of the doctrine but that other godly exercises might goe betwéene them Not that any of these notes was altogether destitute of any of the other the supper of the Lorde had euermore doctrine ioyned with it but not alwayes preaching of the doctrin And so it had both vnion in fellowship and prayers but yet might all these bee also publikely exercised though at that instant of the doing of them the supper of the Lorde were not administred Now this being the manner in the Apostles dayes that although they had many times sermons at the administration of the supper as Act. 20. ver 7. 11. at that solemne confluence where S. Paule preached vntill midnight and yet as these were seuerall actions sée howe euen by the prouidence of God albeit no doubt to confirme the doctrine preached and to be a warning to the negligent hearers when they had minded presently vpoÌ„ the sermon to haue procéeded to the supper of the Lord what an occasion senered the coniunction of these two actions by the younge mans fall out of a windowe from the thirde lofte that was taken vp dead Whereupon Paule being the Preacher descended downe laide himselfe vpon him embraced him saying trouble not your selues for his life is in him So when Paul was come vp againe and had brokeÌ„ bread and eaten he communed a long while till the dawning of the day and so departed Now as they had these sermons sometimes preached at the celebrating of the Lordes supper howbeit heere this interruption deuided these actions some space of time and yet this is that onely place that bringeth them néerest together so if they had not a sermon preached therat notwithstanding they no more discontinued the administration of this Sacrament than they did the publike exercises of their prayers or than they did absteyne from baptizing as wee haue alreadie at large prooued And euen so that this custome did thus continue in the primitiue Church not onely their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is their loue feastes which they made at this supper doe declare whereof diuerse authors especially Tertullian and Iustinus Martyr doe make mention but also the whole order thereof is by Iustinus fully described both of this sacrament administred with a Sermon and without it In the Apologie that he made for the Christians vnto the Emperour Antoninus Pius he hath these wordes wee bring him that is thus washed meaning baptized and instructed vnto those whom we call Brethren where the assemblyes are made that we might praye as well for our selues as for those that are newly illumined That they may be founde by true doctrine and good workes to be worthie obseruers and keepers of the commaundementes and that wee mâ—y obtaine eternall saluation After the prayer we salute one another with a mutuall kisse After which the bread the cup alayed with water is brought vnto the chiefest brother as Gelenius translates it but in Iustine himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And here is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouer those Brethren which brethren are not onely the faithfull people but also the ministers as is before by Beza confessed Which being of him receiued hee offreth vp prayse and thankes giuing vnto the father of all by the name of the sonne and of the holy Ghost and so for a certaine while he doeth celebrate the Euchariste After the prayers and the Euchariste all the whole assemblie singeth together Amen And the worde in the Hebrue tongue signifieth the same that doth Sobeit or lâ—t it be done The thankes giuing of the Prelate and the well wishing of all the people being
thinges wée haue the lesse néede to stande longer in aunswering of them Let vs come therefore to that which they will speake vpon But wee speake say they of this that a great multitude thinke they haue well serued God if they haue beene present at coÌ„mon prayers or any part of them as they were wont to thinke in poperie although they be neuer so vainly occupied in the Church some in walking some in talking in gathering of money not only for the poore but for other contributions c. And they that thinke they do best are occupied in their priuate prayes or in reading of bookes while their minister pronounceth publike prayers To be vainely occupied in the Church some in walking some in talking is we graunt a fault Neither is it by any lawe or order allowed that the people should so behaue themselues in the time of the common prayers If any breake the lawes and orders in that behalfe they are to sustaine the punishment of the lawe and officers are appointed to looke vnto them and present them But how then shall those of our Brethren be holden excused that to auoyde walking and talking in the time of common prayers will not come at all to heare them confirming by their contemptuous absence the Popish recusantes besides the great offence vnto their Brethren Contributions and collections for the poore and for other Ecclesiasticall orders be such thinges as were done in the primitiue Churche at the time of their Ecclesiasticall assemblies as may appeare Act. 2. ver 42. Act. 4. ver 35. Act. 6. ver 2. Act. 11. ver 29. 1. Cor. 16. ver 2. whereupon sayth Caluine vpoÌ„ one of the Sabboths c. that is vpon that day wherin they made the holy assemblies c. Moreouer the holy asseÌ„bly where the coÌ„munion of the Saints is celebrated might adde a spurre vnto theÌ„ Vpon the first day of the weeke sayth the Geneua note which the scripture calleth the Lordes day others sunday they accustomed not onely in the Church but at home also according to euery mans zeale to lay vp some peece of money towardes the reliefe of the poore Bretheren And of the like matter Paule writeth 2. Cor. 9. c. Which order S. Paule sayth that he vsed in the Churches of Galatia Macedonia Achaia and other places To the which accordeth the order of celebrating the communion that we heard before out of Iustine that so soone as euer the communion is ministred the collection is made for the poore and then followe other prayers and thankesgiuings So that these collections and contributions for the poore c. may be still done in the Churche well inough if they be made betwéene whiles at such times as the publike prayer is stayed although many good exhortations and sentences exciting the people thereunto may not amisse be read euen in the very time of making the collection or they may giue themselues to their seuerall prayers all that while And if any for their gathering of money for the poore or other contributions disturbe the aedification of the people in the common prayer and celebration of the diuine seruice they may be well reproued and put backe or complayned vpon and punished These disturbances being thus remooued if nowe a great multitude haue beene present at common prayers or at so great part therof as they could conueniently come vnto I see not why our Breth should make this their most especiall point to speake on and to finde fault withall that they should thinke they haue well serued God But to thinke this say they is as they were wont to thinke in Poperie Our Breth thinke too hardly I dare not say rashly vncharitably of their Brethren to thinke that they thinke so as did the Papistes in the blindenesse of Popery For the Papistes stoode altogether on their intention and of their opus operatum the worke wrought though they could not tell what they did or sayd and yet they thought all to be done so well and sufficiently that they did thinke it meritorious before God Whereas no Protestant doth or can so thinke And all that is set foorth in the diuine seruice common prayer is to the cleane contrarie Which being good and the true seruice of God why may not our Breth so recoÌ„fort theÌ„selues when they haue orderly ioyned themselues in deuout calling vpon God at common prayer and reuerent hearing of his word that they may well and saâ—ely thinke without any thinking of the merite of their worke wrought but as becommeth humble Christians though of themselues all vnworthie to approch before God saue that they wholely relie on his acceptation in and for Iesus Christes sake that they haue well and truely serued God and though they deserue it not yet that God will both accept it and rewarde it As concerning priuate prayers on which our Brethren heere againe doe speake wee haue spoken also before sufficiently till that bée aunswered And as for reading of bookes if it be the reading of the same prayers that the Minister publikely pronounceth the same aunswere serueth or if it be the same Chapters that he readeth or to turne their books when the Minister citeth anie text or storie out of the scriptures in his sermon homilie or exhortation Which is a point that our Brethren do allow and call vpon the people to doe and therefore I sée not why our Brethr. should so strictly at the time of the publike prayers and diuine seruice prohibite all priuate praying or priuate reading and that without exception of any suche persons as perchance be deafe or harde of hearing and for order sake would come to the Church that no suche person may priuately praye nor reade doing the same without preiudice or offence to others Thus as preaching is neglected vpon colour of publike prayers so publike prayers by priuate exercises are made altogether vnprofitable to a great number For who knoweth the right vse of publike prayer but they that are taught by the worde of God Let vs therefore establishe publike preaching and publike prayers will followe of necessitie But if wee continue to vpholde formall prayers that preaching be neglected it will come to passe that neither shall bee regarded We allowe not that preaching should be neglected vppon colour of publike prayers For both may in their orders be continued But sithe we haue not the one so ordinarie because it can not so ordinarily bee had shall we therefore haue no ordinarie of the other which wee may easilier haue and in no case wee may discontinue Did not the Iewes continue the ordinary courses and times of their publike praiers and readings of the lawe of the Psalmes of the Prophetes though they had not thâ— like ordinarie courses and times of preaching and of interpreting the same among them Neither are publike prayers though there bee no sermon so they be vsed as is
that thus farre forth besides heâ— commendable constancie and open profession of Christ she was neither improued of Christ nor discommended of anie protestant writer namely for lifting vp her voice beeing a woman in the audience of the publike congregation Likewise the woman that had the bloudie flixe Matth. 9. ver â—0 when as being a weake and bashfull woman by reason of her disease she durst not come openlie before Christ and in so great assemblie open her voice pray to him for succour but came behinde him and touched the hem of his garment For she said in her selfe If I may but touch his garment onelie I shall be whole Did Christ like this that she shuld receiue this benefit of him thus in silence because a woman might not speake in the congregation No saith Luke chap. 8. verse 44. VVhen shee came behinde him and touched the hemme of his garment immediatlie her issue of bloud staunched Then Iesus said who is it that hath touched mee VVhen euerie man denied Peter sayd and they that were with him Maister the multitude thrust thee and tread on thee â—nd sayest thou who hath touched me And Iesus sayd some one hath touched me for I perceiue that vertue is gone out of me VVhen the woman sawe that she was nâ—t hid she came trembling and fell downe before him and told him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed imediatlie Was not this then the purpose of Christ that this woman should speake and declare this worke of God before all the publike assemblie of the people What shall we saie of that woman Matth. 15.22 the Cananite that came crying to Christ and said Haue mercie on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a diuell Here this woman cried out in an open praier and spared not to speake speake aloude before all the assemblie But he answered her saith Matthew not a word What Was he angrie that she being a woman durst make her praier so openly before the multitude of the people Indeede the Disciples were offended at her importunitie and came to him and besought him saying Send her awaie for she crieth after vs. But he answered and saide I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel So that hée findeth no fault for that she being a woman would presume to make this open praier but pretendeth that she was not such a woman as he was sent to help that if she had bene such a woman he woulde haue liked of her crie well inough and haue helped her Yet came she saith Saint Mathew and worshipped him saying Lord helpe me And he answered and sayd It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes And she said Truth Lord howbeit the whelpes eate of the crums which fall from their Maisters table Did Christ here like her replying vpon him hauing such an answere Yea verilie and that most singularliâ— well Then Iesus answered said vnto her O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest her daughter was made whole at that houre Neither is it vnworthie to consider the storie so diligentlie described by Saint Iohn chap 4. concerning the Samaritane Woman Not her bolde talke with Christ alone at the Well but that verse 29. she said of Christ vnto the people Come and see a man that hath tolde me all things that I haue done is not this Christ. Yea Caluine who compareth her so dooing to this saying in the Psalme I beleeued and therfore I spake Psal. 116. v. 10. And saith he this vehemencie and cheerefulnesse of the woman are so much the more to be noted of vs because an onelie small sparke of faith kindled them For shee had scarce tasted Christ when shee setteth him forth throughout all the Citie c. But this sayth he seemeth in the woman rather worthie reprehension that beeing as yet rude and not thoroughlie taught she passed the boundes of her faith The answere is she shoulde haue done inconsideratlie if shee had taken vpon her the parts of teaching but now when shee desireth nothing but to stirre vp her Citizens that they should heare Christ speake we will not saie that beeing forgetfull of her selfe shee proceeded further than became her Onelie she doth the office of a Trumpet or of a Bell to call them vnto Christ And yet was this a kind of preching to theÌ„ as Musculus calleth it saying The woman did so much by her preaching that the people of this Citie went out to Christ of whome as yet they knew nothing Yea Aretius saith But as concerning that she preacheth the name and the person of Christ she testifieth by example how much she had profited At the beginning she acknowledged him onelie to be a Iew after that a Prophet placing him in a higher degree at the length she perfectlie acknowledgeth him to be the Messias and such a one vnto her Citizens she preacheth him to be Which also is for an example of regeneration wherof the order is this First to come to the knowledge of ones owne selfe then diligentlie to search concerning the true worship of God Last of all to become carefull of the profite of our neighbour Thus she wherein she profited woulde haue her fellow Citizens to profite also least she should inioy so great a benefite all alone Thou hast therefore a woman an Euangelist She exerciseth the office of a Doctor or Teacher she that came for an harlot returneth an Euangelical mistresse This is the meruailous goodnesse of God choosing base contemptuous things in the world that he might confound the wise men of this world Héerevpon Marlorate concludeth out of Bucer Therfore there is not so much consideration to be had of the partie that speaketh as we must ponder what is spoken to vs. And Alesius the Scot hereon making this his 16. place doth saie The ministerie of the Gospell is not tied to the ordinarie power And the doctrine of a priuate man and of a woman which bringeth forth the worde of God is to bee preferred before the iudgement of the multitude and of them that take vpon them the name authoritie of the Church as the Samaritanes beleeue at the testimonie of a woman concerning Christ. To conclude these examples in the new Testament Luke mencioning Philip the Euangelist Act. 21 verse 9. sayth Now had hee foure daughters virgins that did prophesie But this example Caluine woulde séeme on the other side to cut off saying But how these maidens exercised the office of prophesieng it is vncertaine except the spirite of GOD did so moderate them that they troubled not the order of him set downe But when hee permitteth not women to sustaine a publike person in the Church it is credible that they prophesied either at home or in a priuate place out of the common
returne to the question propounded Albeit that we read Isai. 3. verse 11. that it is set for a great signe of the curse of God that children and women shoulde obtaine the gouernement in any Nation Notwithstanding that thing is not perpetuall I graunt that God héere threatneth a great curse and a miserable state that hee woulde bring vpon the wicked Iewes in taking away all their natoble men and giuing them weake and wicked rulers As he saith vers 1. c. For Lo the Lord of hostes will take away from Ierusalem and from Iuda the stay and the strength euen all the stay of bread and all the stay of Water the strong man and the man of Warre the iudge and the prophet the prudent and the aged the Captaine of fifty and the honorable and the Counseller and the cunning artificer and the eloquent Man And I will appoint Children to be their Princes and Babes shall rule ouer them And againe after he had threatned them vers 6. c. That euery one shall take holde of his brother of the house of his Father and say thou hast clothing thou shalt bee our Prince and let this fall be vnder thy hande in that day shall hee sweare saying I cannot be an helper for there is no breade in my house nor clothing therefore make mee no Prince of the people Doubtlesse Hierusalem is falne and Iuda is falne downe because their tongues and workes are against the Lorde to prouoke the eys of his glory c. Then commeth in this curse Children are extortioners of my people and women rule ouer them O my people they that leade thee cause thee to cry and destroy the way of thy pathes By which it appeareth that he speaketh here of such a miserable state that they shoulde be driuen to séeke for their Princes offer the cheefe gouernment to any had he right or had hee not right that wold helpe them and they shoulde finde none but onely such as heere by these spéeches he describeth And therefore this being a token or rather the stroke it selfe of Gods curse for their wickednesse is very odiously and wrongfully alleaged cleane besides Gods and the Prophets meaning in this purposed question of womens supreme gouernment or of childrens supreme gouernmeÌ„t ouer Gods people Diuers writers therefore that expound this Prophecy considering the states wherein both women children haue beene giuen of God to be supreme gouernors not as any token at all of his curse but of his great fauour and blessing dare not so literally vnderstand these wordes but according to the manner of the Scripture metaphorically For where he saith in the words here by Danaeus cited vers 11. the exactors of my people are a childe or as the Geneua translates it Children are extortioners of my people and sayth they lead the people and cause them to cry and that they destroy the way of Gods pathes sith exaction and extortion importeth violence and oppression and sith infants cannot lead but are ledde nor cause the people to cry nor destroy Gods paths Howe can we vnderstande this of a naturall child or not rather of a man that vseth force yet because he guids not by ancient counsel true wisdom is for his lack of discretion called a child Or because he is a wanton effeminate man called a woman Paruulos scientia vocat saith Vatablus he calleth them children in knowledge Not those that be childreÌ„ in age sayth Luther but children in mind And here he taketh Women sayth Musc. for those that are tender effeminate so doth the Geneua note well interpret it That because the wicked people were more addict to their Princes than to the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of God he sheweth that he wold giue them such princes by whome they should haue no helpe but that shoulde be manifest tokens of his wrath because they should bee fooles and effeminate Children saith Cal. vnderstaÌ„d it not only in age but in wit manners such as are tender and effeminat men which excel in no vertue nor can gouern the sword committed to them He opposed not euery singuler member the one against the other for it sufficed to define the manner whereby the common weale easily runs to ruin to wit if fooles and vnskilfull men do rule as thogh they were children in whoÌ„ is no grauity nor prudence c. Furthermore whomsoeuer the Lord gouerneth not nothing remaineth vnto them but that they be like to children to wit destitute of all both counsel and prudence Moreouer God exerciseth his punishment two waies because oftentimes while we seem to ourselues to haue graue men and skilfull in things when it comes to the matter they blunder like blind men they haue no more prudence then haue childreÌ„ For God depriueth them of that notable vertue that before he had endued them with all and doth so sot them euen as if had striken them with some thunder Now and then God proceedeth more slowly and by little litle taketh away the men of heroical wits which were apt for the administration and transferreth the gouernmentes of matters to them that can not indeede gouern one childe or one family When these things happen it is most certain that destruction is not farre Moreouer saith Musculus He calleth exactors not them that exacted those things that were due vnto the Magistrate but such as wroong froÌ„ the people at their pleasure whatsoeuer they liked and so pilled them with wicked exactions Sith therefore Children coulde not be such exactors as we caÌ„not so wel vnderstand these words of those that are in yeres children so neither of those that are in sexe women But now be it spoken in the natural sense of very children and of very women those lawful princes doth not this prooue so much the more that albeit it were also a curs alwaies of God to haue such Princes as we shal sée anone euen by Danaeus own reuocation that it is not yet that the principality euen of them is a lawful state and that although in nature it were the better of twayne if men coulde alwayes haue their wishe to haue their Prince rather to bée a Man than a Woman and to bée a Man of ripe and perfect age than to be an Infant or a childe yet notwithstanding sithe neither infirmitie of sexe nor of age debarreth the Lawefulnesse of the estate when GOD sendeth bee it also but for a punishment such a Prince yea although hee gaue not withall to the weaker sex of the Woman any other heroicall and supernaturall giftes nor to the tender age of the childe any other industrious and Godly tutors yet for al that the people of God ought not resist â—his ordinance of God in these their Magistrates but obey the same for Conscience sake Which saying of the Apostle to obey higher powers as the ordinaunce of God for conscience sake if it tooke place when such hypocrites and
It behoueth therefore to keepe their precepts euen as the burning fire And let them be such but as for you reuerence ye them as the Lord Iesus Christ because they are the kepers of his place as the bishop is the forme of the Father of al but the Elders of the consistorie of God and ioyning together of the Apostles of Christ for without them it is not the elected church nor the collection of the Saints nor the holie Congregation And again What is the Eldership but a holie institution of a counsellour or confessour of a Bishop What also are the Deacons but followers of Christ ministering to the Bishop as Christ to the Father and working vnto him a cleane vnspottrd work euen as Saint Stephen vnto the most blessed Iames and Timothie Linus vnto Paul and Anacletus and Clement vnto Peter And in the 4. Epipistle to the Philippians Yet I saie to the Bishop and to the Elders in the Lord that who soeuer shall keepe the Passeouer with the Iews or take vp the solemnitie of their feast daies shall be compartner with them that haue killed the Lorde and his Apostles These and such other spéeches of the Presbyteral Elders do declare that whosoeuer in Ignatius name wrote theÌ„ for I dare not so boldly as our Br. doe affirme them to bee his yet in writing thus of the Consistorie of the Elders yea of the Deacons vnder them hee thought them both to meddle with teaching and with the administration of the Sacraments As for the Epistle that is adioyned in the name of Polycarpus the Elders with him it is most manifest howe they ioyned teaching to their gouerning Let the Elders bee simple in all things mercifull conuerting all from errour visiting all the sicke not neglecting the widowes the fatherlesse and the poore but alwaies prouiding good things before the Lorde and before meÌ„ As for anie other that is more suspected stuffe I cite not But be they suspected or be they not as I graunt they are verie auncient so we can finde in none of them such Elders mencioned as our Br. threape vpon vs that there were neither yet in anie ancient autentike Ecclesiasticall historie For as for that Danaeus writing of the office of Elders in Christ. Isagog part 2. cap. 10. citeth saying Lites â—utem dirimere c. But to decide debates and as out of Socrates lib. 7. cap. 37. may be gathered to behaue themselues as Iudges and arbiters I neuer read that it was the function of Elders or parte of their office This proueth nothing at all that the Cleargie of whome Socrates there speaketh were not Ministers of the worde and Sacraments but rather séemeth to inferre that theâ— were and that the Bishop of whome Socrates speaketh woulde not hauâ— them drawe too much awaie from their function to the hearing and determining of such controuersies Albeit Socrates telleth that Siluanus the Bishop did it when as hee sawe the Clarkes to make a gaine by the controuersies of the striuers that from thence forth hee permitted none of the Cleargie to be a Iudge but taking the bils of those that made supplications he preferred one faithfull laie man whom he knewe to fauour that which was â—ight and good to haue the hearing of those matters and so he set free the striuers from contention and controuersie Here the Cleargie that had the dealing in those matters the Bishop by his superior authoritie tooke it froÌ„ theÌ„ appointed it not to the consistorie of Elders but to one laiâ— man But to shew more fullie and plainlie that Socrates alwaies vnderstands by the tearme of Elders onely such as we call Priestes to wit Ministers of the worde and Sacraments Let vs also sée some testimonies out of Socrates because Danaeus citeth him for these Elders And I would gladly search all the testimonies examples generallie if that Caluine Beza Danaeus or anie other author haue ought for the proofe or but probabilitiâ— of these Elders In the 3. Chap. of his first booke he saith And on a certaine time the Presbyters Priests or Elders being present which were vnder him he speaketh of Alexander Bishoppe of Alexandria and the residue of the Cleargie hee treated somewhat more curiouslie and subtillie of the Trinitie and philosophicallie proued that in the Godhead there is the vnitie in the Trinitie But Arius beeing one of the number of the Elders which in that degree were placed vnder Alexander a man not ignorant of the quirkes of Logicke because he suspected that he would afresh bring into the Church the errour of the Affricane Sabellius being kindled with the desire of contention declined to an opinion cleane contrarie to the opinion of that Affricane and affirmed that if the Father begat the sonne he that was begotten had a beginning of his being And that thervpon it is cleere that there was a time when the sonne was not that necessarily it followed that he had his being of nothing When he had concluded with this new kinde of reason and neuer before heard of he stirred vp many of them to seeke after those matters and of a little sparke was kindled a great great flame c. Wherevpon Alexander calling a councell of many Bishops he deposed saith Socrates Arius and the fautors of his opinion from the degree of the Eldership By which it plainly appeareth that these elders were ministers and teachers of the worde And to this not onelie accordeth Ruffinus lib. 10. Eccl. hist. cap. 1. saiâ—ng A certaine Elder at Alexandria named Arius a man more religious in shew and forme than vertue began to set forth certaine wicked points concerning the faith of Christ c. And Theodoretus lib. 1. cap. 2. yet more plainlie In these times saith he Arius which was in the companie and order of the Elders and had the authority of interpreting the diuine Scriptures When he saw the gouernment of the Sacerdotall Priesthood or Bishopricke to be committed to Alexander being impatient of enuie wherewith he was chafed he began to seek occasions of prouokements of discords and striuings And albeit the dignity of the man and his laudable administration brake off the web of all slaunders yet coulde not enuie let him rest The enimie therefore of truth hauing gotten this fellow he moued and stirred vp the waues of the Church and so prouoked him that he durst openly gainsay the Apostolical doctrine of Alexander As for Alexander he auouched the speeches of the diuine Scripture that the sonne is of the same dignitie with the Father and hath the same essence with his begetter But Arius fighting against the truth called him a creation and a worke made Adding those wordes that there was some time when he was not Which things may better be knowen out of the Scriptures themselues These things did he not only in the Churches continually but also in other outward assemblies and meetinges and treating vpon them house by
haue declared who are worthy of pardon and who of punishment But some there are that thinke this counsell to haue beene chosen out of the family of Dauid and that they were afterward taken away of Herod the King Which if it bee so whether the wordes of the Psalme sung as S. Athanasius witnesseth in the restoring of the City of Ierusalem may be referred thereunto because there that is in Ierusalem sate the seates vnto iudgement the seates vpon the house of Dauid that is the seate out of the house of Dauid But eyther the King or the Bishop called this counsel according as the crime brought before them eyther touched the City or Religion But the order of executing the matter was almoste in this manner He that desired to put vp the name of another for the moste part came eyther to the king or to the Bishop or to the Princes and declared the guilty party Which done they sent Ministers to take the man And if the matter required they added a band also receiued from the gouernour of the Temple And hauing brought him they kept him for the moste part eyther in prison or in souldiers custody vntill iudgement passed on him The whole Councell beeing afterward called together they gaue them-selues to the vnderstanding of the matter As for the crime and the punishment was of the accusant called vpon in these wordes The Iudgement of death is due to this man because hee hath done this or that But the Defendant repelled it with these wordes The Iudgement of death is not due to this man because hee hath not done it or because hee hath doone it righteously But when the cause hath beene throughly pleaded vpon then were the suffrages or voyces giuen of the iudges and either hee was condemned or absolued according to the number of the sentences But when the matter was brought to the Romaynes the onely condemnation was left to the Councell but the the punishment was taken away but permitted vnto the Roman procurator Which hapned in the iudgement of Christe For the Councell condemned Christe and adiudged him to death But the people being stirred vp of the Councell demaunded of Pilate the Procurator that he might be crucified he gaue iudgement that it should so be done The forme of laying the accusation or of repelling the crime as in the 26 of Hieremie the preestes and the prophetes spake vnto the princes of Iuda saying the iudgement of death is vnto this man because he hath prophecied against this City And the princes sayde vnto the preestes the iudgement of death is not vnto this man because he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde our God A forme of the condemnation is in S. Math. 26. Beholde now yee haue heard blasphemie what seemeth it to you and they answering sayde he is guilty of death the which thing Marke saith Who all of them condemned him to bee guilty of death but these things which we haue spoken shall all be more cleare knowne if euery one of the iudementes made after this order whereof record is left in writing shall be shewed foorth And here he proceedeth to the manifolde testimonies and examples hereof in the Scripture and in Iosephus but especially in the newe testament By al which it appeareth for this Senate or council of the 70 Seniors which after the Iewes mixture with the Graecians of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was corruptly called Sanedrin what persons they were except the King and the Princes all of them either preestes or teachers of the Lawes of God And how they sat but in one and the heade Citie assistant with the King and the princes in al matters of plea and controuersie of Lands goods of warre and peace of life and death c. Nor the King coulde rule these matters without them and that their autority herein grewe not so much by the late corruptions as it was rather thereby abridged in the age of Christe by the Romaynes and by Herod If nowe our Learned discoursing Brethren shall reiect all these so industrious collections of Sigonius as an aduersary what proofes reasons and authorities soeuer he auouch let vs then sée howe farre foorth Bertram also doth confirme it For besides that which wee haue alleaged out of him for the original and the first practise thereof before the gouernment of the Kings after the negligence of Saule speaking of Dauid chap. 10. Page 56. he saith Moreouer Dauid restored the municipall iudgementes altogether into their auncient order Howbeit but about the last times of his reigne because that being hindred with warres and diuers businesses hee was content with those Iudgementes which for a greate part beeing decayed perseuered but litle constantly in euery of the Cities and tribes euen from the times of Iosue vntill then But yet so that the more waighty causes especially the appeales were referred to him as it appeareth out of 2. Sam. 15.2 But at the length he also restored this part of the common weale so that vnto the Leuites reckoned vp he established to be firm their changable and vncerteine offices both in the holy or Ecclesiasticall policy and also in the ciuill In the ciuill policie hee is saide to haue appointed out of the Leuites 6000. Iudges and praefectes or Gouernors Out of the Leuites the Iudges and praefectes were assumed for this reason That first there shoulde bee certayne out of the Leuites which should bee assistors or sitters together with the ordinary and municipall iudges that were called seniors Who some-times also De plane vt Vulgo loquuntur Iudicarent de rebus leuioribus shoulde Iudge after a playne sorte as is the common saying of the lighter matters such as were the pecuniarie either they alone or taking some one vnto them of the Seniors of the place or City And moreouer that there should also be some other which should execute the matters adiudged Or else that which is indeed the more likely they that were the Assisors of the ordinarie Iudges who also their selues tooke notice of the pecuniarie matters iudged them and executed the matter it selfe that they had iudged He ordained therefore that Chanenias and his sonnes or his posterity should be designed for iudges and Prefects for the outward worke that is to saie for the outward holie offices that we necessarie for the making of sacrifices in the house of the Lord or Tabernacle in Israel that is among the Israelites that dwelt on this side Iordan except the Tribes of Iuda Beniamin and Simeon The number of these is nor prescribed He also ordained out of the Hebronites Hasabias and his brethren that they should gouerne the Western coasts side-long or on the side of Iordan that is on the hether-hand Iordan as well in the businesse of the Lord as in the seruice or ministerie or obeisance of the king In French Pour le seruice du Roy that is in the
contayning withall his care industrie in these matters For the which doing the Councell reacknowledgeth the king to deserue the reward of an Apostle because he had performed the office of an Apostle And when al the nobilitie had giueÌ„ vp also their confessions in writing and subscribed openly vnto theÌ„ then the king commanded the Synode to go in hand with the repayring and establishing some forme of eccl discipline saying that the care of a king ought to stretch forth it selfe not to cease till he haue brought the subiects to a full knowledge perfect age in Christ. And as a king ought to bend al his power authoritie to represse the insolencie of the euill and to nourish the common peace tranquillitie euen so ought he much more to studie to labour and be carefull not only to bring his subiectes from errors false religion but also to see theÌ„ instructed taught trayned vp in the truth of the cleare light And hereupon by this his authoritie he maketh a decree coÌ„mandeth the Bishops to sée it put in executioÌ„ that euery time at the receiuing of the coÌ„munioÌ„ al the people together do distinctly with a lowde voice recite the Nicene creede Which being done that the Synode had coÌ„sulted about the orders of their discipline exhibited the same vnto the king he considering the same ratifieth and confirmeth al their doings And first he himselfe and after him all the Synode subscribeth to those orders The like wee read in the Councell of diuerse kinges of Spayne afterwardes Sisenandus that called the fourth Councell of Toledo Chintillanus that called the 5. and 6. Chinaswindus that called the seuenth Reccessinuthus that called the 8.9 and 10. Councels at Toledo Bamba that called the 12. 13. Egita that called the 14.15 and 16. all which kinges of Spayne as they summoned the Councelles their selues and commaunded thâ— Bishops to assemble so they sate in the Councels with them and when the Councels had consulted and agreed vpon any Ecclesiasticall matters thâ—y offred the same to the Prince to be ratified and confirmed This authoritie had the Christian kinges of Spayne not only in gouerning of all the eccl persons but in making together with the Bishops and in ratifying and confirming all their Synodall decrees and constitutions of Eccl. matters And no lesse authoritie had the kings of this our Britannie also in gouerning their Eccl. state by the aduise of the Clergie of their dominion For profe whereof we haue séene the Bishop of Romes owne letter to king Lucius that is reputed to be the first Christian king of Brytannie Who when he wrote to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome to haue the Romaine and the Imperiall lawes to vse them in his kingdome the Bishop returneth him this aunswere as we haue séene those lawes wee may disprooue but not the lawes of God You haue receaued lately through the goodnesse of God in your kingdome the faith and law of Christ. You haue there in your kingdome both the testamentes out of them by Gods grace and the aduise of your Realme take a Iawe and thereby patiently gouerne your kingdome You are in your kingdome the Vicare of God c. In which wordes hee plaiâ—ely confesseth that the Christian kinges authoritie stretcheth euen to the very making and ordeyning of Ecclesiast lawes with the aduise of the Realme and so withall of the Clergie And that thiâ— supreme authoritie of thâ— king was so practised in this lande not only by Lucius but also by the Christian kinges that succéeded him while the Brittaines had the kingdome which rather were not full kinges but vnder the soueraigntie of the Romaine Emperours which beeing at that time the most of them Paganes the Princes in Brytannie hadde the lesse authoritie whereby there grewe manie corruptions especiallye the Heresie of Pelagianisme in this realme till the Brytaynes were expulsed by the Saxons And therefore what with the oftâ—n warres eyther with the Romaines or with the Pictes or with the Saxons little or no certaine recorde remayneth of anie Councelles helden or of anie Ecclesiasticall Lawes made in the times of those brittish Princes Except we shall account Constantine the great as one of them beeing the sonne of Constantius Chlorus by the most noble and Christian Queene Helena who being excellently learned in the tongues wrote diuerse treatises of Religion and Ecclesiasticall matters of the prouidence of God of the immortalitie of the soule of the rule of godly life c. As Bale reporteth of this Queene of whose husband and sonne we haue heard sufficiently before But to come to the Saxon kinges after they had receaued the faith of Christ for perhaps our Brethren also comprehende them in the name of the Christian Kinges of this our Brytanie William Lambert hath much helped vs in gathering and translating though rather to the sense than to the wordes the auncient lawes of those kinges whereby we also may gather what great authoritie they hadde in these matters who beginning with the Lawes of Kinge Inas setteth them downe in these wordes I Inas by the benefite of God King of the West Saxons through the persuasion and institution of Cenrede my father of Lyedda and Erknwalde my Bishoppes and of all mine Aldermen or Senators and of the most auncient wise men of my people in the great assemblie of the seruauntes of God I studied both for the saluation of our soules and for the conseruation of our kingdome that lawefull contractes of matrimonie and that right iudgementes might be founded and established throughout all our dominion and that hereafter it be not lawfull to any Senator or to any other inhabiting our dominion to breake these our iudgementes This preface béeing made by all their aduice and consentes but as is aforesayde by his authoritie he setteth downe his Lawes in Chapters both for Ecclesiasticall and ciuill matters And first he beginneth with Ecclesiasticall of the forme howe the ministers of God should liue First of all wee commaunde that the Ministers of GOD doe care for and keepe the appointed forme of lyuing And afterwarde wee will that among all our people the lawes and iudgementes be thus holden An infant shal be baptized within 30. daies after it is come forth into the worlde Which thing if it be not done the default shal be punished with the paying of 30. s. but and if it die before it be baptized he shall forfaite all his goods If a bondseruant be put to any seruile worke on the Lordes day his Master shall make him free and his Maister shall paye thirtie shillings but if he did that worke without the commaundement of his Maister the seruaunt shall bee beaten with stripes or at least let him redeeme with a price of money the feare of his beating If a free man labour on this day without his Maisters commaundement let him eyther bee made a bonde
if they would indeede that the matter should not be communicated vnto the people vntil the manifest light of truth first appeare vnto theÌ„ whom then meane they here that it should first appeare vnto Must it not firste appeare to them that are chosen by her Ma their honours to receaue examine the allegations on both sides what good maÌ„ner then is this for themselues before hand to break this manner by clapping out this learned discourse other so many treatises abroad in print and so peremptorily before hand to determine vpon al the points in controuersie betwene vs to coÌ„municate them vnto the people before the manifeste light of the truthe appeare either vnto her Ma. their Ho. or to any whosoeuer they shal chose to receaue examine the allegations of both sides consequently to determine of the same â—are our brethreÌ„ frée froÌ„ tâ—eir own prescribed manner to set out such bokes vnto the people both coÌ„trary to the lawes coÌ„trary to that light of the truth that hath already appeared to her Maiesty and to her deputies determination Yea contrary also to the authority that hâ—ere in this manner is giuen to her Maiestie denying in this learned discourse pag. 141. that her Maiestie hath any other authority in these matters then to make ciuill lawes to binde the people to the confession of true faith and to the right administring and receiuing of the sacraments and to all Ecclesiasticall orders that they being instructed by the worde of God through the ministery of the preaching of the same which preaching commeth after all the matter is established and which preaching is made also before the people shal vnderstand to be profitable for the edifying of the Church of Christ c. So that for all their godly pretence héere in the Preface of deliuering the matter to her Maiestie their Honors and whosoeuer they shall choose to receaue and examine the allegations on both sides so that it need not bee communicated vnto the people til the manifest light of truth appeare first vnto them yet when it commeth to the matter indéed this was spoken but for manners sake For the learned discourse maketh no deliuery of it vnto the Prince till it come by the Pastor preached in the pulpit and so the people heare it as soone as the Prince and then the Prince vnderstanding it out of the pulpit must obey it and make ciuill lawes only to maintaine and to punish with bodily punishment the offenders Neither doth our brethrens quirke héere help the matter in that they say not so that it should not bee communicated to the people vntil c. but they say so that it need not they say wel therin that it need not why néed it not Forsooth indede because it should not Neither could it be coÌ„municated vnto the people before it were firste communicated to her Ma. or to her deputies by the manner order héere prescribed For elsâ— what meane these words the matter deliuered vnto her Ma c. so thâ—t our brethren themselues haue so broken this manner that in a manner it is no more manner at al then was the matter And in this respect our brethren haue prettily knit vp togither their aunswere to these 2. obiections by the matter and the manner For both matter and manner commeth all to one effect And wher-to serueth all this manner but to try the matter and in matter concerning the substance of religion we differed not Wherfore must then this manner be obserued Forsoth not for any matter of the substance of Religion but say they concerning the gouernment of Christ of great moment indeede Nay indeede brethren is it not of any great moment indeede to vrge necessarily oblige all times and places no nor any time or place as to the perfection of the estate of the church For then it were not onely a manner but a matter that vâ—ry material coÌ„cerning the substaÌ„ce of religioÌ„ wherein our brethren câ—â—fesse that they agrée with vs and dissent only in the gouernment But where will our brethren shewe this gouernement which they pretende to be the gouernment of Christ that is to say the gouernment prescribed by Christ to be the perpetuall or to be the best or to be any ordinarie gouernement at all of his Church It is not yet shewed that I can perceaue by any other of our brethren nor by this their learned discourse And if this could be shewed it were matter indeede euen concerning the substance of religion and a verie religious point to stande vpon But since it is confessed that all this a-doe about gouernement is not of the matter concerning the substance of Religion dare our brethren aduenture so farre to vrge that had it béene a gouernement of Christ and that of great moment indeed in his time on the earth and yet not of the substance of Religion as to alter the gouernement established for such a matter or rather not for a matter but a manner of gouernement not established Yea for this be-it matter or manner of gouernement so to shake our whole estate of gouernement established that in their gouernment which they would establish her Maiestie which nowe hath a supreame gouernement by the cleare worde of God and after all mature deliberation by all our owne consentes lawes and actes in all our assemblies synodes councels and Parliamentes disputed resolued determined enacted maintayned continued and by all these good meanes established shal now haue her Maiesties authority called againe in question and a new examined yea so abased and set down nay rather cleane set by and put out For what title soeuer of her most excellent Maiestie or bare terme of supreame authoritie is not denied although I hope our brethren doe it of no ill meaning but onely are ouershot there-in and when they perceaue it will reclaime it yet the very thing that is here so much desired vrged is euen as Salomon fore-saw more then his good and simple mother Bethsabee did who thought no hurt vnto her sonne but meant and wished all well when she required so instantly of him 3. Reg. 11. I desire of thee a small request saye mee not naye and the King sayde vnto her Aske on my mother for I will not say thee nay then sayde shee let Abysag the Sunamite be giuen to Adoniah thy brother to wife But King Salomon aunswered and sayde vnto his mother and why doest thou aske Abysag the Sunamite for Adoniah aske for him the kingdome also Verelie verelie which is Christes owne asseueration and therfore not rashlie to be vsed nor vncharitably I beléeue and mee thinkes I fore-sée that although these desires of our brethren stretch not to preiudice her Maiesties life and person which the dogged deadlie enemies doe séeke the Lorde still defende her Maiestie from them and yet I thinke that manie of them séeke it not so much for anie malice to her person as in
a blinde malicious zeale against her authoritie which if her Maiestie would giue ouer manie of them would perhaps giue ouer their malice also and acknowledge her their Soueraigne Ladie as they did Queene Marie her Maiesties sister yet this thing which these our brethren though with as good meaning I dare say for them and with as louing hearts as Bethsabee bare to her sonne Salomon both thinke and wish vnto her Maiestie as to their owne selues but whaâ—soeuer they thinke wish or meane neuer so well like louing subiectes not onely her Maiestie In whom God be praysed the wisedome as it were of Salomon shineth but almost euerie man not affectioned that way may sée that her Maiestie to these her children as Salomon to his mother may reply and say Whie do you aske this thing Aske if not the kingdome and all yet euen the best and chiefest part duetie and authoritie of the kingdome And that these desires of our brethren doe so néerely touch her Maiestie and euerie Christian Princes gouernment established and supreame authoritie I referre my selfe to this learned discourse where it shall God willing most plainely appeare what is taken away and what is left to all Christian Princes so to her Maiestie in this gouernement Nowe vpon this satisfaction as our brethren conceaue to this last obiection they conclude this preface saying And if this so safe and reasonable an offer can not be liked in respect of the last obiected consideration we thinke it impossible but the persons which desire a way so sound peaceable dutifull shall recouer this fauour that with safety of their consciences they shal exercise their ministerie with that libertie which is meete for those who shal-be tyed in all things to haue especiall regarde to the peace of the Church and publike orders Wherefore most Christian reader when thou shalt by these fewe take knowledge of these things Pray vnto God for vs and as thy place is sollicite and furder so iust a cause to this ende only that Christs kingdome may be perfectly established the consciences of all the godly quieted and the happy regiment of her Maiestie honoured with much ioy peace and quietnesse at home What safe reasonable offer haue our brethren here made or what answer haue they giuen or what meanes haue they deuised besides the otheâ— obiections to satisfie eueÌ„ but the last obiected coÌ„sideration doth not the obiection stand stil that it shal be preiudicial to the estate of gouernmeÌ„â— established wheÌ„ their desires principally are that not only the authority of the Bishops the most part of al the Lawes orders eccl established but also al the acts of Parliament ther-on yea her Maiesties own authoritie principall part thereof concerning eccl matters must be reuersed cancelled abrogated dissolued and a new authoritie in al these thinges set vp Who may not sée except he will blindfold himselfe with too mucâ— affection that this is and cannot otherwise be but to the preiudice of the estate of gouernement that alreadie is established As for the Bishoppes acceptation of any offer by our brethren that to her Ma. their Honors shal be thought safe and reasonable I dare vndertake it they shall at all times be most readie to accept the same so that our brethren would for euer hereafter stande to the finall determination of the tryall As for the offer that here they make is neither safe nor reasonable nor satisfieth the consideration of the last obiection And therefore except better prouiso be had for the safegard of the Princes supreame authoritie it can not as I take it well be liked But if this offer can-not be liked then say our brethren we thinke it impossible but the persons which desire a way so sound peaceable and dutifull shall recouer this fauour that with safetie of their consciences they shall exercise their ministerie with that libertie c. As I said before so I say againe this way which our brethreÌ„ haue here set downe is neither sound peaceable nor dutiful It is so vnsound that as we haue séene for many partes thereof their verie words haue so vncertain a sound that we can not sound out the sense therof And how can the same be peaceable except there were such moderators and determinors as might with full authoritie decide and determine all the controuersies For if all should take vpon them to fall a prophecying when they should fal rather to disputing all the hearers actors in the controuerâ—â—es should as in prophecieng take vpon theÌ„ to be the iudges how would not this in these controuersies bréed greater contentions confusions theÌ„ euer S. Paul reprehended among the Corinthians Neither is it dutifull when they cal into these questions euen the Princes chief authority Besides the intemperate spéeches against their brethreÌ„ which we haue heard euen at their very first motion of this conference And now since that this way as is here set down is so vnsouÌ„d so vnpeaceable so vndutiful do our brethreÌ„ thinke it is impossible but that the persons that desire this way make al these troubles shal recouer this fauor which they haue lost that with safetie of their consciences they shall exercise their ministery their coÌ„sciences being thus affected as they are would God they would so enter into the due examining of their consciences wherfore they should haue lost this fauour which they now thinke they shal recouer Yea wherfore should they not more looke herein to dutie theÌ„ to fauour for the exercise of their ministery if they be indéed as they say faithful ministers who made theÌ„ ministers did not our Bishops and if our B. be not Bishops how could they make any ministers and if their ordaining of theÌ„ were not a true ordaining theÌ„ are they no true ministers And if they be true lawful ministers how go they about to make their ministerie to be no true lawful ministerie of whoÌ„ their selues haue al the ministerie that they haue Would God this would sincke into their consciences they would then neuer be the causes of their owne disfauour or restraint from the exercise of their ministerie for the oppugning of their ministerie that made them ministers Which if they exercise not the default is not in the Bishoppes that made them ministers for they made them of fauour and to the endâ— that they should exercise their ministerie So that the fault of their disfauour and not exercise is principally in their owne selues And yet if they will performe indéede that which in woordes heere they offer they may both with recouerie of fauour exercise their ministerie still and might still so haue doone without losse of fauour if they would exercise their ministerie with that libertie which is meete for those which shal-be tyed in all thinges to haue especiall regarde to the peace of the Church and publike orders In what bonde will they bee tyed to this That her