plainely set foorth by any man Prooue the necessitie of the matter and we will not greatly stick vpon your Methode And would to God that which you say here of yâ— Methode ye would say it or rather obserue it of the plaine truthe it selfe and for the matter of the regiment concerning these offices that except yee can hereafter shewe which is yet not done that we are bounde by any commaundement of Christ or his Apostles vnto this your regiment of all and onely these 4. offices ye would say likewise with vs for the Gouernement established in the Church of Englande that as wee controll not other mens gouernement by ours so we would not that other mens manner of gouerning should be preiudiciall vnto ours But if ye will not haue vs controll your Methode vtter the same also in plaine wordes Our controuersie is all of the gouernement of the Church and you tell vs what Methode ye will obserue in describing the ministerie of the Churche as by which both the distinction and communication of all offices and seruices in the Church might most plainly appeare What doe ye make all offices and seruices in the Church to be of ministers Or al the offices seruices to be of gouernors How the distinction or communication of these may plainely appeare woulde haue béene somewhat more distinctly and plainely spoken As touching the reason of your request why ye would not haue your Methode controlled nor other mens methodes preiudiciall to yours I thinke it reasonable if there were no further difference then in the sorme and order of teaching of diuerse men when in matter of substance they all agree Anâ— yet in such matters as these are and so precisely vrged an vniformitie not onely of matter but also of the Order and Methode in teaching of them might perhaps haue made the matter lesse offensiue Howbeit if they all agree in matter of substance and the matter of substaunce bee true be good be necessarie which they all agree vpon so that they séeke the truthe indéede and plainnesse in their Teaching then is as they say it is but either for lacke of wit or through too much wilfulnesse if any exclaime there is no vnitie and therefore no truthe among them But when in matter and substance they differ not onely one from an-other but from themselues also then blame not men nor impute it to them that either for lacke of wit or that through too much wilfulnesse they say there is not so much vnitie and truthe among them as in matters so earnestly vrged there ought to be But now to the particuler viewe of these 4. offices Let vs then proceede in our purpose The office of Teaching is the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church By that we are taught to knowe God and howe to serue him and what benefits to looke for at his hande without which knowledge there can be no felicitie but only destruction looked for according to the saying of the wise man where prophecying faileth there the people perish Albeit the office of teaching in these respectes as to know God and how to serue him and what benefites to looke for at his handes as the ordinary cause sine qua non without which there is no knowledge and without knowledge there can be no felicity but c. may wel be said to be the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church yet in respecte of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment which is the title of all this Learned discourse vnderstanding the same truly and plainly for the gouernment in of or ouer al Ecclesiastical causes how they should be ordeined directed or disposed I take it that this office of teachers admitting it were such a distinct office by it selfe from the office of Pastors as they woulde haue it is not the chiefe and principall office in the Church In Christe him selfe are the offices of a King of a Prieste and of a Prophete And in that he was a Prophete he was a Teacher also or Doctor Which office was so necessary to reueale the will of his heauenly father that both God the father said from heauen This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Mat 17 And Christ of himselfe Luc. 4. did reade this sentence The spirite of the Lord is vppon mee because he hath anointed mee that I shoulde preach the Gospell to the poore c. So that where no man saw God at any time except the onely begotâ—en Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father had declared him Io 1 As he saith also Io. 17. I haue giueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receaued them and beleeued them c. without the which teaching there can be no felicitie but only destruction looked for as he said before in the same prayer This is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ yet not-with-standing the chiefe and principall office of gouerning the Churche of God was neither this high and necessary office of his teaching nor yet that of his Priesthoode which was as necessary yea and higher in the actions of the office then the other But his royall and kingly office was and is the chiefe and principall office in him And much morâ— is it in the outward regiment of the Church in Ecclesiasticall causes wherein Moses was aboue Aaron Iosue Dauid Solomon c. were aboue the high-priestes them-selues And so remaines it still except ye can shew the order of these offices of the church inuerted Of which the Papistes would be glad and vrge it harde especially from Peter wrestling there-to the thréefold saying of Christ to him Ioan. 21. Feede my Lambâ—s feede my sheepe feede my sheepe Meaning not only his gouerning but his office of Teaching which was his especial feeding of them and they driue it all to gouerning aduauncing them-selues before all Christian Princes And yet we graunt that in the action of their seuerall Ecclesiasticall function or Church ministery they are aboue all Christian Princes representing God vnto them teaching and admonishing them and all other But not aboue them in gouernment of all Ecclesiasticall causes Which is the question in controuersie now betwixt vs on the one parte and the Papists and these our owne Learned discoursing Brethren seuering them-selues from vs and adhering though not to them yet to their errour by a new deuise on the other parte The Ministery is deuided into two functions they that exercise the firste are called Pastors the other are called Doctors or Teachers I pray you my Learned discoursing Maisters for my learning héere againe let me aske this When ye desired not to bee controlled for your methode differing from others did ye include this not to be controlled though ye differ from your selues also and speake yee care not what contradictions both one against an-other and against your
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do so aduance the sense therof that they become not coÌ„petible to mortal men especially being applied to the ordering gouerning of the churâ—h are not those names offiâ—es being simply taken without this composition seruing to builde the Ch. as S. Paule saith Ephes. 4. euen on the place that our Brethren do allege for pastors and Doctors that they are all giuen to the worke of the Ministery vnto the edifiing or building of the body of Christe c. So that indéed al these offices that Christe ordeyned are but builders of this mysticall temple vntill we all come to the vnity of faithe and of the knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ And who is the principall builder of this Temple but euen hee that saide of the Temple of his owne naturall bodie to the which his mysticall bodie is compared Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will builde it vppe againe Io. 6.21 Wheruppon saith S. Paule Heb. 9.1 c. holie bretheren pertakers of the heauenly calling consider the Apostle and heade-Priest of our coâ—fession Iesus who is faithfull to him that hath preferred him euen as Moses also in all his house For he was counted worthye of greater glorye than Moses how much greater honor than the house he hath that made it For euerye house is builded of some man but he that created all thinges is God And verilie Moses was faithfull in all his house as a seruaunt in witnesse of those thinges that were to bee spoken But Christe is in his house as a Sonne which house are wee if wee keepe firme and sure the confidence and glorye of hope vnto the ending Héere are these honorable names attributed both vnto Christe vnto Moses that as Christe was the builder of the spirituall house or temple of God so was Moses Christe as the sonne and owner Moses but as a seruaunt in Gods house and yet commeth in S. Paule 1. Cor. 3. v. 9.10 Ye are the building of God according to the grace of God that is giuen to mee I as a wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arch-builder or chiefe builder which we commonly traÌ„slatea Maister builder haue laid the foundation another buildeth vpon it What durst S. Paule say of himself he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which tearme principally is proper vnto Christ For the worde signifieth such principallitie and chiefe degrée applied by S. Paule vnto himselfe and that in the cheefest worke of Gods Church the building of it the worke that conteyneth all Ecclesiasticall offices and whereto all do tende and that without any derogation to Iesus Christe Although Christe absolutelie simply and aboue all be the onely and proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all this mysticall building And is this honorable name Elder of such honorable Eldershippe and prerogatiue aboue builder or of any such peculiar application to God the Father or to Christe the sonne that it is onely and properlye applyed to him Indéede Christe is called the olde or auncient of dayes not the elder except with addition our Elder Brother otherwise this honorable name is not so proper onelie to Christe to bée called Presbyter as to be called Sacerdos And therefore is lesse iniurious yea no iniury at all to the peculiar or to any other honorable name of our sauiour Iesus Christ to bee called Archipresbyter And yet if Presbyter had beene any name of Christe seeing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacerdos Pontifex yet admitted a mortal maÌ„ to be so much his figure euen of his Sacrifice that one aboue all the other sacrificing priestes was called also fummus sacerdos or Pontifex Maximus the highest sacred Minister or sacrificing prieste and chiefest Bishop without anie derogation to Christes honor yea it rather serued to his honor how much more then in this title Presbyter and Archipresbyter being names not so proper to him may a mortall man without anie dishonour to his prerogatiue reuerently be called Archipresbyter If it bee saide the highe-prieste was so called because hee prefigured Christe True it is But sith our Brethren confesse that those offices callings were likewise also for good order of discipline among them although that priesthoode both in him and in all other of that order of Aaron and Leui bee accomplished in Christe and so abolished yet as the degrees of order and differences of Ministers among them by our Brethrens owne confession was the signe also of the differences among vs So why not withall of the differences of degrees and dignities in the same And sithe our brethren alleage héereunto the Synagogues among the Iewes and their order théerein and that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chiefe gouernours or princes of the Synagogues which order of dignitie was not abolished by Christe and some good christians were suche among the Iewes not dissalowed but commended by S. Luke euen by that name Act. 18. ver 8. And Crispus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Arch-gouernour of the Sinagogue beleeued with all his house And although Paule after warde 1. Cor. 1.14 mencioning this Crispus tearme him not there the Arch-gouernour of the Iewes sinagogue yet as it further appeareth Act. 18. ver 17. by Sosthenes who was long before a faithfull Christian and as diuers alleage out of Eusebius lib. 1. cap. 13. he was also one of the 72 Disciples chosen of Christe So S. Luke calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Arch ruler or principall of the sinagogue continuing well inough the name and office of his dignity with the sinceritie of Christs religion any order then to the contrarie notwithstanding But if our brethren aske vs what we say to the other honorable name Archiepiscopus indéede wee néede saye the lesse to this of Archipresbyter Arch-prieste or Arch elder retayning no such name among vs as wee haue of Arch-deacon and Arch-bishop but because the name of Deacon is a name much lesse proper vnto Christ Arch-deacon may bee afforded with our brethrens lesse suspition of touching Christes glory and prheminence Deacon signifiing but Minister Arch-deac can signifie but a chiefe or principall Minister and therefore may be suffered with lesse enuie and we haue heard Zanchius Bucers allowance of it As for the name of Bi. being a name of dignity and being wel vsed as S. Paule saith deseruing double honor it is not only a name pertayning to Christe which is called the Bish. of our soules but also communicated by his Apostles vnto mortall men And though the name of Archb. signifie a principall ouerseer in his dignity being simply and absolutely vnderstod of Christe aboue all other is in very déede only the true archbishop yet since the Scripture expresseth no where this name either peculiarly or at all vnto him since so many holy fathers of so great antiquity both
thee me neither yet betwixt thy heardmen and mine and he addeth this reason For we are brethren Which reason did so mooue the prudent Ioseph that after he had reuealed himselfe vnto his Brethren returning theÌ„ to fetch his father fearing least any expostulations might breede iarres among theÌ„ he gaue them this especial charge See that ye fall not out by the way Thus did these auncient holy Patriarkes esteeme of coÌ„cord among brethren shunned as a thing most vnnatural all Brethrens discord Which the godly propheticall kinges Dauid Salomon well considering the father stirring vs vp to embrace this vertue Beholde sayth he how good and comely a thing it is for Brethren to dwell in one together Liking it to the precious balme that was powred on the head of Aaron and to the sweet dewe of heauen that falleth on the mountaines to make them frutefull The sonne in detestation of the vice contrary when he had set down the 6. things that the L. hateth Hautie eies a lying tong handes that shed innocent bloud an heart imagining wicked enterprises feete that are swift in running to mischiefe and a false witnesse that speaketh lies he concludeth as with a greater vice than all these in the seuenth and complete number with this sinne which he sayth the soule of God abhorreth And him that rayseth vp contentions among his Brethren And therefore when our sauiour Christ had fore-told his Disciples all the persecutions that they should sustaine by their outward enemies against all these that they might haue brotherly loue among them selues Peace sayth hee I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you And againe These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy which is the frute of peace might remayne with you and that my ioy might be full This is my commaundement that ye loue one another And so he knits vp his exhortation with this repetition These things haue I spoken to you that ye might haue peace in me Which bond of peace and loue in Iesus Christ one towardes another both the Apostle S. Paule the Doctor of the Gentiles and especially S. Iohn whom the Lord loued and S. Peter that so loued the Lord and S. Iames the iust in their Epistles so often and so earnestly call vpon and so vehemently disswade vs from contentions Empedocles among tâ—e heatheÌ„ Philosophers beholding the sympathie and antipathie that is in naturall creatures and being moued with the admiration therof concluded that all things were doâ—â— and vndone by concord and discord But to haue this order of nature so inuerted that those persons which are not only chained in this naturall Harmonie but also in a moâ—e heauenly concent should dissent be dissolued is farre more wonderfull thaÌ„ the composition of thinges contrary and that which is worse is much more ieopardous For as the Apostle warned the Galathians and by them vs If ye bite and deuour one another take heede least ye be consumed one of an other And since our Sâ—uiour him selfe hath so seuerely denounced that dreadfull sentence and it is a Maximie grounded on good reason Euery kingdome diuided against it selfe shall be brought to naught and euery Citie or house deuided against it selfe shall not stande no meruaâ—le if these contentions should hold on increase though our Brethren and we be moued hereat beholding this our most flourishing kingdome with these diuisions to be thus rent in sunder that almost no Citie or Towne in the same I can not say no house but is either diuided or at least disquieted by these factions Neuerthelesse this among other is our chiefest comfort against all these and other like tentations that hauing both of vs for the ground of our religion Gods euerlasting infallible truth for the which our common aduersaries do maligne and oppugne vs but can neuer expugne and ouercome vs for alwayes as Zorobabell â—ayde The truth is greater and stronger than all Howsoeuer therefore we be exercised with such plunges I meane not of the open enemies for the troubles that we receaue from them doe more corroborate vs in Gods truth but arising by the waywardnesse of our owne deare Brethren in the gospell that yet we should not be too much dismayed but stayed recomforted Sith that albeit these last dayes according to Christes and his Apostles prophecie are more contentious yet in serching the former ages we shall finde that this selfe same tryall of our faith is not now first laide vpon vs alone but that heretofore the Church of God and the most excellent Princes Prelates and people among them haue often times bought this experience very derely and with great molestations euen from their brethren No sooner had God deliuered his peculiar people from the Aegyptians bondage and idolatrie by the conduct of Moses and Aaron and giuen them lawes and orders to be gouerned by but those their guides were more molested and the people more wasted them selues by their owne mutinies than by the hande of any forraine enemies And since the comming of our sauiour Christ so soone as euer Constantine worthily surnamed the Great had extinguished all the tyrantes persecutions and procured publike peace vnto the gospell what a number of contentions straightwayes brake forth besides the conflictes with the pestiferous Heretikes among the true professors of the right faith euen for matters of discipline and orders disquieting the vnitie and concord of the Church and breeding no small griefe and stoppall to that good Princes proceedinges as we feele and lament the like in these our dayes There is great difference I graunt both in matter and manner of these contentions and in the qualities of the persons that breed these vexations euen as much as is between him that would plucke my coaâ—e from off my backe and so spoyle me and him that would pull my skinne ouer mine eares and so destroy me The controuersies between the common aduersaries and vs are pro Aris focis for matters that capitall matters of the substance life of our Christian religion not trifles as some newtrals would beare the people in hande And therefore our aduersaries in matters of religion are incensed against vs with mortall or rather with immortall hatred Whereas the controuersies betwixt vs and our Brethren are matters or rather as they call them but manners and formes of the Churches regiment Howbeit whether by sufferance or by neglect of them growen yet vnto so many heads and so sharply prosecuted not now contending so much for cappe surplesse nor for quarels at the vnlearneder sort of the poore ministers nor inuectiues against the Bishops their titles or their superiour iurisdictions only but withall calling in question all their whole authoritie their very ministery of the worde and Sacramentes and all our forme of publike prayers yea the prescription of any forme at all the alteration of all the Clergie the translation and new limitation of
not thinke héere vpon that bicause this gouernement is not héere mentioned among the gifts which our Sauiour Christ gaue to his church on earth when he ascended into heauen He was vnmindfull of his church or that S. Paule was vnmindfull of his giftes or that the church hauing not had this now desired gouernment for so manye hundreth yeares should haue béene so long time vnmindfull or destitute of the same if it had béene any matter wherein the perfection of the church consisted or the want thereof had béene any impediment to those ends that the Apostle héere citeth But we may rather thinke the contrarie that it was no such important matter and therefore not necessarie to be minded Well yet if it be not in the one place héere quoted it maye be in the other Let vs therefore likewise sée the other 1. Cor. 12.28 And there indéed are gouernours mentioned in expresse termes For where S. Paule had said Verse 27. Now are ye the bodie of Christ and members for your parte it followeth And God hath ordeined some in the church as first Apostles sâ—condlie Prophet thirdlie Teachers then them that doo miracles after that the giftes of healing helpers gouernors diuersities of toongs Héere are giftes reckoned vp Apostles and Prophets mentioned before and héere among other are gouernors named but what kind of gouernors Or whether with anie ordinarie forme and order of gouernement for the church alwaieâ— to be directed by any more then by anye other of the residue héere mentioned except Teachers which are alwaies necessarie for the instructioÌ„ oâ— doctrine and documents of life this place helpeth to our brethrens purpose no more then did the other Neither was the purpose of S. Paule héerin directed to any such bent but to exhort the Corinthians vnto edifiyng in vnitie and loue and not to distract themselues in faction about thesâ— giftes as he procéedeth saying Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Arâ— all Teachers Are all workers of miracles Haue all the giftes of healing Doo all speake with toongs Doo all interpret But desire yoâ— the best giftes and I will yet shew you a more excellent waie And so hâ— entreth into a lerned discourse indéed chap. 13. Not of this our brethrenâ— plotforme of ecclesiasticall gouernement as tending to the perfection of the church But of the excellencie of loue or charitie aboue all thâ— giftes and offices that he had named and maketh this the waie to tend vnto the perfection of the church concluding thus And now abidetâ— faith hope and loue these three but the cheefest of these is loue Thiâ— was the full drift of S. Paule in this place concerning the mysticall bodiâ— of Christe which is his church or house and that the building vp thereof euen where he speaketh of Gouernors and of the waye tending to perfection where he citeth many giftes and offices and yet can we nâ—t héere finde this platforme of ecclesiasticall gouernement which our brâ—thren desire seeke for now in the beginning of this learned discourse and afterwards againe and againe in these placeâ— And yet had there béene then in the church of Christ anye such plotforme S. Paule had in this place notable occasion to haue treated thereof But héere is no mention of it or of any peâ—petuall forme at all prescribed of ecclesiast gouernement saue onelie of Teaching except they wil include that in gouerning So that finding nothing hetherto to satisfie their desires in searching these two testimonies of the scripture let vs now procéed to search further with them for this matter We finde also that as the offices are diuerse of this ministerie so they are not generall vnto all the church but as order and necessitie require for executing of their office distributed and limited vnto certeine places or particuler churches according to the diuision of regions cities and townes For we read that Paule and Barnabas ordeined at Derbie Lystra Iconium and Antiochia c elders by election in euerie church with praier and fasting and so commended them to the Lord in whome they beleeued Also Paule left Titus in the Isle of Creta that he should ordeine Elders in euerie citie as he had appointed What our brethren did finde in the two foresaide testimonies of the scripture we haue alreadie séene that is to saye they haue found out in them for the confirmation of the question betwéene vs what more what lesse méere nothing Héere they tell vs they finde also that the diuerse offices of this ministerie are not generall vnto all the church But they finde also this so doubtfullye that we can scarce tell howe to finde also what it is that they saye héere they haue found For what meane they by these words that as the offices are diuerse so are they not generall vnto all the church Whether meane they not generall vnto all the church in respect of all the persons of whom the church consisteth that is to say not generall or coÌ„mon to all men Or meane they it in respect of the time that is to say they are not generall or perpetuall to all the continuance of the churche to the worlds end And if they do so why do they then alledge these places for them Sithe they can neither finde by them all the offices of eccl gouernmeÌ„t that they desire nor those places do diâ—â—inguish which diuerse offices of this ministerie are generall or perpetuall and which are not Or meane they generall in respect of all places wheresoeuer the church is through-out all the world dispersed And although this last sence seemeth to draw néerest to the coherence of their words following but as order and necessitie require for executing of their office distributed and limited vnto corteine places or particuler churches according to the diâ—isions of regions cities and townes yet â—re these wordes me thinkes as darke or darker then the other And â—â—ill 〈◊〉 correction I wishe they had for their owne sakes set downe their words more plainelie For my part I gather this of themâ— that for the executing of anye of those diuerse offices not speaking of those that are alreadie ceased but of those that are ordinarie offices which our brethren also make diuerse offices these cannot execute their offices but that for order sake and of verie necessitie these offices or officers must be distributed and limited either vnto certeine places or particuler churches where they may gouerne feede or teach the people and these certeine places or particuler churches are to be assigned or appointed vnto these diuerse offices or officers according to the diuisions of regions cities and townes that is to say some of these diuerse offices or officers to wit Gouernors Pastors Teachers to be distributed and limited some ouer regions other ouer cities and other ouer townes Is not this their meaning that these diuerse offices should be thus distinguished and limitted and that for order sake yea that verie necessitie dooth
require it for the better executing of their offices If this be not their meaning I cannot sée what better construction to make of their words And the verie examples which héere they finde also doo directlie confirme this sense For although in the one Act. 14.23 they tell vs that Paule and Barnabas ordeined elders by election Which example we shall afterwards God willing sée more fullie oftener then once discoursed yet neither followeth it that those presbyters preests oâ— elders must be vnderstood of a seniorie that are gouernors and not teachers to be elected or ordeined in euerie church and our brethren themselues before spoke onelie of an holie ministerie which words are vsuallie restrained vnto the diuine ministers of the word sacraments Neither followeth it that although the churches had elected them which cannot necessarilye be gathered on that text whome they knew fittest to be ordeined that therefore they had anye thing at all to doo in the ordeining or making of them For the text is plaine that Paule and Barnabas did ordeine them and not the churches with Paule and Barnabas did ordeine them As for their other example Tit. 1.5 dooth most apparantliâ— confirme the same and cleane ouerthroweth the ecclesiasticall gouernement that their selues desire For first what ecclesiasticall office Titâ—â— had the verie subscription of S. Paules epistle vnto him dooth declare To Titus the first elected bishop of the church of the Cretenses Which subscription what it inferreth we shall God willing haue further occasiâ—â— to note againe heereafter In the meane season it accordeth to our brethâ—rens saying that he had by S. Paules assignement for the executing of 〈◊〉 episcopall office the whole Ile and people of the Cretians as his prouince or region distributed and limitted vnto him And our brethren further confesse Also Paule left Titus in the I le of Creta that he should ordeine Elders in euerie citie as he had appointed And not onelie so but as appeareth by Saint Paules owne words For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest redresse the things that remaine and shouldest ordeine presbyters preests or Elders in euerie citie as I appointed thee What these Presbyters Preests or Elders were least we should vnderstand them to be Consistories of gouerning onelie and not teaching presbyters preests or elders He procéedeth saying If anie be vnreprooueable the husband of one wife hauing faithfull children which are not slandered of riot neither are disobedient For a Bishop must be vnreprooueable as Gods steward and so foorth as by the description of the properties there required dooth appeare especiallie the last that he may be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and improoue them that gaine-saye it Whereby we may plainelie sée that he meaneth onelie the Bishops and Presbyters Preests or Elders of the worde Héere of these Bishops and Presbyters Preests or Elders S. Paule giueth to Titus the authoritie or iurisdiction to be their ordinarie or the ordeiner of them in their Episcopall and presbyterall office without anye mention at all of any others election of them besides himselfe to appoint and ordeine such as he should sée to be sufficientlie qualified for those offices And that he should thus doo in euerie citie in Creta which Iland at that time had many and famous Cities To conclude he giueth him charge and so withall authoritie that hee should there continue to redresse those things that were remaining to be doone Which what things they were some orders perhaps of ecclesiasticall gouernement méete for their state yet bicause they are not specified no prescribed order of this or that ecclesiasticall gouernement can be inferred on those generall words Neuerthelesse they prooue that he had authoritie and that a continuing authoritie to redresse such ecclesiasticall matters as were amisse or not yet established among them So that héere is a manifest iurisdiction Episcopall yea Archi-episcopall not onelie ouer Pastors and Teachers being elders in euerie particuler church but also ouer Bishops hauing authoritie ouer whole cities Titus being aboue them all through-out yâ— who le I le as a Regionall or Prouinciall Bishop which we vsuallie call by the auncient terme Metropolitane or Archbishop And all this dooth héere by the waie before we come to the proper treaâ—isâ— thereof their owne example which they haue héere found out moste â—â—â—â—festlie prooue directlie against the ecclesiasticall gouernement that they seeke for From these places our brethren returne vnto the testimonies that they cited before prefixing one moe Rom. 12. vnto them Concerning the diuerse offices of the ministerie we are taught by Saint Paule Rom. 12.6 also 1. Cor. 12.28 and Ephes. 4.11 Where we reade that God hath ordeined in the ministerie of his Church thâ—se seuerall offices namelie Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors Doctors Gouernors and Deacons also men indued with the giftes of healing of powers or miracles and of diuerse toongs Concerning the diuers offices of the ministerie our brethren searched before but they could finde nothing for their desired Ecclesiasticall gouernement And yet heere the places which before were onelye cited in the margine are now ascited and promoted into the Learned discourse it selfe belike on hope of some better matter Howbeit they saye nothing They doo héere but muster on a plumpe come foorth for a shewe and so passe by in a confused order and not in their places as the Apostle setteth them downe And a number are left out that are also mentioneâ— in these chapters héere cited euen almoste as manye as bee héere nameâ— For besides these the Apostle Rom. 12. verse 6. reckoneth vp diuerse other giftes Seeing then saith hee that wee haue giftes which are diuerse according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether we haue prophecie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith or an office let vs waire on the office or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation be that distributeth let him doo it with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence he thâ—â— sheweth mercie with cheerefulnesse Héere are seauen giftes by the Apostle mentioned And 1. Cor. 12. beginning at the eight verse he saith Now there are diuersities of giftes but the same spirite and there are diuersities of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersities of operations but GOD is the same which worketh all in all But the manifestation of the spirite is giuen to euerie man to profite with-all for to one is giuen by the spirite the worde of wisedome and to another the worde of knowledge by the same spiritâ— and to another is giuen faithe by the same spirite and to another the giftes of healing by the same spirite and to another the operation of grâ—â—â— workes and to another prophesie and to another the discerning of spirites and to another diuersities of toonges and vnto another the interpretation of toongs Héere againe are nine giftes reckoned vp of the which eight were not before Rom.
12. as diuerse giftes named And in the place alreadie citâ—â— and viewed 1. Corin. 12. ver 28. are also eight or nine reckoned of the which two or thrée were not before specified And Ephes. 4. verse 1â— Likewise cited before and perused are foure named or if they distinguish Pastor from Teacher and so make them fiue yet remaine there moe then as manye moe againe as our brethren haue héere reckoned besiâ—â—â— those that are not in these but in other places mentioned But wherto arâ— our brethren or should we néede to be so curious in the enumeration of these diuerse giftes or offices Dooth it any whitte further our brethrens forme of Ecclesiasticall gouernement Or rather dooth it not in manye pointes confute it as by Gods grace we shall afterward sée Or doo they thinke that as there were so manye diuerse giftes or offices that they were all of them or all those persons that were of some one office of like measure in these giftes or of like authoritie in that office or that although they were diuerse giftes or officers one man might not haue diuerse of them all at one time without confusion But those pointes are debated afterward In the meane season all this hetherto prooueth nothing for the building of their platforme But it sheweth muche-how vnconsideratelie they heape vp these things with-out all order put in and put out making perpetuall or temporarie to serue for euer or to serue for a time what soeuer serueth their turne and humor and all to laye a modill of suche building as whereon all this new deuised Tetrarchie might be erected Which thing howe they do let vs sée now their procéeding further Of these offices some were temporall seruing onelye for the firste planting and foundation of the churche among the Heathen some are perpetuall perteining to the nourishinge and buildinge vp of the churche for euer Of the former sort were Apostles Prophets Euangelists men indued with the graces of powers of healings and of diuerse toongs Of the later kinde are Doctors Pastors Gouernors and Deacons The Apostles were ordeined by God and sent foorth immediatlie by Christe hauing a generall commission to spread the Gospell ouer all the worlde which when they had accomplished that office ceased Suche were the twelue Apostles Paule and Barnabas c. And for this cause the Apostles appointed Matthias in the place of Iudas according to the scriptures permitting neuerthelesse the election vnto God by casting of Lottes that the number might be full for the firste planting of the Churche But when Herode had slaine Iames the brother of Iohn with the sworde they chose no man to succeed in his place bicause they had no warrante of Gods worde but the Holie-ghoste as hee sawe it was expedient for the churche afterwarde seperated Paule and Barnabas which liued at Antioche as Prophets and Teachers to the worke whereto he called them The Prophets were such as were indued with a singuler gifte of Reuelation in the interpretation of the scriptures and applying them to the present vse of the churche of whome some also did foreshewe of things to come as Agabus Also there were in euerie citie that prophecied to S. Paule as he passed by them that bonds and afflictions were prepared for him at Ierusalem This office being in the number of them that were ordeined for beautifying the Gospell in the first publishing thereof it ceased with that singuler and extraordinarie gift to be an ordinarie function of the church The Euangelists were such as were stirred vp of GOD to assist the Apostles in their ministerie of generall charge in planting the same by their preaching but inferior in dignitie to the Apostles Such was Phillip that first preached the Gospell in Samaria whither Peter and Iohn were sent by the Apostles to conferre vnto them by praier and imposition of hands the visible graces of the Holie-ghost which Philip did not The same Philip in Acts. 21. verse 8. is called an Euangelist So was Timothie 2. Timoth. 4.5 such was Titus Silas and manie other This office also with the order of the Apostles is expired and hath no place Likewise as we doo plainelie see that the gifts of healing of powers or miracles and of diuerse toongs haue long since ceased to be in the church so the offices of them which were grounded vpon these gifts must also cease and be determined Therefore the Papists doo vainelie reteine the name and office of exorcists when they cannot cast out diuels and extreame vnction when they cannot cure diseases to speake with strange toongs which they haue not by inspiration and that without anie interpretation which S. Paule expresselie forbiddeth It is requisite and draweth néerer to the purpose to know what was temporall in these giftes and what perpetuall what is ceased expired determined and hath no place and what remaineth for feare we should offend either waie vrging that to be temporall which is perpetuall or that to be perpetuall which was but temporall For the error of this breedeth most of all these troubles betweene vs. Wherein our bretheren doo bothe wayes greatlie mistake these giftes For first where they saye Some were temporall seruing onelie for the first planting and foundation of the churche among the Heathen and of this former sorte they reckon vp the Apostles Prophets Euangelists men indued with graces of powers of healings and so they enter into their particuler prooues of the ceasing of these functions I thinke they maye better be-thinke them-selues that all these giftes and offices which their selues haue héere named did not so cease but that they haue since the firste planting and foundation of the churche among the Heathen continued longer time among the Christians Yea some of them haue for a great part of the time continued euen till our owne times yet continue As the operation of great workes Or if they meane thereby myracles which were not ordinarie no not in that extraordinarie time and as the hypocrites had them also so might and had diuerse of the Papists and yet their cause neuer the better And the like may we say of the gift of speaking with toongs which haue not béene by studie before learned as Anthonie c and diuerse also both of the ancient fathers and some among the Papists and some among vs haue not béene destitute of the gift of prophesie and much more may I say this for the gift of healing for none of these giftes or graces giuen then or since or yet to men inferre the gift grace of Gods election adoption or be of necessitie to saluation But were there no other gifts and offices then in the primitiue church but these six by our brethren heere reckoned besides the foure which they make standerds and remainers Looke on the places before cited and there we shall finde a great many moe of which the most part haue euer béene and yet
be vnder the Ecclesiasticall gouernment of Bishops and Arch-bishops And if they stand not thus to displace the superiour and the old standard to restore an inferiour and to set vp a new reuiued fresh and young Senior would so greatly blemish the bewtifull order of this supposed Ecclesiasticall regiment that as it is said at the second building of the Temple Esra cap. 3. ver 12. that many of the Priestes and Leuites and the chiefe of the Fathers auncient meÌ„ which had seene the firste house when the foundation of this house was laid wâ—pt with a loude voice So those that marke the bewtifull order of the Ecclesiasticall regiment in the Primitiue and pure Church indéede and the most bewtifull order of the Ecclesiasticall regiment that our brethren say the church is now restored vnto or rather vnder a name of restoring is not restored at all in those things for whiche they so contende that they rather hinder the course of the Gospell and decrease not encrease the kingdome of Christe deface his glorye make his Churche euill spoken of rende the vnitie thereof breake the broosed reede and quenche the smoaking flaxe and yet set all the house on fire and call this right reforming and restoring It woulde so little moue anye that seriouslye considereth it to embrace the state and order thereof as most bewtifull that if he did not detest it with the common aduersaries as most deformed yet loued he neuer so well the church yea the more he loued it it would make his eyes not for ioy but for gréefe of the sight to water their plants and his hearte throbbe yea bléede to behold now the moste bewtifull bryde of Iesus Christe howe her beawtie is vaded howe her ornamentes are spoyled howe her bodye is haled and almoste euen pulled in péeces what by her aduersaries what by our brethren her owne children and all vnder pretence of reforming and restoring her all is peace and encrease and glorie and embracing and bewtifull and blessed and prospered for the order and state of the Churche with them and wee that are the Churche of God also our state for sooth is a disordred state we labour long and we reape little profit by our labour Well yet thankes be to God if our state haue such ill lucke that our neighbours haue better and that this moste bewtifull regiment of the Church is restored at least among our neighbours Our neighbours This is a good hearing Aliquod bonum propter vicinum bonum And if they be so neare vs let vs know them that we may receaue some neighborlie comfort and refreshing by them Who are these our neighbors where this state thus happily is restored Do ye aske who they are Euen all the Churches that are rightlye restored Nay for Gods sake my Maisters say not so for then name me almost anie one reformed Church that in one point or other of order offices discipline rites and ceremonies differeth not one from another And which then among all these are these our neighbours which haue restored that regiment and are rightly reformed The Scottish reformed Churches are our néerest neighbours but is their gouernment and orders and making officers and administration of Sacramentes and booke of common Prayers all one with these our Learned discoursers and with the booke of common Prayers by our brethren now lastlie set forth Or rather is there not euen in the booke of common Prayer by them-selues compiled betwéene the written booke and that that is printed at Midleborough and that at London and that at Scotland aboue a hundreth yea 200. yea 300. differences one from an other and all in a booke little bigger then an Almanack but a matter wherin shoulde be greatest agréement of vniformity Nay doe our brethren héere at home agrée among them-selues in these matters of reformation Or if all bee now agreed may we set downe our rest vppon it and resolue our selues that these Learned discourses haue héere restored the onely very true whole perfect and right reformation of that moste bewtifull order of Ecclesiasticall regiment that was appointed and approoued by God himselfe exercised in the Primitiue and pure Church instituted and ordained to continue for euer O my Maisters take heede what yee saye least heereafter ye say had I wist Ye knowe whose saying that is Well well will perhaps our brethren saye some of our neighbors haue it wee name none leaste yee should say wee preiudice any good neighbour of ours as hauing not rightly reformed their Churches For though in all points that most bewtifull order of Ecclesiasticall regimeÌ„t be not restored yet is their state farre better than the disordered state of ours wherein we haue so long laboured with so little profite and contrariwise which GOD so many wayes doth blesse and prosper in our neighbours handes that if not the most yet the bewtifull order of Ecclesiasticall Regiment which they haue Yea the onelie experience of the daily encrease and glorie of the kingdome of Christe and suppression of the tyrannie of Sathan might be a sufficient perswasion for vs. Experientia est Magistra Stultorum as our brethren themselues doâ— afterwards pag. xlviij tell vs. When the Asse that caried Salte falling downe in the water and his salte melting awaie gâ—â— vp agayne discharged of his burden His fellowe Asse being loden with spoonges sawe that and hee fell downe likewise in the water to trie the like experience But his spoonges kept him downe his experience drowned him Non omnia conueniunt omnibus Experience is not alwayes good vppon examples Legibus non exemplis iudicatur Had our neighbours restored it in verye déede yet are not wee bounde to followe their example No not the example of the Primitiue Church it selfe and much lesse those that follow their example For wee séeke not nowe what we may doo or what might bee a sufficient perswasion vnto vs if we would but whetâ—er by any lawe or commaundement of Christe or anye of his Apostles wee be tied and bounde thereto yea or no. Thiâ— is the very point that wee demurr vpon If God haue so prosperously blessed them that would or haue happilie imitated that supposed old order of Ecclesiasticall Regiment God bee blessed for it We reioyce of it and congratulate with them which soeuer of our neighbours they be But neither they nor their imitation prâ—scribe vnto vs nor their experience would fitte vs. Diuerse féete haue diuerse lastes The shooe that will serue one may wring another Neither yet is our state inferiour to theirs or lesse blessed and prospered of the Lord nor hath had lesse encrease glory of the Lords kingdome nor is lesse bewtifull if we looke not with an euill eie and a male-contenteâ— minde on our owne state as he saith Fertilior seges est alienis semper in aruis Vicinumque pecus grandius vber habet There groweth alwayes greater stoare of corne within my Neighbours fieldes The greater
honestye of godlinesse can haue place in them I aunswere we must distinguish the matter by it selfe from the person and the lawfull from the vnlawfull vse For the vices of the men are not to be imputed to the order Moreouer the giftes of God are diuerse of the which some are common aswell to the euill as to the good as miracles Matth 7. externall peace fertilitie c. For God suffereth his Sunne to arise both vpon the good and vpon the euil And heereunto Mariage and Magistracie may be referred The substance of which things by it self as the good ordinance of God we must distinguish frō the vice of mē The question betwixt our aduersaries and vs is not of the persons or of the abuse of the Magistracie but of the very matter it self Which as it is not vitiated by the impietie of the Gentiles in Paules time so most commodiouslye may it and ought to bee administred of a Christian. To conclude it maketh nothing for the aduersaries nor hindreth the godly which execute the office of a Magistrate that Nebuchadnezer is called the seruaunt of god Hier. 25. For albeit the euill Magistrate also be of god in respect of the Diuine ordinaunce notwithstanding the malice of man is not therefore to be imputed to the order it selfe But of necessity we must distinguish the persons from the offices instituted of god Heere the aduersaries stumble on the fallacion of composition and on the fallacion of the accident as also in that sentence Rom. 13. wherby they confound the persons of the wicked their vices with the ordinaunce of god Nebuchadnezar is not absolutely called the Seruaunt of god but in a certaine respect to wit of the iudgement of god as it were a scourge wherewith the sinnes of the Israelites were visited But Paule calleth the Magistrate the minister of god simplie Yea he calleth him also a good ordinaunce Moreouer if Nebuchadnezar and the heathen Magistrate bee called the seruaunt and Minister of god to whome the godly were compelled to obey much more therfore euen by the comparison of the lesse to the greater the godly executing the office of a Magistrate are GODS Ministers to whome we owe obedience according to Paule 1. Tim. 6 ves 1.2 would god all would heere marke the venome of the olde serpent howe much more wee encline rather to rule and to abuse the Christian liberty than to obey Last of all Nebuchadnezar is not reprehended in the Scripture in respect of his Magistracy but in respecte of his malice c. Lo gentle Reader out of these thinges one of these two followeth of necessity either there ought to be a Magistrate among the Christians and that they may administer their Magistracie Or els Paule did amisse in writing to the Romaines of the matter Whether of these 2. shall wee beleeue The Apostle saith the Magistracie is of God the aduersaries denie that a Christian may execute this ordinaunce of god Is it not lawfull for a Christian to be of god Yea to bee good and to bee gods Minister See whyther pertinacy and partialitie will carry men awaie The aduersaries exclude Christian Princes that fauour not Anabaptistry from saluation when they them-selues are not afrayed to exercise among themselues the office of a Magistrate and to ioyne it with Faith Did not god commit vnto Moyses and to Esdras as to the Politique Magistrate the Libell of Diuorcement and matrimoniall controuersies to bee decided Wherefore doe you take vppon you the separation of those that are maried for the cause of Fornication and and of departure made from the infidels yea and that also the iudgement of Ciuill controuersies among your selues sithe that these things according to your saying haue no place in the Church of Christe nor can stande together with Faith Trulie one of these twaine followeth of necessitie heere-upon either the office of the Magistrate ought to haue place among them as the onely Christians or else they thruste their sickle into an-others haruest and arrogate to them-selues that that properlie belongeth to the Magistrate Lo gentle Reader thou seest the aduersaries contrary to their own doctrine turne indeede the office of the Magistrate to their own commendation which in Christian Princes they discommend As though that were lawfull for them whiche vnto other were not lawefull Not that the thing is diuerse but because the men are diuerse Markest thou not heere in the aduersaries the venome of the olde serpent and the seditious spirit of the Iudaicall Rebellion howe it enclineth more to Ruling than to obeying God requireth men that are valiaunt fearing God louers of the truth and of righteousnesse which hate filthie lucre and are prudent to be the ministers of God Exod. 18. ver 21. Deut. 1. ver 13. 2. Chr. 19. Psal. 2. v. 10. c. also Rom. 13 v. 4. Whether of these men are the fitter to execute these properties of Magistrates those that are straungers from Christe and from his church as the Iebusits Cananites to whom the aduersaries compare at this day the Magistrate or those that are true Christians and beleuers Paule Rom. 13. 1. Peter 2. do concordantly teach that the Magist. is Gods minister ordeyned for the praise of those that do wel and for the punishment of those that do ill To this accordeth Paule 1. Tim. 2. teaching that we must pray for all manner persons placed in highe authority that we may lead a quiet and honest life with all godlines Out of which places conferred together we see in breefe the Magistrates office is to minister vnto god the parts of whose Ministery consiste generally in the custody of both the Tables of the tenne Commaundements and first in the care of Religion Heereupon the volume of the Lawe is commended vnto the King Deut 17. and the execution against the despisers of religion Heereunto appertaine the examples of Moses Dauid Iosue Ezechias c. and 1. Tim. 2. godlinesse properly respecteth the worship of God and then in maintaining the publike peace as-well in defending the good as in punishing the euill and thirdlie in honesty of life whereby euerie one performes his dutie 1. Tim. 2. These finall causes therefore of instituting the Magistrate being set downe with what boldnesse take they awaye the vse thereof out of the Church of Christ Or els doe they dreame of such a Church as no man hath euer seene And if the office of the Christian Magistrate and custodie of the tenne commaundementes were taken awaie What I pray you would remaine in the worlde but meere Libertinisme and a licentiousnesse of all mischiefes If the aduersaries were not blinded in their owne selfe-loue and boldnesse they would easily learne this not onelie in them-selues but also in the examples of the faithful both of the olde and newe testament For if the godly haue no manner of neede at all of the Magistrate Why doeth Moyses complaine of the Israelites who did eate of the same
proper to their Ecclesiasticall functions but to ouer-sée gouerne and direct all Ecclesiasticall persons to doo their duties in all Ecclesiasticall causes and to haue the highest authoritie in the Churche for the ordering disposing and authorizing any order or constitution Ecclesiasticall in indifferent matters notwithstanding any assertion reason or proofe in this Learned Discourse as yet alledged to the contrarie And as the Christian Prince hath immediatlie vnder Christe this supreame first and principall authoritie so ought the Christian Prince by as good reason in the treatise of the gouernment of the churches Ecclesiasticall matters to haue had that supreame place which is first and principall and not that supreame place which is last and least of all or rather which is none at all while all Ecclesiasticall matters must be firste distributed among these foure estates and be onelie directed by them But vntill these foure be all serued in their places and orders her Maiestie and all Christian Princes must hold themselues contented with this and in the ende they shall sée further if any more authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters be left vnto them In the meane season let vs now returne whether our Bretheren leade vs to the producing of these foure Tetrarkes what their offices are how necessarie and important they be and what seuerall authoritie or in common is assigned vnto them The second Booke of the Doctor or Teacher The Argument of the second Booke THE second Booke is of their first Tetrarche called the Doctor or Teacher wherein after their resolutions of all the 4. Tetrarches with the effects necessitie thereof with chalenge of the Fathers alteration and the vnhappie successe of our disordered state after their Apologie for their methode of this Learned Discourse they come to their treaty of their Doctors That this D. is the cheefest office in the Church most necessarie and to be had in euery congregatioÌ„ And of their name institution office whether they be a seuerall office necessarilie distinguished from Pastors whether the Apostles words Rom. 12.1 Cor. 12. Eph. 4. do infer such distinction of office the interpretation of the ancient fathers and of the late writers on these places for this question especiallie whether the Doctors or Teachers must onelie teach true doctrine and confute false or may with their teaching ioine exhortation and application to their hearers Whether there were euer in the Olde Testament or in the New any suche Doctors as our Bretheren suppose with the examination of the examples they alleage What was the maner of the Doctors and Catechisers teaching in the Primitiue and auncient churches and what now in the churches reformed LET vs therfore returne to those offices of Ecclesiasticall Regiment which remaine to be exercised in the Churche of God being instituted and ordeined by Christe himselfe which before wee haue prooued out of the Scriptures to be onelie these Doctors Pastors Gouernors and Deacons whereof some apperteine to doctrine some to gouernement and discipline The dutie of Doctors and Pastors is cheefelie to teache and instruct the people of God in all things that God hath appointed them to learne The office of Elders and Deacons is to prouide that good order and discipline be obserued in the Churche IN this returne to these foure offices of Ecclesiasticall regiment these Learned Discoursers firste set downe as a cleare rase these resolutions That onelie thâ—se Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons doo remaine to bee exercised in the Churche of God That these foure offices of Ecclesiasticall regiment be instituted and ordeined by Christe himselfe and that they haue prooued this out of the scriptures Softe a while Brethren let vs returne with you Where I pray you and when and how and out of what places in the scriptures haue yée prooued this It was saide so indéed but not prooued Ye alleaged onelie thrée places Rom. 12. ver 6.1 Cor. 12. ver 28. and Eph. 4. ver 11. But neither haue ye Prooued out of any or all of those testimonies all these foure offices of Ecclesiasticall Regiment neither can ye doo it What these Gouernours were whether the same that Bishops or Pastors and Teachers or your supposed Seniors or any Ecclesiasticall or ciuill officers is not there or in any other place that ye haue yet cited either in the Text of scripture expressed or by any argumeÌ„t that you haue made Prooued Neither haue yée prooued that all these foure Ecclesiasticall offices were instituted and ordeined by Christe himselfe as héere you affirme Neither haue ye prooued that all these foure offices now remaine to be exercised in the Churche of God None of all these things are yet prooued as maye appeare by that we haue séene in all this your Learned Discourse hetherto and by all the places them-selues in the Scriptures And therevpon I put me to the veredict of euerie indifferent Readers iudgement And yet sée how boldlie you dare avowe all this and flatlie say thereon which we haue prooued out of the scriptures where neither the Scriptures which ye haue cited haue it nor yée haue prooued it out of them yea neither with them nor with-out them ye haue prooued it at all Now concerning the distribution of this foure squared gouernement to the which these offices are seuerallie to bee assigned whereas these Learned Discourses saye Whereof some apperteine to doctrine some to gouernement What doo ye héere deuide these foure officers into thrée wardes or into two If ye say into two for the distribution is manifest some to doctrine and some to gouernment discipline and not some to doctrine and to gouernement and some to discipline but the latter two gouernement and discipline not deuiding the same by a seuerall some but by the copulatiue and conioyning them togither gouernement and Discipline we conteyne vnder one of these two seuerall somes Verye well sayde and canne you thus your selues deuide these thinges and conioyne and it must bee holden for a good deuiding and conioyning and can you not bee content with Saint Paules like distribution where he saith Ephes. 4. ver 11. Hee therefore gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers The Apostle héere distributeth them by somes as you doo when he comes to this and some to be Pastors he addeth not as an other different office and some to be Teachers but as you doo héere saye some to gouernement and discipline including bothe togither without any further distribution vnder one some bothe apperteining to one office and yet you will solemnelie breake this order of Saint Paule contrarie to your owne order héere of distribution and where he makes but one office in two diuerse wordes you will deuide them into another some and make Pastors one office and Teachers another office by it selfe as that of the Euangelists distinct from the Apostles or from the Prophets But of your reasons why ye thus deuide these things
discipline whom they call Gouernours in the Ecclesiasticall state of this their desired regiment Yea their Pastors and their Deacons to For in such order as they prescribe them I thinke they will be all founde a newe kinde of ministerie howsoeuer they pretende to bring all thinges to that most perfecte and absolute order which God himselfe hath established by his worde But to set aside these termes of perfect and absolute what doe these men meane by so often inculcating of these sayinges Would they haue vs looke for Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes againe For they were the chiefest that were then of God himselfe established by his worde If they say they meane of such established as should be perpetuall let goe the perfection and absolutenesse of them and prooue the perpetuitie and necessitie of these offices And because all offices of the Church are so linked together as the members of one bodie whereof Christ is the head we will so describe one parte as the description of them all may be sufficiently comprehended therein As if a man would set foorth the manifold office vses of the hand he should declare what it doth alone and what it doth with the helpe of the other hande or with the arme with the brest with the knee or with the foote c. what it can doe with diuerse kindes of tooles and what without all manner of instrumentes This order wee thought good to obserue in describing the ministerie of the Church as by which both the distinction and communication of all offices seruices in the Church might most plainely appeare Otherwise we force not by what Methode so the same truthe bee plainely set foorth by any man And as we controll not other mens Methodes by ours so wee would not that other mens manner of teaching should bee preiudiciall to ours This we say because of them which eyther for lacke of wit or through too muche wilfulnesse if they see anie difference in the forme and order of teaching of diuerse men though in matter and substance they all agree they exclaime there is no vnitie and therefore no truthe among them That all offices of the Church are so linked together as the mēbers of one bodie whereof Christe is the head I thinke may be further called in question howe it may be rightly vnderstoode For the members of one bodie are so linked together and especially the officiall partes therof that if any of them be disioyned from the bodie beit hande or arme or brest or knee or foote the whole bodie is maymed Yea without th◠breast I take it it can not liue And as for the mysticall bodie of Iesus Christe whereof he is the heade though this communion bee in suche a mysticall sorte as the life of this head dependeth not vppon the mayming or taking away of anie parte or member of the mysticall bodie not taking anie life at all of anie parte of the bodie but giuing all th◠life they haue vnto all the partes thereof as the Apostle sayth Ephes. 4. that we should growe vp in him which is the head that is Christ by whō al the body being coupled knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture therof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receaueth encrease of the bodie to the edifying of it selfe in loue So that no true part or liuing mēber of this mysticall bodie can indéede be seuered from Christ their head as Christ himself saith I am the vine ye are the branches c. except they be such vnfruitful branches of whō he saith If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they burne But if they be◠members of the mysticall bodie indéede then may they safely boste with Paule Rom. 8. and say Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christe shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sworde As who say no. For saith he I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angelles nor principallities nor powers nor thinges present not thinges to come nor heighte nor depthe nor anie other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lorde And shall we nowe say that all offices of the Churche are so linked together as the members of one bodie whereof Christe is the heade For my parte I dare not anowe it of all offices of the Church Neither onely of those offices that are ceased as the Leuiticall Priestes or as the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes and diuerse others no nor yet of all the offices of the Church remayning and that haue continued and be still among vs as Pastors and Deacons which are two of these your foure offices For if we had no Deacons at all as we haue yet might the Pastors and Teachers office still continue entier in the substance of the office and much lesse empayred without anie such necessitie of these supposed Gouernours that are so importunately required But this cannot be eyther in all the members of a naturall bodie and muche lesse in anie of the members of the mysticall bodie where-of Christe is the head that they can be separated one from an-other and remaine entier and therefore all offices of the Churche are not so linked together as are the substanciall partes thereof As for these our Learned discoursers description of the Churches offices promising so to describe one part as the description of them all may be sufficiently comprehended therein although it be not materiall yet I sée not also howe they haue discharged this promise of theirs in describing euerie one of their foure officers after this manner as wee shall plainely perceaue in their treatise euen of their first office of Doctor immediately following Wherein they neither deale with nor speake of eyther their Deacons or their Gouernours or shewe howe their Doctor hath anie intermedling with them at all And therefore they faile both in the manner of this description that here vnnecessarilie they tye themselues vnto nor they do not after this example as if a man would set forth the manifold office and vses of the hand he should declare what it doth alone and what it doth with the helpe of the other hande or with the arme with the brest with the knee or with the foote c. What it can doe with diuerse kindes of tooles and what without al maner of instruments This order that here they affirme they thought good to obserue they haue not obserued Although if they had obserued the same the truthe and substance of the matter had béene neither the further nor the nearer saue that the perspicuitie of the order maketh the truthe of the matter more plainely appeare Otherwise as they say euen so say we we force not by what Methode so the same truthe be
Church may be instructed truly and let him meditate that onely that he may make the Churche more learned by his doctrine For he is a Doctor that formeth and bringeth vp the Church in the worde of truthe He that excelleth in the power of exhorting let him looke to this ende that he exhorte effectually But these offices haue a great affinity and also a knitting together betweene them-selues albeit they leaue not be diuerse No man indeed can exhorte but with doctrine neuerthelesse he that teacheth is not straight wayes indued with the gifte of exhorting Now no man either teacheth or exhorteth but he ministreth But as we see also and acknowledge in Gods gifts it is enough to be fitte for the order Ecclesiasticall Thus modestly doth Caluine mitigate the matter euen where he maketh them diuerse offices Not that he which teacheth can not nor may exhorte as our brethren here peremtorily permit him not but that straight waies he is not endued with the gift of exhorâ—ing As who say in time he may be and many are and it is enough if he be fitte for the Eccl order of the ministerie Peter Martyr saith on these wordes He that teacheth in teaching The Apostles gaue a moste fayre example of this precepte when they saide It is not meete that we should leaue the word of God and minister at the Tables For sith they were instituted of the Lorde to teach the world their will was to be done in doctrine Now if this be the fairest example of this precept of Paule concerning teaching Did not the Apostles alwayes intermingle exhortation with their doctrine But let Peter Martyr procéede on these wordes He that exhorteth in exhorting These two are of very neere affinitie between themselues to teach and to exhorte and sometimes both of them are graunted to one man Notwithstanding now and then and for a great part they are deuided For ye may see some that can teach aptlie and clearely set forth most cunning matters and expounde hid thinges manifestlie and yet for all that euen the same men are meruelous colde in exhortations Some there are whose dexterity and forciblenesse is wonderfull in exhortations who notwithstanding to teache are of all other most vnfitte Out of the words of the Apostle to the Corinthians a little before alleadged wee see how the giftes of Prophecie are distinct We haue in the first place He speaketh edification which appertayneth to doctrine Secondly exhortation wherby men are stirred to do good and to shunne euill In the 3. place is added Consolation For it often commeth to passe that some are broken with aduersitie who thereupon may seeme eyther that they wil dispayre or that they will fall away from the truth Wherfore it is necessary that they be helped with consolation this part Paule heere doth not prosecute I suppose bicause hee comprehendeth it vnder exhortation But howe much doctrines and publike exhortations were in vse accustomed in the Church in the auncient time may be gathered of that chapter to the Cor. 14. Yea these were neuer left off no not in the Synagogues of the Iewes so often as the sacred assemblie was Which may be proued of that that when Christ sat among them in the Sinagogue a booke was sent to him to expounde somewhat to the people And when Paule and Barnabas came to Antiochia of Pisidia as is conteyned in the 13. chapter of the Acts and when they came to the Synagogue with other Iewes the ruler of the Sinagogue said vnto them If yee haue the word of consolation for the people saie on Whereby it is apparant that consolation being contayned vnder exhortation and by these examples of the Doctors and the Teachers thus intermingling consolation with their doctrine and teaching that although in some excelling in one of these giftes and not in both yet the ordinary vse was aswell to ioyne exhortation vnto doctrine as doctrin vnto exhortation And this doth Gualter set out yet more plaine In the 3. place saith he he setteth Doctors These he willeth to bee diligent and industrious in teaching to witte that they should instructe the people committed to their trust diligentlie and edifie all in true faith and godlinesse c. To conclude let them apply euery thing vnto their hearers that they may perceaue these things to be spoken vnto them and to appertayne vnto them And so shall they be true Doctors and cutte the woorde of God aright when they shall remember that there is no lesse neede of prudence then of faith if they will performe these thinges In which wordes he maketh not onely the doctrine of true faith but godlinesse prudence and application to the hearers to bee necessaryâ— pointes and no lesse néedefull than the other appertayning to the office of the Doctors In the fowrth place saith he he setteth exhortation vnder doctrine For althoughe these 2. maye seeme to bee ioyned together moste neerely betweene them-selues yet are they diuerse giftes Neither is hee alwayes furnished with both of them that hath the one of them For such there are that haue an excellent perspicuitye and facilitye of Teaching and when they come to Exhortation those men arevery colde especiallye if they light vppon such as are stubborne and such as will aunswere them againe and vpon great personages and on suche as are aduaunced with publike authority Againe yee shall see others who when they can do lesse in teaching if at any time they must dispute of darker matters and yet are they most vehement in exhorting and with a certaine maruelous waight of argumeÌ„ts do pierce euen the most obstinate mindes But howsoeuer things are we ought alwayes to remember that in the Church of God there is neede not onely of meere doctrine but also of exhortations and that for the disposition of the froward flesh which often is woont to looke backe yea and to stay in those thinges which it knoweth to bee holye and wholesome For there is such negligence of men saith Hemingius yea euen in the businesse of their owne saluation that except they bee prodded with the goades of exhortations and chydings the doctrine remayneth vneffectuall Let therefore the Pâ—eachers of the worde in this place be admonished that not only they shoulde thinke it is their office to teach those things that are right but also to applie the doctrin to the hearers Which thing is done when as according to the example of Christ of the Prophetes and of the Apostles those things which they haue taught they do as it were instill them by exhorting stirre vp diuerse motions of affections Let him teache in doctrine exhorte in exhortation saith Bullinger that is to say let him so teach and exhorte as godlinesse perswadeth and becommeth the Christian doctrine to be Of the which also the Apostle Peter saith If any man speak let him speak as the words of God In which wordes he maketh both these actions of teaching and exhorting to
the spirite and of miracles that they erred not in doctrine but that their doctrine was diuine and Caelestiall to the which all other Doctors should bee bounde Secondlie Prophets who either had reuelations of things to come either who interpreted languages and the Scriptures for those that were more growne for these things are attributed 1. Cor. 14 to the Prophets of the new Testament Thirdlie Euangelists who were not Apostles and yet they were not assigned to one certeine Churche but were sent to diuerse Churches that there they might teache the Gospell but cheefelie that they might laye the firste foundations Suche an Euangelist was Philip Act. 21 Timothie 2. Tim. 4 Tichicus Syluanus c. That also there were suche Euangelists after the Apostles times Eusebius testifieth lib. 3. cap. 37 c. Fourthlie Pastors who were placed ouer a certeine flocke of the Churche as Peter sheweth 1. Peter 5 and did not onlie teache but also ministred the Sacraments and had the viewe of the hearers as Ezechiel 34. describeth the office of the Pastorship Fiftlie Doctors vnto whome the cheefe gouernement and view of the church was not commended but onelie to set foorth doctrine simplie to the people such as afterward were Catechists So Rom. 2. Paule calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Teacher of Infants and so in this signification is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Teache expresselie vsed Heb. 5. Héere Kemnitius séemeth to make greatlie for your dinstinguished Doctors and that they might not exhorte And yet marke that place better where S. Paule saith Hebr. 5.12 For whereas concerning the time ye ought to be Teachers yet haue we neede againe that wee teach you the first principles of the worde of God and are become suche as haue need of Milke and not of strong meate c. And yée shall sée that S. Paule euen in those wordes verie oratoriouslie dooth mooue them Besides that the Epistle hath many and singuler exhortations and applications c. And if ye further marke ye shall finde all contrarie to you euen where your Eldership and Bishoprike is also made all one For it followeth but all these degrees the Apostles comprehend in the name of Eldership or Bishoprike So that your Elders that are Bishops are not onely Pastors as you would haue them but your Doctors also are Elders that are Bishops cleane contrarie to your distinguishing of them Now and then also by a generall name they call them Deacons vnto whom the ministerie of the worde and Sacraments is committed Col. 1 1. Thes. 3 2. Cor. 3. 11 Ephes. 3. Paule himselfe also did sometimes so regard the Ministerie of the worde that hee commended the administration of the Sacraments vnto others 1. Corinth 1. Christe sent not me to Baptize but to preach the Gospell And 1. Tim. 1 he mencioneth two kindes of Elders or Priests of whom some laboured in the worde and doctrine some were set ouer the ecclesiasticall Censures of which kinde of Priesthood or Eldership Tertullian also recordeth in Apologet. ca. 39. These are almost the degrees into which the offices of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie in the time of the Apostles are read to be distributed And that distribution hath the examples also of the olde Testament For Dauid 1. Par. 23 and in the chapter following distributeth the Ministerie of the Temple into certeine degrees and orders There were also in the Synagog Readers which onelye read the text of the Scripture But besides there were Doctors which interpreted the Scripture and applyed the texte to exhortations Luke 2 Act. 15. And this was the difference betweene the Scribes and Phariseis Wherby we sée also that these Doctors that were interpreters of the Scriptures bothe before the time of Christe and his Apostles héere in earth and after in all their time were not so to teache and interprete the principles of religion but that with-all they applyed the same to exhortations Now vpon all these degrees and orders Kemnitius gathereth these generall rules But for this present disputation this admonition is to bee added Firste that it is not in the worde of God commanded which or how manie or that suche orders ought to bee And héere I beséech you good Learned Bretheren note this admonition well and I thinke this one admonition maye suffice to answere all your Learned Discourse For the principall question betwéene vs is not what orders and degrees were in the Apostles times of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie but whether those orders and degrees or suche orders or degrees and how manye of them are commanded and so of necessitie ought to be reteined yea or no. Secondlie that in the time of the Apostles there were not in all churches and alwayes the selfe-same and so manie degrees or orders The which thing is manifestlie gathered out of the Epistles of Paule written to diuerse Churches And this is also another notable admonition to be well pondered yea all the peyse of our principall question lyes againe héereon For as before if there were no commaundement or prescribed rule to all ages so héere if there were no vniuersall practise in all Churches in the Apostles times or where there was a practise of these orders and degrees it continued not then alwaies but changed howe are we now bounde to an vniuersall and perpetuall practise of those degrees and orders Neither doo we finde in Paules Epistles this diuersitie of practise for other orders or degrees onelye but euen of Pastors whome yée call Bishops not mentioned 1. Cor. 12 where so manye are reckoned vp and among other Gouernours whose office yée say consisteth onely in gouernement and not in publike teaching And S. Paule Ephes. 4. where hee mentioneth Pastors omitteth these Gouernours and yet in bothe places of purpose he handleth the orders of Ecclesiasticall ministerie And in the latter where he omitteth these Gouernours that you vrge hee setteth downe without any mention of them the end of these orders to be for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christe till we all meete togither in the vnitie of faithe and knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe And woulde wee haue a more fulnesse then this And yet are your Gouernours cleane left out This I say would be substantiallie noted for these orders And albeit Kemnitius héere doo with-all gather that in the Churche of Ephesus there were also Elder-Gouernors some-what like suche as you prescribe yet by this Epistle to the Ephesians and by Kemnitius admonition it appeareth they were not there alwaies Nor the words to Timothie doo necessarilie inferre that there were there and then anye such kinde of Elders But whatsoeuer they were all Churches were not alike in these orders Thirdlie saith Kemnitius there was not in the time of the Apostles suche a distribution of those degrees but that more
in Ignatius or other auucient writers whosoeuer they be whatsoeuer they speake or write neuer so-good neuer so holie neuer so true what though it were when the bishop of Sathan was not yet founde out if it once be towching the authority of bishops Ouer-seers it is all to be reiected with this contumelie It is to be vnderstode of this kinde of bishoppe whiche is called The bishoppe of Man that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God Thus doth this moste Reuerend and Learned man froÌ„ beyond the Seas in a round conclusion giue his iudgement of them and so he leaueth them Let vs now therefore leaue him also to returne a Gods blessing beyond the Seas from whence he came and with all due reuerence taking our leaue of him in expectation of other reuerend and learned Fathers Iudgements from beyonde the Seas also Let vs now for the present returne home to our Brethren where we left them in their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIFT BOOKE PROCEEding still further on the Pastors THis booke treateth specially on the Iudgements of other reuerend and godly learned men from beyonde the seas also in the late reformed Churches concerning this superiour authority dignity of one pastor in a citie or Diocesse or Prouince ouer his brethren and fellow pastors Which one was called in a citie or diocesse bishop in a prouince Archb. To the proofe whereof are alleaged vpon our brethrens allegation of Titus What superiour authoritie he had ouer all the pastors of Creta with the iudgements of Bullinger Caluine Aretius Hemingius Herebrande with the orders of other reformed Churches for their Superintendents speciall and generall The B. and Archb. of the fathers and other canons of the auncient churches regiment approoued by Caluine in Geneua with the approbation of Ieromes sentence and that this order was in the Apost times and not contrary to the Apostolicall Doctrine with Caluines epistles to diuerse B. and Archb. to the King of Polonia approouing this superior authority and his generall rules for all popish B. conuerted to the gospell The iudgement of Zanchius and Bucer for those olde orders specially of bishops Archb. for the old clericall discipline and regimente due vnto them of the obiections to the contrary out of Peter and of the Titles proper to Christe and whether the name Archb. be coÌ„petent to any Minist of Peters Title of fellow Elder and of Christs prohibitions of Titles rule of his example of washing his Disc. feet c. and of humility Lordship of bishops holding temporalities royalties of obedieÌ„ce vnto them in the same of Diotrephes with caueats for the Ministers lawful authority and against vnlawfull liberty by aequality lastly of Bezaes iudgement on these matters for the Apostles and the auncient orders of the renuing those orders in the state of Geneua The Learned Discourse IN the same manner of speaking he describeth the qualities of those which were to be chosen Bishops and Deacons Likewise vnto Titus 1.5 Hee calleth them elders and immediately after describing the qualities of such as were meet to be ordeyned elders hee calleth them bishops saying For this cause did I leaue thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse the thinges that remayne and that thou shouldest ordeyne elders in euery City if any bee vnreprouable the husband of one wife hauing faithfull children which are not accused of riot nor are disobedient For a bishop or ouerseer must be vnreprouable as the steward of God not froward c. COncerning the communicating of these names Pastors Priestes or elders and byshops indifferently or the being of the office all one and the same vntill furder order in the Apostles times were taken we haue at large before declared But as for the matter that among these Pastors Elders or bishops some one Pastor elder or bishop had a superior gouernment ouer many of the residue in the same order as wee haue plainly prooued it by Saint Paule through-out all the same his Epistle to Timothy héere alleaged and also out of the other Epistle vnto him so for this Epistle likewise vnto Titus 1.5 Which Epistle appeareth to be so late written by Saint Paule that there is no such iourney or aboade in any such place mentioned in all those iourneyes which Saint Luke so diligently in the Actes recordeth therfore it should rather séeme to be written after that time Bullinger in his Preface on this Epistle to Titus sayth when it was written eyther before or after the Apostle was taken it is not euident ynough Theophilacte thinketh it written before his bondes and before the later to Timothie were published Certainely hee that wil search it more diligently shall not want coniectures whereby it may be gathered that it was written after that by the sentence of Caesar hee was at Rome acquitted But were it written then or after or before or as Chytreus also in his Onomastichon gathereth yet maketh it no lesse if not much more vnto this purpose that euen at that time while the name of Preest or Elder and Bishop was yet vsed in common notwithstanding there was yea and that no small difference among these Preestes or elders and Bishops in the degree of superiour gouernment which is apparant by the text it selfe wherein Saint Paule giueth Titus beeing a priest or elder or pastor or Bishop a greate deale more authority and superior dignitie then ordinarilye appertayned to euery Preest or elder or Pastor or Bishoppe or by what name soeuer they were tearmed Which Caluine himselfe vpon these wordes For this cause haue I lâ—ft thee in Creta c. doth note saying This beginning doth clearely shewe that Titus is not so muche admonished for his owne sake as commended vnto others leaste any shoulde hinder him the Apostle committeth vnto him his owne turnes Wherefore it behooueth that hee bee acknowledged of all men for the Apostles Vicar and bee reuerentlye receyued For sithe that no certayne station was assigned to the Apostles but an office enioyned to them of spreading the Gospell through-out all the worlde whereas therefore they trauayled out of one city into another they vsed to substitute fitte men in their place by whose labour that which they beganne shoulde be finished So Paule boasteth that he founded the Church of Corinth but other were the master workman which ought to builde therupon that is to further the building This indeede belongeth to all Pastors â—or the Churches shall alwayes haue neede of encreasinges and of furderaunce so long as the worlde endureth But beyonde the ordinary office of pastors a care of ordeyning the Churche was committed to Titus for pastors are wont to bee placed ouer Churches that bee already ordeyned and formed in a certayne manner But Titus susteyned a certayne burden more that it is witte
that the Church is kept by order and lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lacke of order For which cause he hath instituted many also and diuerse orders of ministers not onely in times past in Israell but also after-wardes in the Church gathered together of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and also for the same cause hee hath left it free vnto the Churches that they might adde moe orders or not adde them so that the same may be done to aedification Whereas therefore when all the Ministers of the worde were called equally both Pastors and also Bishops also Priests or Elders and whereas they were of equall authoritie one afterwarde beganne to be preferred aboue all his Colleagues howbeit not as their Lorde but as the Rector in the vniuersitie aboue his other Colleagues to this man in principall the care of the whole Church was cōmitted whereupon and by a certaine kinde of Excellencie hee alone was accustomed to be called by the name of bishop and Pastor the residue of his fellow Ministers being contented with the name of Priests or Elders in so much that in euery City there began to be one onely Bishop and many Priestes or Elders This thing we iudge cannot be dissalowed Of which matter the declaration and the sentence of Ierome both otherwhere and also in the epistle to Euagrius and in the commentaries of the Epistle to Titus chap. 1. is of vs approued Who saith all this came rather of custome than of the verity of the Lordes disposing that the plants of dissensions of schismes might be taken away Verily by this reason those things also that were ordeyned concerning Arch-bishops yea and of the 4. Patriarkes euen before the Nicene Councell it selfe wee thinke may be excused and defended although that all thinges in successe of time afterwardes were drawen awaye vnto the greatest tyrannie and ambition which is the cause why that the neerer wee approche in those orders to the Apostolicall simplicitie so muche the more is it also of vs allowed And we iudge that euery where they should endeuour to approch thereto Nowe when Zanchius hath added certaine other Aphorismes concerning the Church and the lawfull Ministers thereof he setteth downe Aphorism 20. their authoritie saying We beleeue also that great authoritie is of Christe giuen vnto the lawfull Ministers to wit to performe those thinges whereunto also they are called to preach the Gospell to interprete the holy scriptures according to the analogie of the faith to catechise to teach the people what is the will of God to reprooue and rebuke as well the great as the small to remitte or reteyne sinnes ministerially to binde the impenitent and to loose the repentant to administer also the Sacraments which Christ instituted and according to his manner deliuered to exercise Discipline after the prescription of Christe and also by the expounding of the Apostles to conclude to all those things also which though they be not expressed in the holy scriptures notwithstanding do appertaine to order and to comlinesse and make to edification but not to destruction according to the generall rule deliuered of the Apostle That all thinges ought to be doone in order decently and to aedification For neither doe we beleeue that any authoritie is giuen to the ministers that ought to be stretched beyonde the boundes of Gods worde or vnto anie other ende than to the aedification of the Church And therefore we vtterly deny that any Bishop yea or that all of them together haue authoritie of ordeyning any thing contrarie to the scriptures of adding any thing vnto them or of takeing any thing from them of making newe articles of the faith of instituting new Sacramentes of bringing into the Church new worships of setting forth lawes that should bind the consciences and that should be made equall in authoritie to the lawe of God or of hauing dominion in the Church and consciences of the faithfull of forbidding those thinges that God hath graunted and would haue to bee free Or finally of commanding any thing that is without the worde of God as though it were necessarie to saluation sithe that it can not truely be sayde that indeede the whole Church hath not this authoritie Hauing thus in euery particuler set downe and limited the authoritie of the lawefull Ministers of the Church according to the worde of God he procéedeth Aphorisme 21. vnto this that the politike authoritie of Bishops which also are Princes is not to be denied for any thing before restrayned In the meane season we denie not that Bishops which with-all are also Princes besides the authoritie Ecclesiasticall should also haue their lawes politike and powers seculer yea euen as the rest of Princes haue the right of the commaunding seculer thinges the right of the sworde some of them the right of Electing and confirming kinges and Emperours and of ordeyning and administring other politike thinges and of compelling the people subiecte vnto them to yeelde them obedience and there-upon we confesse that vnto their politike commaundementes which with-out the transgression of Gods lawe may be kept their subiectes ought to obey not onely for feare but also for conscience For we knowe that all power is of God and who-so-euer resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God And that moreouer kinges are to be honored and we ought to be subiect to Princes and Lords in all feare not onely to those that are courteous and modest but also to the froward and wicked To conclude when he commeth to Ecclesiast Discipline which Aphorisme 36. he deuideth into popular and clericall in the 3. part of the clericall discipline Aphorisme 38. he saith The third is that they should promise peculiar obedience in things that are honest vnto their Bishop and to the Metropolitane of the Bishops Nowe although by all these Aphorismes of this excellent Learned man and great light of our age Zanchius it is most apparant what his Iudgement is of the superioritie of Bishops and with what reasons he prooueth and confirmeth the same to be in all pointes agréeable to Gods worde Yet for the further confirmation of these thinges and to satisfie all suche as shoulde or did mislike anie thing conteyned in them let vs also not thinke it tedious to peruse certaine other obseruations that he hath lastly adioyned to these Aphorismes in the foresaid confession of the faith with the preface of his reasons for the same The obseruations of the same Zanchius vpon his confession Neither fewe nor light are the causes with the which I was drawen that I had leauer adde these obseruations to my confession apart by thē selues than to alter any thing therein There are not a fewe vnto whom it is knowen on what occasion at what time by whose commaundement in whose name and to what ends I being indeede vnwilling and compelled wrote the summe of the Christian Religion But although ech man seeth that this
attempted to take vpon him Of which contention very many Epistles among the Epistles of S. Gregory lib. 5.6.7 are extant At the length vnder Phocas the Romayne obteyned this Title of the vniuersall Bishop Which title by little and little the bishops of this sea began more to abuse vntil vpon occasion first by the diuision of the Empire vnder Charles the greate afterwards by the discordes of Princes and nations whereby they brake the power of the Emperor of the West and of other kings They haue lift vp themselues into that Anti-Christian power whereof now they vaunt hauing firste oppressed the power of the Bishops and then also of the kings and Emperoures Thus therefore hath Sathan ouerthrowne all the healthfull obedience gouernment of the clerical order For the Romaine Antichriste hath taken an immediate Empire vnto himselfe ouer all the Cleargy and also ouer the Laity hath dissolued the custody of the Bishops when they were good and their care towards those that were commended to their truste But because it is altogether necessary that euery of the Clerkes should haue their proper keepers and carers for them the power and authority as of Bishops so also of Archdeacons and of all other by what meanes soeuer they be esteemed vnto whome any portion of keeping and gouerning the Cleargie is committed is to be restoared and also their vigilancy and heedfull regarde or correction leaste any should bee at all in this order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnkept Thus farre Bucer not onelye faithfully reciting but also praysing the custome of the auncient church in diuers orders of Ecclesiastical functions to be ordeined of the which we haue before spoken Moreouer I ought also to haue had consideration of those churches which although they haue embraced the Gospel notwithwanding both in matter and in name they haue retayned their Bishops and Archbish. Besides that in the Churches also of the Protestants there want not in very deede Bishops and Archbishops whome hauing chaunged their good Greeke names into euill Latine names they call Superindentes and generall Superindentes but where also they neither obteine these old good Greeke names neither these newe euill Latine names euen there notwithstanding some principals or chiefe are wont to bee vnto whome almost al the authority doth belong Poynting out as it should séeme to Geneua c. The controuersie therefore should haue beene of names but whenas we agree cōcerning the matters what do we brawle concerning the names In the meane season euen as I haue not dissallowed the Fathers in that matter whereuppon the quaestion is so can I not but loue our mens zeale Who haue therefore hated the names bicause they feare least with the names the olde ambition also and the tyrannye with the ruine and desolation of the Churches might be called againe Thus reuerently writeth Zanchius of these Ecclesiasticall orders of this superiority of Bishops and Arch-bishops yea and of the Patriarkes also before the pride and tiranny of Antichriste came and that it came not by these orders and dignities but by the ambitious breaking and violating of them and he neither disalloweth but highly commendeth these Fathers and these orders and dignities as good and necessary and nothing preiudiciall to the word of God nor condemneth the zeale of these our brethren though he shewe withall that albeit they shunne and hate the name of Bishop and Archbishop yet they haue the matter and retain still such principall or chiefe ministers among them to whom almost all the authority doth belong Now as hee hath thus at large defended and confirmed his 10. 11. Aphorismes so comming to the 12. he proceedeth against the ambition tyrannie of the Pope to shew that none of al these orders and dignities no not of the Patriarkes were any occasion therunto saying For neither Christe ordeyned such an head neither the auncient Fathers would admit it bicause it was not expedient for the Churche But they were contented with 4. Patriarks the Romain the Cōstantinopolitane the Alexandrine and the Antiochien who all of them should be of equall authority and power and ech one should bee content with his owne bowndes euen as it was defyned in the Nicene Councell confirmed in others and that not without great waighty causes Of the which this in my iudgement is not the laste to wit leaste the dores should be opened vnto tyrannie in the Church but rather that if one should dare to attempt any thing contrarye to the sownde doctrine of Christ and contrary to the liberty of the Church The other Arch-bish being of no lesse authority with their bishops might oppose themselues and dawnt his boldnes breake his tyrannie The Church in respecte of Christe is a kingdome In respect of men that are in the same eyther do rule or be ruled it is a gouernment of the best persons This is Zanchius graue iudgement euen of these Patriarkes that if they had beene kept as they ought to haue béene and according to the good purpose of their institution they were so litle occasiōs to any popish pride or tyranny that they were the most especiall suppression of it and of al errors and factions in the Church and that it impeacheth nothing Christes kingdome And what hath Zanchius said héerein saue for the bare title of Hierarchie that Caluine himselfe doth not anow who saith Institut Chr. cap. 8. de Fide Sect. 54. But that al the particular Prouinces had one Arch-bishop among the Bishops and that in the Nicene Councell Patriarks were ordeyned that in order and dignity should be superiour to the Arch-bishop that thing appertayned to the conseruation of discipline Albeit in this disputation it can not be ouerpassed that these degrees therefore were chieflye instituted for this cause that if any thing should happen in any Church which coulde not be well dispatched of a few it should bee referred to a prouinciall Synode If the greatnesse and difficulty of the cause required also a greater discussing that Patriarkes were adhibited together with the Sinodes from the which there should be no appeale but a generall Councell The gouernment being thus constituted some called it an Hierarchie an holy gouernment or sacred principalitye by a name as seemeth to mee vnproper verily vnused in the Scriptures For the holy Ghost would take heede least any should dreame of principaiity or Domination when as the gouernment of the Church is treated vpon Howbeit if omitting the name we shall looke into the matter we shall find that the old Bishops would not faigneanother forme of gouerning the Church different from that which the Lord by his word prescribed Thus also doth Caluine his selfe confesse besides that which he before cōfessed And what shoulde wee then as Zanchius saide brawle about the name the matter whereof is thus of al these so excellent learneed men both the auncient Fathers and also the late or yet lyving moste
that they be not absolutely denied from the Woman For that was so little the meaning of S Augustine to affirme that Women can not possibly and lawfully haue any ciuil principality ouer men that in his 253. sermon de tempore he acknowledgeth so farre forth the Queene of the South that he maketh her not onely a good and lawfull Queene but to bée a notable figure of Christes Church And auoucheth also as do the other historiographers that Semiramis raigned ouer the Assyrian Monarchy Li. de Ciuit. Dei 18. cap. 2. and that Ino came out of Ethiopia into Egypt and that beeing a Queene longe iusteque 〈◊〉 pericaueri◠she raigned farre at large and righteously And therefore after her death they worshipped her for a Goddesse Whereby we may easily see that S. Augustine doth not vtterly condemne the ciuil principality of a woman ouer men Danaeeus nowe thinking that this was the resolution both of the ciuill Lawe and also of this famous diuine concluding hereupon with the practise of the cheefest state in Christendome would cleane cary away all the matter Whereupon sayth he a Woman can not bee Empresse of the Romanes and Queene And when Athalia in Iudea Irene the Mother of Constantine the third woulde take vpon her the Empire of Constantinople either of them ouerthrewe all thinges brought in the worship of Idoles into the Church of God and this Woman to wit Irene layde open the Empire of Rome to be torne of the Saracens Whereupon also Charles the great was at that time to be chosen into the Romaine Empire in the West and Nicephorus in the East It is an old saying shewe me not the meate but shew me the man And therefore I like this order of Danaeus wel to examine the practise of this thing But he saith the woman can not be shewed in this practise For a woman cannot be the Roman Empresse Queen Although these spéeches séeme so ambiguously spoken that the meaning may be construed diuers wayes since that as these termes are now in vse one may be called King of the Romaines and another Emperour of Rome For example Charles the fift being Emperour of Rome his Brother Ferdinand was King of the Romaynes which title is vsed rather for security of succession than present possession of the state and so peraduenture it mae be true a Woman can not be Empresse of Rome and Queene also Notwithstanding I take Danaeus in no such sense nor yet to be as Empresses and Queenes vnder their husbands gouernment and without all rule saue onely bearing these Titles and names in the honour of their husbandes and no further but I take that hee meaneth no Woman hath had the cheefe gouernance and administration of the common-weale in the Romaine Monarchie Which saying if it were true albeit it were the lesse to be regarded though a woman coulde not be there the Empresse and Queene sith in so many places else as wee haue sufficiently declared and Danaeus hath also cléerely graunted a Woman might well bee either Queene or Empresse that is to say the principall or supreme gouernor of a Monarchie yet how can this be true euen for that state by Danaeus own confession when he streightwayes acknowledgeth that Irene was the Romane Empresse If it can not be how then was it except he vnderstand it that she coulde not be by Lawe and therfore he compareth her with Athalia But we shal examine that anon in order Let vs first euen from the shel behold that state but cheefely after this title and authority of the Emperours and so shal we fully be resolued for the practise Functius citeth out of Berosus Tab. 15. that Europs the second K. of the Sicionians sent his daughter Crana Helerna into Italie with certain colonies of people VVhich woman was by voices chosen and exalted to be their Q. vnto whom he gaue a white scepter And that this was about 20. year before the birth of Abraham about 50. before the death of Noah Moreouer he alleageth out of Berosus tab 28. that Kitim who for the excellēcy of his mind was of the progeny of Ianus called the Italian Atlas gaue in mariage his daughter Electra vnto Cōbus Blascō Prince of the progeny of Ianus Who for this mariage sent certain colonies beyonde the Alpes nere to Italie Italus doth consecrate his daughter Roma to be vnder him the queen of the anciēt inhabitants of that country This Roma laid the first foundations of the city of Rome which were afterward so beautified by Romulus that it was worthily called a City As he also confirmeth it out of Quint. fab pictor Sempronius In diuis But as Danaeus heere cutteth vs off from searching all the Antiquities of Rome to the time of the Romane Emperors so this his assertion cannot stand that euen in diuerse of the Emperors them-selues also liuing and reigning not of the worst but of the best Emperours that haue béene I stand not on this that all the Empresses in generall were aduaunced to the participation of this honour that they are called Augustae and haue their coynes of mony with their names and pictures so well as the men sithe this might be bee rather ascribed to the participation of honor than to the administration of gouernment Neither will I cite as any argument to inferre the practise of Womens gouernement the most dissolute and voluptuouse time of Heliogabalus when the Emperor him-selfe was so effeminate as is not to be written the insolency of his wicked mother Semiamira which ruled all the state had a Senate of Women by themselues which caused the Romans afterwarde specially tha◠famous lawer Vlpianus to make that foresayde Law that Women should not sitte in Iudgement nor gouerne in the common weale And yet notwithstanding this Lawe was kept so small a while that euen in the dayes of Alexander Seuerus the next and immediate emperor which also among the heathen is accounted one of the best Emperours both his grandmother Moesia and after her his mother Mammea being excellent Women had the publike administration and gouernment of the common weale together with him all the whole continuance of his Empire euen in the life of Vlpian that was as Chytreus calleth him Chancelor to Alexander Seuerus And although the Emperor Valens were both a rash gouernor and an Arian and thereby came to a miserable end yet his wife Dominica Augusta is greatly commended for her vertue and among other things for her publike gouernment of the Romane Empyre whyle thorough her noble and politike conduct she ouercame the Hunnes the Alanes and the Gothes when they beséeged Constantinople and thereby she preserued the Empire Eudoxia also the wife of the Emperour Arcadius had all or the chief administration of the Empire wherein although she were to insolent in causing Chrysostome to be banished yet argueth it that women were not then thought vncapable
gouernmēt in these Elders continued in the Church to wit while the Church wanted a politike Magistracie As who say the gift of this gouernement in the Elders is ceased long since and not now necessarie the Church hauing a politike Magistracie in whom the gift of gouernment is still necessarie and not in such Elders And in this sense I denie not Caluines interpretation Gouernours I interprete Seniors which were the Presidentes of Discipline For the first Church had her Senate that helde the people in the honestie of maners which thing Paule declareth otherwhere whē as he setteth downe a double order of Elders the gouernment therfore consisted of Elders which excelled others in grauitie experience and authoritie So that although Caluine distinguish the order of these Elders into two sortes as doe our Brethren which yet no necessitie doth enforce neuerthelesse he both restrayneth this their gift of gouernment to the honestie of maners not to any Ecclesiasticall orders and he maketh this office and Senate not to be perpetuall but as a thing that ceased he sayth prima Ecclesia habuit the first Churche had her Senate as who say it went no further And so wee may say The first Churche had Apostles Prophets Euangelistes and diuerse giftes of healinges miracles tongues c. The ordinarie offices of which giftes haue long since ceased And therefore we can nowe make no ordinarie nor necessarie plea vppon them nor the gouerning Ecclesiasticall Elders that our Brethren would erect are suche Elders To the larger and better manifestation whereof Gualter expounding this worde Gouernmentes sayth The seuenth place in this order setteth downe gouernmentes by whom is comprehended politicall men which in matters of this world helped any bodie and tooke intelligence of their causes if any shoulde arise among the Christians For as it is sayde in the sixt chapter the Apostles would not that those which professed Christe should contende for their goods or for other matters pertayning to this life before the tribunall seates of the Ethnikes Prudent men therefore and exercised in the vse of matters were appointed to the ouersight of such causes By whose authoritie and Councell the contentions were decided The same also were publikly present with the Church if any thing were to be done before the Proconsuls or the presidentes Which thing there is no doubt but that it hapned oftentimes To conclude they with their Counsels and prudence euen as it were certaine shipmasters gouerned the Churches being then tossed among the diuerse daungers of matters At this day there is not in publike such neede of such persons sith that as we haue aboue-sayd the Magistrates are Christian by whose authoritie all these thinges may more happily be dispatched And we ought to acknowledge the singular benefite of God which in these last dayes vouchsafeth to giue vnto his Church both politike and Eccl. Gouernours euen as in the olde time hee promised by Esaias Let none therefore lightly disturbe the order instituted of God that trampling downe the authority of Princes and of Magistrates he shoulde institute a newe senate that shoulde challenge to themselues a right and Empire or authority of commaunding ouer them This thing in the olde time did certaine Bishop◠perhaps of a good zeale Howbeit that matter turned at the length into a Pontificall tyranny for the ambition of a fewe did vtterly ouerturne the Christian state Let the Princes knowe againe that they are the members not the Lords of the Church And therefore let them vse their Empire to the defence thereof and direct all their counsailes to this scope that the order and safety thereof may be preserued Thus euen where Gwalter speaketh against the abuses of Princes of the Popish Bishops yet doth hée acknowledge both their lawfull authorities and sheweth what the authority of this seniory was to wit a méere publike gouernment all in seculer and not in ecclesiasticall matters and how long it continued how vnnecessary nowe it is howe it is not the order instituted by God for vs but the very disturbance of it and that this senate can not be nowe brought in a new without the trampling downe of the very Princes Magistrates authority To conclude these gouernmentes that S. Paule héere nameth are nothing that grace gift or office which our Brethren héere pretende for their senate of gouerning Elders Which Gwalter rather likeneth vnto the gift of powers which S. Paule before in that place did mention In the fourth place saith Gwalter proceeding these gifts are reckoned vp powers for those that exercise lawfull power in the Church These were seniors which beeinge set ouer the Discipline corrected them that had done any thing contrary to the duty of a Christian man As for the wicked and obstinat they corrected them with a greater power of the spirite For they were armed with a singuler gift that they might also deliuer vnto the deuill to be afflicted those that coulde not with admonitions and reproouinges bee corrected Examples of this power were shewed from Elias and Elizeus in the olde time Of whome he to witte Elias burned vp with flames sent downe from heauen the souldiers that were sent to take him But this man to witte Elizeus called foorth the Beares which tore in peeces the Children that more saucily mocked him By the same vertue or power Peter slue Ananias and Saphira which presumed to lye vnto the holy Ghoste He deliuered also Simon Magus to destruction Paule also vsed this power against Elimas the sorceror whome he depriued of his sight for that he proceeded to deceiue the proconsul of Cyprus with his lies The same Paule writeth that he deliuered to Sathan Himeneus and Alexander that being striken with some punishment they might learne from thence forth not to blaspheme And hereto also ought to bee referred that which in threatning manner he sayth to certaine obstinate persons in the second Epistle to the Corinthians but if I shall come again I wil not spare you sithe that ye seeke the experiment of Christe speaking in me For in these wordes hee insinuateth not obscurely that with his wordes hee had a vertue ioyned of perfourming that which hee spake and of correcting his contemners And in the olde time there was altogether neede of this faculty of the spirite when as the Churches had not a Magistrate therefore could not vse the right of the sworde There is no necessity to require the same at this day when as the gift of this spirite hath ceased And the Princes and Magistrates are Christians who with lawes and publike authority restraine any whosoeuer in their office and as for the stubborne and frowarde they punish them Some in-deede there are which after the example of the auncient and primitiue Churche will institute seniors or a Senate Ecclesiasticall which may haue Empire or commaundement euen also ouer the Magistrates them-selues if they at any time shall
No man may take vpon him any honoure in the Churche of God but hee that is called of God as was Aaron Insomuch that Christe him-selfe did not giue himselfe to be an high Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Hee saith in another place Thou art a preest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Nowe seeing these rules are so general that the Sonne of God him-selfe was not exempted from them but shewed foorth the decree wherein he was authorised by what rule can any man retaine that authority in the church of God which is not called thereto by the word of God All this againe being graunted vnto beateth more our Brethren the Learned Discoursers that it doth our Bishops Our Brethren take vpon them more in these their pretended reformations than eyther they haue hetherto done or I think euer wil be able to shew their warrant and calling authorizing them thereunto by the worde of God Likewise we can alleage againe against the supremacy of the Pope to proue that Peter was not superior to the other Apostles that which our sauiour Christe saith to his Apostles Luke 22.26 And Math. 20.25 Marke 10.42 It shall not bee so among you but hee that is greatest amongst you shal be as the yongest and he that ruleth as he that serueth And Mat. 23.8 You haue but one Master which is Christ and all you are all brethren If these places prooue that the Pope ought not to bee aboue other Ministers of the Church why doe they not likewise prooue that the Ministers are equall among them-selues And for the moste part all those arguments and authorities of Scripture that are vsed to confute the vsurped authority of the Pope are of as great force against all other vsurped authorities of one pastor ouer another These sentences of our sauiour Christe hauing béene before alleaged by our Brethren page 28. 29. haue beene already sufficiently aunswered that they neither forbid the titles nor the authority that we acknowledge in our Bishops by the confession of the best writers euen among our Brethren themselues Which sentences as they are rightly alleaged against the supremacy of the Pope to prooue that Peter was not such a superior to the other Apostles as the Papistes doe pretend so are they not rightly alleaged to prooue that he haâ— neuer any kinde of superiority but no such kinde of superiority as the pope falsely claymeth in the name of Peter For not onely all the auncient Fathers and all the best writers acknowledge as we haue séene some superiority in Peter such as contrarieth not these sentences but also S. Paule is moste plaine herein that S. Peter had a kinde of superiority if not to all yet to many of the other Apostles And for these sentences as we haue already at large considered the peyse of them so the first sentence heere cited alloweth in playne words both a Ruler among them and a greatest so that hee bee in humilitie and seruiceablenesse as courteous and diligent as if he were yongest or as hee that serueth The other place here cited You haue but one Master which is Christe and al you are Brethren prooueth clearely that the Pope ought not to claime that mastership which he requireth but it proueth not that were he otherwise a true a true faithfull Bishop hee might haue no Mastership at all for than our Brethren might not be called Masters neither as we and that worthily call M. Caluine M. Beza c. Masters But this sentence is against the Pope not against them because the pope not they woulde intrude him-selfe into that absolute and supreme Mastership and Lordship Which properly and onely belongeth to our Lorde and Master Iesus Christ. But our brethren demaund why doe they not likewise prooue that the Ministers are equall among themselues And so they do in respect of the supreme Mastership of Christe and in respect simply of their Ministery but the reason why they proue not such an equality as our brethren surmise is because they are spoken absolutely against all kinde of superiority and Mastership among them And therefore where they say that for the most part al those arguments and authorities of scripture that are vsed to confute the vsurped authoritie of the pope are of as great force against all other vsurped authorities of one pastor ouer another Although this be but a loose consequent yet we may well graunt this conclusion for vsurped authorities But till our Brethren can prooue some such among vs as are vsurped al these sentences argumeÌ„ts and authorities are but vsurped and wrested against their authority which is lawfull Therefore while we entreate of the authority of the Pastors we must take heede that we open not a Windowe to popish tyranny in steede of Pastorall authority and that wee enlarge not the bounds of authority without the boundes of the scripture We also like well the caueat of this conclusion Woulde God our brethren would in-déede take heede vnto it For if it be not taken heede vnto in time their Pastorall authoriâ—â— wâ—ll so enlarge the boundes thereof that it will not onely tyrannize ouer the authority of the Doctors whom they cleane debarre from all publike exhortation reprehension conselation and application and ouer all their Seniory of newe Gouernors as wee shall God willing see in this Discourse but ouer all the Church And it beginneth pretily well to abbridge the Christian Princes and ciuill Magistrates supreme authority in ecclesiasticall causes as in part wee haue already seene and al without the bounds of the scripture But this their Pastorall authority by that time their gouerning Seniory were euery where setled and established and had enlarged her boundes in euerye Congregation woulde bee méetely well repressed as we haue séene in the forme of prayers printed at Geneua And thus woulde one enlarge it self â—uer another which might open not a windowe but the broad gates to a worse than Popish tyrannie and still all without the boundes of the Scripture Wherefore while we search the scripture the onely rule whereby the Church of God ought to be gouerned we finde that in regiment gouernance of the Church the pastor B. or elder hath none authority by himselfe seperated from other For in the Church there ought to be no Monarchie or sole absolute gouernment but that is referred particularly to our sauiour Christe onely â—2 Tim. 6.7 Iude. 4. Christe sayth search the scriptures for in them ye reckon vnto your selues that ye haue eternall life and they bear witnesse of me Iohn 5.39 In searching the scripture we finde this rule where the Apostle warneth Timothy But abide thou in those thinges which thou haste learned and which are of trust committed vnto thee Knowing of whome thou hast learned them and that thou hast from a childe knowne the holy
prerogatiue was only of order not of autority for if it were not of autority it were no orderly prerogatiue but a tyranny But they say he may chalenge no authority If it be orderly giuen him so his due why may he not chaleÌ„ge it but yet they say he may chalenge no episcopal or metropoliticall autority as it is at this day with vs. If it were so with them in tbe auncient and holy Church yea in the Apostles times as in this respect it is at this day with vs euen by Caluines own testimony as he haue heard both for Episcopal autority that Iames his autority was it selfe Episcopall then is this neither any tyranny nor any let to the presence of the holy ghost that one among them hath chaleÌ„geth episcopal or metropolitical autority afore the rest as it is with vs this day ouer other Our bre therfore make here a lose conclusion that seeing our sauiour Christ hath promised his presence autority to euery church indiffereÌ„tly Mat. 18.19.20 Therfore none may chalenge any such prerogatiue afore other meaning such as Bishops and Metropolitanes doe chalenge But since the wordes of Christ are spoken as they say indifferently Why might they not conclude as well any such prerogatiue afore other as Christian Princes also chalenge in the Churches Gouernment In-déede the matter that Christe there promised to ratify with his presence authority he promised the same to euery Church as our Bresay indifferently but he neither promised there or otherwhere his auth to all and to euery one in the Church indifferently nor yet all kinde of authority to euery Church indifferently Sith some Church may haue some such prerogatiue as appertaineth to dignity preheminence afore other Churches Ierusalem being a Metropoliticall Church had a prerogatiue afore many other smaller Churches rounde about it euen in the Apostles time And so it appeareth had Ephesus in Asia Antiochia in Syria c. yea althogh no church might haue any prerogatiue at all afore other churches yet doth not our Br. argumeÌ„t hold froÌ„ the churches to the pastors or B. in the Churches Our bre reason thus Seeing our Sauiour Christ promised his presence and authority to euery Church indifferently Mat. 18 19.20 none may chalenge any such prerogatiue afore other What is signified here by this worde none but no person in the church as much more to the purpose then to say none that is to say no Church And if our Brethren would haue none in the Church to haue any such prerogatiue as apperteineth to the auth of Gouernment in or of the Church afore other what else were this than to giue euery person in the church aequal authority whether this wold bréed confusioÌ„ or no let theÌ„selues iudge If they say they mean by these words none may chaleÌ„ge any such prerogatiue afore other not no person afore other persons but no churche afore other churches and that they expound their meaning in the wordes following saying but as the churches are limited out for order and conueniency so is euery one of them of like authority in it self although this also be not true for diuerse respects in comparison of churches one with another yet what is this to the Question nowe in hande for the B. or pastors authority in the Gouernment of the church whether he haue any by himselfe seperated from other yea or no Our brethren say hee hath none and we say he hath some They to prooue he hath none haue alleaged the promise of Christe Math. 18. And are come now to sée what is his authority ioyned with others and first who are so ioyned in commission with him that without their consent he can do nothing Vpon whom is all this spoken who is this he so often meÌ„tioned Is this he turned into a shee that is to say into a Church and is this our Question whether a church hath any autority by her selfe separated from others or whether a B. or pastor hath any authorty by himself separated from others And what ment they by this conclusion We say therfore that the authority of Christ is left vnto his whol church so to euery church that none may chalenge episcopall or metropolical authority as it is with vs at this day ouer other without gret tiraÌ„ny manifest iniury who is here this none that may chalenge no episcopall or metropolitical autority do not B. Archb. as it is with vs at this day chalenge this authority And therefore except they reason of the persons their reasonsare not to the purpose But they name the churches for the persons because they chalenge the autority in the right of their Churches although in this controuersy their chalenge is rather in the right of their office than of their Churches But as the churches are limitted out for order conueniency so is euery one of them of like authority in it selfe but because they make all but one Church and one body of Christ therefore there is but one authority in them to determine of matters concerning them all To speak of the church as the mystical body of Christ I grant it is all but one body but one church Howbeit in yâ— respect haue al the parts therof one only the like authority nor al one only the like exercise of functions actions As I shewed before how Paul reasoneth 1. Cor. 12. 17. If all the body were the eye where were the hearing if all were hearing where were the smelling But nowe God hath placed the â—embers euery one of them in the body euen as he would But when they say heere the churches are limitted out for order conueniencie in that respect as they make thâ—m not all one Churche but in a different sense different Churches So is there lesse necessitie that all their authorities shoulde be but one For as in that respect they may differ in regiment concerning many orders and conueniencies among them this Church from that church so may they differ also in preheminences and authorities of the same orders and for determining of such different matters But nowe although there were but one authoritie in the whole and in euery church to detâ—rmine matters concerning them all yet if the same bee not equally distributed among them all in the whole and in euery part alike what letteth but that both some churches and much more some persons in the churches may haue some separate authority by them selues and some more authority than other haue and some prerogatiue also afore other By which there appeareth to be a double authority of the Pastor one with the seuerall congregation in which he is pastor the other with the whole Synode or assembly whereof hee is a member and both these authorities wee finde sufficiently authorized in the Scripture as shall plainely appeare in the seuerall discourses of them First therefore wee will speake of his authority
the manner of the Nouatians that are at Constantinople In like manner at Caesarea of Cappadocia and in Cyprus the Elders and the Bishops expound the Scriptures euermore on Saterday and on Sonday at euening by candle light The Nouatians that are at Hellespont keepe not in all pointes the like manner as doo the Nouatians that are at Constantinople but for the more parte they followe the order of the chiefe Church among them To conclude in all the formes of religions sects you shall neuer finde two that in the maner of their praiers agree among themselues Furthermore at Alexandria an Elder preacheth not which custome hath had his beginning since the time that Arius disturbed the Church And here at length is noted where onely and vppon what occasion the Elders preached not Howbeit he saith not that heerevpon they were prohibited vtterlie the ministerie of the word and Sacramentes For as hee shewed before lib. 2. cap. 8. the verie Deacons out of whole order the Elders were made did saie the publike praiers before the people But this the Elders ceasing of preaching how long tiâ—e after Arius troubles it began at Alexandria how long time it continued he declareth not But in noting the same as such a strange and diuerse order different from al other Churches it declareth that it directly belonged to their office and that in al other Churches the Elders were such as were not prohibited to preach that they preached there also before that occasion did fall out And whereas as a little after hee citeth for not troubling the Church about indifferent things the decree made by the Apostles the Elders and the brethren Act 15.23 it appeareth that Socrates tooke also those Elders that are therâ— mencioned to be no other kinde of Elders than such as medled with teaching And so doth the verie text insinuate that those Elders were when it saith Act. 15.6 The Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter Which matter was a great controuersie in doctrine And Caluine himself saith tâ—ereon Luke saith not that the whole Church was gathered together but those that excelled in doctrine and iudgement they that by reason of their office were lawfull Iudges of this cause it may be that the disputation was holden before the people but least anie shoulde thinke that the people wer admitted indifferentlie to meddle in the cause Luke expresly nameth the Apostles and the Elders as those that were more fit to take notice therof And to shew further who these Elders were he saith on these words When there was great disputing when as the graue men and publike Doctors of the Church were chosen neither yet could they agree among themselues c. And to shew that these Elders in all other Churches werâ— still of thiâ—â—orte Socrates procéeding to his 6. booke chap. 2. telleth that when the Bishoprick of Constantinople was vacant by Nectarius decease which tooke awaie the penitenciarie Elder aforesayde and that they laboured much about the choosing of a Bishoppe and some sought one and some another for that office that they had consulted often thervpon at length it was thought good to call from Antioche for Iohn an Elder of Antioche For the fame of him was great that he was meete to teach them very skifull in the gift of vtterance And in the seuenth booke which Danaeus citeth cap. 2. speaking of Atticus which was afterward likewise made Bishoppe of Constantinople he saith When he first obtained the degree of the Presbyterie Priesthood or Eldership the Sermons which he recited in the Church he made them with great studie and conned word by word afterward by often vse and diligence getting more audacitie he beganne to preach ex tempore on the sodaine occasion and attained to a more popular manner of teaching And in the 5. Chapter he â—eâ—â—eth of Sabatius an Elder among the Nouatians preaching in his Sermon this false doctrine Cursed bee he who soeuer celebrateth the feast of Easter without vnleauened bread In the sixth Chapter be telleth of two Arian Elders preachers and interpreters of the Scriptures Besides that Chap. 16. hee telleth of three Elders Philip Proclus and Sisinius that â—tooâ—â—or the Bishoprike of Constantinople of which Sifinius by the desire of the people hee beeing an Elder not ordained in anie Church within the Citie but of Elea a suburbe of the Citie obtained the Bishoprike Wherby it appeareth also that these Elders had seueral Congregations and Churches in and about the Citie and were Ministers of the worde and Sacraments in them And although Proclus was afterward made Bishop of Cizicum whom the Citie would not receiue but chose onâ— Dalmatius a Monke and so Proclus went not thether but continued in preaching at Constantinople and afterward was made Bishoppe of that Citie after Maximianus which did leade a monasticall life yet by degree of dignitie he was an Elder So that these Presbyters Priestes or Elders were not as Danaeus supposeth a Senate or a Consistorie chosen from among the people assistant to the Bishop and much lesse to euerie Pastor as our Brethr. affirme gouerning onelie the discipline of the Church but not medling with teaching Socrates neuer speaketh of such kinde of Elders but simplie and plainely of such as we call Priests and our brethren call Pastors To conclude this no lesse appeareth in the last Capter saue two of all Socrates Historie euen in Paulus the Bishoppe of the Nouatians Who before his death calling together all the sacred Priestes of the Churches that were vnder him sayde vnto them Prouide yee while I am yet aliue that a Bishoppe may bee appointed vnto you When they aunswered The power of choosing the Bishoppe is not to bee permitted vnto vs. For saie they while one of vs thinketh this another that we shal neuer name one and the same man But wee desire that you woulde designe whome you would haue vs choose Deliuer me then sayd hee this your promise in writing that yee will choose him whom I will name vnto you Which writing beeing made and subscribed with their hande raising vp himselfe a little in his bedde he secretlie they that were present not priuie thereto wrote therein the name of Martian which was one that had obtained to the order of the Elders and therein had learned a rigorous kinde of life and at that time by chance was absent And when hee had sealed vp the writing and had brought the chiefe of the Elders to confirme the same also with their seales he deliuered it to c. I note this onelie that these Nouatians also which were a kinde of Praecisians in that antiquitie hauing for their precise austeritie of life cut off and diuided theÌ„selues from all other Churches albeit in substance and groundes of faith and doctrine not dissenting but in profession of more seuere discipline not onely had their Bishops in the chiefe Cities and many Elders vnder them but
then corrupted and peruerted notwithstanding Christe dooth worthelie praise the Order such as it was in times past deliuered of the Fathers But when as a little after he erected a Churche taking away the corruption hee restored the pure vse of excommunicating But there is no doubt but the manner of discipline which flourished vnder the kingdome of Christe succeeded in the place of the olde discipline and verelie when as the prophane Gentiles also helde a shaddowed custome of excommunication it appeereth this was euen of God engrafted from the beginning in the mindes of men that if there were anie impure and defiled they shoulde bee put backe from the sacred thinges It hadde bene a foule thing therefore and a shamefull for the people of GOD to haue bene altogether voyde of that discipline whereof some steppe remained among the Gentiles But that which was kept vnder the Lawe Christe hath passed ouer vnto vs because the reason or manner is common vnto vs with the auncient Fathers For neither was it the counsell of Christe to sende his Disciples to the Synagogue which when as in her bosome she gladly nourished filthie flatteries shee excommunicated the true and simple worshippers of God whereof wee haue example in that man that was blinde from his natiuitie Iohn 9. f. 34. But hee warned that the order shoulde be holden in his Church which long agoe was holilie instituted vnder the Law If anie either stubbornelie refuse the former admonitions or by going on in his former vices doo shew himselfe to contemne them when as with witnesses brought hee hath bene warned the seconde time Christe commaundeth him to bee called to the iudgement of the Churche that is vnto the Sessions of the Seniours there to bee more greeuouslie admonished as it were by publike authoritie that if hee reuerence the Church hee may submit himselfe and obey Thus sayth Caluine for the proofe of this Segniorie to bée authorized instituted and commaunded in these woordes of â—ur Sauiour Christe Tell the Churche Whole interpretation Beza Stephanus in his newe Glosse alleadging also these reasons of Caluine besides Danaeus and diners other of our Brethren since haue followed and more at large vrged But because Caluine beganne this interpretation as I take it and all their Discourses chiefely stande on these his Reasons and Assertions therefore I haue so fullie and wholly sette him downe And if wée shall finde that this his Interpretation and these his Reasons prooue not this matter wée must crane the same pardon that their selues yeelde to Beza and to other our Reuerend and and Learned Brethren when they also in their interpretations dissent from Caluine or Caluine from other godlie auncient and approoued Fathers Otherwise of all the excellent Interpreters of our Age I professe the honour of Caluine with the chiefest bringing sound proofe and reason of his Sentence Let vs nowe therefore a while consider howe he prooueth this interpretation of the worde Church to be héere necessarilie vnderstoode for a Consistorie of these Seours And first he confesseth that the former place 1. Corinthians 5. concerning The excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian A place which our Brethren applyed to this Consistorie was spoken of Saint Paule to the whole assemblie and multitude of the people and not to anie chosen number of them So that that place is in this place cléere acquited from this Consistories excommunication But if Christe hadde héere before as Caluine sayeth sette downe an order that excommunication shoulde bee made by a Consistorie or Session of such Elders as Caluine héere pleadeth for howe can wee thinke that Paule woulde haue dealt heerein with the whole multitude of the people and not with a certaine number chosen out of them for the gouernance of such matters And therefore this is one good steppe to prooue that héere Christe sette downe no such order But Caluine woulde driue this but to a probable Argument That because Saint Paule referreth it to the whole number and not to anie chosen number therefore it is likelie that Christe also heere should so referre it But Caluine thinketh not this Argument of anie force And whie Forsoothe because then as yet there was no Churche that did professe Christe nor anie such manner ordeined And lesse reason as I thinke to gather it on this place that this name Church shoulde héere signifie a Segniorie or a certaine number chosen out of the Churche when there was yet no such order in the Churche And yet there was a Church of Christe euen when Christe spake these thinges But the Corinthians and diuerse other Churches afterwâ—rdâ— did both openlie professe the name of Christe and had Orders also among them If therefore this order of Discipline for the Gouernment of Seniours had bene héere of Christe founded and ordeyned Saint Paule woulde neuer haue broken it at leaste if he had thought it necessarie Except wée shoulde excuse him by ignorance but that haddâ— béene too grosse an excuse in him if this hadde béene héere ordeyned and that so necessarie as our Bretheren and Caluine â—oâ— pretend the same to be Bucer writing upon these wordes Tell the Church alleadgeth the samâ— reason that Caluine héere doth that There was no such order in the Church when Christ spake these wordes But what Doth he gather thereupon that Christ had an allusion to the Seniors of the Iewes No such thing Moreouer that saith he Tell the Church let no man vnderstande it thus as though it were of Christ commaunded to accuse him in the publike Sermon of them that come together to heare the word of God that shall haue despised two admonitions and then to haue him there openly reprehended of the preacher for when Christ taught these thinges there was no such face of the Church Furthermore the power of binding and losing is not giuen except to them that come together in the name of Christ and that in a certaine order and those going before whome the holy Ghost hath ordeined in the Church the Pastours and the Bishops Whereupon Paule woulde namely also haue those to exercise this power that are gathered together in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his spirite present with them 1. Corinthians 5. Now our meetings together are yet too impure and truely there is a small number of them that haue wholly giuen themselues to Christ. Neither is it lawfull by reason of the publike peace to expell from the assemblies of the Church those that are not tried Wherfore in the publike assemblies of the church as for the most part at this day the matter goeth excommunication can not publikely bee exercised except where the Lorde hath bestowed such grace that the greater part of the whole people with the Magistrate shoulde bee conuerted vnto Christe with a full heart Where that is not graunted it is necessarie that they which haue receaued Christe more fully reduce this most holy and most healthfull institution of Christe among
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
what other thing do the verie Papists alleadge for the most part of their excommunications more then contumacie and contempt Yea but say our brethren this contumacie and contempt is of the Churches admonition In déede so sayth Christ in the place héere cited Math. 18.17 If he heare not the Church But can our brethren héere vnderstand by the namâ— of Church some few persons chosen by the Church and may not the Papists do so to haue not they also their Consistories and that many of them of mo persons then one yea if the Church choose one man as for example their Bishop or Pastor before whome those matters should be heard debated decided doth not the contumacy and contempt against that one man encrease the sinne as well as the contumacie and contempt against any other persons that the Church may choose to this purpose I speake not in defence of the Popish excommunications not acknowledging them as they stand now in open resisting of the truth reuealed to be the true Church Why the Popish Churches excom is no true excomm so that they being now neither of nor properly in the true Church can not rightly expell others out of the true Church in and of which their selues haue no paâ—â— for all their craking of the bare name and therefore their Excommunications are of no force CoÌ„tumaty But if in déede they were as would God if it pleased him they were of and in the true Church as by the grace of God his name be blessed for it we are and in lesser crimes the contempt and contumacie of the Churches admonition giuen by a few persons chosen by the Church thereunto be worthy excommunication then where the Church hath chosen but one that is to wit a Bishop to execute her authority in those matters the contumacy and contempt against his iust and lawfull admonitions is not so much against that one man as against the Churches and so is worthy of the same castigation This testimonie héere rehearsed Matth. 18.15.16.17 Matth. 18.15.16.17 I trust we haue already sufficiently shewed how it maketh nothing at all for any such Seniors as our brethren before alleaged it for and much lesse for any theyr authority of excommunicating nor prescribeth any certaine order in what manner or by what persons anie Excommunication should be made against the offenders which there it speaketh of as we haue heard thereon the diuers iudgements not only of the auncient Fathers but of our best brethren As for the 2. Thess. 3.6 c. the Apostle hath these words 2. Thess. 3.6 VVe commaund you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately and not after the institution that he receyued of vs And in the 11. verse Verse 11. For we heare that there are some among you walking inordinately working not at all but be busie bodies But to such we denounce and beseech in our Lord Iesus Christ that laboring with silence they eate their bread And in the 14. verse Verse 14. But if any obey not our word note him by an Epistle and haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed What kind of persons he séemeth héere to note and what fault he findeth in them I ouerpasse True it is he would haue them first induced by all gentle meanes but if thereby they will not be reformed he yet commaundeth them not héere to be seperated by Excommunication though they haue well deserued it Neither yet in this solemne denouncing â—oth he Excommunicate any but would haue them write vnto him of such inordinate persons insinuating that he himselfe would Excommunicate them as he had done with the incestuous person at Corinthus and with Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus But now our brethren foresâ—eing that this is nothing to the fortifying of their Seniory they returne to that point to aunswere the obiections made against it But it may be obiected say they that hetherto appeareth not so great vse of this Consistory The learned disc Pag. 94. why it should be thought necessary for Excommunication neither doth S. Paule make mention of it in all places where he speaketh of Excommunication In good time be it spoken not onely it may be obiected Bridges but it is obiected Our Obiection that hitherto appeereth not so great vse of this Consistorie why it should be thought necessarie for Excommunication or for anything else hauing beene so little or not in vse at all for any necessary proofe or vse thereof and the Church of Christ hauing continued so manie hundreth yéeres vtterly without it As for all these examples of Excommunicating the incestuous person Hymenaeus Philetus Alexander c. or any other testimonie of Saint Paule héere mentioned What is héere eyther necessarie or likely that may be referred to a Consistorie Neyther will we so much obiect this that Saint Paule maketh no mention of it in all places where he speaketh of Excommunication but that he maketh no mention of it in any place where he speaketh of Excommunication And heere let vs marke our Brethrens confession for if this may be obiected that hitherto appeareth not so great vse of this Consistory that it should be thought necessary for Excom then all that hitherto is alleaged may be thought vnnecessary to inferre this and this appearing that it may be so thought of all that hitherto hath been alleaged let our Brethren looke better to that that is to come to alleage such proues as whereby it should be thought more necessary But to these obiections say our brethren we aunswere that although the simple institution of Christ The learned disc pag. 94. and approbation of the holy Ghost should suffice vs to thinke it necessary yet there are many necessary vses thereof to be alleaged And to this aunswere we reply if this place can be shewed and proued so to be Bridges where this simple institution of Christ and approbation of the holy Ghost was made Our Brethrens aunswer to our obiection speaking of the state of the new testament and since the time of Christes incarnation it shall suffice vs forthwith simply to thinke it necessary But if this be rather supposed and threaped vpon vs then shewed and proued vnto vs our Brethren haue to pardon vs if we thinke it not so necessary or rather to aske pardon of God that dare thus without plaine and manifest proofe pretend the simple institution of Christ and the holy Ghostes approbation of it But to our further satisfaction to prooue this they tell vs that there are many necessarie vses thereof to be alleaged let vs therefore heare also these so many and so necessary vses The learned disc pag. 94. 95. For whereas our Sauiour Christ say they commaundeth in priuate offences the matter to be brought before the congregation except you vnderstand thereby the congregation or assemblie of Elders there shall follow horrible
not to prescribe vnto them all alike some ceremoniall constitutions neyther was the difference of their strengths or weakenesse in their conuersion to Christ any breach or let to the vniformitie of their obseruing the same But by this reason of our brethren there could be no vniformitie of ceremonies not only then with them or now with vs in all places of the Church and land of England but in no place in all the whole world for where is the whole land or church wholy conuerted to Christ if they say that by these words not wholy conuerted they meane not all nor the greatest part but that some be not conuerted to Christ then they confute their owne reason in that the weakenesse of the lesser part ought to be no preiudice to the making of vniforme ceremonies vnto the greatest part for the law considereth rather the vniuersall multitude than euery particular party and so confessing that our land God be praysed for it is for the greatest part conuerted though not wholy conuerted in respect of euery person yet as the greatest part is commonly called by the name of the whole it may be well said also to be wholy conuerted But what meane they hereby that our land is not yet wholy coÌ„uerted to Christ they haue coÌ„fessed in their preface vnto this learned discourse that for the substaÌ„ce of religion it is now publikely mainteined for our true holy faith If any be not yet coÌ„uerted vnto the whole truth thereof how doth not this argumeÌ„t make the more for vniformity in these ceremoniall constit were it the easlier to win theÌ„ if by any meanes they may be woon by kéeping an vnforme order in those ceremoniall constitutions that are neyther ill of themselues and are but ordeyned to these good ends that order and comelinesse be reteyned shall we rather winne and conuert them to Christ both by reiecting all vniformitie in those ceremoniall constitutions that both they and we agrée vpon to be good and lawfull and also by reiecting all vniformitie in any other that may be deuised Yea by this their rule we should kéepe no vniformitie in any of those ceremoniall constitutions that they their selues set foorth vnto vs or is it lawfull for them to presse their Ceremonies vpon vs to be obserued with vniformitie and is it not more lawfull for vs hauing the law with vs to do the like to them so long as we vrge none nor otherwise than seruing to order and to comelinesse if ours séeme not so to them no more do theirs séeme so to vs and we hope and thanke God that we are also euen the greatest part and therefore may be called the whole that are we trust wholy conuerted to Christ wholie I meane for substance of Religion though in measure of faith and conuersation of life there is none of vs all nor yet of our Brethren so wholy conuerted but that the best of vs all come short and oftentimes diuert from Christ and must still be fayne to cry to Christ Conuerte me domine conuertar Conuert me Lord and I shall be wholy conuerted But will vniformitie in those Ceremonies that are giuen to helpe and strengthen our weakenesse hinder our Conuersion vnto Christ yea rather how will they not greatly further it But now if we be not so wholy conuerted to Christ as we ought to be although I confesse negligence may be some part too great a part the cause thereof yet I feare me our Brethrens too double diligence in disturbing the concord of the Preachers and euen in this reiecting of vniformity in these ceremoniall constitutions giuing liberty not only to euery Synode of themselues but also to theÌ„selues in these their discourses without any Synode and without yea against the authority of the ciuill christian Magistrate and much more without yea against the whole state of the Church in this our laÌ„d yea giuing liberty to euery particular church and withall by these their reasons to euery priuate person according as he or she is weake or strong to admit or reiect all vniformitie to alter and innouate as they fancy all such Lawes and constitutions of ceremoniall rites orders as are by a lawfull godly Synode of the Church decréed by the authority of the ciuill christian magistrate confirmed established proclaimed to be vniuersally among vs vniformely obserued These sayings doings of our Brethren their selues haue bin if not the chiefest yet not the least cause that not onely our land is not so wholy conuerted to Christ as it might otherwise haue béene but that so many are wholy auerted froÌ„ Christ and become peruerted renegates apostataes vnto Antichrist that before these sturres betwéen our brethren vs began were very wel coÌ„ming on by little little so far as man can iudge or hope by outwarde signes might haue béene throughly wonne and wholly conuerted to Christ or might yet in the vnsearchable riches of gods mercies be reclaimed and reconuerted But firmum flat fundamentum Deus nouit qui sunt sui If they be none of Gods elected exiâ—runt e nobis non fuerunt ex nobis they went from among vs they were none of vs. But nowe to our Brethrens conclusion that they gather on these premisses Therfore it were meete that the Ouerseers and Elders of the Church shoulde come together to consider of this matter what orders were most meete for diuerse places to bring them to the obedience of Christ what for the furtherance of them that are newly come and what for the continuance and encrease of them that are verie well come on Here still the soueraigne Prince or ciuill Christian Magistrate is eyther cleane forgotten or of purpose reiected as hauing no stroake at all in these matters except they wil include the Prince in one of these termes the Ouerseers and Elders of the Church But they haue before restrayned those titles to the Pastors and to those Elders whoÌ„ they call the Gouernors and distinguishing the Prince from them they call him the ciuill Christian Magistrate But now what orders when they come together to consider of this matter can these Ouer-seers and Elders deuise that shal be most meete for diuerse places if they coÌ„sider not on this withall that if not in al places yet at the least in all those diuerse places they should be vniformely kept For to kéepe diuersitie or to kéepe them diuersely in those diuerse places what is it else than to be bounde in no places to no orders at all Will they not yet at least wise haue those orders that shal be deuised for the furderance of them that are newly come to be vniformely kept among all them that be such persons in all or diuerse places And likewise those orders that should be deuised for the continuance and encrease of them that are verie well come on to be kept also
vniformely in all those diuerse places where such persons be But againe if they shall consider this better what certaine order can here be set downe that shal be meete for the diuersities of these persons when they still by the grace of God are growing vp and ware dayly and hourely of riper age and riper and alwayes going forwarde and comming on to Christe as to the goale and marke set before them What And shall then these Ouerseers and Elders make the orders most fitte to the Pastors doe nothing else but still come together and daily and hourely change their orders Or shall these persons weare their coate still of one assize Or if some come on forwarder than othersome so that they can not kéepe a iumpe and meete proportion to euerie one shall we haue no certaine orders at all for feare these Ouerseers and Elders should misse in some Sée what a childishe reason if I may be so bolde to returne the terme this is of our Brethren that tell vs of childish bables to take away all vniformitie of ceremoniall constitutions and all for the difference of some diuerse persons And yet wee denie not but that as there are diuersities of persons there may well bee diuerse and seuerall orders appointed for them howebeit to be kept vniformely by those diuerse degrées of persons for whome they are made For we doe not in such manner as our Bretheren vntruely reporte of vs feede olde men and sucking infantes all with one kinde of meate nor cloath all ages in a roabe of one assyze but such and such ceremonies are appointed to such and such degrées of persons and not all to all alike although some of those ceremonies be of that nature that they may as well stretch to all as some one kinde of meate may bee fedde on euen of olde men and of young also as well as of sucking infantes and of sucking infantes as well as of olde and young men May not all the people in a parish come to some one Church in some one place at some one time appoynted and there all of them knéeling on their knées at least so manie as bée able saye altogether some one appoynted forme of prayer or confession or thankesgiuing may they not all at least as manie as canne sing together some one certaine number of Psalmes or hymnes May not all infantes by some one publike forme prescribed thereof be Baptized alike And some one like publique forme be appointed for all the communicantes to receaue the Lordes supper after one manner May not one forme of marrying bee appointed to bee vsed through out all the whole Lande and Realme of Englande If there can bee no one ceremoniall lawe or constitution made of these thinges howe haue our Brethren abused vs that haue sette out a booke of common prayer wherein manie of these some one ordinaunces béeing all of them indéed but ceremoniall constitutions and decrees are sette downe and prescribed to be in generally and vniformally vsed of all the Churches in the Realme so farre as their authoritie stretcheth to prescribe them For if they prescribe them not why doe they set them out if they regarde not who vse them and who vse them not I sée not therefore but that euen by their owne example and much better hauing vtter warraunt some ceremoniall constitutions may bee well decreed for an ordinarie publique and generall order to bee vniformely kept of all Churches a like in a whole Realme so farre as other necessitie or some particular occasion doth restrayne them The same doctrine although not the same partes of doctrine is to be euerie where but ceremonies euen as they bee ceremonies doe admitte varietie as time persons and occasions serue to bee diuerse Yea Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to bee testified because there are manie so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Churche and those that are not of necessitie There bee that thinke a Crosse or Foont as they call it is as necessarie in Baptisme as water and that kneeling at the Communion is more necessarie than preaching of the Lordes deathe that a surplusse in Common prayer is more necessarie than a deuoute mynde and great occasions offered to the ignoraunt so to thinke when they see them that preache moste diligentlie praye moste feruentlie and minister the Sacramentes most reuerentlie according to Christes institution to bee displaced of all ministerie for a Crosse or a Foont or a Surplusse or some suche other tryfle There is great difference betweene Doctrine and Ceremonies but if our Bretherens former reasons shoulde holde to respect the diuersities of the people they might alter the vnitie of the doctryne too But the same partes of doctrine they saye are not to bee euerie where This is spoken somewhat too obscurely For the doctrine and all the partes thereof are indéede to be euerie where though I graunt not all to be taught euerie where to the same persons at the same time and so may the vse of the same ceremonies also vpon occasion be altered or left off But ceremonies they say euen as they be ceremonies doe admitte varietie This I graunt likewise and yet againe euen as they bee ceremonies they as well admitte vniformitie and in some cases especially may much better admitte vniformitie euen as they bee ceremonies than varietie and much néerer is it to the nature of any ordinaunce and decree bee it ceremoniall or otherwise to admitte vniformitie than varietie For else it could bee no certaine decree When as the varietie which it admitteth commeth vnto them in that respect as extraordinarie times persons and occasions serue to bee diuerse or as necessitie it selfe that hath no lawe enforceth the breaking of the ceremonies all which is but accidentall to them and no preiudice to the ordinarie and generall vse of the same ceremonies vniformitie Yea say they Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to be testified because there are many so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Church and those that are not necessarie This we graunt likewise that sometimes in ceremonies the christian libertie is necessary to be testified Yea rather at all times the christian libertie is to be testified And when wâ—â— vse ceremonies most vniformally then is the best vse withall of this restification of the christian libertie And therefore it yet followeth not that vpon such testification made we must neuer kéepe any one order or vniformitie of any ceremonie at all And yet besides we graunt this also euen for the testification of the Christian libertie by omitting sometimes or altering some ceremonie or some part thereof and euen for this cause also that our Brethren here alleage Yea although there were not many so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in
and condemned the authors and mainteiners of them which the particular Churches could not doe Of which examples there are store in the Ecclesiastiâ—all Histories For which causes Synodes ought oftentymes to bee assembled though not generall of the whole Realme but particular of euery Prouince or Shire as it may bee most conueniently that such things as are to be refourmed may be redressed with speede To this we graunt with such exception as before and it is in vse also for such petite and particular Synodes as euery Bishoppe hath in his Dioces and in the partitions thereof as Dioceses be now taken in the Ecclesiastâ—cal acceptation of the word differing from the ciuill acceptation For in the ciuill Lawe as Bernardus Waltherus noteth lib. 1. miscell cap. 19. the worde Diocese is now and then taken for a Prouince as in lib. 1. c. de priua Carcer where Aegyptiaca Diocoesis is vsed for the Prouince of Egypt But he thinketh rather there is a great difference herein for that many Prouinces were conteyned vnder a Diocese as were many Dioceses vnder a Prefecture But wee vnderstand these termes of Diocese and Prouince otherwise for a Prouince to conteyne vnder it some number of Dioceses and a Diocese to conteyne some number of particular Churches or Parishes which now and then are bounded or parted in diuers Shires And looke how the lawes Ecclesiasticall and the common lawes of this our Realme haue deliuered vnto vs the distinction and acceptation of these names ratified by custome in the same sence doe wee accept them without alteration or contention So that although we haue not Prouinciall Synodes so oftentymes yet haue we Episcopall Synodes and Synodes of other ordinaries such as are thought if they bee well vsed most conuenient for our state and Churches if they be abused the fault is not in the lawe but in the officers These smaller Synodes as they haue their ordinarie tymes appoynted and are limited for the number of the particular Churches that are in them to assemble together so is their authoritie limited accordingly For if we shall consider all the premisses what our Brethren haue giuen vnto the Synode If any controuersie say they of doctrine doe arise the lawfull Synode hath to consider that it bee determined by the word of God and to determine of the vse of ceremonies pag. 116. And that also for order and comelinesse and best edification the Synode hath to determine what shall bee obserued in particular charges as of the tyme place and forme of preaching and ministring the Sacraments pag. 117. That to make ceremoniall constitutions whereby the Church must be gouerned in mere Ecclesiastical matters it is out of al controuersie c. This authoritie was proper vnto the Synode pag. 118. Yea that the Church was lawfully vested with absolute authoritie and the Synode hath to decree concerning ceremoniall orders of the Church whereof some may be generall to all congregations some particular to certeyne churches pag. 119 120. That the Synode ought to haue such regard of all Churches that they haue speciall regarde of euery one pag. 120. That the ouerseers and Elders of the Church should come together to consider of this matter what orders were most fit for diuers places to bring them to the obedience of Christ what for the furtherance of theÌ„ that are newly come and what for the continuance and encrease of theÌ„ that are very well come on pag. 121. Thus the Synode therefore ought to bee carefull in ordeyning of ceremonies not onely that they be pure and agreeable to the word of God but also that they be expedient for the time persons for whose vse they are ordeined pag. 122. That the Synode hath further authoritie concerning discipline to refourme and redresse by Eccl. censure all such defaults and controuersies as cannot be determined in the particular Churches both to punish seuerely the Pastor himself and the Elders that should be refourmers of others Here is great authoritie giuen to the Synode And what now is this Synode that hath all this so great authoritie Is it a generall Synod No. Is it a nationall Synod No neither But what of that though it bee not generall of the whole but particular of euery Prouince A then is it yet at least of a Prouince that hath so great authoritie Nay soft not so but particuler of euery Prouince or Shire as it may be most conueniently What and is this Synod that we haue talked of all this while a Synod of a Shire And do our Bre. think this may be most conuenient that euery Synod of euery Shire may do all these things as seemeth best to their wisedomes one Shire one way and another Shire another way and so many diuers orders of ceremonies and disciplines in euery Shire as it pleaseth the Synode of that Shire to determine Well yet this is somewhat better than it was before when vniformitie of ceremonies was cleane condemned for an vntrue principle For by that vntrue principle of theirs not only all the authoritie therein of all Synodes was ouerthrowne but euery Church yea euery man for ceremonies might alter or chaunge theÌ„ at his pleasure for feare he might bee thought to holde an vntrue principle that there should be an vniformitie in them But yet would this breede a meruestlous diuersitie and a number of continuall garboyles and contentions in this Realme if euery Shire therein had their Synod which Synode had full authoritie to do all these things aforesayd Howsoeuer our Brethren thinke this may be conuenient it cannot sirke into my dull head but that if euery of these Shire Synods had this authoritie it would soone be a sorie England the whole Realme consisting of so many Shires and all the Shires ruled by so many Synodes and all the Synodes hauing so much authoritie yea full authoritie euery one of them as much as hath the whole in all For what is here left to the whole nationall Synod yea were it to a generall oecumenicall and vniuersall councell that this Shire councell or Synode cannot doe if it haue all this foresayd authoritie And if one Shire then determine one thing another Shire determine the coÌ„trary to what higher Synod shall the appeale be made Or what neede the other care for such appeale Or what authoritie hath any other Synod more thaÌ„ that Synod had And might not al be theÌ„ in a wise pickle cal they this a redressing with speed I pray God sende vs better speede than I feare mee wee should finde by such a redressing But I hope our brethren wil either helpe vs againe with some more speedie meanes and good deuise how we may shake of the doubtes of these absurdityes and inconueniences or else their selues on better aduisementes of them will neyther seeke quirks to salue and colour them nor yet maintaine them anye longer but renounce them when they shall
be iudicially in forme of law complained vpon the parties being named if aliue called accused heard considered conuicted therof before their lawfull magistrate then we all the country would coÌ„mend therin our brethrens iust more charitable dealing then might they better thinke of our bretheren to bee in true meaning suche faithful Ministers as indéede desired the reformation of the Church of Englands discipline At leastwise whatsoeuer the country would thinke or speake both the party and the matter that were proued faulty of little might be much and much sooner amended But on this fashioÌ„ to deface B. their officers spread about such sclaunders suspicions on them all sober and godly affected may mislike it and all the country may cry out theron that it is not the part of faithful ministers brethren that it procéedth neither of true zeale wisedom faithfulnes Iustice or charity nor tendeth little or much to anye amendment of the right reformation or true Churches state or of the persons or of the maâ—ter But nowe if wee shall consider the matter better I speake as they doe in generall tyll some instance bée orderlye produced to the contrary that they should heerein so heighnously accuse the bishops of negligence though the lesser faulte and the officers bryberye for this matter whatsoeuer the neglience of the one or the bribery of the other might doe hurte in other matters there is no likelihood in the worlde either of the one or of the other in this matter neither could the Bishop with his negligence or any fauour or the officers with their bribes taking hinder yâ— procéeding or relieue the person or abuse the authoritie or defeate the penaltie of the sâ—atute For it is so prouidently prouided for by the authoritye of the same highe court of parliament that the party must not onely bring from the Bishop or gardian of the spiritualties in writing vnder his seale auteÌ„tike a testimoniall of such assent and subscription but also openly onsome sonday in the time of publike seruice afore noone in euerye Church where by reason of any liuing he ought to attend the partie shall reade both the sayde testimoniall and the sayde Articles and all this to be done vppon paine of loosing all his Eccl. promotions ipso facto So that here no negligence or any corruption of the Bishop nor briberie of the officers coulde any whit helpe the partie but that hee must needes do the thinges that are thus prescâ—ibed to be so openly in the face of all the Church performed Which things now if the minister did not as he ought to do vnfeynedly and with all his hart but hypocritically that is not the Bishops nor the officers fault his owne sin be vpon his owne head But if his sin be founde out and be not further punished so farre as the Bishop by his superiour authority may doe then hardly blame the Bishop and his officers if the faulte thereof be in them As for poore olde sir Ihon lacke latines lacke of latine that fault is not to be laide to any of our Bishops that made him not priest howbeit many of our most zealous brethren which take vpon them not onely to bee faithfull ministers but to bee preachers also néede not much to insulte vpon old sir Iohn for lacke of latine But what an olde mumpsimus haue they heere raked out to make their wondermente and spectacle of example vppon to leuell all those priestes by for whome the statute in the wordes aboue cited was enacted Here is drawne out as it were an owle out of an Iuie Bush for all the birds to ho wt at an olde sir Iohn lacke latine though hee had his orders from rome a porta latina hauing as it were a tot quot of benefices on his back in a number of diuers shires one benefice distant a 100. miles froÌ„ another miserably carried about in a cart or on his mare bestia super bestiam to goe mumble vp his articles in his morrow masse voice in euery church where hee had liuing and returne as verye a beast as hee came What meane our brethren to bring foorth such a beast as they haue here described or did they know of any such in all England and if they did the crie of all the countrye ranâ— vpon him and that he was by negligence of the bishop and briberie of the officers borne out and vnpunished then may hee the eassier be knowne and the other parties also if liuing to be punished all in time And not for this one odde palinodie all the Bishops their officers to be thus burdened with such crimes and outcries for abusing that authority of the statute committed vnto them But if that knowing no such old croust yet in the person and discription of such an hypocrite they would insult on all thosâ— Ministers that had before bin popish priestes especially vpon the poore old and simpler sorte of them they offer a great many honest men that are neyther beastes nor Papistes too great and too contumelious an iniury that are nowe God bethanked Good sound conuerted protestants But let vs take this old sir Ihon as they haue here set him out If nowe he had so many benefices that he saw not some of them in a dosen yeare before there is expresse statute to haue abridged his number and lawes to limite his circuite too But if he held them by any lawe or priuiledge and saw them not before in a dosen yeres nor were by necessary impediment deteyned from them prouided not the better in his absence for their instruction and the diuine seruice with the administration of the sacraments the preaching of the worde of God to bee orderly set foorth vnto them by some other to supply that which by his infirmity absence and ignorance he could not do him selfe then indéede the Bishop and his officers may pertake the blame with him contrarywise if he did all these thinges what could the Bishop do against him But if now vpon this statute for feare he should loose his benefices this old sir Iohn lacke Latine were carried about on his mare and somtimes on a cart so it were to doe his duty eyther then or before or after if he were so carryed about eyther for pouerty or infirmity our brethren should not haue obiected that vnto him Euery one that cannot haue a horse to ride on pouerty may make him glad that he hath a mate or else he might perhaps trot on bayard a tentoes and he that could neyther ride nor goe by reason of great age or other weakenes if hee could neyther haue horselitter couche nor waggon he must haue bin carryed in a carte or else tarry at home loose his benefice for any remedy he had that I knowe of but howsoeuer his case stoode pouerty and infirmity are rather me thinkes to be pitied than vpbraided yea though the man otherwise deserued no
those thinges do appertaine onely to him and the generall Councell And here we beséech our Brethren confessing thus much against the pope as it becommeth good subiectes to their prince to aduise theÌ„selues withall of their former vnaduised spéeches pag. 9 10.84.85.117.1â—8.119 in which places besides their hard termes of Christian princes doe they not giue vnder the name of the Church her authoritie the knowing the hearing the examining the determining the iudging and the punishing of all matters and causes pertayning to discipline gouernment of the Church either to their pastors and teachers or to the Seignories of their gouernors And what differeth this from forbidding princes to meddle with reformation of Eccl. matters or to make lawes pertayning to causes of religion aunswering them that those thinges do appertayne only to them and to their consistories and to their particulaâ— Synodes or generall Councell But when he say they meaning the pope coÌ„meth to debate any thing with his Clergie theÌ„ all lawes and knowledge are inclosed in the closet of his breast And is this any more than to say not onely to the Prince but also to their owne consistorie gouernors of whom their Synodes consist as well as of themselues pag. 117. who should be able to knowe what order comlines aedification requireth according to Gods word but they that be teachers preachers of the same vnto all others For it is absurde that they should be taught by such in these small thinges as ought to learne the truth of in all matters This authoritie therfore can not be graunted vnto any ciuill Christian Magistrate that without consent of the learned Pastors and Elders yea against their consent of whom as in some respect he is a feeling member he may lawfully make ceremoniall constitutions whereby the Church must bee gouerned in meere Eccl. matters Sith therfore they turne al this against the Prince is not this as much as when they come to debate any thing with their Clergie Gouernors that theÌ„ all lawes knowledge is inclosed in the closet of their breasts both from the Prince and from their owne Clergie and Eccl. Gouernors Is not this as much as when they holde their generall Counsels or Prouinciall that all the authoritie must come from them For except they doe allow it it is nothing And how farre differs this froÌ„ the Popes conceit that they also are growen so wise that neither with counsell nor without the Councel they can erre or think amisse in Eccl matters Had they a generall Councell of all those that they call the faithfull ministers that composed this Learned discourse of Eccl. gouernment Well yet there is here some good hope that when our Brethr. shall haue better bethought theÌ„ of these things which they mislike in the Pope debarring the right interest of Christian Princes the verie vggly sight thereof will be as a glasse vnto theÌ„ to sée mislike their owne spéeches and doings in taking vpon them though not the verie same yet so like presumption and vsurpation especially so many and so little states as they are farre inferiour to the Pope and at the verie first péeping out of them yea before they are come to that they would haue thus to insult not onely on the Bishops and to come and set out lawes before themselues are called vnto such authoritie but also thus to blemish and deface the Christian Princes authoritie to abase and debarre it to examine and determine yea to encroch vpon the right and interest in these matters of all Christian Princes and of their owne most godly and gracious Soueraigne But since the sight of their own description of the Popes presumptioÌ„ vsurpation doth begin here to make them stoupe somwhat to the Princes supremacy let them now in good time likewise remember their own sayings pag. 77. 78. where speaking also of the Pope whose intollerable presumption say they as we haue long since banished out of this land so wee wish that no steppe of such pride and arrogancie might bee left behinde him namely that no Elder or Minister of the Churche marke these your owne wordes well good Brethren and turne them not so off against our Bishops that ye forget your selues should chalenge vnto himselfe or accept it if it were offered vnto him any other authoritie than that is allowed by the spirit of God but chiefely to beware that he vsurpe no authoritie which is forbidden by the word of God For wherefore do we detest the Pope and his vsurped supremacie but bycause he arrogateth the same vnto himselfe not onely without the warrant of Gods word but also cleane contrarie to the same Now if the same reasons and authorities that haue banished the Pope do serue to condemne all other vsurped authoritie that is practised in the Church why should not all such vsurped authoritie be banished as well as the Pope we can alleage against the Pope and rightly that which S. Iohn Baptist did aunswere to his disciples No man can take vnto himselfe any thing except it be giuen him from heauen Ioh. 3.27 and that saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes No man can take vpon him any honor in the Church of God but he that is called of God as was Aaron in somuch that Christ himselfe did not giue himselfe to be an high Priest but he that sayd vnto him Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee He sayth in another place Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Now seeing these rules are so generall that the Sonne of God himselfe was not exempted from them but shewed foorth the decree wherin he was authorized by what rule can any man reteyne that authoritie in the Church of God that is not called therunto by the word of God All these words haue our Brethren alleaged triumphantly against the Bishops whose authoritie we haue séene to be throughly grounded on the word of God But for their Consistorie Gouernors to whome they giue such great authoritie we haue as yet after all this shuffling coniecturing pulling and haling of the Scripture of the auncient Fathers and of the old Churches practise to found it vpon we could not yet finde vpon better view therof so much as one good and substantiall proofe or authoritie for it or the example but of one such man And as for their Pastors if none be Pastors but such as are ordeyned after the forme by themselues set downe Pag. 125. saying this is the right election and ordeyning of Pastors grounded vpon the word of God when we come to search better in the word of God we finde not one Pastor so elected and ordeyned And as for their selues these faithfull Ministers none of them neyther that I can learne of were so elected and ordeyned and so they haue eyther no right calling nor authoritie at all but are méere intruders yea méere lay men or else that authoritie that they
ministerie of the preaching of the same shall vnderstand to be prositable for aedifying of the Church of Christe and the aduauncement of the glory of God If any shall offend against the Lawes whether he be a Preacher or hearer besides the Ecclesiasticall censure which hee shoulde not escape he is also to be punished in body by the ciuill Magistrate They haue not yet eyther by these or by ought else before spoken made it appeare howe farre it is lawfull for Princes to intermedle with causes ecclesiasticall And howe their supreme authoritie therein which is farre higher then onely intermedling stretcheth As for the things which heere as a recapitulation they set downe are nothing so much as they graunted before For although they say that it is the cheefest point of their duetie to haue especiall regard that God may bee glorified in their Dominion yet that doth not shewe what especiall authoritie they haue therein and how farre foorth they haue it If they say that they do this in the conclusion following these wordes And therefore they ought to make ciuill Lawes to binde the people vnto the Confession of the true fayth and the right administring and receiuing of the Sacraments and to all Eccl. orders What haue they graunted heere to her Maiestie but the onely making of ciuill Lawes and thus the conclusion when all comes to al is not so much as that they graunted before or at leaste made vs a shewe thereof And yet they made to great daintie in the graunt thereof with so many exceptions which graunt notwithstanding we gladly accepted at their handes and made much of it that it is not onely lawfull but also necessarie for princes if they will doe their duetie to looke to the reformation of religion and to make lawes of Ecclesiasticall matters so that we confounde not the offices of the Prince and the Pastor Heere euerie man that meaneth no subtiltie woulde straight haue thought that as the pastor hath some part of looking to the reformation of religion and of making Lawes of matters Ecclesiasticall pertayning to the office of a pastor distinct from the office of a prince so the prince also hath some parts of looking to the reformation of religion of making lawes of matters Eccl. pertaining to the office of a prince distinct from the office of a pastor And that although the partes of eyther of their offices be distinct yet in the verie looking to that reformation of Religion and to the verie making of those Lawes of matters Ecclesiasticall they both of them dointermeddle which is the terme that their selues euen héere do vse But see nowe what a fayre gift our Brethren haue héere graunted It is lawfull and necessarie for Princes to make Lawes of matters Ecclesiasticall What Lawes Forsooth they ought to make ciuill lawes to bind the people vnto the confession of true faith and the right administring of the Sacraments and to all Ecclesiasticall orders Yea forsooth in this last and third point lieth chiefely the question of making lawes But haue they any stroke in making lawes of any those Eccl. orders No but onely that they being instructed by the word of God through the ministery of the preaching of the same shall vnderstand to be profitable to the edifyeng of the Church and the aduancement of the glorie of God should bynde the people to them What should they make ciuill lawes to bynde the people to them before that they be made lawes and orders Ecclesiasticall or howe can they be made lawes and orders Ecclesiasticall doth the scripture make all the lawes and orders Ecclesiasticall that are made or is the ministerie of the preaching of the same a sufficient instruction for the Prince to take them for Ecclesiasticall lawes bycause they put him to vnderstand that they be profytable for edifying the Church of Christ and aduancement of the glorie of God so that what they shall say as profitable héereunto that is a lawe or he must so take it or else still I demaund who had the authoritie to make those lawes and orders Ecclesiasticall except they shall say they were all made before there were any christian Princes which was theyr former refuge Albeit Moses Iosue Dauid Salomon c. will ouer-reach that shift for they had a stroke euen in the verie making of Ecclesiasticall lawes and orders them selues and not onely in the making of ciuill lawes for Ecclesiasticall lawes and orders to bynde the people vnto them and so had also dyuers Christian Princes since Christes time many of whose lawes are Ecclesiasticall lawes themselues and Canons of the Church in the Canon lawe and not onely ciuill lawes made to binde the people to keepe the Canon lawes or Ecclesiasticall orders and such also are diuers lawes of the auncient Bryttish and English Kings in this Realme and the Epistle of Eleutherius himselfe if it be his giueth Lucius no lesse authoritie But is this all that our Brethren will allow to Christian Princes and no further authoritie than this yes If any shall offend against the lawes whether he be Preacher or hearer beside the Ecclesiastical censure which he should not escape he is also to be punished in body by the ciuill Magistrate And is this againe all that we shall get more than before we got for the supreme authoritie of the Christian Prince in Ecclesiasticall matters and what more is héere graunted to the Prince than the verie Papists yea than the Pope himselfe as proude and iniurious to Princes as he is will graunt vnto them to make ciuill lawes for the defence of the lawes Ecclesiasticall that he and his Cleargy onely do make making the Princes to be the onely punishers and as it were their executioners of iustice vpon them that shall offend against their lawes This they can well allow and like that Princes should haue authority to punish the offender in body besides the Ecclesiasticall censure which the offender shall not escape at their hands and for this cause they call the Emperour the Churches aduocate and the Pope himselfe yéelded this title to King Henry the eyght to be called the defender of the faith and will our Brethren yéeld no better supremacy nor greater authority to christian Princes and so to her Maiesty than the Papists and the very Pope wil offer to yéeld her so that her Maiesty will but make ciuill lawes to bynde the people to their lawes and Ecclesiasticall orders that the Pope and his Cleargie shall make and that if any shall offend in body against his lawes whether he be Preacher or hearer besides the Ecclesiasticall censure which he should not escape he is also to be punished in body by the ciuill Magistrate all this doth the Pope offer to all the Princes in theyr dominions that haue not cast off the yoke of his subiection but liue in greatest seruitude vnder him and yet our new Pastors make all this mincing to graunt but thus
which done asking of them if euery man consented thereunto when with great acclamations and prayses of him they aunswered that it was the consents of them all then he confirmeth the same and setteth out a Statute thereupon As for particular lawes and orders Eccl. that both he and diuers other Emperors especially Iustinian made I referre them to the declaration of the ciuill Canon Lawyers There is almost no Church matter whereof the Emperours namely Iustinian hath not some Ecclesiasticall constitution or other on the same which Iustinian also in the Counsell that he held at Constantinople where he made the Archb. Mennas President Mennas concluding the Counsell saith that none of those things that are to be moued in the Church ought to be done without the Princes will and commaundement Thus as we sée that the Emperours had this authoritie in Eccl. matters so graunt this to be lawfull in them and this lawfulnesse stretcheth to all Christian Princes in their dominions And therefore where our Brethren say the same order we reade also to be obserued by the christian Kings of Fraunce and Spayne yea of this our Brittanie also in gouerning their Eccl. state by the aduice of the Cleargy of their dominion it was the same order indéede that was obserued of these Emperours which these Kings also did obserue and bycause it was the same therefore was it not the same that our Brethren say it was but a farre greater authoritie and intermedling and not onely to allow that that the Cleargy had determined and to punish them that impugned those orders but also to deale so farre-foorth in ioyning with the Cleargy for the very making of Ecclesiasticall lawes as the foresaid Emperours had before done and for a while after did still continue as we reade of Constantine Pogonatus who called together the Byshops to a generall Counsell at Constantinople against the Monothelits sitting as President with his Nobles in the same Counsell where the Deputy for the Byshop of Rome among other also agréed and acknowledged the Sea of Rome to be subiect vnto him and humbly besought the Emperour to commaund those that tooke part with the Byshop of Constantinople to shew from whence they receyued their new speeches and erroneous opinions whereupon the Emperour commaundeth Macarius Byshop of Antioch to aunswere and in the next Session he reasoneth himselfe with Macarius and in the third action when the Byshop of Romes Legate being there but a partie plaintise had espied forgerie in the Synodall bookes that were read of the fift generall Counsell the Iudges though lay men examined and found out the same by the Emperours commaundement and when the Byshop of Constantinople besought the Emperour that the letters of Agatho Byshop of Rome might also be read the Emperour graunted thereunto In which letters the Byshop of Rome sheweth his obedience to the Emperour for the effectuall accomplishing of his precepts in sending of méete persons to that Counsell excusing himselfe that he could do it no sooner by reason of the great circuit of hys Prouince protesting withall that he sendeth his Legates euen for the dutifull obedience that he oweth to the Emperour And after the confession of his faith in the controuersie he acknowledgeth the Emperour to occupie heere in earth the place and zeale of Iesus Christ and that he ought to giue the right iudgemēt for the Euāgelical Apostolical truth Now after the Emperour had thus sitten his selfe in the examining and discussing of diuers actions sessions in that Counsell as at large in the discourse therof appeareth and after his departure his deputes in the end when all was done Macarius deposed and the chosing of another Archbishop in his place referred to the Emperours pleasure and that the whole Synode offered vp to the Emperour their definition of the controuersie subscribed with all their hands and be séeching him to examine and confirme the same the Emperour hauing perused it and demaunding whether it were their vniforme consent vpon their confessions therof the Emperour aunswereth we haue read this definition and we also do giue our consent thereto And euen as much as all this commeth to we reade of the christian Kings both of Fraunce and Spaine and of this our Britany also in gouerning their Eccl. state which are the thrée kingdoms that our Brethren héere specifie Clodoueus euen the first Christian King of Fraunce in the Counsell that he called and held at Aurelia when he had propounded matters for the Counsell to consult and determine vpon they obeying the Kings commaundement refer againe their conclusions to the Kings iudgement And this authoritie doth Gunthranus the French King declare in his Edict set foorth in the Counsell of Matiscone concerning the Princes office in causing his people to be trained vp in true Religion and godly discipline protesting this charge is of God committed vnto him wherein also he declareth vnto the Byshops their office and concludeth that it was he which caused the Decrees to be made that were determined vpon in that Counsell touching discipline and ceremonies to be defined he confirming the same by his Edict thereon Charlemaine likewise as Nauclerus sheweth in a Counsell that he called sitting with many of his Nobles in the Counsell not only sayth he called the same that they should giue him good aduice how the law of God and the Churches Religion should be restored but he declareth also what ordinances he together with them had made to thateffect We did saith he ordeyne Byshops throughout the Cities by the counsell of the Priests and of my Noblemen and we did constitute Bonifacius to be the Archb. ouer them We haue also decreed a Synode to be called together euery yeere that the Decrees of the Canons and lawes of the Church may in our presence be reformed c. We haue degraded the false Priests Deacons and Clearks being adulterers and fornicators and haue driuen them to penance We haue vtterly forbidden all manner of hunting and hawking to the Cleargy We also decree that euery Preest dwelling in the Diocese be subiect vnto his owne Byshop and that alwayes in Lent he make an account and shew to the Byshop the manner and order of his ministerie c. In like manner Charles the great calling a Synode at Arles when they had decreed all their matters they decree this withall that all their doings should be presented to Charles the great that where any defects are in their Decrees he would supply the same by his wisedome and if any thing be otherwise than well that he would amend it by hi◠iudgement and that which is well he would ratifie and assist it by his authoritie Where they say in the 45. Canon that for the amending of all those abuses which the Counsell found to be in Eccl. matters the kings mind must be knowne The like they do at the Counsell which he called
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
the Princes authority that none but the Prince can doe and this prerogatiue be to make such Ecclesiasticall lawes as some of these Princes Lawes were howe doeth not this seruice plainely include the Princes supreme gouernment in Ecclesiasticall causes And sith this seruice of the Princes vnto Christ consisteth principally in making lawes for Christ no maruell then if the holy ghost exhort Princes to be wise and to be learned and to vnderstand as the most necessary thing for them to vnderstand the state of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment So that if their Clergie forstowe to doe their duetie yet the Prince by this wisedome learning and vnderstanding might as well be able to giue aduise againe if néede be euen to his Cleargie in the making of many Ecclesiasticall lawes and orders as to take aduise of them As wee sée how diuers of the forenamed Princes did and that by their authoritie with the aduice of wise and learned men both make lawes of Ecclesiasticall matters and haue a supreme gouernment in the maintenance and direction of them Musculus writing on these woordes And now ye kings vnderstande c. The nations and people saith he and much more say I the Clergie are not excluded but Kings Iudges are by name called to bethinke them selues euen for this cause that they are the heads of the nations and of the people conteyning in the nation Clergie and al to whome it principally apperteineth to be subiect vnto the Lord and to giue themselues to bee leaders of the people that are their subiects vnto this true obedience For in two respects it standeth them vpon to be obedient to the Lord first bicause they are subiect to his power as are all other mortall men and then because they are made his peculier Ministers to this purpose that hauing receaued power ouer their subiectes they shoulde both their selues the will of God and cause their subiects to be obedient to it And Marlorate vpon these wordes Serue the Lord in feare noting out of Caluin saith Princes therefore in this place are admonished that they shall then raigne happilie when their power is nothing else but Gods seruice That is to say where in commaunding and bidding they serue not their owne lust but gods will neither vsurpe that tyrannical speech Sic volo sic iubeo stet proratione voluntas Thus wil I haue it thus I bid it be it stands for reasō that it pleaseth me But they say Sie volo sic iubeo quia sic divina volunt as mandat cui soli cuncta subesse decet thus will I haue it thus I bid it be because this is the will of Gods decree He bids it bee to whome what ere he say all creatures will they nill they ought obey Let them also note this place which deny the power of the king secular Magistrat as they cal him to haue ought to do in a cause of a religion For although the kingdom of Christ be in the harts of the beleeuers notwithstanding it apperteineth to the Magistrate to haue a care that the doctrine of the word may be retined in the Church that Idolatry and false worship may bee taken awaye that the Ministers of the church may be commodiously mainteined that the aduersaries may be repressed then to forbid the name of God to be blasphemed to bring to passe that such as leade a godly life may liue in safety but the wicked persons those that are vnquiet may be punished restrained ned This then is the Princes seruice vnto God And is not this as much as to make good Eccl. lawes orders with the aduice counsell of the wise godly learned clergy as hath done and doth her Maiestie But now our brethren after they haue tryed whether they shoulde preuaile by these two aforesaid testimonies least these should not preuail in striuing against the Princes authority in Eccl. matters they adioyn a third vnto them out of the new testament saying And especially it is to be noted where S. Paule commaundeth prayers and supplications to be made for the conuersion of kings vnto the knowledge of the truth and their own saluation that he alleageth this reason that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines honesty vnder their protection A godly honest life we may liue vnder enimies of the church persecutors but a peaceable and quiet life in all godlines honesty onely vnder a christian Prince If they do it as paraphrasts by way of some part of exposition they adde these words well vnder their protection But in that they set them downe as the words of the text me thinketh it somwhat ouer bold so to cite the holy scripture or yet as paraphrasts if they so limite the end of our prayers and supplications for Kings Princes which in these three benefites that the Apostle citeth stretcheth a great deale farther than to protection onely For as Dauid and other godly Princes were they may be both protectors and procurers of the same yea the chiefe gouernors and directors in the setting foorth and maintenance of them Neither is S. Paules exhortation to pray for Princes to be restrained onely to the praiers supplications to be made for the conuersion of kings vn the knowledge of the truth but it stretcheth further yea generally as well for those that are conuerted as those that are to be conuerted as well to giue thanks for the one as to pray for the other not onely for their owne saluation but that by their meanes all their subiects likewise may attaine to the way of saluation He reckoneth vp saith Caluine the fruits that spring vnto vs out of a principality that is well ordered the first is a quiet life For the magistrats are armed with the sword to kepe vs in peace Except they should beate downe the audaciousnes of wicked men al things would be ful of robberies slaughters c. The second fruit is the conseruation or saluation that is to wit while the Magistrats indeuour to nourish religion to plant the worship of God to require the reuerence of holy thinges The 3. is the care of publike honestie c. If these 3. things be taken away what is the state of mans life if any care therfore either of publike tranquility or of Godlines or of honesty touch vs let vs remember to haue consideration of them by the ministery of whom so excellent things do come into vs. Thus doth Caluin confesse that the Ministery of the Prince stretcheth as far foorth in procuring vnto vs the benefit of religion as of the other twain therfore he concludeth that we must pray for Princes aswell as much if not much more for this benefite as for the other Yea saith he If any man shall aske whether prayer ought also to bee made for the Kings of whom we receaue no such thing I
after it S. Paules praecepts of teaching Teaching of doctrine is to be referred to godly life Doctrine is to be applyed Caluine on Rom. 12.7 D. Apollos The Epistle to the Heb. takeÌ„ of som to be written by Barnabas The danger and absurditie of our Br. doctrin Counteâ—poyson The right cutting of Cods word Hebr. 4. The learned Dis. Pag. 18. Actes 18.28 Bridges Apollos no such D. as they vrge Apollos eloquence Apollo ministred the Sacrament of baptisme Apollo Apollos mighty teaching Beza Gualterus 〈◊〉 Act. 18. Feruens Doctors Gualier Caluine Apollo was Paules successors to the Corinthianâ— Caluine Prudent Doctors Beza Apollos insinuation to the hearers mindes Paule planted Appollo watered If Paule the Doctor and planter be so eloquent was Apollo the D. and watererwith out perswasion Doctors No testimony of Scripture for this furmised Doctor Zenas a Doctor Manahen a Doctor Doctor Gamaliel his exhortation and application Act. 5. Esdras a Doctor The Catechists Doct. and their order of teaching in the Priâ—itiue Church Hyperius de Catechesi cap. 2. fol. 445. The Teachers applying his doctrine to all sorts of learners Examples of the auncient Teachers The teachers animating vnto constancie ExhortatioÌ„ to newnesse of life conteyned in doctrine Doctrine stretcheth not only to Faith but also to charity good workes The teachers Exhortations The Rhetorical manner of the doctors teaching All the later Doctors in the â—eformed Churches manner of â—eaching The new vrged Doct. are likest to the schoolemen The learned Dis. Pag. 18. Bridges Doctors in the Vniuersities and in as many places as maye be Pastors The learned Dis. Pag. 19.20.21 22. Pastors and their titles Act 20.28 1. Pet. 5.2 Numb 21.16 Mal. 2.7 Heb. 7.12.24 Act. 14.23 Act. 20.17 1. Tim. 5 17. Tit. 1.5 Iam. 5.14 1. Pet. 5.2 Bridges The name of Pastor seeldome vsed in the new Testa The name of Doctor or Teacher more proper and significanâ— theÌ„ the name of Pastor Elder The minist of the newe Test. haue neither name nor office from the Elders Numb 11 16 Caluine on Numb 11. Priest Prieste and Elder al one Priestes and sacrificers not all one Reformers of names should mark not so much how thinges are used as how they should be vsed Pastors Why the name of Elder though the more natural English is not so fitte a tearme as Priest for the minister of the worde Kemnitius contra Trid. conc tom 2. pag. 1140. Aug. deciuit Dei lib. 20. Aarons priâ—sthoode not wholy resting in Christ only The learned Dis. Pag. 22. 23. Act. 20.17 Bridges The name of Superintendent or Ouer-seer nothing so fit a name as Bishoppe Superintendents and Ouerseers The vse of the name Bishop Our Breth confused collection of these names out of Act. 20.17.28 Bishop The L. D Pag. 23. Bridges Whether there were many that properly were called Bishops in one Citie Suffragane Coadiutor Bishops The question is of the equalitie of all Pastors Our Breth wresting the wordes of the Text. Acts. 20.17 What likelihoode of many Pastorall Elders in Ephesus whâ—n S. Paul came to Miletum Caluine on Act. 14.23 S. Paule includeth other Churches besides Ephesus Gualter on Act. 20. The diuers senses of the name of Bishop Ecclesiasticall titles and offices The name of King and of Priest in some sense generall Historiae Magd Centur. 1. li. 2. cap. 7. Pag. 507. The titles of the Eccl. offices in the scriptures Our Breth Tetrarchie dissolued The Tetrarchie againe ouerthrown Deacons taught Women Deacons Kemnitius 2. tom contra Tridenâ— con Doctors exhorting applyâ—ng The principall question between vs how manie Ecclesiasticall ordâ—rs are coÌ„maunded Not all places alike for Eccl. orders nor al times in the Primitiue Church One man executed diuers Eccl. offices in the Apostles times The vnfruitfull termes of our Bretherens Fruitefull Sermon on 1. Cor. 12. The Primitiue Churches libertie in thâ—se things after the Apostles times Our libertie heerein after the Primitiue Church The name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacerdotall Priest Three orders Bishop Seauen orders not catholike The Canonists make nine orders Clearkes Difference betweene the Bishops and Priâ—sts The DeacoÌ„s exercise Inferior orders Where and how these distributioÌ„s of degrees were obserued How farre they are reiected The nâ—me Bishop and Priâ—st at the stâ—st accepting of â—â—eÌ„ vâ—ed indâ—â—fâ—â—â—ntlie Timothie Bishop The state of the question for Bishops superioritie Kemnitius tom 2. exam cap. 4. de sacr ord The originall of the name Bish. Bishop The generall sense of the name Bishops The appropriating of the name B. vnto some one among the Pastors Timothie Bishop This appropriating of the name B. began in the Apostles times The subscripcion of the later Epistle â—o Timoth. How Tim. was called the first Bi. of Ephesus Timothie Bishop of Ephesus Timoth not first Bishop there in time but iâ— dignitie 〈…〉 Timothie Bishop Caluine on â— Tim. 1. Caluine Timothie a Pastorall elder in Ephesus Timothies authoritie aboue other Pastorâ— there Beza in 1. Tim. 5.16 The learned Dis. Pag. 23. 24. Phil. 1.1 Bridges Whether there were mo Bishops at Philippos Our Breth argument Paules salutations Beza in Phil. 1.1 Our Bretheren ouerthrowe all their owne deuises Beza The name of Deacon Our Breth contâ—arie to Beza and to the Geneua Testament herein Our Breth and we with Caluine and Daneus c. against Bezaes opinioÌ„ and the Geneua note herein Danaeus in Christ. Isag. 3. Part. c. 10. Caluinus in Phil. 1. The weakenesse of our Breth argument How B. and Pastor differ and yet are all one Superiority of Pastors If superioritie among Pastors bâ— simplie nought it can admitte no shortnes of time If it can be admitted for a time it is not simplie euill Superioritie of dignitie in the equalitie of the Apostleship Gal. 2. Superiority of dignitie among the Apostles Caluine on Gal. 2. v. 9. The superiour dignitie of Iames in Ierusalem among his breâ—hren fellow Apostles c. Iames hiâ— superior dignitie standing continuing in Ierusalem Iames B. of Ierusalem Caluines citing Eusebius that Iames was B. of Ierus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bezaes confession of appropriating the name of Bi. vnto one The matter being yeelded vnto why striue wee for the name The modest name of B. The continuing of the nâ—me office The Primitiue Churches pollicy Oâ—e among the Pastors was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apost â—ime Beza his owne confession that Timot. was B. of Ephes. S. Paules words â— Tim. 5.17 seeme rather to inferre Bish. then not teaching Elders The resemblance of an house the Churches gouernement The good chaunge of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the iniquity thereof Golliuâ— Snecanus de discipl Eccl. pag. 440. The Ecclesiasticall orders and degrees in the Primitiue Church Ecclesiasticall orders The obseruations of the Magdeburgenses The PrimChurches obseruatioÌ„â— One Bishop in one Church How Irenaeus vseth the name Bish. and Prieste indiffereÌ„tly Bishops Gods ordinaunce The appropriating the name
The B. Mel. zeale seueritie in reiecting them The Archb. Pâ—terâ— mercy to admit them The greater part went to Meleâ—ius Peter suffereth martirdome Meletius is exiled Meletius maketh B. priestes and deacons and erects churches against his Archb. What means they made to haue accesse to the Emperor Constantinus Magnus The Meletians coÌ„pact to ioyne Arius with them that without the Archb. let they might haue their communion by them selues Socrates lib. 1. cap. 5. Meletius Meletius depriued of his bishopricke Flauiaâ—uâ— a priâ—st and afterward a bâ—shop Meletius offer to part the bishopricke between them to gouerne togither for a full vnion The most reuerend Cyprian The Bishop ouer the Priestes by the Gospel the Lords iudgement Peter and Paule A plausible shew of reformation but offensiue to God The most reuerend Bridges Ionius referring him seâ—fe for Iames B of Ierusalem Bishops the Apostles successor The most reuerend Bridges Peter and Paule not B of Rome The most reuerend Bridges Both suâ—erior gouernment supreame too may be in more then one ouer the residue The most reuerend Bridges It followeth not that because some Apostl were Bishops all Bish. must bee Apost August Tom. de qâ—est ex nouo Testam questione 97. Aug. tom 8. in Psal. 44. Augustine The Bishop in steed of the Apost The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Ieromes minde is most apparant that the pecullarizing of the name office of B. â—as in the apostles time Hierome The most reuerend Bridges Ierome challenged of vntruth The fâ—iuolousnesse of the moste rev argum Differâ—nce of the persons dignity authority in the aequality both of Apostleship Eldersh The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerâ—nd Paule Soâ—henes Bridges S. Paules author superiour in excoÌ„munic Caluinon 1. Cor. 5. â— Marlorate on 1. Cor. 5. If the priests or Elders minist of the word Sacram. did then together with the B. gouern the Ch. then were B distinct from Elders of the word sacrameÌ„ts A priuie custome The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Titus authority Pag. 24. 1. Tim. 3.2.8 Tiâ— 1.5.6.7 Bridges The time when the Epistle to Titus was written Chytraeus in Onomasticho Calâ—in 1. Tiâ— Praedicas Aretiuâ— in tit Tituâ— ordained Elders alone Caluines obiâ—ction and answere for Titus authority in electing ordeining Pastors Inequality of Ministers Caluineâ— conclusion that the ministers were not al equal in authority in the Apostles times The ancient fathers acknowledging Titus to be B. of Creta Titus authority Titus a B. and his authority a patern to al other B. The popes superiority not established by this superiority of a bishop Ecclesiasticall promotion Inequality of dâ—gnity Christ forbiddeth the superiority or the title thereof but the ambition abuse of it Hemingius Syntagma â—it or arg Bern. Eccle. The spiâ—ituall iurisdiction all one but the degrees of dignitie not equall The degrees that the reformed churches do acknowledge Herbrandus in comp Theol. lo dâ— minist Superintendents special and Superintendents generall ouer Pastors Caluines iudgement of Bishops â—aluin Insâ—it ca. 8. sect 51. The Canons of the auncient B. how little they varied from gods word Caluines confession of the primatiue churches order for superioritie of B. The auncientnesse of this institution from S. Markes time Caluine Limitation of Regions to the cities whence the Priests shold be taken The fathers in coÌ„posing all this form of gouernement by the only rule of Gods word though it be not expressed therein Eusebius chronicle corrupted not agreing to his eccl hist. The credite of Eusebius report and proofe in his eccl hist. The Apostlâ— not improuing but approuing these orders Caluines iudgement of the titles of B. and Archb. and their superiour auth Epist. 295. Caluine acknowledgeth London and diuerse other places to appertain to the Bishoprike of one Caluine still acknowlegdeth the name of L. in a Bishop Caluines reuerend stile Epist. 272. He exhorteth the B. to beâ—hinke him of hâ—s place and charge Caluini Epist. 190. ad Regem Poloniae Caluines allowancâ— of an Archb. and B. vnder him Epist. 127. The place office of an Archb. enioyned by God The chiefest auth Eccl. in an Archb. Caluines resolutioÌ„ how B. conuerted to the Gospell should behaue themselues How a conuerted Bish. shall reteine his iurisdiction and superior authoritie Zanchius in confess Christ. relig How farre succession of Bishops holdeth Zanchius Bish auth agreable to the Apostles doctrine Wherein Zanchius fauoreth our Brethrens opinion ApprobatioÌ„ of orders multiplied Aphorism 11. The originall of one to be superiour and B. The same reason that serued for B. serueth for Archb. Whereto how far the ministers auth stretcheth 1. Cor. 14.40 How farre it is debatted Aphor. 21. That B. may haue also politicall auâ—horitie Rom. 13.5 Rom. 13.1.2 1. Pet. 2.17 Obedience to Metropolitane Zanchius coÌ„firmation of his confession in these thinges Vpon what occasion Zanchius set out these obseruations A Noble mans letter to Zanchius on this matter The orders not striuing with the scripture Bucers opinion Bucer How the Ecclesiasticall functions are to be multied The manes of the D. reaching D. exhortors and applierâ— Readers office Curats Singers of the psalmes Hymnes The pronuÌ„tiation of the readers Interpreterâ— How the B and the priestes also did these thinges How euerye minister according to his gift may do these thinges Magisterio The authority of a B. among the priâ—stes Metrop B. ouer the other Bish. The bishops peculier iurisdiction Elections of bishops Quae prefatus enim Primats Patriarkes Zanchius The clericall order of gouernmeÌ„t and obedience broken by Antichr The names of Arch. and Bish. better then Superintendentes Primaâ—ij The authority of arch against Antichristes tyranny The originall of Patriarâ—es for general couÌ„sels The name of Hierâ—â—châ— The learned discourse Pag. 27 28. 1. Pet. 5.1 1 Peâ— 5.1.2.3.4 Titles of Arch-bish c. 1. Peâ— 2.25 Bridges S. Peters testimonies of these titles Names included 1. Pet. 2. Apocal. 1. Titles of â— Elders Proper and improper names How necessary Bish. superiority is by our Brethrens own collection Slouth Couetousnesse Pride Submissio Neither Peter nor Paul require such submission How these â—â—tles agree onely to â— Christe Titles proper to Chr. How diuerâ— of these titles are froÌ„ Christ communicated to man Archipoimen archpriest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thesâ—nameâ— offices giuen to the building of the Church Man beeing but the figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thâ— name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Christian Iewes Archdeacoâ— Bishoâ— Arch-bish The name office wel vsed according to the obseruatioÌ„s of S. Peter How far we yeeld to our brethrens argumeÌ„t for these termes how far wee denie it Archpriest The learned disc Pag. 27 Bridges The name of Archpâ— not in vse among vs. Our bretherens argum Our vse of the name Archbishop Why we vse not the name Arch-Priest How the name of Arch Prieste and Archbishop are allowable Peter prince of
of them * Carbaso Ceremonies In what extraordinary and necessary cases ceremonies and constitutions may be omitted Womens couering oâ— vncouering their head Womens speaking Praying standing or kneeling Buryall The custom of the region to be regarded in â—hese thingâ— The breach by coÌ„â—empt or contumacy of â—hese things Festiuall dayes Manner of building Churches Singing Psalmes The changing of these thingâ— by euery body is the occasion of contempt Caluineâ— reâ—erent writing of Ceremonies how far dâ—fferent from these our Breeth The Constitutions Actes 15. Why euery particular person or congregation may not alter ceremoniall constitutions True or vntrue principles of vniformity The learned disc pa. 120. Bridges The Apostlâ— decree Acts 15. generall and to be kept vniformally during the time therof Conuersion to Christ. Whether all the Churches were wholy conuerted Whether the Church at Ierusalem were wholy conuerted All the Church of Corinth not wholy conuerted and yet all vniformally subiect to the Apostls orders By our Breeth reason no land nor Church in the world should haue vniformity How our land is wholy conuerted Our Breeth confession that for religion we conuerted to the whole substance therof The land not wholly conuerted Vniformity in other matters the rediest way to win such as are not yet conuerted Our Breeth their selues vrge vniformitie against this principle How we are and are not wholy conuerted to Christ. Our Breeth accusation of negligence Our Breeth too double diligence These sturs moued by our Breeth a great cause that many are not conuerted Assemblies for new orders The learned disc pa. 121. Bridges The Prince still omitted The Elders assembly to consider of orders meet for diuerse places Whether the orders that shal be deuised shal be kept vniformely How the new orders should kept Diuers orders kept vniformly in the degrees of diuerse persons Some ceremonies may serue both olde and young Our br prescription of ordinances and ceremonies to be vsed in generall vniformly The learned disc pa. 121. 122 Varietie of ceremonies Bridges How the same partes of doctrine are not to be taught euery where How ceremonies admit variety and vniformitie much better Varietie admitted in constitutioÌ„s ceremonial accidentally How the christian libertie in ceremonies necessarie to be restified sometimes at all times Things necessary and not necessarie Sometimes ceremonies altered for their sakes that knewe not the difference of necessarie and not necessarie thinges Not only simple persons but learned haue erred in this matter Our Brethr. errour in not knowing necessarie and vnnecessarie thinges Baptizing with a cross and a font The signe of the crosse in Baptisme Baptizing in a font If these ceremonies admit variety then they may be vsed Our Brethr. incroching vpon the libertie of varietie Kneeling at the communion â—neeling at the CoÌ„munion How preaching is or is not simply necessarie at the communioÌ„ How kneeling is or is not necessarie at the communioÌ„ How kneeling at the communion may well admit a decree of vniformitie Calu. in Inst. lib. 4. cap. 10. sec. 29. Ceremonial constitutions for comlinesse Caluine for kneeling Al eccl constitutions either pertaine to rites and ceremonies or to discipline and peace Sec. 30. How kneeling is both an humane and diuine tradition No one forme of discipline ceremonies not particularly prescribed to all ages Wearing the surplusse The wearing a surplusse Of the occasion that some thinke these ceremonies are more necessarie than they be Our Brethr. are not displaced for trifles Displacing of Ministers The chiefe matters wherefore our Br. are displaced Some not displaced but forsaking their calling Faithfull Ministers should rather yeelde to trifles then be displaced for them Our Br. praisiug themselues Our Br. moste diligent preaching Discretion with diligence Our Br. moste seruent prayer Too fiery ferâ—encie Our Br. moste reuerend Ministration of the same The Synods making pure caeremonies Our ministration of the sacraments Our Br. the cheefe causes or their owne displacing The learned disc pa. 122. Bridges The Synods carefulnesse in ordeinâ—ng ceremonies Caeremonies not vtterlie abolished though they haue beene defiled Caeremonies expedient for the time and persons Our Br. caeremonies not expedient for our time and persons Yeelding obedience Intanglingmens consciences To what indifferent matters obedience is to be yeelded The Synods Eccl. censure The learned disc pag. 122. 123. Bridges The Sinods ecclesiasticall ceÌ„sure for faultes and controuersies Faults coÌ„trouersies woulde be still as many worse if not moe thaÌ„ nowe there are Moe pastorsin a congregatioÌ„n mo controuersieâ— A liuely late example of 2. Pastors equall in one congregation Fleeing to Synodes The misgouerning of these newe Gouâ—â—nors Our Brethrens continuall fleeing to Synodâ— The inconueniences by the want of the iurisdictions alreadie established The assembly act 15. The assembly act 15. was not a Synode of diuers particular Churches Ver. 1. Beza in Act. 15.2 Vers. 3. Vers. 4. When a Synod is requisite The Exam. of punishing by eccle Câ—nsure in the aucthority giuen to Timothie The first seeking of redressâ— by eccl Cens. is of the Bish. or Archbishop not of Synods When a Syn. or councel is requisite Danaues in Christ. Isag. Part. 3. li. 3. cap. 38. Coitionis Notice and leaue graunted of the ChristiaÌ„ Prince to haue a Synode or counsell How the generall and prouinciall counc were called holden Particular Shire Synods The learned disc pag. 124. Bridges Particular Synodes Bernar Waltherus lib. 1. miscell cap. 19. The acceptatioÌ„ of the termes Prouince and Diocese ciuilly and Ecclesiastically Our triennall and annuall Synods in euery Dioces As the Synods are limited so are their authorities What great authoritie and in how many things is by our bretheren giuen to the Synodes The danger by these shire Synods To what Synode all this great authorrie is giuen All this authoritie giuen to the particular Synode of euery Shire Though this be daungerous to the state of the whole yet better than to abolish all vniformitie The daunger growing by this authoritie of these Shire Synodes The Synods election of Pastors The learned disc pag. 124. Bridges The Synodes election of Pastors Christes and S. Paules besides Tim. Tit. c. manner of electing Pastors Election without Synodes The exception of Christes example It is not simply euill to appoint a Pastor whom the people before haue not chosen The exception that the Apostles had no certaine places assigned to them The Bishops and Pastors made by Timothie and â— Titus without calling synods Our brethrens contradiction in the election The Synods iudgement in election The learned disc pag. 124. 125. Bridges Act. 14.23 Paule and Barnabas chalenged to themselues the prerogatiue of ordeyning Elders No mention of common or any election 1. Tim. 4.14 Act. 14.23 The proper signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paule and Barnabas ordeyning To whom the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is referred Vers. 21. Vers. 22. Vers. 23. Vers. 24. Vers. 25. Howe the peoples actioÌ„s were ioyned withe Paules Baâ—nabas
suffice for him if he holde the place of a sheepe in the Lordes folde But if so bee that anye suche one shall bee endewed with learning and dexteritie yea and with affection to teach also heere-after let him firste of all make a confession of his faythe and holily testifie that he cleaueth faste vnto the pure and syncere Religion and furthermore that he acknowledge that his vocation to haue beene ioyned with meere abuse and that hee desire a newe approbation and namely that he professe that to be frustrate that he was instituted before by the Popes authoritie and withall that he renownce all meanes vnlawfull and repugnant to the order which the Lord Iesus hath ordeyned in his Church These thinges praemised I see not what should let that hee may not bee admitted to the office of a Pastor so that hee promise and doe in verie deede performe that faith which is required to the executing of the office and especially that he ioyne him-selfe with the companie of the Ministers that purelie teache the woorde and submitte him-selfe to the Discipline and polycie which hath place among them As for the memorie of his former life let that remaine buried neither let any thing be imputed vnto him that then was committed onely that he be admonished of the performing of his duetie hereafter lawefully If that Canon of Paule bee obiected wherein is deliuered that a Bishop must be vnreprooue-able I aunswere here is not delt with in my iudgement concerning a simple and absolute election but concerning the approbation and restitution to a certaine office because of the corruption passing betweene c. Here after he hath prooued that point hee commeth to the conclusion saying These thinges beeing presupposed the partes shall be of suche a Bishop as this to doe his endeuour so farre as in him shalt lie that all the Churches which appertaine vnto his Bishopricke shall be repurged from all errors and worships of Idolles while hee him-selfe shall by his example goe before all the Curates of his Diocâ—sse and shall induce them to admitte the reformation vnto the which by the woorde of GOD wee are inuited and the which shall wholely aunswere both to the state and to the vse of the primitiue Churche As for that which appertayneth to those goods which are called temporalties whether they coÌ„sist in Iurisdiction or in annual rent although the originall of them sprange out of that corruption that is by no meanes to bee borne with the pure simplicitie of the spirituall ministerie notwithstanding so long as things remayne thus confessed the possession after a sorte of suffering them may be left vnto them So be that exhortation be giuen vnto them that they looke to it howe they dispose those thinges which they shall haue knowen to bee dedicated vnto God both that they profane not thinges consecrated to god and also that they conteyne themselues in the modestie which may beseeme true Bishops c. Thus by Caluines plaine opinion for a reformed Bishop to haue a Diocesse and gouernement therein of Curates and Pastors vnder him is not contrarie to the state and vse of the primitiue Churche nor to the reformation vnto the which by the worde of God we are inuited nor any vnlawfull meanes or repugnant to the order which the Lorde Iesus hath ordeyned in his Churche but may aunswere wholely there-vnto And so that Bishops doe these thinges both for themselues and for their office and for their Diocesse and for their goods and temporalties and iurisdictions that Caluine here would haue them doe though he doe but tollerate the dispensation of their temporalties c. yet he manifestly alloweth them to remaine Bishops still and to retayne their Diocesses and to goe before or guide the Curates and Pastors and all the Churches appertayning to their Bishoprickes And he seeth no let but they may so continue Thus sayeth Caluine of these Protestant and Refourmed Bishops But aboue all other Reuerende and Learned mens iudgementes from beyonde the seas in anye refourmed Churches that notable and godlie Learned man Zanchius who is also yet liuing hath moste pythily to this point mée thinkes be it spoken with-out contempt of any other set downe his graue iudgement on these matters In his last booke of the confession of his faith concerning Christian Religion Who first in the 24. Chapter in the title of the Militant Church the 6. Aphorisme or distinction being this From what kind of succession of Bishops can it be shewed that any Church is Apostolicall To which he answereth We do so acknowledge that from the perpetuall succession of B. in any Church not what kind of succession soeuer but that which hath adioyned therwith a continuance of the Apostolicall doctrine may rightly be shewed to be an Apostolicall Churche Suche an one as in the olde time was the Churche of Rome and the succession of the Bishops thereof vntill the time of Irenaeus of Tertullian and of Cyprian and of certaine others In so much that not vnwoorthily those fathers were woont to appeale and cite the Heretikes of their time vnto that Churche and to other men like to them c. But in all these Fathers times and manie other like to them as we haue shewed this perpetuall succession of Bishops was of suche as were superiour in dignitie to the residue of the Pastors in those Churches Therefore this continuance of superioritie in Bishops and suche titles of dignitie in the Ministerie is not repugnant to the Apostolicall Church nor to the Apostolicall doctrine Nowe this Zanchius may the better be allowed of these our Bretheren for that in some of the fore-saide pointes hee fauoureth in some parte their opinion as for their Elders that were not Pastors cap. 25. Aphorism 7. For their diuision of Doctors distinct from Pastors And for the name and order of Elders to bee vsed in the Scripture as all one with Bishoppes and Catechizers Aphorism 9. Which thing also we graunt as before is noted the substance of the order to bee all one and the difference onely to be in the degree of dignitie and authoritie And also for Doctors to teache onely but not with suche teaching but that they did withall exhort as he sheweth after Aphorism 10. yet notwithstanding sayth hee we doe not in the meane season disallowe the Fathers for that according to the diuerse manner both of dispensing the woorde and of Gouerning the Churche they multiplyed the orders of the Ministers when as that thing was free for them euen as also it is for vs. And when as it is apparant that that was doone of them for causes which were honest pertayning according to that time to order to comlinesse and to the edification of the Church Aphorisme the 11. The confirmation of the same sentence with the explication of certaine Ecclesiasticall orders in the primitiue Church For we knowe that our God is the God of order not of confusion and