〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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
these auncient Bishops in the Primitiue Church next the Apostles times The Deacons were the Gouernours of the Churches treasures that they mighte therevpon prouide for the maintenance of the poore and cheefelie of the ministers of the Churche The Deacons also afterwards began to be assigned to ease some parte of the Ministerie of the Bishop and of the Priests or Elders as also Hierom ad Rusticum dooth testifie as before to read something out of the Scripture to teache to exhorte c to admonish the people to be attentiue to haue their heartes to the Lorde to pronounce the peace to make readie those things that perteine to the administration of the Sacraments to distribute the Sacraments to the people to present those that are to be ordeined to the Bishop to warne the Bishop of those things that perteine to discipline c. But Hierome complaineth to Rusticus of Narbona that manie suche things especiallie in the Churche of Rome were imposted vpon the Deacons besides the Apostolic all tradition and besides the custome of other churches insomuche that the firste and true office of the Deacons was in Deacons almost blotted out For sithe that Deacons were occupied with those new offices Subdeacons were substituted vnto them which gathered the oblations of the faithfull that were giuen for the sustentation of the poore and of the Ministers Besides these there were readers which out of the Scripture especiallie out of the Old Testament red publikelie before the people For the reading of the New Testament was afterwarde giuen vnto the Deacons There were Psalmists or singers which did fore-sing or set the note to those things that all the people are woont to sing There were doore keepers or Porters which in the time of the mysteries after the denouncing of the Deacon thrust out of the Temple the Heathen the learners of the Catechisme the penitents the possessed with spirits the hereticks and those that were excommunicate For so dooth Dionysius describe this office The Bishops the Priests and the Deacons had their seruants ministers companions or followers of them whose labour as necessitie required they did vse As Paule vsed the labour of Onesimus Those they called Acolyths From whence afterwards ignorance made them taper-bearers There were besides Exorcists that had the gifte of casting out or repressing diuels This distribution of degrees in the more frequented Churches by reason of the offices that perteined to the ministerie was profitable for bicause of order to comlinesse and to edification But in smaller and seldomer frequented Churches suche destribution of degrees was not iudged necessarie And in the more frequented also was not euerye where the like and the same distribution of those degrees But by this reason to this vse and in the same libertie the moste parte of those degrees of the olde Churche are also kept of vs. These things haue I rehearsed that it might the more commodiouslie be shewed what in this chapter is put in controuersie of the degrees or orders Ecclesiasticall for neither doo we simplie reiect or condemne the distribution of those degrees as it was in the Apostolicall and in the old churche but according to the reason of necessitie and edification wee vse the same in our Churches after the same sorte as is declared Thus dâ—o we sée all the state of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie in the Apostles and in the auncient time in what forte and what varietie they were vsed and on what occasions and to what purposes they were ordeined and howe farre-foorth they or we are bound vnto them or at libertie from them All which in howe manie and howe forcible points it ouerthrowes all your platforme of Ecclesiasticall gouernement I referre to any indifferent readers iudgement But bicause my chéefe occasion to set this downe so far at large was héere especiallie to consider among these orders what he noteth concerning the office and degree of a Bishop I minde therefore yet further to procéede with him where of purpose and directlie he confuteth also the decrée of Trident counsell that Bishops and priests are not equall But as wee haue séene all this in him at large for all the orders and degrees of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie so by the same aforesaid and in generall haue wee to leuel all that which in particuler hee setteth downe after concerning Bishops of whome and as before in speaking of these orders he alloweth none of the popish abuses in them neither any of vs I hope doo fauour or would goe about by any meanes to mainteyne anye errors vsurpation pride and tyrannie of the popish Bishops so dooth not Kemnitius any more then we condemne in true and godlie Bishops simplie all superioritie ouer priests or pastorall Elders neither would these our BrethreÌ„ on the better consideration of the prooues thereof both in the Apostles and in the auncient Fathers and by the graue and modest iudgement euen of the very best and moste learned late writers of their side And firste as we are not at least-wise should not be desirous of contention especiallie to contend about questions of names onelie and méere titles but rather to searche and followe the truthe of the matter so I gladlie graunt for the name Bishop and for the name prieste or pastorall Elder though they differre in sense as Hierome in his Epistle to Oceanus saithe the one being a name of dignitie the other of age yet in the olde time and namelie when these names were firste in the Newe Testament applyed to the Ministers of GODS worde and Sacraments they were I graunt indifferentlye vsed Priest for Bishop Bishop for priest and both for one The reason was bicause suche commonlie as were chosen and ordeyned héerevnto were in ripenesse of yeares auncient men Or if in yeares not so auncient which was the seldomer yet auncient in iudgement and grauitie of manners Wherevpon they had the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priest or Elder and with-all in their office hauing an ouersighte the name Episcopus that we call Bishop was likewise giuen vnto them But the question lyeth not in this whether at that time vntill these names were growne into more peculiar vses they were thus indifferentlie taken one from another or whether they might not be reduced to that indifferent acceptation againe but whether those that were so called then indifferentlie had likewise no kinde of difference in ouersight authoritie and gouernement among them but were meerelie in suche sorte all equall alike being equallie of like and of one order and degree of Ministerie that no one or other among them to whom the name and office of Bishop was competible had or might haue anye superior ouersight gouernement and authoritie ouer anye other in the same order of Priesthood or Eldership that himselfe was of wherevpon this name Bishop or some other name equiualent began to be more restrained vnto that Priest or Pastorall Elder than vnto the residue albeit they were still
principall beeing or standing office ouer them to a Superintendent or ouerseer of them which was a lower title of superiour dignitye and therfore not giuen or taken of any il purpose so withal it argueth the antiquity both of the matter and of the appropriating of the name Episcopus more peculierly vnto one then before it had bene to be either in or immediatly following the Apost times euen by Bezaes owne testimony out of Iustine and by examining of this worde and title in the Scripture And as Caluine and Beza héere confesse the matter so Gellius Snecanus also de Disciplina Ecclesiastica pag. 440. speaking of the ministerye of the worde concludeth out of 1. Tim. 5. uer 19 20. Whereupon it manifesthe appeareth that euen then a certaine order was ordayned at Ephesus Cui Praefectus erat Timotheus ouer the which Timothie was the Praefect Whome Iustine calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Beza translateth AntistiteÌ„ whome wecall Bishop All this being considered with the subscription afore-said vnto Timothie argueth that this name Bishop to become peculiar vnto one aboue his brethren and fellow Pastors was neither so late as diuerse take it nor was meerely and altogether mans inuenâ—ion and yet if it had beene ordayned of man being not other-wise prescribed of God it may well be called also euen Gods ordinaunce as we shall see after God-willing upon Peter The Centuriographers writing of the gouernment of the Churche in the time next succeeding the Apostles do say Cent. 2. ca. 7. pag. 125. and 126. But as there was no certaine and prescribed number of Minist of the Church commaunded in the holie Scriptures so according as the necessitie of the Churches required they had moe or fewer And as among them to the intent that there should be some order and that the Ecclesiasticall offices shoulde bee better administred among many by a certaine reason or consideration and that the succession of Ministers might be made in order necessity compelled them to ordayn and to keepe certain degrees of persons But in that matter and also in thys age the most part of the Churches kept a small number and a simplicitie For moe orders than these 3. that is to witte Bishoprick Priesthoode and Deaconrie are not found with approued Authors And the offices which afterwards were distributed to dore-keepers to Readers to Exorcists and to Acolyts were al names ioyned to the office of Deacon and Subdeacon So in the French Church as appeareth by the Epist. of theÌ„ that were of Lions vnto the East churches are reckoned vp more Ministers of the Church then Bishop Priests and Deacons the other are called brethren Euseb. lib. 4. cap 1. Clemens of Alexandria in the bokes of him that are at this day extant maketh no where mention of moe then of Bishop of Priestes and of Deacons except that in some places hee adioyne Widdowes Neyther yet doeth hee in playne wordes ascribe vnto them a Ministery in the Church muche lesse a degree Also Hierome in his Epist. to Euagrius doth testifie that in the Church of Alexandria there were no moe degrees from Marke vnto Dionise then bishopricke Priest-hoode and Deaconship And so proceeding to other Churches and to Antioche and Rome where out of Iustine they note vnum perfectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fratrum and certaine Deacons the other brethren Nicâ—phorus li. 3. cap. 29. declareth that Eleutherius which was taught the holy Scriptures of Anicetus or rather of Anaclecletus was enrolled in the sacred number of the Cleargy And in the 15. yeere of his age tooke the degree of Deacon and three yeare after was made Priest and in the 10 yeere of his age was chosen Bishop Whereupon may be gathered what degrees were in Rome vnder the raigne of Hadrian c. It is woorthy memory that of euery one Church is onlye found a Bishop in the Priesthoode and in the Deaconship are alwayes found many according to the necessity of euery place or Church Hierome testifieth in his epistle to Euagrius that in the time of the Apostles the degrees of Bishops and Priestes were not distinct but afterward for remedie of schisme one was chosen out of the Priestes and placed in a higher degree and called bishop Which onely in the office of ordeyning should differ from the Priestes Whereuppon it appeareth that about these times this chaunge began in the Church and the office of a bishop higher then the degree of Priesthood not so much by the institution of God as by humane authority for bicause of good order aedification and succession Heereupon it is that Irenaeus calleth Soter Anicetus Hyginus Pius Telesphorus Priestes Euseb. lib. 5. cap 24. And this indifferent vsurpation of this worde bishop and Prieste is also found with others Vnder Traiane as yet liued Iohn the Apostle which was the chiefest founder of the Churches that were in Asia and which also was woont to goe out of Ephesus to the places neere adioyning both partly to ordayne bishops partly to chose the Cleargie by lotte as Clement telleth in Eusebius lib. 3. ca. 23. but he being dead the Apostleship ceased in the Church bicause that vnto their doctrine and writings God would haue the Church at all times to be bounde But the Apostles gaue Churches to Bishops in euerye one place as Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 63. doeth testifie But bicause the doctrine of the Gospel was to be published throughout many nations therefore the Churches were wonte to choose famous and constant men prest to trauell and ready to teach and to suffer for the Gospell and to impose on them this office that according to the imitation of the Apostles forsaking their goods or disposing them they should trauel through many and farre places of the Gentiles preach the Gospell These were called Euangelists or Apostolicall men and Eusebius testifieth lib. 5. cap. 9. that very many of them were yet vnder Commodus In the number of whome is Pantenus reckoned who was sent of Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria into India c. Out of these obseruations of these Centuriographers vppon the auncient fathers coÌ„cerning the gouernment of the Churches in this age which was partlie in the time and life of some of the Apostles we also may note these thinges appertayning vnto our controuersie First that there were ordinarily but three degrees of the Ecclesiasticall Ministery Bishoppes Priestes or Elders and Deacons by which Priests or Elders they meane such Priestes or Elders as were ministers of the worde For they speak of those Priests or Elders whose office at the first was not distincte from Bishops So that in the ordinary regiment of the most famous Churches in that age and while some of the Apostles liued and immediatlye after their death these vnpreaching Prelates Preests or Elders that medled not with teaching but were al in gouerning were not accounted any offices or degrees of the Ecclesiasticall ministery But they had onely three as we haue Bishops
fourthe yeare of Seuerus that is the yeare of our Lorde 199 other referre it to the fifte yeare of Seuerus Therfore he should haue beene in the ministerie especiallie in his Bishoprike about 23. yeares To the which if wee adde the yeares of his Priesthood or Eldership perhaps it will runne to 30. yeares And so at the least by their computation he was seauen yeares a Priest before hee was Bishop And this also did these Centuriographers confesse before saying Photinus being cruellie murthered in the persecution for the confession of the truthe of the Gospell Irenaeus hetherto being but a Priest or Elder in the same Churche was substituted in his place Whereby it is moste euident that Presbyter and Episcopus a Priest or Pastorall Elder or minister of the worde and a Bishop were not all one and equall in this holye and singuler learned Fathers dayes so néere vnto the Apostles that hee was scholler to Polycarpus which liued in the Apostles times And euen in Irenaeus time he telleth that neither the giftes of healings nor of speaking with strange toongs were yet ceassed Although I graunte we shall nowe and then finde where when he speaketh of Bishops he calles them Priests or Elders as lib. 4. cap. 43 wherefore wee must hearken to those priests or Elders that are in the Churche those that haue their succession from the Apostles as wee haue shewed who with the succession of the Bishoprike haue receiued the certeine gifte of the truthe according to the good will of the Father And in the nexte chapter But those that are indeede of manye beleeued to bee Priests or Elders and serue their pleasures and preferre not the feare of God in their heartes but vexe the residue with reproches and are lifted vp with the puffe of sitting highest and secretlye doo euill and saye none shall see vs shall be reprooued of the worde that iudgeth not according to glorie nor lookes on the countenance but on the heart c. From all suche therefore we must absteyne but cleaue vnto those that as wee haue saide keepe bothe the doctrine of the Apostles and the sounde worde with the order of their Priesthood or Eldership and expresse a conuersation without offence to the information and correction of the residue c Suche priestes or Elders the Churche nourisheth of whome the prophet saithe And I will giue thee princes in peace and thy Bishoppes in righteousnesse Although in these and suche like places of Irenaeus the worde bothe Priest and Bishop maye be taken the one for the other indifferentlie yet dooth not this debarre but that as Irenaeus him-selfe was a Prieste for a while before he were a Bishop so lib. 3 cap. 3. hee there speaketh all of the succession vntill â—is time of the Bishops of the Churche of Rome that cannot bee vnderstood of euerye Priest there And indéed among all other that were Bishops I haue chéeflie forborne the naming of these not so muche for any corruption in this pointe that at that time was in them more than in other Bishops for I take them rather to haue beene as sincere as any of all the other but that their successors since those times vpon the honor for their vertue and sinceritie giuen to them of this first age and for the dignitie of the place and for the number of them that then were martyrs there and with-all for the memorie of Paule and Peter supposed there also to haue suffered martyrdome and to haue established the Churche there and to haue ordeined a Bishop also ouer them bicause I saye their successors waxing insolent and abusing all these good occasions haue also abused the memorie and names of those good auncient Bishops of Rome with a number of forgeries fathered falslie on them I haue therefore mencioned none of them But bicause Ireneus as they were then the mirrors of other Churches and Bishops excelling in synceritie of doctrine in good order of discipline and integritie of life bringeth in all the Bishops of that sée vntill his time to confute the new deuises of the heretikes errors by their constant continuance in the truthe I will therefore also set downe some parte of Ireneus words for our further confirmation of this matter The tradition saith he therefore of the Apostles is made manifest in all the worlde It is present to beholde in the Churche for all that will heere the truthe And wee haue to reckon vp them which haue beene ordeined Bishops in the Churches from the Apostles and the successors of them vntill our daies Who haue taught no such thing neither haue knowne how these men doate For if the Apostles had knowne any such hidden mysteries which they taught those that were perfect by themselues and priuilie they would most especially haue taught them vnto those to whome they committed the Churches themselues For they would haue them to be verie perfect and vnreprooueable in all things whome they would also haue to be their successors Deliuering to them euen their owne places of maistership that they had who behauing themselues without faulte great profite might come thereon but offending great calamitie How beit bicause it is verie long in such a volume as this to reckon vp the successions of all Churches therefore of that Churche whith is the greatest and most auncient and knowne to all to be founded and ordeyned of the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paule declaring that tradition that it hath of the Apostles and faithe published vnto men comming euen vnto vs by the succession of the Bishops we confound all those which by any maner of meane or by their owne euill selfe liking or by vaine glorie or by blindnesse and euill opinion doo gather otherwise than they ought to doo For vnto this Churche bicause of the more mightie principalitie it is necessarie that euerie Churche agree That is they that are faithfull euerie where in the which alwaies of those that are euerie where the tradition that is from the Apostles is kept The blessed Apostles therefore founding and instructing the Churche deliuered vnto Linus the Bishoprike of administring the Churche Of this Linus Paule mentioneth in those Epistles that are to Timothie but vnto him succeeded Anacletus after whome in the third place from the Apostles Clemens obteined the Bishoprike Who also sawe the Apostles them-selues and conferred with them while as yet he had the preaching of the Apostles sounding in his eares and their tradition before his eyes For not hee alone manie at that time were yet aliue that were taught of the Apostles Vnder this Clemens therefore no small dissention falling out among the brethren that were at Corinth the Church which is at Rome wrote most forcible letters to the Corinthians gathering them togither vnto peace and repayring their faithe and declaring the tradition that they had euen of fresh receiued from the Apostles Which tradition declared that there was one God Almightie the maker of Heauen
doeth in the title of the Epistle ioyne to him-selfe Sosthenes And did Saint Paule and Sosthenes execute their Ministery in common as aequals because he ioyned him to himself in the title of his Epystle and in his salutations He ioyned Timothie vnto himselfe in his other Epistle to the Corinthians and besides Timothie Siluanus in both his Epistles to the Thessalonians Doeth hee therefore execute his ministery with them in common and as his aequals and how then dooth this Learned man himself euen heere confesse of the Apostles who it is euident were not onely the firste in order next vnto Christe but also highest in degree if these men whome in these salutations S. Paule ioyneth vnto himselfe did execute their Ministerye in common and therein were aequall vnto him These thinges hang not together Whatsoeuer S. Paule in ioyning Sosthenes vnto himselfe in his salutations did sore-see this Learned man fore-sawe not no nor after-saw his apparant contradictions to him selfe and much lesse sawe he what S. Paule fore-sawe héerein cleane different from that that he imagineth Wherefore saith hee no not the same Paule alone woulde excommunicate the incestuous persons by his Apostolicall authoritye but by the authoritye of the whole Eldershippe Neyther dooth Peter doubt to call himselfe fellow Elder Neyther doeth this debarre but that still euen in excommunication S. Paule had a superior authority ouer the whole Eldershippe euen as Caluine himselfe confesseth on that place 1. Cor. 5 4. Wee muste note saith he that Paule though he were an Apostle doeth not excommunicate after his own lust alone but participate counsel with the church that the matter may be done by a common authoritye hee verilye goeth before them and sheweth the way but in that hee ioyneth associates with him hee signifieth inough that it is not the priuate power of one man To the which Marlorate addeth and that as out of Caluine also firste vpon these wordes I haue already decreed for I haue also saith he already iudged and pronounced the sentence which you ought to follow And againe as out of Martyr Verily the Apostle goeth before other in iudging which also it beseemeth those that in the Church are the greater to the intent that the vnskilfuller people may be in iudgement directed by their voice going before And furder as out of Caluine hee saith The auncient Church had an order of Priesthood or Eldershippe whereof the Apostle mentioneth 1. Tim. 5. c. 17. and these Priests or Elders were of two sorts For certaine of them both taught and administred the Sacramentes yea rather together with the Bishop did gouern the Church because the Bishop was of the same order that they were of Neyther behaued he himselfe otherwise towardes them than the Consul of Rome towards the Senators Whereby it plainely appeareth that the Apostle whether he ioyned vnto him after he had fore-iudged and decreed the same the whole Church of Corinth or the Seniory of what sort of Elders soeuer they vnderstande it to denounce in their assembly the sentence already decreed of excommunication yet notwithstanding was Paule their farre superior Yea that euery Bishop in his Diocese ioyning with his seignorye being of such Priestes or Elders as are of the order that the Bishop himselfe is of neuerthelesse still hee remayneth their superior not onelie in other poyntes of dignitye but euen in the voyces that they all ioyntlie assembled giue in denouncing the partye to bee excommunicate with their assents whome the Bishop before hath pronounced iudged and decreed so to be And that he is as a Consull towardes the Senators to witte of a far higher authoritye than anye one or than all his Bretheren in the Senate And that this was the order in the auncient Church of the Eldership whereof the Apostle maketh mention in the 1. to Timothy 5. c. 17. All which if it be true that Marlorate as out of Caluine doth héere avowe then is it plaine that in the Apostles times there were Bishops of the same order that the other Priestes or pastorall elders were who both taught and administred the Sacramentes and though with the Bishop they did gouerne the Church together yet had he a farre superior dignity then anie one or then all they had as a Consull among yet aboue his Senators Which is the very principall poynt in question And how is not then this Bishop that heere in contempt is called the Bishop of Man the Bishop of God also As for excommunication we will referre to his proper place And for Peters calling of himselfe a fellowe Elder because our Brethren the Learned Discoursers discourse better on it I will likewise referre it to their furder calling on the same The residue héere noted by this Learned man for Ieromes sentence is already aunswered saue that he addeth this And whereas hee saieth in the same place that it was decreed throughout all the worde we are to vnderstande it no otherwise than of a priuie custome brought in by little and little Howe priuie it was and by little and little brought in the Reader may vnderstande by that we haue shewed already that it began in the Apostles times the apostles not vnwitting thereof but willing the same yea some of the chiefe apostles themselues parties Open to al the world in the most famous Churches Ierusalem Antioche Alexandria Ephesus Rome and all Creta ouer spread from these places throughout all Christendome begun in the age of the apostles and so continued in the Primitiue Church and held in reuerence among all these auncient reuerend holy and learned fathers confessors and Martyrs before the errors superstitions pride and tyrannie of Antichriste began recorded testified by so many and so credible witnesses confessed and graunted vnto euen by the moste reuerende and best learned men indéede of our owne times yea by these our brethren themselues that do impugne it and yet in effect doo thus confirme it and shall wee now dare to call this a priuye custome brought in by little and little But what dare not this man from beyonde the Seas vnder the name of moste reuerende learned presume to conclude that dare folde vp all this matter thus And whatsoeuer is founde in Ignatius or other auncient Writers when the Bishop of Sathan was not yet found out touching the authority of the Bishops or ouerseers as Iustine speaketh is to bee vnderstood of this kind of Bishop Thus doth this moste reuerende and Learned man shake off all these auncient writers and holy fathers Ignatius heere named immediatlye succeeding the Apostles and liuing in Antiochia before the destruction of Ierusalem not onely in S. Iohns and Simeons dayes but while manye other of the Apostles and Disciples liued as Eusebius in his Chronicle witnesseth Yea though Beza also alow the title and office in Timothie that Iustine ascribeth to bishops What of all this Whatsoeuer Iustine speaketh yea whatsoeuer is found
exhorte the Elders of the Church euen then durst he not call himself other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What did S. Peter then seeke authority to himselfe or if he did it did he seek it by that name was not the name of the Apostle of more antiquity than Praesbyter was or then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was yea or then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had ben if he had vsed it or did he not rather then sette aside his authority and set aside the name of apostle and descende down to their owne name order vnto whome he wrote being but in respect of their Ministers Priests or Elders and abasing him selfe to insinuate and perswade them the rather as though that excellent and high apost had béene but their fellow in that office of Priesthoode or Eldership though in his apostleship far aboue them And therefore be it spoken vnder correction this seemeth not to be so well auouched of our brethren that S. Peter durste not call himselfe other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellowe Elder no not when he sought authority to himselfe by that name to be bold to exhorte the Elders of the Church For S. Peter could durst if he would haue done it And he did it when he would vse his authority But héere it shoulde séeme he vsed or soughte it not but set it aside and vsed this lower tearme in his modest humility to the which he exhorted them And yet this no white hindred his superior dignity office of apostleship far aboue them But wherefore is this word fellow Elder héere so vrged that S. Peter where he sought authority to himself durst vse no other name doth this word fellow Elder inferre that all that are fellowes euen in the very Eldership must be in all respects fellow fellow like and all of such equality that no superior dignity may be admitted in this felowship S. Paul also calleth diuerse persons his fellow labourers in the Gospel his fellow seruaunts yea he mencioneth his yoake-fellowe which is of diuerse expounded for his wife yea he calleth all the sonnes of God fellow heires with Christe and is there no difference of dignities in these fellowships In the Courte the best noble man in Englande wil many times cal those that are of far inferior offices yet her Maiesties sworne men in her most honorable houshold their fellowes shall we say they durst not call themselues other than their fellowes or that they are all alike aequall But if this fellowship that Peter speaketh of be in the Eldership then by the way we haue héere to note that S. Peter was both an apostle an elder But our bretherâ—n say an elder is all one with a B. therefore the name office of a B. was not so separated but that euen the Apostles also both might be and were their selues Bishops But least say our Brethren any man should thinke we stay only in names and tearmes which are not so greatly materiall let him consider that Saint Peter expresly forbiddeth the Elders to exercise Lordship ouer theirseueral coÌ„gregatioÌ„s how much more ouer their fellow Elders If our brethren woulde not that any man shoulde thinke they stay only in names and tearmes and if names and tearmes are not so greatly materiall I maruell they make so much adoo about them or rather as it seemeth for any thing héere alleaged stay if not onely yet moste vppon them the thing indéede that S. Peter héere expresly forbiddeth is to exer-Lordship So that Saint Peters forbidding is not for any name or tearme but for exercise of Lordship Neither do we deny but that which the Apostle Saint peter forbibdeth thâ— Elders should be still forbidden them And with our brethren allowing Caluines Bezaes interpretation sith from Caluine they séeme to haue taken all these their obseruations on the foresaid place of Peter though somewhat altering both Caluines words sense héerein that the word Cleargie signifieth not the whole order of the Ministers but the particular Churches and the vniuersal body of the Ch. that is al the congregation being the L. inheritaunce allotment as well as the Ministers Doth S. Peter then forbid that any one Elder should haue exercise any superior gouernmeÌ„t ouer the cleargy vnderstanding the cleargy in this sense If he doth not but alloweth it his self practised it then howsoeuer the name both of gouerning of clergy may be abused the matter is cleare that one Priest or Elder amoÌ„g the residue may haue a lawfull superior auth gouernmeÌ„t ouer the cleargy that is ouer all the vniuersal body of the Church in euery particular or seueral cogregation so not only ouer the people but also ouer the whole order of Minist For the matter that is héere forbidden the Elders is not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which simply is gouerning and exercising a lawful authority but rather manifestly he doth inferre it saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither as misruling of the cleargy On which word saith Caluine Because with the Grecians the proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the most part is taken in euil part Peter heere reproueth a preposterous Lordship such as theirs who not coÌ„sidering with theÌ„selus that they are the Minist of Christ of the church do couet somewhat more Erasmus noteth on it NoÌ„ dominaÌ„tes more Regum Not ruling after the maÌ„ner of Kings or Non Dominio prementes Not pressing theÌ„ with DominioÌ„ or Lordship so that here is nothing at al spokeÌ„ against any vnlawful superiority that any elders may exercise ouer the cleargy For otherwise he should permit no gouernment at all vnto them ouer the congregatioÌ„ or of one at anie time in a synode And therfore these wordes of Saint Peter must needs be vnderstood either of too excelling or of too tyrannicall gouernment and so Caluine concludes thus For God deliuereth not a kingdome to the Pastors but onelie enioyenth them a care so that theright in the mean time remaines entier to himself and so saith Beza he sheweth that not a kingdome but a care is committed to them So that this Lordship that Saint Peter expreslie forbiddeth is only against their exercise of a kinglike or of a tyrannicall Lordship and not against anie moderate Lordship and superior authority ouer the cleargie But to proue this further and better as they thinke our brethren ascend from Saint Peter vnto Christ saying Which thing also our Sauiour Christ precisely forbiddeth when there was a contention among his apo about the primacy The Kings of the nations haue dominion ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gratious Lordes or beneficiall but you shall not be so Also Mat. 20.25 and Mar. 10.41 Vpon the ambitious request of the sonnes of Zebedy the disdain of the other against theÌ„ The princes of the Gentiles exercise lordship ouer them and they that bee great exercise authority
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
It behoueth therefore to keepe their precepts euen as the burning fire And let them be such but as for you reuerence ye them as the Lord Iesus Christ because they are the kepers of his place as the bishop is the forme of the Father of al but the Elders of the consistorie of God and ioyning together of the Apostles of Christ for without them it is not the elected church nor the collection of the Saints nor the holie Congregation And again What is the Eldership but a holie institution of a counsellour or confessour of a Bishop What also are the Deacons but followers of Christ ministering to the Bishop as Christ to the Father and working vnto him a cleane vnspottrd work euen as Saint Stephen vnto the most blessed Iames and Timothie Linus vnto Paul and Anacletus and Clement vnto Peter And in the 4. Epipistle to the Philippians Yet I saie to the Bishop and to the Elders in the Lord that who soeuer shall keepe the Passeouer with the Iews or take vp the solemnitie of their feast daies shall be compartner with them that haue killed the Lorde and his Apostles These and such other spéeches of the Presbyteral Elders do declare that whosoeuer in Ignatius name wrote theÌ„ for I dare not so boldly as our Br. doe affirme them to bee his yet in writing thus of the Consistorie of the Elders yea of the Deacons vnder them hee thought them both to meddle with teaching and with the administration of the Sacraments As for the Epistle that is adioyned in the name of Polycarpus the Elders with him it is most manifest howe they ioyned teaching to their gouerning Let the Elders bee simple in all things mercifull conuerting all from errour visiting all the sicke not neglecting the widowes the fatherlesse and the poore but alwaies prouiding good things before the Lorde and before meÌ„ As for anie other that is more suspected stuffe I cite not But be they suspected or be they not as I graunt they are verie auncient so we can finde in none of them such Elders mencioned as our Br. threape vpon vs that there were neither yet in anie ancient autentike Ecclesiasticall historie For as for that Danaeus writing of the office of Elders in Christ. Isagog part 2. cap. 10. citeth saying Lites â—utem dirimere c. But to decide debates and as out of Socrates lib. 7. cap. 37. may be gathered to behaue themselues as Iudges and arbiters I neuer read that it was the function of Elders or parte of their office This proueth nothing at all that the Cleargie of whome Socrates there speaketh were not Ministers of the worde and Sacraments but rather séemeth to inferre that theâ— were and that the Bishop of whome Socrates speaketh woulde not hauâ— them drawe too much awaie from their function to the hearing and determining of such controuersies Albeit Socrates telleth that Siluanus the Bishop did it when as hee sawe the Clarkes to make a gaine by the controuersies of the striuers that from thence forth hee permitted none of the Cleargie to be a Iudge but taking the bils of those that made supplications he preferred one faithfull laie man whom he knewe to fauour that which was â—ight and good to haue the hearing of those matters and so he set free the striuers from contention and controuersie Here the Cleargie that had the dealing in those matters the Bishop by his superior authoritie tooke it froÌ„ theÌ„ appointed it not to the consistorie of Elders but to one laiâ— man But to shew more fullie and plainlie that Socrates alwaies vnderstands by the tearme of Elders onely such as we call Priestes to wit Ministers of the worde and Sacraments Let vs also sée some testimonies out of Socrates because Danaeus citeth him for these Elders And I would gladly search all the testimonies examples generallie if that Caluine Beza Danaeus or anie other author haue ought for the proofe or but probabilitiâ— of these Elders In the 3. Chap. of his first booke he saith And on a certaine time the Presbyters Priests or Elders being present which were vnder him he speaketh of Alexander Bishoppe of Alexandria and the residue of the Cleargie hee treated somewhat more curiouslie and subtillie of the Trinitie and philosophicallie proued that in the Godhead there is the vnitie in the Trinitie But Arius beeing one of the number of the Elders which in that degree were placed vnder Alexander a man not ignorant of the quirkes of Logicke because he suspected that he would afresh bring into the Church the errour of the Affricane Sabellius being kindled with the desire of contention declined to an opinion cleane contrarie to the opinion of that Affricane and affirmed that if the Father begat the sonne he that was begotten had a beginning of his being And that thervpon it is cleere that there was a time when the sonne was not that necessarily it followed that he had his being of nothing When he had concluded with this new kinde of reason and neuer before heard of he stirred vp many of them to seeke after those matters and of a little sparke was kindled a great great flame c. Wherevpon Alexander calling a councell of many Bishops he deposed saith Socrates Arius and the fautors of his opinion from the degree of the Eldership By which it plainly appeareth that these elders were ministers and teachers of the worde And to this not onelie accordeth Ruffinus lib. 10. Eccl. hist. cap. 1. saiâ—ng A certaine Elder at Alexandria named Arius a man more religious in shew and forme than vertue began to set forth certaine wicked points concerning the faith of Christ c. And Theodoretus lib. 1. cap. 2. yet more plainlie In these times saith he Arius which was in the companie and order of the Elders and had the authority of interpreting the diuine Scriptures When he saw the gouernment of the Sacerdotall Priesthood or Bishopricke to be committed to Alexander being impatient of enuie wherewith he was chafed he began to seek occasions of prouokements of discords and striuings And albeit the dignity of the man and his laudable administration brake off the web of all slaunders yet coulde not enuie let him rest The enimie therefore of truth hauing gotten this fellow he moued and stirred vp the waues of the Church and so prouoked him that he durst openly gainsay the Apostolical doctrine of Alexander As for Alexander he auouched the speeches of the diuine Scripture that the sonne is of the same dignitie with the Father and hath the same essence with his begetter But Arius fighting against the truth called him a creation and a worke made Adding those wordes that there was some time when he was not Which things may better be knowen out of the Scriptures themselues These things did he not only in the Churches continually but also in other outward assemblies and meetinges and treating vpon them house by
likewise page 80. that the Ministers are equall among themselues May they not bée assembled and ioyned in a companie among themselues and is there no assemblyes or companyes of Pastors but onely Synodes or Counselles Is there not some dayly standing and continuall assemblies and companies of Pastors as in Colledges and in Cathedrall and collegiate Churches or are these no longer to be called a company then they company in one place together And how then is there not a dayly standing and continuing dignity and superiority of this preeminence and prerogatiue in some one Pastor ouer all the rest of his fellow Pastors and so not all of equall dignitie and authoritie yea his continuing this prerogatiue as our Brethren héere confesse must néedes be or else take away this standing and continuing prerogatiue or preeminence of some one from among those companies of the Pastors such as are besides the Prouosts Wardens Presidents and maisters of Colledges the Byshops in their Cathedrall Churches and the Deanes in their Chapters and quite disorder yea cleane dissolue all those companies whereby great confusion is like to follow as they say or rather to vse their former words it must needes follow of necessitie and who are the authors of this so great confusion Now when they haue made this frée confession for a good beginning and that we should looke for their like procéeding and so might hope that we should soone come for effect of matter though we differed in tearmes to some more effectuall agréement in these controuersies they suddenly start backe after their former manner and as though they were afrayde that they had alreadie confessed somewhat too much they begin with restraints and limitations to pinch and in effect to denie that which they haue before confessed But this preeminence say they is onely of order and not of authoritie What meane they héere by this that it is of order and onely of order for we would not haue it though they would offer it to be a preeminence of disorder They sayd before that it was to order and dispose the same to witte the assemblie or companie Is this onely to set them in their seates rowes and fourmes one before or aboue another behinde or beneath and themselues highest or do they meane by this preeminence of order that he hath a dignitie aboue all other in the companie for I thinke not that they meane héere the common distinction of the power of order and power of iurisdiction which were to giue them more than we striue for or then we graunt to any Byshop or Archbyshop who are distinguished by no preeminence of order but are all of one and the same order of the presbyterie priesthood or pastorall Eldership euen with the poorest and simplest Pastor in the Church Howbeit in the authoritie of dignitie euen in the same order of the Pastorship they haue not equall iurisdiction And therefore except that warily we vnderstande these wordes our Brethren in séeking this starting-hole to shunne the Bishops lawfull preeminence of authoritie do vnawares giue more indéede in giuing some one aboue the rest a preeminence of order than if they sayd in playne words that they gaue hym a preeminence of authoritie and so strayning a gnatte swallow a camell And yet how hath not this some one aboue the rest preeminence of authoritie if his preeminence be authorized yea what lawfull preeminence can it be if it be not of authoritie and of good authoritie too But now to specifie these their doubtfull spéeches they adde these instances as to propound matters to be decided to gather the reasons and consent of the rest and so to conclude and is this all or is the ordering and disposing of the assemblie before mentioned eyther to be added vnto these or conteyned in these but take these or any other wherein this some one Pastor hath preeminence aboue the rest do not these argue a greater authoritie to do these things then any other in the company haue if we should consider but these thrée things as first to propound matters to be decided if it perteyneth and that of necessitie to the prerogatiue of some one and so it be not lawfull to euerie one although he be one of the Synode assemblie or companie how then can any other orderly besides him or without his leaue or assignement thereunto propound any cases or controuersies eyther of the doubts of doctrine or regiment of the Church to be decided is not this a very great authoritie neyther is it a meane authoritie to gather the reasons and consent of the rest which some Emperors themselues haue done in generall Counsels Albeit Bezaes words in his Confess cap. 5. artic 29. séeme to giue more not onely in gathering the company together so that he must haue authority before the Synod begin but also in that he saith Collegas mittat in suffragia he should send his colleagues to the giuing or taking of the voyces and not himselfe to do it as the scrutators do But specially this third point that his preeminence reacheth also to conclude which comprehendeth the determining iudging and ending of the matter And all this authority or as they call it preeminence and prerogatiue they confirme by this present example as we see say they in this place Iames did And not onely in this place but they confirme it further saying of whome also wee reade that he had thys preeminene Actes 21.18 c. and we may gather the same Galath 2.9.12 All this is verie true as we haue séene before and withall it cléerely prooueth that Iames hauing still this preeminence at all the times mentioned in all these places his preeminence endured not onely the time of a Synode and so ceased but was permanent in hym whether they had any Synode or had none For what mention of any Synode at Ierusalem is there at that time when as Sainct Paule saith Gal. 2. ver 9. Iames with Cephas and Iohn gaue him their hands which as Caluine vpon the 1. verse of the same Chapter Gal. 2. sayth was at Paules second comming to Ierusalem mentioned Actes 11. verse 30. rather than at the assemblie Actes 15. Scarcely can any man auouch for certeintie sayth he whether he vnderstandeth that voyage whereof Luke maketh mention Actes 15.2 yea rather the context of the hystorie leadeth vs vnto the contrarie part for it is there recorded that Paule came to Ierusalem foure times of his first comming we haue alreadie spoken he meaneth Gal. 1. verse 18. 19. where Caluine also sayd of hym Qui Ecclesiae Hierosolymitanae praefuerit which gouerned the Church at Ierusalem His second comming was when as he with Barnabas caried the almes collected in the Greeke and Asian Churches according as is conteyned in the ende of the twelfth Chapter where Luke speaketh of Barnabas and Paules returne from Ierusalem to Antiochia whereof that I should vnderstand this present place
contrary And shall wee dare to saye on the other side finding both the example heere alleadged by themselues Acts 14. and Saint Paules preceptes to Timothie and to Titus of ordeyning pastorall Elders to bee made without mentioning of the Churches elections that the Apostles durst not ordeyne any Pastors with the Churches elections no wee dare not say so but that the Apostles might haue done it with them or without them as they thought best hauing the warrant of Gods Spirite and as the occasion serued for their ordeyning of the Pastors And therefore I meruell how our Brethren durst so boldly affirme that the Apostles not only did it not but durst not doe it Secondly say they that they giue an office without a charge and sende him to seeke a flocke where he can finde it Our Bretheren here begin to descant vpon the names of Pastors and office Neither doe wee denye but that the name Pastor betokeneth an office whether wee vnderstande it as hee is onely a Minister of the worde and Sacramentes and so he is sayde to haue taken Orders or as he hath a peculiar flocke to minister the worde and Sacraments in as we commonly call the Rector Parson Vicar or Curate the pastor of such and such a Church or Parish The worde Pastor in both sences may bee comprehended in the name of an office And yet here if wee should goe as strictly to worke as our Bretheren doe which curiositie I mislike not in them to finde out all the quirkes in the worlde to beate out the trueth more throughly wee shall easely see great differences in the proprieties of these names and words of an office and of an order Albeit they may well bee taken and oftentimes are vsed indifferently But the question is here whether any office can bee giuen and the man truely called an officer without a charge of a place or a flock giuen withall vnto him whereof he is and may bee called the officer They denye it and I say he may and my reason is this The word office hath not alwaies relation to the charge of a place onely and that specially of a certeyne place where or of persons among whome the office is exercised but of the matter it selfe and â—uetie whereof the office consisteth in resâ—â—t of which matter the other are as it were but accidentall which our Bretheren here make all or principall The Prophetes were Prophetes before they had any certeyne places were they prophecied The Apostles were called and in office were Apostles before they were sent into any message of their Apostleship And Saint Paule calleth all both Apostles and Pastors Ministers 1. Cor. 4.1 though all of them had no certeyne standing places designed to them to minister in and yet were they all of them in the very office of the Ministerie full Ministers of the worde and Sacraments if wee may so properly call the Ministerie of the worde and Sacraments an office as an order In deede Saint Paule sayth of an office Rom. 12. vers 7. or an office on the office That is to say he that hath an office let him bee diligent in his office But he assigneth not any certeyne places and charge of flockes to all the offices that he there reckoneth vp Although as it is an old saying so it is not vntrue Priesthood and Knighthood are orders rather than offices And Priesthoode I meane not the Popish sacrificing Priesthoode but the Pastorall Eldership may well be called an order when the making of a Priest or pastorall Elder is called the ordering or the ordeyning of him and our Bretheren themselues do well call it the giuing of orders Knighthood now being likewise more properly called an order than an office when a man hath receiued the order of Knighthood it followeth not that he must be a Knight of this or that place as were some Knightes namely the Knightes of Prussia or the Knightes late of the Rhodes and now of Malta neither followeth it that he that made him Knight must alwaies withall giue him landes and liuing and yet all the better for the Knight if hee so doe and more fitte for his order to haue sufficient maintenaunce and though hee had but xl pounde a yeere which was called a Knightes fee. Howbeit hée mâ—ght bâ—e a Knight though a poore Knight without any such fee. For the order is one thing and the maintenaunce of him in his order yea his charge to doe his duetie iâ— his order is another thing and not the order it selfe But say they this is as vnreasonable a thing as iâ— one were chosen not to be a Knight but to bee a Churchwarden and had neuer a Church to keepe or made a Constable that had neuer a Towne or place appoynted whereof he should be Constable The similitudes of these two offices and of Church-warden and of a Constable are not a like to the order or if they will so call it to the office of the ministerie for bicause that these two Offices haue a necessary relation in them selues not onely to the office but also to the place where the paâ—tie is the officer so that if no place be assigned them there is no such officer made To which kinde of officers the old distinction serueth that the office the place be distincta ratione non re They cannot in the act of them be separate though they be distinguished in the reason of them And yet we see that in some such offices as in which besides the office there is ioyned with all a degree of honour and dignity though the relation of the office in respect of the place where the office laye doth cease as either the place being wasted or possessed by another and he dispossessed yet may his degree of dignitie not cease or be in him vtterly exstinguished so long as the right of the office is in him though the exercise and action of the office together with the place and other appendices of the office bee taken from him as a Kinge Duke Earle or Lord though he loose be it not by his own demerite resignation or lawefull depriuation his Kingdome Dukedome Earledome or Lordshippe but by an others intrusion or occupation yet is he still both called and is in deedâ— a King a Duke an Earle a Lord by reason he still holdeth the right of the office and capacitie to repossesse it though he haue neither possession action nor exercise of it at this instante Notwithstanding as it is sayd in the old verse on fortunes wheele regno regnaui regnabo sum sine regno He may be rex sine regno euen the lowest degree of them all and yet rex still Yea to descend to baser offices also not only a professor of liberal sciences but euen one professing mechanicall artes or as we commonly terme him a handicrafts man although he exercise not alwaies the action of his Function nor occupie in his occupation or
alike be not in esse or in being which confuteth so muche more our brethrens assertion But that all these three names are proper alike in respect of the Act this againe is nothing so For the name of Pastor signifying a shepheard beareth more heardly uppon this actuall relation than the name of presbyter Prieste or Elder doth which hath more reuerence to the office function dignitie or degree either in it selfe or in respect of yonger and inferiour persons than it hath vnto any charge ouer them committed vnto him As for the name of ouerseer inferreth the relation of an office more in act than doth the name of Elder or of Pastor Bicause hee may easiler oftener actually ouersee them than he can feede them Yet none of these names are alwaies so related either to act oâ— to esse that they debarre all potentiall abilitie in him but that he may remit the continuall exercise and acte of his office per interstitia with pausings and ceassings oftentines betweene and yet the Esse of his office ceasseth not nor he to be still an essentiall officer and much lesse that the esse or being of his office yea or the act eyther of the same should be limited and tyed alwaies to one place or flocke or charge yea the place flocke or charge to be a part of the esse or being of the office But thus straightly doe our brethren driue us to tracke them in these harish termes of schoolemens quiddities into the which bicause I am rather brought by them than that I haue ioy to staye the reader in them I craue hope for the easier pardon For indéed we striue not there so much for names and tearmes as whether the order or office of the Pastor be not competible to any man that hath not withall a charge and flocke of people committed unto him at the very instant of making him a Minister or giuing him orders which thing because our Bishops do not nor indeede can performe nor was performed in these faithfull Ministers our brethren themselues nor is necessary alwaies to be performed while they would thus chalenge our Bishops of absurditie for it they their selues incurre all these moste grosse absurdities and yet they urge them still with more and more absurdity But say they if Bishops as they be nowe were consecrated after the same manner to seeke their Bishoprickes where they could finde them it were no greater absurditie then it is to ordaine Pastors and let them Prolle where they can for their benefices This meriment here would haue done well among so solemne and subtill relations of abilities potentialities actualities and essenties to recreate the readers spirits if it were to the purpose But as before they wold haue shifted off the matter froÌ„ the order of the Priesthood or eldership to the office of a Pastor which yet we see serueth not their 〈◊〉 so much lesse both this bold that is a Minister may be made a Minister and haue no proper place or benefice withall assigned him where to Minister that then after the same maner a Bishop may be made a bishop haue no place or Bishopricke assigned him whereof to be Bishop Indéede if a bishop were all one nothing else but as our brethren haue sayd an elder pastor or Minister of the word and Sacraments then to make a bishop and after to let him seeke a bishopricke where he can finde it were no absurdity at all And I doubt it shrewdly this be not the least of many of our Brethrens driftes to make Bishops indeede goe seeke their bishoprickes For euen these our learned brethren haue tolde us already Pag. 54. of deuiding the superfluities of some places that haue too much vnto theÌ„ that haue too little And there want not more than inough to harken in the wind for such a bargain and euen therfore our brethren maye finde the more fauorites in these deuises But since that a bishop besides that he is an Elder Pastor or MInister hath also an other office in respect whereof he hath the name of Bishop By which office he hath a superiour ouersight higher charge of Iurisdiction ouer a number of other Pastorall Elders in certaine particular Churches limited and bounded for his diocaeses and of this we haue cleerely seene the practise euen in the Apostles times and from the Apostles times during all the times of the auncient and holy Fathers succeeding the contrary wherof our brethren shall neuer be able to prooue who may not then see that is not blinded with too much ignorance or partiality what a great difference there is in this poynt betweene a Bishop and one that is but onely a Minister While the Ministers office respecteth the Ministerie of the worde and Sacraments in what place soeuer he shal be assigned to Minister the same and Bishops office respecting besides this ministerie the Bishopricke that is the iurisdiction and ouersight of those Churches that are allotted to his Diocoese And can our bretheren then iustifie this saying If Bishops as they bee now were consecrated after the same maÌ„ner to seeke their Bishopricks where they could finde them it were no greater absurditie then it is to ordayne Pastors and let them prolle where they can for their benefices What meane they by this word Bishops as they be now For this maketh yet more against themselues For Bishops as they bee nowe haue liuinges also more or lesse besides the charge of their Diocoese annexed appropriated unto them which all Ministers haue not neither I thinke al our bretheren their selues had their benefices when they were first made Ministers And should wee returne such unseemely speeches on them that they went seeking and prowling aboute for their benefices where they coulde finde them No I doe thinke more reuerently of our brethren but I mislike their termes and more their argument Thirdlye say they by this wandring wee may also say vagabunde ministerye shifting from place to place and in all places to bee counted a minister where he 〈◊〉 no charge it would greeue a man to think what inconueniences do â—ollow c. We like as ill and are greeued as much at wandring ministers namely such as wander not vpon any unlawfull cause but shifting from place to place as any of these our learned brethren are grieued thâ—reat Alâ—â—ough againe it be no small griefe to heare them thus continue such vnrâ—uerent and uncharitable termes as Vagabund ministers they being their poore brethren and ministers of Christ not of Antichrist ministers of Gods worde and Sacrament not Idolatrous nor Massemonging Sacrificers It were well there were none but such as were so sufficiently prouided for that they néede not wander And the auncient Canons as I thinke are in force that whosoeuer should be made a presbyter priest or Elder the bishop is bound to see him haue Titulum as they terme it a Title of some stipend or pencion
pitie But say they he was carryed first to the Bishop whom he chose if hee might for his purpose such one as had bin a priest of his owne order cared least what ministers serue in his diocoese From the disdayning of poore sir Iohn our brethren mount vp againe to another slaunder of the Bishop burdening him also not onely with the popish priesthood and so to be one for the popish priestes purpose as a fauorer of popery but also to be carelesse what ministers serue in his diocoese But till they name and proue any to haue then bene or yet to be suche euill Bishops this againe may go for so a foule slaunder that it deserueth for answere a due rewarde of so great an obloquie But to come downe againe from the Bishops to olde sir Iohn lacke Latine that was carryed about on his mare or in a carte if hée was so poore to bée carryed thus baselye aboute howe is it sayd that hée had not seene some of his benefices in a dozen yeare before and that hée was carryed from shire to shire one benefice beinge distante from another 100. mile mumbling vp his articles in his morrow masse voyce in euery Church where he had liuing It might haue beene that this olde popish priest sir Iohn lacke latine might haue serued some smale cure or perhaps in some odde corner haue got a benefice but if hee had so many it is not likely that he was but a sir Iohn lacke latine if not rather had he had withall grace and truth that he had latine inough and siluer ynough also if not too much so that hée néeded not to be carryed about on his mare or in a carte for the matter There is no probability in this tale But what liuinges soeuer he had or hauing liuinges how beastly soeuer he spared his money and rode thether on his widge beaste when hee came there if he mumbled vp his articles in his morrowe masse voice meaning heereby that he did it also in such a beastely sorte that the people did not vnderstand him or that he did it not in the best reuerent hartie maner he could but that he shewed himself to doe it against the hart and for fashion sake only to saue his liuing and so returned if he came such a beaste thither as very a beast as he came this was no sufficient satisfaction to the intendement and godly meaning of the lawe And therefore if anye godly disposed persons were iustly offended at his mockery and manifest eluding of the godly meaning of this act cryed out vpon him for a counterfeite or but orderly coÌ„playned on his misdemeanor they might most easily haue had him punished the matter amended euen with the losse of all his liuinges for so apparant mocking of the statute But now howsoeuer this old sir Iohn lacke latine shifted since our brethren here cite this act of parliament anno 13. And withall doe so greatly commend the godly meaning of the sayd parliament and pitie that the authority of the same statute was abused and would haue the priestes made by the popish Priesthood and with good reason to haue bin seuerelye looked vnto in the full accoÌ„plishment of that which the said statute of so godly meaning did enact sith I hope our Bre. also meane as they speake may it please them to consider with me or with their pillow a little better of this godlye meaning of the act of the words therof then tell me whether that some if not all of their owne selues might not haue bin shrewdly touched yet may be by their manifest breach thereof And for to begin with the entendment godly meaning of the act to repeate the wordes againe marke them better The words are these That the churches of the Queenes Maiesties dominions may be serued with Pastors of sound religion beit enacted by the authority of this present parliament that euery person vnder the degree of a B. which doth or shall pretend to be a Priest or minister of gods holy word sacrameÌ„ts by reason of any other forme of institution consecration or ordering than the forme set foorth by parliament in the time of the late king of most worthy mermory king Edward the 6. or now vsed in the raigne of our most gracious soueraigne Lady c. Doe these words and the godly meaning of them reache onely to the popish Priesthood do they not plainely reache also to any fourme of institution consecration or ordering of any other neuer so much reformed churches beyond the seaâ—â— or in this realme other than the forme set foorth by Parliament in the raignes of king Edward of our now most gratious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth so that the forme of institution consecration or ordering ministers Priestes or Elders which our brethren doe pretend and vrge in this learned discourse the forme that they haue prescribed in their new boke of coÌ„mon prayer these words godly meaning of the statute comprehend theÌ„ And what now if any protestation were ordeined in any reformed churches beyond the seas according to their formes of institution consecrating or ordering or according to that our brethren desire yet read not the articles nor were depriued will our brethren crie out how pitifully that authority was abused which was by the same statute committed to the B. by the negligence of the Bishops and bribery of their officers And although that braunche touche not so much these our Bre. now bicause it saith which doth or shal preteÌ„d to be a Priest or Minister of gods holy word sacraments by reason of any other institution consecratioÌ„ or ordering sith our Bre. as I take it do not pretend to haue bin ordered or made ministers by anye other forme but onely that they should or would bée made ministers by another that is by the forme following the Geneua order set out in their communion booke so that withall it haue the additions of this learned discourse and be in a Synod so escape the danger of the statutes words yet therin they both do much discredite themselues in holding by that ordeyning which they desire to leaue writing against it yet retaining it calling theÌ„selues faithful ministers are made ministers by the very same forme of a B. ordeining them which they condemne to be an vnfaithfull forme of ordeining ministers or rather no ordeining at al except Antichristian being done by the authority of one man besides that they manifestly oppose themselues to the godly meaning of the statute But how soeuer for that point of the Statute ordeined as is aforesaid they will flee for holding their Benefices from the meaninge thereof which neuerthelesse they confesse to be godly to the wordes of the statute that they pretend not to haue bin ordeined by another forme that is allowed in the statute notwithstanding in that part of the statute that
and conuersation Me thinkes rather wee might bee glad to haue some such Chauncellors or Lawyers amongst vs because of their better experience in Ecclesiasticall regiment and in deuising lawes orders and decrees than wee our selues are so well able to conceiue whose onely or principall profession is Diuinitie But say they of these Chauncellors and other Lawyers which being meere lay men and vnlearned in Diuinitie by their own lawe ought to be no members of the Synode If they spared not before to call them popish and prophane no meruell if they call them mere lay men and vnlearned in Diuinitie But see here the indifferencie of these our learned Bretheren When they speake of their gouerning Elders in euery congregation they forsooth are not laye men but persons and officers Ecclesiasticall Although they bee Gentlemen Marchants Artizanes Farmers Husbandmen or what trade soeuer These are forsooth no meere laye men but Presbyters Priestes or Elders And who made them so The Pastor and the Parish haue chosen them to this office And can their choyse make a meere lay man not to be a meere lay man and cannot the choyse of all the Pastors in a whole shire nor the approbation of the whole prouinciall Synode make a Chauncellor or other Lawyer to be no meere lay man in respect of the Ecclesiasticall office that they chose him vnto as well as could that particular Parish or congregation Yea but say they these Chauncellors and other Lawyers they are vnlearned in Diuinitie I meruell that our Bretheren euen for very shame would haue euer obiected this vnto them knowing what great learned men many of their Seniours must needes fall out to bee in many Parishes whom their late olde sir Iohn lacke latine would soone appose for he yet at least could reade his Articles but they could not reade a letter on the booke And yet these men because they bee Seniours must bee counted learned in Diuinitie and how got they on a suddayne all this learning by inspiration with the election of them to the Seniorie or came it by vertue of their Eldership As though learning in Diuinitie were euen tyed to their Consistory As for Chauncellors and other Lawyers Ciuill or Canon for I take it that they speake not so much of the Temporal Lawyers these are meere lay men and vnlearned in Diuinitie What a straunge and high concâ—yte is this of themselues still boasting in the toppe of euery leafe of their learned discourse and often of their graue wise and godly Seniours with contempt of others if they fauour not their deuises bee they neuer so learned men If they say though they bée learned men yet in other things not in diuinitie Is it not more likely that they bee or may bee farre more learned in Diuinitie too professing the studie that is euen next vnto Diuinitie and in a great parte consisteth on Diuinitie than those Temporall men that are altogether or for the most parte trayned vp in worldly matters and in mechanicall occupations and haue little minde or leisure and lesse helpes of fearing to imploye themselues in any deepe studie in Diuinitie yea many of them vtterly vnlearned What a greate vanitie is in this dealing And yet these saye they meaning Chauncelors and other Lawyers will beare the greatest sway in all things in our Synodes These beare little sway GOD knowes and it is apparant at most no more than doth any other particular man in them But in their Synodes though they speake cleane contrary therein vnto themselues yet these their lay rather than Ecclesiasticall Elders either should beare the greatest sway of gouernment or let them lay aside the prerogatiue of this name of Gouernours which title they make more peculier to them than either to the Doctors or to the Pastors But now after the Chauncellors Lawyers which in our Conuocations or generall Synode are very fewe amongst vs except withall they be Ministers of the worde and Sacraments or els Deacons our Bretheren must here there is no remedie haue yet another fling at the Bishops The Bishops say they as though they were greater than the Apostles must haue their seuerall conuenticle If the Bishoppes haue a lawfull superiour dignitie more than the other Priestes or pastorall Elders haue as before at large is prooued why maye they not also haue a superiour place seuerall by themselues to consult vppon matters that are meetest to bee propounded in the whole Synode Doth it therefore followe herevppon that they take vppon them to bee greater than the Apostles or but comparable to them What a friuolous argument is this but what reason haue they for it Whereas say they the Apostles came together with the whole multitude Nay soft Bretheren put vp these words agayne for this time and place with the whole multitude in your purse Adde not to the text The words are these Act. 15. vers 6. Then the Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter I graunt he nameth afterward all the multitude ver 12. And yet it seemeth that he ment there none other but all the multitude of the Apostles and Elders that he sayde before vers 6. did come together Although afterward for the sending of chosen men to carrie their decree it is sayd vers 22. that it seemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church although the whole multitude of the whole Church came not together about that controuersie But it may appeare the Apostles and the other Elders with the multitude were so in one place together that neuerthelesse Luke testifieth Acts. 5. vers 13. saying and of the other meaning besides the Apostles no man durst ioyne himselfe to them And therefore if our Bishoppes haue their seuerall conuenticle or place of comming together by themselues what haue they therein that the Apostles also had not and yet it followeth not that if the Apostles had no seuerall conuenticle or meeting together that they make themselues greater than the Apostles or make any comparison of greatnesse with them But they acknowledge themselues farre inferiour as in giftes so in dignitie also of their function Yea in the order of their Pastorall Eldershippe or Priesthood it selfe they acknowledge themselues to bee but equall and and all one euen the greatest of them not onely with the meanest in the conuocation but with the poorest Priest in Englande Albeit in respect of their lawfull superiour dignities they may well haue a superiour and seuerall conuenticle or meeting place notwithstanding oftentymes both they and all the residue of the conuocation doe ioyntly also in one place assemble altogether And as they are seuered say they in place so will they bee higher in authoritie And good reason too sith as wee haue seene it is not in respect of any higher authoritie in the order of the Eldership but of their higher authoritie of iurisdiction in the Ecclesiasticall regiment So that whatsoeuer say they
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