dominus vt filios Israel secundò circumcideret Frat autem circumcisio signum faederis dei omninò ad religionem pertinens Sequitur in persona Samuelis cohaesere quidèm magistratus sacerdotium veram moderandae religionis curam sustinuit ille quoque non vt sacerdos sed vt magistratus quo tum non erat in Israele superior vt magistratus indicabat Israelem ac disponebat publica omnia tam sacrae quam prophana vt sacerdos sacrificabat pro populo orabat illumque docebat Moses the first Catholique Magistrate in Israel bearing the person not of a priest which was imposed vpon Aaron but of an higher power like vnto a Kings appointed order for all manner of Religion in the people of GOD and prescribed to Aaron himselfe and to the order of the Leuits both what they should doe and what they should auoide and leaue vndone Wherein we see euidently that the care of ordering Religion doth more pertaine to the higher magistrate then to the order of the Priests After the death of Moses the care of Religion together with the Magistracie was devolued not to Eleazar the Priest but to Iosuah the sonne of Nun who was not of the Tribe of Leui but of Ephraim To him God gaue coÌ„mandement that he shoâ—â—â— circumcise the second time the children of Israel But circuâ—cision doubtlesse was the signe of Gods couenant which pertaineth wholy to religioÌ„ In the person of Samuel there did cohere both the Magistracie the Priesthood but he receiued the charge of moderating religion not as hee was a Priest but as hee was a Magistrate greater then whom there was none at that time in Israel As a magistrate he did iudge Israel and ordered all publique affaires as well sacred as prophane ecclesiastical as ciuill but as a Priest hee offered sacrifice prayed for the people and taught them Out of these wordes of this great learned writer I note these golden lessons for the good of the well affected Reader First that Moses was a ciuill magistrate hauing authoritie like vnto a king Secondly that his power was greater then was the authoritie of Aaron the hie Priest Thirdly that Moses ordered all matters in religion and not Aaron who was the hie Priest Fourthly that he appointed to Aaron and to the whole order of the Leuites both what they should doe and what they should leaue vndone Fiftly that the charge care of religion doth appertaine more neerely to the magistrate then to the order of the Priests Sixtly that the magistrate hath the charge and care of ordering religion inseparably annexed to his ciuill office in that hee is a magistrate Seuenthly that a Bishop may haue authoritie to deale in ciuil causes as Samuel did Eightly that Samuel disposed all ecclesiasticall affaires not as hee was Priest but as hee was the ciuill Magistrate All which obseruations this learned writer proueth by the examples of many kings of Dauid Salomon Asa Iosaphat Ezechias and others And of King Dauid hee addeth this most golden and memorable sentence Dauid quoniam sciebat hanc primam curam pertinere ad reges magistratus vt religio Deiritè disponatur hortatus cos est ad id offiâ—ij Dauid because he knewe this chiefe care to pertaine to magistrates to see religion rightly ordered he exhorted them to that office saying Now ô Kings vnderstand be learned yee that iudge the earth Whosoeuer readeth this learned writer seriously throughout his whole discourse can no longer stand doubtfull of the truth of this question Zanchius a most learned writer and a man of singular iudgement in that booke which he left for a testimonie of his faith and Christian beliefe vnto the world and therefore the more to be regarded hath these expresse wordes Improbamus illos qui authoritatem in religione necis tantum causa attribuuÌ„t magistratibus dum illos negant authoritatem habere convocandi synodos deliberandide religione reformandiecclesias quae ad populorum salutem pertinent e sacris literis statuends aliudque eo esse nolunt quà m eorum quae ab episcopis definiuntur exequntores Wee reproue in like manner all those who yeelde and giue authoritie in religion vnto Magistrates onely in Capitall matters touching death whilest they denie them authoritie to call Synodes to consult of religion to reforme Churches and to appoint out of Gods word the things that pertaine to the saluation of their subiects and will onely haue them to bee the bare exequutors of those things which the Bishops doe decree Thus writeth this learned Doctor a man of as great a iudgement as any is in the christian world Out of whose words I note first that he condemneth many who now adaies thinke themselues very wise Secondly he auoweth that magistrates haue authoritie to call Synodes Thirdly that they haue power to deliberate of religion Fourthly that they haue authoritie to reforme the ministers and church-affaires Fiftly that they haue power to order those things which pertaineth vnto mans saluation Maister Martyr a very learned writer discourseth at large both of the authoritie of the minister and of the magistrate He sheweth most excellently both how the minister ought to exhort and rebuke the magistrate and how the magistrate ought to reforme gouerne and punish the minister Some part of his golden discourse I will briefely set downe referring the reader for the rest to the place quoted in the margent Nihil est in toto mundo ad quod verbâ— dei se non extendat quocirca longè falluntur qui clamitare solent quid conscionator cum rep quid cuÌ„ armis quid cum pharmacopolis quid cuÌ„ cocis at dicat c. There is nothing in the whole world to which the word of God doth not extend it selfe Wherefore they are farre deceiued that are wont to exclaime and say What hath the Preacher to doe with the Common-weale what hath he to doe with warres what with the Apothecaries what with cookes but let these good fellowes tell vs why the Minister of Gods word when he perceiueth Gods law to bee transgressed in these things may not rebuke the same out of Gods word why hee may not admonish the malefactors why he may not exhort them to desist from sinne it is his part doubtlesse to reproue sinners not with the sword not with Pecuniarie mulct not with imprisonment not with the sword not with exile but with the force power of Gods word Then this learned man proceeds and telleth vs that the ciuill Magistrate must see and prouide that the Bishops Pastors Doctors of the Church doe teach Gods word purely rebuke sinners fatherly and administer the Sacraments reuerently After this he telleth his Reader that kings haue not charge onely of the bodies of their subiects but of their soules also For saith this great learned Doctor we must not make princes swineheards and heardmen for keepers of cattell who haue care onely of the bellies flesh
in euery mans heart in his Natiuitie and so cannot be altered The Iudiciall parte was properlie and peculiarlie appointed of God for conseruation of Iustice among the Iewes in the land of promise the land of Canaan the land of Iewrie The whole order of which gouernment ceased long fithence viz. Euer since the people of Israell were expelled out of Iudaea began to dwell amongst the Gentiles liuing without Gouernours without a King without a Priest and without a Lawe The Ceremoniall part was ordeined to prefigure Christs future Priesthoode and therefore was it whollie abrogated by Christs most blessed and Sacred Aduent For Christ was the ende of the Lawe in whom were fulfilled as well the figures as the promises contayned in the Lawe and the Prophets All which Saint Paul compriseth pithily in these golden wordes For if the Priesthoode bee chaunged then of necessitie the Lawe also must bee changed Yea Christ himselfe seemed to insinuate no lesse when hee refused to condemne the adulteresse to death according to the Iudiciall law of Moses albeeit the Scribes Pharisees did euen then vrge him with the constitution of that Law And S. Austen doth conclude no lesse out of Christs words if hee be rightly vnderstood But for the true sense and meaning of S. Austens discourse his two books written to Pollentin must be well pondered aptly matched together For I stand not so much of Christs freeing the adulteresse from the punishment of the Iudiciall law of Moses as of that other ground vppon which S. Austen stayeth himselfe viz. That adulterie doth not dissolue the bond of holy Wedlock For albeeit sundrie late Wryters otherwise of great learning and rare gifts doe constantly teach which some of our men haue also put in practise that when the husband is diuorced from his wife being an adulteresse then hee may lawfullie marrie an other yet Saint Austen grounding his opinion vppon the words of Christ of S. Paul concludeth constantly that whosoeuer shall marrie another wife during the life of his former wife diuorced for adulterie doth himselfe commit adulterie Which if it be true which I leaue to the iudgement of the Church prooueth euidently that the Iudiciall law of Moses is not of sorce These are S. Austens words Haec verba Apostoli totâ—es repetita toties inculcata vera sunt viua sunt sana sunt plana sunt Nulltus viri posterioris mulier vxor esse incipit nisi prioris esse desiuerit Esse autem desinet prioris simoriatur vir eius non sifornicetur These words of th' Apostle so often repeated so often inculcated are true are quick are sound are plaine A woman beginneth not to bee the wife of any later husband vnlesse shee first cease to bee the wife of the former But shee ceaseth to bee the former husbands wife if her husband die not if hee commit adulterie Hemingius a great learned man and a zealous professor of the Gospell hath these words Est lex Iudicialis quae cessante republica Mosis expiraâ—nt it a vt non necessario vllum hominem obliget in specie nisi quaetenus portio cius aliqua aut part est legis naturae vt lex coÌ„traincoestas nuptias Lev. 18. aut a Magistratu propomtur politico fine There is also the Iudiciall lawe which expired with the common-wealth of Moses so that it doth not binde any man of necessitie but so farre onely as some portion of it partaineth to the lawe of Nature as the lawe against incestuous marriages or so much of it as the ciâ—â—le magistrate shall admit for pollicie Saint Cyrill hath these words Sacundum legem adulter cuÌ„ adultera moriebatur nec poteraÌ„t dicere poenitentiam petimus venâ—aâ— deprecamur Sequitur apud Christianos vero siadulterium fuerit admissum nonest praeceptum vt adulter vel adultera corporall 〈◊〉 puniantur In the Lawe both the adulterer and the adulteresse were punished by death and they could not say wee are penitent desire pardon for our sinnes But among Christians there is no commandement to punish them with death M Musculus that most zealous Christian and great learned Doctor hath these expresse words Quaerunt an tota sit abrogata respondemus si totus Moses cessit Christe vtique tota illius lex cessit legi Christi Sequitur in lege sunt mandata promissa figurae Perveritatem Christi cessarunt promissa figurae Mandata legis sunt moralia iudicialia coeremontalia Caeremoâ—ialia cessasse ex eo patet quod ipsum Sacerdotium legis cuiannexae fuerunt caeremoniae per sacerdotium Christi secundum or dinem Melchisedech est abrogatum iam olim re ipsa cessauit Iudicialta quoque cessasse in eo declaratur quod tota Israelis oeconomia qualem terrae promissae inhabitatio requirebat ab eo tempore cessauit quo exdulsi inter gentes sine Rege sine Ducibus siue Sacerdote sine lege habitare coeperuÌ„t They demand if the whole Law be abrogated wee answere if whole Moses gaue place to Christ then hath his whole law giuen place to the lawe of Christ. In the Lawe are commandements promises and figures The commandements of the law are morall iudiciall ceremoniall That the ceremonialls are ceasled it is thereby euident for that the Priesthoode of the lawe to which the ceremonies were annexed is abrogated by the Priesthood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedeth was long since expired And that the iudicialls are also ceased it is herein manifest for that the whole order of the gouernment of Israell which was requisite vnto the inhabiting of the land of promise hath froÌ„ that time ceased when they being expelled beganne to dwell among the Gentiles without a King without gouernours without a Priest with out a law Maister Caluin hath a large and most learned discourse of this question which is able to satisfie anie indifferent Reader Some small part thereof I will here set down referring the Reader vnto the place for the residue Sunt qui recte compositaÌ„ esse remp negent quae neglectis Mosis politicis communibus gentium legibus regitur Quae sententta quam periculosa sit turbulenta videriut alij mihi falsam esse ac stolidam demonstrasse satis erit There be some which denie that common weale to bee well gouerned which omitting the politique lawes of Moses is ruled by the common lawes of the Gentles The which opinion how daungerous seditious it is let others iudge it is enough for mee to haue shewed it to bee false and foolish Out of these large and learned discourses it is most apparant to all indifferent Readers that the law of Moses is wholie expired and that Christians of necessitie are bound to no part thereof The Second Conclusion Although the law of Moses bee wholy expyred so as of necessitie Christians are not bounde to the punishment therein prescribed against sinne sinners yet
him Loe S. Luke speaketh not in the preterperfect tense or preterplusperfect tense who hath or had bene one of the seaueÌ„ Deacons but he saith in the present tense who is euen now one of the seauen For so the Originall Greeke word ontos must needs be expressed seing it is a participle of the present time or time euen now beeing And the holy Fathers together with the practise of the church haue euer so vnderstood this text of Scripture Saint Epiphanius deliuereth his minde in these plaine tearmes Omnes verò praeter ipsum susceperunt magnorum A. postolorum praesentians per impositionem manuum ipsorum acceperunt Spiritum sanctum Nam quum Philippus Diaconus esset non habebat potestatem imponendi manus vt per hoc daret Spiritum sanctum They all hee onely excepted receyued the presence of the mightie Apostles and by imposition of their hands they enioyed the holy Ghost For Philip being a Deacon onelie had not power to impose hands thereby to giue the holy Ghost S. Austen hath these expresse words Iterum multum distare inter Diaconum sacerdotem liber approbat queÌ„ dicimus actus Apostolorum Cumn ex Samaria credidissent Philippo praedicanti Diacono ab Apostolis ordinato miserunt inquit ad eos Petrum Ioannem vt venirent his qui crederâ—t darent spiritum sanctum per manus impositionem Again the booke which wee call the Acts of the Apostles prooueth that a Deacon differeth much from a Priest For when they of Samaria had beleeued the preaching of Philip the Deacon ordeined of th' Apostles they sent saith the booke Peter and Iohn vnto them that they might giue the holy Ghost by imposition of hands to those that did beleeue Thus wee see the iudgement of S. Epiphanius and S. Austen who both iointly affirme Philip to haue bene but a Deacon and yet to haue baptized and preached Yea Maister Gualter Maister Aretius and the Magaeburgenses doe all constanthe and vniformely contest the same truth with the auncient Fathers and continuall custome of the Church in all ages They write plainely that although Deacons were chieflie occupied about the dispensation of the churches goods yet did they employe their labours so far forth as they might in the other ministeries of the church The fourth member of Deacons promoted to Priesthood The Church of England is charged to doe against the word of God while shee vseth to make one and the same person first a Deacon and afterward a Priest To which calumnie I answere in briefe in this manner First that it is not against the word of God but very consonant and altogether agreable to the same For no Scripture can bee alleadged to prooue that a Deacon maye not become a Priest Maister Caluin affirmeth constantly that Philippe was first a Deacon and afterward an Euangelist Priest or pastorall elder Secondly that the church of England vsing the Deaconshippe as a steppe or degree vnto Priesthood doth nothing against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers but followeth the vsuall practise of the church in all ages The reason hereof is and euer was this viz. that there might be some time of try all of their behauiour in the Deaconshippe before they were or could bee admitted to the order of Priesthood No Councell no Father no hystorie Ecclesiasticall no time no place no person since the Apostolike age can be named to the contrary To the continuall practise of the Church from age to age th' Apostles words may sitly be applied when he saith the deacons that haue ministred well get themselues a good degree For sun 〈…〉 writer of high esteem in the church do 〈…〉 the word Degree a steppe vnto the 〈…〉 or Priesthood This notwithstanding it is not of necessitie that euery Deacon become a Priest by any canon or constitution of the church For his behauiour in the Deaconship may be such that the church will deeme him vnmeete to be preferred vnto Priesthood And therefore I conclude with these words of S. Hierome Et si scripturae authoritas non subesset totius orbis in hanc parteÌ„ consensus instar praecepti obtineret NaÌ„ multa alia quae per traditioneÌ„ in Ecclesijs obseruantur authoritateÌ„ sibi scriptae legis vsurpauerunt Although they were no authoritie in Holy Scripture yet should the consent of all the Christian worlde haue the force and strength of a law in this behalfe For many other things which the church obserueth by tradition are become equiualent to the written law Loe S. Hierome affirmeth boldly constantly as do also S. Augustine M. Caluin and others as I haue already prooued that the custome tradition of the church must bee in steede of a lawe vnto Christians Which euer is to be vnderstood in things not repugnant to the word of God or as M. Caluin speaketh which are neyther partes of doctrine nor necessarie to saluation The fyfth member of the generall confession made by priuate persons in the Church The Patrons of the expected Eldership or Presbyterie exclame against the booke of common prayer because it giueth libertie to the Laycall communicants to make a generall confession of their sinnes before the congregation then present as if therby the Laicall communicants should presently become publique ministers of the church To these men I answere in this manner first that they seeme to theÌ„selues to be the onely wise men in the worlde to condemne all the rest of follie For otherwise they would not so roundly peremptorily take vpon themselues and that without either Scripture Councell or Father nay without all time or reason to controll condemne the book of publique praier which I verily think to haue bene composed by the assistance of the Holy Ghost consequently to condemne all the ancient Byshops those glorious martyrs of our Lord Iesus the most famous Byshop of Sarisburie the Iewell of England in his time the Byshops that now liue who are both wise vertuous learned all the residue of the learned Cleargie of this our English Church Secondly that by their grosse assertion ioyned with a most vnchristian reprehension the lowly Publican highly commended in the Gospell should bee made a Minister of the Church or haue intruded him himself into the function of publique Ministerie when hee knocked vppon his breast said O God be mercifull to me a sinner Thirdly that by the same reason the notorious sinners which were put to open penance in the primitiue Church and confessed their faults before the congregation should bee in the same predicament Fourthlie that publique penitents this daye who are for all that approoued of the Patrons of the Presbyterie should be caught in the same nette Fyftlie that the same may bee saide of Women singing Psalmes in the Church and that with more probabilitie who for all that are approoued in so doing not onely in this Church of England but